You're the one who wants to marry a mistress, and I'm marrying someone else, yet you still

Lin Qing picked up the teacup on the table and drank it all in one gulp, not caring whether the tea was cold or not.

"It's all thanks to Miss Lin for dressing up like the princess today."

Dongzhu took the clothes that Lin Qing had taken off. The attire for banquets was complicated and cumbersome, which was one of the reasons why Lin Qing didn't like to attend such banquets.

With the heavy loads removed, Lin Qing finally felt much lighter.

Before she could even take another sip of hot tea, she heard that Shen Yanzhi had gone to the gambling den again. Ever since she tricked Shen Yanzhi into going to bang drums and gongs and made a fool of himself last time, Lin Qing found it very amusing to tease Shen Yanzhi and had people keep a close eye on him.

Sure enough, Shen Yanzhi slipped out to play, and she, who had no connection with the Shen family, immediately found out.

"Miss Lin."

Dongzhu shook her head, indicating that she should not do what she had done before.

Lin Qing teased Shen Yanzhi to avenge the princess, but she disguised herself as a man and caused quite a stir. If the Shen family found out, they would definitely cause trouble for Miss Lin.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." Lin Qing's lips curled into a sly smile. "This time, we won't take direct action."

She walked to the desk, picked up her pen and wrote quickly. In no time, a secret letter was completed.

She summoned a trusted guard, whispered a few instructions, and the guard obeyed, his figure quickly disappearing into the night.

“He embarrassed himself before, but nobody knew why.” Lin Qing had a faint smile on his lips, but his eyes were cold. “This time, let’s make the Shen family famous again.”

Shen Yanzhi lost again tonight, as expected, and lost miserably. He even pawned his underwear and is now heavily in debt.

The gambling den wouldn't release the people until they got their money, and they sent someone to notify the Shen family to send money.

This time, Shen Zhan was the first to learn of the matter and immediately ordered his men to bring Shen Yanzhi back from the gambling den. He secretly gave Shen Yanzhi the money himself, but he also beat him up and locked him up.

Shen Zhan had never liked to concern himself with matters of the household, but since resigning from his official post and spending more time at home, he had come to care about everyday family matters.

He believed he hadn't made a big fuss and had preserved the reputation of the Shen family. He also ordered the gambling den staff not to talk nonsense, otherwise the Yong'an Marquis's Mansion would not let them off the hook.

Even so, the fact that Shen Yanzhi was a gambling addict at such a young age was spread by someone, and the whole of Xuancheng knew about it.

The Yong'an Marquis's mansion originally held some prestige outside, and the people at the gambling den dared not offend it, but that didn't mean others wouldn't dare.

The people gossiped, saying that the Shen family was blind to the value of their daughter, abandoning Xie's daughter for such a worthless concubine, which was truly a reversal of fate.

The insults continued, and everyone looked down on the Yong'an Marquis's residence.

The rumors were rampant outside, and Shen Nianqing naturally learned about them as well, which only strengthened her resentment towards Xie Wanru.

If Xie Wanru doesn't divorce him, wouldn't Shen Yanzhi have someone to discipline him? Now he's made one ridiculous mistake after another; how is she supposed to face people in the future?

What if His Highness the Crown Prince knew that the children in her household were so unruly, and that her future children wouldn't be any better, would he dislike her?

It's all Xie Wanru's fault. She's married to her second brother, so why can't she manage the household affairs properly and be a dutiful mistress?

Since being rescued, Aunt Liu has rarely left her courtyard. Her room is filled with maids who have served her for many years. They are all reliable and have no ulterior motives. It is safe for her to hide away and not go out. She only walks around her room a few times each day and never sets foot outside.

I'm afraid that a few round beads might suddenly appear out of nowhere.

She was already quite far along in her pregnancy, and Old Mrs. Shen was hoping she would give birth to a son, so she didn't care that she stayed indoors all the time.

But as her belly grew bigger, Fu Rou next door became increasingly angry.

Because Shen Nian'an would visit Aunt Liu every day after returning from outside, and Shen Yanzhi had been imprisoned by the Marquis of Yong'an, she couldn't even see her own son. She was filled with resentment, to the point that she could break her chopsticks while eating.

She even considered having another son with Shen Nian'an, but then she suddenly remembered something and dismissed the idea.

In Aunt Liu's room, Shen Nian'an saw that there was only tea on the table. He was about to ask the servant to fetch a pot of wine, but then he saw that Aunt Liu's belly was swollen and she was about to give birth, so he gave up the idea.

He was afraid the smell of alcohol would affect the child.

"Did you have a pleasant day? Your pregnancy is progressing further, so you need to be careful. I've already started looking for a midwife, so you don't need to worry."

Shen Nian'an asked calmly.

Aunt Liu smiled and said that everyone around her took good care of her and that she was doing well.

If Shen Nian'an had shown her such concern earlier, Aunt Liu would have been overjoyed. But now that she knows he protects Fu Rou and doesn't care even if Fu Rou tries to harm her and her unborn child, she feels that Shen Nian'an's words are all hypocritical.

Only at this moment did she finally understand the hardships Xie Wanru had endured.

The people in the Shen family are so good at pretending; they have no sincerity whatsoever. She didn't care before; she only wanted to have a child of her own.

But things are different now. Someone wants to harm her child, so she has to think about her child and secure a place in the Shen family.

Aunt Liu harbored resentment in her heart, but remained outwardly calm. She gently stroked her swollen belly and said as tenderly as ever, "With Second Master's concern and Doctor Huo's medicine to prevent miscarriage, I am naturally in excellent condition. However, because of the previous trip, Doctor Huo said that the delivery might be a bit difficult."

As she spoke, Aunt Liu revealed a slight look of fear, "I heard that there were a few pearls at the scene that day, but I don't know if someone did it on purpose."

She said this seemingly unintentionally.

Shen Nian'an tried her best to hide her guilty conscience, a sense of remorse welling up in her heart.

He was well aware that he owed Aunt Liu something, as she was carrying his child. However, the thought that if Fu Rou's actions were discovered, Fu Rou and her two daughters would have a very difficult time in the mansion, quickly replaced by helplessness.

"Don't worry, I'll finish what I'm doing these next few days. When you give birth, I'll be there to watch over you and make sure no one hurts you in the slightest," Shen Nian'an promised, trying to soothe Aunt Liu's anxiety, but she didn't mention how to resolve that matter.

After hearing Fu Rou's explanation, Shen Nian'an began to suspect Xie Wanru. However, after investigating, he found that no servant in the mansion had any contact with Xie Wanru, and all the people around Xie Wanru were from the Xie family, whom she had taken with her after the divorce.

If Xie Wanru didn't do it, then it could only be Fu Rou.

After all, if Xie Wanru wanted to harm his child, wouldn't it be more direct to target Shen Yan? Killing an unborn child would be meaningless to Xie Wanru.