How could I possibly be confined in a cage?

Since the Yuan siblings came to his door, Guo Zixing had no choice but to explain himself.

And what about the child in Yuan Yue'e's belly? It's unclear whether it's his child or not, but that's a problem that can't be hidden.

After hesitating for a long time in front of the Lü family's house, Guo Zixing still couldn't decide whether to go in or not.

As he hesitated, a woman knelt before the gate of the Marshal's Mansion, weeping and pleading.

"Give me back my daughter, give her back to me... Zheng Peilan, you are heartless and don't deserve to be human. You are pregnant yourself, how can you take away someone else's child? Give me back my daughter, give her back to me..."

This person was none other than Zhang Yan. Her expression was frantic, clearly indicating that she had suffered a great shock.

If Qingru were present, she would never recognize that this haggard and aged woman was the once lively Zhang Yan.

"Give her back to me, give my daughter back to me..."

Zhang Yan caused quite a commotion, and the onlookers whispered among themselves, but no one dared to lend a helping hand.

Soon, people from the Marshal's Mansion came out and took Zhang Yan away, cutting off the gazes of the crowd.

This only fueled the discussion, with everyone speculating whether Zhang Yan would survive.

Inside the main hall, Commander Guo sat at the head of the table, looking impatient. He had been overwhelmed with the "cases" in his family these past two days.

Guo Ziyou looked disgusted, as did the second wife.

Only Zheng Peilan remained aloof, as if those kneeling on the ground were mere ants.

Zhang Yan tearfully recounted how she met and fell in love with Guo Ziyou, and how she ended up as his mistress.

"...My lord, after I gave birth, before my child was even a month old, Zheng Peilan took him away. At the time, Liu Ma said that the second young mistress wanted to see the child, and if they got along well, she could keep him, which was better than him being with a mother who had no status. I believed her and handed the child over to Liu Ma, but she never came back after leaving. I waited for three days in a row, but there was no sign of him. My lord, I don't ask for anything anymore, I just want my own child. I'm not dreaming anymore, I beg you, please give my child back to me."

Zhang Yan didn't care about her image at all, crying with snot and tears streaming down her face. But it was precisely because of this that her loving motherly heart was so touching.

Commander Gu frowned and glared at Guo Ziyou.

"What about the child?"

Guo Zixing's heart skipped a beat. "This... I don't know. I haven't even seen that child yet."

Zheng Peilan also said, "I've never seen her either. If she hadn't come, I wouldn't have known that Guo Ziyou dared to keep a mistress."

Zhang Yan glared at Zheng Peilan with red and swollen eyes, "You're lying. You knew perfectly well, yet you still sent people to my house to cause trouble. Otherwise, I wouldn't have moved out to live separately."

Zheng Peilan said disdainfully, "That's your own business. I don't even know you. What child? Guo Ziyou has never even seen him. How can you be so sure it's Guo Ziyou's? Maybe you had a bastard child somewhere and are trying to pin it on Guo Ziyou? Now that the child is gone, you have a perfect excuse not to explain where the child came from."

Zhang Yan refused to believe it. "You're talking nonsense. The child is the second young master's. I've only ever had one man. If the child isn't the second young master's, whose is it?"

Zheng Peilan said, "That's hard to say. Countless people want to climb the social ladder by marrying into a powerful family. You might even have found some random man to frame Guo Ziyou."

Zhang Yan was furious. "It's Guo Ziyou's child! Give me back my child right now! If it's not the second young master's, then why did you take my daughter away?"