Xie Jingyu rose from the bed.

“My head hurts a bit. Perhaps I caught a chill. It’s nothing serious—no need to call for a physician.”

Yun Chu said, “If it hurts badly, you should still call for one. Don’t let it interfere with attending court.”

Xie Jingyu nodded in agreement.

He could hear that Yun Chu still had some concern for him, so she probably hadn’t come to discuss divorce.

Yun Chu turned around and took a medicinal package from her maid Tingshuang’s hand. “Husband, this is a medicinal diet that Physician Si prescribed for us husband and wife. After taking it for half a year and then sharing a bed, we can produce a son in one attempt.”

Xie Jingyu’s heart suddenly stopped.

After so much had happened, she still wanted to have a child with him?

“Ange’er and Pingjiejie deceived me for so many years. I can’t treat them as my own children anymore.” Yun Chu showed a wounded expression. “I can’t wait to have a child of my own. Husband, you understand, don’t you?”

Xie Jingyu’s face was full of emotion. “I’ve wronged you, Madam. It’s all my fault. Madam, rest assured, I will definitely cooperate in nourishing my body to produce a legitimate son with both our bloodlines.”

He instinctively wanted to grasp Yun Chu’s hand.

But remembering the scene of her constantly washing her hands that day, he still suppressed this impulse.

He instructed the servants to prepare the medicine.

“Take this medicine once every two days. Every other day, I’ll have someone bring it over.” After Yun Chu finished speaking, she prepared to leave.

“Madam!”

Xie Jingyu called out to her.

Whenever he closed his eyes, the image of He Shi dying with her eyes open would float into his mind. He needed someone to stay and talk with him.

Yun Chu paused. “Does husband have something else?”

“I…” Xie Jingyu wracked his brain and pressed his temples. “The fourth child was born but hasn’t been given a name yet. Does Madam have any good suggestions?”

Yun Chu’s expression was indifferent.

“The fourth child was premature. The physician said his body is weak, so why not—” After thinking for a moment, Xie Jingyu said, “Let’s call him Xie Shikang—Kangge’er.”

Yun Chu’s fingers paused.

In her previous life, the fourth child was also called Xie Shikang, a name she had chosen.

In this life, many things were different, but the child still had this name. It truly was a terrifying fate.

“Then I’ll go tell the Old Madam,” Yun Chu said. “And we’ll discuss when to register Kangge’er in the family genealogy.”

Not wishing to stay longer, she turned and left.

Walking out of the inner chamber, she saw two maids outside preparing medicine. Her expression darkened, and she pressed her lips together as she continued walking out.

Going to Anshou Hall, before she even entered, she smelled the pungent medicinal odor.

From this incident, the Old Madam’s body had truly deteriorated. Last night she had coughed up blood several times. Now her face was pale as she lay on the bed drinking medicine.

Yuan Shi sat beside her attending to her, sighing, “Old Madam, your body must have been harmed by Concubine He. She actually practiced such witchcraft and sorcery in our Xie household. I wonder how the Old Madam plans to deal with her?”

“Mother, Concubine He took her own life out of fear of punishment,” Yun Chu said as she stepped in. “Considering that she served husband for some time, I took it upon myself to prepare a simple coffin for her.”

“Wh-what!” Yuan Shi dropped the medicine bowl in her hand. “Concubine He killed herself? How could this happen?”

Although practicing witchcraft and sorcery was an extremely grave crime, it didn’t warrant death. How could she have committed suicide?

Yesterday she was still a living person, and today she was already dead…

“Cough, cough, cough!” The Old Madam began coughing violently, interrupting Yuan Shi’s thoughts. “Go bring another bowl of medicine.”

Yuan Shi quickly stood up, went outside to get a bowl of medicine from a maid’s hands, and carefully fed it to the Old Madam. “The physician said you’re suffering from pent-up emotions, which is why you fell ill. Too many things have happened in our Xie household recently. Never mind you—even I’m feeling somewhat frightened. But with Chu’er here, there’s no major problem. Think about it—before Chu’er entered our doors, I lay in bed for over ten years. The moment Chu’er arrived, my illness just got better on its own. Chu’er is our Xie family’s lucky star. Old Madam, your illness will get better soon.”

Yun Chu’s eyes narrowed.

Last time when she accompanied Xie Jingyu to the Marquis Xuanwu’s residence, she remembered that Marquis Xuanwu had said something—

“Five years ago, Master Xie came begging, asking this marquis to provide an extremely rare divine medicine…”

Could it be—

A terrifying suspicion arose in Yun Chu’s heart.

After the Old Madam had drunk her medicine and fallen asleep, Yun Chu and Yuan Shi, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, walked outside.

“Mother, I want to ask you something.” She spoke with a smile. “Five years ago, did Mother take divine medicine that husband obtained, and only then did your illness improve?”

Yuan Shi said, “I was ill for over ten years. Jingyu sought out who knows how many divine medicines, but after taking so many with no effect, I gave up hope. Who knew that the day after you entered our doors, Jingyu brought me a pill to take, and slowly my illness improved. It must be that you bring good fortune—otherwise, how could it be such a coincidence that my illness suddenly got better?”

Yes, how could there be such a coincidence?

How could it be that the very day after she entered the household, Xie Jingyu obtained divine medicine?

To say it had nothing to do with her—she wouldn’t believe it.

She hadn’t thought about these things before, but now looking back, there were chilling details everywhere.

Xie Jingyu, oh Xie Jingyu—this weak and hypocritical man, this scum unworthy of being human—just how many more things was he hiding from her?

Yun Chu returned to her own courtyard.

Tingshuang came to report, “The eldest young miss is also ill and has called for a physician to prescribe medicine… The eldest young master is fine though, and still went to Huaide Academy to study.”

Yun Chu felt that this illegitimate son was calm and selfish to a truly terrifying degree.

Last night he had personally forced his own birth mother to death, yet the next day he could still act as if nothing had happened and go to school.

A child only twelve years old could already have such composure…

She said, “Arrange for a reliable person to go find out what Marquis Xuanwu has been doing these past few days and where he’s been going.”

What a pity about He Shi. She had thought He Shi was someone in the know and had set up such an elaborate scheme, yet hadn’t been able to learn what she wanted to know.

Now, she could only knowingly walk into danger and investigate Marquis Xuanwu to get to the bottom of things.

There were some servant managers in the front courtyard of the Xie residence who were Yun Chu’s people, though she hadn’t specially cultivated them. They were loyal enough but hadn’t handled any special matters before, so Tingshuang wasn’t entirely at ease.

She walked to the front courtyard and immediately spotted Yu Ke feeding the horses.

Yu Ke had come to the Xie household because of her. Madam hadn’t assigned him any specific duties, so most of the time he just wandered around the front courtyard.

She thought of that day at the lakeside when he had draped his cloak over her shoulders.

Everyone’s attention had been on Madam, including her own, yet only this man had noticed that she was also soaking wet…

“Tingshuang?”

Seeing Tingshuang appear in the front courtyard, Yu Ke’s face broke into a smile, then he walked over somewhat awkwardly and uncertainly.

“Madam has a matter that needs someone to handle.” Tingshuang had an all-business expression. “If you have nothing else to do…”

“I have nothing to do—I’m free.” Yu Ke smiled honestly. “Just give me the orders.”

Tingshuang explained the matter once and then left.

Yu Ke scratched the back of his head.

Madam had said he would stay at the Xie household for half a month, and if he couldn’t win Tingshuang’s approval in that half month, she would find someone else for Tingshuang.

Watching the days pass one by one with no progress at all—it was truly maddening…