“This feeling is truly wondrous.” Lin Jiayue caressed her lower abdomen, her eyes carrying traces of tenderness. “I have no family in this world. Now that I have you and this child, it’s as if my life has been filled.”

She looked up at Jiang Xingjian. “Do you like him? Do you anticipate his arrival?”

Jiang Xingjian remained silent. Lin Jiayue lowered her head. “I suppose you must like him. No one dislikes their own child.”

“Shall we choose a name for him?”

“What character do you think would be more suit—Ah!”

Mid-sentence, Lin Jiayue’s face suddenly turned deathly pale as she crouched on the ground. Qianbi jumped in fright, and Jiang Xingjian also frowned.

“What is it? What made that sound?”

Images suddenly flashed through her mind—Jiang Jing being carried out of the courtyard, his pale hand hanging outside the bamboo frame, and Concubine Zhou’s death by striking a pillar, crimson spatters everywhere.

Lin Jiayue clutched her head and crouched on the ground, terrified and panicked.

Jiang Xingjian looked at Qianbi. She hurriedly waved her hands to indicate it wasn’t her doing. The two searched the room for a long while before discovering that the string of pearls hanging on the washing stand had broken, the pearls falling into the copper basin with resounding clinks.

Qianbi hurriedly cleaned up the mess while Jiang Xingjian lifted Lin Jiayue up.

Lin Jiayue wrapped her arms around his neck, asking cautiously, “Is it Jiang Jing? Have Jiang Jing and Concubine Zhou come back to find me? I didn’t mean to—I never intended to cause their deaths.”

“It was just the pearls breaking their string. You needn’t worry.”

Jiang Xingjian stroked her head with a deep sigh. “Rest well and take care of yourself. That’s what matters.”

Lin Jiayue nodded dazedly. After coaxing her to sleep, Jiang Xingjian left and went to Huai Su’s chambers.

The moment he entered, Huai Su quickly rose to help him remove his outer robe, then brought him tea from the table at just the right temperature. Jiang Xingjian took a light sip and returned it to Huai Su.

“My lord, green salt to rinse your mouth.”

After rinsing his mouth, Jiang Xingjian lay on the daybed, allowing Huai Su to massage his temples.

Neither spoke further, yet Jiang Xingjian felt more relaxed than ever.

“Who in the manor knows about Jiayue’s pregnancy?”

Huai Su replied, “Lanting Courtyard and Madam’s side should know. The manor physician won’t tell the other courtyards.”

“Tomorrow, tell the people in the courtyard to keep their mouths shut.”

Huai Su’s hand paused. “My lord… do you intend to keep this child?”

Jiang Xingjian didn’t answer, closing his eyes and falling into deep sleep.

Looking at his sleeping face, Huai Su bit her lip, her eyes full of worry.

Early the next morning, two nannies appeared by Lin Jiayue’s side—one was Nanny Li, Jiang Xingjian’s wet nurse, and the other had served Old Madam Jiang for many years.

The moment the two arrived, they guarded Xiuyan Pavilion as tightly as an iron barrel, preventing anyone from entering or leaving.

Seeing this arrangement, Song Wan knew he had decided to keep the child.

Her hand paused while trimming flower branches. She smiled faintly and shook her head.

Seeing this, Heng Zhi said, “Miss, has the Marquis gone mad?”

Song Wan lowered her eyes, her gaze focused intently on the pruning shears in her hand. “With such measures, he must be thinking no one will know the Marquis Manor has a first-born son. Perhaps tomorrow or the day after, he’ll seal off the main courtyard of Lanting to prevent me from leaving. Then, after ten months pass, he’ll place that child under my care to raise as the legitimate heir.”

“This way, the Marquis Manor will have a legitimate heir, and the rumors outside will collapse on their own.”

“Miss!”

Heng Zhi’s face paled. “Doing this—isn’t he afraid our manor will find out and won’t spare him?”

“It’s merely speculation. Otherwise I truly cannot understand why Jiang Xingjian would keep this child.”

The Marquis Manor’s reputation was already enough to make all the aristocratic families in the capital keep their distance. Now, not only were the young ladies and masters’ marriage prospects difficult to discuss, even Consort Jiang and the Fifth Prince in the palace were greatly affected. At such a critical time, creating another scandal with a first-born son would surely bring nothing but harm without any benefit.

Even if Jiang Xingjian valued Lin Jiayue greatly and couldn’t bear to part with the child in her womb, he shouldn’t risk Consort Jiang, the Fifth Prince, and the Marquis Manor’s century-old foundation.

So Song Wan couldn’t understand it.

The only possibility she could think of was that the Marquis Manor would maintain tight security for these ten months, preventing her from passing messages to the Song Manor.

On the day Lin Jiayue gave birth, she would meet the fate of “dying in childbirth,” and henceforth this child could legitimately become the bloodline of both the Jiang and Song families.

However, Song Wan didn’t voice this thought aloud. She feared Heng Zhi and Heng Wu would worry and do something extreme.

“Today, send for Old Woman Lang to enter the manor. Let’s test what Jiang Xingjian is actually thinking.”

Heng Zhi nodded and hurried to make arrangements.

She and Heng Wu waited in the courtyard, both extremely anxious. But what Song Wan hadn’t expected was that the message actually got through without encountering any obstruction whatsoever.

That evening, when Old Woman Lang entered the manor, she was somewhat surprised.

After thinking it over carefully, Song Wan had her deliver a message to Song Fu, explaining the matter of the first-born son in detail. After completing all this, Old Woman Lang said, “A few days ago, the Young Master was transferred to the Personnel Selection Division to establish an office, becoming a Fifth-Rank Vice Minister. The Young Master instructed this old servant to inform First Madam upon seeing you, so you wouldn’t constantly worry.”

“Truly?”

Song Wan smiled with pressed lips. “Elder Brother is full of knowledge and talent. Wherever he goes, he will shine brilliantly.”

The two discussed manor affairs for a few more sentences before Old Woman Lang departed.

After she left, Song Wan said in puzzlement, “I was able to send out word about the Marquis Manor having a first-born son, which means Jiang Xingjian had no such plans. This truly is strange.”

Heng Zhi nodded. “This servant also feels the Marquis wouldn’t dare confuse the bloodlines of the Jiang and Song families. If the truth came to light, Master and Young Master would never easily forgive him.”

Song Wan’s delicate brows knitted slightly. “Unable to discern his thoughts and actions—this troubles my heart greatly.”

Not only did Song Wan fail to understand Jiang Xingjian’s actions, even Old Madam Jiang and Jiang Yan were left bewildered. But Old Madam Jiang was accustomed to washing her hands of affairs. Now that her son said not to worry, she truly cast it aside and focused entirely on serving Old Madam Jiang, striving to let the old lady live a few more days.

Jiang Yan, however, used his own methods to help Song Wan eliminate the danger.

Qing Zhai had just entered the room carrying a new inkstone when she heard Jiang Yan say, “The Marquis Manor should not have a first-born son. Today, go find Qianbi. She knows what to do.”

“This servant understands.”

After placing the items on the desk, Qing Zhai went to the storeroom to retrieve gold and silver embroidery threads before leaving.

Before today, she hadn’t known Qianbi was Second Master’s person. It seemed when Concubine Lin first entered the manor, Second Master had already planted his chess piece.

Thinking of this, Qing Zhai’s eyes showed reverence.

Arriving at the entrance to Xiuyan Pavilion, she found a low-ranking maid from Lanting Courtyard and had her fetch Qianbi.

Shortly after, Qianbi stood inside the room while Qing Zhai spoke to her through the window. “A few days ago when receiving the manor’s allowances, I heard you say Concubine Lin was short on gold and silver embroidery threads. I had extra this month, so I brought some for Concubine Lin.”

She handed the items to Nanny Li, but before she could receive them, Qianbi said, “Thank you for your trouble, Miss Qing Zhai. Our mistress has been lethargic lately and hasn’t done embroidery in quite some time.”

“However, Xiuyan Pavilion is indeed out of gold and silver threads. This servant still owes Concubine Huai Su two spools. I wonder if Miss Qing Zhai could let me have this portion?”

Qing Zhai nodded and gave the items to Nanny Li to pass on to Huai Su.

When she returned to Yuling Study, Jiang Yan was tending to flowers and plants. Qing Zhai reported, “Second Master, Qianbi said Huai Su moved before us.”

“Huai Su?”

Qing Zhai nodded. Jiang Yan’s brows furrowed tightly. “Help her if necessary.”

“This servant understands.”

Seeing Jiang Yan’s full attention on the painting beneath his brush, Qing Zhai carefully withdrew from the study.

Jiang Yan outlined a graceful feminine figure with his brush. His strokes were practiced, as if every line had been traced countless times. That person’s features were carved into his very bones—with each detail revealed, he couldn’t help the heat rising to his ears.

When the person in his heart appeared vividly on paper, his expression relaxed, yet carried both infatuation and sorrow.

Carefully rolling up the painting, Jiang Yan found a brazier and slowly set it ablaze.

The paper ashes drifted and scattered, disappearing from the world, like the hidden thoughts in his heart that could not be spoken to others—destined never to be revealed in broad daylight.