Tian Shifu was the head chef in the kitchen, and he basically had the final say in all kitchen matters. Lin Danniang was his wife, and the two always spoke with one voice. They were also accustomed to currying favor with their masters. When Shen Guiyan said this, everyone understood what was going on.

Most likely, these two had given the Fourth Young Madam special treatment to please the First Young Madam, and the Fourth Young Madam, not wanting to offend anyone, had come to ask them to treat her normally.

The silver tucked in their sleeves felt heavy. Lin Danniang and Tian Shifu both quickly agreed. Shen Guiyan didn’t say much more. After giving them the silver, she left, leaving these two servants muttering to themselves.

Everyone else stuffed silver to have more good things sent to their courtyards, but this Fourth Young Madam was doing the opposite.

Returning to the North Courtyard, Shuang’er happened to be carrying out bird’s nest soup. Seeing her, she curtsied somewhat awkwardly: “Fourth Young Madam.”

Shen Guiyan nodded with a smile and asked somewhat curiously: “By the way, who is your mistress?”

“My mistress is Xu Shi, a concubine in the South Courtyard,” Shuang’er replied with a curtsy.

The Second Young Master only had one concubine, who seemed to be pregnant, with the given name Mengdie. Shen Guiyan nodded and let her go, thinking it was fortunate she had gone to ask at the kitchen today. Otherwise, being resented for no reason would not be a good thing.

She did some needlework in her room, and when the sky had completely darkened, Gu Chaobei finally returned with the scent of rouge all over him. Shen Guiyan frowned and turned to instruct Baoshan to bring water.

Gu Chaobei sat at the table and picked up the pouch she was embroidering to look at it, saying with a smile in his eyes: “For me?”

It was青黛-colored satin with embroidered green bamboo—clearly it could only be for him. But Shen Guiyan pursed her lips and said: “I embroidered it to hang at the bedside, to put some fragrant herbs in. It smells nice.”

Gu Chaobei raised an eyebrow: “So you had no intention of giving it to me? At least we’re newly married—won’t my wife give me some token of love?”

Without love, how could there be tokens of love? Shen Guiyan said irritably: “You know we’re newly married, but have you ever considered me? Even if you don’t stay with me constantly, at least leave me some dignity—don’t come back reeking of romantic affairs.”

His eyes brightened, and Gu Chaobei couldn’t help but poke Shen Guiyan’s cheek: “Angry?”

Shen Guiyan nodded: “Whose husband goes out philandering right after getting married? Who wouldn’t be angry?”

Gu Chaobei laughed. He very much wanted to explain to her about this scent of romance on him. But thinking it wasn’t the right time yet, he let it go.

Shen Guiyan had a gentle temperament. He really shouldn’t have left her alone in the residence. What if she was bullied again? That would truly be rather guilt-inducing.

Thinking this way, Gu Chaobei couldn’t help but pinch Shen Guiyan’s chin to examine her carefully. Nothing should have happened today, right? Jiang Shi also said the madam had no reaction to those maids.

Her eyes were clear, with a hint of confusion, almost making one want to fall into them. Gu Chaobei quickly lowered his gaze to look at her lips, but once he looked, he couldn’t help but want to kiss them.

Shen Guiyan’s breathing tightened. The person before her was getting closer and closer. What they hadn’t done on their wedding night—could it be made up for tonight?

The atmosphere suddenly became intimate. Gu Chaobei’s Adam’s apple moved slightly. Just as he was about to kiss those tempting lips, he suddenly heard a commotion outside.

“What’s happening?” Shen Guiyan was startled and couldn’t help but turn to look.

Gu Chaobei dissatisfiedly pinched her chin back, murmuring: “Who cares what’s happening? It’s none of your business anyway.”

He was about to continue kissing her.

“Master!” Gu Chaobei’s attendant Zhuiyun suddenly pushed the door open: “Something’s happened…”

The two people whose faces were nearly touching instantly sprang apart. Gu Chaobei’s face turned completely dark, and he turned his head to ask irritably: “What happened?”

Shen Guiyan took a few breaths to calm her heartbeat, her face somewhat flushed as she also looked toward Zhuiyun.

Zhuiyun kept his eyes on his nose and his nose on his heart, bowing his head: “There’s a commotion over at the South Courtyard. It seems Concubine Xu has had some kind of problem. She’s in severe pain right now. The madam has already gone over.”

Gu Chaobei raised an eyebrow: “Xu Mengdie?”

“Yes,” Zhuiyun said. “With such a big commotion, it must be something wrong with the child.”

Shen Guiyan’s heart jumped. Could it be such a coincidence? Her bird’s nest soup was mistakenly delivered to the North Courtyard in the afternoon, and something happened in the evening?

Silently chanting “Amitabha” twice, she hoped this matter wouldn’t be connected to her. Shen Guiyan quickly pulled Gu Chaobei up and headed outside: “Let’s go take a look too!”

Gu Chaobei nodded, his face showing no nervousness, instead bearing a slight smile.

In the residence, among their generation, besides Xu Mengdie’s pregnancy, there was only the one in Shen Guiya’s belly. Either way, both were treasured. Now that one had a problem, there would certainly be a good show to watch.

Shen Guiyan felt extremely uneasy, gripping Gu Chaobei’s arm very tightly. But she showed nothing on her face. When they entered the South Courtyard, everyone who saw them thought the Fourth Young Master and Fourth Young Madam had excellent feelings for each other.

Shen Guiya looked at them and merely lifted the corners of her mouth, then looked anxiously toward the room.

“Mengdie’s child won’t have any problems, will it?”

Madam Gu stood to one side and shook her head: “It shouldn’t be a problem. She just ate something wrong. But the maids in this courtyard—knowing their mistress is pregnant, how could they still be so careless?”

Shuang’er was kneeling in the courtyard, crying inconsolably. Gu Chaonan stood to the side, his face for once without its usual smile.

The doctor came out after a long while, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead: “I’ve done my best. Prepare for induced labor.”

The courtyard instantly fell silent. Madam Liu from the South Courtyard turned pale and stepped forward to grab the doctor’s sleeve: “Induced labor? How could it be induced labor! Mengdie’s child has been fine all along. Today she just ate something wrong and had a stomachache—how could it…”

“Madam, please calm down…” The doctor said helplessly: “The bird’s nest soup that lady ate contained aloe. By the time it was discovered, it was already too late. She’s already bleeding internally now. If we don’t induce labor, we might not even be able to save the adult.”

Madam Liu couldn’t catch her breath and was supported by a maid beside her, unable to speak. Gu Chaonan closed his eyes: “Then arrange for the induced labor. The child is secondary—we mustn’t let Mengdie be lost as well.”

Everyone was too shocked to speak. Shen Guiya looked at Gu Chaonan with great surprise. This man was truly good—unlike ordinary despicable men who would save the child but not the adult. Only he still cared about his concubine. How admirable.

Shen Guiyan, however, was already stunned. Hearing the words “bird’s nest soup,” her hand tightened.

“What’s wrong?” Gu Chaobei finally turned his head to look at her: “If you grip any harder, my arm will be bruised.”

Shen Guiyan shook her head, not knowing how to explain what had happened today. Right now the South Courtyard was busy saving Xu Mengdie, and no one had yet investigated the bird’s nest soup matter.

But once they did investigate, it would certainly involve her. Thinking through the cause and effect, Shen Guiyan took a deep breath and turned to instruct Baoshan: “Bring all the kitchen staff to the main hall. Say it’s my order.”

Baoshan nodded and efficiently went to handle it.

Shen Guiyan glanced at Shen Guiya beside her. She was covering her belly, looking very worriedly toward the room, with no other expression on her face.

Could it be her? Shen Guiyan lowered her eyes. It really didn’t seem like it.

Crying came from inside the room, heartbreaking and unbearable to hear. When news came from inside that the fetus had been induced and Concubine Xu was safe, Madam Gu’s face hardened: “Everyone go to the front hall. This matter must be investigated thoroughly!”

A perfectly good heir had been lost. No matter what, this couldn’t just be let go. So in the middle of the night, everyone went to the main hall. Even those who were drowsy had to put on a serious expression.

The maids who served Concubine Xu knelt below.

“The bird’s nest soup was made in the kitchen. When I went to get it, the kitchen staff said it had been taken to the North Courtyard,” Shuang’er sobbed. “The Fourth Young Madam happened to be there and told me to go with Baoshan to retrieve the mistakenly delivered bird’s nest soup. So I followed Sister Baoshan to get it, then returned and served it to my mistress.”

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone’s gaze instantly fell on Shen Guiyan. Madam Gu’s eyes were particularly sharp: “The North Courtyard?”

Gu Chaobei frowned slightly.

Shen Guiyan took a deep breath, came forward and knelt: “Guiyan is new to the residence and doesn’t understand the rules for meals. Today’s lunch and dinner were both sent by the kitchen staff. There was extra bird’s nest soup with dinner. Guiyan felt it was improper, so I personally went to the kitchen to ask. I didn’t expect it was mistakenly sent by the kitchen, so I had Shuang’er go back with Baoshan to retrieve it.”

“When dinner came, Jiang Shi was serving Guiyan at the meal. Guiyan didn’t touch the bird’s nest soup and left directly with Baoshan. She can testify to this.”

Fortunately, she had just anticipated being implicated and had already prepared her statement, so she spoke very smoothly without any panic.

Madam Gu frowned: “Each residence and courtyard has rules for meals. How could the kitchen send them wrongly? Where are the kitchen staff?”

Baoshan had just brought all the kitchen staff to the main hall. Several drowsy kitchen servants entered, knelt down and kowtowed: “Madam, our respects.”

Madam Gu swept her eyes over them and asked in a stern voice: “Who delivered lunch and dinner to the North Courtyard?”

An inconspicuous servant raised his hand: “It was me.”

“What was sent for lunch and what for dinner?” Madam Gu asked.

The servant answered honestly: “Lunch was duck soup with several meat dishes. Lin Danniang specifically instructed to take care of the Fourth Young Madam. Dinner was three dishes of meat and a bowl of bird’s nest soup, also sent at Lin Danniang’s instruction…”

Before he finished speaking, he was kicked by Lin Danniang kneeling in front.

“Oh? Such good food.” Madam Gu frowned and glanced at Shen Guiya: “Sisterly affection runs so deep that you care to this extent?”

Shen Guiya felt somewhat annoyed. Doing these things in private was fine—the servants below would just think she was caring for her own sister. But now it was dragged out by Xu Mengdie’s incident. How was she supposed to explain?

Just as she was thinking of distancing herself, Gu Chaobei laughed: “This morning I heard my sister-in-law say she had deep sisterly feelings with Yan’er. I was somewhat doubtful, but now I believe it. Thank you, sister-in-law, for taking care of Yan’er. Only, this care seems somewhat irregular.”