Chapter 138
Chapter 138: All Just a Setup
“My lord, you are here.”
After dismissing the maids, Xu Meng Ying walked into the hall with light, measured steps. When she came within a meter of the man, she bent her knees to kneel.
“That will do.”
Yun Wan Ye set down the teacup in his hand, sparing her the formalities. His narrowed eyes fell on her flat stomach.
“Thank you, my lord.”
His gaze was so intense that Xu Meng Ying felt a wave of unease, her back unconsciously tensing. A flicker of doubt crossed her mind—had she done something to displease him?
“You’ve been with that man surnamed Lu for some time now. Have you had a physician look at you?”
His deep, unreadable voice reached her ears, making her blink in confusion. She wasn’t sure what he meant, but then a sudden thought struck her—recalling the way his eyes had lingered on her belly, she understood.
A faint blush spread over her delicate, unadorned face. She shook her head shyly. “I have not, my lord. Do you mean… that I might be with child?”
At that, Yun Wan Ye rolled his eyes and gave a cold snort: “How would I know what’s in your belly? I mean, it’s been many days. It’s possible. You should have a physician check.”
Xu Meng Ying blinked, catching on quickly this time. “Yes, my lord, I understand. I will have one summoned at once.”
This house faced the street, with several medical halls nearby, so finding a doctor was no trouble. Xu Meng Ying told her personal maid that she felt unwell and had her fetch a physician.
A short while later, a doctor arrived with his medicine chest.
Through the veil, his fingers pressed her wrist. His expression gradually shifted into something strange.
Seeing his face, Xu Meng Ying’s heart skipped. Why did he look so peculiar? Had she… caught some terrible illness?
The more she thought, the more her anxiety grew. She bit her lip and asked softly, “Doctor Zhang, how is it? Is there something wrong with me?”
He snapped out of his thoughts and stroked his beard. “Not at all. This is a happy pulse—you’ve been pregnant for nearly twenty days.”
“Truly? I’m really with child?”
Xu Meng Ying’s eyes widened in disbelief before joy lit her face.
The doctor, however, was baffled by her reaction. This young woman was clearly unmarried—how could she be so delighted by such news? Did she not fear the gossip, the shame of being with child before marriage?
Then he recalled the grand scale of this residence and how she lived alone in the main quarters. It all became clear—she must be the kept mistress of some wealthy patron. No wonder she was so happy; if she bore a healthy son, her status could rise overnight.
Once the doctor left, Xu Meng Ying walked back in high spirits to find Yun Wan Ye. The cold wind on the way made her head oddly clear, and she belatedly realized that the doctor’s strange look must have been because of her situation. Perhaps he was sneering at her even now.
She pouted, brushing the thought aside.
“My lord,” she greeted, her face glowing with excitement.
Though she did not know his true identity, she knew the face he wore was a disguise. He had bought her loyalty with a false identity to set a trap for Lu Huai Jin. Their arrangement suited them both, and they worked well together.
“How is it?” Yun Wan Ye looked at her, dark eyes carrying a trace of arrogance.
Smiling, she replied in a low voice, “You truly are remarkable, my lord. The physician said I’ve been with child for almost twenty days.”
So it was true—she was pregnant.
That system really was boundless in its divine powers, even predicting such a thing. Good thing the Yun family had his little sister; otherwise, facing something so strange, they would have been utterly defeated.
Yun Wan Ye’s gaze cooled. “And you know what to do next?”
“Rest assured, my lord. I won’t let you down.”
“Good.”
…
“Well now, little beauty, all alone? Why don’t you keep us company for a bit?”
“Heh, today’s our lucky day. Never seen such a fine beauty in my life.”
“…”
In a secluded alley, a few filthy, reeking beggars circled a delicate, bright-eyed girl, taunting her.
She trembled like a leaf but forced herself to appear calm. “Get away from me. Do you know who I am?”
“Oh, a feisty one. I like that.”
“Pfft, just a little maid putting on airs.”
“Exactly. Hear that tone? You’d think she was some nobleman’s daughter.”
“Hahaha…”
Their laughter rang loud before they surged closer, reaching to paw at her. She cried out for help.
At that moment, a tall figure passed by.
Her eyes lit up. She kicked one beggar away and hurried toward the man, grabbing his sleeve. “Please, young master, save me, I am—”
The words caught in her throat. She stared in surprise, then swallowed. “Young Marquis?”
A faint, intoxicating scent reached Lu Huai Jin’s nose. His gaze flickered, and he took in a deep breath almost without thinking.
“Miss Su.”
His voice was calm as he looked down at her.
She wore a maid’s garb, but her face was one he had seen many times before—the Grand Commandant’s daughter, Su Qian Xue. Why would she be dressed like this, alone in such a place?
Suspicion flashed in his eyes.
“What a coincidence,” she said, visibly relieved as a smile curved her lips. “Young Marquis, when I fell into the water last time, it was thanks to you that I was saved. I never had the chance to thank you.”
“It was nothing. No need to mention it.”
Lu Huai Jin’s eyes shifted to the beggars not far away. Meeting his gaze, they shrank back.
“Has Miss Su run into trouble?”
She shrugged lightly. “As you see, I got entangled with these blind fools. I’m afraid I’ll have to trouble you to drive them off.”
“Easily done.”
…
Duke Ning Manor.
Yun Wan Ning munched on gossip from afar.
[Ah, Lu Huai Jin’s about to take the bait. He won’t realize that today’s gallant rescue is no coincidence, but a scene Su Qian Xue staged just for him. She’s been watching him closely. Once he left his lover’s place, she waited on his way home and paid these beggars to lie in wait. When he passed, the play began. Add this to the favor she owes from her ‘accidental’ fall into the water, and she’ll soon have endless excuses to get close to him. It’s all a setup—every bit of it.]
Madam Yun and Yun Wan Yao didn’t pay her commentary much mind. One kept stitching embroidery, the other cracking melon seeds.
After all, both Yun Wan Chen and Yun Wan Ye knew of Su Qian Xue’s mission and would never sit by idly. There was no need for them to interfere.
Yun Wan Ning, having finished her gossip, sent her spiritual power drifting again to find amusing sights nearby.
The poor scholar was still bent over his desk writing smut, his face flushing as he scribbled. Then, abruptly, he tossed down his brush and reached to untie his clothes.
Realizing what he meant to do, Yun Wan Ning hastily yanked her spiritual power back.
[Merciful heavens, good thing I reacted quickly or I’d be scarred for life.]
“???”
Madam Yun and Yun Wan Yao froze at the odd remark, both turning to stare at her. What was this about getting an eye infection?
[This must be punishment for prying into others’ secrets. I swear, I’ll never again send my spiritual power into anyone’s bedroom.]
Truth be told, she hadn’t intended to in the first place—except that the smut the scholar wrote had somehow tugged at her spiritual power, drawing it into his room before she realized it. It was the only room she had ever entered with her spiritual power.
The mother and daughter’s curiosity only deepened—they wanted to know what, exactly, that scholar had been doing.
[Sigh, better to go find that little boy from yesterday. I’ll see where he comes from, and whether he’s been bullied again today.]
Once calm, Yun Wan Ning grew restless again. She swept her spiritual power over the surrounding ten li, searching carefully—even dogholes—but found no sign of the boy.
Her brows drew together as she chewed her finger.
[Strange, where did he go? Why can’t I find him? Perhaps he’s left. Forget it. Meeting him yesterday was fate; not meeting him today is simply no fate at all. I’ll let it be.]