What are your plans?

Lin Rou sniffed. "Grandmother, all these years, Father refuses to acknowledge me, and I have had to live in the Marquis's Manor merely under the guise of a distant cousin. I kept silent for the sake of the manor's reputation, but now Brother Xin no longer wants me. What should I do?"

Old Madam Jiang looked at Lin Rou, who was weeping like a pear blossom drenched in rain, and felt a deep surge of heartache.

Lin Rou was the child born between her personal maid and Jiang Xunnian.

Fifteen years ago, during a visit to their ancestral home, Jiang Xunnian had been worried about her safety and accompanied her back. Somehow, during that time, Jiang Xunnian and her personal maid had relations—something she had been entirely unaware of at the time.

Not long after the maid gave birth, on their return journey, they encountered a severe flood. She had nearly drowned, and it was the maid who leaped into the torrent to save her. Just as the maid managed to pull her to the safety of the riverbank, her strength failed her, and she was swept away by the churning waters.

Right at the moment she was carried away, the maid had cried out that Lin Rou was the child of Jiang Xunnian and herself.

When she brought Lin Rou back to the manor and questioned Jiang Xunnian, he confirmed the truth, and the timeline matched up.

At the time, Jiang Shuwan’s mother had just had a child, and they had intended to speak of it, but shortly afterward, Jiang Shuwan’s mother passed away, and Madam Li entered the household.

With one delay after another, the opportunity never arose again, and Lin Rou could only be kept in the Jiang household under the identity of a cousin.

Normally, Old Madam Jiang felt guilty toward her, granting her every request, and fortunately, Lin Rou had not turned out ungrateful, remaining very docile toward her.

Recalling these past events, Old Madam Jiang released Lin Rou's hand, picked up a teacup from the side table, took a sip, and said with a cold face, "I told you long ago to get rid of that pearl bracelet, but you refused to listen. Now that the truth has come to light, who is there to blame?"

"Grandmother!"

Hearing Old Madam Jiang speak thus, panic truly set in.

Suddenly, a wave of nausea washed over her. Smelling a faint, sickening odor, her stomach churned violently, and she began to retch dryly, though nothing came up despite her best efforts.

Old Madam Jiang watched her condition, her eyes narrowing sharply. She set her teacup down on the table and said in a deep voice, "Rou'er, tell me the truth, when was your last monthly period?"

Lin Rou clutched her chest, feeling a bit better, and thought back. "The fifteenth of the month before last... It seems to have been delayed by many days."

Old Madam Jiang's expression changed drastically, and a sudden smile broke across her face. "You're pregnant!"

Lin Rou’s face blossomed with joy. "Really? Does that mean I'm carrying Brother Xin's child? But he's unwilling to marry me right now..."

The joy on Lin Rou's face instantly collapsed.

"You silly child, now that you carry his family's heir, marry you he must. In the future, this child will be their legitimate eldest son, and they will cherish you deeply."

Hearing this, Lin Rou beamed. "Grandmother is right."

Amidst her happiness, remembering how Jiang Shuwan had nearly ruined her chances of marrying Gu Xin, Lin Rou said viciously, "But Jiang Shuwan caused me all this trouble. Grandmother, I don't want to let her off so easily."

Old Madam Jiang patted her hand affectionately. "Don't worry. I heard she has stockpiled hundreds of thousands of units of grain that she can't sell, and she is still buying more. We will deliberately sell grain to her and ruin her grain merchant business. Her mother's dowry is in my hands; if she doesn't use that, she can only rely on the manor's funds. Once the master finds out, let's see how she manages to stay in the Jiang family."

"But what if Second Mother finds out?" Lin Rou asked, still somewhat worried.

"She has never looked favorably upon Jiang Shuwan anyway; she won't interfere," Old Madam Jiang stated firmly.

Thinking of how Madam Li had always treated Jiang Shuwan like a fool, Lin Rou's worries instantly dissipated.

Lin Rou obediently replied, "I shall obey Grandmother in everything."

The next day, Lin Rou had her maid spread the news of her pregnancy far and wide.

***

The Marquis of Yongning's Manor.

Gu Xin returned with a beaming smile and instructed the guard behind him, "Put these items in my courtyard. After lunch, I'm going to present them to Wan Younger Sister, so handle them with care."

The guard looked at the spring-spirited Gu Xin with a hint of perplexity. Hadn't the Heir apparent always detested Jiang Shuwan? Why was he suddenly using such an affectionate form of address?

Furthermore, wasn't he supposed to be with the eldest daughter of the Jiang family? Why was he still dallying with Jiang Shuwan?

Everyone knew Jiang Shuwan had been betrothed to the Marquis. Now that the Marquis had returned, was the Heir trying to steal a wife from his own father?

Daring not to speak his mind, the guard respectfully replied, "Yes."

Scarcely had the guard departed when a page boy hurried over to him. "Heir, the Old Madam and the Marquis have instructed that the moment you return, you are to go straight to the main hall."

Gu Xin was startled and asked, "Has something happened?"

Normally, Gu Yunting would never summon him unless he had committed some grave fault.

The page shook his head. "This servant does not know."

"Very well, I understand."

Gu Xin strode toward the main hall.

Just as he reached the entrance, a teacup came hurtling through the air, narrowly missing his head. Fortunately, he dodged in the nick of time.

The cup shattered into countless pieces right where he had been standing.

Lifting his gaze, he saw Old Madam Jiang and Gu Yunting sitting in the seats of honor with grim, unsightly expressions.

It was clearly no trivial matter. Swallowing hard, Gu Xin stepped forward.

"Grandmother, Father." Gu Xin bowed to Old Madam Jiang and Gu Yunting.

Then he took a seat below them.

"Why has Grandmother summoned me? Is something the matter?"

He was currently anxious to find Jiang Shuwan, appease her, and convince her to call off her marriage with Gu Yunting so she could marry him instead.

Old Madam Jiang slammed her palm heavily onto the table, her face livid. "You still have the face to ask me what is the matter!"

Gu Xin looked bewildered. "Grandmother, this grandson truly has no idea."

He had spent the entire morning buying gifts for Jiang Shuwan; he genuinely knew nothing of what had transpired in the manor.

Old Madam Jiang’s chest heaved up and down as she raised a trembling finger at him. "You—you tell me! Did you and Lin Rou have relations long ago?"

Gu Xin froze, a prick of guilt stabbing at his conscience.

In the past, he would have confessed immediately. But now, knowing the schemes Lin Rou had pulled, his affection for her had completely vanished.

He shook his head and denied it. "No."

"The news of Lin Rou's pregnancy is already the talk of the town, and yet you still stubbornly deny it!"

Gu Xin was struck dumb. He had not expected Lin Rou to become pregnant, and he found it hard to believe. "Gran—Grandmother, is what you're saying true?"

"It is being whispered everywhere outside; why would I deceive you? Everyone knows of the things you two have done. You have truly disappointed me beyond words."

Gu Xin’s face turned pale.

Had this happened previously, he would have been overjoyed to marry the woman of his affection.

Yet ever since his rebirth, he had resolved to follow the path of his past life—first securing Jiang Shuwan's dowry—but things were unfolding nothing like they had before.

Jiang Shuwan no longer favored him, and to make matters worse, he had learned that Jiang Shuwan was his true savior, while Lin Rou had deceived him by impersonating her.

He was trying to turn his affections toward Jiang Shuwan, only to be told now that Lin Rou was pregnant.

He simply could not summon any joy.

"What do you intend to do?" Gu Yunting asked coldly, breaking his silence.

"I don't know," Gu Xin muttered, shaking his head.