Chapter 182 – My lord, I’m pregnant with your child (1)
Gancao’s face became even redder. Ji Man didn’t decline his offer and put back the piece of jade. She had personally embroidered that handkerchief with snow-capped mountains. She normally used this type of handkerchief to wrap various types of gifts. Still, the embroidery on the handkerchief was good enough to be given as a present by itself.
Since it wasn’t early in the day anymore and Gancao had been found and returned, there was no reason to publicize what had happened. She decided that she would report the other matter to Old Madame tomorrow.
As the lamps were extinguished, Ji Man called out to Dengxin, “When you went out to get my medicine today, did anything happen before you came back?”
Dengxin blinked. “Not really, ah.”
After a pause, she slapped her thigh and remembered something. “This servant bumped into older sister Dangzhu and spoke with her for a bit. Master, what’s wrong?”
Dangzhu, Xuesong Courtyard. Ji Man closed her eyes. Other than Muxu, Qian Lianxue was the only other concubine that knew about her pregnancy. No one else could be blamed.
“It’s nothing. The two of you can leave. Go rest.”
“Ai.” Dengxin didn’t notice anything strange at all. She happily tugged Gancao along with her as she withdrew from the room to go to sleep.
Gancao still felt a bit scared. That night, she stayed closed to Dengxin and kept dawdling around instead of going straight to sleep.
Seeing that Gancao seemed to have a load on her mind, Dengxin asked, “What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing.” Gancao lowered her eyes and turned her body to face the other side to hide her thoughts and feelings. She was only a lowly servant girl. How could she dare to have a crush on Young Master? Young Master had only saved her as part of solving a case. He hadn’t come there just to save her.
However, she still couldn’t resist picturing his tall, slender body. Just a side view of his face was enough to leave a person breathless. When she had been at her most despairing point, he had taken her onto his horse and even quietly comforted her by saying, “Don’t be scared.” They were just three words that were as light as feathers, but she actually stopped feeling scared once he said them.
Perhaps, it really was that simple for a person to enter your heart.
—
Ji Man wasn’t able to sleep very peacefully that night, and she woke up early next morning to go Old Madame’s courtyard. She secretly told Old Madame about the matter with the saffron.
“You suspect that it was Lianxue?” Old Madame shook her head and said, “It can’t be her. It must be a misunderstand.”
Ji Man was surprised by Old Madame’s response. She tentatively asked, “Why isn’t it possible for Lianxue to want to harm me?”
“Lianxue is the most kind-hearted person in the marquis’s harem. Didn’t you see that she was the only one willing to take Wen Wan in when there was that fake haunting before?” Moving the rosary necklace in her hand bead by bead, Old Madame said, “She has a merciful heart. Perhaps, the people around her have vicious inclinations, but this matter shouldn’t have anything to do with her.”
Could she be suspecting the wrong person? Old Madame was twenty years older than her, so she should naturally be better at judging other people’s character than her. Or, perhaps, Muxu was lying to her and using Qian Lianxue as her scapegoat?
It was true that she hadn’t any conflicts with Qian Lianxue up to now. Ji Man felt confused after her conversation with Old Madame.
Later in the morning, the people that came over to pay respects to Old Madame increased. Ning Mingjie and Ning Yuxuan had both come. And so, Ji Man brought up the topic of Ning Mingjie saving Gancao yesterday.
“Mingjie accomplished a great meritorious service again.” Marquis Moyu smiled. “The emperor had given him the capital’s most troublesome case and he had actually solved it in a couple of days.”
Wen Wan was standing at the side. She looked at Ning Mingjie with a very appreciative gaze, as well as an inexplicable amount of pride. It was if her subconscious mind believed that this person belonged to her.
Ning Mingjie quietly said, “It was just coincidence that led Mingjie to solving this case. It’s all thanks to Sangyu actually. If she was less courageous and had forgotten the direction that those criminals had run to, then Mingjie definitely wouldn’t have been able to solve this case.”
Ji Man looked at him and faintly smiled.
Ning Mingjie raised his head and returned her smile with his own.
Looking at these two people that were making sheep eyes at each other, Marquis Moyu’s expression sunk. “How does this have anything to do with Sangyu? Didn’t you just say that it was a coincidence that Sangyu was outside yesterday? Of course she would see if Gancao was kidnapped right in front of her.”
Old Madame interrupted, “You were being inattentive and didn’t clearly understand the whole story.”
Naturally, Ning Yuxuan wasn’t upset over the case. He pursed his lips and didn’t know what to say. If he wanted to say that she was acting improperly as a married woman, he couldn’t. She hadn’t done anything obviously wrong. From top to bottom, she managed everything perfectly in this residence for him and had even received praise from the emperor. However, she clearly didn’t care about him, her husband. Instead, she showed other men a pleasant countenance and exchanged flirtatious glances with Ning Mingjie.
—
Unable to move past feeling angry, Ning Yuxuan went to Feiwan Courtyard in the afternoon. He didn’t bring Wen Wan with him.
Ji Man was currently giving herself a manicure. She felt somewhat surprised to see him. “My lord, have you recovered from your cold?”
Ning Yuxuan lightly coughed twice and sat down at the table. “Not yet.”
Then, why had he come here? Putting on a show of being weak? Ji Man wanted to roll her eyes, but she cheerfully smiled and asked, “Do you want this servant to prepare a bowl of medicine that’s the same as yesterday’s?”
This time, she had Doctor Li come over to directly give her two packets of medicine. After confirming that it was safe, she sent Gancao and Dengxin to cook the herbal medicine.
Thinking of how Marquis Moyu had drunk the pregnancy medicine last time, Ji Man still felt a bit of glee.
Ning Yuxuan actually didn’t refuse. “If your servant girl is already cooking a bowl for you, then prepare a bowl for me as well.
Ji Man almost couldn’t stop herself from laughing. She tightly pursed her lips to hold in her laughter and finally said, “Alright, this servant will go and order Dengxin to make a bowl for you too.”