Chapter 57: Pregnant

Chapter 57: Pregnancy

The servants at the hot spring villa were already familiar with A Yuan, but this time, she wasn't here for relaxation with Wei Xun—she had been driven out.

The servants' attitude had naturally shifted too.

A Yuan didn't care. She was happy as long as she was away from the Marquis's estate and Wei Xun.

Besides, she was used to being treated coldly by now, wasn't she?

A Yuan felt at ease staying at the villa. The mute girl couldn't speak, but she took great care in serving.

A Yuan often saw glimpses of another girl in her.

If Chun Tao were still alive, she'd probably get along great with the mute girl.

"Ah ah ah..."

As she was lost in thought, the mute girl walked in.

She brought in a tray holding a bowl of creamy crucian carp soup.

By now, the river had long since frozen over, but the hot spring kept a small pool of water flowing in the villa.

The servants had caught fish, made soup, and sent the young maid to deliver it.

When the mute girl brought the fish soup closer, the smell hit A Yuan, making her turn away and gag.

"Ah ah!"

The mute girl panicked and rushed to her side.

But the closer she got, the stronger the fishy smell became, making A Yuan's stomach churn and her nausea rise.

"Get it away from me!"

A Yuan covered her mouth with one hand and pushed the maid away with the other.

The mute girl froze, panic written all over her face.

She couldn't speak, but she looked like she was about to cry seeing A Yuan like this.

"It's okay, I'll be fine. Good girl, just take the soup away."

A Yuan covered her mouth with a handkerchief, soothing the maid despite her own discomfort.

She hadn't eaten much since Chun Tao died, and her stomach was always sensitive. Now, the smell of meat and fish was overwhelming, almost making her throw up.

Once the mute girl removed the soup, A Yuan felt better.

"Get me some honey water to rinse my mouth..."

A Yuan told her, and the mute girl rushed to comply. A cup of honey water later, the nausea finally eased.

"Ah ah..."

The mute girl pointed at the soup, her brow knitted in concern.

A Yuan smiled and shook her head, "You eat it."

She hadn't had an appetite these past few days, unsure whether it was due to excessive worry or illness.

Though A Yuan smiled, her brows were knit with worry. In the days that followed, her vomiting grew worse.

The servants in the manor refused to attend to her, so it was always the mute girl who brought her meals.

The manor was not as grand as the marquis's estate, and the food was not as refined. Moreover, the kitchen maids cooked with heavy oils and strong sauces, but A Yuan preferred light flavors. Each time, she could only manage a few bites before throwing everything up.

Seeing her grow increasingly thin, the mute girl was frantic with worry and even considered begging the manor's people to call a doctor for her, but A Yuan stopped her each time.

She was no naive young girl. If she had vomited only once, it could have been attributed to a stomach issue, but after vomiting for half a month, even A Yuan, simple as she was, could guess the truth.

She was likely... pregnant.

In the past, whenever Wei Xun had favored her, he would have the old nanny bring her contraceptive soup.

But last month, when the old nanny diagnosed her with difficulty conceiving, Wei Xun stopped giving her the contraceptive soup.

And their only intimate encounter had been in the hot springs.

A Yuan clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms.

She never expected that just that one time would lead to her becoming pregnant.

But what should she do now?

Wei Xun's wedding was approaching, and the future lady of the house would soon arrive.

If she were to be pregnant at this time, it would be a direct insult to the future lady.

And Madam Wei had always disliked her, having previously warned her not to dream of climbing the ranks through her child. Even if she had a child, she would never be allowed to keep it.

A Yuan's mind was in a fog. Could she really rely on Wei Xun?

But could Wei Xun truly be relied upon?

Thinking of Chun Tao's tragic end and her own current plight, A Yuan laughed at herself bitterly.

If Wei Xun could truly protect her, why would she have fallen to such a state?

A Yuan's eyelashes fluttered slightly, veiling the misty moisture in her eyes.

She clenched her fingertips, her heart settling on a plan.

"Aah?"

The mute girl looked puzzled as she saw A Yuan changing clothes and fetching a veil.

After changing, A Yuan explained, "Mute Sister, come with me out of the manor."

She needed to find a way to see a doctor.

If she was truly pregnant, whether to keep the child or abort it, she needed to hear the doctor's opinion.

Thinking that the child in her womb might leave her, A Yuan felt a sharp pain in her heart.

But she couldn't even protect herself, how could she protect a child?

A Yuan lowered her head, her hand gently resting on her belly, her eyes misty with tears she held back.

......

"Lady Xie wants to go out? That's not acceptable!"

As soon as the mistress and her maid reached the outer gate, they were stopped by the gatekeeper.

"The young master sent you to the estate. If something happens, how could we servants bear the responsibility?"

Even though A Yuan was not favored, she was still the master's concubine. They might ignore her on ordinary days, but if they really let her go out and something happened, the young master would surely hold them accountable first.

A Yuan had known that going out wouldn't be easy. Her face under the veil was pale, but her voice was extremely calm.

"If you're concerned, have someone accompany me. I just want to eat the Zhang family's buns on Baolin Street. I won't stay out for long."

"If the lady wants buns, this old servant can have someone buy them for you. There's no need to go through all this trouble."

"Store-bought ones are never as good as freshly made ones from the shop. You know I haven't had much of an appetite these days. It's rare for me to crave anything. Although the young master sent me to the estate, he will surely take me back someday. If he finds out that I couldn't even eat what I wanted while at the estate, he will be furious, and that would only trouble you."

A Yuan was not a domineering person, but for the sake of the child in her womb, she threatened the servants for the first time.

The gatekeeper indeed turned pale upon hearing this and dared not stop her anymore.

"Then the lady must return quickly and not be bothered by the common folk outside."

"Yes."

A Yuan nodded, and the veil moved with her gesture. Inside her wide sleeves, her fingertips were almost digging into her palm, fearing that the gatekeeper would continue to stop her.

Unlike last time, the servants at the estate called for a carriage and sent two maids to accompany her.

The carriage stopped in front of Zhang's shop on Baolin Street. A Yuan got off with the mute servant and walked through the crowd to join the queue.

Although she was dressed in ordinary clothes, the fabric and craftsmanship of her attire clearly showed her high status. The people queuing to buy buns were all commoners from the southern part of the city. The sudden appearance of a noblewoman surprised and startled them.

The maids were afraid that A Yuan would be bothered by the common folk, but the commoners were also afraid of accidentally offending the noblewoman.

"Ah..."

Qiu Wen was smiling as she handed out buns to customers when she suddenly saw A Yuan again. She almost exclaimed.

Suppressing her anxiety, A Yuan asked softly, "Can I eat the buns here?"

Qiu Wen was stunned for a moment but quickly reacted, "Of course, if the noblewoman doesn't mind, please come with me."

She pretended not to recognize A Yuan and led her to the backyard of Zhang's shop.

This was where the Zhang family had their meals. Now that the Zhang family was all in the front, the backyard was empty.

The two maids followed closely, and Qiu Wen couldn't speak to A Yuan. She rolled her eyes and put on a flattering smile.

"The maids probably haven't had breakfast yet. Why don't you go eat first? I'll serve the noblewoman here."

The two maids were indeed hungry. They had been reluctant to go out with A Yuan and were already impatient. Now that they saw there were no strange men in the backyard, they felt safe leaving A Yuan there and went to the kitchen to eat buns.

Once the two entered the house, Qiu Wen quickly pulled A Yuan into the inner room.

"A Yuan, why have you come? Is there something you need from me?"

Qiu Wen didn't believe that A Yuan would come without a reason. She must be in trouble.

A Yuan lifted her veil, held Qiu Wen's arm with both hands, and pleaded with her eyes.

"Sister Qiu Wen, please help me get a doctor."