Chapter 9 Pregnancy: The Earl’s Manor Will Soon Be Her Domain

Chapter 9: Pregnancy. The Earl's Manor Would Eventually Be Her Domain

Jiang Yueyi was stunned, and it took her a long moment to understand his words.

Marry?

Did he even understand what marriage meant?

Yet Jiang Yueyi was left speechless.

Seeing her silent, Qi Yuan thought she was shy and repeated himself: "I will marry you."

Jiang Yueyi’s face finally reddened, even redder than when she had seen Qi Hao on their wedding night.

She knew she couldn’t avoid addressing his suggestion, so she hurriedly said, "But I am just a maidservant. How could I possibly marry the Second Master?"

"It doesn’t matter. I can decide on my own," Qi Yuan’s hand crept under the covers, found hers, and gently squeezed it. "You don’t need to worry."

He was merely an insignificant illegitimate son of the earl’s manor, with neither parents nor anyone to restrain him. Now that he was almost being cast out of the manor, that at least came with one advantage: he could decide his own marriage.

Yaoyao was indeed a maidservant, but he was no nobler than her. An illegitimate son who had been looked down upon in the manor since childhood—if he looked down on her, it would only make him seem more vile and ridiculous.

Since he had no marriage arrangement and no one to interfere in his affairs, marrying Yaoyao would be a good choice—they could just live well together.

Below, Jiang Yueyi felt his touch, her hand trembling as she pulled it away.

Was he serious?

It was utterly absurd! He was after all a son of the earl’s manor, yet he actually thought of marrying a maidservant!

Moreover... she was not actually a maidservant.

"After I return, I will also begin preparing for the wedding. If you have any family, I will go to propose formally," Qi Yuan added.

Jiang Yueyi became even more flustered: "There’s no rush. Let’s talk about it when you come to fetch me. Otherwise, the old lady will find out and cause trouble."

"That’s fine. Just wait a few days in peace," Qi Yuan thought for a moment, then couldn’t help asking, "Are you willing?"

Jiang Yueyi didn’t know if he meant whether she was willing to wait or willing to marry him.

At that moment, she was still dazed by his words, her thoughts drifting. Suddenly, she recalled the nuptial candles and the divorce document Qi Hao had handed her.

Qi Hao had left her no room—the divorce had even been officially registered with the authorities.

Everything had been red at the wedding, tingeing the white paper with a faint blush.

She had been very sad then.

So she pulled the covers up a little and whispered, "Yes."

Qi Yuan smiled slightly upon hearing this, tucked her messy hair behind her ear, and said, "Sleep."

Jiang Yueyi turned to look at him. Her eyelashes cast faint shadows on her face, her eyes as moist as morning dew on flower petals. Her face remained indistinct in the dim lamplight. "Will you really marry me?"

"I will."

Jiang Yueyi let out a soft sigh, as if relieved.

He would leave tomorrow, and they might never cross paths again in this life.

That night, Jiang Yueyi slept exceptionally well.

For the first time, she didn’t wake until Nanny Xu knocked on the door.

When she awoke, she found herself pressed against Qi Yuan, almost in his arms. His figure was lean but strong, with a slender waist and long legs, holding her firmly in place.

The bedding was warm, unlike her lonely nights at Xingyun Courtyard. She barely moved, and Qi Yuan asked, "Who is it?"

On other days, she would have risen before Nanny Xu came to call, and they had slept with some distance between them. Fortunately, this was the last day—otherwise, Qi Yuan might have grown suspicious.

"It’s my fellow maids summoning me to work," Jiang Yueyi said, pushing Qi Yuan’s arm aside as she replied.

Qi Yuan opened his eyes. The room was still pitch black—the candles had burned out—and he could only see her silhouette as she dressed.

"You always rise early and are gone all day. Is that for work?" he asked.

Jiang Yueyi replied, "I am still a servant after all. I must do what is required; I cannot shirk my duties."

Qi Yuan said nothing. After dressing, Jiang Yueyi slipped quietly out of bed. "Second Master, it’s still early. Sleep a little longer. I am leaving."

Before Qi Yuan could respond, she turned and left. He watched the faint outline of the bed curtain flutter before falling still again.

Back at Xingyun Courtyard, she normally would have washed and then taken a nap, but today she didn’t.

She changed clothes and sat leaning on the soft couch, watching the sky brighten little by little.

When the day was fully bright, she shifted slightly. Just then, Qing Lan entered from outside, leaned close to her ear, and whispered, "He has already left."

Jiang Yueyi let out a slow breath.

It had been barely half a month, but she had spent it in constant anxiety, feeling as if each day stretched on forever. Now it was over—Qi Yuan was gone, and this ordeal had come to an end.

If she didn’t leave herself, Qi Hao had promised not to drive her away. For now, the only question was whether she would become pregnant. If she could successfully bear a legitimate son, her position in the manor would be secure. Feng Shi would one day grow old, and the manor would eventually be hers. She was already Lady Chengping. Once she truly controlled the manor, Concubine Gu would have a better life in the Jiang family.

But if she didn’t conceive, that would be her fate. She would have to find another way.

"Madam, would you like to rest a little longer?" Qing Lan reminded her. "Usually you go back to bed after returning. Why aren’t you sleeping today?"

Jiang Yueyi nodded. "Yes, it’s about time to sleep."

Until someone was truly gone, her heart remained suspended high. She didn’t wish Qi Yuan dead, but the entanglements of the past were nothing more than passing clouds. Jiang Yueyi had never taken them seriously, never thought to reach for them. When they dissipated, she simply forgot.

***

With Qi Yuan’s departure, the undercurrents in the Earl’s manor finally calmed—especially since he would never return, declaring Feng Shi the ultimate victor.

She had sent away the illegitimate son without spending a single coin. Anyone else would have laughed in joy.

When summer arrived, Jiang Yueyi was diagnosed as pregnant. Feng Shi was naturally delighted, and so was Qi Hao.

Jiang Yueyi watched coldly. Qi Hao seemed even happier than Feng Shi, though he was not the biological father of this child. She felt his joy was different from Feng Shi’s—it was more like the relief of a major matter settled.

Even if this was indeed a major event concerning his heir, the sense of relief didn’t seem to justify such intensity.

In short, it was strangely inexplicable.

Jiang Yueyi secretly asked Qing Lan, who said she was overthinking things—Qi Hao showed no signs of impropriety.

But Jiang Yueyi was always cautious. She had her trusted maids keep an eye on the front courtyard. However, Qi Hao was already distant from her, and even she couldn’t easily go there. The maids could only glance from a distance; the front courtyard remained as impenetrable as a fortress.

Around midsummer, due to the heat, Qi Hao’s health relapsed. Though he had improved in early spring, summer set him back. Apart from mealtimes, he could only sit for an hour or two each day, spending the rest of the time in bed.

As Qi Hao's wife, Jiang Yueyi naturally couldn't just stand by and do nothing, but given that Qi Hao had already given her a heads-up last time, she was tactful enough not to casually go to him. She had to check in every day, but beforehand she would always send someone to report.

When the two met, there was little to say; they only reminded each other to take care of their health. Jiang Yueyi herself was fine—she had always been healthy, and now that she was pregnant, she didn’t feel particularly unwell. Yet every day when she looked at Qi Hao, she felt that his condition was truly not good.

Qi Hao was only in his early twenties, yet his health fluctuated with the climate—this was not a good sign. If he was like this at such a young age, how would he cope as he got older?

Although Jiang Yueyi now had someone to rely on for the future, she still didn’t want to become a widow at a young age. Moreover, it was uncertain whether the child in her womb would be a boy or a girl. If Qi Hao were to pass away early, she and Feng Shi might not be able to hold things together on their own.

But there was no rushing this matter. According to Feng Shi, Qi Hao had been frail since childhood and could only be carefully tended to over time. Jiang Yueyi had known this before her marriage; at the time, it hadn’t seemed like a problem. Because her stepmother, Wang Shi, had been causing trouble, she had been fixated on marrying Qi Hao quickly. Now that she was married, she realized it wasn’t so simple.

Jiang Yueyi was still very worried about Qi Hao.

As the scorching summer deepened, Qi Hao’s condition remained the same. Thankfully, it didn’t worsen, but it neither improved nor deteriorated. Feng Shi was so anxious that large sores appeared on her lips. She came to Xingyun Courtyard three times a day to see her son, and Jiang Yueyi had no choice but to accompany her.

A few days later, Feng Shi’s nephew Zhou Congshen suddenly returned to the capital and came to Baron Chengping's estate to visit his aunt and cousin.

Zhou Congshen was a noble youth from the capital, born into a distinguished family. However, he had no interest in fame or advancement. A few years earlier, he had become a disciple of the renowned physician Lu Ruohui and had been studying medicine ever since.

As soon as he arrived at the residence, Feng Shi eagerly invited him to Xingyun Courtyard to examine Qi Hao.