“I didn’t know how to answer, so I came back.”
Qingliu lowered her head, full of remorse.
Duoduo was astonished. “You just brought the chicken back without answering her?”
Qingliu nodded guiltily.
“I was worried that once the Princess found out what you needed it for, she would scold you.”
“If I ran away, at most the Princess would scold me for being rude.”
Duoduo shook her head helplessly.
“If you didn’t answer her, Mother must have been worried sick!”
As soon as Duoduo finished speaking, Su Xian came hurrying in with Lianxin.
Duoduo shot Qingliu a glance.
In the end, she was the only one who could clean up this mess.
Duoduo stood up and gave Su Xian an obedient smile.
“Mother, what brings you here?”
Su Xian glanced suspiciously at Qingliu and Nina before turning her eyes to Duoduo.
“Why did you have Qingliu bring a chicken here?”
“If you want to eat something, wouldn’t it be better to have the kitchen prepare it?”
“The weather is dry these days. You mustn’t start a fire just anywhere.”
“It isn’t safe!” Su Xian added.
“Pfft!”
Duoduo couldn’t help laughing after hearing that.
So Mother was worried about this!
“Mother, I’m not going to roast the chicken!”
“I need it for something else. You don’t have to worry—I know what I’m doing!”
Su Xian looked at Duoduo doubtfully. With Nina present, however, it wasn’t convenient for her to ask further.
She reached out and stroked Duoduo’s head. “Mother has made you some new clothes. Come and try them on when you have time.”
Summer was nearly over, and Su Xian had already begun preparing their autumn clothes.
Duoduo nodded. “Thank you, Mother!”
Su Xian smiled gently. “All right, Mother won’t disturb you.”
“I happen to be going to see your father. You carry on with what you’re doing.”
Duoduo answered obediently, “All right. Take care, Mother!”
Su Xian nodded at Nina and was just about to leave when Nina suddenly spoke.
“Wait!”
Su Xian and Duoduo both froze.
Duoduo hurriedly gestured at Nina with her eyes. Su Xian turned around to look at her.
“Miss Nina, is there something you need?”
Su Xian did not particularly like Nina.
What kind of girl played with insects instead of learning something proper?
What Su Xian found even harder to accept was that Duoduo had started learning from her as well.
Although Xu Jinxin had tried to persuade her that Duoduo must have taken an interest in it because The Prince had instructed her to, Su Xian still did not approve.
Disapproval was one thing, but Su Xian still observed basic courtesy.
Nina naturally knew that Su Xian did not like her.
But she did not care.
Whether others liked her was their concern. How she conducted herself was hers.
“Try to worry less and stop going out so much. Don’t overexert yourself mentally. Take care of your health!”
If not for the last sentence, Su Xian would have thought Nina was scolding her.
Duoduo quickly tugged at Nina’s sleeve.
“Nina, that wasn’t the right way to speak to my mother!”
“If those words get spread around, it will be bad for you.”
Su Xian was the Princess, the head of the Prince of Pingyang’s household.
Nina’s attitude just now had sounded like a provocation and could easily lead to misunderstandings.
Nina looked puzzled.
“Why?”
“I said those things for her own good!”
“If she weren’t your mother, I wouldn’t even have bothered saying anything!”
Seeing that Duoduo and Nina were beginning to disagree, Su Xian shook her head at Duoduo.
“It’s all right, Duoduo. Nina was only showing concern for Mother.”
“Mother will be leaving now.”
Su Xian recalled that the Prince had sent Yunxiao to tell her that a letter had arrived from the Su family.
Her heart was already in turmoil.
Seeing Duoduo pout, Nina added, “She’s pregnant! I only said that because she looked unwell.”
Nina’s words struck Su Xian and Duoduo like a bolt from the blue, leaving them both stunned.
Duoduo was the first to recover.
She immediately took Su Xian’s hand and forced herself to calm down as she focused on the pulse beneath her fingers.
Su Xian’s health had improved considerably after Duoduo’s treatment.
However, the treatment had not lasted very long.
Recovering from an illness was a gradual process, so Su Xian’s pulse was still not very strong.
Duoduo felt a smooth, rounded pulse beneath her fingers, rolling like pearls across a jade plate.
At times it seemed to be there, and at times it seemed to fade away.
The pulse was very faint.
But Duoduo was certain that it was a slippery pulse.
She must have conceived recently, which was why the pulse was still so faint.
Duoduo withdrew her hand and calculated the dates. She guessed that Su Xian had conceived after the second time Duoduo had secretly given medicine to her father and mother.
When Su Xian saw Duoduo lower her head without saying a word, she dug her fingernails tightly into her palm.
“Duoduo, is there something wrong with Mother’s health?”
Duoduo raised her head and looked at Su Xian solemnly.
Su Xian’s heart nearly leaped out of her chest.
She instinctively clutched at her collar and took a deep breath.
Seeing this, Duoduo hurriedly supported her and helped her sit down.
“Mother, don’t be nervous!”
“Nina was right. You really are going to have a baby!”
“It’s just that you’ve only been pregnant for a short time, so your pulse isn’t very strong yet.”
Nina raised her chin proudly.
“I never lie!”
“Our gu insects can sense the presence of new life!”
“They can’t possibly be wrong!”
“However, bearing a child at her age can be hard on her. If she doesn’t lie down and rest properly, she’ll probably suffer.”
Nina was explaining why she had spoken that way earlier.
Only then did Su Xian and Duoduo understand her intentions.
Su Xian stood up and gave Nina a half-bow.
“Thank you for warning me. I’ll be sure to take care of myself!”
This was her first child with the Prince. Even if it cost her life, she would do everything she could to protect the baby.
Nina turned slightly away.
“I only said it because of the Princess.”
After speaking, Nina looked at Duoduo.
“Duoduo, could you have someone buy me a cup of iced tea?”
Duoduo smiled happily.
“Of course! You can have as much as you want!”
“By the way, Nina, why didn’t my gu insect react?”
Nina explained, “That’s because Little Gold is still too small. Once it grows a bit more, it’ll be able to do the same.”
“When we have time, I’ll tell you how they react when they encounter different situations!”
“All right!” Duoduo nodded.
By now, Su Xian had recovered somewhat from her initial shock.
Her mind was filled with one question: how could she protect this child?
The news of her pregnancy absolutely could not be leaked.
It could affect Xiao Yi, and it might also endanger the child in her womb.
“Duoduo, Nina, I hope you can help keep my pregnancy a secret!”
Nina looked completely indifferent.
She wasn’t bored enough to spread such gossip.
“Mother, does that mean we shouldn’t even tell Father?” Duoduo asked curiously.
