Heroes need not be asked about their origins; Lei Ting had never felt inferior because of his background. Their branch claimed to be the direct lineage of the Lei Family because the Yanbei Prince's Mansion needed a Lei Family with such an identity. However, Lei Ting was still somewhat surprised. Since that person had long known the true background of the Lei Family, yet was still willing to marry Ren Yaohua into the Lei Family—this truly left him rather astonished.
Nevertheless, Lei Ting did not bring up the matter again, nor did he inquire about it from Ren Yaohua. In fact, he had no intention of keeping the Lei Family's greatest secret hidden from Ren Yaohua forever. He planned to tell her once she had fully adapted to her role as the mistress of the Lei Family—it was merely a matter of time.
Ren Yaohua had been a worrier since childhood, so despite Lei Ting's reassurances, she still felt uneasy about her younger sister. Though not particularly clever, she understood that no matter how intelligent Ren Yaoqi might be, with someone like Yan Ningshuang watching her closely, her life would not be easy. After all, emotions between men and women could not be controlled by schemes alone, especially now that she was pregnant.
Thus, the ever-worried Ren Yaohua frequently sent her maids to the Yanbei Prince's Mansion with children's clothing, tonics, or food. The Yanbei Prince's Mansion certainly lacked none of these, but Ren Yaohua simply wanted to stay informed about Ren Yaoqi's situation, fearing her sister might suffer. Naturally, the task of regularly delivering items to the Yanbei Prince's Mansion fell to Xiangqin, Ren Yaohua's head maid.
One day, Ren Yaoqi had just seen off Xiangqin, who had chattered away for half a day, leaving her with a slight headache, when someone outside announced that the Commandery Princess had returned.
Upon hearing the news, Ren Yaoqi's face lit up with joy, and she immediately rose to her feet.
Xiao Jinglin had been very busy lately. She had not been at the mansion when Xiao Jingyue and Yan Ningshuang married. Before leaving, Xiao Jinglin had only informed Ren Yaoqi that she had urgent matters requiring her to leave Yan Prefecture for a while. She had taken Hongying, Nan Xing, and several other maids from her courtyard who had followed her into battle, leaving none behind. Ren Yaoqi knew Xiao Jinglin was no ordinary lady confined to the inner chambers; her travels were certainly not for leisure, so she did not pry further.
However, upon hearing that Xiao Jinglin had returned, Ren Yaoqi was overjoyed. Having been without Xiao Jinglin for some time, she truly missed her.
Just as Ren Yaoqi stood up, she saw a woman in a blue long robe with tight sleeves stride in quickly. Though Xiao Jinglin was martial by nature, she had never deliberately worn men's clothing or styled her hair like a man's. For convenience, her attire was always simple, yet it still differed from typical men's clothing.
The moment Xiao Jinglin saw Ren Yaoqi, her first question was, "You're pregnant?" Her bright eyes swept over Ren Yaoqi's face and abdomen, filled with curiosity and unconcealed delight.
Seeing Xiao Jinglin's appearance, Ren Yaoqi knew she had just returned from outside and had come to see her before even returning to her own quarters.
"Yes," Ren Yaoqi smiled at Xiao Jinglin, instructing a maid to bring tea quickly while pulling Xiao Jinglin to sit on the heated brick bed.Xiao Jinglin blinked, then cautiously reached out to touch Ren Yaoqi's abdomen. Ren Yaoqi, being ticklish, instinctively shifted to avoid it and said with a helpless smile, "It's only been about two months. You won't be able to feel anything."
Xiao Jinglin looked carefully and indeed found nothing noticeable, so she regretfully withdrew her hand.
"I only found out when I heard people talking outside, so I came back to see you," Xiao Jinglin said, taking the tea a maid offered and drinking most of the bowl.
Though Xiao Jinglin spoke in her usual tone, Ren Yaoqi was touched. Still, she smiled and said, "It's still a long way until the birth. Why rush back to see me? With Mother and the others here, I'm doing fine."
Xiao Jinglin replied casually, "I just happen to have some free time these days."
"These days?" Ren Yaoqi couldn't help but ask, "Are you going out again soon?"
Xiao Jinglin nodded. "Yes, I'll leave after a few days. I don't know if I'll be able to return when you give birth, so I came to see you while I have the chance."
Ren Yaoqi thought for a moment and, seeing no one else around, asked, "Is the border unsettled lately?"
Ren Yaoqi knew Xiao Jinglin paid close attention to border affairs. If she was busy, it was likely due to military matters, as Xiao Jinglin held an official position in the army.
Xiao Jinglin replied, "No, quite the opposite. The border has been very peaceful lately, and many previously quiet border towns have become lively again." The absence of war was usually a good thing, but as she spoke, Xiao Jinglin narrowed her eyes slightly, giving her gaze a sharpness rarely seen in front of Ren Yaoqi.
Ren Yaoqi immediately sensed something unusual and asked, "Because of the reopening of border trade?"
Xiao Jinglin nodded, as if about to say something, but after glancing at Ren Yaoqi's abdomen, she swallowed her words. "Yes, it's related. I shouldn't discuss these things with you. Pregnant women shouldn't overthink—it's not good for the child."
Ren Yaoqi wasn't surprised by Xiao Jinglin's words. Though Xiao Jinglin seemed carefree, she was actually thoughtful and considerate.
The two chatted for a long time. Xiao Jinglin didn't bring up border matters again, instead asking about trivial events that had happened in the mansion during her absence. As close friends, even mundane topics felt comfortable and pleasant.
However, Ren Yaoqi noticed a hint of fatigue in Xiao Jinglin's demeanor and knew she must not have rested well during her journey. After spending some time together, Ren Yaoqi smiled and said, "Go back, bathe, change your clothes, and rest. We can talk more later."
Xiao Jinglin was indeed tired, having had little proper rest lately, so she didn't refuse Ren Yaoqi's suggestion. She left promptly, planning to visit the Princess Consort afterward.Xiao Jinglin had just left when Nanny Xin from the Princess Consort's side came looking for her. She said the Princess Consort had heard the Commandery Princess had returned and sent her to check. Upon hearing Xiao Jinglin had left, she hurried off to Xiao Jinglin's courtyard. The Princess Consort had been deeply concerned during Xiao Jinglin's absence, but she could only sigh helplessly when Xiao Jinglin went straight to Zhaoning Hall upon her return.
Xiao Jinglin had left without alerting many people, and her return was equally quiet. Aside from those in the Yanbei Prince's Mansion, no one else knew of it.
The next day, Ren Yaoqi originally intended to send someone to invite Xiao Jinglin over to keep her company. She still wasn’t well enough to go out, and there were many things she hadn’t finished discussing with Xiao Jinglin the day before.
However, before she could send anyone to fetch Xiao Jinglin, someone outside reported that the senior maid from First Madam Lei’s side had come again.
Ren Yaoqi couldn’t help but feel resigned upon hearing this. The senior maid from the Lei Family’s First Madam was, of course, Xiangqin.
Ren Yaohua had been sending her over with gifts these days, and each time she would stay for most of the day. By now, others were almost starting to think Xiangqin was a maid of the Yanbei Prince's Mansion. But Xiangqin was lively and witty, not only getting along well with the maids of the mansion but also winning Ren Yaoqi’s affection, even though the girl never seemed to stop talking once she started.
Xiangqin was very clear about her duties. She believed her daily visits were not only to keep an eye out for anyone who might dare bully her Second Miss but also to cheer her up. She had heard that pregnant women who laughed often would give birth to happy children, so before each visit, she would make an effort to gather interesting or strange stories that had recently happened in Yunyang City.
Thus, the moment Xiangqin stepped inside today, she eagerly shared a juicy piece of gossip with Ren Yaoqi, her eyes sparkling with excitement: “Second Miss, Second Miss, did you know? Eldest Master Yun is also getting married!”
As soon as Xiangqin said this, the other maids in the room perked up with interest. Even the usually composed Sangshen couldn’t help but ask curiously, “Is it true this time? News of Eldest Master Yun’s marriage has spread several times before, but it never actually happened, did it?”
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