When Song Yixiao left, Jian Xubai stopped her, âBring the Water Chestnut Cake with Rose and the Crystal Wintersweet Buns with you and never serve them to me. They are the least favorite deserts to me!â
âDid Jinxun get it wrong?â Song Yixiao looked back in surprise, âI asked Jinxun to inquire about your taste and according to her, these are your favorite desserts! Hence, I asked the chefs to make them specially. Why donât you make do with them and eat them up?â
She put on an embarrassed look, âOtherwise, the servants may think that I have offended you when they come to take them away and see them.â
Jian Xubai took a look at her and said, âFetch the third book from the right on that shelf for me!â
âIs this?â Song Yixiao didnât think too much. She went to fetch it from the shelf and glanced over it only to find that it was a book about oneâs travel notes. She couldnât help wondering why he would read this book while dealing with official documents, but she still passed it to him. Unexpectedly, Jian Xubai put down the brush and reached out his hand. However, he didnât take the book. Instead, he grabbed her wrist, dragged her into his arms and pressed her against his knees!
Song Yixiao didnât come to her senses until he put his arm around her waist. She shouted in surprise, âWhat are you doing?â
âYou canât leave until you finish the two plates of desserts!â Jian Xubai placed her to a position where she couldnât escape and he wouldnât be hindered. Then he released his hands and continued to read the documents. With his eyes full of mockery, he said casually, âDo you think that I cannot find that you want to revenge yourself on me for the Stewed Perch?â
Song Yixiao was speechless.
It was bad enough for her to have a scheming mother. Worse still, her husband was so cunny too!
The evils that were brought on oneself were the hardest to bear. Song Yixiao couldnât get away after trying for a few times. Due to her struggling, Jian Xubai miswrote several characters continuously. Out of impatience, he raised his arm to take off the two dangling hairpins from her hair and put them into his sleeves. As her hair was spread around her shoulders, he sneered, âYou can go out if you dare to!â
Generally, the servants might have a lot of guesses about a newly wedded couple staying in the study alone. However, if Song Yixiao left the study with her hair disheveled, the gossip aroused therein must be different from the case where they both left with a decent outlook.
Song Yixiao couldnât stand being that shameless but to compromise. Sadly, she didnât like the desserts either!
âYou can think of them as me.â Looking at her countenance, Jian Xubai proposed a piece of advice to her, âSince you cannot defeat me in a fight or quarrel, you can only bite âmeâ to vent your anger. Right?â
Song Yixiao didnât know how to respond.
She wished she could bite the real Jian Xubai. Yet, when she fixed her eyes on him, he said casually, âYou must bear the consequence yourself!â
After careful consideration, Song Yixiao felt helpless and had no other choice but to reach for the dessertâ¦
When she finished most of the desserts, Jian Xubai finally let go of her. When he returned the dangling hairpins to her, he gave her a reminder, âDonât put a long face when you go out, or the servants may think that I have offended you!â
He just returned what Song Yixiao said just now to her as a counter-back. What a narrow-minded man!
âThere is some misunderstanding between me and Miss Jiang.â Song Yixiao held back her anger and resumed her hair to a decent state. She couldnât stand suffering only so she demanded, âI want to explain to her but I canât find a suitable opportunity. Can you think of a solution for me?â
Jian Xubai said with a casual air, âDidnât the Crown Prince invite you to visit his wife when you are free? Regardless of the reason behind the misunderstanding, canât it be solved with the help of the Crown Princess?â
He happened to put down a document and then glimpsed Song Yixiao, âUnless you didnât go too far!â
Song Yixiao forced a smile, âShe seems to believe that I am the reason why she failed to be Princess Consort of Wei. Do you know about the story?â
âWell, you are wronged indeed!â Jian Xubai answered in a calm voice, âItâs her own fault!â
Song Yixiao got surprised and thought of something. Then she ventured a question, âHis Highness Prince of Wei holds great ambition?â
âOnly a fool would believe that you, a stepdaughter living under the roof of others, could intervene with a royal sonâs marriage!â Jian Xubai didnât answer her directly. Instead, he sneered, âIt is foolish of Miss Jiang to believe that. If I were Grandmother, I wouldnât take her as my granddaughter-in-law!â
Then he added, âI donât care whether you still want to make peace with Miss Jiang, but if you want to hang out with her, youâd better let the Crown Princess be informed.â
Song Yixiao didnât understand what he meant at first. After she left the study and returned to her room, she finally thought it through, âJian Xubai didnât admit that Prince of Wei was ambitious but he didnât deny either! If I am right, the Jiang Family are relatives of Prince of Wei while Jian Xubai is close to His Highness the Crown Princeâ¦â
No wonder he asked her to keep the Crown Princess informed!
âThe Crown Prince told me to hang out more with the Crown Princess. Does it have anything to do with this?â She pinched the middle of her eyebrows. In her eyes, she and Jiang Muting only met for several times, so they were not very close. There were two reasons why she felt like explaining to her. For one thing, she didnât dislike Jiang Mutingâs conduct; for another, she didnât want to have one more enemy.
If they did fall out, Song Yixiao would feel disappointed at most. She would never take it to heart.
However, as the sister of the Crown Princess, Wei Yinlian would never make trouble for her sister in terms of stance. It would be a problem whether the friendship between them would last!
However, these two young ladies were dearly favored by their parents. There was no need for Song Yixiao to worry for them.
Therefore, after ruminating back and forth, Song Yixiao decided to solve her own problem first. She summoned Qiaoqin in a loud voice, âAsk about whether the Crown Princess is free recently. I would like to meet her!â
Qiaoqin took her order and yet didnât leave. Noticing that a maid was looking around in the room, Song Yixiao called her in and questioned, âWhatâs the matter?â
âMadam Lu sent words that she is pregnant.â The maid advanced and reported, âMs. Zhao has kept the messenger in the side hall for tea and sent me to see whether it is convenient to report to you.â
âItâs good news indeed.â Song Yixiao nodded her head with a poker face and slightly became stern, âThatâs my stepmother, not an outsider. Why do you refer to her as Madam Lu? The ignorant ones may think that the messenger have come to a wrong place!â
Shocked with fear, the maid hastened to kneel down and make an apology!
âGiven that you are young, Iâll forgive you this time.â Song Yixiao waved her hand to let her rise, âQiaoqin, tell the other servants to refer to my birth mother as Princess Consort and my stepmother as Madam. They are both my seniors. How can I allow the servants to call them mistakenly?â
She disliked the Song Family indeed, but she would not be that stupid to allow her servants to defy her birth father and stepmother. Otherwise, she might be criticized for that.
Then she ordered the maid, âNow go to tell Ms. Zhao that I am available now and she can bring the messenger here to meet me!â
After a while, she dressed herself decently when Ms. Zhao conducted a thin woman into the room.
The woman greeted politely and introduced herself as Zhang Cuiniang, a maid who accompanied Madam Lu to marry Song Yuan.
âMs. Zhang, please sit down!â Song Yixiao received her politely, âWhat kind of tea would you like? Is Light Green of Wenjun okay?â
Zhang Cuiniang felt so flattered. After fetching the tea bowl with both her hands, she expressed her gratitude. Song Yixiao told her nicely to feel at ease, âAs a close maid of my mother, you are not an outsider for sure. Please make yourself feel at home here.â
As she was calmed down, Song Yixiao continued to inquire about the health of the Song Family. Eventually, she mentioned Madam Lu, âI heard that Mother is pregnant?â
âYes, it must be a blessing due to Your Ladyshipâs marriage!â Zhang Cuiniang was all smiles, saying with respect, âMadam didnât give birth to any offspring after Lady Yibao was born. Given that His Lordship has no son yet, she was really worried. However, after you got married, Madam suddenly started to fall for the sour flavor. According to the doctor, she is found to be pregnant!â
Therefore, âAfter confirming on her pregnancy, Madam hurriedly sent me to deliver the news to you so that you can be delighted too!â
Why would Song Yixiao be delighted?
Song Yixiao took a sip of tea. Although she didnât wish viciously that the Song Family would have no sons, she didnât feel happy with having a half-brother. Anyway, she just wanted to stay out of the Song Familyâs matters.
âIt is such good news indeed, but I wouldnât say it is due to my marriage!â Putting down the tea bowl, she smiled faintly, âIt is just time that my father and mother should have their son. How can I take the credit?â
Zhang Cuiniang said yes smilingly and still insisted, âIt just happened when you got married. What a beautiful coincidence! Evidently you and His Highness are a destined couple! And your family can share your luck too!â
âReputedly, if a pregnant woman prefers sour flavor, the baby must be a boy; if she prefers spicy flavor, the baby should be a girl.â As she couldnât reject the credit, Song Yixiao smiled and changed the topic, âMother must take care this time!â
âI hereby thank you on behalf of Madam!â Zhang Cuiniang made a curtsey and then talked for her own mistress, âItâs a pity that Madam is still pregnant for a short time. The doctor cannot tell the babyâs gender yet.â
Madam Lu surely hoped it to be a son, but no doctors dared to be sure of the babyâs gender before it was born. What Song Yixiao said was auspicious and yet Zhang Cuiniang still added her comment in case that anything went wrong.
âNow that my parents and Grandmother only have Yibao with them, they must feel lonely.â Song Yixiao didnât intend to mention that the Song Family wanted a baby boy so anxiously. She had no affection for this stepmother. Neither did she hold any grudge against her. Even though she disliked being disturbed by Madam Lu, she didnât want to upset her during pregnancy. So she said nicely, âWhether it is a boy or a girl, Yibao will get company anyway. Moreover, Mother is still young and I am sure Yibao and I will have more siblings in the future!â
Zhang Cuiniang felt relieved to hear this and her smile became more sincere, âYou are right!â
After the conversation was over, Song Yixiao sent Ms. Zhao to see her off while she went back to her room to put on comfortable clothes.
Amidst helping Song Yixiao get changed, Jinxun couldnât help praising, âYour Ladyship must be blessed! After you got married, putting aside Old Master of the Jian Family, the Song Family has gained benefits.â
âDo you really believe that?â Song Yixiao glimpsed her, âMy stepmother must have found out about her pregnancy before. She just wants to show respect for me so she deliberately doesnât disclose it until now.â
âShe is so thoughtful then!â Jinxun was dazed and then said with delight, âIn this case, even if Old Master doesnât get well temporarily, no one dares to say that you are not blessed.â
Song Yixiao said sneeringly, âIf I were really blessed, why would I live under the roof of Prince of Hengshan for six years! Madam Lu was married to my father four years ago. Did she ever care about me before? Now that she shows such respect for me, do you think that she doesnât ask for anything in return?â
She heaved a sigh and looked stern, âIâm afraid that I cannot distance myself from them completely.â
After all, the baby that Madam Lu was conceiving was due to the happiness of her sisterâs marriage. If Madam Lu tried to pay her a visit in the guise of expressing gratitude, Song Yixiao couldnât say no then.
In this case, how could Song Yixiao stay out of the Song Familyâs matters?
Realizing that Song Yixiao was upset, Jinxun thought for a while, âBy estimate the Princess Consort is about to have a baby. Should we prepare a gift for the baby in advance?â
As expected, speaking of her birth mother, Song Yixiaoâs face became relaxed, âLetâs go to the warehouse and have a look later!â