Chapter 65 I'm pregnant, don't...

Since Lu Huaijin and his mother still had matters to discuss, Su Yao returned to Qingfeng Courtyard first.

As early spring had just arrived, the rains grew frequent. By the afternoon, the weather turned abruptly; dark clouds rolled in, driven by fierce winds, and within moments, beans-sized raindrops came pattering down, drumming heavily against the windowpanes.

Su Yao sat before the window, resting her chin in her hands, her gaze dazed as she stared at the torrential sheet of rain outside.

The fine, dense threads of rain blurred her vision and unsettled her state of mind.

With such a heavy downpour, there was no telling when it would stop, much like her own tangled thoughts—impossible to cut clear, even harder to untangle.

"My lady, be careful not to catch a cold," Chuntao said, draping a robe over her shoulders.

Su Yao snapped back to her senses, her eyes falling upon Chuntao, and a pang of guilt struck her heart.

"Chuntao, did the Master give you a hard time yesterday?"

Chuntao hurriedly shook her head. "My lady, this servant is fine."

Refusing to believe her, Su Yao caught Chuntao's hand and turned over her slender wrist, revealing a patch of shocking, bruised purple.

Su Yao's brows instantly knitted together in distress as she asked, "Did the Master do this to you?"

Chuntao shook her head vigorously once more, eagerly explaining, "My lady has misunderstood. The Master did not strike this servant. It was merely my own guilty conscience. Upon hearing that the Master had arrived yesterday, I panicked, lost my footing, and accidentally fell against the corner of the table. That is how—"

"Chuntao, do not lie to me." Su Yao stared intently into Chuntao's eyes.

"My lady, the Master is truly good to you; this servant is not deceiving you. When the Master discovered you were missing yesterday, he was not angry at first. Instead, I clearly saw the anxiety and worry in his eyes."

"He was merely afraid that I would run away with the child. I know he cares about this baby, seeing as it is his first," Su Yao said flatly.

At the mention of the child, another figure surfaced in her mind.

He, too, was Lu Huaijin's child.

"The Master is stern of face but soft of heart. He will certainly treat the child well," Chuntao whispered softly.

Su Yao drifted back into her memories.

Back then, while playing in the Lu residence, she had accidentally broken a precious blue-and-white porcelain vase and had been utterly terrified.

Lu Chuyao had comforted her, telling her that his father would not punish her. Filled with dread, she had refused to believe him, for in her own home, breaking porcelain meant being chased and beaten by her father.

Yet on that day, Lu Huaijin truly did not punish her. Afterward, she had not seen Lu Chuyao for perhaps half a month, only to discover upon inquiry that he had taken the punishment upon himself to cover for her.

Gently stroking her slightly protruding abdomen, Su Yao could not help wondering: Would Lu Huaijin show a little more leniency toward his own flesh and blood?

The sky grew steadily gloomier, and the rain showed no sign of letting up.

"My lady, the hot water is ready. You may bathe."

Inside the room, wisps of steam curled upward, filling the air.

Su Yao slowly stepped into the wooden tub, and the warm water immediately enveloped her, bringing an incomparable sense of comfort.

Closing her eyes slightly to relax her body and mind, she prepared for Chuntao to wait upon her.

Su Yao waved a hand and said softly, "You may leave. There is no need for you to wait on me here."

Acknowledging the order, Chuntao retreated on tiptoe and gently pulled the door shut behind her.

A wave of drowsiness washed over Su Yao, her eyelids growing increasingly heavy until, unconsciously, she fell into a deep sleep.

How much time had passed, she did not know, but when Lu Huaijin finished attending to matters with his mother, he came to Su Yao's quarters.

Pushing open the door, he was greeted by the steam-laden air of the room.

Upon seeing that Su Yao was still soaking in the bathtub, his brows instantly furrowed.

Chuntao had been waiting outside all this while and hurriedly handed over a thin blanket at the sight.

Consumed by anxiety, Lu Huaijin did not even spare Chuntao a glance as he strode toward the tub.

Startled by his icy glare, Chuntao shivered and silently cursed her misfortune.

Lu Huaijin reached the edge of the tub, bent down, scooped Su Yao out of the water, and swiftly wrapped her damp body in the thin blanket.

Half-asleep, Su Yao vaguely sensed someone touching her and let out an instinctive, soft moan.

Lu Huaijin paused, gazing down at the person in his arms.

Su Yao's cherry lips were parted slightly, her breathing gentle, and her fair skin appeared even more tender and rosy against the backdrop of steam and the thin blanket.

He leaned down, his warm breath brushing against the side of her neck.

Feeling a tickling sensation, Su Yao instinctively reached out to push the intruder away.

Already captivated by her appearance, Lu Huaijin found himself utterly unable to exercise restraint any longer.

Discarding all hesitation and ignoring the protests of the person in his arms, he lowered his head and kissed her.

Only then was Su Yao jolted awake from her slumber, her eyes snapping open wide.

Panic filled her gaze.

It was then she realized she was wrapped in nothing more than a blanket, while Lu Huaijin held her tightly in his embrace.

"Yao'er," Lu Huaijin murmured, his voice husky and bewitching.

In a fluster, Su Yao stammered, "Lu Huaijin, I am pregnant. Do not do this."

Having endured for so long, Lu Huaijin suddenly felt that this child was a tremendous nuisance; had he known, he would have foregone having offspring altogether.

Noticing his distraction, a thought flashed through Su Yao's mind, and she seized the moment his grip loosened to try and escape.

The moment she took a step, the golden bells on her ankles chimed melodiously, and her ankle was instantly caught by Lu Huaijin's grip.

Su Yao kicked out wildly, shouting, "Let go!"

Consumed by burning desire and with the arrow notched on the bow, how could Lu Huaijin hold back now?

Holding her ankle firmly, he gazed at her with blazing eyes, his voice low and hoarse: "Do not be afraid, Yao'er. I will be gentle."

Without heeding her struggles, he pulled her back into his arms once more.

"Physician Shi said we must wait three months! Lu Huaijin, do not be reckless! Please let me go!"

With tear-filled eyes, Su Yao watched as he resolutely scooped her up, feeling the slight trembling of the body pressed against his.

Terrified of harming the child, she stammered, "I will use... other ways to help you."

The next day, the Chief Councilor's residence was a scene of bustling excitement as an opera troupe was invited inside.

Everyone in the household, from masters down to servants, gathered before the garden.

Within the garden, crimson pillars and golden tassels adorned a newly constructed stage.

The troupe was performing *The Peony Pavilion*, the melodious and lingering aria winding intricately into the heart.

Madame Lu sat serenely in the front row of the armchair, an expression of leisurely calm upon her face. Beside her, maidservants timely offered fragrant tea, from which wisps of steam drifted upward.

Su Yao sat off to one side, feigning intense concentration on the performance. The turbulent entanglement with Lu Huaijin the previous night had left her both physically and mentally exhausted; having slept poorly, she was now overcome by waves of drowsiness.

She forced herself to stay awake, terrified that leaving early would provoke Madame Lu's wrath once more.

Desperate to shake off the vexing sleepiness, she wished to stand up and walk around a little.

"Chuntao, when does the next act begin?" Su Yao turned slightly and whispered to Chuntao beside her.

Chuntao offered a slight curtsy and replied respectfully, "In about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea."

"I am going for a walk nearby," Su Yao said, rising gently and smoothing down her skirt.

"This servant shall accompany my lady."

Strolling at a leisurely pace, the two of them unconsciously arrived at the waterside pavilion.

In the early spring weather, the warm sun cast its first rays, and the stream flowed clear and bubbling to the bottom.

Su Yao bent down, fixing her eyes on the water's surface in search of fish.

Her reflection was mirrored clearly in the water, completely unbeknownst to her that a figure was quietly drawing near from behind.