Chapter 729: Chapter 691: Pregnant

Even though the Song family’s food was already made lighter than that of the Duke Mansion, after just a few bites, Mrs. Xiao Liu would still feel a heaviness in her chest.

Wen Wan had just distributed the tokens to the housekeepers and came over to see her lying listlessly on the small couch, quickly asking, "What happened?"

Mrs. Xiao Liu forced a smile, "My stomach is a bit upset."

"Could it be heatstroke?" Wen Wan sat down and reached out to feel her forehead; her hand came away wet with sweat, feeling something was wrong, "It’s better to have the household doctor come and take a look at you."

Mrs. Xiao Liu did not refuse, "Thank you, sister."

Wen Wan went out, instructed a few words to the waiting maid, and returned, pulling out a handkerchief to wipe Mrs. Xiao Liu’s sweat. After a short while, the household doctor arrived, and Mrs. Xiao Liu had already moved to the bed, with only a hand left outside the curtain.

The household doctor examined her and seemed to discover something significant, his expression rather peculiar. He re-checked her pulse three or four times, finally turning to Wen Wan with an odd look, "Madam, may I speak with you privately?"

Wen Wan was taken aback but still followed the doctor out of the courtyard.

"What’s the matter?" Wen Wan asked urgently, "Is it something serious?"

The doctor said, "If I haven’t misdiagnosed, this... the pulse indicates a happy pulse."

"Happy pulse?" Wen Wan’s eyes widened.

The doctor felt embarrassed. He couldn’t understand; with only two mistresses in the two courtyards combined and no concubine, how could there be a pregnancy? Could it be that the maids had been indiscreet in private?

The doctor didn’t know about the arrival of the Lu family’s young madam, which made his expression quite awkward.

"Are you sure?" Wen Wan asked.

"I checked three or four times, there’s no mistake," the doctor confirmed.

"Very well, I understand. You may leave now."

After the doctor left, Wen Wan returned to Mrs. Xiao Liu’s room.

The red curtain had already been hung on the hook, revealing Mrs. Xiao Liu’s slightly haggard face.

She seemed anxious about her condition, so when she heard footsteps, she quickly turned her head to look at Wen Wan, her voice trembling, revealing her inner turmoil, "What did the doctor say?"

Wen Wan waved the maids out before sitting down, slowly saying, "He said you are pregnant."

"Wh... what?"

Mrs. Xiao Liu seemed as if struck by a heavy blow, and after voicing it, she became dumbfounded, as if unresponsive.

Wen Wan said, "No matter what, you have to pull yourself together for the child’s sake."

Mrs. Xiao Liu instinctively touched her abdomen, still flat. She recalled the last time she was with Lu Yanbin, which was two months ago, when Aunt Su was sick and couldn’t serve him, so he had occasionally come to Furong Courtyard.

But every time he came, he showed her no kindness, extinguishing the lamp and treating her as a mere tool to vent his frustrations, leaving immediately after without a word of kindness.

Since the wedding, except for the wedding night when he had to stay in her room, he only did what was necessary, and regardless of how tired he was, he would sleep elsewhere, either in the study or in Feixue Courtyard.

For years, this is how her marriage to Lu Yanbin had been sustained.

If she hadn’t been obedient and refrained from provoking Aunt Su, earning a little pity from him, that home would have had no place for her long ago.

Ever since, Mrs. Xiao Liu had held hopes for Lu Yanbin, thinking that if she remained compliant and uninvolved, he would one day understand her earnestness.

But that slap from Lu Yanbin at the Lu family had awakened her completely.

It was then that she clearly realized she held no place in Lu Yanbin’s heart, and he would never regard her with respect, even until they grew old and died.

So she resolutely made the most rebellious decision of her life — to leave the Lu family.

Although she left only after obtaining the grandmother’s permission, this was the boldest thing Mrs. Xiao Liu had ever done in her life.

Divorce was impossible; she hadn’t done anything wrong, and even if she couldn’t bear it any longer, it would only result in separation.

Last night she tossed and turned, pondering how to persuade the grandmother and Lu Yanbin to agree to a separation.

But today, heaven seemed to be playing a joke on her.

Pregnant?

It surely was a big joke!

Wen Wan could see she was not happy and said softly, "If you have anything to say, you can tell me."

Mrs. Xiao Liu showed a perplexed, helpless expression, "Sister Wan, I don’t want this child."

Wen Wan was startled, "Are you crazy?"

"I’ve already decided to separate from him." Tears welled in her eyes, but Mrs. Xiao Liu stubbornly did not let them fall, "We’ve been married for three years, and for three years, he favored the concubine and neglected the wife. For three years, he never regarded me as his wife, not even showing the slightest concern for me out of marital sentiment. I cannot imagine what my life will be like if this continues, so I cannot have this child."

Wen Wan said, "Don’t be so hasty in saying this. If he finds out you’re pregnant, his attitude might change."

Mrs. Xiao Liu gave a bitter smile, "Even if that’s so, if anything happens during the pregnancy and the child is lost, he will still neglect me as much as before, perhaps even more so. Sister Wan, if it were you, would you want such a man?"

Wen Wan was rendered silent.

She knew well enough that Lu Yanbin was not good, but she couldn’t advise a pregnant woman to miscarry and separate.

"You see, that’s the difference," Mrs. Xiao Liu laughed, tears streaming down her face, "When Aunt Su didn’t have a child, Lu Yanbin treated her extremely well; with a pregnancy, he would almost worship her like an ancestor. Even after losing a child, he comforted her, saying it was alright and that another one would surely come as compensation. But me? Without a child, I endured his cold words, and now, with a child, I don’t even know what his reaction will be. If by any chance the child is lost, I predict that next time he will not use force on me but kick me out of the Lu family instead."

"Shuyuan," Wen Wan interrupted her, "no matter what, as long as the child is in your womb, you must fulfill your responsibilities as a mother, try not to overthink, focus on other things. Tomorrow is the Dragon Boat Festival, the private box has been booked, and we’ll go watch the dragon boat races by the city wall together. Okay?"

Seeing that Mrs. Xiao Liu did not respond, Wen Wan gently guided her head to nod and then smiled, "It’s decided then."

Mrs. Xiao Liu looked at her blankly and suddenly said, "Sister Wan, I truly envy you. Your husband does not take concubines, doesn’t stray, and only has you in his heart and eyes. I just don’t have such fortune, otherwise, I would have been willing to marry such a man regardless of his status."

Wen Wan raised her hand to wipe away the tear from the corner of her eye, "Wait a little longer, maybe Brother Bin will indeed change."

Mrs. Xiao Liu understood she was being comforted.

Wen Wan said, "Even though you have left, I still have people monitoring the situation over there. They tell me that since you left, the First Elder forbade anyone from intervening, forcing Brother Bin to manage the household by himself. He can’t access funds, can’t gamble, can’t borrow, and can’t lend out usury. Any mistakes, he has to pay out of his own pocket, otherwise, he faces family discipline."

Mrs. Xiao Liu was astonished, "My father-in-law really did that?"

"Indeed, it’s true. On the first day, Brother Bin made a fifty-silver miscalculation and suffered greatly."

Mrs. Xiao Liu pressed her lips together, unsure of what to say.

"So you see, that home cannot manage without you, and he will eventually realize this. Hence, I reckon tomorrow he’ll certainly follow the grandmother to the city wall with us to watch the dragon boat races, and regardless of what he says to you, whether he truly realizes his mistakes or acts insincerely to please the grandmother and win you back, you must not agree immediately. Make him fall on his face for once."

Mrs. Xiao Liu couldn’t help but worry, "What if he gets furious from humiliation?"

"That would indicate he’s not sincere at all, and you definitely shouldn’t agree then."

"True, I’ve already thought about separating, so why worry about these things?" Mrs. Xiao Liu nodded heavily.

Wen Wan noticed it, but didn’t expose it. In reality, Mrs. Xiao Liu was not truly considering separation; on the contrary, deep down she fervently hoped Lu Yanbin would come to take her home.