Lu Zhu struggled in vain, crying and shouting as she was dragged all the way to Mada Shen, leaving behind a trail of gossip.
The room finally quieted down. After her battle of wits with Lu Zhu, Liu Tinglan indeed felt sowhat exhausted. She supported her slightly protruding belly and slowly stood up, intending to rest in her room for a while when sothing caught her eye in the corner. It was the bowl of chicken soup on the table, and a hint of a cold smile played on her lips.
She picked up the soup bowl, walked slowly to the window, and poured the chicken soup into the rose bushes below. Watching the birds singing ceaselessly on the big trees in the courtyard, she laughed softly, "This is a treat for you guys."
As she turned around, the birds that had seen her pour the aromatic chicken soup quickly swooped down, burying themselves in the rose bushes and joyfully devouring the tender and delicious chicken at.
Liu Tinglan took off her coat and lay in bed under a light cotton quilt, falling asleep quickly. As for whether Lu Zhu would cause any trouble in front of Mada Shen, she wasn’t worried at all.
Mother Lu had originally been Mada Shen’s person, and it was because of her trust that she was placed by Liu Tinglan’s side. Mada Shen didn’t interact much with Liu Tinglan and might not necessarily believe her words, but she absolutely trusted those of Mother Lu. This ti, Lu Zhu’s slap was in vain.
Just as Liu Tinglan had expected, Mother Lu didn’t give Lu Zhu any chance to twist the story and told Mada Shen the whole truth amidst Lu Zhu’s helpless cries.
Mother Lu didn’t exaggerate the story or take the opportunity to bla Lu Zhu. Instead, she made Mada Shen trust her words and feel a few shades of displeasure toward her niece Lu Zhu.
But seeing Lu Zhu’s swollen face and tear-stained eyes, Mada Shen couldn’t bring herself to be harsh, and simply reminded her, "Your cousin Sister-in-law is pregnant and needs to be in a good mood for the child to be well. It is alright to joke with her to lighten her mood, but crying in front of her might distress her. You should avoid visiting her in the future. If you are bored, co and keep your aunt company."
Lu Zhu heard the bla in her aunt’s words and was extrely annoyed, but she had the wit to know that bad-mouthing Liu Tinglan further would only irritate her aunt. She suppressed her swirling thoughts and obediently agreed.
Mother Lu returned from Mada Shen’s with a beaming smile, greeted by several maids along the way who were eager to find out what happened. She didn’t want her Mistress to be the bad person again, so she explained the situation in a few words, naturally siding with Liu Tinglan.
Before long, every servant in the Shen family knew that Lu Zhu failed in her sche and beca the butt of many private jokes, though they still treated her with respect on the surface. After all, with a single word, she could have Elder Mr. Shen and Mada Shen sell off a servant who had been at the residence for decades!
Liu Tinglan woke up from her dozy sleep, not yet opening her eyes but keenly aware of a shadow blocking the light from the window by her bed. Thinking it was Mother Lu, she spoke with a hoarse voice, "I’m thirsty, Mother Lu, could you pour a glass of water?"
After the sound of soft footsteps faded away, Liu Tinglan finally sensed that sothing was wrong. She opened her eyes abruptly only to see an attractive figure holding a cup of tea approaching her.
With her back to the light, Liu Tinglan couldn’t see the person’s face clearly at first but found the figure strangely familiar. By the ti she realized who it was, the figure had already laughed, "What, you don’t recognize after just a month?"
Mo Yan watched as her friend sat up swiftly and then, feeling dizzy from the sudden movent, nearly fell back onto the bed. She quickly put the teacup down on the bedside table and steadied her, "Look at you, about to be a mother and still so careless. Be careful or you might scare the baby."
Mo Yan was genuinely worried that the sudden movent might have frightened the baby in her belly.
Liu Tinglan didn’t listen; her eyes were filled with the joy of seeing her friend. Clinging to Mo Yan’s hand, she spoke loudly, "When did you get here? Why didn’t you wake up?"
Mo Yan helped her lean against the headboard, placing a pillow behind her, "Not long ago. I didn’t call you because you were sleeping soundly."
Liu Tinglan waved her hand dismissively and scolded jokingly, "All I do these days is eat and sleep—it was just boredom that made doze off. If I had known you were coming today, I wouldn’t have slept."
Mo Yan was amused by her words and took a washed apple from the plate on the table and stuffed it into her hands, "Fresh fruit from the orchard, haven’t you been longing for it? Eat up!"
Liu Tinglan’s eyes lit up at the sight, and she took a big bite of the bright red apple, "I was wondering why there was a fruity aroma in the room. It’s this. Yanyan, you are too good to !"
Liu Tinglan really felt so lucky. Although she had no siblings and grew up all alone, she was very happy, being pampered by her parents since she was a child. And as she grew up, she t the first friend in her life, the only one who could let her be her true self.
Whatever troubles she had, as soon as she saw Yanyan, she could cheer up quickly, as if all problems were no longer problems.
Mo Yan, looking at her friend who was as happy as a child, struck her chest in frustration and said, "It’s my bad luck. You’re older than . I call you ’Sister Lan,’ yet I’m the one breaking my heart over you. Ah, such hard luck!"
"Pfft!" Liu Tinglan burst out laughing, with chewed apple spraying out from her mouth.
Mo Yan, being close by, couldn’t dodge in ti and got her clothes splattered with a few drops, and she pulled out a handkerchief to wipe off the stains while speaking with disgust, "Look at you, I ca with good intentions, and you spray all over. This is a new dress, and it’s my first ti wearing it!"
Standing straight up, Liu Tinglan mimicked the pose of a student with a rough voice as she bowed to Mo Yan and confessed her ’cri,’ "The student has been clumsy, I hope the lady can forgive ."
"Haha——"
Her motions were spot-on, but the bizarre tone had amused Mo Yan. The sisters played around and forgot all their worries.
After the playful mont, Mo Yan looked at her friend’s belly, puzzled, "You don’t look like you’ve put on weight, but your belly seems bigger than that of a typical pregnant woman. Could it all have gone to your stomach?"
Liu Tinglan, hearing this, touched her own stomach and said, dismayed, "Is it really bigger than others? When I touch it, it doesn’t feel all that soft."
Mo Yan frowned and reached for her friend’s pulse, "Your belly is less than four months along but looks nearly as big as others at five months. I’d better take your pulse."
Upon hearing this, Liu Tinglan beca nervous and quickly placed her wrist on the pulse mat, "After I ca back, my belly started growing a lot, I thought I was just eating more and the baby was growing fast."
After teasing, Mo Yan said, "That is a possibility. From now on, when you’re free, you should walk around more. It’s good for your health and the baby’s, and it’ll make childbirth a bit easier."
Liu Tinglan embarrassedly stuck out her tongue; clearly, she hadn’t done much of this.
Mo Yan gave her friend a helpless look and didn’t say anything, just concentrated on taking her pulse, which revealed sothing significant.
"Yanyan, are you saying I’ve got two in my belly?" Liu Tinglan asked, staring at Mo Yan in dumb disbelief, hardly able to believe her luck was so good to have two babies at once.
"Judging by the pulse and the size of your belly, that seems to be the case. However, I can’t be sure yet. We’ll know for certain when the months go by." Mo Yan felt happy for her friend too. If indeed there were twins, her friend’s position in the Shen family would be even more secure.
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