Chapter 123: Schemes and the Discovery of Pregnancy

Baili Xiao might be eccentric, but he was no fool. After a brief moment of daze, he understood what Shen Qianmo intended. As soon as the ropes on his wrists were loosened, he hurriedly fished a small dark green porcelain bottle from his robes, shook a dark brown pill into his palm, and said to Shen Qianmo with a look of feigned reluctance, "Brother Xie, are you certain you want to do this? Once this 'Seven-Day Soul-Severing Pill' is consumed, the bowels will rot and the orifices will bleed within seven days; it is the most horrific way to die imaginable."

He paused, casting a few glances at Lou Xinyue with a tone of mock pity. "Lady Lou is such a beautiful flower; isn't this too cruel to her?"

Watching Lou Xinyue’s pretty face turn increasingly pale, Baili Xiao fought to keep his lips from twitching, nearly suffering internal injuries from suppressing his laughter.

The "Seven-Day Soul-Severing Pill"! He truly admired Shen Qianmo; the name she had conjured was so melodramatic and earth-shattering that it nearly made him choke on his own spit. Yet, spoken in Shen Qianmo’s stiff and serious tone, it sounded damnably convincing.

"Enough nonsense!" Shen Qianmo frowned and whispered, "Hurry up and do it."

Seeing Baili Xiao still trying to be glib in such a situation, Shen Qianmo could not help but curse inwardly. That fool Baili Xiao—did he think holding Lou Xinyue hostage was an easy task?

Not to mention that Lou Xinyue was skilled in martial arts, her guards behind her were already poised to strike. Furthermore, if the He estate’s guards outside the dungeon discovered them, the situation would become even more dire. She had to subdue Lou Xinyue in the shortest time possible.

Stunned by the sharp, imposing aura radiating from Shen Qianmo, Baili Xiao rallied his spirits and swiftly stuffed the pill into Lou Xinyue’s mouth.

With a golden hairpin pressing against her throat, Lou Xinyue could not move easily. As Baili Xiao gripped her jaw to force the medicine down, she dared not struggle too much, and in a state of utter indignation, she was forced to swallow this so-called "Seven-Day Soul-Severing Pill."

"Shen Qianmo! You shameless woman, I will make sure you suffer a fate worse than death!" Having intended to torment Shen Qianmo to satisfy her grudge, she had instead fallen into a trap of her own making. Lou Xinyue was so angry she nearly shattered her teeth, the fury in her eyes threatening to burn Shen Qianmo to ashes.

"If I die, you won't survive either." Shen Qianmo’s calm gaze remained steady. She parted her cherry lips, her tone indifferent, yet it carried an icy chill that seeped into the marrow. "Therefore, I advise Lady Lou to behave herself for these next few days. The antidote will be delivered after seven days."

Lou Xinyue bit her lip so hard she drew blood, wishing she could tear the serene woman before her into a thousand pieces.

She had never heard of such a poison as the "Seven-Day Soul-Severing Pill," but seeing that Baili Xiao, though erratic, was a highly skilled physician, the danger of the pill was likely real. Recalling the horrific death he described, Lou Xinyue felt a surge of fear. Helpless and lacking the heart to torment Shen Qianmo further, she turned away.

"You lot, watch her closely," Lou Xinyue commanded the jailers in a rush, shot one last venomous glare at Shen Qianmo, and hurriedly departed.

Once Lou Xinyue’s figure vanished from the dungeon entrance, Shen Qianmo slumped to the floor, leaning her entire body against the wall as if drained of all strength.

"Brother Xie, are you alright?" Baili Xiao had just wanted to discuss the ridiculous "Seven-Day Soul-Severing Pill," but seeing her pale face and limp posture, he asked with genuine concern.

Shen Qianmo was too lazy to even open her eyes, merely shaking her head slightly. The act of holding Lou Xinyue hostage had exhausted her completely; she had never felt this tired before.

Baili Xiao saw her fatigue and, sensing something was wrong, habitually reached out to check her pulse. A moment later, a stifled exclamation erupted in the silent dungeon.

"Brother Xie, you... you... you have a pulse of pregnancy! You are with child!"

At the same time, in the study of the He estate, a pitiful-looking Lou Xinyue was tearfully recounting her encounter in the dungeon to He Liancheng.

"Brother Liancheng, that vile woman Shen Qianmo is truly hateful and cunning. You must torture her severely and get justice for me." She knew He Liancheng harbored deep-seated hatred for Meng Yuanheng and Shen Qianmo; since she could not torment her herself, she would let He Liancheng vent her frustration for her.

Facing the relentless, clamoring Lou Xinyue, He Liancheng frowned with visible impatience. After adjusting his emotions, he said in as gentle a tone as he could manage, "Rest assured, if it is the Seven-Day Soul-Severing Pill, you should be fine for these seven days. It is late; go back and rest. I will certainly obtain the antidote for you. Nothing will happen to you."

Lou Xinyue was, after all, the foster daughter of the chieftain of the Tuba tribe, the most powerful clan in Northern Di. He had to show her some respect, even if only for the sake of appearances.

Although the He family held a prestigious and illustrious position in Northern Di, their reputation had suffered since He Yuanshan died in battle seven years ago. The pressure on He Liancheng, who shouldered the family’s burden, was immense. However, if he could secure the support of the Tuba tribe, the He family would surely rise to new heights. This was why he had been tolerating Lou Xinyue.

Reassured by He Liancheng’s promise, Lou Xinyue felt somewhat comforted. She knew his temperament; no matter how difficult a task was, once he promised it, he would see it through.

Seeing that it was indeed late and that He Liancheng’s expression had cooled as if signaling for her to leave, Lou Xinyue reluctantly took her leave.

He Liancheng sat quietly behind his desk. Recalling what Lou Xinyue had said, the corners of his mouth lifted of their own accord, and a glimmer of intrigue flashed in his clear, handsome eyes—perhaps even he had not noticed it.

He should have realized sooner that, given that woman’s courage and wit, Lou Xinyue would not get the better of her. Thus, he intentionally ignored his own previously unsettled feelings.

"Seven-Day Soul-Severing Pill," he whispered to himself, a faint curl of his lips as his deep eyes softened.

His intuition told him this was absolutely something she had made up on the spot. Hmph, she truly was good at spinning tales.

In that case, he would play along with her performance. He had no intention of telling Lou Xinyue that there might be no such thing as a "Seven-Day Soul-Severing Pill" on that woman at all.

Of course, neither Shen Qianmo nor Baili Xiao had any poison. As He Liancheng suspected, the "Seven-Day Soul-Severing Pill" was indeed something Shen Qianmo had fabricated, drawing inspiration from the martial arts dramas she had watched in her previous life.

Yet, at this moment, the two of them had no interest in discussing the pill, as they were preoccupied with another, entirely unexpected matter.

"Brother Xie, based on my diagnosis just now, your body is extremely weak. With the heavy dampness in this dungeon, if you continue to stay here without proper rest, there is a risk of miscarriage," Baili Xiao said with a heavy, worried expression.

Shen Qianmo remained in her position leaning against the wall. Hearing Baili Xiao's words, she did not move, her face remaining as calm as ever, but her hands subconsciously moved to rest on her abdomen.

A new life was growing inside her—the child of her and Meng Yuanheng.

Counting the days, it must have been that night Meng Yuanheng stayed at the Fenghe Courtyard.

Recalling their intimacy that night, she could not help but tug at the corner of her lips, suddenly realizing how much she missed those solid arms that carried the faint scent of medicinal herbs.

But between her and Meng Yuanheng, there was only an imperial decree of marriage; they hadn't formally wed yet. Did that mean she was now pregnant out of wedlock?

No wonder she had been so easily exhausted these past few days; so that was the reason.

No wonder that when she was unconscious and drifting after falling off the cliff, she always felt an invisible force pulling her back. It was this tiny life anchoring her to this world.

Come to think of it, this child’s will to live was even stronger than hers; to have fallen from such a high cliff and still survive in her womb was nothing short of a miracle.

Ah Heng, if you knew this news, would you be as happy as I am?

No, she could not let anything happen to this unborn child. She had to protect herself, and even more so, protect this tiny life that had arrived so unexpectedly—the child of hers and Ah Heng.

Seeing Shen Qianmo remain still and silent for so long, Baili Xiao feared she was unwell and asked with a worried look, "Brother Xie, are... are you alright?"

After a moment of silence, the only response to Baili Xiao was a soft, calm sentence.

"Baili Xiao, go tell the jailer that I want to see He Liancheng." Shen Qianmo slowly opened her eyes, her gaze steady and cold.