These past two days, Xiao Chi Zhan had been staying at the courier station, watching over her, not even going to the palace.
Today, unable to refuse any longer, he left early.
Not long after he left, Lan Mu Rou arrived.
"Close the door," Ye Luan pulled her down to sit, "How did it go?"
Lan Mu Rou took off her fox fur, sat beside her, and whispered, "That day, while Tantai Ye wasn't around, I went. I didn't find it, but on my way back, I ran into Lu Fei Bai. Do you know him?"
"What did he say to you?"
Lan Mu Rou took out a letter from her embrace and handed it to her.
"He asked me to give this to you."
Ye Luan, puzzled, opened the letter and her expression slowly changed.
"He seems to know what you're planning. He told me he would handle that matter for you."
Ye Luan looked at the letter, stunned. She hadn't expected Xie Bei Han to be so bold as to set fire to the courier station. It seemed his feud with Xiao Chi Zhan ran deep.
"This means I won't have to do it myself. He wants me to fake my death and leave on the day Xie Bei Han makes his move."
Lan Mu Rou glanced at the letter, unfazed, and smiled, "That's good, it saves you from danger."
Ye Luan didn't speak. Xie Bei Han wouldn't simply set fire to the courier station; there had to be other plans. Lu Fei Bai hadn't said, but it was definitely something to deal with Xiao Chi Zhan. After a long silence, she burned the letter.
"A Luan, what are you going to do?"
"Play along with the plan."
Lan Mu Rou hummed and sat with her for a while longer. Seeing that they would be back soon, she said, "I should go."
"Mm."
After she left, it wasn't long before Xiao Chi Zhan returned.
"What are you reading with such focus these days?"
Ye Luan heard his imperious tone and felt displeased. She put down the book and put on her shoes, getting off the couch.
"I'm hungry."
While eating, Ye Luan, as usual, picked up the pregnancy-stabilizing medicine. But just as she was about to drink it, she smelled a strange aroma.
She froze, sniffed carefully, and exclaimed in surprise, "Abortion-inducing soup?!"
Seeing her shocked and angry gaze, Xiao Chi Zhan said calmly, "Drink it."
"Are you crazy?!"
Ye Luan shot up, and the bowl in her hand shattered on the floor.
She had felt something was off about him for a while but hadn't dared to think in this direction.
She never imagined that Xiao Chi Zhan would be so ruthless as to kill his own child.
Hah.
She was wrong. She had been foolish.
A person like Xiao Chi Zhan, who had killed his father and brother, how could he show mercy to anyone?
He was simply a madman.
Xiao Chi Zhan's expression didn't change at all. "Your body is weak and cold. The doctor said that if you give birth, you will be in danger. Once your body has recovered, you can have children if you wish."
Ye Luan stared at him in shock as he calmly spoke of killing their child. Her hands and feet grew cold, and a cold sneer appeared in her eyes.
"Is it that you don't want it, or did the doctor truly say this?"
Xiao Chi Zhan looked at her, his eyes chilling. "I can do without a child, but I cannot let you be in danger."
"So, you secretly gave me abortion-inducing soup? If I hadn't discovered it, would I be bleeding profusely right now, having killed my own child with my own hands?"
The noise from inside was so loud that the servants guarding the door outside were trembling in fear.
Seeing her anger, Xiao Chi Zhan's voice rose, "Why are you so angry? You were the one who said you didn't want to give birth initially. Now, I'm considering your health, so why are you throwing a tantrum?"
Hah!
Did he even consider her a person? He had secretly replaced the pregnancy-stabilizing medicine with abortion-inducing soup, wanting her to unknowingly kill an innocent life.
Xiao Chi Zhan, you're truly sick.
She calmed the anger in her heart and looked at him coldly, "I know my body best. There will be no danger. Stop being crazy."
"The doctor said your stomach has been hurting and there are signs of a miscarriage. Don't you care about your life?"
After speaking, Xiao Chi Zhan ignored her and shouted outside, "Go and prepare another bowl!"
Ye Luan held her stomach, both shocked and furious. "Are you going to force me to drink it?"
He didn't answer, but strode over, scooped her up, and placed her on the couch, holding her down.
"Let go of me."
Xiao Chi Zhan grabbed her hands with one hand, his deep crimson eyes scanning her face, his voice chillingly indifferent. "Be good, stop making trouble."
"Who is making trouble? Are you mad? This is your child."
Her body was perfectly fine. Making her kill an innocent life with her own hands was something she truly couldn't do.
But looking at Xiao Chi Zhan's completely unmoved expression, she was genuinely frightened.
He truly didn't want this child!
Ye Luan felt her back trembling. She suppressed the surging anger in her heart and softened her tone.
"Xiao Chi Zhan, stop being so suspicious. I'm not sick, my body is fine, and nothing will happen."
Seeing her soften, Xiao Chi Zhan's expression remained unchanged, though his brows gentled. He leaned down and kissed her lips. "Aren't you afraid? Be good, we won't have a child."
"I'm not afraid, I'm not afraid anymore. Please don't do this, okay?"
Ye Luan was truly scared. Xiao Chi Zhan's eyes were truly indifferent; he would really give up this child.
She didn't want it either. If she hadn't gotten pregnant, she would never have wanted one in her life. But since it was an accident, she couldn't bring herself to kill the life within her belly.
She truly couldn't.
Xiao Chi Zhan saw the fear in her eyes and a self-mocking curve touched his indifferent lips. "You're afraid of me?"
The restraint on her hands loosened slightly. Ye Luan immediately broke free and retreated a few steps.
"I'm doing this for your own good. Don't you also not want it?"
Her chin was cupped by him, and those deep crimson eyes were terrifyingly indifferent.
Ye Luan forced herself to calm down, looking at him steadily. "I don't not want it. The child is an accident, it's fate, it's his fate with us."
'But if something happens to you, I will strangle him.'
His voice was truly icy, and his face was even more sinister.
Ye Luan swallowed. "My body is very good, nothing will happen."
Xiao Chi Zhan stroked her chin, his voice tinged with bitterness. "But I don't want to gamble."
An eerie silence filled the room.
"Luan Luan, when you've recovered your health, we'll have a child again, alright?"
He suddenly embraced her, holding her very tightly.
Ye Luan felt her stomach being pressed. She quickly pushed him away. "It's too tight, it hurts."
"My Lord, the medicine is here."
At this moment, a voice from the嬷嬷 came from outside the door.
Xiao Chi Zhan released her. "Come in."
Ye Luan felt that he had gone mad, determined to make her drink the abortion-inducing soup.
She wanted to get off the couch, but her hands were restrained by him. Her entire person was forced to lie on the couch. Seeing him pick up the medicine, she couldn't help but feel terrified.
"Xiao Chi Zhan, stop being crazy."
Xiao Chi Zhan held her hands with one, and with the other, he held the medicine bowl to her lips.
"Be good, drink it."
Ye Luan tightly closed her mouth, but being suppressed by him, the bitter medicine fell onto her lips. A twisting pain suddenly erupted in her stomach.
She trembled with anger, tears streaming from her eyes. With strength she didn't know she had, she kicked him in the abdomen and slapped him hard with her freed hand.
The medicine bowl crashed to the floor.