He finished speaking and walked ahead without bothering about Xiuyan.
He wasn't worried at all that Xiuyan wouldn't follow.
Xiuyan bit her lip, watching the figure walking further and further away ahead. She gritted her teeth and followed nonetheless.
Even knowing what she had to face, she couldn't avoid it.
This was the sorrow of being a maid.
Although she was powerless now, she would wait. As long as there was the slightest possibility, she would kill this scumbag.
It wasn't until evening that the servants who had gone searching returned with the inevitable result: they hadn't found her.
Zheng Fan was very angry about this, but he merely assumed that Zheng Caiying had run away because she had left him alone and was afraid of being scolded if she saw him, hence she dared not return.
However, after another three or four days with no sign of Zheng Caiying, Zheng Fan began to sense something was wrong.
But by now, it was already too late to search earnestly.
Lian Qing couldn't believe her good daughter had disappeared after going out for a trip. She personally led people to search for several days, practically turning the imperial capital upside down, yet there were still no clues. Only then did she have to accept the fact of Chu Caiying's disappearance.
Even after accepting it, she was still tormented.
Moreover, she believed that Zheng Fan bore an indispensable responsibility for Zheng Caiying's disappearance.
If Zheng Fan hadn't taken her out, how could she have gotten lost?
People always said that what one couldn't have was the best. Because Zheng Caiying was lost, her mind was suddenly filled only with all the good memories of her.
And Zheng Fan, who was present, was associated with all the bad.
Under such circumstances, it wasn't long before the relationship between Zheng Xiang and Lian Qing completely froze, and the scene of maternal love and filial piety was no more.
As for Shen Xiaoyan and the others, because the progress of events was smooth, time seemed to pass exceptionally quickly.
Except for Shen Xiaoming, who remained without any news, Shen Xiaoyan's mood had been exceptionally good for the past few months.
It seemed as if in the blink of an eye, spring had turned into autumn.
This midsummer was so quiet it felt a little frightening.
In the orchard of the Four Seas House, the various fruits on the trees had all begun to ripen. Every day, after walking around, a smile would grow on Shen Xiaoyan's face.
Watching these fruits ripen from green to maturity was completely different from the feeling in her space.
In her space, it only took one day of external time for ripe fruits to appear, and they would remain fresh forever.
Even though the taste was exceptionally delicious, Shen Xiaoyan found that she increasingly loved everything in the outside world.
It seemed that only by watching the growth of these fruits outside could she truly feel that she was real.
The triplets, including Sima Shuiyong, after half a year of growth, had transformed from wobbly walkers to steady ones.
Even the youngest, Ruan Ruan, no longer just said simple words like "father" or "mother."
They could express what they wanted more and understood how to refuse and express gratitude.
Watching their growth, Shen Xiaoyan felt extremely content.
She didn't need excessive desires; as long as they could grow up safely, that would be her greatest happiness.
It must be said that Kong Huangwei had completely become a "child slave" during this half-year.
It wasn't that Shen Xiaoyan asked her to look after the children. With so many maids, and her own preference for spending time with children, there was no need to entrust the children to Kong Huangwei.
It was just that Kong Huangwei, perhaps because Zheng Wei didn't grow up by her side, had an exceptionally strong interest in children.
Initially, due to unfamiliarity, the children didn't interact much with her. She would stand aside and watch silently, not disturbing their play.
But later, as they became more familiar, the children began to like to stay with her and ask her to play with them.
Kong Huangwei also greatly enjoyed this process, playing happily every day with laughter.
Shen Xiaoyan and Zheng Wei watched from the side, both feeling that Kong Huangwei seemed to have become much younger.
"Look, Mother is playing happily with the three little rascals. The three little rascals and Mother are closer than I am to them."
Although these words sounded a bit like jealousy, seeing the smile on Shen Xiaoyan's face, Zheng Wei knew she was just joking.
Therefore, Zheng Wei didn't dwell on her words but said, "Lin Xiaowei's child should be about 8 months old by now. Our peaceful time like this is probably limited."
Shen Xiaoyan nodded upon hearing this, "I'm just afraid Lin Xiaowei might be too ambitious, or impatient, and do something harmful to the child."
Zheng Wei shook his head, "That's unlikely. All her hopes are pinned on that child; she wouldn't dare do anything."
Shen Xiaoyan pondered for a moment, then smiled and said, "You're right, I was overthinking it."
However, fate is unpredictable. Just two days after they spoke, news came from the palace that Lin Xiaowei was about to give birth.
Upon hearing this news, Shen Xiaoyan and the others were all very surprised.
Logically, Lin Xiaowei shouldn't be so foolish as to risk her child's life.
If this wasn't Lin Xiaowei's doing, then who could it be?
When Sima Han's informants in the palace brought back news, Shen Xiaoyan and the others looked at each other in disbelief. They never expected that the person behind this would actually be Sima Zhu.
It turned out that over the past few months, Sima Zhu had been eating more and more, becoming so fat that he was once unable to move.
Even if he were less intelligent, he would have realized something was wrong with him.
But after much thought and thorough investigation, he ultimately found nothing.
Therefore, he temporarily gave up the investigation and instead asked the imperial physicians to find a solution for him, to stop him from eating endlessly, otherwise, the only outcome would be to starve himself to death.
Perhaps the wisdom of ancient people was indeed infinite, or perhaps there was strength in numbers.
After half a month of research, these imperial physicians did find a method that stopped Sima Zhu from eating without end.
With his appetite controlled, coupled with Sima Zhu's intentional exercise, after two months, he finally lost weight again. Although he was still a bit fatter than before, his life was no longer in danger.
With the danger to his life removed, Sima Zhu began a new round of investigation.
After much searching, he finally uncovered Lin Xiaowei's malicious intent. During his illness, she had bribed court officials, eunuchs in the harem, and even people by his side.
Even though Sima Zhu hadn't discovered Lin Xiaowei's ultimate goal, it didn't stop him from dealing with her.
Even if Sima Zhu had harbored some genuine affection for Lin Xiaowei before, with the passage of time and the things he had uncovered, no amount of affection could compare to his life and his imperial throne.
However, he still wanted the child in Lin Xiaowei's womb, so he endured for a while longer, feigning compliance with Lin Xiaowei.