CHAPTER 532: CHAPTER 532 EFFORT

Xie Jingchen extended his hand.

His eyes were fixed unwaveringly on the Prince.

Outside the door, the Hidden Guard listened to the conversation in the study and turned to glance at the study.

Although he couldn’t see anything, the Hidden Guard couldn’t suppress his curiosity, wanting to know how the Young Master was pretending to deceive the Prince so seriously as if it were actually true.

He almost believed it himself.

He wondered if the Prince would fall for it.

The Hidden Guard listened intently.

Inside the study.

The Prince’s gaze moved from Xie Jingchen’s hand to his face, frowning slightly, "That jade pendant, I accidentally broke it."

"Broke it?" Xie Jingchen’s brow furrowed tightly.

His eyes were full of doubt.

The Prince’s gaze returned to the dirty memorials he had stained.

"The broken jade pendant is in the brocade box on the shelf," the Prince said indifferently.

Xie Jingchen walked over.

He checked the smallest brocade box.

There was no broken jade pendant.

He checked two more, and finally found the broken jade pendant in the largest brocade box.

Xie Jingchen’s brow was knitted tightly.

Not to mention whether this jade pendant was related to his lineage.

At least this jade pendant belonged to Zhao Xu.

And it was broken by his father like this...

How could he explain it to others?

They were the ones who wanted to test his father, although it deviated from the original plan, they hadn’t even started when the jade pendant was taken by his father.

But with the jade pendant destroyed, they were half responsible.

Xie Jingchen couldn’t understand why his father took the jade pendant from the Hidden Guard and instructed him not to tell, only to break it later?

Xie Jingchen looked at the thoroughly broken jade pendant in his hand and gazed at the Prince.

Knowing he wouldn’t get an answer, Xie Jingchen left with the broken jade pendant.

As soon as he was far enough away, the Prince glanced out the window.

A man appeared in a flash.

"What are your orders, Prince?" the man asked.

"Follow Chenchen when he leaves. If anyone suspicious contacts him, bring them to me."

The Hidden Guard agreed.

After the Hidden Guard left, the Prince began to feel a headache.

He didn’t know whether to let Lady Chi keep the fetus.

It was his fault for letting Lady Chi get pregnant.

But she was a concubine sent by Nanliang with unclear intentions; if she were truly a spy...

Even if she weren’t, once Princess Nanzhang found out, it would inevitably alarm the Empress Dowager, and the child would not survive.

Not to mention that before alarming the Empress Dowager, the Old Madam would probably already have given an abortion pill.

Agarwood Pavilion, backyard.

In front of the bamboo house.

Xingxing was boiling medicine.

Su Jin sat on the steps in front of the bamboo house, watching as the sunset dyed the sky brilliantly.

Xingxing fanned the wind a few times and looked at Su Jin, "Miss, the medicine is ready."

"Take it to Lady Chi," Su Jin said.

Xingxing poured the medicine into a bowl, packaged it, and took it to the Qingqiu Garden.

After Xingxing left, Su Jin, feeling bored, also got up.

When she pushed open the back door into the study, she saw Xie Jingchen holding his forehead.

Su Jin was used to seeing Xie Jingchen support his head.

But it was usually because of her; this time she wasn’t present, so why was he holding his head?

Could it be a headache?

Su Jin walked over and saw a broken jade pendant on the writing desk.

Even though it was broken and missing a corner, Su Jin recognized it at a glance.

Her eyes widened suddenly, "How did this jade pendant break?"

"Father accidentally dropped it," Xie Jingchen said sorrowfully.

Now, not only Xie Jingchen, but Su Jin also had a headache.

This jade pendant belonged to Zhao Xu.

He was counting on it to find his mother.

And now they had broken his jade pendant, how could they explain it to him?

Especially since it was her idea to test the Prince using the jade pendant.

Su Jin felt a deep sense of guilt inside.

She looked at Xie Jingchen and asked, "What should we do now?"

"Have someone craft an identical one," Xie Jingchen said.

"Will that work?" Su Jin asked.

Xie Jingchen knew Su Jin misunderstood, he said, "This broken jade pendant can’t be taken out to find anyone, we’ll use a fake first."

"After breaking his jade pendant, the only way to make up for it before he returns is to help him find his biological mother."

Xie Jingchen felt exhausted.

He wanted to know who his biological mother was, yet he had no information, and now he had to help someone else find theirs.

The Right Minister of Nanliang was honest to him, allowing Zhao Xu to travel thousands of miles to find his mother.

His father, however, refused to reveal even half a word despite his hints.

Xie Jingchen put the jade pendant into a brocade box and handed it to the Hidden Guard, instructing him to have an identical one made the next day.

After the Hidden Guard took the jade pendant and left, Su Jin looked at Xie Jingchen and said, "Congratulations on the soon addition of a brother or sister."

Xie Jingchen raised his brows slightly, "What do you mean?"

"Lady Chi is pregnant," Su Jin said.

Xie Jingchen looked at her.

Su Jin blushed under his gaze, thinking her face was dirty, she raised her hand to wipe it.

"What’s that look for?" Su Jin asked, annoyed.

"I just thought about the Junior Minister of the Ministry of Justice," Xie Jingchen’s gaze did not waver.

Su Jin, "...."

"Father is at an advanced age and has another child, while I’ve been married for a long time and haven’t had any joy. I’m afraid I’ll end up like the Junior Minister of the Ministry of Justice," Xie Jingchen said, his eyes dimming.

Su Jin wished she could punch herself.

Why did she have to tell him about Lady Chi’s pregnancy?

He actually compared himself to the Junior Minister of the Ministry of Justice.

And his words—

What did he mean by ending up like the Junior Minister of the Ministry of Justice?

The Eldest Young Madam Zhao was already pregnant, and the Junior Minister of the Ministry of Justice was proud, it wasn’t the end, it was just the beginning.

Besides, is the Prince really that old?

The Prince was only thirty-seven this year; in the previous world, there were plenty of unmarried men of his age. Here, he’s already of grandfather’s age.

Su Jin was lost in thought, Xie Jingchen captured the expression on her face, and a slight smile appeared at the corner of his mouth, "I also need to put in some effort as a husband."

Effort?

A shiver ran through Su Jin.

Does he have to be so ambitious?

She hadn’t thought of having children so early!

Su Jin firmly expressed her attitude to Xie Jingchen, "What’s the effort for? If you want to hold a child, after Lady Chi gives birth, I’ll lend it to you for a couple of days."

Xie Jingchen, "...."

"Lend?" Xie Jingchen’s face turned serious.

Su Jin’s mouth twitched slightly.

Speaking too quickly can lead to errors.

"As long as you understand the meaning," Su Jin said.

"...."

"I don’t understand," Xie Jingchen said.

"...."

What’s there not to understand?

Su Jin looked at him, "Once the child is born, it’ll be messing on you, and you’ll probably be too disgusted to even touch it."

"Sons and daughters can’t be thrown away, but brothers and sisters can be sent back."

"...."

Xie Jingchen didn’t want to speak anymore.

First, it was borrowing, now it’s throwing.

Thinking about how the two brothers grew up under the torment of Marquis Dongxiang and Mrs. Tang.

Xie Jingchen started worrying about his future son.

This looked nothing like a biological mother.

Outside the house, the Hidden Guard, listening to the debate inside the study, almost fell from the tree.

His mouth twitched continuously.

The two of them, having been married for a long time without consummating the marriage, were discussing the issue of having children—

Far, too, early!