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Shen Chuwei was displeased upon hearing those words, was this a deliberate suggestion that she was a pig?

She retorted, "How could I possibly eat six bowls of rice? And the baby doesn’t need to eat rice."

"Is that so?" Xiao Jinyan chuckled lightly, "Then how many bowls would you like to eat?"

"Obviously four bowls of rice," Shen Chuwei stated with absolute certainty.

Xiao Jinyan’s gaze lingered on Shen Chuwei, feeling her very thin in his arms last night, and yet her body was so soft, like hugging cotton, cotton with a sweet scent.

She would probably be even softer if she were a bit fatter.

"You don’t need to lose weight, it would be better if you put on some more," he said.

Shen Chuwei chattered away while eating Braised Pork, "Your Highness prefers women with a bit more flesh, doesn’t he?"

Xiao Jinyan nodded.

He did like Shen Chuwei better with a little more weight – the flesh around her waist would be softer.

Shen Chuwei, as if she had stumbled upon some explosive news, realized Xiao Jinyan liked girls with a bit of flesh, yet the women of the East Palace were all trying to maintain their figures through various diets, hardly eating meat.

"Why don’t you tell them then? They rarely eat meat because they are dieting," she said.

Xiao Jinyan frowned, "Who?"

Shen Chuwei, munching on chicken feet, said, "Your women, ah. They diet every day. Don’t you dislike them too thin?"

Xiao Jinyan knew she wouldn’t say anything pleasing to his ears, "Why should I tell them? Their weight is none of my concern."

They are your women, it relates to how they feel to your touch.

Seeing Xiao Jinyan looking displeased, Shen Chuwei said no more, but clasped her chopsticks tighter and picked up a piece of Braised Pork for him, smiling ingratiatingly, "Your Highness, have some meat."

"Hmm," Xiao Jinyan glanced down at the meat in his bowl, picked it up and put it in his mouth, and it didn’t seem so greasy.

After eating and drinking her fill, Shen Chuwei touched her belly and had no desire to move. She glanced at Xiao Jinyan, who was drinking tea – was he planning to stay the night?

She had been ill, and Xiao Jinyan had said he wouldn’t let her serve him in bed with an illness.

Luckily, Xiao Jinyan did not stay the night in Hehuan Hall, but left after giving a few instructions.

Xiao Jinyan returned to the Study Room. Wen Weichi asked, "How’s the interrogation going?"

Weichi replied, "Master, Fen Zhaoshun still refuses to speak."

Xiao Jinyan was already growing impatient. Shen Chuwei’s excessive sleepiness was getting worse and he could not wait any longer.

"Extract confession through torture, and make sure she reveals where the item is," he ordered.

"As you command," Weichi accepted the order and left.

No sooner had he stepped into the Interrogation Room than a Guard came running out in a panic, seeing him, he said, "Guard Weichi, it’s not good, Fen Zhaoshun has committed suicide."

"What?" Weichi’s eyes widened as he rushed in, only to see Fen Zhaoshun lying on the ground, her forehead covered in blood – clearly, she had smashed her head against the wall.

"Dammit," Weichi felt like cursing, "She could at least have told us where she hid the thing before dying. The Master still wants it."

Before long, Xiao Jinyan saw Weichi return, "Did she confess?"

Weichi knelt on one knee, hands clasped in a fist, "Master, Fen Zhaoshun has committed suicide."

"Suicide?" Xiao Jinyan clenched his fists, furious beyond measure, "How were you watching her?"

Weichi’s head dropped even lower, "I am incompetent, please punish me, Master."

Xiao Jinyan knew that anything said now was too late. With Fen Zhaoshun dead, nobody knew where the harmful item was located anymore.

As it concerned Shen Chuwei’s safety, Xiao Jinyan also became restless.

"Send more people to search Xiaoxiang Pavilion. Dig three feet into the ground if you have to, but find that item," he commanded.

"Subordinate obeys," Weichi stood up and strode out.

Xiao Jinyan then also went to the Xiaoxiang Pavilion.

After a night of fruitless searching, Xiao Jinyan had Lu Zhaoyan brought over.

Lu Zhaoyan had stayed up all night calculating fortunes, and just as he lay down, before even closing his eyes, Weichi dragged him out of bed.

"Big Brother Weichi, what’s this about?" Lu Zhaoyan, wearing only his inner garment, a delicate scholar at that, was unceremoniously hauled out by Weichi. Didn’t he care about face?

The maid had long since hidden herself far away.

Weichi didn’t realize the roughness of his actions. He picked up some clothes that were lying nearby and started to awkwardly pull them onto Lu Zhaoyan.

"Lord Lu, the master wants you to come over now."

Lu Zhaoyan felt somewhat wronged, "I haven’t slept all night yesterday."

Weichi paused in his movements, "Sleep when you return."

What else could Lu Zhaoyan say?

With Weichi’s help to get dressed, he couldn’t resist complimenting, "Big Brother Weichi, though you’re a man, you’re not bad at helping someone get dressed."

Weichi wasn’t modest, "Thanks for the compliment."

The two arrived at the Xiaoxiang Pavilion one after the other, where about ten guards stood searching everywhere.

After pondering for a long time, Lu Zhaoyan looked up at Xiao Jinyan and said, "Your Highness, according to my calculations, that item should be in the yard."

Xiao Jinyan glanced at the overgrown yard and simply said one word, "Search."

Finally, before nightfall, the guards found that item in the lotus pond.

The item was stored inside a wine jar. After Lu Zhaoyan opened it, he took out a doll, which bore the birth date and time of Lady Shen.

Xiao Jinyan saw the doll, with three long needles inserted into it and complicated talismanic scripts written on its belly; flames of anger leapt in his eyes.

"How can this be undone?"

Lu Zhaoyan looked at it for a long time but couldn’t come up with an effective method, "Allow me to take it back and study it."

The rest was left to Lu Zhaoyan, and Xiao Jinyan then went to the Hehuan Hall.

Shen Chuwei had just finished her dinner and was lying on the couch like a salted fish.

Just as Shen Chuwei lay there, drowsy and about to fall asleep, she saw a figure approaching her in a blur. As the figure drew nearer, the familiar cold fragrance entered her nostrils; she subconsciously called out, "Your Highness?"

Xiao Jinyan bent down to extend his arm but hadn’t reached out before he heard Shen Chuwei call him, her voice soft and exceptionally pleasant to the ear.

"Why don’t you go to bed if you want to sleep?"

Shen Chuwei lethargically replied, "Your concubine just wanted to lie down for a while, to digest the food."

"How can you digest food by lying down?" Xiao Jinyan shook his head helplessly, extended his arms, and lifted the person on the couch horizontally. She was so light she could be easily held without any effort.

Shen Chuwei suddenly became much more alert; from this angle, she could clearly see his handsome profile, narrow eyes, high nose, and distinct facial features that were remarkably perfect.

Indeed, a handsome person looked pleasing from any angle.

When they reached the bed, Shen Chuwei was gently placed on it by Xiao Jinyan who then moved his hand to her waist, attempting to untie her sash.

Instinctively, she pressed down on his hand, her clear starry eyes looking at him in confusion, "Your Highness?"

Xiao Jinyan, looking at the hand she pressed down, raised his phoenix eyes to meet hers and seriously uttered the flippant words, "You have undressed me many times; this time, it’s my turn to undress you."

Shen Chuwei struggled to sit up while holding his hand, "There’s no need to trouble Your Highness. It would be better if your concubine does it herself."

"It’s fine," Xiao Jinyan reached for her waist again, grabbed the knot, and tugged firmly. The sash loosened, slipping off easily.

Shen Chuwei watched as Xiao Jinyan’s hand moved to her waist again. It was too late to stop him as she felt the neckline loosen, and the belt came undone.