Song Xiuxiu couldn't help but touch her cheeks. "I merely caught a chill."
Song Chaoyu, however, slowly shifted her gaze downwards. "I fear, Sister, that it is not merely a chill you have caught."
In her previous life, it wasn't until the Song family's secrets were exposed that Song Xiuxiu realized the changes occurring within her own body.
At this moment, Song Xiuxiu also frowned. "What do you mean?"
Song Chaoyu finally fixed her gaze on Song Xiuxiu's abdomen. "Cousin... I fear you are pregnant. Don't you know?"
"What?!"
Song Chaoyu's words struck Song Xiuxiu like a bolt from the blue, causing her to abruptly stand up.
Her eyes wide with horror, she stared at Song Chaoyu, her lips trembling. "How... what nonsense are you talking about?"
Song Chaoyu merely shook her head, then picked up her cup of tea and took a sip. "Sister, do not panic. I am not here to cause trouble for you. The female physician from the Fan family outside is my close friend. If you are without help here, I can have her come in to take your pulse and prescribe medicine. If we can quietly conceal this matter, consider it my help to you."
Song Xiuxiu's heart pounded wildly.
Yet, she still eyed Song Chaoyu warily. "Why should I trust you?"
Song Chaoyu looked up, her eyes candid. "If I wanted to harm you, I could have simply told Grandmother about this. I would not have come to find you alone. I have my reasons for helping you. You are also a young lady from a prominent family, so you should understand. You only need to consider whether to trust me or not."
Knowing Song Xiuxiu's temperament, she patiently continued, "If you trust me, I will have the Fan family physician come in. We will resolve this quietly, and I promise you, neither the physician nor I will ever mention this matter again. Nor will I use this to pressure you into doing anything for me."
Song Chaoyu poured out the tea from Song Xiuxiu's cup. "If you do not trust me, when the truth comes out later, and you have never experienced such a thing, with no one in the household to help you, it is likely to alarm the entire Song mansion. Not only will your reputation be ruined, but you will also be unable to establish yourself in the capital. You can choose which of these two paths to take."
Song Xiuxiu was filled with inexpressible astonishment.
She pondered for a moment, then decided to take a gamble and sat down opposite Song Chaoyu. "Have that Fan family physician come in. I have only just arrived in the capital, and whatever you wish to do with me, I can only be at your mercy. But you are right, this matter cannot be allowed to escalate."
Song Chaoyu nodded, then called for Fan Jiangyue.
Unexpectedly, Song Xiuxiu had heard of Fan Jiangyue. "I heard in Jiangzhou that the Fan family in the capital has profound medical knowledge, and there is a highly skilled and upright female physician named Fan. My health, I now entrust to Physician Fan."
She certainly knew how to speak.
Fan Jiangyue wasted no words. After taking Song Xiuxiu's pulse, she frowned deeply. "It has been over two months. You have not had your period for two months, and you did not know?"
Song Xiuxiu was stunned, then blushed and lowered her head, murmuring, "I have felt uneasy, and I feared as much. But last month I saw some spotting and mistook it for my period, which is why I felt at ease."
Fan Jiangyue sighed. "Your constitution is weak. These days, you have been excessively worried and have also endured the fatigue of travel. Therefore, you could not preserve the child, which is why you saw spotting. I will prescribe a gentle herbal formula for you. Once this child is gone, your health will be safe."
Song Xiuxiu also sighed. "I knew from the beginning that this unwanted child could not be kept. But now, my heart is unwilling. It is a life, all my fault!"
Song Chaoyu remembered that in her previous life, when this incident involving Song Xiuxiu became the talk of the town, everyone had spoken of her most harshly.
Now, it seemed, she was not an inherently wicked person.
Fan Jiangyue's expression was impassive. "This child cannot be kept. You have spotted, and your body is weak. If I had not arrived in time, it is likely that in a few days it would have cost you half your life. Rest assured, I understand the rules of noble families and will absolutely not publicize this matter. We will say you caught a chill from travel, and I will personally prepare and deliver the medicine daily, destroying the dregs to ensure no one discovers anything."
"Thank you, Physician Fan."
Only then did Song Xiuxiu breathe a sigh of relief, then looked back at Song Chaoyu.
Her attitude towards Song Chaoyu had improved considerably. "May I ask how Fourth Sister knew of my condition? I myself did not know, and Fourth Sister saw through it at a glance?"
Song Chaoyu did not know how to explain, so she vaguely replied, "Sister, rest assured, besides myself and Physician Fan, no third person knows. I do not know whose child it is, only that your body is unwell, and you should rest well as you have caught a chill."
With the matter resolved, Song Chaoyu let the maids enter.
Song Chaoyu asked Xun Lu to bring some new bolts of silk and clothes. "These are from my aunt for you, Sister. They are not worth much, and I don't know what colors you prefer, so my aunt picked a few that she thought would suit you. Later, you can have your maids prepare hot water for you to bathe and rest before eating something. My father and the others should be back before dinner, so you can rest for a while."
"Thank you, Aunt Liu."
Song Xiuxiu had clearly inquired about the Song family's situation before arriving. "These silks are all in elegant colors, and I like them very much. Tomorrow, I will certainly pay my respects to Aunt Liu."
Knowing Song Xiuxiu was unwell, Song Chaoyu did not linger.
As she left with Fan Jiangyue, she said to Fan Jiangyue, "I will have to trouble you to look after Sister's affairs in the future."
Facing Song Chaoyu, Fan Jiangyue was not as cold as she was to others. Instead, her eyes held a smile. "Don't worry. I see that although this Miss Song has acted recklessly, she is not a bad person. But I am also curious, how did you know her situation when even I, a female physician, could not discern it at a glance?"
Perhaps treating Fan Jiangyue as a close friend, Song Chaoyu smiled mysteriously at her, half-truthfully saying, "I know many future events. Do you believe me?"
Fan Jiangyue was taken aback, then seemed to accept it. "If anyone else said that, I would certainly not believe them and would need to check if they had lost their mind and were speaking deliriously. However, when you say it, I actually have a sliver of belief in my heart. Then tell me, what will my future be like?"
Song Chaoyu chuckled softly. "In just one year, you will be rewarded by the Emperor for saving a noble person in the palace, and you will officially enter the Imperial Hospital, becoming the first female physician in our dynasty. You will bring glory to your Fan family and be on equal footing with your father."
"Pfft—"
Fan Jiangyue couldn't help but laugh out loud, playfully placing her hand on Song Chaoyu's pulse. "I need to examine you to see if you have indeed become delusional!"