The Double
Chapter 532 - 160 Pregnancy_5

Chapter 532: Chapter 160 Pregnancy_5

She followed Li Lian back to the Li Mansion, and after washing her face clean, Li Lian recognized her. Jiang Youyao summoned her courage, and in front of Li Lian, recounted the injustices she had suffered at the Jiang Family these past days. She had been forced to leave home and still hoped that Li Lian wouldn’t reveal her situation at the Li Family to anyone else; if the Jiang Family found out, they would certainly take her back.

Li Lian was a man of compassion and seemed to take pity on her. Indeed, he didn’t relay the matter to Li Zhongnan. He allocated a space for Jiang Youyao in his own courtyard to live in. She couldn’t go outside for fear of being seen, so Jiang Youyao could only walk around the courtyard, always careful not to be seen by other members of the Li Family. Over time, she naturally grew bored and listless.

The only people she could see every day were these servants and Li Lian.

The more time Jiang Youyao spent with Li Lian, the more she realized he was a good man. He was gentle and considerate and seemed to truly understand her heart. After several heart-to-heart conversations, Jiang Youyao couldn’t help but grow closer to him. They later... After forming a deeper relationship with Li Lian, initially, Jiang Youyao was afraid. Having fled from the Jiang Family, she still harbored the identity of the Chief Minister’s daughter deep in her heart, worrying that if word got out, it would bring shame to the Jiang Family.

But Li Lian told Jiang Youyao, "If you don’t want to go back, then you don’t have to. You always say the Jiang Residence is harsh on you; it’s better to stay in our mansion. I’ll find you an identity in time, so you can rightfully be with me for life."

Jiang Youyao was very touched.

Promises were sincerely offered, something Zhou Yanbang had always been reluctant to give her. She had waited foolishly for many years, and in the end, he married someone else, which truly broke her heart. Now, someone was willing to step forward and soothe her pain, so naturally, she couldn’t resist.

She also thought about the future, for instance, Li Lian’s wife could only be a young lady from a prestigious family. No matter how capable he was at finding her an identity, it could never be that of a daughter from a distinguished family. By Li Lian’s side, without a name or status, at most, she could be a concubine. But how could Jiang Youyao be content with being a concubine?

Yet, even if she were still the third young lady of the Jiang Family, she could never become Li Lian’s wife, as the Li Family and Jiang Family have never gotten along, not just recently, but historically.

The days she spent with Li Lian were joyful, yet she saw no future in sight. Still, Jiang Youyao could not bring herself to leave him, because leaving Li Lian didn’t necessarily mean she would live a better life. Rather than ponder the uncertain future, it was better to cherish the present happiness. As for what lay ahead, she would think about it later.

Feeling she had been sitting for quite some time, Jiang Youyao stood up, intending to walk around the courtyard. The maids were all busy with their tasks. Jiang Youyao wasn’t sure if these maids recognized her identity or not, and truth be told, she wasn’t entirely satisfied with them. Sometimes she sighed, wishing she had brought Jin Hua and Yinhua with her; after all, they had been by her side since childhood and were more handy to use. But these maids’ master was Li Lian; they were utterly respectful towards him, but not nearly as warm to Jiang Youyao.

Most importantly, all the maids in Li Lian’s courtyard were beautiful, which was quite vexing, and at times, Jiang Youyao couldn’t help feeling jealous, thinking that Li Lian kept these maids in his courtyard for his convenience. She had hinted as much to Li Lian, but he was so good at coaxing her that a few words would make her forget her original intentions and drop any accusations.

Jiang Youyao walked to the edge of the courtyard and couldn’t help but look towards another courtyard across the way.

The adjacent one belonged to the Eldest Young Master Li, Li Xian. Li Xian didn’t come home often as he was said to be busy with official duties. Jiang Youyao had heard of him before, Li Zhongnan’s two sons; Li Xian received much more praise than Li Lian. Young as he was, he had a smooth career, was talented, and he was born good-looking and scholarly. Compared to Li Lian, he seemed to live a cleaner life. At his age, she had never heard of him having any bad habits.

Jiang Youyao scanned the courtyard.

The biggest difference between Li Xian’s courtyard and Li Lian’s seems to be the servants. Whereas Li Lian’s courtyard was full of charming maids, Li Xian’s had no maids in sight. There were, however, quite a few young servants, all rather young in age. They looked to be around twelve or thirteen years old, and Jiang Youyao even once saw a child of about eight or nine years old. She couldn’t understand why these young servants were so young; it didn’t seem convenient for tasks like running errands or carrying heavy items, considering these servants were still children.

She had once asked Li Lian about it, and he always chuckled and shook his head, explaining that those kids were orphans without parents, and Li Xian took pity on them, bringing them to the mansion to work as servants. On the surface, they were servants, but in reality, he provided them food, and when they grew up, they would be able to serve the mansion.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Youyao murmured to herself, thinking that the Eldest Young Master Li must have a kind heart to come up with such a considerate way to care for them.

She withdrew her gaze and walked back, unable to stop sighing to herself. However, the Eldest Young Master Li also had quite the eye for picking people, as the young boys in his courtyard were all strikingly handsome. If she didn’t know the kind of person Li Xian was, she might have thought he shared the same peculiar preference as Duke Su, favoring the company of men.