Aunt Liu, dressed in a dark purple ruqun (a traditional Chinese dress) with a gold-threaded outer robe, her head full of pearl hairpins, with her obviously swollen belly bulging out in a round shape around her waist, supported by a maid's hand, bowed to Shen Li and said, "I pay my respects to the eldest young lady!"
Shen Li just stood there and didn't excuse Aunt Liu from the greeting. There was a distance of about four or five steps between them.
After paying her respects, Aunt Liu didn't step aside. Instead, she looked at Shen Li with a beaming smile and said, "The eldest young lady has rarely returned to the mansion these days. Why don't you stay for a few more days?"
Shen Li had no intention of getting close to or currying favor with Aunt Liu. She simply said in a calm tone, "There are still some matters at my elder brother's place that haven't been settled yet. I won't stay here any longer."
Hearing this, Aunt Liu didn't show much surprise. She still spoke to Shen Li in an amiable manner, "Then the eldest young lady should come to the mansion more often when you're free. It'd be nice to keep the second and third young ladies company."
Hearing this, a glint flashed across Shen Li's eyes like a quick spark. Then she turned her gaze to Aunt Liu's face and said, "Aunt Liu, since you're pregnant, it's better to worry less about things. Worrying can be harmful to your health, and it's not good for the baby after all."
Aunt Liu's smile faded a bit because of Shen Li's words. She lowered her head slightly and then quickly raised it again, as if trying to hide her uneasiness. She looked into Shen Li's eyes and said, "Thank you for your concern, eldest young lady. I'll remember that!"
After saying that, Aunt Liu stepped aside to make way for Shen Li.
Shen Li didn't linger. She lifted her feet and left beside Aunt Liu.
It wasn't until Shen Li had walked about five or six steps away that Aunt Liu, supported by the maid's hand, continued strolling in the garden.
After Shen Li had walked for a while and was some distance away from Aunt Liu, she suddenly stopped, slowly turned around, and stared at Aunt Liu's back as she leisurely walked, supported by the maid.
Jiao Yue and Ming Yue, standing aside, exchanged a glance. They didn't understand what Shen Li was up to, but seeing her serious expression, they didn't dare to make a sound to disturb her.
After Shen Li finished looking, they followed her again.
As soon as they left the Shen Mansion and got into the carriage, Jiao Yue couldn't help but say, "Miss, you really scared me just now!"
Shen Li was a bit puzzled by Jiao Yue's words. She looked at her and asked, "What's wrong? What could scare you?"
Jiao Yue was suddenly teased by Shen Li like this, but fortunately she was used to it and didn't think much of it. She just patted her chest and said, "You don't know, miss. Just now when I saw Aunt Liu with such a big belly standing beside you, making way for you to pass first, I was so worried!"
Hearing this, Ming Yue was also a bit confused and asked, "Sister Jiao Yue, what were you worried about? Were you scared because Aunt Liu's belly was so big?"
As she said this, there was a hint of a smile on Ming Yue's lips. She joked with Jiao Yue, "Sister Jiao Yue, Aunt Liu is only five or six months pregnant. Her belly will get even bigger in the future. It'll be like an inverted washbasin on her belly. Then, Sister Jiao Yue, you'll probably be even more scared!"
"Get out of here! Don't talk nonsense! I wasn't scared by her belly. I was scared out of a cold sweat by Aunt Liu!" Jiao Yue said as she wiped her forehead with a handkerchief. "You saw just now. Aunt Liu was so close to our miss!"
"You know, if Aunt Liu had suddenly fallen just now and our miss happened to be beside her, what would others think? Our miss wouldn't be able to explain herself even if she had a mouth!"
Jiao Yue added in an experienced tone, "So! Don't be fooled by Aunt Liu's smiling face. She might have some bad intentions. That second branch of the family would do anything to frame our miss!"
Hearing Jiao Yue's words, Ming Yue believed them to some extent. "Sister Jiao Yue's words make sense! Miss, I think you'd better stay away from Aunt Liu next time. If she really sets her sights on you, it'll be troublesome!"
Looking at Jiao Yue and Ming Yue with worried expressions on their faces, Shen Li not only felt warm in her heart but also found them funny looking at their bright eyes. She thought they were just like two marmots!
"You two! Don't worry! Aunt Liu won't do that!"
"Miss, you can't be deceived by her appearance!" Jiao Yue looked at Shen Li with a knowing expression on her face and said, "Aunt Liu has been able to live so comfortably under the Second Madam's hand and is even pregnant. She's obviously not a simple person! So, miss, you can never tell a person's heart by their appearance. You can't just judge people by their looks!"
Hearing this, Shen Li patted Jiao Yue on the head, straightened her expression slightly, and showed a gratified look on her face. "It seems that Jiao Yue has really grown up! You're so smart now. You can even judge people and remind me! Good! Well, very good!"
"Miss!" Jiao Yue showed an unnatural smile on her face when she saw Shen Li praising her like a child.
"I know you're both worried about me and doing this for my own good! But you're really overthinking the matter of Aunt Liu trying to frame me. She won't frame me!"
"Why?" Jiao Yue and Ming Yue both looked confused.
"Because... she's not pregnant at all!"
"Not pregnant? How could that be? That belly doesn't look like it's fake!" As Jiao Yue said this, she gestured on her own belly to represent Aunt Liu's big pregnant belly.
"Ming Yue, what do you think?" Shen Li asked Ming Yue again. "Did you notice anything inappropriate from Aunt Liu's speech and behavior?"
Hearing this, Ming Yue immediately started to recall from the moment she first saw Aunt Liu today. After a moment of silence, she said, "I've never interacted with Aunt Liu, and I don't know her pulse. I can only make a speculation based on my observations. It seems that there are indeed some inappropriate things about Aunt Liu."
Shen Li nodded and gave Ming Yue an encouraging look, signaling her to continue. "Pregnant women, because of their large bellies, have difficulty moving around. It's hard for them to put their feet down properly and support their bodies. So when they walk, they always have trouble controlling their walking postures and can't help but use their heels as the main support."