Upon seeing the shock in the eyes of Pei Huan and the others, she merely smiled inwardly.
Having lived in the inner palace for the better part of her life, what had she not seen?
If her initial affection for Lu Wanwan stemmed purely from blood ties, then after the countless silent nights the child had spent keeping her company through insomnia, trying naively to cheer her up, and offering her the utmost sincerity, the person she now cherished was simply this child herself.
She was certain that even if she gave Meng Wan sixteen years, Meng Wan could never truly enter her heart.
Because there was no sincerity in those eyes.
The Empress Dowager kept the two of them for the better part of the day. Upon hearing the news, the Eldest Princess also came into the palace to see Lu Wanwan. After offering her heartfelt comfort for a good while, the Empress Dowager finally allowed them to leave.
Before departing, Lu Wanwan managed to slip away from the Eldest Princess and whispered to the Empress Dowager, "The Eldest Princess Consort is keeping a mistress, who is the Eldest Princess's maternal cousin. The child is due to be born soon."
Over these past few days, she had laid plenty of groundwork with the Eldest Princess, originally intending to help her see through the true faces of the Liu family and the maternal relatives on her own. But now, with events pressing one after another, she was afraid she might slip up and fail to keep a close watch.
The Empress Dowager’s gaze darkened sligh…
Chapter 30