4 Chapter 4

"Does my husband intend to take other women in the future?"

The tunnel was dark, with candlesticks standing on both sides of the walls to illuminate the passageway.

When Xie Wu rushed over to report, Xie Lang had already reached the central hall of the underground passage, where he had changed into his outer robe and was sitting on the couch reading the secret report that had just been delivered. The study outside was a decoy; this was the real place where Xie Lang, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, handled confidential documents.

Hearing that Liu Qingqing had suddenly turned back and was heading towards the study, Xie Lang was quite surprised. In his impression, Liu Qingqing was steady and never rash, and was quite clever. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to marry him so smoothly under Xiao Yingshi's nose.

Xie Wu's forehead was covered in sweat. Seeing that his master hadn't moved, he said anxiously, "I rushed over as soon as the scouts sounded. Do you want to go up, sir? Or should I go and coax the lady away?"

He then spilled out all the information he knew: "Xie Liu said that Madam was going back to the Liu residence today. He said that after Madam returned from the study, someone came from there with urgent business looking for her. He had already driven away for a while when Madam suddenly wanted to come back."

"You're quite well-informed."

Xie Lang glanced at him, then turned and walked back. After taking two steps, he heard a noise behind him and stopped Xie Wu without turning his head, saying, "You wait here."

Xie Wu was startled. After he could no longer hear his master's footsteps, he scratched his head, wondering what he had said that had displeased his master.

When Xie Lang returned to the study, Liu Qingqing happened to be walking through the corridor and saw that the study door was tightly closed. The anger that had been swelling in her chest suddenly dissipated, and she abruptly stopped her aggressive stride, wringing out her handkerchief.

In the heat of the moment, she wanted to get to the bottom of things with him. But how could she ask? Should she just blurt out, "Xie Lang, do you have someone else outside? And if you do, please don't touch me!"

Their shallow relationship seems too fragile to withstand such talk.

He's not even in a hurry to consummate the marriage with her.

That being said, even if Xie Lang has connections outside, what can she do to him? Xie Lang has just turned twenty and is already a third-rank official. He is the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, who has won the favor of the Regent. His smooth career path is already foreseeable, and he may become a prime minister or cabinet member soon.

She also wanted to take advantage of his influence and use his influence to get her mother's dowry back. She was dependent on him for her livelihood, so how could she offend him?

Suddenly, a surge of powerlessness rushed through her body.

Liu Qingqing leaned against a stone pillar beside the corridor, lost in thought. Her father and brothers favored her stepsister, and no one protected her. What could she do but endure it? How could she possibly dare to hear the truth?

She lacked confidence and had no one to support her.

Just then, the study door opened, and Xie Lang, leaning against the door, looked at her. Though they were far apart, Liu Qingqing seemed to see his gentle gaze.

He showed no annoyance or confusion as to why she had come looking for him again; it was as if her sudden arrival was perfectly natural.

Suddenly she felt like crying.

She was very young when her mother passed away. Her nanny said that her mother loved her dearly and held her in her arms every day. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that she grew up in her mother's arms. But her mother left early, and since her mother's passing, she no longer knows what it feels like to be held in someone's arms.

It seemed that she could only occasionally experience that warmth in her dreams, and she couldn't help but savor it, but the dream would vanish as soon as she woke up. The ethereal feeling was something she couldn't grasp even if she reached out to touch it.

When she was little, she saw her father, her elder brother, and her stepmother holding her younger sister. Her little sister's small arms were wrapped around their necks, and she swayed her round body and giggled, laughing until tears welled up in her eyes. It must have been as warm as in her dreams.

Even though summer was almost here, she felt cold, and her vision blurred with tears.

Perhaps the thought of returning to the Liu family mansion had shattered the illusion of peace in her life, stirring up the resentment and sadness in her heart. Liu Qingqing's nose stung, and she suddenly wanted to hug him—no, she wanted him to hug her.

She was like a drifting duckweed, her only hope now resting on Xie Lang. But if he couldn't be relied upon either, if the Xie family was also a cannibalistic place, what would she do? Where could she go?

The world is so vast, but where is her home?

Lost in thought, she was suddenly touched by a gentle hand. Startled, she quickly turned away and wiped the corner of her eye. She had just been so eager to confront him, but now that she was in his presence, she was afraid he would see her lose her composure.

She was no different from the ants in this world.

He stood before her, their shoes barely a hand's width apart. She could easily smell the pure, clean scent of moon-patterned jasmine emanating from him. She also noticed that he had changed into a bamboo-patterned, moon-white brocade robe.

Before she could figure out how to explain why she had come uninvited, Xie Lang surprised her with his words.

"I almost forgot that I haven't given my monthly salary to my wife yet."

Liu Qingqing looked at him in surprise, but Xie Lang didn't look at her. Instead, he let go of her hand, took out a brocade bag from his bosom, and stuffed it into her hand. "My grandmother manages the household affairs. This is my monthly salary."

He held her hand in one hand and guided her fingers to grasp the brocade pouch with the other before looking at her and continuing, "I am now a third-rank official, with a monthly salary of 6 strings of cash, an annual stipend of 360 shi of rice, and 900 mu of official land. In addition, my grandmother and father left me some shops and estates in earlier years, which are quite complicated, and I will explain them to you in detail later."

What's going on here?

Liu Qingqing was stunned.

Xie Lang: "I forgot about this matter in my haste, but it was fortunate that Madam returned and helped me resolve this worry. I have heard that in the common people's homes, the wife usually manages the household after marriage, and we should be the same. It was my fault for leaving in a hurry last time due to official business, and I ask for Madam's forgiveness."

Liu Qingqing was completely bewildered by his sudden outburst: "...Why so suddenly?"

This is only the third time they've met since getting married, right? They were quite awkward just now, so why is he suddenly pouring his heart out, explaining his salary, and stuffing his monthly allowance into her hands like this?

Besides, it was always the wife who managed the household. She knew that her father did not give Xiao Ying's monthly salary, nor did her brother give money to his sister-in-law. They received a small monthly allowance from the mansion, which was better than nothing.

Xie Lang: "What's so sudden about this? I should have given it to you a long time ago."

Before Liu Qingqing could recover, Xie Lang dropped another bombshell in her ear, "There is another matter that I need to ask you to forgive, Madam. I have placed someone by your side named Xiao Liu. If you wish to return to the Liu residence after this trip, Madam, just call for him."

This sentence truly startled Liu Qingqing!

How come she didn't know when they were released?

Unlike her previous gentle and dignified demeanor, she now resembled a pampered pet cat, her thoughts written all over her face, her eyes wide open, and if she had ears, they would probably be standing straight up.

Xie Lang swallowed his laughter and patiently explained, "He is clever and has good martial arts skills. He stays in the shadows, so you can't usually see him. He will only appear when you call him."

Liu Qingqing stood still for a long time, first looking down at the thing in her hand, then at him, and then cautiously looking around, like a frightened cub.

Seeing this, Xie Lang gently patted her shoulder to comfort her, but his words were full of meaning: "From now on, you and I are husband and wife."

Hearing this, Liu Qingqing remained silent for a long time, yet it inexplicably gave her courage. As Xie Lang took a step to leave, she impulsively grabbed his sleeve, "Husband, would you like to take other women in the future?"

[Author's Note]

Next chapter preview:

With great difficulty, Lady Ying managed to adopt the demeanor of a loving mother and asked with concern, "Have you consummated your marriage with the Crown Prince?"

(Before making the list, I updated for two days, so the word count will be lower. Thank you.)

Also, I'm secretly praying that Baozi Cat will add this story to her favorites and pre-order "Wangchuan"~~ I'm new to ancient romance novels and want to get on the list too~ Wishing everyone good fortune and wealth!!!