Chapter 2 The Marquis's Residence "What are you doing?" "My dear."...

Extra 2

The old lady had prepared the meal in advance, but because everyone, young and old, had injuries, she did not prepare any wine.

The group arrived at the small hall, but the meal they were about to have was truly bizarre.

It's like boiling water and ice water mixed in a basin, yet still clearly distinct.

Liu Qingqing glanced at Xie Lang secretly, and Xie Lang gently shook his head at her, occasionally serving her food and soup.

Xie Wanyan was stunned by what she saw, and couldn't help but give Liu Qingqing a thumbs up.

When has the aloof and powerful Lord Xie ever been so considerate? Well done, Qingqing!

Liu Qingqing blushed and pushed Xie Lang away, saying, "You eat it yourself."

Xie Lang raised an eyebrow, speaking with self-righteousness, "You can't reach the ones that are far away."

The old lady and Xia Rushi both smiled in unison when they saw this. This is really good! Heaven has eyes!

Then he glanced at Xie Lang, thinking, "This kid is lucky!"

She's got some skills! She managed to turn things around and win him back, and they seem to be even closer than before!

Now it seems like we've truly opened our hearts to each other.

So after the meal, the two of them tacitly agreed not to keep anyone and sent them directly back to Jialan Garden to rest.

"Come again tomorrow for a chat. The journey is long, so you two should rest well first."

The two of them were pushed away like that.

Xie Wanyan craned her neck mischievously, "I won't bother you anymore~"

Xia Rushi pushed his face away.

As Liu Qingqing turned the corner, she glanced back at Aunt Jia, who was still standing there watching them.

Aunt Jia saw this, smiled, and waved to her, telling her not to worry or linger.

"Why are you sighing?" Xie Lang asked.

Liu Qingqing then realized that she had sighed just now. Looking at his expression, she thought for a moment and then said, "Just now..."

The Marquis and his second uncle refused to give in to each other, both with cold and sullen faces, rendering the charcoal braziers placed in the flower hall useless!

Before Liu Qingqing could finish speaking, Xie Lang already knew what he meant.

"Don't worry, Mother has her own plan."

Even so, Liu Qingqing was still quite alarmed!

Seeing the worry on her face, Xie Lang thought for a moment and continued, "If Father does something wrong, he should bear the consequences. Mother can be happy as long as he is happy."

Liu Qingqing was stunned. The implication in those words was quite treasonous!

"Now that my second uncle has also been granted the title of Marquis of Liu, his status is not considered to be unfair to my mother."

Xie Lang calmly replied, "I was somewhat worried before that my second uncle wouldn't be able to compete with me."

Liu Qingqing: "..."

These words startled her so much that she instinctively clutched her chest; they were terrifying.

Xie Lang lowered his eyes and calmly said, "I have been scheming and manipulating in the officialdom all this time, just to protect you so that you can do whatever you want and have peace of mind."

Upon hearing this, Liu Qingqing slapped his arm, unwilling to hear him speak of her like that.

But I couldn't help but be moved.

"My husband treats Aunt Jia very well."

Many men, for the sake of appearances and their own reputation, have wronged their families.

Hearing the envy in her voice, Xie Lang said seriously, "I feel the same way about you, Qingqing."

"Then can I choose someone else?"

Xie Lang replied coldly, "I haven't done anything wrong. I've always kept myself clean."

Seeing his confident and unwavering demeanor, as if he had been wronged in the heat of June, Liu Qingqing suppressed a laugh.

Xie Lang is now much more like a living person than before.

The young couple strolled leisurely to Jialan Garden.

This is the first time the two of them have returned together since they fell apart last time.

I was filled with emotion for a moment.

Xie Lang, in particular, felt as if he had returned to the day she disappeared without a trace, and felt pain in his internal organs.

He didn't show it on his face, but he gripped her hand even tighter.

Liu Qingqing noticed something was wrong and looked at him, only to see the undisguised sorrow in his eyes.

This is unavoidable; this is the path they came from.

The events in Yingcheng matured her considerably, and in the face of life and death, she imbued everything she had experienced in Jialan Garden with a unique hue.

Xie Lang composed himself slightly, took her hand, and stepped through the hanging flower gate.

Li Mama and the others hid behind the small kitchen. Seeing that the two masters were unharmed, they breathed a sigh of relief, but they were very perceptive and did not go out to disturb them.

Everyone knew how difficult it had been for their two masters to get to where they were today!

The main house still looked as if Liu Qingqing had left in a hurry.

Although she had returned to stay before, it seemed she had only stayed briefly; aside from the bedding she used daily, she hadn't left any further traces. She exuded an air of effortless elegance, as if she could leave at any moment.

The dressing case that used to hold her jewelry was no longer placed on the rosewood table.

Xie Lang gave her a deep look, while Liu Qingqing's eyes darted around, feigning ignorance.

The mud-covered brocade shoes remained in their original place, untouched.

Both of them saw the shoe and were speechless for a moment.

After a long pause, Xie Lang finally spoke in a hoarse voice: "You were so bold back then, I thought you..."

In the end, only choked sobs and trembling voices remained. He closed his eyes tightly, as if returning to that time, when the pain was excruciating.

Xie Lang lost his voice due to anger and anxiety, which left him with lingering health problems.

When he spoke again, his voice was extremely hoarse, as if he were weeping blood.

Liu Qingqing knew this matter was like a thorn in his heart, but he didn't expect it to have come to this extent. He could only lead him to the bedside and make him sit down.

The strong and imposing Lord Xie suddenly became gentle, and with a push, he sat down softly.

She told him about it, and she was also curious, "Why were you put into the secret passage back then? Was it to deliberately let me discover my background?"

Xie Lang's raven-feather-like eyelashes trembled upon hearing this, and he abruptly looked up at her, "What do you mean, Qingqing?"

He suddenly spoke with difficulty, and asked a brief question.

It doesn't seem like it was intentional?

Liu Qingqing then recounted what happened that day. Xie Lang became increasingly alarmed as he listened, and suddenly stood up, grabbed her shoulders, and pulled her into his arms.

He was so bad in her eyes before, yet she thought so much of him.

Then I thought about how sad she must have been that day, and my heart felt like it was being torn apart.

From his tense and restrained muscles, Liu Qingqing could tell how turbulent his emotions were.

We now know each other quite well.

"You were only a small part of the reason I left back then." More than that, she was heartbroken and disillusioned upon hearing the news.

Xie Lang stared intently at her, his phoenix eyes, crimson, brimming with tears.

Liu Qingqing stroked the corner of his eye and asked softly, "Then why did you lock me up in the first place?"

Why are they locking them up?

If she were to reach the door, she would naturally know that he had not opened the mechanism.

At that time, he vaguely sensed that something was wrong. She didn't believe anything he said and looked at him with a distant and unfamiliar gaze, and most of the time she didn't even bother to look at him.

This behavior stung him.

Xie Lang thought long and hard before coming up with this solution—to reveal the secret to her.

She should know that this was his way out for himself; he even showed it to her. No matter what, they are different.

Unfortunately, Liu Qingqing failed to grasp his deeper meaning and accidentally discovered that her biological mother was still alive and well.

So that's how it is.

Xie Lang didn't know what he was feeling. Shock, fear, annoyance, and regret were all mixed together, creating a bitter and unbearable emotion.

He looked into her wide, astonished eyes, and his heart clenched with emotion.

Liu Qingqing was taken aback, and opened her mouth but didn't know what to say.

I stopped believing him a long time ago, so how could I possibly think of him in a positive light?

They've gone completely astray without even realizing it!

Liu Qingqing: "...Who told you to be so stubborn back then?"

Why should she be in your heart?

She'd already said all that, so who could possibly think the best of her?

No sooner had she finished speaking than his chest heaved and his eyes became even redder. She quickly patted his back and changed the subject.

He's completely different from her in the past now; he can't stand hearing even the slightest bad word about her.

The atmosphere in the main room was rather heavy; such a joyous occasion should not be like this. Seeing his self-reproach, Liu Qingqing changed the subject.

"Why didn't you tell me that we consummated our marriage twice in one month back then because of the drug that Xiao Ying gave me?"

Upon hearing this, Xie Lang paused, his thoughts drifting back to the past. What had he been thinking back then?

"Women are sensitive, and I imagine you would be unhappy if you knew."

Because of a sore throat, it was difficult for me to speak a single sentence.

"So you don't usually show your face, and you won't let me touch you?"

Liu Qingqing sighed, "At that time, I thought my husband was unhappy, and I felt very reluctant."

She thought Xie Lang would rush to defend himself, but her words made him blush.

Liu Qingqing: ?

His face looked suspicious; why was his face suddenly so red? It was strange.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

As if he had discovered some secret, he kept pressing for details, "Tell me quickly."

Xie Lang stammered, the usually shrewd and decisive Lord Xie was surprisingly hesitant.

"Why is that?!" Liu Qingqing was furious.

A flush of redness spread from behind the ears to the back of the neck, then flowed directly into the robe.

"My love, do you remember before we consummated our marriage, when I was still recovering from my injuries, one day you fell asleep beside my bed, and when you woke up, you were holding..."

Because of a sore throat, Xie Lang spoke these words very slowly.

As he described it, deeply buried memories surfaced: the day she woke up, she found herself holding...

In an instant, her face turned as red as burning charcoal. She held her face in her hands; it was burning hot!

“Those days of yours, every single day was like that.”

Although Xie Lang's face was flushed red, his gaze towards her was particularly meaningful. "I quite like it."

He paused slightly, his voice lowered, and his dark phoenix eyes were fixed on her. "It keeps me up at night... I can't bear it anymore. Because the divine physician instructed me to avoid interfering with the interpretation, I have to stay away."

Liu Qingqing: "..."

In an instant, Liu Qingqing's fair face turned completely red.

These days I seem to be getting more and more senile!

She desperately wanted Xie Lang to be distorting the truth! But his eyes were clear and open, leaving her speechless with emotion!

The lingering sadness was dispelled by the couple.

He took her hand and led her toward the clean room.

It seemed that many misunderstandings separated them, and day after day, little by little, they grew further and further apart.

Xie Lang disliked this feeling and wanted to talk to her about it.

He had enjoyed her time at Jialan Garden; he wasn't as indifferent and heartless as she had imagined.

"Do you remember that you went to take a bath one day and forgot to bring your clothes?"

Seeing her blank expression, Xie Lang reminded her at the right moment, "The day before we consummate our marriage."

Liu Qingqing nodded. "I remember now."

He led her to the wardrobe and opened it amidst her puzzled gaze.

"When I got you your clothes that day, I accidentally brought out the books you had hidden."

Liu Qingqing: ?

Xie Lang smiled and reminded her, "You rolled it up in your ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) and tucked it under the laurel branch."

Liu Qingqing!

He discovered it then!

This person is fine when he doesn't speak, but once he opens his mouth, he seems determined to shock everyone.

She quickly stepped forward and covered his lips, which were about to open again, looking thoughtful. "Don't say anything more."

Who knows what other shocking things he might say? She has her pride too!

"I understand, I understand. You may have been stubborn and wouldn't say anything in the past, but you had a very rich inner world."

Seeing her anger, Xie Lang, being very good-natured, said, "Then I won't say anything more."

He summoned servants to carry water to the washroom.

The sound of rushing water came from the other end. Xie Lang told her to go play and took out her luggage to pack it up.

Liu Qingqing then saw him lay out her clothes one by one, fold them neatly, and put them into the cabinet.

A short while later, a servant reported that everything was fine.

Xie Lang put down what he was doing and came over to take her hand.

"What for?" she asked.

Xie Lang smiled faintly, "If Qingqing won't let me say it, then I'll do it."

"What for?" she asked again.

Xie Lang turned to look at her, "Qingqing."

Liu Qingqing: ?

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Author's Note: Next Chapter Preview:

"Does my wife cherish me?"

"So what if I cherish you? So what if I don't? This is in a carriage!"