Chapter 27 I am my brother. Tonight might be her last with him...

Thank you twice in one summer

The dark prison was extremely oppressive. Xie Conglin had not eaten or drunk anything for days and had long since fainted from fright.

Xie Dang exuded a powerful aura, with bulging veins on his body.

Xia Rushi laughed upon seeing this, "What is Your Excellency doing? Could it be that you were locked in a room with someone for a long time back then?"

He was mercilessly mocked: "You did these things yourself, so who are you showing them to now?"

If Xie Dang had not been pitied, accepted, and lived with Lin Shi day and night as husband and wife, even if Lin Shi had grown wings, she would not have been able to scheme against Xie Dang.

Who is Xie Dang? How could he be so easily schemed against?

Wasn't it he who spat on someone first?

Xia Rushi did not resent Lin Shi for this; she knew perfectly well that the problem lay with Xie Dang.

She dealt with Lin this time because Lin dared to try and touch Wanyan and Lang'er's things just because she had a child. Lin was dreaming! She even wanted to kill her!

If it were only because of the matter of □□zi, Xia Rushi would not pay attention to Lin Shi.

Xie Dang kicked the cell door open.

His usually refined face was now flushed red with anger!

Lin crawled to Xie Dang's feet in a disheveled state, clutching his black boots. "My lord, please do justice for me! My wife fed me and my child poison. Without the antidote, we won't live for more than a few days! My lord, that's your own child!"

Xie Dang's chest heaved, and his brow twitched.

"My lord, think back to those days, where we were..."

Xie Dang suddenly kicked Lin away.

The kick was delivered with all its might, and Lin Shi slammed into the wall before finally stopping. Lin Shi was extremely frail; she clutched her chest, groaned, and vomited a mouthful of blood. She looked up at Xie Dang in disbelief, her watery eyes instantly welling with tears.

Xie Dang looked away expressionlessly, his eyes filled with sorrow when he looked at Xia Rushi.

Xie Pan, who had been standing guard beside Xia Rushi, stepped forward, subtly blocking Xie Dang's burning gaze.

Xie Dang glanced at Xie Pan and said to himself, "Back then... I had my own selfish reasons for keeping this child. Jia'er, you know that you were poisoned when you were pregnant with Lang'er. I was afraid that what happened to Father would happen again, and that the clan would force you. So I thought that if I really kept a son, I would also leave you a way out."

How grand and impressive!

"Then why did Mother keep it too?"

Xie Dang's eyes were vacant and blank. "The child is young and needs someone to take care of him. I don't want to bring him back to the manor and bother you. If Lang'er is alright, this child will definitely not cause trouble for you."

Xia Ru found it amusing, "Then what do I know?"

Xie Dang pursed his lips, "I must have been blind. I never imagined this person could be so magnanimous."

Enraged, his whole body trembled with fury. "How dare you scheme against me like this, and even lay a hand on me!"

When in his life had Xie Dang ever been schemed against like this? Especially by a weak woman whom he had never even considered a threat!

He thought he had done a good deed and fulfilled his brotherly duty, but later, out of consideration for their past relationship, he felt reluctant to do anything about it. In the end, he had raised a poisonous snake that bit him!

"You were someone I genuinely cared for back then, so I won't interfere in your affairs."

Xia Rushi placed the white porcelain bottle in front of Xie Dang, saying, "This is the antidote."

After saying that, he got up. The antidote was right there, but there was only one bottle. It was up to them to decide what to do.

I felt utterly disgusted and wanted to get far away from this filthy, stinking prison.

The Marquis blocked the exit, looking like he was about to kill someone. Aunt Ruojia definitely wouldn't be able to leave that way.

Wei Mingzhao quickly gave his trusted aide a meaningful look.

The trusted aide quietly led Xia Rushi to the back door and saw Aunt Jia off. Xie Pan also left without anyone noticing.

Xie Dang was boiling with overwhelming anger and hatred, and he stared intently at Lin Shi.

On Lin's fair and delicate face, blood and ash mingled, and her frail eyes gazed at him expectantly as always.

To Lin's surprise, Xie Dang ignored the love and hate between them and asked about something else, spitting out each word as if from between his teeth, "Where did you find this assassin who dared to lay a hand on Jia'er?"

Lin was shocked, never expecting things to turn out this way.

Xie Dang had calmed down by now and glanced at the various instruments of torture in the cell.

"Tie people up to a rack."

Xie Dang showed no mercy.

"My lord! My lord!!!"

Lin was incredulous, her former frail demeanor vanished, and she managed to utter a cry with the last of her strength.

Xie Dang was not a soft-hearted person. Having led troops in battle for many years, he hated being schemed against.

Not to mention that it was a scheme that drove him and Jia'er apart.

Xie Dang was so angry he wanted to grind his teeth, but finally realized something was wrong. "I've sent people to investigate. Let's see if you survive until the day the truth is found out, or if you die from the poison first."

Lin was utterly astonished, never expecting Xie Dang to turn on her so ruthlessly!

Although he wasn't usually very warm towards her, he had been putting up with her all along!

Before they knew it, they were already tied to a tall wooden frame.

She had no strength left; she slumped down like a kite without a frame, her arms aching so badly they didn't even feel like her own.

"My lord, my lord..."

She called out to the tall, aloof man with longing, but only received a cold, disgusted glance in return.

Lin choked up, then suddenly humbled herself, "My lord, it was all my scheme. I will accept whatever punishment you give me. But Cong Lin knows nothing. My lord... Cong Lin is the most sensible. If I die, I die. Please give Cong Lin the antidote first, okay?"

Lin was extremely flexible and adaptable; in a short while, she spoke softly and gently to Xie Dang.

Xie Dang, however, was staring blankly at the chair that Xia Rushi had just sat on.

Her sarcasm, disgust, and revulsion flashed before his eyes. It was like a sharp knife stabbing into his chest, then spinning around, causing him to tremble with pain.

She would never forgive herself, he thought.

Over the years, time has softened Jia'er, but in reality, she is extremely stubborn and cannot tolerate any flaws.

Looking at the empty chair, he suddenly came to his senses. Where did Jia'er go?

He searched frantically in the dark dungeon, but there was no sign of Jia'er.

When did she leave?

Which way did you go?

She was like a gentle breeze, sparingly brushing across his palm before quietly leaving.

After searching around, Xie Dang finally discovered that not only Jia'er had left, but Xie Pan had also disappeared without a trace.

He looked at Wei Mingzhao, who had been waiting quietly to the side, but Wei Mingzhao turned his face away and looked around, refusing to look at him.

Lin saw Xie Dang's flustered state and was incredulous and heartbroken.

The pain in her heart was far greater than the physical pain, and tears streamed down her face.

She couldn't believe that her life's planning had come to this. Xia Rushi was already estranged from the Marquis. Where exactly did she go wrong?

"Tie up the people on the ground as well."

Xie Dang gave Wei Mingzhao a deep look, then hurriedly chased after Xia Rushi in the direction she had left.

Xia Ru, who was being talked about, sneezed. Xie Pan, who had been silently standing beside her, quickly took off his cloak to wrap it around her.

Xia Rushi quickly pushed his hand away. She was wearing a white fur coat, and then wrapped in a dark black cloak, making her look like a black bear.

Xie Pan carefully observed her complexion and managed to stammer out, "I'm afraid you'll catch a cold."

"You're already sweating, why would you want to catch a cold?"

Xia Rushi glared at him reproachfully.

That one glance eased Xie Pan's burning anxiety slightly, but only slightly.

He understood today that his brother had been framed.

Despite physical intimacy, they didn't go all the way.

Even if he hadn't done it, he'd heard plenty of that nonsense in the military camp, so he knew about it.

Will she forgive her brother?

After all, they still have two children, and judging from his appearance just now, his brother doesn't have that woman in his heart.

Although he had been distracted, the woman was right. In the capital, which aristocratic family didn't have a concubine or maid? A head of a family like his brother was already quite remarkable.

Can……

In the end, they still had physical intimacy.

Two conflicting thoughts kept tugging at my mind, and my heart was pounding.

Tonight might be her last night with him.

When dawn broke, he would have no reason to keep her by his side.

The moment this thought crossed Xie Pan's mind, he felt as if he were soaking in acidic water, the sourness making his eyes sting and making him want to cry.

He endured it with great difficulty.

He followed Xia Rushi wherever she went.

It snowed tonight too, and soon both of them were covered in a layer of snow.

Xie Pan saw this and thought bitterly, "Can they be considered to have grown old together?"

He comforted her, saying that even if she returned to the main courtyard of the Marquis's mansion, wouldn't she still be separated from him by only a wall?

You can still see them during holidays and festivals.

From then on, he continued to watch over her just like before.

This period of more than a year, almost two years, is enough for him to reminisce about for the rest of his life.

Xia Rushi had no idea that Xie Pan was thinking so much. When they were almost at the back alley of the Marquis's mansion, she glanced at Xie Pan and saw that he looked like a wolfhound abandoned by its master, with watery eyes, looking extremely pitiful.

What's wrong?

She looked over suspiciously, but Xie Pan didn't even realize what was happening.

She nudged him with her elbow, and Xie Pan suddenly snapped out of his daze.

"Take me inside quickly."

Xie Pan then realized that they had somehow ended up in the back alley of the Marquis's mansion.

Just as he had expected, she returned to the Marquis's residence. She had dealt with everyone who needed to be dealt with. Would she be going back to the main courtyard soon?

Xie Pan's throat was dry and his mouth tasted bitter.

But as she said, he still put his arm around her waist, jumped over the high wall, and entered the mansion.

I stepped on a pebble when I landed and stumbled.

Xie Pan quickly hugged Xia Rushi tightly, afraid that she would fall.

Now she was held tightly, her soft breasts pressed against her firm chest.

Both of them froze, staring at each other without moving for a moment.

"cough."

A soft cough suddenly brought the two back to their senses.

The two turned around together and saw Xie Lang standing there in the snow, dressed in white. He looked very pale, probably because he had been freezing for a long time.

"Mother, Second Uncle,"

Xie Lang greeted the two politely, but his next words were incomprehensible: "It's freezing outside, let's go back inside and light a charcoal fire before we hug again."

Upon hearing this, not only Xie Pan, but Xia Ru Shi also blushed deeply!

Xia Ru glanced quickly at Xie Pan, then glared at Xie Lang, "What nonsense are you spouting!"

Xie Lang lowered his eyes, the shadows under his eyelashes unable to conceal the gloom in them, "It's better than regretting it later."

The melancholy in those words saddened both of them.

They all knew that Xie Lang had become a different person ever since Qingqing's fate became unknown.

Xia Ru wanted to persuade her, but how could she do so?

He opened his mouth, then closed it again.

Xie Lang didn't look up, but seemed to know what was going on. "You two should go back and rest. I'll go back after I get some fresh air."

Seeing that he was telling them to leave, the two exchanged a glance and had no choice but to go.

Now that things have come to this, it's futile for anyone else to say anything.

This walk leads to the entrance of Tingzhuxuan, and just a hundred meters further ahead is the gate of the main courtyard of the Marquis's residence.

Xie Pan stood at the entrance of Tingzhu Pavilion, his eyes sweeping across the main courtyard before he stared longingly at Xia Rushi.

It said nothing, yet it seemed to have a thousand words to say, like begging its owner not to abandon its wolfhound.

Xia Rushi found it amusing, glanced at him, and pushed him away.

Sure enough, I saw the shattering in his eyes, and his eyes immediately reddened, as if he was about to cry at any moment.

Before he could have his outburst, Xia Ru quickly pushed open the door of Tingzhuxuan, leaving him behind, and went inside on her own.

Xie Pan's eyes widened, looking rather comical. He paused, his mind reeling, and chased after them, feeling dizzy and disoriented.

At that moment, Xie Lang, who was getting soaked in the snow, heard a soft sound behind him.

Turning around, I saw my father leap over the high wall, glaring menacingly around.

When she looked at Xie Lang, she seemed surprised and guilty, and looked away first.

Then, remembering the important matter at hand, he hurriedly asked, "Lang'er, did you see anyone just now?"

-----------------------

Author's Note: Next Chapter Preview:

The lamplight cast two blurry figures onto the pristine white window paper.

He would recognize that person even if he were reduced to ashes!