Chapter 93

◎“Didn’t you refuse to speak to me? What’s going on?”◎

Chapter Ninety-Three

Once you get the first sentence out, the rest won't be difficult.

"I feel...good as it is now."

Hearing that the young lady seemed unsure of what to do, the group stopped asking.

Let's just stop mentioning it; as long as Miss Positive and Miss Negative are happy, that's the real priority.

They follow the young lady wherever she goes.

Liu Qingqing suddenly remembered something and asked Zhao Pansheng, "Have you found my sister?"

Zhao Pansheng's eyes sparkled. "We found her. My sister is doing well."

"That's good."

-

After Granny Li and the other two arrived, the clinic became extremely lively.

Overwhelmed with joy at the reunion, Liu Qingqing paid no heed to Xie Lang.

She took them to stroll through the streets of Yingcheng, to see the rural market, and also to see medicinal herb fields similar to those in the outskirts of Beijing.

She shared her experiences and observations with them, and they listened with great interest. Li Mama's eyes even reddened.

Only Heaven knows how difficult her days have been since her mistress's fate became unknown. Before her mistress passed away, she only entrusted her with one thing: to take good care of the young mistress.

She hasn't done well enough. Given time, how will she have the face to go to the underworld to see her mistress?

One day, Granny Li unexpectedly bumped into an old friend, and she was shocked.

Led by the maid to a quiet courtyard, Li Mama listened to her mistress recount the previous encounter and what happened afterward, and she was stunned.

Realizing what was happening, he didn't hold back and gave Ying Yi a thorough dressing-down.

She's lived a long and fulfilling life. Even if you give her a pot of poisoned wine later, she'll still have had her fill of good food and drink!

But it made the young lady cry.

Ying Yi covered her face with a handkerchief, and tears fell.

Granny Li sighed. She knew Qingqing's nature; she was kind but held grudges. Mother and daughter were growing apart.

They resent Liu Xu and Xiao Ying Shi, and in doing so, they try to escape their tragic past.

How pitiful Miss Qingqing is!

Fortunately, Lord Xie was searching for Miss Qingqing as if possessed, otherwise she would not know how sad Miss Qingqing would be.

Liu Qingqing was unaware that Granny Li had already met her mother.

Even if I knew, it wouldn't matter.

She was preoccupied with something else—Xie Lang had been acting strangely lately.

These past few days, Xie Lang has been leaving early and returning late, coming home every night because she would wake up every night from his hot embrace.

He was holding me way too tightly...

In her half-awake state, she could feel him gently kissing her neck and shoulders.

I felt extremely sorry for her, as if she were a piece of tofu that would crumble at the slightest touch.

But every morning when she woke up, his place was already empty.

At first, Liu Qingqing thought he was busy, but later she realized something was off—this person seemed to be acting strangely.

But to say they were having a disagreement doesn't quite seem right; he was so clingy every night, he practically wanted to become a leech and stick to her back.

But why this sudden change? How would she know if he didn't tell her?

It reminded her of the unpleasant memory of him suddenly becoming cold and distant from her when they were still in the Marquis's mansion.

After a few back and forth, Liu Qingqing got angry. Couldn't they just talk things out? He could do whatever he wanted!

She's ignoring him now.

That's what I thought, but I was also worried about the injuries on his body and the large bruises on his back.

This state of being neither here nor there suddenly gave rise to genuine energy.

When Liu Qingqing returned to the clinic that day, she saw Lin Mei winking at her and assumed that Xie Lang had returned early. She frowned.

As soon as she stepped through the second gate, she vaguely saw a slender figure in the open bedroom door. She paused for a moment, then quickly walked over.

The hurried footsteps made the beautiful figure in the room turn around.

Liu Qingqing recognized the face and was overjoyed: "Sister!"

It was Xie Wanyan!

Xie Wanyan looked her up and down, relieved to see she was alright, but her eyes welled up with tears. Just as she reached her, Xie Wanyan slapped her shoulder without hesitation, "You ran off somewhere far away, making us search for you for ages!"

Liu Qingqing hesitated, unsure of what to say.

Regardless of her past relationship with Xie Lang, Aunt Jia and Xie Wanyan were genuinely good to her.

Why didn't you use the token we gave you?

Xie Wanyan looked around. "You're staying here?"

Liu Qingqing glanced at her but didn't dare to answer.

"Afraid Xie Lang will find out? Why would I tell him when I learned of your news? You don't trust me at all."

Xie Wanyan glared at her with exasperation, then took her hand. "Come on, treat me to a meal. I just arrived and I'm starving."

Liu Qingqing quickly agreed.

Liu Qingqing quickly took her to a well-known restaurant in Yingcheng.

When the innkeeper saw that it was Liu Qingqing, he quickly went to call the owner, who was relaxing in the backyard. The owner warmly welcomed her and personally escorted Liu Qingqing to the best private room.

The common people are dull-witted, while those who engage in business are the most resourceful.

They all knew that they had only survived this time because of Miss Liu's influence.

Everyone knows that Lord Xie treats his wife like a precious gem, afraid of dropping her if he holds her in his hands and afraid of her melting if he keeps her in his mouth.

The two arrived at the restaurant.

How coincidental! The restaurant also contains the characters "嘉兰" (Jia Lan).

"I've heard that this property belongs to the Regent's Palace."

Xie Wanyan said.

Liu Qingqing belatedly realized that Jialan Residence might also be the property of the Princess.

Seeing her expression so calm yet mixed with something indescribable, he asked, "You know everything?"

Xie Wanyan peeked out curiously and asked, while Liu Qingqing nodded with a complicated expression.

Seeing her like this, Xie Wanyan knew what she was thinking, and patted her shoulder, the two movements showing the boldness of a chivalrous person.

"Feeling upset? What's there to be upset about? Anyway, she's the one who wronged you. If she's giving you benefits, just take them. Who doesn't want more money?"

Xie Wanyan's words were full of disrespect, and Liu Qingqing wished she could cover her mouth, but hearing her say that made her feel much better.

The confusion that Liu Qingqing had buried deep in her heart dissipated considerably.

In a daze, I found it to make sense.

"I only found out after you got married."

Xie Wanyan, holding Liu Qingqing's hand, began to talk about the matter, "Initially, it was Xie Lang who secretly investigated, but Wei Mingzhao discovered it. Wei Mingzhao has so many spies and informants, although the previous ones were all cleared out, some clues were still left. That's how the two of them found out."

"I'm not speaking up for Xie Lang; I only found out about this myself."

Xie Wanyan's face was full of complicated emotions. She pointed to her head and said, "My mother told me a few days ago that Xie Lang... has some mental problems."

Liu Qingqing: "Huh?"

After regaining her composure, Liu Qingqing first asked, "How is Aunt Jia now?"

Xie Wanyan's expression became even more complicated upon hearing this, her delicate features almost scrunching together. "...I don't know how to explain it. You'll find out when you get back."

She really didn't know how to describe the strange situation in the capital.

"How is Aunt Jia?"

Xie Wanyan nodded: "Mother is very good!"

The bad thing is what others do.

"That's good."

Relieved, Liu Qingqing then asked the question from earlier, "What's wrong with Xie Lang's mind?"

Xie Wanyan sized up Qingqing, and hearing her address Xie Lang by his name so naturally, he couldn't help but give his younger brother a thumbs up in his heart. This girl wasn't just sitting around doing nothing; she had some skills too. It seemed the two were much closer now than they had been in the capital.

The original "intimacy" was nothing more than flowers blooming in the water.

"When my mother was pregnant with Xie Lang, the Marquis's mansion had not yet been established. My grandfather and father were both on the frontier, so someone secretly poisoned my mother when she was about to give birth. After my mother discovered this, she immediately decided to induce labor, but some of the poison remained. The doctor examined her and said that most of it would be fine, but she might be a little dazed in some things."

Xie Wanyan looked disgusted. "He seemed clever when he was young, and my mother said she misdiagnosed him because he was a doctor. But when he grew up, it became clear that he was a bit slow, which caused him to stumble twice."

"Two big tumbles?"

"Yes, he and Wei Mingzhao used to be very close."

"Then why did you become rusty later?"

"...When the Wei family was raided and exiled, Xie Lang learned by chance that my father had secretly vouched for him. So the higher-ups turned a blind eye when they couldn't find Wei Mingzhao, and Xie Lang tied Wei Mingzhao up and hid him."

"This is a good thing," Liu Qingqing said, puzzled.

"That's how it seemed at the time,"

Xie Wanyan sighed, "But later, Wei Mingzhao's mother and the women in her family couldn't bear the long journey and died on the way. Wei Mingzhao missed seeing his mother one last time..."

"ah……"

Liu Qingqing remained silent.

How can anyone clearly distinguish right from wrong in this matter?

"See? Xie Lang is like that. He's like he's missing a screw in his head. He's too rational and doesn't understand the value of love, so he makes mistakes."

Xie Wanyan had said all she needed to say, so she waved her hand and said, "Let's not talk about these unhappy things anymore. We haven't seen each other in a long time, let's have some drinks to celebrate!"

"Waiter! Bring the wine!"

The wine in Yingcheng is mild, and there is also a sweet wine made with various flowers.

Liu Qingqing didn't take it seriously and drank some wine.

But she had something on her mind, and unexpectedly, she drank too much.

After a long while, it was unclear how much the two of them had drunk.

Xie Wanyan leaned out the window and tried calling out, "Is anyone home? Your wife has had too much to drink."

Sure enough, a figure flashed across the rooftop the next moment and clung to the eaves, saying, "Greetings, Miss."

Xie Wanyan: "..."

Xie Lang is truly a scoundrel.

"Take us back to the inn."

Xie Liu: "...Aren't you going back to the clinic?"

Xie Wanyan glared at him, and Xie Liu quickly apologized.

Granny Li and the others also came, but they listened to the storytelling downstairs.

Xie Liu leaped down from the roof and entered the restaurant through the main entrance, calling for Qingju's help. Qingju glanced at Xie Liu in surprise, then followed him upstairs.

Xie Wanyan's inn was not far from the restaurant.

A gentle breeze drifted in through the gap in the curtains of the carriage, caressing her face. Liu Qingqing, half-asleep, felt as if floating on clouds, utterly comfortable. She lifted the curtain to look outside, her voice tinged with doubt, "Hmm? Isn't Sister going to see Brother-in-law?"

Xie Wanyan froze: "I'm not going."

Liu Qingqing blinked.

Xie Wanyan lowered her eyes: "The Wei family elders want to arrange a concubine for him."

Liu Qingqing was taken aback, but then she remembered Wei Mingzhao's clingy nature, frowned and shook her head, "Brother-in-law probably wouldn't."

Xie Wanyan sighed, "Not today, not tomorrow. He respects that elder very much, and he will be persuaded one day."

Xie Wanyan shook her head: "Let's not talk about this anymore. I came to find you today, let's go find him tomorrow."

"When I return to the capital in a few days, would you like to come along?" Xie Wanyan asked.

After a long silence, Liu Qingqing said softly, "I don't want to go back for now."

Xie Wanyan paused for a moment before asking, "Does Xie Lang know?"

Liu Qingqing shook her head.

Xie Wanyan rested her chin on her hand, gazing out the window in a daze, lost in thought.

Liu Qingqing also felt a pang of regret. Xie Lang was bound to return to the capital, and if she didn't, they might not be able to have a good time for more than a few days.

The bonds between people can be incredibly deep.

It's shallower than a silk thread.

They arrived at the inn shortly afterward.

This inn is the best in Yingcheng. Unlike traditional superior rooms, this one also has a private courtyard.

Xie Wanyan lived in a detached house.

Pushing open the door, you find a space even larger than the backyard of the clinic, with several charming and elegant small rooms.

By this time, Xie Wanyan had sobered up considerably and had someone escort Liu Qingqing to the room next to hers.

He lay loosely on the bed, lost in thought. He remembered that Wei Mingzhao wanted to take a concubine, and the clan elder said that he had already discussed it with Wei Mingzhao and that Wei Mingzhao had not objected.

The thought of sharing a man with another woman made Xie Wanyan feel nauseous, and she actually started dry heaving while leaning against the bed!

Just then, the half-closed door was pushed open, and a figure rushed in and helped her up.

"What's going on?"

Xie Wanyan froze, then looked up at him and asked, "Why are you here?"

Wei Mingzhao gently stroked her back with his large hand.

His gaze toward her was cold: "Why don't you come looking for me?"

Xie Wanyan: "...Does Xie Lang know that Qingqing is with me?"

Wei Mingzhao's displeasure deepened: "He came with me."

"...Ha, that bastard Xie Lang, he wishes he could tie Qingqing to his body..."

Xie Wanyan spoke ill of him in a low voice, "He's like a pervert. It's only because Qingqing has a good personality that she hasn't fallen out with him."

Wei Mingzhao: "You should think about yourself."

Xie Wanyan asked in confusion, "What's wrong with me?"

Wei Mingzhao: "Remember to keep your voice down. If they hear us, it will only benefit them."

Xie Wanyan cried out in alarm before being swallowed up.

next door.

Liu Qingqing vaguely heard a noise and was about to get up when she saw a tall figure at the door.

The man was backlit, and the evening glow outlined a golden hue around him, making him seem like someone other than an ordinary person.

She closed her eyes and threw herself back onto the bed, only to find that her chest was itchy.

The footsteps stopped beside the bed. The man reached out and tugged at her shoulder, but Liu Qingqing shook her shoulder to stop him from touching her.

"Didn't you refuse to talk to me? What's going on?"

Who doesn't have a temper?

After a long silence, suddenly, the sound of fine fabric falling to the ground was heard.

For some reason, she had a bad feeling and hurriedly turned around, only to see that the door was not completely closed, and he had thrown his outer robe on the ground.

As Liu Qingqing turned around, he had already unbuttoned his inner garment.

She hurriedly tried to get off the bed to close the door, but he forcefully blocked her way with his long legs, preventing her from moving.

What's gotten into you now?

She whispered a rebuke to him, but her words met his silent gaze.

The inner garment fell to the ground.

[Author's Note]

Next chapter preview:

Xie Lang's eyes darkened. "You hit me for him?"