Wei Li should have been furious upon hearing those words, and should have gone in and beaten Xie Qingyu, but he simply walked steadily back to his own courtyard. He inexplicably didn't want to face the two of them, didn't want to see their coordinated actions, glances, and conversation.

When the guards saw him return, their scalps tingled. Wei Li waved his hand, telling them to be quiet, and then, with a cold face, walked through the pavilion in the courtyard back to his house.

He knew Zhao Xiheng didn't like him; after all, he'd stolen her. Zhao Xiheng preferred pretty boys like Xie Qingyu, and perhaps also those who could write sentimental pieces like her father. He had considered that Xie Qingyu's arrival might make Zhao Xiheng want to escape, but Zhao Xiheng was now saying she wouldn't leave.

That's great. Now that his wife has run away, he doesn't need to care about his reputation anymore. Whether it's through coercion or bribery, Zhao Xiheng has something she cares about, and she'll never be able to escape it in this lifetime.

As Wei Li pondered, she suddenly felt a little tired, so she leaned against the window and buried her head in her arms.

After listening to Zhao Xiheng's words, Xie Qingyu was slightly lost in thought, but after a moment of hesitation, she reached out and poured her a cup of tea, saying, "I'm sorry."

His eyes were a little red.

"I'm sorry, I failed in my duty as a fiancé to protect you at the time. It's too late to say these things now, and it makes me seem useless. Wei Li is right, I couldn't stand up for you back then..."

Zhao Xiheng didn't refute him, but just took a sip of tea. "It's alright. If my father and mother were still here, their place in my heart would be unparalleled. Your father and mother only have you as their son, so please act prudently to put their minds at ease."

I did not object to the marriage alliance that day, although I despise using it to exchange for peace. However, I have no talent for governing a country, nor can I lead troops into battle, so a marriage alliance was the only thing I could do.

She suddenly smiled and said, "If I were to criticize my uncle for being incompetent while hiding in the background and enjoying peace, it just wouldn't feel right. After all, I've been fed and clothed by the people all my life. Now that I think about it, I did my best back then. It's just fate, so there's nothing to regret or blame myself for. I can eat and sleep in peace."

Xie Qingyu felt bad upon hearing this, but she also admired Zhao Xiheng's magnanimity.

He took a box the size of a skull and presented it to Zhao Xiheng.

When Zhao Xiheng opened them, she found some silver notes and land deeds, all for farmland and shops located in Pingzhou.

“A-Dan, if you’re not leaving, then accept this.” He interrupted Zhao Xiheng’s refusal. “Having more money gives you more confidence. A daughter should always have more money in her husband’s family.”

The Xie family hasn't been doing particularly well these past few years, but Zhao Xiheng still pushed these things back, saying, "Wei Li is rich."

“He’s his, and you are yours.” Xie Qingyu said this with some urgency. “Keep these things to yourself. To put it bluntly, most men in the world are the same. When they love you, they’ll give you their heart and soul, but when they don’t, they’ll discard you like trash. Even if he loves you now, you still need to plan for yourself. Over the years, I’ve seen too many loving couples turn against each other. Don’t blame me for not being able to help but imagine the worst.”

"If you don't accept it, I will never have peace of mind for the rest of my life. We are not destined to be husband and wife in this life, but I hope you will give me a chance to send my sister off to her wedding like an older brother."

Zhao Xiheng sighed slightly, feeling that Xie Qingyu now resembled an old father.

But, “Brother Songjie, you’re saying Wei Li loves me? Don’t joke around.”

"You're so wonderful, who could bear not to love you?" Xie Qingyu gazed at her, but did not give a direct answer.

Zhao Xiheng touched the warm teacup and thought to herself, if Wei Li's words were even a little bit as sweet as Xie Qingyu's, she wouldn't have to be angry with him every day.

"If you ever have a bad day in the future and regret it, just have someone write to me. Only treat him well if he treats you well, understand? Don't suffer losses."

The more Xie Qingyu instructed, the more Zhao Xiheng felt he was like a father seeing his daughter off at her wedding.

"Well, then you should find a virtuous and lovely woman to marry as soon as possible." Zhao Xiheng felt that Xie Qingyu should only feel guilty towards her, after all, the two had not seen each other for seven years, and it would be too far-fetched to say that they were deeply in love.

She was also worried that Xie Qingyu was too stubborn and that his guilt might delay his marriage.

Xie Qingyu pulled her sleeves tighter, lowered her head slightly, and her eyelashes were damp.

No matter how old Ah-dan gets, she will always be the best girl. He has wronged such a wonderful Ah-dan.

When Zhao Xiheng returned, the guards at the gate looked at her with an inscrutable gaze, as if their faces were saying "May you have good luck."

She guessed that Wei Li had returned, but it was strange that Wei Li didn't go straight to Xie Qingyu after not seeing her.

Wei Li had already fallen asleep by the window, his black hair tied high behind his head. His hair was thick and black, and Zhao Xiheng always liked to curse him to go bald when she was angry. His arms were wrapped around his face, half of his face was hidden, and the other half was exposed. Because of the compression, his face looked a little chubby, which was unusual for him. He looked incredibly well-behaved.

Zhao Xiheng was surprised to find that Wei Li, when asleep, was as cute as a sleeping dog egg, and wanted to pinch him.

But she simply put the box away gently, then carefully approached him, closed the window, and touched his forehead, which was a little cool from the wind.

Even in May, the evening breeze wasn't warm, so he didn't get a headache sleeping by the window.

Wei Li woke up the moment Zhao Xiheng entered, the soft touch making his eyelashes tremble involuntarily.

"Awake?" Zhao Xiheng lowered her head to examine him closely, then spoke softly.

Wei Li opened his eyes and waved her hand away.

"You hit someone yesterday?" Zhao Xiheng asked.

"You can't hit him? You'd feel bad if you hit him?"

He had just woken up, but he was already quite irritable.

"Am I saying that if you dare to step out of this courtyard, I'll break your legs? Not only did you go out, but you also went to see that pretty boy. Am I going to break both of your legs?" Wei Li pinched her chin, his already dark eyes clouding over.

Oh, Zhao Xiheng remembered.

What a blunder! She should have gone out openly and honestly in front of Wei Li.

She wrapped her arms around Wei Li's neck, leaned against his lap, and kissed his chin. "Don't be angry."

They'll do it again next time.

Wei Li felt a tingling sensation all over his body from her kiss, and his tailbone felt completely numb.

He looked kind of funny when he was in a daze, so Zhao Xiheng kissed his cheek again.

Wei Li picked her up and threw her onto the newly bought bed. Anyway, he was awake and not sleepy at all.

The filter of Wei Li's well-behaved and adorable appearance while he was sleeping was still there. Zhao Xiheng liked him very much now. She hooked her arms around his neck and snuggled up to him, gently whispering in Wei Li's ear, "Be gentle when you break his legs."

Wei Li ignored her and bit her with a cold face. He was not gentle at all; this time, it was as if he wanted to eat her alive, and he was even more ferocious than the first time.

This time, Zhao Xiheng couldn't hold back and blurted out some broken words, begging him to be gentler. But this only provoked him more, and he became even more violent.

As expected of someone who has read all thirteen books, this time there were some new tricks compared to last time, except that my back hurts, my legs are about to cramp, and my knees are all bruised.

Wei Li is a dog! Anyone who kisses him again is a dog, Zhao Xiheng cursed inwardly.

Wei Li didn't pursue the matter of her going to talk to Xie Qingyu any further, and in the end, he didn't even ask about it. It was as if the matter had just passed.

Zhao Xiheng, however, always felt something was off. When Wei Li questioned her in a particularly angry manner, she found it normal, but when he was so quiet and didn't make a fuss, she found it strange.

As it turned out, her intuition was correct. Ever since she came back that day, Wei Li had barely spoken to her, not even giving her a kind look, and he wouldn't even argue with her. Unless she took the initiative, he wouldn't even hug her now.

This was quite leisurely, but she felt inexplicably empty inside, and even thought that the old Wei Li was more interesting.

Zhao Xiheng looked down at herself. Was it that she was no longer pretty?

This is an utter disgrace!

Wei Li has been forcing himself to calm down these past few days. According to Xie Qingyu, he likes Zhao Xiheng to the point of love.

When Zhao Xiheng spoke to him, he wanted to respond to her as he always had, and then, seeing her pouting, he would go and buy her candied hawthorns. But he couldn't do that; it would only make him fall deeper into her trap. The more he talked to her, the more he would care about her.

He thought it would be better if Zhao Xiheng were dead, or if she weren't so beautiful; he certainly wouldn't like her.

Or perhaps he had the courage to rush in when Zhao Xiheng and Xie Qingyu were talking that day. That would prove that he didn't like Zhao Xiheng as Xie Qingyu claimed, so he wasn't afraid to see Zhao Xiheng and Xie Qingyu liking each other.

That way, I can feel at ease interacting with her as before.

Wei Li freed himself from the conflict between liking and disliking Zhao Xiheng, but fell into a new dilemma: what if he didn't like Zhao Xiheng?

Looking at Zhao Xiheng sleeping soundly in the night, he kept tightening his fingers around her neck.

Zhao Xiheng will die, she will become cold and indifferent, unable to cry or laugh, but Wei Li will still be the same Wei Li as before, and no one can make him weak.

The thought in his mind urged him to tighten his fingers. Yes, he would strangle her like this; she couldn't resist him.

But his body wouldn't obey him; his fingers remained stiffly pressed against her neck, not daring to move at all.

He's finished. Wei Li leaned against the wall, large drops of cold sweat dripping from his forehead. He kept repeating those words.

He couldn't bring himself to harm Zhao Xiheng.

It's really not a big deal, is it? Zhao Xiheng isn't going anywhere. She's so obedient and gentle, she'll stay by your side forever. If you like her, you like her. At worst, you can keep a close eye on her and take her everywhere you go. It won't have any impact.

No, the moment you think that way, you've already been controlled by Zhao Xiheng. She's shaken your mind, she's seized your thoughts, she must die.

Wei Li felt as if he had been split in two, swaying back and forth, unable to sleep night after night.

He had always been in good health and hadn't been sick for several years, but this time he had an unusually high fever that lasted all night and wouldn't go down.