Chapter 29: He developed a possessive desire for another man's wife...

What does that mean? What does it mean that you can't touch Xie Yushu?

Li Huixian didn't understand, but Pei Shilin did. He sneered, "I didn't expect that Prime Minister Song had really taken a liking to Xie Yushu and had developed a possessive desire for someone else's wife. Is Prime Minister Song going to force me to divorce him next?"

He stared at Song Jie and asked maliciously, "I'm curious, just how much does Prime Minister Song like Xie Yushu? Do you think that if I divorce her, Prime Minister Song can still marry her as his wife? Aren't you afraid that the world will laugh at you for picking up a woman I don't want?"

"Shih-Lin!" Li Hui-Xian called out to him immediately in fright.

But it was too late.

Song Jie raised his eyes, and Cang Shu immediately stepped forward, grabbed Pei Shilin's neck, and slapped him hard across the mouth, drawing blood.

“Pei Shilin, angering me will do you no good.” Song Jie looked at him coldly: “If you insist on courting death, I can grant your wish. Anyway, Xie Yushu is better off as a widow than as the wife of a good-for-nothing like you.”

Li Huixian hurriedly pleaded on Pei Shilin's behalf, "Your Excellency, please don't be angry. Shilin will divorce Xie Yushu immediately."

"I will never divorce!" Pei Shilin remained defiant.

Song Jie chuckled and said, "I don't want you to divorce me. You can still be Xie Yushu's husband in name and the son-in-law of the Marquis of Yong'an's mansion. I just want you and your Pei family to treat her well from now on, and not to touch her or care about her."

Pei Shilin understood, and glared at Song Jie in extreme shock and anger: "Prime Minister Song, do you mean I have to accept this cuckoldry? From now on, I can watch my wife meet with you in secret, and I can neither interfere nor complain, and I have to keep your secret?"

Song Jie looked at him with satisfaction: "Now that you understand, don't waste any more time." He was too lazy to waste words: "Either agree, and starting tomorrow you can enter the Hanlin Academy and become a seventh-rank official. Or..." He looked at Li Huixian and said to him: "Old Madam Pei can just wait to collect the corpses of your two sons."

Li Huixian felt as if she had been struck by lightning.

Song Jie had already stood up: "You don't need to answer now. I will come to pick up Xie Yushu tonight. You'll figure it out after a day of thinking about it."

He left right after saying that, as if he were at home.

Pei Shilin was so angry that blood kept flowing from his lips and teeth. He shouted at Song Jie, but his mother covered his mouth.

Li Huixian was truly terrified. With no one to protect the Pei family now, how could they possibly fight against Prime Minister Song?

She pleaded with Pei Shilin on the bed, urging him to swallow his anger, even if it was for the sake of his own career.

Pei Shilin grew increasingly enraged, pushing his mother away and saying, "You can endure anything for your Shibin! And you expect me to endure it too! If it weren't for your repeated persuasion, I wouldn't have given my wife to another man! Now you want me to wear a green hat for the rest of my life?!"

Li Huixian stood there stunned by the shout, tears streaming down her face as she knelt before Pei Shilin: "Shilin, it's all my fault. If I could exchange my life for your career and Shibin's life, I would die immediately... But now we have nowhere to turn... Even if Shibin dies, Prime Minister Song won't let it go. He will ruin your career and destroy the Pei family..."

She continued, "Of course you can go all out and make a scene before the Emperor to seek justice, but Shilin, think about it: we were the ones who personally sent Xie Yushu to the Prime Minister's residence in the first place... If the Marquis of Yong'an's family finds out about this, even if Xie Yushu is an illegitimate daughter, they will fight the Pei family to the bitter end for the sake of their reputation..."

Seeing his mother like this, Pei Shilin felt as if his heart was being torn apart. This grown man collapsed onto the bed and wept bitterly, saying, "It's all my fault... It's all my fault that we've ended up like this!"

His mother was right. He forced his new wife to serve other men, and she brought this situation upon herself.

If this gets out of hand, he'll only become someone the world will laugh at.

Xie Yushu was right, he was a spineless coward who sold his wife for personal gain!

※

"Host, your cuckoldry value has increased by 5 points!" the system exclaimed excitedly, "All from Pei Shilin."

Xie Yushu was surprised. The price had risen so sharply. Had Song Jie gone to provoke Pei Shilin again?

Sure enough, Yin Ya, whom she had sent to eavesdrop, came running back, gesturing wildly as she imitated Song Jie and Pei Shilin's words, perfectly mimicking Pei Shilin crying on the bed: "I'm just a good-for-nothing!"

Everyone in the room was amused.

Granny Xizhi wanted to laugh but was also worried. She kept saying, "Keep your voices down, you girls..." But she felt an inexplicable sense of satisfaction. As she closed the door, she muttered resentfully, "Karma! Serves you right!"

“It’s retribution.” Jin Ye said cheerfully, “Back then, the mother and son transferred us away from Miss’s side to make her isolated and helpless, forcing her to take care of Prime Minister Song. Now they dare not make a big fuss, but they’ve only shot themselves in the foot.”

"Exactly!" Silver Sprout chimed in agreement. "They're crying now? But it's like the knife has cut their own flesh! Too late for regrets!"

Xie Yushu heard the system voice: "Congratulations, host, the main quest for the female supporting character is 12 percent complete."

The rain had stopped and the sky was clear outside the window. Xie Yushu looked at the sunlight peeking through the dark clouds and felt a sense of relief. Yes, he only realized his mistake when the knife was on his own body, but it was too late.

"Miss," Xizhi asked her worriedly, "Do you have any plans for the future? Are you going to divorce and return to the Yong'an Marquis's mansion? Or..." She didn't dare to say that she would marry Song Jie after the divorce, because she felt it was too impossible. She was just worried about Yushu: "I think that Prime Minister Song is more terrifying than the Pei family. What if he really wants to bully you?"

Yinya was quick-witted and bold, and blurted out, "I don't think that Prime Minister Song will live long. Maybe he'll just..."

"Yinya!" Jinye immediately covered her mouth: "You have no self-control! What if Prime Minister Song's men haven't gone far? Wouldn't that harm Miss!"

Yinya also realized that she had spoken out of turn.

Xie Yushu laughed: "Yinya is right. I don't think Song Jie will live long either." She looked at Xiaodao, who was scrubbing the bed board for her, and said: "If he really dares to bully me, I'll have Xiaodao kill him."

Xiao Dao stopped what he was doing, turned around and said to her very seriously, "I will."

Xie Yushu didn't sleep well last night, so he went to the side room for a nap.

When she woke up again, it was already afternoon. The bed where Song Jie had slept had been completely replaced by Xiao Dao. The bedding, sheets, and even the bed curtains had all been taken down and replaced with new ones.

The room was re-scented with incense, and several kinds of fruit with strong fruit flavors were placed in an ice bucket, filling the room with fragrance.

The small kitchen in the courtyard was also renovated and completed. Granny Xizhi, along with Xiaodao, Jinye, and Yinya, were busy setting up the new kitchen. Xie Yushu sat on a recliner under the big tree in the courtyard, satisfied with everything in front of her. It would be even better if this Pei family mansion were also her house.

After noon, the sky became overcast again. Pei Shilin and her son were extremely quiet. They neither came to cause her trouble nor mentioned divorce. Like two turtles hiding in the front yard, they quietly accepted Song Jie's arrangement.

Xie Yushu naturally ignored them. The weather was so hot that she felt uncomfortable. It looked like it was going to rain in the afternoon, and there wasn't a breath of wind.

She hid inside the house next to the ice bucket, not intending to go out.

But a servant at the back gate came to report that Qiao Bao'er's nanny had come to deliver something.

Xie Yushu immediately instructed Jin Ye to invite the person in.

The old woman was reluctant to come in, fearing she would cause trouble for Xie Yushu, and only asked Jin Ye to bring the things in for her. But Jin Ye insisted on pulling her in.

From afar, Xie Yushu could hear Jin Ye saying to the old woman, "From now on, if you have any business, just come to the manor to find Miss. The Pei family will not dare to give you a hard time, much less give Miss a hard time."

The old woman quickly whispered a reminder: "How can you address Madam as Miss? If people hear this, they might say that our Miss Yushu has no manners."

Jin Ye chuckled and said, "It was Miss who told us to call her that. She said that she is the one who sets the rules in her courtyard, so please don't worry about Miss."

The curtain was lifted.

Xie Yushu saw Jin Ye leading a gray-haired old woman in. She remembered that this old woman was the only old woman left by Qiao Bao'er's side. Her name was Mai Dong. She was very honest and a little timid.

Now that she's come in, she sees that her room even has four or five ice buckets to cool off, with huge fruits piled in the ice buckets wafting out their fragrance, and two little maids dressed in gold and silver. Granny Maidong can't help but feel happy for Miss Yushu, but she also gets nervous and is about to bow and pay her respects with timid hands.

Xie Yushu helped her up: "We're all family, so there's no need for you to bow."

Mai Dong hurriedly withdrew his hand and said, "No, this old servant is dirty and might soil your clothes, Madam."

Xie Yushu noticed that she was wearing coarse cloth clothes, her shoes were washed until they were white, and the old silver hairpin in her hair was probably her most valuable possession.

Despite her frugality, Mai Dong placed a heavy package on the table, opened it, and presented it to her like a treasure: "This was given to Aunt Qiao by the Lady of the Yong'an Marquis's Mansion this morning. There is a piece of fine, lustrous satin, and Aunt Qiao said the color suits you... There are also these bird's nests and ginseng, which Aunt Qiao is giving you to nourish your body."

Xie Yushu felt a pang of sadness as she looked at the items. She had plenty of these things, but they were rare and precious possessions for Qiao Bao'er. As soon as she received them, she quickly had her nanny bring them to her: "These are from the Lady of the Marquis. Mother can keep them for herself."

Mai Dong looked at Xie Yushu and did not correct her address. She just said happily, "Yes, yes, Auntie has her own money. The Lady of the Marquis has been very good to you these past two days. Yesterday, when I went to the Marquis's residence to collect your monthly allowance, the Lady of the Marquis gave you an extra ten taels of silver. You can rest assured."

Ten taels of silver.

Looking at Mai Dong's aged face, Xie Yushu felt even more distressed. She understood that Lady Meng Min of Yong'an Marquis had become kinder to Qiao Bao'er because of her "help".

In Meng Min's heart, Qiao Bao'er was, after all, a concubine who came from a servant family. The best she could do was send her some nice things and give her an extra ten taels of silver, which was already considered a good treatment.

She understands everything, but is Qiao Bao'er going to live like this for the rest of her life? Is this what the supporting female character, Yu Shu, wants to see?

No, Qiao Bao'er could have left Xie Zhi'an; she has plenty of money to support Qiao Bao'er.

"I'll keep the things." Xie Yushu didn't refuse Qiao Bao'er's kindness, but said, "I'm going to see my mother anyway, let's go together."

Mai Dong hurriedly waved his hand, "No, no, Madam, how can you go to see your concubine? You know... the Marquis's mansion doesn't like you visiting your concubine..."

“Things are different now than before.” Xie Yushu didn’t waste any more words. He instructed Zhao Feng to prepare a carriage and take Jinye and Yinya to Mao’er Hutong to see Qiao Bao’er.

When they boarded the carriage through the main gate, they realized that the driver was not Zhao Feng but Xiao Dao.

Feeling guilty, Xiao Dao didn't dare look at her. He came over to help her and whispered, "I'm not so lame anymore. I want to go with you."

He had even changed into new clothes today, his black hair tied up with a ribbon, which made his face look handsome and dashing. Standing there tall and thin, he looked more like a young master than a stable boy.

Xie Yushu looked at him, smiled, and helped him onto the carriage, tacitly agreeing to let him be the driver.

Xiao Dao was overjoyed and spurred the horse onward. When Mai Dong's mother got off the carriage, she was pale and almost vomited. She leaned against the wall and entered the small courtyard to report, "Auntie, Miss Yu Shu has come to see you."

Xie Yushu heard a weak woman's voice coming from the courtyard: "What? Why is Yushu here? The Marquis's residence doesn't allow her to come..."

Yinya pushed open the courtyard gate.

She helped Jinye inside and saw that the small courtyard was very clean. There were no other servants or maids, only a maid in her twenties washing clothes.

Upon seeing her enter, he quickly stood up, wiped his hands, bowed to her, and made a "ee-ee" sound.

He is mute.

The original drama did not describe Qiao Bao'er, a minor supporting character, in detail, so Xie Yushu did not know what the maid's name was.

"Call her Miao'er." The system told her in her mind: "She is not a maid. She is Qiao Bao'er's younger sister. She became mute due to an illness when she was young. She and Qiao Bao'er were sold into the Yong'an Marquis's mansion as maids. However, Qiao Miao'er is mute, so she only does some rough work in the outer courtyard, such as washing clothes and cleaning toilets. Later, after Qiao Bao'er became a concubine, she asked Meng Min to bring Qiao Miao'er with her."

Xie Yushu couldn't explain why he suddenly felt a sense of "reality" towards the world at this moment.

She used to think of this world as a short drama, but now she suddenly realizes that it is a real world, where everyone is a living, breathing person, striving to live their own lives and enduring their own suffering.

Xie Yushu smiled at Qiao Miao'er and called her "Auntie".

Qiao Miao'er was stunned, completely dumbfounded on the spot.

Inside the house, Mai Dong helped a woman hurriedly walk out.

Xie Yushu heard the woman first call her "Yushu..." and then change it to "Madam Pei..." as if she was about to bow to her.

"Mother." Xie Yushu hurriedly helped her up, his brows furrowing. He wanted to tell her that family members didn't need to bow anymore, but first he saw an excessively pale face.

Qiao Bao'er was quite pretty, but now she was extremely thin, and her narrow face was completely bloodless, as if she had been seriously ill.

"Why does Mother look so pale? Is she sick?" Xie Yushu smelled the medicine wafting from the room, and there seemed to be a hint of wormwood.

Her heart skipped a beat. Was Qiao Bao'er ill? In the original drama, Qiao Bao'er died not long after Xie Yushu...

"No, no, I'm not sick." Qiao Bao'er looked at her daughter, whom she hadn't seen in a long time, and her eyes welled up with tears. She looked her over carefully, as if she couldn't get enough of looking at her: "Yu Shu, how are you? Are the Pei family treating you well?"

Xie Yushu felt a sudden pang of sadness. She had never experienced maternal love, but she thought how heartbroken Qiao Bao'er would be if she knew that her daughter Yushu had been tortured to death.

"Okay, I'm fine." Xie Yushu held her hand and let her touch his face, saying, "Feel it, I've gained weight."

Qiao Bao'er touched her face and burst into tears. She couldn't help but hug her, saying, "As long as you're doing well, I'll be at ease." Then she added, "You shouldn't have come. It's not good if the Pei family finds out..."

But as he was talking, he let out a low cry of pain.

"Auntie, please don't cry. You can't get angry right now." Mai Dong hurriedly supported her and helped her into the house: "Lie down first."

Xie Yushu saw Qiao Bao'er covering her stomach.

When she helped Jinye into the house, she saw the half-burnt moxibustion stick and suddenly guessed what was going on. She immediately asked, "Mother, are you not sick? Are you pregnant?"

Qiao Bao'er leaned back on the couch and nodded, a slight smile appearing on her tired face. She said, "It's only been five months, and the pregnancy is still unstable, so I haven't told you yet."

Xie Yushu's heart sank like a stone. She saw the dregs and bowl of medicine on the table, which should be medicine to prevent miscarriage.

"Yushu, please sit down. I'll have Miao'er make you some sweet soup." Qiao Bao'er greeted her with concern, afraid of neglecting her.

Mai Dong hurriedly explained, "Miss Yu Shu, please don't blame your aunt for not being hospitable enough. Her pregnancy is unstable, and she has started bleeding. The doctor told her to stay in bed and rest."

Xie Yushu's mind was buzzing. Not to mention that she had started burning moxibustion to protect the pregnancy at only five months, she wondered if the pregnancy could even be saved.

Just yesterday, she accompanied Meng Min to arrest the pregnant widow Ye. How could Qiao Bao'er be pregnant at this critical juncture?

When Meng Min's people came to deliver the gifts, did they notice that Qiao Bao'er was pregnant? Did Qiao Bao'er tell Meng Min about her pregnancy?

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Author's note: Song Jie: I haven't fallen for Xie Yushu, don't worry about it, I have my own plans.