Chapter 102 Attending the Banquet

Xie Qi was rustling and looking through something; Shen Yuanzhu could only hear the faint sound of the papers turning.

But she had always lacked a spirit of inquiry, and after a moment's thought, she gave up, pulled the curtain aside, and ignored him.

Xie Qi, on the other hand, was flushed and frantically flipping through the fire-avoidance diagrams that Wei Hu had found.

His ears burned, and while marveling at what he was seeing, he furtively shielded himself with his body, afraid that Shen Yuanzhu would speak up and ask him what he was looking at.

After studying it for a few moments, Xie Qi couldn't help but secretly turn around.

Seeing that Shen Yuanzhu had already drawn the bed curtains, he couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.

Holding the Fire Avoidance Diagram, Xie Qi sat on the small couch, scratching at the edge of the couch, his gaze occasionally glancing at Chen Yuanzhu's canopy bed, his thoughts a jumble of emotions.

They've been married for so many days, shouldn't they consummate their marriage by now?

Xie Qi didn't know how to bring this up. If he spoke directly, it would be too abrupt; if he showed the item to Shen Yuanzhu, he was afraid it would frighten her...

And this thing...

As images flashed before his eyes, Xie Qi's ears burned, and he thought to himself that the painter was immoral and disrespectful.

His thoughts drifted away, and he thought of Xie Xuchuan again.

Based on his understanding of Xie Xuchuan, that man was by no means a responsible person, and the truth about his marriage to Jiang Wansu would not be kept secret for long.

He had previously thought Jiang Wansu was cunning and could control Xie Xuchuan, but now it seemed she wasn't so clever after all.

Xie Qi couldn't help but worry about this, fearing that Shen Yuanzhu would abandon him when she found out the truth.

Clutching the fire-avoidance diagram in his hand, Xie Qi felt a pang of sadness.

In the past, no one stood by his side, no one cared about his temperature or whether he was well, so although he occasionally felt lonely, it was not unbearable.

But now Xie Qi has discovered that it is so satisfying to have someone protecting him, caring for him, and paying attention to his joys and sorrows. Someone tailors clothes for him and chooses the best pastries for him.

Once he had experienced these things, he could no longer bear the days of being alone and having no one to accompany him.

In particular, he could not accept that one day Shen Yuanzhu would abandon him for Xie Xuchuan.

Xie Xuchuan...

He already has too much, far too much; he shouldn't covet the Shenyuan Pearl anymore.

Perhaps, if he and Shen Yuanzhu had consummated their marriage, none of this would have happened.

Xie Qi lay on the small couch, but he was wide awake.

He only came up with a solution as dawn broke, and then drifted off to sleep.

Xie San Niang and Hua Nan Zhi did not like the couple, so they did not need them to serve them, and they never allowed them to pay their respects.

Most new brides would worry about this, fearing they wouldn't be liked by their in-laws. But Shen Yuanzhu felt it couldn't be better. She slept until late morning every day, only getting up slowly when she felt refreshed.

Luo and Ling'er went with her, and since she and Xie Qi were still unconscious, they never disturbed them.

So today, unusually, Xie Qi was still asleep when Shen Yuanzhu woke up.

She calmed herself down before quietly getting out of bed to wash up.

As she passed the dressing table, Chen Yuanzhu noticed a fist-sized white porcelain bottle on it. The bottle was of fine quality, decorated with a pattern of mandarin ducks with intertwined necks, painted with exquisite brushwork, clearly not an ordinary object.

Shen Yuanzhu picked it up with a puzzled look and examined it closely.

I didn't see this thing before I went to bed yesterday, so I guess Xie Qi put it here last night.

Is this a gift for her?

Xie Qi was half asleep when he saw Shen Yuanzhu holding a white porcelain jar and examining it carefully.

He closed his eyes slightly, but the next moment his mind suddenly cleared, and he swiftly climbed up from the small couch.

"You're awake."

Shen Yuanzhu looked at Xie Qi, her words tinged with a smile.

Xie Qi hummed in response, his gaze fixed on Shen Yuanzhu's hand without moving.

"You gave it to me?"

Xie Qi's eyes were tinged with a faint blush, and he nodded gently.

Those mandarin ducks with their necks intertwined... she should know what they are, right?

I heard that a woman's family would inform her about the wedding night arrangements before her marriage, so Shen Yuanzhu probably knew about it.

Xie Qi blushed and gripped the thin blanket tightly, waiting for Chen Yuanzhu's response.

Shen Yuanzhu didn't speak, but Xie Qi stared at her intently. When he saw Shen Yuanzhu open the porcelain bottle and smell it, he felt a jolt in his ears and his heart skipped a beat.

Xie Qi mumbled something indistinctly, which made Shen Yuanzhu turn to look at him.

"What is this? It smells like medicine."

Chen Yuanzhu asked, "Want some face oil?"

Xie Qi lowered his eyes, pursed his lips, and whispered, "No..."

What is that?

"..."

Seeing that Xie Qi did not answer, Shen Yuanzhu asked again.

Xie Qi mumbled, "Just think of it as... something to heal wounds..."

For some reason, she could see some embarrassment and annoyance on Xie Qi's face.

After thinking for a moment, Shen Yuanzhu said thank you and casually placed the porcelain bottle in the dressing table.

She hadn't expected Xie Qi to be so thoughtful, still remembering the time he bit her a few days ago.

But so much time has passed, the wound has long since healed, and there's no need for this anymore.

After tidying up her things, Shen Yuanzhu asked Ling'er to help her wash up.

After trying various methods for most of the night without success, Xie Qi gave up and slumped back onto the small couch with a thud...

"Young master, which outfit would you like to wear to Eunuch Yuan's private banquet tomorrow?"

When Luo entered, she saw Xie Qi, with his long arms and legs, slumped on a small couch, looking utterly despondent.

She is currently quite satisfied with her son-in-law, except for one thing: Xie Qi is not as energetic as other young men, but this has improved considerably.

When the young lady first married into the family, she always felt that Xie Qi had a ghostly aura about him, but that's no longer the case.

Thinking that this was mostly due to the Xie family, Luo felt a surge of affection for them.

She walked up to Xie Qi and said with a smile, "Tomorrow will be your first time showing your face in front of everyone at the Suzhou Chamber of Commerce, so you should choose a nice outfit."

"Even though we know each other well, in this world, people always judge a book by its cover first, and then by its contents."

The best clothes?

Xie Qi got up, stepped off the floor, and took out a very familiar outfit from the wardrobe.

Upon seeing this, Madam Luo couldn't help but feel embarrassed: "This dress, is it the one that Miss... made for you in your boudoir?"

Xie Qi nodded: "Wear it to the banquet tomorrow."

Luo agreed, secretly planning to have the embroiderers at Xiecui Workshop make two more sets of men's clothing, and then say that they were made by her young lady herself.

"I asked Xiaozhi to take it to burn as incense..."

Xie Qi grunted, and seeing that Luo was about to leave, he quickly added, "The incense on Yuanzhu's clothes is very elegant..."

Upon hearing this, Madam Luo covered her mouth and smiled faintly: "Then this old servant will use the same incense as Miss."

Her words carried a hint of sarcasm, but Xie Qi ignored them. He simply felt genuinely at ease with the warm fragrance emanating from Shen Yuanzhu.

Attending a banquet tomorrow...

Thinking of this, Xie Qi reluctantly got up.

The day of the banquet was the only time Xie Qi and Hua Nanzhi had been alone together in all these years.

Hua Nanzhi sat in the carriage, her eyes slightly lowered, neither speaking nor looking at him.

The two of them didn't look like mother and son; they were no different from strangers.

Xie Qi had long been used to being neglected over the years, and would no longer crave anything he shouldn't have as he did when he was younger.

Hua Nanzhi remained silent, and Xie Qi showed no interest in chatting with her.

He sat upright in the carriage, listlessly rubbing his cuffs with his fingertips.

The carriage was cramped, and a faint incense scent lingered in the air. Even though he was in the same room as Hua Nanzhi, he did not feel agitated.

"Madam, Second Young Master, we've arrived at Eunuch Yuan's residence."

The carriage stopped, and Hua Nanzhi opened her eyes, raised her head, and got off the carriage.

Xie Qi watched her retreating figure and let out a soft scoff.