Chapter 83 Be Careful

The next morning, Xie Qi summoned Wei Hu and instructed him to take a batch of red silk, make it into garments, and send them to Zuichunlou. He also gave Wei Hu a few more instructions.

Shen Yuanzhu has awakened, and now Ling'er is doing her hair and drawing her eyebrows.

She doesn't usually like to wear makeup, but Xie Qi said that today is the fifteenth and the whole Xie family is going to Yujintang for a meal together, so she changed into a striking outfit that would brighten her complexion.

Xie Qi watched from the side without saying a word, and his eyes showed no impatience.

After everything was settled, Shen Yuanzhu took Xie Qi's arm and walked out of Qianxiang Courtyard.

The Xie family was wealthy, so their residence was naturally quite large. There were two roads leading from Qianxiang Courtyard to Yujin Hall, one of which was the main road leading directly to Yujin Hall.

One route leads through the flower room, though it's a bit of a detour, but since it's the perfect time for the flowers to bloom, Xie Qi wanted to take Shen Yuanzhu to see them to make up for his rudeness on the first day of his wedding.

Unexpectedly, as soon as the two entered the greenhouse, they saw Xie Xuchuan and his wife in the distance.

Xie Xuchuan looked at the two people with their hands clasped together, his eyes instantly reddened, and he took a few steps forward.

"Xuchuan."

Jiang Wansu wore light makeup today, and her complexion was much rosier. She did not look as sickly as she usually did.

She called out to Xie Xuchuan and said softly in a low voice, "Xuchuan, you must not act impulsively today. If you act impulsively, it will only make Yuanzhu think that you are unpredictable."

"Explain things to her properly, and don't scare her again."

Xie Xuchuan paused, said "I know," and then quickened his pace to run towards Chen Yuanzhu.

Seeing his resolute demeanor, Jiang Wansu clutched her handkerchief, her heart filled with panic.

Seeing this, Zi Tang gently supported her waist from behind: "Miss, do you think he might..."

Jiang Wansu bit her lip, knowing what Zitang wanted to say.

After a long silence, she gently shook her head: "No, I won't give him a chance to say it."

If she hadn't married into the Xie family, that would have been one thing, but now that she had, she naturally couldn't let Xie Xuchuan tell Shen Yuanzhu everything.

"Miss, I'm scared..."

Jiang Wansu's eyes flashed sharply: "What are you afraid of? Didn't you say back then that Xie Xuchuan was the best match for you?"

She had no intention of marrying Xie Xuchuan. Her plan was to send the child to Xie Xuchuan's name, while she would stay by his side as a close friend.

That way, Xie Xuchuan would feel guilty and continue to treat her and her child well.

But who could have imagined that, by a twist of fate, she would end up marrying into the Xie family in place of Shen Yuanzhu?

Since she's already married into the family, who would have thought that Xie Xuchuan would be such a clueless and cowardly person?

Within just a few days of their marriage, she repeatedly discovered that Xie Xuchuan seemed poised to expose everything.

Jiang Wansu touched her belly and pressed down her trembling hands, which were shaking uncontrollably from panic.

Zi Tang lowered her head, not daring to utter a word in rebuttal.

She was indeed too naive; at the time, she thought that marrying into the Xie family would solve all her problems.

But now that I think about it, even if we had gotten married, Xie Xuchuan could have told the truth at any time.

After all, if this matter were to get out, Xie Xuchuan would not only be unaffected, but would also gain a reputation for being loyal and righteous to his friends.

But what will become of her young mistress and her maids who accompanied her in her dowry?

Wiping the fine sweat from her forehead, Zi Tang didn't dare say another word and helped Jiang Wansu continue walking forward.

Meanwhile, Xie Xuchuan had already walked up to Shen Yuanzhu and Xie Qi.

Looking at Shen Yuanzhu and Xie Qi nestled together, Xie Xuchuan said with red eyes, "Yuanzhu, I have something to tell you."

Shen Yuanzhu lowered her eyes, pondering whether she should refuse or talk things out with Xie Xuchuan as soon as possible.

She lowered her head and remained silent. Xie Qi's face stiffened for a moment, then he said, "If you also have something to say, I'll wait for you from the side."

Xie Xuchuan haunts you day after day; it's always better to be under his watchful eye than to be under anyone else's.

Xie Qi walked several dozen steps toward the garden, until he saw Xie Xuchuan move forward and Shen Yuanzhu take a step back with a sullen face. Only then did he slowly stop, pursing his lips.

Just as she was watching the two of them intently, Jiang Wansu walked up to Xie Qi.

Jiang Wansu, standing beside him, suddenly said, "The two of them... don't they look like a good match?"

Xie Qi's eyes darkened slightly as he put his hands behind his back.

"Don't you think so, Second Young Master?"

Xie Xuchuan looked at Shen Yuanzhu with a sorrowful expression from afar. Shen Yuanzhu turned her face away, and the two did not look at each other, but anyone could see the inseparable entanglement between them.

Xie Qi even felt that he could hear Xie Xuchuan sobbing.

He pursed his lips, and his hands behind his back tightened uncontrollably, leaving bloody marks on his wrists, but Xie Qi felt no pain at all.

Seeing that his expression was not good, Jiang Wansu continued, "Although I have only been married into the Xie family for a short time, I am still the second young master's sister-in-law in terms of seniority."

"It is not an exaggeration to call you Brother Qi."

“Brother Qi, listen to me. You should keep a close eye on your wife.”

Jiang Wansu lowered her head and touched her belly, sighing softly: "Qi Di is not valued at home. It's already the limit for him to marry a wife like Yuan Zhu. If you two break up, I'm afraid you'll never find a girl with such a background again."

“The Shen family is wealthy, and not only did they give her a generous dowry, but they also possess the ‘Shen Family Dyeing Manual.’ If she really rekindles her old flame with Xu Chuan, you will not only lose a wife, but also an important ally.”

She didn't want Xie Xuchuan to see Shen Yuanzhu more often.

But she couldn't stop Xie Xuchuan, so she could only hope for Xie Qi, hoping for the man's arrogance that he wouldn't allow anyone to covet anything.

Jiang Wansu even thought that it would be best if she saw Shen Yuanzhu and Xie Xuchuan having a secret rendezvous today, which would provoke Xie Qi's rage.

This will ensure that Shen Yuanzhu will never dare to see Xie Xuchuan again, nor listen to his useless heartfelt words.

Thus, Xie Xuchuan lost the opportunity to reveal the truth.

It must be said that Jiang Wansu achieved her goal.

Xie Qi's lips were pressed tightly together, and the hand behind his back tightened its grip.

He could even clearly feel the wound on his wrist tearing and extending inch by inch, the pain flowing up his arm and spreading to his heart.

Xie Xuchuan said something, and Shen Yuanzhu looked up, frowning and looking at him in confusion.

Xie Qi couldn't see the expression on Shen Yuanzhu's face, and dared not guess what kind of look she would give Xie Xuchuan.

Admiration, or hatred.

An inexplicable anxiety crept over Xie Qi's body, and he felt that the long-dormant violence in his heart was about to awaken.

"You may not know, but I do know how close Xie Xuchuan and Shen Yuanzhu were in the past."

"Childhood sweethearts, the bond forged since childhood, won't disappear in just a few days..."

Xie Qi turned to look at Jiang Wansu: "At the beginning of the month, Prince Cheng impeached Jiang You for delaying the tribute period and for embezzlement and corruption. The memorial was submitted, and there should be a result in the next few days."

"The Jiang family, with Jiang You's backing, barely managed to secure a place in Suzhou Prefecture. Even so, you are not valued by the Jiang family."

"I find it hard to imagine how much support the Jiang family can offer you without Jiang You."

Jiang Wansu's face turned pale, and she stood there stunned.

Although she was a woman and not favored by the emperor, and did not participate in the family business, Jiang Wansu was aware of the feud between Prince Cheng and Jiang You.

Prince Cheng lived a life of extravagance and was extremely wasteful. Over the years, the allowance he received from the Imperial Textile Bureau far exceeded the standard for a prince.

Her great-uncle did complain to her father a few times, and her father also took out a lot of private money to make up for the Prince's needs.

Over time, Jiang You and Prince Cheng developed some disagreements, which gradually escalated into a feud, leading to frequent quarrels.

The incident wasn't initially very serious, but since Xie Qi could say such a thing, it's likely that word has already spread outside...

Whether the Jiang family falls into misfortune or not makes no difference to her; the only impact is on her status in the Xie family, which will only continue to decline.

Her marriage to Xie Xuchuan was not exactly honorable to begin with; she was only able to enter the family because of her great-uncle...

Jiang Wansu's heart tightened, and then she heard Xie Qi say again, "Jiang Hong is ungrateful and indifferent to you. It's already the limit that you can marry a man like Xie Xuchuan. If your marriage falls apart, I'm afraid you'll never find another man of such background."

“Sister-in-law, believe me, you must keep your brother firmly in your grasp.”

"Tiqi Courtyard and Qianxiang Courtyard are not far apart. You need to keep a close eye on Xie Xuchuan, after all..."

Xie Qi's eyes grew cold. After looking Jiang Wansu up and down, he said indifferently, "After all, he is used to being fickle and easily swayed by different people."

"Sister-in-law, you must be careful..."