Chapter 99 An Sheng

Xie Qi's eyes were slightly droopy, and his face was expressionless, revealing no emotion. But for some reason, Shen Yuanzhu felt that he looked a bit like the big yellow dog that the gatekeeper used to keep when she was a child.

When the big yellow dog saw her protecting the bone, it also showed this inexplicable anger, inexplicable ferocity, and aggrieved expression.

"..."

Shen Yuanzhu blinked: "I forgot to take something."

"Forgot what?"

Xie Qi straightened his back, his eyes clear and honest: "I'll go get it."

Look.

A hint of a smile appeared on Shen Yuanzhu's face.

That's it, the same expression as the big yellow dog, that smugness of getting a bone but carefully hiding it, she could always see right through it.

"Forgot what?"

Xie Qi asked again, and Shen Yuanzhu slowly replied, "Get a round fan..."

"alright."

She pulled a round fan from the dressing table, and Chen Yuanzhu reached out to take it, but Xie Qi held it firmly in his hand without moving an inch.

He held a round fan in one hand and Shen Yuanzhu's hand in the other, and deliberately chose a shady spot as they walked out.

Fearing that Chen Yuanzhu would get too hot, he would often wave a round fan to cool her down.

"I'll fan myself."

Xie Qi pursed his lips: "I'll take care of it..."

He frowned, feigning disgust: "You're already complaining about the heat if you don't move? If you have to fan yourself with one hand, won't you sweat even more?"

"You're already this intolerant of the heat at the very beginning of summer; what will you be like when the dog days of summer arrive?"

Xie Qi waved his fan, his face stiff: "Although the cellar has stored some winter ice, I'm afraid Qianxiang Courtyard won't be able to get it out."

"We can only buy some from other stores, but families who can afford to store ice in winter won't be short of money."

"If all else fails, I'll go find...someone and ask them for some."

Yuan Xu must have ice. Because of his castration, he has always been weak and afraid of the cold. He never takes off his cloak in winter, so he probably doesn't need ice to cool off in summer.

The Imperial Textile Commissioner's Office should have ice cellars. Once he takes over the job of hauling ice from the river this winter, he'll have a reason to take it freely next year.

With the ice cellar, hauling ice won't cost much money, and he's financially comfortable enough to afford it now.

The matter of investigating the Jiang family's commercial taxes should be settled in a few days. Once the shops on Wanbao Street are acquired, we can stock some better goods at Jixia Manor...

As the accounts flashed through his mind, Xie Qi felt satisfied, thinking that once he bought a shop with an ice cellar, Shen Yuanzhu wouldn't be in so much pain.

That way, all summers from now on will be...

"No."

"What?"

His thoughts were interrupted, and Xie Qi lowered his head.

Shen Yuanzhu said, "There's no need to pull the ice. You won't be hot if you stay away from me."

Xie Qi was young, and perhaps because of his strong yang energy, he was as hot as burning coals. Not only did he hold her hand tightly, but he also kept pressing himself against her as they walked.

There wasn't a single gap between them, and she was so hot that a thin layer of sweat appeared on her back.

"you……"

Before she could finish speaking, Shen Yuanzhu felt Xie Qi grip her hand tighter and tighter.

Xie Qi's eyes were dark as he stared at Shen Yuanzhu, who was breathing heavily with anger.

"you……"

"What does this have to do with me?"

Xie Qi's breath was hot, and he gritted his teeth: "It's because you're too delicate and can't tolerate heat. It has nothing to do with me."

"It's clearly your relationship."

He was the one who clung to her the most, and now he's blaming her for being delicate?

Shen Yuanzhu tilted her head back, stuck out her index finger and poked Xie Qi's chest, pushing him back forcefully: "It's because of you, you're too close and that's why I feel hot."

"Don't I know my own body? Why didn't I get this hot in previous years? I never sweated this much in the dog days of summer without ice."

Seeing that she kept trying to push him away, Xie Qi also got angry: "You used to be intolerant of heat because the Shen family's location is more shady than the Xie family's."

Shen Yuanzhu tried to break free from his hand: "Where did you get this nonsense from? It's not like we're miles apart. The Shen family and the Xie family have the same climate."

"How are they the same?"

"It's the same, you're so hot because you're pressed against me."

"When did I cling to you?"

"you……"

"I……"

Ling'er saw her mistress and her son-in-law arguing fiercely in front of her.

She followed behind anxiously, pacing back and forth several times, trying to smooth things over, but each time she moved her feet, she didn't know what to say.

She didn't know how to advise someone on such a trivial matter.

Her daughter said she was hot, and her husband offered to bring her ice. The daughter then said she didn't want her husband to hold her hand, so she couldn't just shoo him away, could she?

Ling'er spun around like a top behind them, and soon she was covered in sweat.

Shen Yuanzhu and Xie Qi, on the other hand, kept bickering and arguing all the way without letting go of each other's hands.

When they arrived at Yujintang, Ling'er was almost exhausted.

The couple, Shen Yuanzhu and her husband, were in sync. As soon as they stepped into Yujin Hall, they both put on smiling faces. One slowly waved a round fan, while the other politely greeted her husband for his hard work.

Only Ling'er rolled her eyes from behind.

"Second Young Master is here? The masters of the house are all here, waiting for you."

Granny Li greeted them with a rare smile, but Xie Qi ignored her completely, focusing solely on fanning Chen Yuanzhu.

Shen Yuanzhu had no intention of giving Granny Li any face, and the couple silently walked past her without giving her the slightest glance.

Granny Li was so angry that her face turned red, and she cursed the two of them as ill-mannered people.

Xie Qi was petty and held grudges. Shen Yuanzhu was no less vengeful; ever since she learned that the Xie family had taken advantage of her being alone, tricked her into marriage, and even tried to steal her dyeing manual, she had never given Xie San Niang and Hua Nanzhi a kind look.

She doesn't even respect her master, let alone an old woman.

The young couple entered Yujintang with smiles on their faces. Xie Qi had just raised his eyes when he saw Xie Xuchuan staring straight at Shen Yuanzhu, and he immediately became unhappy.

"do what?"

Shen Yuanzhu looked at Xie Qi, who was dragging his chair, and asked in a low voice.

Xie Qi didn't reply, but silently dragged the heavy, carved wooden chair toward Shen Yuanzhu.

Shen Yuanzhu whispered, "It'll be hot like this..."

Xie Qi said, "If I don't sit closer, how can I fan you?"

"If you sit further away, you don't need to fan me..."

"If I don't fan you, you'll complain about being hot."

Shen Yuanzhu couldn't persuade him otherwise, so she could only sit down angrily.

Xie Xuchuan watched the two talking in hushed tones, and saw her puffing out her cheeks and glaring at Xie Qi with hatred, and his heart ached.

At this moment, Shen Yuanzhu seemed to be angry, but he knew that it wasn't like that at all.

He had seen what Yuanzhu looked like when she was truly angry.

When Yuan Zhu gets angry, she will only look at you coldly and keep uttering words that can pierce through you.

Her words can be so sharp that you won't be able to utter a single word in your defense; she'll look at you with eyes full of disgust, sending chills down your spine...

Xie Xuchuan's gaze was direct and undisguised, while Xie Qi provocatively moved closer and closer to Shen Yuanzhu.

Xie Jingyuan glanced at it twice, then sat down to the side, keeping his eyes down and his mind at ease.

He looked down at the porcelain plate in front of him, almost staring through it.

After a while, he couldn't help but raise his hand and scratch the tip of his nose, sighing inwardly.

This meal is unlikely to be enjoyed in peace.