Chapter 51 Extra 11

The system whistled, "Should I go?"

It has gotten used to it, and every time it leaves to play with the cats at the border, it has become a close friend to the other cats in the area.

"Come back!" Ling Wei struggled, but couldn't move. "Can't you see there's still someone here?"

Cheng Shu, who was standing to the side, was already dumbfounded. He seemed to be shocked by his young master's unprecedented loss of composure and looked at the two of them with a blank expression.

Ling Wei and he looked at each other in bewilderment.

The next second, Cheng Shu seemed to suddenly wake up, turned around abruptly, and ran away at the speed of a 100-meter sprint.

Ling Wei subconsciously reached out Er Kang's hand: "Wait..."

But then Chengshu ran out of the courtyard gate, and the door was gently closed.

Ling Wei: "..."

System: "Alright, I'm off too~~"

Ling Wei: "......"

She sighed helplessly.

She softened her voice and gently soothed, "Cousin, shall we go inside first? It's chilly outside."

Gu Qingyan obediently let her lead him inside, and Ling Wei pressed him down to sit on the edge of the bed.

He struggled to sit up straight, tugging at his collar to reveal his beautifully shaped collarbone and a small patch of reddened chest.

He raised his hazy eyes and stared straight at her, his usually clear and gentle voice now terribly hoarse:

"It's so hot here... I feel uncomfortable..." he murmured, his fingers unconsciously scratching at his chest. "You... look at me..."

The candlelight flickered, casting ambiguous shadows on his jade-like profile.

His sweat-dampened temples clung to his cheeks, and the usually meticulous gentleman now exuded a broken yet alluring charm.

He stopped speaking, but stared at her intently with his eyes, moistened by the alcohol, as if making a silent invitation.

Even Ling Wei was momentarily stunned by the sight of such beauty.

As if noticing her momentary lapse in concentration, Gu Qingyan chuckled softly and recited: "Thinking of the virtuous lady, her beauty is like the flourishing pines. In her humble abode, she stirs my heart."

With reason returning, Ling Wei pursed her lips, forcefully pulled her hand back, turned around and poured him a cup of warm tea.

To everyone's surprise, Gu Qingyan did not take the cup. Instead, he lowered his head and slowly sipped the wine from her hand.

I pretty much know what's wrong with this guy.

Ling Wei composed herself and placed the teacup back on the table.

“Cousin, once a word is spoken, it is as clear as black ink.”

She believed that, with his intelligence, he would surely understand what she meant.

It was precisely his resolute statement from back then: "I have no feelings for my cousin, not before, and not in the future."

Gu Qingyan's body stiffened visibly for a moment, and the mistiness in his eyes was replaced by a stinging pain.

Ling Wei sighed inwardly, stepped forward to help him lie down, and tucked him in: "It's late, cousin, you should rest early."

After saying that, she turned to leave.

The door had barely opened a crack when a force came from behind and slammed it shut.

A burning hot body then pressed down on her from behind, someone burying their head deep in the crook of her neck, their voice muffled:

"Back then, I was young and ignorant, arrogant, thinking that drawing a clear line was the best course of action. Little did I know that those words would become the shackles that bound me... Day and night, I regret it deeply..."

Feeling the arms around her waist tighten inch by inch, and the hot breath spraying against her ear: "The mountain has trees, but the trees have no branches..."

With a desperate tremor in his voice, the second half of the sentence clearly reached her ears: "My heart is pleased with you... I hope you know."

Ling Wei remained silent for a moment, then slowly and inch by inch, she removed his tightened arms.

She didn't turn around; her voice sounded calm in the night.

“Cousin, you’ve had too much to drink. I’ll pretend I never heard those words. My aunt treats me like her own daughter, I can’t… and I shouldn’t hurt her.”

She paused briefly, then said resolutely, "You should get some rest."

Having said that, he didn't linger any longer, opened the door, and his figure quickly disappeared into the night outside the courtyard.

.........

When Ling Wei returned to her residence, she had just pushed open the door when a hand reached out from the shadows and pulled her inside, pressing her back against the door.

A familiar scent enveloped her, and Xie Zhuo's aggrieved voice rang in her ear: "You went to find him..."

Like a large dog, he turned his head and rubbed against her neck. He had a high alcohol tolerance and was now mostly sober, with clear eyes and no trace of drunkenness.

Ling Wei sighed and patted his back, saying, "I was just worried that my cousin might get into trouble while drunk, so I went to check on him."

Xie Zhuo snorted twice through his nose, clearly sulking.

He knew exactly what Gu Qingyan was thinking, and he was wary of him like a thief. At this moment, he was filled with jealousy.

However, Ling Wei slowly pushed him away, and her next words left him frozen in place: "Now that the situation on the border is gradually stabilizing and the trade has returned to normal, you... can go back to the capital."

Xie Zhuo suddenly looked up, staring at her in disbelief: "You're kicking me out?"

His eyes instantly reddened with anger, and his voice rose several decibels, "You still say it wasn't because of that old vixen!"

"It has nothing to do with him."

Ling Wei avoided his gaze, her tone remaining calm, "It's the Xie family mansion. The Xie family still needs you to carry on the family line and continue the ancestral worship. Didn't you say that yourself back then?"

Xie Zhuo stared intently at her, almost gritting his teeth as he asked, "You want me to go back and get married?"

Ling Wei was speechless, and tried to explain: "But your Xie family..."

You want me to go back and get married?!

Xie Zhuo didn't let her finish speaking. His anger and hurt emotions intertwined, and he abruptly interrupted her, his voice trembling as he repeatedly questioned her.

He glared at her fiercely, as if he were furious, then turned and stormed out.

Ling Wei rubbed her temples wearily, then turned around to wash up and rest.

However, in no time at all, another gust of footsteps approached from behind.

Before she could react, she was pressed down onto the bed by an irresistible force.

Xie Zhuo returned, his eyes red with anger, and gritted his teeth, saying, "I'm not leaving!"

Ling Wei was pinned down by him. She struggled for a moment but to no avail. She could only meet his gaze and ask, "What about the Xie family's lineage? What do you intend to do about continuing the family line?"

Xie Zhuo didn't answer. Instead, he stared intently into her eyes and asked another question: "Back then...did you go to see my grandfather?"

Ling Wei was taken aback, clearly not expecting him to suddenly ask this.

Xie Zhuo said with certainty, "My grandfather wrote to me the day before yesterday...and said so."

That year, Xie Zhuo was punished by the old Duke Xie with family discipline for his involvement with the fourth prince, and was imprisoned in the ancestral hall the following day.

Ling Wei arranged to meet the enraged Duke Xie at the teahouse.

The atmosphere inside the teahouse was somber.

The old Duke Xie's face was ashen as he looked at the young woman who had stirred up trouble before him and said coldly, "What instructions does Lord Ling have?"

Ling Wei remained calm and slightly turned her body to let someone step forward from behind her—it turned out to be the close maid who had once been quite favored by the Fourth Prince.

The old Duke Xie's pupils contracted sharply. He instantly realized the truth: this maid had long been Ling Wei's woman.

He slammed his hand on the table, laughing angrily, "Fine! Very well! What do you mean by this? Tell me, you knew about the Fourth Prince's whereabouts all along?"

The message my foolish grandson sent was utterly insignificant? He didn't truly betray the Xie family?!

What was my answer at the time?

Ling Wei remembered that she had only slightly raised her chin, her tone almost arrogant:

"I just want to tell Duke Xie that from the very beginning, the path your Xie family chose was destined to defeat us."

Losing to me is a perfectly normal outcome.

The old Duke Xie was so angry at these impolite words that he trembled all over.

Ling Wei continued, "There's still a long way to go. If Prince Xie becomes discouraged because of this, then it would truly be a relief for His Majesty."

I urge the old Duke to return and relay the entire story of what happened to me today to the Heir Apparent.

If we were to plead for Xie Zhuo according to the old Duke Xie's idea, the other party might not appreciate it.

Especially when she also expresses her concern for Xie Zhuo, it makes her seem even more hypocritical.

After all, no matter how much she cared, she was still on the opposite side of the Xie family. Compared to Xie Zhuo's behavior, it would make the old Duke Xie even more resentful.

Her move was a provocation.

Although Duke Xie was furious, he did indeed lift Xie Zhuo's confinement after returning home.