Chapter 289 From His Left Shoulder to His Right Shoulder

Seeing his resolute attitude, Yao Qingling pressed her lips down and tried to reason with him, saying, "That painting is of no use to you. It's just gathering dust."

"Who says I'm useless to me?" The man suddenly looked straight at her. "How long has it been since we last met? Will you even give me a proper look?"

These words were sudden and rash, leaving Yao Qingling at a loss.

It was as if he was staring at the painting, reminiscing about someone.

But in the past, he could share the sunrise and sunset with her, which was something he didn't want.

He used her as a cover for his affair with Zhou Zhining; he never truly looked at her.

Why pretend to care now?

Qingling looked away, unwilling to respond to his words, and insisted on her purpose: "Zhan Xingzhuo, that painting is not an ordinary painting. It was painted when you and I were newlyweds..." She bit her lip, finding it difficult to say the words "marital intimacy".

It was too shameful; it felt more like an insult to her.

She shook her head, swallowed hard, and continued, "That painting must not be seen by anyone!"

If a first-rank imperial consort were to appear before the world as a woman reclining on a giant rock, how much commotion would that cause?

It is a disgrace to the Marquis's mansion and to the new generation of loyal and brave Marquis Yao Ruizhao!

Zhao'er will never be able to hold her head up high again.

"Zhan Xingzhuo, you know what I care about. If you care about a woman's reputation and Zhao'er's future, even if you don't return the painting to me, you should at least burn it immediately and never let a third person see it!"

Only now did Zhan Xingzhuo understand why Yao Qingling insisted on having that painting.

Zhao'er is also his child, and he naturally doesn't want his child to become a laughing stock.

But……

He dared not let Yao Qingling know that he had already given the painting to Prince Xin.

If Yao Qingling finds out...

Zhan Xingzhuo dared not think further about how much she would hate him.

Although he had already experienced Yao Qingling's ruthlessness towards him, this was different.

Perhaps she'll be so enraged that she'll kill him!

Zhan Xingzhuo also regretted that he shouldn't have given away the painting so casually.

If he had known back then that he would be so concerned about Yao Qingling today, and that they had a child together, he certainly wouldn't have done that.

No, if he had known he would be so deeply attached to Yao Qingling, he certainly wouldn't have treated her that way. At the very least, he would have spent more time with her.

"I understand," the man replied in a low voice, thinking that he would go to Prince Xin later and definitely get the painting back.

Yao Qingling glanced at him and found him strange. He didn't have the mysterious confidence he used to have. He didn't look at her when he spoke, and his shifty eyes made him seem guilty.

Yao Qingling's heart tightened, and she couldn't help but ask, "Zhan Xingzhuo, you haven't shown that painting to anyone else, have you?"

She remembered that when she was at Prince Chen's residence, Prince Xin had also come. When they were painting Zhou Zhining's portrait, Prince Xin had said something inexplicable.

That same phrase made Yao Qingling remember that the painting should and must be brought back.

Zhan Xingzhuo's eyes flickered, and he said in a deep voice, "No. You are my wife, how could I show you to others?"

He lied.

For him, this was not the first time he had lied to appease Yao Qingling, but it was the first time he felt a strong sense of guilt and shamelessness.

He swallowed hard, his fingers resting on his knees tightening around his clothes.

Yao Qingling glanced at him and still found him strange.

But now that things have come to this, can she still go with him to the new mansion and get the painting back?

She has never returned to the new mansion since she left, nor does she want to go back.

Moreover, Zhou Zhining and her son live there, and she acts as the matriarch of the household.

If she were to return to that place with Zhan Xingzhuo, who knows how much of a shock it would cause Zhou Zhining, and how she would live in constant fear.

Yao Qingling said, "I'll believe you for now. Zhan Xingzhuo, let me know after you destroy the painting."

The carriage stopped at the entrance of the Marquis's residence, and she got off.

Zhan Xingzhuo, unusually, did not argue with her, nor did he take the opportunity to try to enter the mansion to see Zhao'er.

The rain was pouring down. Zhan Xingzhuo watched Yao Qingling enter the house and then instructed the driver to take the carriage back to the mansion.

Qingling returned to Mulan Courtyard.

As soon as she entered, she saw Lin Shiyuan in her room, looking at her with a dark expression.

Qingling took off her cloak and glanced at him: "Why are you looking at me like that?"

The man pursed his lips and remained silent, but his eyes were fierce and domineering.

Qing Ling frowned slightly.

However, her clothes were too heavy, and she had already endured it for a long time, so she was not in a hurry and instructed her maid to take her hair off first.

She sat on the dressing stool as Lou Yue and Xia Chan removed her makeup. Yao Qingling felt uneasy being stared at from behind and looked at the man's expression in the mirror.

"What’s wrong with you?"

Lin Shiyuan stood up, walked behind her, and said to the two maids, "You two go out first."

Lou Yue and Xia Chan looked at Qing Ling, who nodded.

The two maids withdrew.

Yao Qingling looked in the mirror and removed her hairpin.

Lin Shiyuan stood behind her, looked at her in the mirror, and reached out to remove her hair ornament.

This was the first time he had done such delicate work. Although he had a sour face, his movements were gentle, and he did not roughly pull her hair.

Qingling turned around, looked up at him, and said, "You've had too much to drink and haven't recovered yet? Should I have Nie Yun take you home?"

Lin Shiyuan, clutching the hairpin that was half pulled out, stuffed it back into her hair.

This time it was a bit heavy, and Qingling could clearly feel her hair being violently stirred again.

She hissed and touched her hair: "You poked my scalp."

Lin Shiyuan brushed her fingers aside and ruffled her hair: "Let me see."

"Don't stay still, move away." Qingling was also angry.

The man's hands hung down, his chest heaving, as if he was suppressing something.

Qingling didn't try to coax him. She took her hair down herself, combed it with a comb, and tied it up with a hair tie.

After she finished doing all this, the man still stood behind her, not moving an inch.

Qingling didn't get up. She slowly played with the hairpins and then put them back in the makeup box.

She carefully examined the headdress and jewelry bestowed upon her by the Empress, as well as the gold-inlaid jade necklace given to Zhao'er, while secretly glancing at Lin Shiyuan in the mirror.

He acted like a child throwing a tantrum.

This was the first time Yao Qingling had seen him like this, but she didn't know why.

Could it be because of Empress Zhou's bestowal of a marriage?

Qingling glanced at him in the mirror and said, "Are you staring at me like that because you've noticed I'm not as pretty or as delicate as that Miss Ye, and you're comparing us in your mind?"

Lin Shiyuan rolled his eyes at her, turned around and walked back to the kang (heated brick bed) by the window, picked up his teacup and took a sip of water.

"Yao Qingling, stop trying to shift the blame. I saw everything."

Yao Qingling's eyes flickered slightly, as if she had thought of something, but she deliberately asked him in return, "What did you see?"

"You—" The man choked on his words, wanting to punch her, "What do you think?"

His face turned even uglier.

Yao Qingling turned around and looked at his flushed cheekbones, wondering if it was from the alcohol or from anger.

Qingling walked over, clutching the gold and jade necklace, and stopped in front of him, tilting her head to look at him: "Did you see... Zhan Xingzhuo's carriage taking me back to the manor?"

The man sneered, his face sour, and looked away from her.

Yao Qingling leaned down slightly and sniffed him intently.

He smelled from his left shoulder to his right shoulder.