quarrel

On a bright summer night, amidst the clinking of glasses and lively conversation in the hall, Xie Lingxi was led to the bridal chamber, where a beautiful face was revealed beneath layers of floral crowns.

She rarely wore such brightly colored clothes. Tonight's wedding dress was embroidered by her mother stitch by stitch. It was a blend of green and crimson, with a string of pearl necklaces adorning the colorful phoenix. The elegant peonies and water lilies complemented the beauty of her face perfectly.

She sat on the bed with a fan in her hand, and felt that the bedding beneath her was uneven. Seeing that no one was around, she lifted the bedding and saw some peanuts, red dates, longans and other items, which symbolized many children and many blessings.

Xie Lingxi gave an ambiguous laugh, put down the fan, picked up her elaborate robe, and stood up to look around the room.

Her eyes were drawn to the red silk and the mandarin duck lanterns. She slowly sat down on a small stool beside the couch and picked up a picture book.

The crown was so heavy that it made it hard for people to breathe.

Xie Lingxi then simply took off her crown and her elaborate outer robe, placing them quietly on the table.

Outside, the singing and dancing continued, and she could hear her brother urging the groom to drink. Just as she was getting drowsy, the picture book in her hand fell to the ground with a "thud".

One glance up revealed the top scholar, drunk and intoxicated.

Xie Lingxi's phoenix eyes were still sleepy: "Liu Lang, you're back."

Liu Xu had been given a lot of wine, and when he saw that the group of people were still going to make a ruckus in the bridal chamber, he waved his wide sleeves and chased them away. Now the new house was quiet, with only the sound of a raccoon cat moving around outside the window.

The cool breeze that rushed in from outside cleared his head a bit. Liu Xu walked over and picked up the booklet. "What is Third Sister looking at?"

In the picture book, a man and a woman have their arms intertwined, forming a shape that evokes contemplation.

Liu Xu's hand trembled: "Spring... Spring Palace Picture?"

"How...how could you watch this?!"

When he entered the room, he saw Xie Lingxi sitting by the couch with her crown on, and he knew that the marriage was just a charade. Who would have thought that the bride would be so aloof and looking at this thing?

Xie Lingxi smiled and tilted her head: "That happy event just now was given by my mother, and she wants me to study it carefully."

Liu Xu couldn't help but think of the book "The Way of Taming a Husband," and looking at the pale, white bodies in the picture book in front of him, he felt even more uneasy. So he simply flung his hand and threw the picture book aside.

“You…” He paused for a moment, “You don’t need to look at this. Anyway, our marriage… is just a mirage, it can’t be taken seriously.”

Xie Lingxi only wanted to tease him. Ever since she brought back Cui Yi's book that day, she actually endured the embarrassment and flipped through a few pages in her spare time.

There is a chapter above that specifically discusses the fun of couples getting along: As the saying goes, in their spare time, they flirt and banter, sometimes true, sometimes false, sometimes real.

"But I am still your wife. If I don't learn some ways to please my husband, what will happen if you go and find another woman like Wan Niang tomorrow?"

Liu Xu swayed: "Wan Niang...?"

"Third Sister, please don't tease me. There is no Wan Niang in my room."

Xie Lingxi chuckled softly, propped her head up with her hand, and turned around, her eyes and brows exuding a charming allure: "I'm right here in the house, aren't I? Doesn't my lord recognize me?"

"Liu Lang once told me that he would be good to me for the rest of his life and never leave me. Could it all have been just a mirage?"

As Xie Lingxi spoke, she actually moved closer to Liu Xu, stumbled a step, and just happened to put her arm around his neck.

"Ouch!" she cried softly, "My husband, I've fallen."

Surrounded by piles of crimson silk, Liu Xu carefully cradled the person who had suddenly lunged at him. Before him stood a pair of dark red mandarin ducks, and a delicate fragrance filled the air. For a moment, he couldn't tell what day it was; his mind was filled with only one thought—

Tonight, Third Sister is like a vixen, trying to steal his heart and soul.

"Third Sister," he called out.

Xie Lingxi looked up at him and said reproachfully, "What 'Third Wife'? Husband, is this your real wife? Don't you want Wanwan anymore?"

As she said this, Xie Lingxi gently breathed on his neck, pulled away from his embrace, and sat straight on the bed, seemingly angry: "She was just playing around with you, so why is she so beloved by you? And I'm standing right in front of you now, and you don't even glance at me?"

That sounds utterly absurd.

Liu Xu had initially thought Xie Lingxi just wanted to play around with him for amusement, but now the man was getting more and more heated, showing no sign of giving up.

Xie Lingxi was aloof by nature.

Xie Lingxi wouldn't do that.

He sobered up a bit, walked to the bedside, took Xie Lingxi's arm, and said with clear eyes, "Third Sister, look at me."

Xie Lingxi looked up, her brows flushed. "Who are you calling?"

Liu Xu sighed helplessly, "Wanwan."

The two stared at each other for a long time. Xie Lingxi's eyes seemed to hold a lake of clear water, revealing no emotion.

"When I was little, my mother also called me Wanwan."

"After her older sister died, she stopped calling her that."

Liu Xu was surprised. Xie Lingxi actually had an older sister. No wonder she was the third child.

He saw the jade wine pot on the small table tilted precariously, picked it up and poured it out, only to find that not a single drop remained; it seemed that it had all fallen into the stomach of the person who was now lying on the bed.

Liu Xu called out in a deep voice, "Lingxi".

He responded from the bedside, "Mmm."

There was really no sign of drunkenness, only a flush on her face and a misty look in her usually clear eyes.

"Wanwan".

Xie Lingxi replied, "Mm."

"Can I call you Wanwan from now on?"

There was no response.

When Liu Xu looked back, he saw that the person was already curled up in bed, fast asleep.

This is a posture that needs to be protected.

The night watchman beat the drum, signaling that night had fallen. After some thought, Liu Xu helped Xie Lingxi remove her clothes, leaving her only in her white undergarments. He gently carried her into the quilt, while he himself found another quilt and slowly lay down on the outside of the bed.

The lotus flowers bloom quietly, and nothing happens throughout the night.

...

The next day, when Xie Lingxi woke up, Liu Xu was nowhere to be found.

She sat up and paused for a moment, unable to recall anything about what had happened the night before. She seemed to have drunk a few sips of water while waiting, and then Liu Xu came in and said a few words before morning arrived.

As for what those two sentences were, she couldn't remember.

After getting dressed, I went to the front hall and saw Liu Xu sitting at a small table by the pond, reading a book with some pastries on it.

He walked over and sat down, "Liu Lang."

Today she styled her hair in a butterfly bun, which was no different from usual, and wore a peach-red dress that rivaled the beauty of the lotus flowers.

Liu Xu still remembered what happened last night. He put down his book and looked at her calmly. "Wanwan, I have already ordered the preparation of lunch. Let's have some sweet cakes to fill our stomachs first."

Xie Lingxi had just taken a bite when she heard this and coughed twice, her eyes widening in surprise: "Cough cough!"

"What...did you call me?"

But Liu Xu raised an eyebrow: "Aren't you called Wanwan?"

How could he know—that childhood name?

Xie Lingxi put down the pastries, glanced at the people in the courtyard, and seeing that there were no maids or servants around, she suddenly stood up, took out a handkerchief and wiped her hands.

Although it was early summer, a slight chill emanated from him: "What did I say to you last night?"

This cold and indifferent demeanor is just like when we first met, concealing all tenderness, like a long-standing, chilling wind.

Liu Xu frowned and walked up to put his arm around her, but Xie Lingxi slapped him away, saying, "You've overstepped your bounds."

"Overstepping the bounds?"

"You mean last night?" Liu Xu's hand froze in mid-air after being slapped by her, but he still looked at her quietly, pausing for a moment. "Or now?"

Xie Lingxi's mind was in a daze for a moment; her lips moved, but she remained silent.

Her actions were all subconscious, and she was startled when she saw Liu Xu's hand being shaken off.

Seeing him approach again, she subconsciously took a few steps back to create distance between them before coldly saying, "You know perfectly well that our marriage is all pretense—"

Her face was cold and stern, and her lips were tightly pursed, as if this would prevent her from looking too disheveled.

"Oh, perhaps I haven't explained it clearly to you. I appreciate your kindness and will definitely repay your help. But from now on, we will just be strangers under the same roof. You will be promoted and have many children and grandchildren. I have no say in your affairs, and please don't meddle in mine."

Liu Xu said in a deep voice: "I'll get promoted and become rich? I'll have a house full of children and grandchildren?"

He said, "Is this really none of your business?"

"Yes, this marriage is indeed a pretense, but are the feelings and affection between us, our first meeting at Fragrant Hills Orchid Pavilion and Willow Cottage, all fake?"

"Was it also a lie that you wished me one day to have a boat to sail on, and to share the journey with others?"

These were originally warm memories, but now they feel like a torrential downpour in a flood, completely out of place.

Xie Lingxi didn't want to hear him continue. Her lips trembled, and she chuckled softly, "This world is inherently illusory."

She didn't know what had happened last night, but this feeling made her uncomfortable, especially when Liu Xu said "Wanwan".

Liu Xu was a sincere person who enjoyed understanding the anxieties of others.

But she refused to say.

Some unbearable memories of youth should be buried forever, and no one should try to stir them up. But once someone sees through them, it's as if a crack has been dug into your heart, and what feelings, promises, and camaraderie will follow are all unclear.

"I will move to a side courtyard tomorrow so as not to disturb Young Master Liu's refined taste."

Having said that, she looked at the bright sunshine before her, now shrouded in mist and rain, and realized she was merely a pebble left behind in this world, needing no connection with anyone else. With a flick of her sleeve and the swaying of lotus blossoms, she stiffly left her seat.

Just then, Liu Zhi came carrying a handful of freshly washed fruit. Seeing her back, I exclaimed, "Eh?"

"Why did my wife leave... What about this fruit..."

He noticed that Liu Xu was in a bad mood, with dark clouds hanging over him and his brows furrowed, as if he was suppressing his anger.

He spoke without any politeness: "You can eat it."

Having said that, he strode away.

...

The news of their argument spread like wildfire, and Xie Lingxi's sudden departure from the door sparked endless speculation.

She did not return to the Liu residence last night.

It should have been a time of newlywed bliss, and Liu Xu had even been granted a wedding leave by the emperor, but because of this matter, he struggled to postpone it for another day.

Hearing that Liu Xu had gone to Qilou today, she trusted his character and knew it wasn't for romantic matters. But even if he was lying in the arms of some beautiful women right now, it was none of her business anymore.

The wind was blowing fiercely in the suburbs, almost knocking over the flowers she had just picked for her sister during the day.

Xie Lingxi knelt quietly in front of a small grave, her hand trembling as she reached out to touch the child's inscription on the tombstone.

Even her brother was unaware of this pain, but Liu Xu revealed it in a single sentence.

He must know, Xie Lingxi thought.

I am an executioner.