Chapter 25 I am my brother. Xie Dang had a premonition. Something was going to happen tonight…
Thank you twice in one summer
It's Xie Pan.
It was Xie Pan.
He seemed to be constantly looking around, finally freezing when he saw her, then regaining his composure and walking quickly towards her.
He was so eager that he started running and stopped just in front of her.
Perhaps because of the snow on the ground, he slipped and almost bumped into her.
Seeing this, Xia Rushi raised her hand to help him up, but he grabbed her hand.
Both of his hands were gripped tightly.
He was breathing heavily, staring straight into her eyes.
Actually, Xia Ru was in a very bad mood just now.
The furnishings in that small courtyard on the outskirts of the capital were exactly the same as those in her original main room in the Marquis's mansion.
How ironic.
What did Xie Dang take her for?
Was it all just her illusion that she had been treated like a precious treasure for so many years?
If it's fake, then what is real?
Xia Rushi felt a sense of bewilderment.
Xie Pan tightened his grip on her hand slightly, and Xia Rushi finally came to her senses and asked him, "Why are you here?"
Xie Pan's throat bobbed, his voice hoarse, "I'm afraid you won't come home."
Home?
Xia Ru smiled softly, but tears welled up in her eyes.
Home?
The Marquis's mansion was no longer her home.
Xie Pan seemed to know her thoughts perfectly, and hurriedly said, "Tingzhuxuan is your home."
His gaze was full of earnestness as he looked at her. "This is our home."
"Our home?"
She chuckled softly, a sound that was both mocking and sarcastic.
Xie Pan was stunned. He swallowed hard. "Then let's go somewhere else."
Xia Ru looked at him, "Didn't you say you were going home, or somewhere else?"
He had so much to say but couldn't find the words. Xie Pan hated himself for being so tongue-tied.
"Home is wherever you are."
Suddenly, Xia Rushi smiled.
This time, his laughter was genuine.
Her gaze swept over his head, which was covered in snow, and she raised her hand to brush it away.
Then she took his hand in return and said, "Let's go, let's find somewhere to go."
She was exhausted tonight and had no desire to return to the Marquis of Zhongwu's residence. The mere thought of going back, with her old courtyard just a wall away from Tingzhu Pavilion, made her feel nauseous.
How disgusting.
How disgusting!
Meanwhile, Xie Dang was still awake.
Most of the mansion was brightly lit, and no one was asleep.
Only Shian Garden remained relatively peaceful and was not caught up in this turmoil.
Xie Dang's eyes were like copper bells, showing no sign of fatigue.
For the first time, he resented how large the Marquis's mansion was, as people could hide anywhere!
How many people would dare to hide Jia'er?
Xie Dang turned around and went to Shi'an Garden.
Not wanting to wake his mother, he simply ordered his men to surround Shian Garden, lifted his robes, and sat down on the ground at the entrance of Shian Garden!
On the other end.
Xie Pan took Xia Rushi to a courtyard.
It was the residence of a high-ranking official from the previous dynasty. Xie Pan recently emptied his savings and borrowed a lot of money from friends to buy it with great difficulty.
Although smaller than the Marquis's mansion, it could be a neat and unique courtyard if renovated.
He didn't want to wrong her.
She also blamed herself for being incompetent and not being good enough to her.
If he had known this day would come, he would not have stayed by her side; he would have gone to the frontier to risk his life for military merit!
He led her in, and Xie Pan watched her carefully. Seeing her looking around, his heart also tightened.
"Do you like it?" He was extremely nervous.
Xia Ru smiled at him upon hearing this, revealing a particularly charming dimple at the corner of her lips.
But he did not answer.
This left Xie Pan feeling uneasy and uncertain.
What does this mean?
Do you like it or not?
The house was empty and there were no servants to attend to it, so Xie Pan went to boil water for her.
Just like when he was still listening to Zhuxuan, he boiled hot water, mixed it with cold water, and brought the basin to her to wash up.
Just like when she was recovering from her illness, he took care of her.
The Marquis's mansion is too powerful. Xia Ru doesn't think Xie Pan would break ties with Xie Dang for his own sake and for the Marquis's mansion.
Not to mention that Xie Pan has been working under Xie Dang for many years.
This is nothing but a fleeting, illusory tenderness.
Exhausted from tossing and turning all night, Xia Rushi lay down on the bed and was about to fall asleep.
A moment later, noticing Xie Pan lying beside him with a chill, he became bolder than usual and grabbed her fingers.
She was exhausted, but she couldn't fall asleep even with her eyes closed.
After a long while, she opened her eyes and looked to the side. By the moonlight, she carefully looked at Xie Pan's sleeping face and quietly reached out to touch his cheek.
Let it end like this.
After they've walked this path, they should go their separate ways.
These peaceful and warm days will only last a few more days.
More than a year passed in a daze, and she had actually gotten used to him being by her side.
Xia Rushi pressed her face against his chest and closed her eyes again.
Lost in her own thoughts, she didn't notice that Xie Pan's eyelashes trembled just like his flustered heart.
-
The first rays of sunlight shone down in the early morning.
As soon as the gate of Shi'an Garden opened, Xie Dang strode in and told Granny An that he wanted to pay his respects to his mother.
Granny An was taken aback. The old lady hadn't even washed up yet, so why was she asking for something?
By this time, Xie Dang had already arrived at the entrance of the main building of Shi'an Garden.
"Mother?"
He called out softly.
Inside the room, the old lady sat in front of her dressing table. After the maidservant put a silver hairpin in her hair, she walked towards the door.
It was chilly outside, so the maid quickly wrapped a cloak around the old lady before opening the door.
As soon as the door opened, a gust of cold wind swirled and blew out the warmth from inside the room.
The old lady looked at her handsome, refined, and powerful son and sighed inwardly, "Why did he arrive so early?"
Xie Dang was tall and robust. He glanced inside past the old lady and then lowered his eyes. "Your son has come to see you."
The old lady laughed, but did not continue on his words. Instead, she asked, "I heard that you turned the entire Marquis's mansion upside down last night."
Xie Dang remained silent.
Old lady: "Have you found the person you're looking for?"
Upon hearing this, Xie Dang suddenly looked up at his mother.
The old lady didn't look at him; her aged but still clear eyes gazed at the distant dawn. "Now that the mistress of the Marquis's mansion is dead, who are you searching for, my son?"
Xie Dang's lips suddenly trembled, and he turned his face away. "Did Mother already know she was in the manor?"
The old lady looked at the son she had raised herself and asked, seemingly out of curiosity, "Why does Your Excellency want to know this? Then I would also like to ask Your Excellency, in your reckless search for this person, where have you placed the one hidden outside?"
Xie Dang froze, not expecting his mother to know. He quickly explained, "Mother, it's not what you think about me and her."
The old lady looked at him with extreme disappointment and gently shook her head. "Does what I think matter, my lord? The important person has already lost her heart to you. Don't look for her anymore."
Xie Dang refused, his neck stiffening, just like when he was a child and stubborn.
Just as Xie Dang turned to flee in panic, he heard his mother's question behind him, a question that sounded both sorrowful and lamenting.
"Is it worth parting ways with your wife for that man?"
Xie Dang didn't know how he got back to his courtyard.
Their courtyard is still exactly as it was when Jia'er was here.
Jia'er has a great appreciation for life; her yard is filled with flowers, plants, fish, and stones.
He hadn't slept all night in the cold wind; even an iron body couldn't withstand it. He clenched his fist, covered his mouth, and coughed softly twice.
The servant hurried to pour hot tea.
Xie Dang held a cup of hot tea, the rising steam making his eyes burn.
If Jia'er were there, she would make him ginger soup and pull his ear to ask if he would know to wear more clothes next time. She would tease him and say that she would not want him to get cold.
"Check if the young master is in the manor. If he is, go and invite him here."
He came to his senses and said to the servants.
As luck would have it, Xie Lang was there.
Before long, he followed the servants to the main courtyard of the Marquis's residence.
In the study.
Xie Lang remained expressionless, fiddling with the jade pendant between his fingers.
Ever since Liu Qingqing's fate became unknown, he seemed to have become a different person. He no longer bothered to pretend in front of others, and the same was true in the mansion.
Xie Dang's anger surged, and he slammed his hand on the rosewood table, making it tremble. He pointed at Xie Lang, "Since you knew, why didn't you tell me?"
Xie Lang glanced at him coolly, "Your son outside has already come knocking on our door."
Under Xie Dang's astonished gaze, Xie Lang continued, "More than once."
He paused slightly, then said, "Father, do you know if Mother knows anything about the people you've been keeping outside? Have they come to Mother's side?"
Xie Lang suddenly thought of Liu Qingqing.
He was a man of integrity and treated Liu Qingqing fairly well, yet he still broke her heart.
What about the father?
How heartbroken the mother must be...
"Xie Wanyan and I are both married. If you and Mother divorce, our family will be divided in two."
Xie Dang's pupils dilated. His throat was dry, and he asked a pointless question, "How can it be divided in two?"
Xie Lang raised an eyebrow, and without hesitation stabbed his father in the heart, "Of course, Father is one, and we are another."
"Father",
Xie Lang stopped abruptly as he was about to leave, without turning back, as if sighing, "Mother must have been very sad at the time. I wonder if Mother... cried?"
Xie Dang seemed frozen in place by the cold wind and snow, as if his bones had been pulled out. He stood there stunned, raising his hand to cover his face, which was full of regret.
Xie Dang did not give up.
Strangely, after searching the mansion several times, nothing seemed amiss. Even after gathering all the servants and questioning them one by one, no unfamiliar faces could be found.
He then realized with a start that if he didn't want to be found, he wouldn't be able to find anyone even in this small mansion.
During the day, Xie Dang still had to go to the yamen (government office) or the camp in the suburbs of Beijing.
He could only return to the Marquis's residence at night.
After days of turmoil, rumors have spread throughout the capital that the Marquis's residence seems to have been spies hidden there, which the Marquis has discovered.
The Marquis was about to drag out the hidden spies!
This caused quite a stir, even the Regent asked about it twice.
Another day, Xie Dang finished his official business and hurriedly returned to the Marquis's residence.
Even if he didn't know where she was hiding, as long as he knew she was in the Marquis's residence, the Marquis's residence became the same as before in Xie Dang's eyes, making him feel a longing to return.
After leaving the military tent, Xie Dang took the reins from the deputy general and mounted his horse with ease.
The clatter of hooves blew the hair up.
His steed hadn't gone far when he spotted a familiar figure ahead.
Upon closer inspection, it was Xie Pan.
He then realized that he hadn't seen Xie Pan much these past two days.
Moreover, Xie Pan rarely returned to the Marquis's residence, preferring to eat and live with his subordinates in the camp. Why has he been returning to the residence so often lately?
Xie Dang usually didn't care about his half-brother's life, nor did he know where he would go after finishing his official duties.
He slowed down and asked his deputy, "How long has Xie Pan been making this round trip every day?"
The lieutenant's mouth was filled with snow and wind. He thought for a moment, then quickly replied, "It must have been more than a year."
More than a year?
Xie Dang's mind stirred, and the suspicions that had been suppressed a few days ago resurfaced.
He was aware that Xie Pan had been in love with Jia'er when they were young.
Can.
Where did Xie Pan get the guts?
Xie Dang narrowed his eyes and saw Xie Pan drive his horse into the city, but not towards the Marquis's residence.
He followed quietly.
Xie Dang had a premonition.
Something will happen tonight.
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Author's Note: Next Chapter Preview:
Lin was so engrossed in the moment that she began to provoke Xia Rushi, saying, "Your Highness's place is truly magnificent, it makes one very happy."
In the shadows, Xie Dang hurriedly looked at Jia'er. Seeing Jia'er's expressionless face, his heart sank and his brow twitched.
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