Chapter 5, Heart-to-Heart Talk, is truly a beautiful scene.
Extra five
Having now faced life and death together, the two no longer pondered things as much as before.
Liu Qingqing was curious about what was wrong with this person all of a sudden, as he seemed preoccupied.
He didn't say anything, and she didn't ask, to see how long he could keep it to himself.
Sure enough, after only two days, Xie Lang couldn't hold back any longer.
The two spent the night together in the main room; Xie Lang read some travelogues, while Liu Qingqing looked at the account books.
The flickering candlelight cast her shadow on him.
Xie Lang secretly touched the cheek of her shadow with his fingertip, feeling a sense of unease.
"Go to sleep."
She suddenly said.
Xie Lang naturally got off the bed, blew out the candle, and pulled her into his arms after lifting the brocade quilt.
Liu Qingqing nestled in his arms as usual, and soon felt him bury his face in the crook of her neck again.
She didn't know when he started to like this gesture so much, as if the two of them were intertwined and inlaid together.
He silently hugged her tighter. Liu Qingqing stroked his cheek and prepared to sleep.
Xie Lang wouldn't have it. Just as she was about to pull her hand away, he thrust his face forward, letting her keep touching him.
"Did something happen?"
Liu Qingqing asked with concern.
Xie Lang has lost a lot of weight recently; the weight he had painstakingly gained since returning from the frontier has almost completely disappeared.
Suddenly feeling the fabric on her shoulder become damp, Liu Qingqing froze, turned over in disbelief, and cupped his face in her hands. Sure enough, Xie Lang's handsome and otherworldly face had a pair of phoenix eyes that burned like fire in the night.
"What's wrong?" she asked in a low voice.
Xie Lang leaned forward, gently rubbing his nose against hers, then down to her lips. He continued down, letting her warm lips touch his slightly burning eyes.
Xie Lang didn't know how to express his panic.
He knew it made no sense, yet he also found it terrifying.
Liu Qingqing patiently hugged him back, and Xie Lang finally calmed down a bit, telling her what he had been thinking about recently.
Liu Qingqing listened carefully, feeling both amused and exasperated.
He was terrified when he thought she was pregnant and imagined that she would become pregnant in the future.
"It's not that easy to get pregnant."
Liu Qingqing chuckled, "I caught a chill at the Liu residence before, so I might not be able to conceive."
Perhaps because life had been too sweet lately, she hadn't thought about the past for a long time. Suddenly remembering this matter, she asked him tentatively, "If I couldn't have children, would you take a concubine?"
Xie Lang looked up at her.
Liu Qingqing composed herself and said to herself, "If that's the case, I can tolerate people."
Upon hearing this, Xie Lang suddenly scoffed and flipped over to recount what had happened before, "I don't know who it was that, on the first meeting after their marriage, smelled a strange fragrance on me and rushed back aggressively to ask me if I wanted to take a concubine."
Recalling that day, her fiery eyes, Xie Lang's voice carried a hint of amusement, "So domineering, yet so tolerant?"
He brought up that past incident, and as soon as he mentioned it, Liu Qingqing remembered it. Her fair cheeks instantly turned bright red in the night, and she angrily pushed him away with both hands and feet, "Then why did you bring it up! Why did you bring it up!"
The force was so great it almost kicked him off the bed.
"What a temper!"
Hearing Xie Lang say this, Liu Qingqing was about to get angry when she heard him say with a hint of pride, "As expected of the lady I have chosen."
Seeing her stiffen, Xie Lang knew when to stop and quickly moved back from the bedside to hug her again. "Don't mention it, don't mention it. It was all fake. I was just talking nonsense in my dream, okay?"
Liu Qingqing glared at him, her cheeks puffed out in anger.
But seeing the emptiness and panic that he couldn't hide in his eyes, she thought for a moment, "Let's just let things take their course."
Xie Lang nodded, and the two exchanged a few more words before falling asleep in each other's arms.
After her breathing stabilized, Xie Lang opened his eyes, which were completely devoid of any sleepiness.
He could tell that she didn't not want children, but when he thought of the pills Liu Qingqing had taken before, his heart ached.
So when Xie Lang woke up the next day, he secretly went to find the family physician.
Upon hearing Xie Lang's request, the physician was greatly alarmed.
"These days, they're all medicines for women?"
Xie Lang said impatiently, "Then you should make some food for men."
The physician exclaimed in astonishment, "But every medicine has some degree of toxicity."
Xie Lang was still patient, but upon hearing this, his face turned cold. "Then the woman won't be poisoned after eating it?"
After saying that, he suddenly turned around.
When Xie Lang arrived at the yamen, he was still angry.
After much deliberation, Wei Mingzhao went to the Embroidered Uniform Guard. He had just finished interrogating someone and was covered in blood.
I was getting ready to change clothes in my room when the door was pushed open.
Wei Mingzhao shuddered in fright, quickly clutching his clothes. He only breathed a sigh of relief when he turned around and saw that it was Xie Lang.
Xie Wanyan treasured his flesh like a precious gem. She made a harsh statement, saying that she wouldn't stay with him even if others saw him, let alone let anyone else touch him!
That scared him to death!
Why are you being so hesitant?
Xie Lang noticed that Wei Mingzhao seemed to be neither taking off nor putting on his clothes.
Wei Mingzhao glared at him, "I like it this way."
Xie Lang was surprised, but said nothing.
He seems to enjoy being covered in filth and blood; is this person insane?
When Xie Lang brought up other matters, Wei Mingzhao said, "I do have a way. I'll find you a box."
"Why didn't you use it?" Xie Lang asked.
Wei Mingzhao's face turned red and white upon hearing this. How could he explain that Xie Wanyan found it uncomfortable?
Xie Lang walked to the door, then came back. "What do you think about medicine for men?"
Wei Mingzhao's eyes lit up upon hearing this, "That's wonderful!"
His wife is using this to keep him from touching it too much!
Before his shift ended, Wei Mingzhao sent someone to deliver the box.
Xie Lang opened the box and looked inside, then frowned.
I tried it that very night.
Several of them are broken!
The two were left in an awkward position, and Xie Lang's forehead veins bulged as he finally understood why Wei Mingzhao had hesitated to speak that day.
"Then there's no need."
Liu Qingqing put her arm around his shoulder and pulled him closer.
The next day was a day off, and Liu Qingqing woke up late because of her antics the night before.
When Xie Lang returned to Jialan Garden after going to the martial arts training ground early in the morning, she was still asleep. Afraid of disturbing her, Xie Lang took a bath in the study to cleanse himself.
When Xie Lang returned, she was still fast asleep. He walked to the bedside, squatted down, and quietly looked at her peaceful sleeping face.
Her face was a bit fuller than before, rosy, and her lips... were a little swollen. Looking further down, there were marks he had left on her smooth body. Perhaps it was due to age, but Liu Qingqing, like a ripe peach, had changed noticeably.
Xie Lang gazed at her with adoring eyes.
When she woke up, he always restrained himself and dared not look at her like that.
I was afraid of scaring her.
My heart suddenly felt turbulent.
Does she prefer the gentleman Xie Lang of the past, or the Xie Lang of today?
Xie Lang gently touched her brow.
When she woke up, they went for a stroll in the market together.
Xie Lang was busy and hadn't had much time to explore before. Not to mention the various tasks piled up after returning from the frontier.
What a coincidence that I ran into that old man today.
The old man selling candied hawthorns recognized Xie Lang, and then quickly glanced at the pretty young woman beside the man.
The old man was very perceptive. He took out two bright red candied hawthorns and handed them to the two guests. "I am grateful that you bought them all the other day, which saved my family from an emergency. Today, I would like to invite you two esteemed guests to have some. Please do not find them too cheap."
Liu Qingqing glanced at Xie Lang, and in a daze, she remembered that day. She took the bag and said, "Uncle Xie."
After bidding farewell to the old man, he and Liu Qingqing went to a private room at Jialanju to order dishes. While waiting for the food to be served, Xie Lang told her, went downstairs, left Jialanju, crossed the street, and went to the silver shop across the street.
As Liu Qingqing ate the candied hawthorn, she bit through the hard sugar shell, and the sugar crumbs mixed with the sour fruit pulp clung to her tongue, instantly waking her up with a tangy sensation.
They were almost finished serving the dishes, but Xie Lang still hadn't returned.
Curious, she went to the window and looked around, and then she saw his figure in the jewelry store across the street.
Two young women surrounded him, and they were talking about something, their faces flushed with embarrassment.
Liu Qingqing narrowed her eyes, put down the candied hawthorn and stopped eating.
A moment later, Xie Lang emerged from the silver shop, carrying an exquisite wooden box. Just as he was about to look up, Liu Qingqing took a step back.
Xie Lang could only see a second-floor private room with a window slightly ajar.
Xie Lang curved his lips into a smile, then his gaze darkened slightly as he thought of that day in the past.
I've heard that General Ying is now a hot commodity among the noble ladies of various families. I wonder how busy he has been lately?
I feel that we should prepare some surprises for General Ying.
We should always keep busy to make the most of spring.
Once upstairs, we pushed open the door to the private room, and all the dishes had already been served.
The squirrel-shaped mandarin fish was still steaming hot, full of life.
Xie Lang sat down beside her, glanced at the candied hawthorn that had only been eaten a few times, and frowned.
Something feels off.
Sure enough, Liu Qingqing seemed preoccupied during the meal, remaining silent and eating without making a sound.
However, Xie Lang would politely thank her when he served her food.
Why should they thank each other?
Xie Lang observed her expression, but when he thought of the gift he was going to give her later, his heart warmed.
The meal was not what he had imagined. He could clearly hear her and Ying Yucheng laughing!
However, Xie Lang reassured himself that perhaps the dishes today were not to his liking.
"But where does it hurt?"
Liu Qingqing shook her head.
"How about we look around some more?"
Upon hearing this, Liu Qingqing looked up at him and scrutinized him for a long time.
When that complex gaze almost made Xie Lang's scalp tingle, she nodded.
For some reason, I suddenly felt down.
Along the way, Xie Lang frequently observed her expression, only to find her listless with her eyes downcast, as if she had something on her mind.
"Or should we go back to the manor?"
Liu Qingqing grabbed his hand and asked him where he was going.
Xie Lang said, "Let's go boating on the lake."
Liu Qingqing had never been to the lake before, but she was already quite interested.
When she arrived at the lake, she expected a painted boat to be waiting for her, as Xie Lang had intended, but instead she saw only a small, graceful boat.
It wasn't exactly a small boat; it was a brand-new awning boat.
Upon seeing the two approach, the boatman immediately disembarked. But by the time Xie Lang took the pole, the boatman had already left.
Under Liu Qingqing's astonished gaze, Xie Lang braced his long arms against the wooden pole, and with a forceful push, the awning boat left the shore.
Liu Qingqing found it fascinating and looked around.
Then he steered the boat into the tall lotus grove.
The surrounding area is filled with huge lotus leaves and temporarily blooming flowers.
The faint sound of water, the croaking of frogs, and him standing before me.
Xie Lang returned to the cabin, sat down opposite her, and took her hand. "Now you can tell me, why are you suddenly unhappy?"
Liu Qingqing hooked her fingers around his and suddenly said, "Even if I can't have children, you are not allowed to take a concubine."
She felt a tightness in her chest, a stifling sensation. "If you really want a child, but I can't have one, then we should part ways amicably."
Before Xie Lang could even feel happy, she heard her red lips utter the cold words, "Let's part ways amicably."
What a fine parting of ways.
Xie Lang pulled her over, "Qingqing, you have such a sharp tongue, it's so infuriating."
He narrowed his slightly reddened phoenix eyes. "I'm different."
After saying that, he lifted her skirt.
The light boat on the lake swayed gently with the ripples.
The faint, delicate sounds were masked by the swaying of the lotus leaves and the gurgling of the water.
What a beautiful spring day!
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Author's Note: Next Chapter Preview:
"My legs are sore, so I need to move around more to help them heal faster."
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