The sound of a woman's calm breathing reached my ears.
She was very restless when she slept; her twisting and turning body was like torture, something he had experienced before.
He Jingyan breathed heavily, each breath hot and burning.
He simply couldn't understand why his wife, who loved him, wouldn't let him wake up.
How ugly must she be to be afraid to open her eyes and see her face?
Yes, a woman with such boldness must not be a lady from a noble family, but a rough country bumpkin.
After all, where would a lady from a respectable family be willing to marry a living dead man for good luck?
And the calluses on her hands...
She probably toiled in the fields, her appearance resembling that of the military generals in his camp—a leopard's head, piercing eyes, a swallow's jaw, and a tiger's beard.
He Jingyan thought with some fear, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down.
So be it. Since she is his wife, and things have come to this, his innocence has already been taken away by her. No matter what she looks like, he will accept it.
With a beautiful woman in his arms, the vigorous young general spent another sleepless night.
As soon as it was light, Song Xizhi got up feeling refreshed.
She stretched lazily, then carefully pushed away He Jingyan's embrace and got out of bed.
When Song Xizhi inadvertently caught a glimpse of her husband's somewhat pale face, a hint of doubt arose in her eyes.
"I didn't do anything to you last night, so why do you look so listless now, like you've been drained of all your energy?"
She quickly took He Jingyan's pulse to make sure he was alright before changing her clothes and taking a carriage to the Su family.
As for the jade pendant, because of the strange attitude of the bronze, she did not wear it with her or show it to others.
Instead, he kept it close to his body, inside his clothes.
The Marquis of Anding's residence and the Su residence were not far apart; the carriage arrived at the gate of the Su residence in no time.
Song Ruoan, supported by Granny Wu, got off the carriage and saw that someone was already waiting at the door.
The frail woman was wearing a lake-blue jacket and skirt, and a white fox fur cloak. She was leaning against the doorway, looking around.
This is Bai Tan, the older sister of Ah Lian.
Bai Tan was a name given to him by his maternal uncle.
"Miss, you've arrived."
When she saw Song Xizhi, a smile appeared on her originally thin face. She hurriedly took Song Xizhi from Wu Mama's hands and respectfully helped her step over the threshold.
"It's cold. Why are you standing guard at the door all by yourself? I can come in by myself."
Bai Tan lowered her head somewhat embarrassedly: "Young Master said so too, but this servant just wanted to come and greet you first."
Song Xizhi looked at her with a smile. Her long, narrow eyelashes were lowered, like black feathers. A section of her white, porcelain-like neck was exposed where the cloak did not cover her. Her smooth, fair face blushed slightly from the slight movement.
If you look closely, you can see from Bai Tan's eyebrows and eyes that she resembles a certain person.
Song Xizhi thought for a moment, then lowered his gaze, took her hand in his, and said, "You don't need to call yourself a servant. You haven't sold yourself into slavery; you're just staying temporarily at the Su residence."
"And the reason I healed you was not out of pity or sympathy, but because I made a deal with your sister."
Bai Tan's eyes reddened at the mention of her younger sister: "I know, Miss. But everything in the Su family is wonderful, as wonderful as a dream. This is something that cannot be compensated for by a transaction."
"I just want to do what I can to repay you."
Song Xizhi patted her hand: "Did you receive the money I gave you before?"
Bai Tan nodded, hesitated for a moment before finally asking, "I received it. How is my sister...?"
Song Xizhi smiled and patted her hand: "She's doing well and always thinking about you, so you should take better care of yourself."
As they talked, Bai Tan led her to Madam Su's Nian'an Hall.
Before she even stepped across the threshold, she smelled an irresistible aroma.
Sure enough, upon entering the hall, one could see a banquet set up inside, with a dazzling array of delicacies laid out.
The dishes were all freshly cooked, and the steaming hot vapor was still rising directly onto people's faces.
The eldest uncle's two children were chattering away in the house, while the youngest uncle, dressed in white and wearing a jade crown, sat in a chair, testing their studies.
Su Mingli looked up and immediately saw Song Xizhi standing at the door. His eyes lit up with a smile. He patted the two boys' bottoms and said, "Call her 'big sister' quickly."
Su Zhongyi and Su Zhongxuan, who were only five and eight years old respectively, bowed respectfully to Song Xizhi, saying, "Elder sister."
Thinking of their past lives, where they starved to death on the road to exile, Song Xizhi's eyes welled up slightly. She stepped forward and hugged the two small figures, saying, "Sister is here."
The unprecedented liveliness, something he had never experienced in his previous life, left Song Xizhi somewhat dazed at this moment.
She composed herself, wiped away her tears, and slowly stood up. "What a wonderful day it is today that such a lavish feast has been prepared?"
Upon hearing the sound, Madam Su hurriedly came out of the hall and grasped Song Xizhi's hand: "Zhizhi, you've arrived. Why didn't someone come and announce your arrival so I could come out to meet you?"
Song Xizhi smiled as he held Bai Tan's hand, "No need for you, you see, someone is already thinking of me."
At this moment, Su Shaoyuan strode across the threshold and walked to Song Xizhi's side: "Oh, Zhizhi, you're still as greedy as you were when you were a child. Knowing that there was a banquet, you rushed over early this morning."
Upon hearing this, Song Xizhi disagreed: "That's not it. I got up very early and came to the Su residence because I was worried about my uncle's health."
"I had no idea what happy occasion the Su family had that warranted such a large banquet, with my eldest uncle and aunt also present!"
Upon hearing this, Su Shaoyuan smiled mysteriously: "Happy news? You should ask your uncle!"
Su Mingli did not answer, but instead bent down and pulled out a round stool for Song Xizhi to sit down: "Since you're all here, please sit down. Bai Tan, you sit down too."
"My brother and sister-in-law will be here soon. This feast is to express our gratitude to Zhizhi."
"As for that matter... it's still in its infancy."
As soon as he finished speaking, Su Shaoyuan winked at him and said, "Why are you hiding this from others, especially from your niece? Lord Xin said that things are almost settled."
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