Chapter 17 Estranged "From now on, I will hear Lang call me elder brother."...
She was stunned for a moment, but then she vaguely understood something.
Xie Chengyan was not surprised to see her. He slowly wiped away the remaining bloodstains on his sword, not even bothering to glance at the dead body on the ground.
He walked towards her step by step, his gaze fixed on her without wavering. There was none of his usual calmness; instead, there was a lingering murderous intent, chilling and menacing.
Shen Xi did not retreat or even move; instead, she calmly looked back.
However, Qingqiu, who was beside her, was frightened by Xie Chengyan's bloodthirsty and extremely oppressive aura. As he approached step by step, she couldn't help but take a few steps back and tightly grabbed Shenxi's arm.
When he got closer, he seemed to find the bloodstain in his sight annoying, and casually wiped it away with his fingertip, but his eyes did not leave Shen Xi.
He reeked of blood, and even up close, it was impossible to discern his usual ebony scent. Shen Xi couldn't help but frown. Xie Chengyan, seeing her reaction, finally stopped.
Having repeatedly stumbled upon his hidden side, Shen Xi decided to speak first: "Thank you, General..."
Xie Chengyan did not respond, but interrupted her: "I am a few years older than you. From now on, please call me elder brother."
I didn't expect him to bring this up suddenly.
It was clearly a more intimate way of addressing him, but Shen Xi always felt that he was more distant than before, keeping people at arm's length. There seemed to be an invisible wall between them, forcibly separating them, and she was ruthlessly stopped, not allowed to take a step closer.
Xie Chengyan's expression was cold and aloof, unlike before. He neither showed her the occasional care he had when she was his brother's wife, nor did he have the lustful desires that kept her trapped under his body all night.
Before she even noticed, Liang Tuo had already stood behind Xie Chengyan. Even the slow-witted Shen Xi could see clearly that this scene was deliberately meant for her to witness.
But why?
Shen Xi was puzzled.
But in the end, he lowered his eyes, no longer looking at Xie Chengyan, and whispered, "Brother."
At the end of the eighteenth year of the Taixing era, the largest winter snowfall in the capital hung in the air, silently swallowing the light, drifting echo of Shen Xi's voice, and finally quietly fell to the ground in the stillness.
Xie Chengyan didn't say anything more, but simply sent Liang Tuo to escort Shen Xi back to his residence.
Shen Xi couldn't help but turn around. The snow was getting heavier, and the snow on the ground was soaked by the spreading blood. But the person who started it all had already turned away, not giving her a second glance.
In fact, Shen Xi did not understand the purpose behind Xie Chengyan's actions today. She should not need him to use such methods to intimidate her, and she did not even know the person he killed.
After thinking about the whole thing from beginning to end, she still felt it was all inexplicable.
But she didn't ask any more questions, or even subtly inquire with Liang Tuo. She just stared at the swirling snow outside the car window and silently thought to herself, "Xie Chengyan seems to be in a bad mood today."
Shen Xi only got out of the carriage when it stopped in front of the Shen residence, but unexpectedly bumped into Shen Wangchen who had just returned.
He was dressed in an official robe with a brocade fox fur coat over it. As the wind and snow intensified, although a servant held an umbrella for him, snow inevitably fell on his shoulders.
She and Shen Wangchen exchanged a glance before she looked away.
Liang Tuo was only responsible for completing the tasks assigned by Xie Chengyan, so he didn't cause any trouble. After escorting Shen Xi safely to the Shen residence, he respectfully bowed and took his leave.
Shen Xi smiled and nodded: "Thank you, Vice General Liang, please take care on your journey."
Without lingering at the door, he led Qingqiu straight to his courtyard, ignoring the intense gaze behind him.
But Shen Wangchen did not do as she wished, and called out to her sharply, "Shen Xi!"
Shen Xi ignored him and kept walking forward.
"Stop right there!"
Disregarding all decorum, Shen Wangchen quickly caught up and blocked Shen Xi's path.
Shen Xi sighed helplessly: "What else does Big Brother want to do?"
Who was that person just now?
Shen Wangchen stared with bloodshot eyes, pressing him relentlessly for answers.
But this is clearly a rhetorical question.
Shen Xi also feigned ignorance: "Brother, are you referring to Deputy General Liang? If you don't even know him, how would I know?"
Xie Chengyan's achievements are outstanding, and countless people in the capital are watching him closely. Shen Wangchen must be one of them. How could he not recognize Xie Chengyan's deputy general?
"You... Ha, Xie Chengyan has only been back in the capital for a short time, and you've already hooked up with him again? Shen Xi, I really underestimated you."
Shen Wangchen spoke with such hatred, almost through gritted teeth, as he lowered his head and approached her step by step.
In the past, no matter how attentive Xie Wenlang was, as long as the Duke's mansion did not offer a betrothal or agree, there was still room for maneuver. But Xie Chengyan suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
Everyone in the capital knows that his attitude reflects the attitude of the Duke's mansion. The fact that he sent someone to escort Shen Xi back suggests that her marriage to the Duke's mansion is a done deal.
When Shen Wangchen thought about these things, he could no longer control his emotions.
Shen Xi frowned, took a step to avoid the shadow he cast, and inexplicably recalled Xie Chengyan's words.
elder brother?
That's fine, it just so happens that I can use his brother's name.
So she continued, "Brother, don't you know? General Xie is Erlang's older brother, and he will be my elder brother in the future. Is there anything wrong with him sending someone to bring me back?"
Hearing her address, Shen Wangchen's face grew even uglier: "You're an unmarried young lady, always hanging around with men outside the mansion. No wonder everyone in the mansion treats you badly. Why don't you learn your lesson?"
Shen Xi wasn't angry; instead, she chuckled lightly: "My elder brother knows better than anyone why I feel so cautious in the Shen residence, so why bother with this pretense?"
The smile didn't reach her eyes, but it clearly revealed a hint of disdain. Yet she could smile at everyone else, and even at Jiang Shi, who was always harsh on her, she could smile and accept it.
However, she was scolded and punished by Jiang, and it was he who pleaded for her.
She had a high fever that wouldn't break in the middle of the night. When her maid was stopped by Jiang and there was no way to get medical help, it was he who found a doctor and saved her life.
When she was unconscious and her life hung in the balance, it was still him who stayed by her door all night long, refusing to close his eyes.
But why is she so hostile towards herself?
Thinking about everything, Shen Wangchen felt a surge of anger: "That's your fault! You've never been willing to bow down and submit to me, not even for a moment!"
Shen Xi forced a cold laugh and questioned, "Give in? And then what? Let your elder brother do shady things?"
"What's so shameful about it? You know perfectly well that you're not of the Shen family bloodline..."
“Shen Wangchen!” Shen Xi interrupted him, her gaze resolute. “When will you finally see clearly that I will definitely marry Xie Wenlang, and no one can stop me?”
"Chen, Xi!"
Shen Wangchen took another step forward, but before he could retaliate, a voice suddenly rang out from behind him, stopping him.
"Chen'er!"
Looking back, it was Jiang Shi, dressed in a mink coat, her face quite solemn, looking at Shen Wangchen with a strong warning.
Shen Wangchen froze instantly, stammering, "Mother, I..."
Jiang Shi, her face grim, glanced at Shen Xi, snorted coldly, and called Shen Wangchen away: "Chen'er, come with me."
If looks could be sharp blades, Shen Xi would probably have been torn to pieces by Jiang's gaze.
It's unclear how much she overheard, but Shen Xi didn't care. Jiang was busy disciplining her own children, so what business was it of hers? She even got an excuse to get away.
Thus, Shen Xi shook off Shen Wangchen and returned to her room without any serious incident.
As night fell, the snow fell heavier and heavier, and by dusk, a thick layer of snow had accumulated on the ground.
The wind outside was biting cold, but Shen Xi, drowsy and wrapped in her blankets, drifted into a deep, warm dream.
This dream was just as strange as Xie Chengyan's during the day today, with no beginning or end.
A veil covered her eyes, and all she could see was a blood-red color, but it wasn't completely obscured; it was hazy, and she could still vaguely make out the outlines.
The next moment, someone leaned forward, his broad shoulders and back forcefully blocking her view, leaving her with only him in her eyes.
Through the misty red light, Shen Xi couldn't help but raise her hand to touch his face, subconsciously rubbing it with her fingertips.
He let her do as she pleased, letting out a few soft, pleasurable laughs. He leaned down and pressed his lips against hers, their breaths mingling, and continued to tease her as he moved downwards.
Shen Xi was provoked into a panic and couldn't help but kick him. In the process, he grabbed her ankle and pressed his nose against hers.
Instantly, I gasped.
He didn't remember how long it was before he straightened up, reached out and removed the red veil from her eyes, letting out a soft sigh.
"Good girl."
When Shen Xi opened her eyes, she found that all she could see was red. She looked up and saw red gauze curtains and dragon and phoenix candles by the bed. Only Xie Chengyan was a faint white figure in the middle of it all.
She was lost in thought, staring blankly at the traces of water remaining on his lips.
But Xie Chengyan reached out and covered her eyes again.
Before the light went completely dark, Shen Xi saw a coldness creep into his eyes, just like when he asked her to call him brother.
The next moment, a cold voice fell on his ear: "You shouldn't have believed me."
*
"Crack!"
With a sudden crash, shards of porcelain mixed with scalding tea splashed around Shen Wangchen, many of them hitting his taut hands and instantly burning them red. But he remained kneeling upright, motionless.
Before her stood Jiang Shi, her face contorted with rage. Her finger trembled as she pointed at Shen Wangchen, and she scolded him with exasperation, "I found so many excellent daughters for you to marry, but you didn't like any of them. You think you're so high and mighty? How could you be so blinded by that little vixen Shen Xi!"
Jiang Shi doted on this son, and usually couldn't hit or scold him. It was rare to see her so angry with Shen Wangchen. Liu Mama, who had served Jiang Shi for many years, quickly stopped her.
"Madam, please calm down. Look, your son's hands are all red from the heat. Can't you two sit down and talk things over properly?"
This time, Madam Jiang showed no mercy, shoving Liu Mama aside: "Make him kneel properly! I've poured so much effort and suffered so much to raise him to this age. And what has he done? He dares to joke about his own future! Shen Xi is, no matter what, your nominal sister! For a bastard child, what will the world say about you!"
Shen Wangchen knelt stiffly, his jaw clenched, and upon hearing this, he couldn't help but utter, "Mother..."
"Don't call me Mother!" Jiang Shi broke down, her legs went weak and she slumped into a chair. Her temples throbbed, and it took her a long time to catch her breath before she could continue speaking.
"Shen Guangjun has been making trouble for me for so many years because of that bitch surnamed Lin. I've endured all that hardship and finally waited for her to die, but I haven't even had many days of happiness. Now you want to anger me again because of her daughter. You father and son Shen are truly going too far!"
As she spoke, Jiang covered her face with her handkerchief, her voice choked with emotion, and two lines of tears unexpectedly fell down her cheeks.
When Aunt Lin died, she thought she had finally made it through. But she never imagined that after many years, the bastard child left behind by Aunt Lin would come back to harm her son.
Why can't she ever escape that Aunt Lin in her entire life?
Seeing the usually strong-willed Jiang Shi shed tears, Shen Wangchen's taut spine finally softened: "Mother, I know I was wrong."
A note from the author:
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I'm releasing two pre-orders, please, my lovely readers, add them to your favorites! [Please][Floppy-eared bunny head]
"She Won't Be the White Moonlight" [A sly, mad dog forcibly takes away a gentle married woman]
When Cheng Zhuoyan accompanied her husband to the capital for business, she inadvertently offended Lu Sui.
Lu Sui was the Marquis of Dingyuan in the current dynasty. At a young age, he became a close minister of the emperor, enjoying immense prestige and maintaining his integrity.
The only thing he looked at was his unexpectedly dark gaze.
It was only later that I learned that Lu Sui had been engaged to Meng Jingtang, the youngest daughter of Prince Duan. Unfortunately, the Prince's family was loyal and brave, and many years ago, the entire family died for their country, with no one surviving.
That person was the white moonlight in his heart.
And she looks exactly like Meng Jingtang.
She thought the two were just connected by a coincidence, but on the day she left the capital, Lu Sui used swift and decisive means to detain her husband.
In the dim light, Lu Sui leaned down and stroked her face inch by inch with his fingertips: "I can let him go, but you stay and be my wife."
"Keep me here because I look like her, right?"
Lu Sui's eyes churned, and the two fingers gripping her chin tightened suddenly: "No."
Cheng Zhuoyan naturally didn't believe it.
She knew that Lu Sui regarded Meng Jingtang as a celestial being in the clouds and the moon, while she was nothing but mud on the ground and roadside grass, contemptible and clumsy, not worthy of being presented on stage, and barely even a substitute.
But in the end, she was forced to submit to him.
From then on, he lowered his status and followed Lu Sui's preferences, forced to imitate Meng Jingtang's every move.
However, Lu Sui covered her eyes, his breath hot and his malice making her unbearable, but his tone was cold: "She's all form and no spirit. She's never been like this before."
*
Cheng Zhuoyan gritted her teeth, enduring all the ridicule for her poor imitation, and occasionally she would secretly pray: "Whether it is true or not, just forget about her."
Only then can she feel better.
Until one day, Lu Sui was drunk and, in his hazy state, he grabbed her wrist: "Mingyou, don't go."
Mingyou was Meng Jingtang's childhood name.
Meng Jingtang was ultimately a mountain she could never overcome.
After plotting for many days, Cheng Zhuoyan finally escaped from her prison and returned home to find her husband.
However, upon opening the long-awaited gate, one sees the Marquis's soldiers, their armor gleaming coldly against the snow, crowding the entire courtyard.
Behind the gleaming swords and spears, only one person stood with his hands behind his back, his face ashen—it was Lu Sui.
That night, the red candles flickered, her clothes were disheveled, and he gripped her ankle tightly as he leaned in, his eyes fierce.
"These legs are really disobedient."
"You care about him that much? Since you haven't learned your lesson, then tonight you'll use your body to remember who your husband is."
*
Lu Sui knew very well that every time Cheng Zhuoyan said "forget her," she was saying goodbye to him.
But he refused.
They could only be separated by death, not by life.
Consumption Guide:
1. Double C, he
2. Early on, it's a story of forceful acquisition; later, it's a dramatic tale of chasing after one's wife. Readers beware of this melodramatic plot.
3. The male and female leads are not perfect characters.
4. No stand-ins, always 1v1
--------------------------------
"The Queen Who Was Wrongly Seduced the Imperial Uncle" [Seduction & Forced Taking]
To outsiders, Xiao Yizhen, as a princess, had a close sibling relationship with the crown prince since childhood and enjoyed all the honors and favors.
Unfortunately, her identity was fake.
This royal secret is known to only two living people in the world.
One was her, and the other was the current emperor's younger brother, Xiao Zhuo.
Xiao Yizhen knelt down the steps, begging him to help keep the secret.
"Royal Uncle..."
Xiao Zhuo looked down at him with a cold gaze: "You still dare to call me Imperial Uncle? What, do you really think you're royalty?"
Having been caught red-handed, she avoided Xiao Zhuo like the plague, fearing she might displease him.
Until the Crown Prince, in order to win over the court, planned to request an imperial decree to marry her to Marquis Wei as his second wife. This man was over fifty years old, tyrannical and cruel, and had tortured his three wives to death.
With no other options, Xiao Yizhen decided to strike first and arranged for someone to secretly arrange a marriage to her, thus ruining the engagement.
After much deliberation, she finally found the one who was a bright, upright, and honest scholar who won her heart.
To seduce him, on a night of torrential rain, she wrapped her slender arms around the man in front of her, her voice trembling as she said, "Don't go, I'm scared."
In the darkness, the man froze, but did not leave.
Xiao Yizhen was secretly delighted.
But the next day, when she saw the man's face clearly, there was no third-place scholar at all. The person she had spent the night with was clearly her royal uncle, Xiao Zhuo.
Meeting that piercing and dangerous gaze, Xiao Yizhen knelt down tremblingly.
Since things have come to this point, we have no choice but to play along.
"I beg Your Majesty for mercy."
Xiao Zhuo's Adam's apple bobbed: "Come here."
*
Later, Xiao Yizhen's true identity was exposed. Contrary to the rule of royal blood, she was guilty of deceiving the emperor and was sentenced to death. She immediately left the capital.
Fortunately, the third-ranked scholar remained devoted to her, and the two decided to live in anonymity and rekindle their romance.
On their wedding night, the bridal chamber was empty.
Inside the grand red wedding tent of the Prince's mansion, silver bells jingled on her ankles as Xiao Yizhen was trapped beneath a man.
"It's because I've spoiled you too much that you've become so disobedient."
"Zhenzhen is playful and has forgotten her limits. It's okay, no matter where Zhenzhen runs away, I always have a thousand ways to catch you and bring you back, and then I'll discipline you slowly."
Consumption Guide:
① 1v1, both partners are virgins, happy ending
② Forced acquisition and robbery plot, melodramatic warning.
③The dynasty is fictional; please do not delve too deeply into its details.
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