Chapter 37 "Husband, give it to me..."
Shen Xi placed her palm on the hand at her waist, her turbulent emotions gradually calming down, though her lips remained tightly pursed.
Seeing that she remained silent, Shen Guangjun sighed slowly and carefully began to speak.
“Xi’er, Chen’er’s condition has improved considerably these past few days. His previous madness has been brought under control, and the doctor says he’ll be back to normal in a few days. However…”
In the end, he paused, looked away, unsure how to continue.
But Madam Jiang was unwilling to delay any longer and said directly, "Xi'er, Chen'er keeps calling your name. He looks for you as soon as he opens his eyes. You two siblings have always had a good relationship. Since you are returning to your parents' home today, why not go and see him? Who knows, when Chen'er sees you, everything will be alright."
So that's where she was waiting.
Shen Xi couldn't help but find it laughable. How could Jiang Shi not know what Shen Wangchen's feelings for her were? Now that he was saying such hypocritical words, who could he possibly fool?
Seeing the feigned kindness in Jiang's eyes, she refused without hesitation: "Mother, if my elder brother wants to recover, he should see a doctor. I've never even read a medical book, so what use would it be for me to see him?"
Jiang's expression changed slightly. She wanted to reprimand him, but after glancing at the people guarding Shen Xi, she swallowed her words.
With a forced smile, she rarely lowered her guard, and persisted, "Xi'er, that's not how it works. Chen'er might be suffering from a mental illness."
Shen Xi chuckled softly, but the smile didn't reach her eyes: "My elder brother's heartache is no longer my concern. Mother, perhaps you should think of another way."
Having said that, he turned around and stepped out of the gate of the Shen Mansion.
"Shen Xi!"
Shen Guangjun, however, stopped her with a stern face: "It's just to see your older brother, why are you making such a fuss?"
"Father……"
Shen Xi felt it was absurd. When did she become someone worth remembering, someone who made them repeatedly order her to see Shen Wangchen?
Besides, she and Shen Wangchen had nothing to do with each other.
Before Shen Xi could say another word, a glance from the corner of her eye revealed that Shen Wangchen was being helped by servants to stand at the end of the corridor.
Through the gradually sweltering heat of early summer, she suddenly made out the figure.
After a long absence, Shen Wangchen had become much thinner from the torment, his cheekbones protruding, his body emaciated, and his robes hanging loosely on his body when the wind blew by.
She almost didn't recognize her.
Only those sinister eyes remained unchanged, staring straight at her.
Indeed, as Shen Guangjun said, his eyes were now clear, and he was no longer as mad as before.
His dark pupils stared unblinkingly at Shen Xi, with a hint of obsession.
Shen Xi happened to meet that gaze directly, and the scene on Chengyang Mountain instantly swept through her mind: heavy breathing, a chaotic mind, and... a despairing helplessness.
A long-lost feeling of nausea welled up in her throat, and Shen Xi's face turned pale instantly. She subconsciously gagged and hurriedly covered her mouth.
But Jiang and Shen Guangjun were oblivious to her reaction, and even tried to grab her hand: "Xi'er, look, your brother is right there, go and see him."
"Xi'er, go see your older brother."
"elder sister……"
Every word fell into Shen Xi's ears as if a sharp blade were piercing his body, as if it would not stop until a layer of flesh was scraped off.
Everyone is pressuring her.
A familiar sense of powerlessness enveloped her, like sticky, inescapable sludge that clung to her like a shadow, never letting her escape.
Shen Xi felt dizzy and bent over, trying to suppress the churning in her stomach.
But a strong arm steadied her in time. Without any hesitation, with a slight pull, he drew her into his embrace, the man's usual ebony scent filling her nostrils and invading her heart and lungs.
In just a moment, it took over her mind, dispelling the nausea and discomfort. All that remained before her eyes was Xie Chengyan's warm chest, and she couldn't help but slowly close her eyes.
"Xi'er?"
The familiar, cool voice brought a sense of reassurance.
Shen Xi raised her hand and grabbed Xie Chengyan's sleeve, burying her head in his arms, refusing to look back at any member of the Shen family, her voice trembling: "Husband... take me away."
Xie Chengyan paused for a moment at the address, then pulled the person tightly into his arms.
In an instant, his sharp gaze swept over the Shen family members, and he said coldly, "Xi'er is not feeling well and it is inconvenient for her to stay any longer. I will take her back first."
"But……"
Shen Wan hadn't grasped the situation and wanted to speak up again to dissuade him, but Xie Chengyan's gaze was cold and ruthless, devoid of any emotion, as if he were looking at a lifeless object. She immediately fell silent and dared not say another word.
Xie Chengyan held Shen Xi in his arms, glanced around, and finally fixed his gaze on Shen Wangchen in the distance, his expression cold and indifferent.
In the instant their eyes met, Shen Wangchen seemed to remember something, and suddenly became agitated, his eyes widening as he pointed at Xie Chengyan: "It's him! He's definitely not a good person, he harbors ulterior motives! Xi'er, you can't trust him! You can't trust him!"
His words startled everyone, and fearing they might anger Xie Chengyan, they hurriedly and hastily took the person back.
Xie Chengyan glanced at him coldly and said casually, "It seems that his condition has not improved much. Rather than seeing Xi'er, it would be better to let him see a doctor more often."
He was cold and imposing, and with a few words he made his decision, and no one dared to mention Shen Wangchen again.
Having said that, she lowered her eyes and softened her voice: "Are you leaving?"
Shen Xi nodded without hesitation upon hearing this, her eyes closed.
Xie Chengyan understood, and without giving the Shen family members another glance, he picked her up and strode away from the Shen residence.
Stepping out of the Shen Mansion, it was just as the sun was setting in the west. Most of the sky was blood-red, and warm orange light enveloped him. After a long time, Shen Xi found a sense of peace.
Xie Chengyan led her steadily into the carriage, and a thin curtain was drawn, completely separating her from the Shen residence.
Suddenly, Qingqiu outside the carriage exclaimed, "Madam! That shrike has flown back again!"
No sooner had she finished speaking than Shen Xi heard a clear chirping sound.
Xie Chengyan gave her an amused look: "You really released it?"
Shen Xi blinked, her mind now much calmer. She lifted the carriage curtain and looked out, only to see the shrike circling on the roof of the carriage, refusing to leave.
Qingqiu tentatively asked, "Madam, should we send them away?"
Slowly clenching her fist, Shen Xi finally said softly, "Alright, let's take it back first. If it gets tired of it one day, it will fly away on its own."
After saying that, she leaned back against the car wall, closed her eyes wearily, and refused to say another word.
But when Xie Chengyan heard her last sentence, his gaze darkened.
That night, Shen Xi was unusually enthusiastic, pulling him around on the bed until midnight, until he was exhausted and finally fell into a deep sleep.
Xie Chengyan lay on his side, his body blocking the flickering candlelight, casting a shadow over Shen Xi, who slept soundly.
Gazing at her sleeping face, he reached out his fingertips and gently brushed aside her long, black eyelashes. As if disturbed from her sweet dream, Shen Xi raised her hand to brush away his mischievous hand, let out a soft moan, and turned around groggily, her back to him.
Xie Chengyan paused, afraid of waking her. After she calmed down, he leaned over and pulled her back into his arms, his eyes dark and unreadable.
In fact, it was impossible for Xie Chengyan not to be suspicious of Shen Xi's inexplicable initiative these past two days. On a few occasions, he had intended to let her go because he thought she was too weak, but she insisted on coming to him and pulling him onto the bed.
He was unsure of her intentions, and tonight, taking advantage of her confusion and infatuation, he had tried to probe her.
"Why are you suddenly being so well-behaved? Why?"
But Shen Xi just gritted her teeth and refused to utter a single word. She leaned over and hugged him, her face covered in a thin layer of sweat, and a few tears welled up in the corners of her eyes. She whispered in his ear again and again, calling him "husband".
Xie Chengyan deliberately stepped back, his deep eyes fixed on her, and pressed, "Tell me, why, hmm?"
Shen Xi was extremely uncomfortable with his intermittent movements, but she refused to answer anything, only tightly wrapping her arms around his shoulders and back.
She buried her face in his neck, pleading softly, "Husband, give it to me..."
Unable to get an answer after several attempts, Xie Chengyan stopped trying and simply kissed away her tears before leading her back into the waves.
Even though he subconsciously knew that she was hiding something else.
But so what?
If she's willing to give, he'll dare to accept.
When the truth comes out someday, no matter what, he will always find a way to keep her.
After staring at Shen Xi's sleeping face for a long time to make sure she was sound asleep, Xie Chengyan got up, put on his clothes, and went to find Liang Tuo.
As the night deepened and the dew grew heavy, his voice sounded even colder and thinner in the dewy air.
"Shen Wangchen, there's no need for you to stay in the capital."
"What does the general mean?"
Xie Chengyan rubbed his fingertips, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. He spoke softly, his voice carrying an unyielding chill: "Increase the dosage of the last medicine. There's no need to give him another chance to recover."
*
The next day.
When Shen Xi woke up, Xie Chengyan was no longer on the bed beside her. The mess on the bed from the previous night had been cleaned up, and the daylight outside the window was bright and dazzling.
She involuntarily raised her hand to cover her eyes, propped herself up to sit up, and the quilt slipped down, revealing ambiguous red marks on her body. Shen Xi glanced at them briefly, his eyes slightly stunned.
She thought that Xie Chengyan, a proud and self-possessed man, would require a lot of effort to seduce her, but unexpectedly, in the few days since their marriage, he has been exceptionally indulgent towards her in matters of the heart.
Sometimes, when he got really angry, she couldn't take it anymore and would softly beg him to slow down. He would just give her a deep look and say a few words to coax her, but he would never stop.
It seems that Xie Chengyan was just an ordinary person, unable to escape the common human emotions.
Shen Xi withdrew her gaze without any emotion, put on her clothes to cover the marks, and then summoned Qing Qiu.
When I opened my mouth, I realized my voice was a little hoarse, probably because I had made too much noise last night.
She took a sip of tea and asked, "Where is the general?"
Qingqiu covered her mouth and chuckled softly: "The general really guessed right."
Shen Xi paused slightly: "What?"
"The general left the manor early this morning, saying he had some military affairs to attend to. Before leaving, he specifically instructed me to tell the madam this well, worried that she might be upset if she couldn't find him when she woke up."
Qingqiu told the truth, but with a hint of mockery on his face: "Sure enough, as soon as the lady woke up, she asked about the general's whereabouts."
Hearing her say that, Shen Xi was taken aback.
Perhaps because I had gotten used to seeing the people around me as soon as I opened my eyes in the past few days, I subconsciously felt strange when I didn't see them this morning.
But why would she want to see him so early in the morning?
He must have been really out of sleep.
Shen Xi put down her teacup and looked away: "What he does is none of my business. Why would I be angry with him?"
Qingqiu didn't expose Shenxi, but her smile remained unchanged. She could tell from these days that the two of them got along very well after their marriage, just like an ordinary couple, living in harmony.
Thankfully, all my previous worries turned out to be unfounded.
Xie Chengyan had established his own household, leaving only the two of them as masters in the General's Mansion. Shen Xi was happy to have some peace and quiet. After getting up and having breakfast, she sent Qingqiu away and went to the garden alone to relax.
As the summer heat gradually rises, a cool breeze blows through the pavilion in the middle of the lake in the garden, relieving the sweltering heat.
Yesterday, the shrike followed Shen Xi all the way back to the General's Mansion. It wasn't afraid of strangers and settled down comfortably in a new place.
They pecked at the grains she had just scattered, one bite at a time.
Shen Xi lowered his eyes, casually patted the shrike's head, and sighed, "Flying around, I wonder when you will find a place to belong."
The shrike couldn't understand her worries, so it just looked up and called out twice as a response, then lowered its head to eat again.
Shen Xi was amused by this reaction and slightly curled her lips: "Once you've rested enough, fly away. The Shen Mansion is not your home, nor will the General's Mansion. The sky is high and the sea is wide, so don't get stuck here."
She ran her fingertips over its wings and murmured softly, it was unclear whether she was talking about the bird or a person.
Having said that, he leaned against the railing of the pavilion, no longer disturbing the shrike as it ate, and just stared blankly at the shimmering water under the bright sun.
A gentle breeze stirred, ruffling a few stray hairs at her temples. The scenery was delightful, and Shenxi unconsciously closed her eyes to relax for a moment.
After an unknown amount of time, I heard footsteps behind me.
Before coming to the garden, Shen Xi specifically instructed that she did not want to be disturbed by others. Apart from Xie Chengyan, no one else in the entire General's Mansion could ignore this instruction and walk in.
She didn't open her eyes, but her gaze shifted slightly. Only when the person approached and stopped beside her did she softly speak, "Husband, my back hurts."
The footsteps suddenly stopped, and after a while, there was no other sound. Shen Xi found it strange.
Without thinking too much about it, she softly called out, "Husband? Could you rub my back for me?"
But there was still no movement.
Shen Xi was puzzled. Judging from the tests he had given Xie Chengyan over the past two days, Xie Chengyan should have been very receptive to this approach.
Finally, she opened her eyes and turned around.
Unexpectedly, it wasn't Xie Chengyan behind him, but Xie Wenlang who had suddenly arrived.
Shen Xi's expression changed instantly. She quickly straightened her clothes and stood up, somewhat embarrassed: "Wen Lang? I'm sorry, I didn't know it was you just now."
Xie Wenlang witnessed her slightly distant reaction to him, and felt a mix of emotions, but still managed a smile: "It's alright, it seems you and your older brother get along very well."
Shen Xi paused, unsure how to answer, and could only awkwardly change the subject: "Why are you here?"
"I...I came to see my older brother, and I also brought you some things."
Xie Wenlang's gaze remained fixed on Shen Xi, scrutinizing her features and refusing to look away.
He handed her the things in his hands and smiled sincerely, a smile he hadn't shown in a long time: "Xi... this is your favorite pastry shop. I happened to pass by on my way here and brought you some."
The moment he spoke the address abruptly, Xie Wenlang realized he still hadn't fully convinced himself to let her go, even though she had become his elder sister-in-law.
He still couldn't quite bring himself to call her "sister-in-law" without any hesitation.
Upon hearing this, Shen Xi felt a pang of sadness. When would he have stopped by the pastry shop in the east of the city on his way from the Duke's mansion to the General's mansion? He must have gone there specifically to buy pastries.
He used to like using this excuse, and Shen Xi never called him out on it, accepting it gladly. But now, how could she accept this sentiment?
A wave of bitter guilt washed over her. She didn't know how to respond without hurting him. Her palms clenched unconsciously, and she lowered her eyes, avoiding Xie Wenlang's sincere gaze.
Before Shen Xi could figure out how to refuse, Xie Wenlang had already placed the things on the table. Perhaps sensing her concerns, he took the initiative to speak.
"As the younger brother, I've come to visit my elder brother and bring some pastries and snacks for my sister-in-law. Is there anything wrong with that?"
Admittedly, if it weren't for this messy relationship, the two of them would just be a simple uncle and sister-in-law, a pastry, and naturally it wouldn't matter.
Unfortunately, her past relationship with Xie Wenlang was a real obstacle in her life, and her guilt grew stronger, leaving Shen Xi unsure how to face him.
Xie Wenlang noticed her hesitation and, not wanting to see her in a difficult position, smiled and changed the subject: "Now, you're not afraid of your older brother anymore, are you?"
He was referring to the time when she first met Xie Chengyan, when she felt guilty and fearful because of her vivid dreams at night.
Startled by his sudden mention, Shen Xi was indeed pulled out of her thoughts and chuckled, "That was all a long time ago."
Xie Wenlang nodded, but his gaze lingered on Shen Xi. Seeing that she was still in good spirits, he felt both relieved and unwilling: "Yes, actually, once you spend more time with my older brother, you'll know that he's a very good person."
“From childhood to adulthood, he has always indulged me in everything. When I wanted that Windrider horse before, he gave it to me even though he was reluctant. Not to mention, he has helped me clean up many messes.”
Shen Xi keenly caught his choice of words and looked up: "Ta Feng, is this the place you're going?"
Xie Wenlang had a hint of nostalgia on his face: "That's right. When I was little, I was ignorant and always liked to take things from my older brother. He never kept anything from me. No matter how precious something was, he would give it to me if I asked for it. But now that I'm older, I've become quite distant from my older brother."
Upon hearing these words, some of the strange things that Shen Xi had never been able to understand before suddenly became clear to her, and she was suddenly stunned.
In the sweltering heat of early summer, she broke out in a cold sweat.
If her guess is true, then Xie Chengyan's marriage to her was far more than just a matter of the so-called power of the Duke's mansion, or simply going along with the princess's wishes.
But he pretended to be a caring older brother and deceived Xie Wenlang for so many years. He was truly cunning and vicious.
But speculation is just speculation. She calmed herself down and comforted Xie Wenlang, saying, "Things have changed, and it's inevitable."
Despite saying that, Shen Xi already felt somewhat uneasy.
As the two were talking, the shrike that had landed next to Shen Xi finished eating, flapped its wings freely, circled twice above her head, and then flew into the sky.
As it flapped its wings, a few feathers accidentally fell and landed squarely on Shen Xifa's hair.
The light, floating wings fell without any real feeling, and Chenxi was completely unaware.
Xie Wenlang, on the other hand, noticed it and pointed: "Feathers..."
Shen Xi was pondering her own guesses, her mind already wandering far away. When she saw Xie Wenlang's actions, she was momentarily stunned and looked up blankly.
"What?"
There is a feather in your hair.
Shen Xi touched her hair, but couldn't reach it.
Upon seeing this, Xie Wenlang leaned closer without thinking and tried to remove the wing feathers stuck in her hair.
But when he suddenly approached, Shen Xi subconsciously flinched.
Xie Wenlang's expression immediately changed.
In the past, Shen Xi would never have avoided him like this.
In that instant, he suddenly realized with a clear understanding that his Xi'er was gone.
With a jumble of thoughts running through his mind, before Shen Xi could refuse, Xie Wenlang hardened his heart, strode forward, ignored her discomfort, and directly reached into her hair.
Behind Shen Xi were only the balustrade and pavilion pillars. For a moment, Xie Wenlang trapped her in a corner with nowhere to retreat. She could only lower her eyes and let him do as he pleased.
"It's been taken off."
Xie Wenlang held the wing feather in front of his eyes to show it to her, his expression not too good.
Shen Xi didn't know what to say, she just smiled, but when she looked up again, beyond Xie Wenlang's figure blocking her view, she looked straight into a pair of dark eyes.
Standing not far away, looking at the two of them without leaning to one side, it was unclear how long he had been standing there.
Shen Xi was momentarily stunned, her smile freezing on her face.
Seeing that she had noticed, Xie Chengyan slowly approached: "Madam and Erlang, you seem to be having a pleasant conversation. What are you talking about?"
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