Chapter 33 "Xi'er, you can't escape."...
Shen Xi's pupils trembled, and she looked into those eyes, which were as deep as a cold pool, bewildered, not understanding their meaning.
Given his mindset, wouldn't it be best to ensure that the two of them never see each other again?
Seeing her hesitation, Xie Chengyan leaned closer, his breath brushing against her ear, and whispered, "Xi'er, go and tell him yourself. You should know what to say."
The moment the words left her lips, Shen Xi couldn't help but stiffen instinctively.
A moment later, she finally understood the meaning behind his words, and suddenly looked up at him in disbelief.
Although their marriage was a done deal, Xie Wenlang must have known in his heart that everyone could comment on this undeniable truth, except for her.
But what Xie Chengyan wanted was to force her to tell Xie Wenlang that there was no possibility between them anymore, so that he could cut off all his thoughts of her.
How vicious is the method of destroying the mind!
"I'm not going."
Xie Chengyan ignored her resistance, his gaze cold and deep. He suddenly released her, placed his palm on her lower back, and gently pushed her forward, leaving no room for argument.
As he turned his head, his cool lips brushed against her earlobe, his voice low and compelling: "Xi'er, you're a smart person, you know what to do."
Such blatant coercion.
Shen Xi stood still, looking at Xie Wenlang's dejected and dejected appearance before her, and behind her, Xie Chengyan's forceful and unreasonable silent urging.
For a time, they were caught in a dilemma.
Under Xie Chengyan's extremely oppressive gaze, after a long while, Shen Xi finally made up her mind, took a step, and slowly walked towards Xie Wenlang.
She ultimately didn't have the courage to go against Xie Chengyan. From the first moment she met him, she was afraid of him, and now that things had come to this, it was even more so.
In the end, he could only let Xie Wenlang down again and again.
Shen Xi felt increasingly guilty, and in just a few short steps, a surge of bitterness welled up in her heart.
Upon reaching him, she dared not look Xie Wenlang in the eye, lowering her gaze, her overwhelming guilt uttered only in a single sentence: "Erlang, I'm sorry."
Xie Wenlang swallowed the emotions that were stuck in his throat with difficulty, and instead comforted her, "Xi'er, you don't need to apologize to me. It's my incompetence that made you suffer so much."
Shen Xi took a deep breath: "It's not your fault. It's hard to disobey the emperor's orders. There's nothing we can do about it."
Upon hearing this, Xie Wenlang's eyes surged with emotion. As if he had thought of something, he suddenly grabbed her hand and pulled her closer: "If the imperial decree is difficult to obey, then I will not obey it. Xi'er, I have never agreed to marry that damned princess. Xi'er, I only love you."
"Yes, I only love you, I don't want to marry her! Let's leave the capital and go somewhere where no one knows us, to live a long and peaceful life together. We don't want any power or fame, I only want you! Xi'er, come with me."
Xie Wenlang stared blankly, completely absorbed in his own fantasy. As he spoke, his voice gradually rose, almost roaring, but upon closer listening, it revealed a hint of helplessness at the impending doom.
His movement was sudden, and Shen Xi was caught off guard. After his hand was grasped, she subconsciously turned around and nervously looked at Xie Chengyan's expression.
Compared to Xie Wenlang's excitement, Xie Chengyan appeared remarkably calm, standing with his hands behind his back, composed as always, though his gaze lingered on their clasped hands, unfathomable.
Shen Xi's heart skipped a beat, and she hurriedly pulled her hand away from Xie Wenlang's grasp: "Wenlang, don't do this."
Hearing her speak, Xie Wenlang seemed to sense something and lowered his head in protest, saying, "Xi'er, I beg you, please don't say any more."
He already knew the ending, but he didn't want to hear her say it herself.
Shen Xi closed her eyes, but still managed to squeeze out the words from her throat with difficulty: "Let's end it here."
The warm sun on the horizon seemed to lose its heat in that instant, and a chill swept in, lingering and refusing to dissipate, causing Xie Wenlang's stubborn belief to completely collapse.
In fact, he had already thought of it when he came to find her. Everything was already set in stone. Where could he go after leaving the capital? He defied the imperial decree, and what would become of the Duke's mansion?
Having grown up under the protection of his parents and brothers, he has accomplished nothing but causing trouble. How could he possibly allow the Duke's mansion to bear the crime of disobeying an imperial decree?
He was simply unwilling to accept it. When he truly learned that Shen Xi was about to become his sister-in-law, all his resentment and unwillingness surged up, which is why he impulsively said those words.
Why did it turn out like this?
Shen Xi was the girl he truly loved, the only one he wanted to walk hand in hand with from childhood to adulthood.
But fate is cruel.
Why him of all people?
Xie Wenlang finally broke down in tears, sobs choking in his throat. He weakly tugged at Chen Xi's sleeve, slowly squatted down, buried his face in her sleeve, and wept bitterly.
Shen Xi didn't dare look at him, standing straight in place, supporting half of Xie Wenlang's weight. After thinking it over, she still only felt guilty towards him.
After a long while, Xie Wenlang's sobs were somewhat dispersed by the wind, and his voice lowered, leaving only sobs.
Shen Xi said in a hoarse voice, "Wen Lang, it's not worth it for me. Let it go. I'm the one who's wronged you."
Xie Wenlang didn't raise his head, but kept shaking his head, yet his words already revealed his resignation.
"Xi'er, your older brother is a very good person, and he will treat you well. If, and I mean if, he really bullies you in the future, just tell me. Even if he is my older brother, I will not let him get away with it."
Even at the end, he was still thinking about her future.
Shen Xi felt even more guilty, and closed her eyes tightly, not having the courage to ask her about the confusion in her heart.
His fiancée suddenly became his future sister-in-law. What was Xie Wenlang thinking? Should he hate her, or hate Xie Chengyan?
If it were truly hatred, she might feel a little better.
Before she could ask, Xie Wenlang had already given the answer himself.
He sniffed, finally suppressing his tears, and looked up, helplessly tugging at the corners of his lips: "I...it's all my fault. I used to brag to everyone that you were engaged to my family, but now breaking off the engagement directly will only delay your future marriage. So, I can only push my elder brother to take the blame."
"It's me. I'm sorry to both of you. I've even dragged my brother into this mess, and I know he doesn't want to get married."
Xie Wenlang choked up more and more as he spoke, and once again lowered his head in anguish. He dared not look into Shen Xi's eyes; he was the one who had given up on her first.
But Chen Xi suddenly opened her eyes, and a chill instantly ran through her body.
Even now, Xie Chengyan is still keeping Xie Wenlang in the dark, continuing to pretend to be a good older brother.
Previously, I thought he was indifferent, but he was somewhat indulgent and doting on his younger brother. Now it seems that it was all an illusion.
When he starts calculating, everyone is a pawn he can use at will.
If she hadn't happened to realize that the arrow shot at Chu Yi that day was actually Xie Chengyan's doing, she would probably have been deceived just like Xie Wenlang, completely unaware of what was happening.
They should even thank him for saving them and preventing further complications.
In just a few days, he not only completed his plan, but also managed to maintain his noble facade with great care, which shows how cunning he was.
For a moment, a feeling that was hard to describe as either fear or anger swept over him. Shen Xi looked up and met Xie Chengyan's gaze a few steps away.
Deep and unfathomable, revealing nothing.
She never truly understood him.
Such people are never kind.
"Someone, escort the second young master back to his residence."
Seeing that his goal had been achieved, Xie Chengyan gave the order in a low voice before the two of them could say another word.
With just a few words, Xie Chengyan shattered all of Xie Wenlang's arrogance, and then, under a pretext, sent someone to take him back, imprisoning him in the Duke's mansion. His methods were truly ruthless.
But Xie Wenlang was completely oblivious and still regarded him as the best brother in the world.
Only now did Shen Xi realize how absurd it was that she had previously believed Xie Chengyan's excessive indulgence of his younger brother.
He was no good brother at all; he was clearly a venomous snake lurking in the shadows, deceiving people into a state of comfort, only to reveal his fangs at any moment and slowly extinguish their life force with his poison.
For a moment, she was unsure whether it was right or wrong to keep Xie Wenlang trapped in this pretense of brotherly affection for so long, and she couldn't bear to tell him the truth.
Watching Xie Wenlang being taken away by the servants from the Duke's mansion, Chen Xi suppressed her resentment in her voice: "Xie Chengyan, are you satisfied now?"
Xie Chengyan stepped forward, his strong forearm encircling her waist and pulling her closer. His voice was cold and indifferent: "You're so engrossed in even his back view. What, are you planning to go back to the Duke's mansion with him?"
Ignoring his sarcastic tone, Shen Xi stared intently and asked, "What exactly do you want?"
Xie Chengyan did not answer, but with a slight movement of his wrist, he used a bit of skill to pull Shen Xi into his arms. Their waists were pressed tightly together, and their gazes pressed down heavily.
"Shen Xi, you can't escape."
Upon hearing these seemingly inexplicable words, Shen Xi frowned, looked up, and their eyes met. She stared at him intently for a moment.
Perhaps it was because she had just complied with his wishes and said those things to Xie Wenlang that he was so pleased with, but Xie Chengyan's sharp aura softened a little.
With a thought in mind, Shen Xi began to boldly test his bottom line.
A cold smile curled at the corner of his lips: "Xie Chengyan, have you ever looked in a mirror?"
Before Xie Chengyan could react to her inexplicable words, Shen Xi had already tiptoed closer and said slowly, word by word, "Your eyes are full of shrewd calculations, where is there even a trace of sincerity?"
Xie Chengyan's eyes darkened at her question. He stared intently into her resentful eyes, his lips pressed tightly together, his expression unreadable.
"It seems that no matter what I say, you won't believe me."
His words were already resolute.
Shen Xi refused to back down and retorted, "Of course I don't believe it, Xie Chengyan. Have you ever told the truth?"
Xie Chengyan remained silent, simply watching her cherry lips open and close, venting all her dissatisfaction.
Suddenly, a flurry of petals swept through the gap between the two, briefly severing their intertwined gazes that neither was willing to look away first.
Shen Xi took a deep breath, unwilling to say anything more to him.
When the wind died down, she reached out and pushed him away, but unexpectedly, Xie Chengyan let go and allowed her to leave.
Chen Xi paused slightly.
I thought we'd have to argue for a while longer before things would finally settle down today, but to my surprise, he was unusually good-natured.
This is the best course of action. Shen Xi paid no further attention and stepped into the carriage without looking back.
Naturally, she didn't notice the increasingly cold and indifferent gaze behind her, which followed her back closely until she walked further and further away and disappeared at the end of the long street.
Xie Chengyan stood with his hands behind his back, rubbing his fingertips together, his eyes slightly narrowed: "Liang Tuo, it's time to make a move on the Thirteenth Prince's marriage proposal."
*
Five days later, at the city gate of Anding.
A grand and solemn wedding procession stretched out in a long, winding line, stopping outside the city gate.
Half a month ago, after much back and forth between officials of the two dynasties, a friendly negotiation was reached, and a peace agreement was officially finalized with the Northern Barbarians. In addition to matters such as tribute, the Thirteenth Princess Chu Tingshuang was also sent to the Northern Barbarians for a marriage alliance in order to restore the old friendship between the two dynasties.
This was the day they were to set off.
Upon hearing this news, out of gratitude for saving her life, Shen Xi had originally planned to see her off from afar. However, unexpectedly, a palace servant came to the Shen family yesterday, saying that Chu Tingshuang wanted to see her in person before leaving.
Shen Xi was quite surprised.
Five miles outside the city gate, the human presence was already sparse, and the long wind swept across the flags, swirling them into a cluster.
Once outside the city, Shen Xi realized that the warm spring breeze also carried a chill.
Among the escorting group, she was not surprised to see a tall and dignified figure.
Xie Chengyan was among them.
It is said that, according to the original plan, he should have sent the thirteenth princess all the way to the northern barbarians, but the emperor, considering that his marriage to Shen Xi had been delayed for many years, did not want to delay any longer, so he changed the candidate.
This time, he did not go far to the northern barbarians, but only sent people to the city gate as a show of force.
As soon as the Shen family's carriage arrived, Xie Chengyan noticed her.
Shen Xi lifted the curtain and peeked out. She saw him whisper something to the person next to him, and then stride towards her.
Upon seeing this, Shen Xi immediately lowered the curtain, creating a thin barrier between the two of them.
But in the end, they couldn't hide for long.
Before long, he stood by the carriage and said gently, "You've come to see the princess? She's waiting for you."
Shen Xi tightened her grip on the handkerchief, finally able to distinguish between what was important and what was urgent. She lowered her eyes and gave a muffled reply.
The next moment, the carriage curtain was gently lifted, and sunlight poured in. A hand with distinct knuckles and a powerful grip was extended in front of her: "Let's go."
Xie Chengyan's handsome features suddenly appeared before Shen Xi. She paused for a moment, and then reluctantly took his hand, leaned out, and jumped off the carriage.
As soon as I stood still, I was suddenly enveloped by a warm sensation carrying my body heat.
Shen Xi glanced to her side and saw that Xie Chengyan had taken off his cloak and wrapped it around her.
Xie Chengyan slowly walked around to Shen Xi's side, his slender fingers twitching slightly as he helped her tighten her sash. His thin eyelids drooped, giving him a somewhat serious look.
His tall figure stood in front of Shen Xi, completely blocking the probing gazes of others.
He was more than a head taller than Shen Xi, and he couldn't help but bend over slightly when he moved. The cool breeze blew Shen Xi's hair across his face, making it tangled and inseparable.
After adjusting his cloak, he reached out and tucked away a stray strand of Shen Xi's hair, his usually cool voice now softened.
"It's windy outside the city, don't catch a cold."
When Xie Chengyan is a normal person, he does look quite presentable.
But Shen Xi wasn't fooled by his appearance for long. She now knew exactly what kind of person he was.
It was indeed quite cold outside the city. Shen Xi wrapped her cloak tighter around herself, didn't look at him, didn't say a word to him, and silently walked past Xie Chengyan.
Her long, flowing black hair slipped through his fingertips, touching him only to part in an instant. In the blink of an eye, Shen Xi had avoided his touch and walked forward.
As the wind blew, his palm went empty. A faint, dark glint flashed in Xie Chengyan's eyes, but it was only for a moment. His hand in the air slowly clenched into a fist, fell down, and went behind his back.
With Xie Chengyan's tacit approval, Shen Xi was taken to Chu Tingshuang's carriage without any hindrance.
Chu Tingshuang was an unfavored princess in the palace, even someone who was disliked. However, on the day of her marriage to a distant land, due to the diplomatic relations between the two countries, a grand dowry of ten miles was still prepared for her.
She sat calmly inside, her expression serene, as if she had little aversion to the marriage alliance.
When Shen Xi first saw her, he bowed and didn't know where to begin. He could only manage to stammer out, "In the past, I thank Your Highness for saving my life."
Chu Tingshuang smiled gently: "I heard in the palace that you and General Xie are getting married soon?"
Shen Xi didn't really want to talk about this topic, but since Chu Tingshuang brought it up, she couldn't refuse, so she just nodded silently.
"As expected, I wasn't mistaken."
Upon hearing this, Shen Xi asked in confusion, "Your Highness, what do you mean by that?"
Chu Tingshuang leaned against the window. There were only the two of them in the car, and she could relax for a rare moment.
Through the dim windowpane, she saw Xie Chengyan. Her eyelashes fluttered slightly, and she slowly spoke, "You've thanked the wrong person. How could I possibly have the ability to save you?"
“After I pulled you out of the water that night, you were on the verge of death. I wanted to save you to the end, so I went to the Imperial Hospital to ask a junior physician I knew for help. Unfortunately, he wasn’t on duty that day.”
At this point, she smiled and said, "I almost thought you were going to die at my place, but then I ran into General Xie. He saved you, fed you medicine to keep you alive, and somehow even managed to alarm the Empress, who had long been detached from worldly affairs. She took you to the Jiaofang Palace that very night and specially found an imperial physician to save you. The next day, she went to great lengths to bring you out of the palace."
"I thought he must be a person of extraordinary character, untouched by love. Who would have thought that I would actually witness him sneaking into the cold palace at night for a woman?"
Chu Tingshuang's expression softened, a far cry from the indifferent demeanor she had shown in the past. Her voice was gentle, yet it carried a weight in the quiet air of the carriage.
"If you want to thank someone for saving your life, you should thank him."
Shen Xi was slightly taken aback; she had never known these things.
"Your Highness means that when I fell into the water, he came to the Cold Palace just to save me?"
"Yes, even the Empress was alerted just to save you." Chu Tingshuang turned her gaze back to Shen Xi, her tone slightly teasing. "So, I'm not surprised at all that you married him."
Shen Xi met her eyes, remained silent for a moment, and then smiled slightly: "Why is Your Highness telling me these things?"
Chu Tingshuang noticed her caution: "You don't believe me?"
"Your Highness's words are golden and precious, and what you say must be true."
Shen Xi smiled and replied, but her words sounded somewhat perfunctory, and it didn't seem like she genuinely believed him.
Chu Tingshuang tilted her head slightly, her expression resolute: "You just don't believe me."
Having her thoughts laid bare, Shen Xi hesitated for a moment before raising her eyes, her clear gaze fixed directly on Chu Ting Shuang.
"It's not that I don't trust Your Highness, it's that I don't trust him. Did Your Highness tell me all this at his behest?"
Chu Tingshuang paused, not expecting her to guess so quickly, but considering her previous deal with Xie Chengyan, she immediately shook her head and denied it: "How could that be? I just mentioned the predestined relationship casually because I saw that you two are about to get married."
Shen Xi smiled and didn't dwell on the truth or falsehood with her anymore: "Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness. However, if he hadn't plotted against me beforehand, I wouldn't have caught the Fifth Princess's eye, and Wen Lang and I wouldn't have ended up like this today."
Chu Tingshuang was taken aback and, for the first time, seriously examined the person in front of her.
At first glance, she thought Shen Xi was a mediocre person who couldn't even take care of himself but still didn't forget to be overly kind. However, a few words from him today greatly changed her opinion of him.
This Shen Xi is too insightful.
When she accepted Xie Chengyan's assignment, she thought that with her simple nature, a few words would move her to tears, and she would be obedient to Xie Chengyan and have a loving marriage.
Unexpectedly, Shen Xi not only understood her intentions in just a few words, but also analyzed the cause and effect of the matter so thoroughly.
I underestimated her.
Chu Tingshuang finally straightened up, swallowed all the drafts she had prepared, chuckled softly, and completely relaxed, leaning against the car wall.
Now that her purpose has been seen through, she doesn't need to waste her time.
The two remained silent for a moment, only the fierce wind outside the city whipping up the banners outside the carriage, making them flutter loudly.
In this strange tranquility, the time came for departure, and Shen Xi bowed and took his leave.
As I stepped off the car onto solid ground, I heard Chu Tingshuang speak behind me, her gentle words carried by the wind to my ears.
"Shen Xi, I'm leaving. Marrying into the Northern Barbarians is my fate. This is the path I chose. I have no freedom, but I hope you can."
The long line of people gradually disappeared into the distance. Shen Xi stood motionless in the distance. The wind and sand blurred her vision, but she only closed her eyes slightly, her mind filled with the last words Chu Tingshuang had given her.
free.
Such a rare word, yet Chu Tingshuang is not free; how much better off can she be?
From the moment he fell into Xie Chengyan's hands, talking about freedom was laughable, no different from a mayfly trying to shake a tree.
The scent of ebony lingered around him, and a cold wind stirred up a cloud of dust. Chen Xi gripped his cloak tightly.
At a post station fifty miles outside the capital, the escort team led by Xie Chengyan stopped.
That night, the moon was dim and the candlelight flickered. Chu Tingshuang, dressed in her wedding gown, sat quietly by the bed, watching the flickering light reflected in her eyes.
Suddenly, a gust of wind blew by.
A tall figure suddenly appeared in the room, his shadow reflected on the wall.
Chu Tingshuang calmly raised her eyes: "General Xie, I have fulfilled my promise to you."
Xie Chengyan stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes indifferent: "Hmm."
Seeing his calm and indifferent expression, Chu Tingshuang finally couldn't hold back: "You want to use me to explain to her, but it's all scheming. She won't believe you anymore. If you truly care about her, you should tell her yourself."
Xie Chengyan glanced at her, his eyes slightly shifting, seemingly indifferent: "Your Highness need not worry about this."
Chu Ting frowned, seeing his nonchalant attitude, and finally gave up and said no more.
She didn't want to get involved in their affairs, and she felt a little guilty for saying anything more.
The rest, they will be left to their own fate.
"General Xie, as you wished, I have told her everything I needed to. As for the promise you made to me, I hope you will keep your word."
"Your Highness, rest assured, I will never break my word."
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Author's note: Your wife doesn't believe you anymore [shrug] (Adding a loopy yin-yang image)
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