Chapter 40 "Sweetie, relax..."
Xie Chengyan's voice was clear and cool, mixed with a touch of tenderness, each word falling clearly into her ears, while his gaze remained fixed on her, focused and unwavering.
Even when she looked away, she could still clearly feel his aggressive gaze on her.
A faint blush crept up behind Shen Xi's ears, gradually spreading to her cheeks. She coughed lightly, feeling awkward, and quickly tried to bring the increasingly strange atmosphere back to normal by changing the subject.
"Why are you only talking about earrings? Xie Chengyan, if you don't celebrate your birthday, do you even accept birthday gifts?"
Xie Chengyan glanced at the blush that had unconsciously crept onto her neck, lightly touching it with his fingertips, and asked casually, "Why are you asking this?"
As his fingertips touched her, the breath he exhaled almost sprayed onto the back of her neck, causing a tingling sensation.
Shen Xi shrank back slightly, feigning composure: "It's only fair to reciprocate."
Xie Chengyan chuckled softly, and the next instant, his burning hot lips gently captured her blood-red earlobe.
The voice was slightly muffled: "There's no need for such formalities between husband and wife. I'm giving it to you simply because I want to, without asking for anything in return."
Shen Xi, unusually, did not dodge his sudden kiss. Looking at the man buried in her neck in the mirror, she let out a soft "hmm".
Taking advantage of his words, she added, "Alright. I'll give it to you simply because I want to, not because you gave me anything before."
As the gentle voice fell, Xie Chengyan's breath hitched slightly. He looked up and met her gaze in the mirror.
He stared at it for a moment, then a smile crept onto his lips, a look of amusement on his face.
"So you really want to celebrate my birthday? Come to think of it, Xi'er still hasn't told me why she asked me about the Lantern Festival in advance."
Shen Xi blushed and immediately retorted, "You agreed to it yourself back then, and I haven't called you brother since, so you don't have to answer this question."
Xie Chengyan raised an eyebrow slightly and nodded in agreement: "That's right, what do you call me now?"
In the end, he subtly began to entice her to reveal the answer he wanted to hear.
Sensing a hint of mischief in his smile, Shen Xi glared at him, a touch of embarrassment on her face, but her expression remained firm.
"I know what you want to hear."
Shen Xi muttered something, turned her head, grabbed Xie Chengyan's collar and pulled him down, then whispered in his ear, "Husband."
Xie Chengyan lowered his head as she asked, but found her so adorable that he couldn't help but chuckle and remained silent for a moment.
Not getting the answer she wanted, Shen Xi was slightly annoyed and patted his shoulder: "Stop laughing, you still haven't answered my question, will you accept my birthday present?"
Xie Chengyan then became serious, lifted his eyelids, and looked straight into her eyes: "I didn't accept them before, but if it's from you, I will cherish it."
His sudden gaze startled Shen Xi, causing her heart to skip a beat. It took her a while to regain her senses before she managed to squeeze out a single sentence.
"So... is there anything you want?"
Xie Chengyan restlessly raised his finger and rubbed one of her earlobes, his gaze fixed on her quietly. After thinking for a moment, he said, "A peace charm, please."
Chen Xi repeated it again, puzzled, tilting her head slightly: "A talisman?"
"Yes, a peace charm."
Xie Chengyan's eyes were deep and intense.
In her past life, she had offered him that amulet, which was one of the few times they interacted.
Unfortunately, he didn't know what would happen next and didn't appreciate it, so he refused as soon as he opened his mouth.
She handed over the amulet and then took it back again. Finally, even when she disregarded everything and jumped off the cliff, the amulet never returned to him.
He is not one to make pointless assumptions; he knew long ago that assuming another possibility was just self-deception and of little use.
But very occasionally, Xie Chengyan couldn't help but wonder if things would have been different in his past life if he had accepted that peace charm back then.
If he had offered his help before she even asked, would she have ended up in that situation?
Even though she didn't marry him in her past life, he still hoped that she would be happy and peaceful in every lifetime.
Is this all?
Just as he was thinking, Chen Xi's puzzled voice interrupted his thoughts. Xie Chengyan's brows relaxed, and his fingertips brushed against the side of her face.
"Yes, this is it."
The tone is clear, noble, and solemn.
Xie Chengyan looked at her and thought to himself, "It was just a past life, so what? In this life, she is his wife, and I will never repeat the same mistakes."
Shen Xi was puzzled by Xie Chengyan's somewhat strange reaction, but she didn't press him further and just quietly made a note of it.
Looking back, Shen Xi saw herself in the mirror. Her white jade earrings were lustrous and smooth, with gold filigree wrapped around them. They swayed with her movements, occasionally reflecting a golden light.
Beside him stood Xie Chengyan, with his handsome, aloof features, a high nose bridge, and a face as fair as jade.
From the moment Shen Xi first saw him, she knew he was truly blessed with good looks. Even when he was cold and solemn, with a icy expression like cold jade and frost, he was still pleasing to the eye.
Not to mention that now that they have fallen into the mundane world, harboring the seven emotions and six desires, their emotions have melted away, revealing them as pure and precious as jade.
As Shen Xi looked at that face, a thought stirred within her. It was as if a rabbit, seeing food, was leaping and bounding uncontrollably in her chest.
After a long while, she unconsciously frowned, realizing that she had unknowingly fallen into this state. She was startled and then came back to her senses.
How did she fall into Xie Chengyan's trap again?
Before they got married, wasn't he always the kind older brother to her?
In the end, isn't the result still the same?
He deceived everyone, schemed and plotted, using the name of the Duke's mansion to his advantage, but secretly harbored a deep grudge against Xie Wenlang.
Now that times have changed, he is simply repeating the same old tricks. If he can play a spoiled older brother well, he can certainly play a caring and doting husband well as well.
We must never forget the lessons of the past.
Shen Xi let out a long breath, lowered her eyes, and suppressed those thoughts that shouldn't have arisen.
But in the end, she still didn't remove those earrings.
Xie Chengyan didn't leave the manor all day, staying by Shen Xi's side. Only then did she belatedly realize that the important matter he had asked for leave for was actually her birthday.
Shen Xi could only pretend not to know and continued doing her own thing.
But at night, in bed, she couldn't help but reveal some of her feelings, and she clung to him even tighter.
Xie Chengyan's temple twitched involuntarily, and he coaxed her in a hoarse voice, "Be good, relax..."
The warm glow of red candles in the bedchamber is a rare treat for a spring night.
The next day.
When Shen Xi woke up, Xie Chengyan had already left the mansion for court. He had a lot of official business to attend to, and he had squeezed out some time to ask for leave yesterday. Today, he had to take care of those things that had been put on hold.
While doing her makeup, Shen Xi stared at the set of jewelry Xie Chengyan had given her yesterday, momentarily lost in thought. After examining it for a long time, she finally calmed herself down.
He closed the wooden box, put it aside, and decided to find something to do to distract himself.
Otherwise, I would spend the whole day thinking about Xie Chengyan.
Fortunately, she had finished organizing the pile of books she had been practicing from memory a few days ago, and planned to take them to see Wen Tingmao the next day.
Her heart calmed down a little, but not long after, she heard someone outside announce: "Madam, people from the Duke's mansion have arrived."
Shen Xi frowned, and asked in confusion, "Is something the matter?"
She hadn't known before, but after marrying Xie Chengyan, she realized that he had very little contact with the Duke's mansion; they were practically independent households, each minding their own business.
Apart from the time she served tea to the newlyweds after her marriage, she never went to the Duke's mansion again. Apart from Xie Wenlang who had visited a few times before, no one else from the Duke's mansion came to bother her much.
No wonder Xie Wenlang used to say that he and Xie Chengyan were growing increasingly distant; with such a shallow relationship, how could they not drift apart?
Therefore, Shen Xi couldn't help but be curious about the fact that the Duke's mansion had sent someone here for the first time.
She stepped into the front hall with some doubts and met Zhou Bo, the steward from the Duke's mansion.
He had helped Xie Wenlang deliver things to the Shen residence a few times before, and Shen Xi recognized him at a glance.
A quick glance revealed that it wasn't just the butler; behind him stood two beautiful young women, their eyes filled with affection, their figures graceful and charming, each with their own unique beauty.
The two stood upright in the courtyard, their postures varied, as if they had been specially trained and knew the rules well.
Seeing Zhou Bo bow to Shen Xi, the two quickly curtsied as well, their voices soft as they said in unison, "This servant greets the young mistress."
Shen Xi subtly withdrew her gaze from the two men, looked at the butler, and asked, "Uncle Zhou, who are these two?"
Uncle Zhou chuckled awkwardly twice: "Young Madam, this is... the Duke's intention."
Shen Xi feigned confusion and pressed, "What does the Duke mean?"
Her voice was calm, devoid of any other emotion, yet Zhou Bo broke out in a cold sweat upon hearing it.
He had dealt with this young mistress before she entered the house, and he had never seen her so forceful with just a few words.
Could it be that spending so much time with the eldest young master has made her pick up the same personality?
It's true that you can't have two different kinds of people sleeping in the same bed.
Zhou Bo wiped away his cold sweat with his sleeve and carefully spoke: "Young Madam may not know, but the eldest son was busy with military affairs in the past, which is why there was no one in his room. Now that he is married, he cannot have only one wife in his room, so concubines are indispensable. However, the eldest son has never paid attention to these things, and the Duke, as a parent, is inevitably worried, which is why he specially asked me to send them over."
After saying that, he kept scrutinizing Shen Xi's expression.
To be honest, the Duke acted far too hastily in this matter.
The eldest son has only been married for a short time, yet he is already blatantly sending women into his room. What must the newlywed young mistress think of this?
When he accepted the task, he had a bad feeling, and in the sweltering heat, he couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.
At this crucial moment, they sent concubines to the eldest son, fearing that the young mistress would immediately kick them out.
Moreover, this young mistress has a very special status. She used to be protected and pampered by the lawless second young master, and now that she has married the eldest young master, she is even more difficult to deal with.
I'm afraid the two of them are still newlyweds and haven't had enough of the novelty yet. If they listen to Shen Xi's whispered words, the eldest son might fly into a rage for his beloved, and then he'll have a hard time explaining himself.
Zhou Bo glanced at her expression discreetly, then kept wiping the cold sweat from his forehead.
After an unknown amount of time, Shen Xi finally spoke.
Unexpectedly, he was unusually calm and instructed, "Qingqiu, take them to settle them in."
Uncle Zhou paused for a moment, then hesitated and said, "Young Madam, this..."
Shen Xi smiled gently: "It's alright, I understand. Since it's Father's wish, then let's follow it."
This is more advantageous for her.
She thought so rationally, but when she returned to her room, she couldn't continue what she was doing and her thoughts were unsettled.
It felt like a needle pricked my heart, leaving a faint, aching pain.
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