Hate and Love
Also on the eighth day of the third lunar month, Cheng Zhijie finally brought Xu Mingyi home.
Cheng Zhijie stroked Xu Mingyi's face. Fortunately, he made it in time. The moment he returned from the Liu family that night, he was already planning to bring down the Liu family.
Without a second thought, without needing to go through the process, it's definitely related to the Liu family.
Cheng Zhijie followed Ning Yan and Sui Zhixu's investigation and found a reason to see her with a clear conscience.
It was all his fault; no one could understand the utter despair Cheng Zhijie felt when he learned that Xu Mingyi had been poisoned.
Tomorrow will be the seventh day after Xu Mingyi's death.
It was all his fault... Cheng Zhijie clenched his fists, his nails digging into his flesh until they bled, but he felt no pain.
He buried his head in Xu Mingyi's shoulder, but the pain couldn't fill the hole in his heart.
If I had known this would happen, I should have let her leave in the first place.
After meeting under the wall, Xu Mingyi began living on Cheng Zhijie's estate. The estate manager's wife was kind and liked Xu Mingyi very much. Without Cheng Zhijie having to give her many instructions, she took good care of her.
Cheng Zhijie sometimes found it amazing that such a grown man could disappear without anyone at the Anyuan Marquis's estate.
Seeing Xu Mingyi wolfing down his food, his head almost buried in the bowl, he forced a cold, mocking smile.
Xu Mingyi blinked, not quite understanding what it meant.
Cheng Zhijie closed his eyes, not wanting to see her. He had made an incredibly foolish choice, bringing back an incredibly foolish person.
Xu Mingyi laughed. After Cheng Zhijie had someone bring her back, the servants took the initiative to tidy her up and change her into fashionable clothes in Chang'an, but she looked too light-footed in them.
When she appeared before Cheng Zhijie, he was relieved that she had the appearance of a noble lady from Chang'an, but unfortunately she was too thin and could be blown away by the wind.
Xu Mingyi's stomach was damaged, and he hadn't been able to eat for years. He would sometimes go hungry and sometimes have a full meal, and when he did have a full meal, it was because he would occasionally sneak out to find something to eat, such as fruit, rabbit meat, or wild vegetables...
Xu Mingyi has eaten everything that's edible and filling.
If this continues, things will get bad. Cheng Zhijie had just brought her back when someone reported that Xu Mingyi was sick, having eaten too much at once and causing discomfort.
When Cheng Zhijie found out, he was incredulous. Why did he bring her back?
He tapped the table. “Chew slowly and carefully. I taught you that. You don’t want to get sick, right? If you get sick, you have to take medicine. You don’t want it to taste bitter.”
Xu Mingyi opened her eyes wide and shook her head. Her eyes were particularly captivating on her delicate face. She was innocent and pure.
Cheng Zhijie smiled, perhaps because of his eyes.
"Eat your food properly, and then go to my study to study later." Cheng Zhijie didn't expect that Xu Mingyi could only recognize simple characters, and knew nothing else, yet he remembered the characters quite well.
He was illiterate, and the thought of it gave Cheng Zhijie a headache. How could the Earl of Anyuan raise such a person? He just left him on the estate and didn't care about him at all.
Xu Mingyi ate with a sad and indignant expression. Cheng Zhijie sighed and softened his tone, "You're already sixteen. You'll eventually have to go back to Chang'an. You can't be completely clueless."
After finishing her meal, Xu Mingyi had no choice but to go to the study with Cheng Zhijie to study. He was just teaching her; Cheng Zhijie treated her as a way to relax outside of official duties.
As the days went by, Cheng Zhijie didn't come here often; he only came when he was on his day off.
"Did you come from Chang'an?" Xu Mingyi had been waiting for him, and when she saw him arrive, she took the initiative to move closer to him.
"What, who do you want to ask?" Cheng Zhi's gaze froze on the sleeve of her hand that was gripping his, and he didn't let go.
"I...I want to ask my mother how she is doing?"
What was she hoping for? Xu Mingyi didn't know, and asked the question almost instinctively. Nine years had passed, almost ten years.
"As usual, everyone in Chang'an knows that Marquis Anyuan frequents brothels. Madam Ming lives a secluded life, which should be the same as before. I will help you find out next time."
Cheng Zhijie finally softened her heart. She was young and had not yet learned to read and write like the young ladies of Chang'an. It was already quite remarkable that she had survived for nine years by sheer willpower.
Cheng Zhijie admired the results of his cultivation. Xu Mingyi's face had become a little fuller, making her look even more beautiful, like a pure white gardenia, standing quietly to the side, exuding fragrance that made people bow down.
Xu Mingyi's sixteenth birthday is getting closer and closer to the end of the year. Her birthday is coming soon.
Cheng Zhijie knew that no one had celebrated Xu Mingyi's birthday since she turned seven, so he came out of the city that night to give her fireworks.
He was too impulsive. With the year-end approaching and busy with official duties, he rarely came to the estate, especially at night. This would arouse suspicion from others.
Fireworks bloomed in the sky, colorful and dazzling.
The crackling sounds echoed Cheng Zhijie's regretful thoughts. He had truly done something foolish; he should have rushed back before the city gates closed.
"Thank you."
As the fireworks lit up the sky, Cheng Zhijie met Xu Mingyi's gaze, and the scent of gardenias wafted past her ears.
Cheng Zhijie quickly retreated. Actually, it wasn't that he couldn't stay, but it was getting late, and he might not be able to get back to the city gate in time.
Also, the scent of gardenia powder suits her very well.
After the new year, Xu Mingyi became closer to Cheng Zhijie, perhaps because Cheng Zhijie celebrated her birthday.
"Can you take me back?" Xu Mingyi's clear voice rang out quietly as Cheng Zhijie finished teaching and testing Xu Mingyi in the study.
“I can send someone from your estate to inquire with the Marquis of Anyuan’s residence.”
“My estate? Does that mean the place I used to live in? I don’t want it! Why not you?” Xu Mingyi pursed her lips and tugged at Cheng Zhijie’s sleeve.
Cheng Zhijie put down the book in his hand and gently took his sleeve from Xu Mingyi's hand.
"Mingyi, have I been too good to you lately? Have I made you so unruly?" Still gentle, like talking to a disobedient child, Cheng Zhijie looked at her quietly.
Xu Mingyi was at a loss, "I'm sorry... I..."
I just...
Before she could finish speaking, tears fell drop by drop into Cheng Zhijie's palm, the scalding heat stimulating Cheng Zhijie.
He closed his eyes, and after a moment, calmly took out a handkerchief and wiped away Xu Mingyi's tears.
"Okay, stop crying." Cheng Zhijie couldn't bear to see her cry. Raising a child is really not easy, and it hurts her heart to see her cry.
“I told you I wouldn’t say we had a relationship outside of this, have you forgotten?” Cheng Zhijie paused, then gave in, “At least not now.”
Cheng Zhijie didn't consider himself a kind person, and there was no reason for him to just hand over the people he had raised.
Xu Mingyi lowered her head and said in a muffled voice, "I understand. I won't bother you anymore, you can continue with your work."
Xu Mingyi stopped bothering him. Cheng Zhijie frowned. The young lady always had her own thoughts, and Cheng Zhijie chose to respect that.
Xu Mingyi sat on a rattan chair in the courtyard, swaying it from time to time. The snow on the branches had not melted, and a little bit landed on Xu Mingyi's neck and stung.
She had no choice but to leave and sit elsewhere.
The moment she met Cheng Zhijie, she knew they were very different. She was stealing, a shameless act that the homeowner caught her red-handed.
She learned very little of what she had before she was seven years old, and told it was utterly shameful.
Cheng Zhijie was a good person. He didn't pursue her mistakes, and even kindly gave her food, taught her to read, and celebrated her birthday...
She was greedy. She was a bad person, insatiable and selfish, but she insisted on going to Chang'an. She wanted to go back!
Xu Mingyi kept turning and flipping the strip of handkerchief around.
She was simply unwilling to accept it; she wanted to see that person, the one who carried her for ten months and gave birth to her.
Cheng Zhijie treats her like a student, what should she do?
It's been ten years...
He only sees you as a student...
Two conflicting emotions tugged at Xu Mingyi's mind. She squatted on the ground, tears buried in her chest, biting her lip tightly, afraid to make a sound.
"I'm sorry, Cheng Zhijie..." She had no choice; she hadn't had a choice since she arrived at the manor seven years ago.
As Cheng Zhijie was leaving, he noticed that Xu Mingyi's eyes were red and guessed that Xu Mingyi was hiding in some corner and crying, but he still left.
It would be inappropriate to approach the "renowned" Marquis An Yuan in Chang'an City under his name.
Cheng Zhijie turned and left. Xu Mingyi was crying pitifully, but he couldn't sway her.
After Xu Mingyi changed into her spring clothes in early spring, Cheng Zhijie continued to come over. Xu Mingyi knew that Cheng Zhijie was avoiding her, and her heart felt numb and a little sore and swollen. She didn't know when Cheng Zhijie would come back next time, or if he would never come again.
That night, Xu Mingyi asked Cheng Zhijie to stay, saying, "I cooked tonight, why don't you stay and try it?"
Xu Mingyi's eyes were pleading and pitiful. Cheng Zhijie remembered Xu Mingyi's reddened eyes when he left, and he agreed.
Xu Mingyi warmed up some wine to bolster his courage, then carefully served the dishes and sat down next to Cheng Zhijie.
"I raise a glass to you to thank you for not holding my mistakes against me, for teaching me to read, and for celebrating my birthday."
Under the dim light, Cheng Zhijie noticed Xu Mingyi's red eyes and obediently drank it down.
During the meal, Xu Mingyi kept serving food to Cheng Zhijie, while eating very little herself.
Xu Mingyi clenched her fists. She was still afraid. What if Cheng Zhijie rejected her? Would he never come back? Then she might never be able to go back.
She steeled herself, drank a glass of wine, and stood up to press her lips to Cheng Zhijie's.
She specially changed into new clothes, with large gardenias embroidered on the chest and floral branches entwined on the skirt, swaying gracefully as she walked.
Xu Mingyi hooked her arms around Cheng Zhijie's neck and sat on his lap, giving him an awkward kiss.
Xu Mingyi opened her eyes and met Cheng Zhijie's calm gaze. Her heart ached terribly. She closed her eyes, her hands trembling.
Clothes fell off.
She reached out to untie Cheng Zhijie's belt.
Cheng Zhijie grabbed her hand and looked into Xu Mingyi's heart. Xu Mingyi couldn't help but tighten her grip on Cheng Zhijie's arm.
Cheng Zhijie opened his mouth, but in the end said nothing. He sighed and resignedly picked up Xu Mingyi, walked to the bedside, and pulled down the gauze curtains.
Xu Mingyi pestered Cheng Zhijie for a month, asking Cheng Zhijie for help. As always, Cheng Zhijie met her gaze.
Xu Mingyi's heart was in turmoil. She wrapped her arms around Cheng Zhijie's neck, pressed her forehead against Cheng Zhijie's, and acted coquettishly towards him.
"Please help me, no one else can help me but you. You're all I have, Cheng Zhijie. Brother Zhijie, Master, Brother..."
Xu Mingyi kept pestering Cheng Zhijie until Cheng Zhijie finally expressed his concern before fainting.
On the couch, Cheng Zhijie stroked Xu Mingyi's hair. He was just afraid that she would be biting her handkerchief and crying in some corner again. His wife was made of water, and he didn't like her with teary eyes.
Cheng Zhijie rubbed his tense brows, then pulled Xu Mingyi into his arms until the scent of gardenias enveloped him, and he closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.
After agreeing to Xu Mingyi's request, Cheng Zhijie kept looking for an opportunity. A week later, Cheng Zhijie took the initiative to request assistance with the Princess's visit to the Taoist temple. He found a perfect excuse to appease Marquis Wu'an, and everything went smoothly.
Cheng Zhijie subtly hinted at the tragic lives of Xu Mingyi's people on the estate to the Princess, who remained unperturbed and teased Cheng Zhijie, to which he readily agreed.
Cheng Zhijie knew that the Eldest Princess and the Emperor had a very good relationship. She had witnessed the Emperor's affair with the Consort back then and felt most sorry for the lovers who were not together. Over the years, she had arranged many marriages for them.
Cheng Zhijie certainly didn't love Xu Mingyi; he just didn't want Xu Mingyi to cry anymore.
When the eldest princess saw the plump and precious Xu Mingyi, she laughed heartily.
At that moment, Cheng Zhijie wished he could bury himself in the ground.
Having lived for many years, the eldest princess naturally knew this. She wouldn't reveal the relationship between Cheng Zhijie and Xu Mingyi, but would only say that Xu Mingyi was compatible with her and had been kept by her side for a few days. Naturally, the Earl of Anyuan would then welcome Xu Mingyi back in a grand manner.
Returning home was not a good experience.
She thought she hated her, and placed her hand on Ming Niangzi's slender neck, but sadly she discovered that she still loved her.
Hahaha……
The deeper the love, the more intense the hate; too much hate, too much love.
Madam Ming is as beautiful as she was many years ago, and her pitiful appearance is even more so than Xu Mingyi's. Every frown and smile is full of pity.
An Yuanbo occasionally swallowed his anger because he thought Xu Mingyi was returning under the guise of the Eldest Princess.
Xu Mingyi tidied up the entire backyard of An Yuanbo, but Mingniangzi actually blamed her, blaming her for causing a dispute between her and An Yuanbo.
Xu Mingyi didn't understand why Madam Ming always chose Marquis Anyuan instead of her.
An Yuanbo and Xu Mingyi had a big argument, with An Yuanbo blaming Xu Mingyi for kicking out his concubine and for not teaching her properly. Xu Mingyi instinctively defended Xu Mingyi, but afterwards she locked her in a room.
The scene that played out countless times in Xu Mingyi's memory was the same for everyone in the village: they wouldn't give her food, and if they were afraid she would cause trouble, they would lock her up, leaving her without water or food.
She sat listlessly in the corner, watching the sky lighten and darken.
When Cheng Zhijie arrived, he saw Xu Mingyi huddled in the corner again.
"Didn't you want to go home? Why are you in such a mess?" Cheng Zhijie pulled her up.
Xu Mingyi remained silent. Cheng Zhijie guessed that she hadn't eaten and took out some pastries from his pocket. "Eat some first to tide you over. Your stomach isn't good, and you'll get sick if you don't eat. How about we don't take any medicine?"
She didn't cry when An Yuanbo questioned her, she didn't cry when Ming Niangzi locked her up, she didn't cry even when she went a whole day without food or water, but when Cheng Zhijie came late at night with pastries and asked her if she liked them, she felt like crying. She hugged Cheng Zhijie, leaned against him, and sobbed softly.
"I don't want to stay here, I don't want to be locked up."
Cheng Zhijie hugged her, sighed inwardly, and still cried.
Cheng Zhijie felt that she was thinking about bad things from the past, so he didn't disturb her and quietly held her all night.
He had to leave before attending the morning court session, and before leaving, he left a note on the table to avoid worrying Xu Mingyi.
Cheng Zhijie's paternal uncle had sisters, so he used this as an excuse to arrange an invitation for Xu Mingyi to attend the banquet, and Xu Mingyi came out in less than two days.
Xu Mingyi confronted Ming Niangzi, but she still couldn't bear to let go. In the end, she released Ming Niangzi's neck, letting Ming Niangzi hide to the side, looking at her with a fearful expression.
She suddenly felt like laughing. Xu Mingyi actually laughed out loud, laughing at her own patheticness, her own pitifulness, and her own stupidity. She should have understood this long ago, but she never learned her lesson after just one or two times.
Xu Mingyi ignored Madam Ming and tidied herself up to attend the banquet.
She met Liu Xi, a noble lady renowned throughout Chang'an, skilled in all the arts, including music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. She and Cheng Zhijie were childhood sweethearts, a perfect couple, and their engagement had been arranged long ago.
In the Great Qi Dynasty, women usually got married at the age of eighteen or nineteen. They would arrange the marriage early and then leave their daughters for three to four years to show their respect for them and to prepare their wedding dress and dowry.
In other words, Liu Xi is one year older than Xu Mingyi, she is eighteen years old, and she and Cheng Zhijie are about to get married.
Xu Mingyi looked at Liu Xi in front of her with a gentle expression, full of anticipation for this marriage.
She retreated helplessly. She knew that few people at the banquet were not curious about her estate. Her knowledge was all taught by Cheng Zhijie, and she had much less knowledge than others who had accumulated over many years.
The young ladies of Chang'an City, though not explicitly stating it, asked her sarcastically how someone like her could have won the favor of the Princess. Xu Mingyi simply said she didn't know, leaving them speechless for a long time.
Xu Mingyi just smiled, a faint smile, and the other party didn't want to make things difficult for Xu Mingyi any further.
Liu Xi, Cheng Zhijie's fiancée, was even more outspoken. People were curious about how she was related to the Princess, asking if she was married and whether the Princess wanted to arrange a marriage for her. Everyone present was curious, as it was well known that the Princess liked to play matchmaker and had helped many couples get married.
Liu Xi's words made Xu Mingyi the center of attention at the banquet. Xu Mingyi could only shake her head. What could she say? Before she could even speak, Liu Xi had already mentioned her marriage to Cheng Zhijie. Xu Mingyi dared to enter Chang'an and could not possibly name anyone else.
"It's not because you grew up on the estate and don't know anything, that the princess is too embarrassed to introduce the young men of Chang'an to you, is it?"
"Who doesn't know what kind of mansion the Marquis of Anyuan is? His mansion is so dilapidated, it's better if it didn't exist at all."
Liu Xi stood in the center of the crowd, looking at her with disdain. But Xu Mingyi quickly realized that Liu Xi knew something.
Xu Mingyi was speechless and silently lowered her head. She didn't know that Cheng Zhijie had a fiancée.
If she had known, she wouldn't have...
Unfortunately, no, all of that has happened.
Xu Mingyi didn't even know how it ended; he only heard that Duke Pei, the Minister, and the ladies of the Dali Temple had arrived.
"What are you doing now? Bullying the weak? It's you again, Liu Xi. Do you just enjoy..."
Xu Mingyi's eyes were blurry with tears, and her ears were ringing. She couldn't hear or see anything clearly. All she could do was keep thanking them. She felt very embarrassed and it was her fault.
Xu Mingyi returned to the mansion with the help of her maid Chunzhao. Chunzhao was worried about her, and Xu Mingyi noticed it, but even her mistress could do nothing, so what could a mere maid like her do?
Xu Mingyi lay on the bed. Chang'an was truly a land of wealth and prosperity. How could someone like her, living on the muddy ground, possibly return?
Xu Mingyi was filled with hatred, she hated Uncle Anyuan so much. She lay on the bed, buried in the quilt, and no one could see her disheveled state.
If only there were no father, because with him, I wouldn't have a sister, I wouldn't have a mother...
Xu Mingyi could not forget everything from ten years ago, how her younger sister gradually grew cold in her arms, and why the candlestick hadn't killed him back then.
If he were to die, her mother would only have her left. Wouldn't she be spared being sent away? She could study and make friends like the other women, without getting entangled with Cheng Zhijie, and wouldn't have ended up like this.
Tears remained on the pillow, soaking it. She had done it once, so she wasn't afraid to do it a second time.
The next day, Xu Mingyi tidied herself up, took the curtain and went to the pharmacy to buy arsenic. Cheng Zhijie gave her silver. Money makes the world go round, and Xu Mingyi gave enough money that the pharmacy owner didn't even ask what she wanted to do.
Xu Mingyi returned to the Marquis's residence, plotting how Marquis Anyuan would drink the arsenic. He was obsessed with brothels and would only stay in his study when he came home, never returning to the main courtyard. Xu Mingyi decided to put the arsenic in the teapot in the study, but before the plan could be implemented, it was stopped by Cheng Zhijie, who had just arrived after learning the news.
"What are you doing here?" Xu Mingyi didn't want to see him and backed away repeatedly.
Cheng Zhijie snatched the arsenic from Xu Mingyi's hand.
"What are you doing? Give it back to me! What right do you have to tell me what to do?" Xu Mingyi reached out and grabbed the medicine from Cheng Zhijie's hand.
Cheng Zhijie said little, "Wait for me to handle this, and I will make sure you get out unscathed."
Xu Mingyi was stunned. Cheng Zhijie didn't say much, only telling her to wait a little longer, and that he would handle it.
Xu Mingyi began to hate him from this point on, hating that he hadn't come sooner, hating that he treated her too well, that his kindness was too shallow, and that he was too powerless.
Xu Mingyi closed her eyes. Cheng Zhijie left. After the first time, there was a second time waiting. Xu Mingyi experienced many more times waiting after that.
After resolving his engagement with Liu Xi, Cheng Zhijie turned around and, disregarding the objections of Madam Cheng and Marquis Wu'an, insisted on marrying Xu Mingyi.
Xu Mingyi couldn't quite describe her feelings. Cheng Zhijie told her to wait until after the wedding, saying he didn't want Uncle Anyuan to interfere with their marriage.
Xu Mingyi waited, suspecting that Cheng Zhijie had spies around her, otherwise why would Cheng Zhijie know everything she did?
Xu Mingyi didn't understand why Cheng Zhijie married her. She was no longer the Xu Mingyi who had just arrived in Chang'an. She knew more, such as the interests of the Cheng and Liu families, and the childhood friendship between Cheng Zhijie and Liu Xi.
She thought of more. On her birthday, Cheng Zhijie's indifferent eyes kept looking towards the palace gates of Chang'an. For the first time, he refused her return to the capital and repeatedly emphasized that he and she should not mention their relationship to outsiders.
What relationship did they have? She tried to seduce him, but he remained calm until he finally became impatient and responded to her.
She was his student, a student who wasn't good enough. Why would Cheng Zhijie marry her? It seems Liu Niangzi already knows. She won't mention it so obviously at the banquet, perhaps because it would be too awkward for her to say anything about her status.
Even if the Earl's family is in dire straits, it still holds a noble title. The Marquis's family is one level above the Earl's family. Taking her as a concubine is too low, while marrying her as a wife is too high.
From the moment Xu Mingyi learned of Cheng Zhijie and Liu Xi's engagement, she wanted to end it. She planned to poison An Yuanbo, or if all else failed, she would die with him. But Cheng Zhijie said he would give her a way to escape unscathed. Was marrying her the way?
Xu Mingyi felt as if her heart had been hollowed out. She obediently followed Cheng Zhijie's arrangements to attend the coming-of-age ceremony of his teacher's daughter.
He went to visit his teacher and, as he wished, went to study at the Shanhai Academy.
Perhaps his arrangement was right, as she unexpectedly met several other women.
In the isolated and helpless Chang'an, she seemed to have found companionship.
Madam Cheng disliked her, but still arranged for Liu Xi to meet him before the wedding, and he still left with them.
She was uncertain again.
After hearing Ming Niangzi's countless pronouncements of gentleness and obedience, she got married and entered the Cheng family.
Xu Mingyi only wants An Yuanbo's life now. Cheng Zhijie told her to wait until she gives birth to the next generation of the Marquis's family and secures her position as the matriarch of a prominent family. Then she won't have to rely on her maternal family anymore.
Xu Mingyi wanted to laugh. What could her maternal family rely on? She had never had any.
Cheng Zhijie noticed that Xu Mingyi was becoming increasingly quiet after their marriage. Madam Cheng often made things difficult for her, so he took it upon himself to cancel Xu Mingyi's greetings. To compensate her, he gave her a shop and coaxed her, "If you don't have a shop for the time being, then don't. You can use this to practice first. Don't worry too much. Once you give birth to a child and your position is secure, the shop will be in your hands."
Xu Mingyi didn't want to hear him speak, so she lowered her head and remained silent, not responding to him.
Before Cheng Zhijie spoke, Xu Mingyi felt that he had become very busy, even busier than before. He used to visit her much more frequently when they were at the estate.
Xu Mingyi smiled again. Things were different now; the situation was different.
Without the greetings, Madam Cheng's already dissatisfaction with Xu Mingyi intensified. Many of Cheng Zhijie's political enemies disliked Xu Mingyi, and whenever she went out, they had various ways to deal with her.
After Xu Mingyi suffered one or two setbacks, she retaliated in every way. Madam Cheng wouldn't care about her, and Madam Liu and Madam Liu were even more arrogant and condescending. The three of them put on a show, which Xu Mingyi found very boring, and she gradually stopped going out.
After Cheng Zhijie's busy period passed, their arguments began to increase.
"Mingyi, you will never change the fact that you are my wife. Please wait a little longer. Things will be fine in a while. We still have the rest of our lives to spend together."
For the first time, Cheng Zhijie expressed his feelings. He took her hand and said, "Mingyi, I've been very busy lately and haven't had time to take care of your studies. Can you please focus on your studies?"
Xu Mingyi didn't understand. She was so annoyed and tired. She avoided his hand and huddled in the corner of the bed, hysterically crying out, "You don't understand my situation, you can't see my grievances, you just keep imposing your will on me."
“I don’t care about being a prince’s wife, or a noble lady! All I want is his life. You don’t understand, you never will. You care about reputation, you care about official position. You’re trying to wash away my dirty past and make me look like a perfect noble lady.”
“But I am not. I am not good at needlework, I am not well-versed in poetry and literature, and I can barely read. You despise me for being crude and vulgar, yet you insist on elevating me to the same high position as you.”
Cheng Zhijie sighed. He wanted to communicate with Xu Mingyi again, but there would never be a next time.
He regretted that he had not done well enough, and he constantly sought merit in the court, trying to improve his and Xu Mingyi's situation.
It's still not enough.
They argued again, a two-way argument.
"Selfish and selfish! You only ever think about yourself! Don't tell me it's for the future, I won't listen to your ridiculous lies!" Xu Mingyi threw a pillow at Cheng Zhijie and chased him away.
The particular words completely enraged Cheng Zhijie. He threw aside the pillow Xu Mingyi had thrown at him and shouted, "Don't you care? Have you ever cared about me? All your things, your schemes, your arrangements, your affection! Have you ever given them to me?!"
"Who do you care about? You care about your own mother who abandoned you on the estate and didn't care about you at all! No matter how much she abandons you, you always lick her boots like a dog. Xu Mingyi, have some humanity! Have you forgotten that it was me! I gave you a meal and fed you! I got you out of the estate."
"Shut up! Do you think you're that kind? Your mind is full of calculation and self-interest. You're all human and you don't even know who you are anymore. Stop pretending to be a saint."
"Why shouldn't I accept it if you offer it to me willingly?"
"So what if I seduced you? You think you're so noble and virtuous, a young master from a prestigious family. Yet you still ended up sleeping with a stupid and despicable person like me. Isn't that shameful enough?!"
"Foolish and despicable? You have a good sense of self-awareness. You act entirely on impulse, without considering the consequences at all. Have you thought about it? Poisoning your own father, who is now a high-ranking official, do you even consider the consequences?"
"Your mother loved him so much that she could give him a drug to prevent him from having children, only so that he would only have her child, and you just happened to be her child. She could abandon you on the estate for him, and you killed him. Do you think she wouldn't hate you!"
Xu Mingyi could no longer bear it. Overwhelmed by resentment and pain, she turned and slapped Cheng Zhijie across the face.
The crisp sound echoed on Cheng Zhijie's cheek, marking the beginning of his triumph. Cheng Zhijie's expression turned cold as he grasped Xu Mingyi's outstretched hand, his warm breath spraying onto Xu Mingyi's palm.
The delicate fragrance of gardenias wafted from Xu Mingyi's hand to Cheng Zhijie's nose, and his tense brows gradually relaxed.
Xu Mingyi saw that he kept holding her hand and tried to pull it back, but couldn't. A tingling, warm, and humid sensation made Xu Mingyi feel numb from her tailbone, and it spread throughout her body in less than three breaths.
She lost her balance and fell into Cheng Zhijie's arms. Cheng Zhijie's well-defined hands naturally embraced Xu Mingyi's slender waist, holding her tightly in his arms.
Cheng Zhijie laughed out loud, "Does my wife like to hit me?"
"You madman, let me go! If you don't like me, get lost! Stupid and despicable? Ha! You're a liar, unworthy of being a gentleman!"
Xu Mingyi smacked him on the face again. Xu Mingyi was satisfied; it was symmetrical.
His whole demeanor was sarcastic, and he looked up at Cheng Zhijie defiantly, "You like it? I'll make you like it."
Cheng Zhijie remained calm, switching his arm around Xu Mingyi's waist and using the other hand to grasp Xu Mingyi's wrist, burying his face in Xu Mingyi's shoulder.
Where did she learn to like hitting people?
Forget it, it was just a couple of slaps. He was just being reckless with his words. Cheng Zhijie had seen his wife beat his husband while riding through the streets, and the husband would happily do it and then go and coax his wife. It was the same between him and Xu Mingyi.
"I heard that the Fan family's jewelry store has acquired a batch of Western Region jewelry made of sapphires."
"My lord, I was wrong. Does it hurt?" Xu Mingyi was not one to turn down money; her expression changed quickly, revealing a gentle tenderness.
"fine."
"Will you buy it for me? I want it." Cheng Zhijie released Xu Mingyi's wrist, opened his arms, and hugged Xu Mingyi who was throwing herself into his arms.
"You can't say those things anymore." Cheng Zhijie put his arm around the fragrant little gardenia.
"I won't say it again, sob sob sob." Xu Mingyi leaned against Cheng Zhijie's chest, her eyes calm and still.
It's all about money.
Xu Mingyi already knew that Cheng Zhijie had evidence that the Earl of Anyuan had bullied widows and secretly distributed money as part of their funerals. A cold glint flashed in Xu Mingyi's eyes as she pretended to be docile and nestled in Cheng Zhijie's arms.
In a rare moment of warmth, Xu Mingyi told Cheng Zhijie, "I've put Dongmei somewhere else. She's been making me unhappy lately, and I don't want to see her."
"Okay." Cheng Zhijie had nothing to refuse Xu Mingyi now. Xu Mingyi hummed twice and snuggled into Cheng Zhijie's arms again. Cheng Zhijie raised the corners of his eyes and gently stroked Xu Mingyi's hair.
Chun Chao left early. She was too timid, and Xu Mingyi cared a lot about her. He arranged for her to leave early on. She was already having a hard time at the An Yuan Earl's Mansion, let alone the Wu An Marquis's Mansion.
Qiu Guo has been quite restless lately. Xu Mingyi observes her silently. It's okay, everything will be resolved in the end. She's a traitorous ingrate. She doesn't remember who rescued her from her gambling-addicted father.
At the end of the year, Cheng Zhijie was promoted again to the rank of Third-Rank Silver Seal Grand Master, a nominal position. The Emperor, considering his young age, planned to postpone the promotion for a while before officially giving Cheng Zhijie a substantive position.
Cheng Zhijie spends his free time cuddling with Xu Mingyi.
Cheng Zhijie kept pestering her, which annoyed Xu Mingyi to no end. On the surface, she still acted as if she was Cheng Zhijie's wife, especially since there were so many rumors circulating about her.
Lady Ming specifically instructed her to have a child; why did she insist that she should give birth to an heir?
Cheng Zhijie was, and so was my mother; she was even doing it for her husband, not for me.
My wife is gentle and obedient, but she can be a little temperamental at times, and her fierce and playful antics are truly adorable.
After Cheng Zhijie finished dealing with court affairs, he went to bed and pulled the sleeping Xu Mingyi into his arms. He could now deal with the obstacles between them. Once they were gone, he and Mingyi would definitely be together for a long time.
Forever and ever...
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