confrontation
Time flowed slowly in silence, stretching the overlapping figures of the two people longer and blending deeper into the shadows of the wall.
Shen Qianyue finally fell asleep when the sky was about to brighten. She maintained a side-lying position. Xie Shangjia tightened his arms, holding her more tightly in his arms.
Xie Shangjia's hot forehead tilted slightly unconsciously, and his dry lips rubbed against the strands of Shen Qianyue's hair scattered on his chest.
Shen Qianyue's breathing was steady and long, forming a strange interweaving with Xie Shangjia's gradually slow but still deep breathing.
The deep ink color outside the window began to reveal a very light gray, indicating that the long night was coming to an end. Jinyu's very light footsteps sounded outside the door again, with cautious temptation.
"Madam, it's the first quarter of the morning. You... should get up."
Shen Qianyue's eyelashes trembled slightly, and she slowly broke free from Xie Shangjia's arms. She stood up very quietly, lowered her eyes and took a last look at Xie Shangjia who was still sleeping on the bed, and her fingertips brushed across the slightly wet hair on his forehead.
"Husband, please get better."
Chen Qianyue put on her plain brocade coat, neatly put on her fox fur cloak, opened the door and whispered instructions, her voice returning to its usual cold and calm tone.
"Jinyu, come with me back to Bamboo Garden."
"Yes, ma'am."
Chen Qianyue did not stay any longer. She picked up the lantern whose light was already very dim and walked out of the warm room filled with the smell of alcohol and complex atmosphere without looking back.
The morning light was dim, and the cool air blew in her face, quickly blowing away the last trace of Xie Shangjia's scent on her body.
Her back was straight as a pine tree, and her steps were steady, but under her undershirt, which had been ironed by the man's scorching body heat last night, there was still a trace of indescribable warmth left from the interweaving of ice and fire.
"Hibiscus, prepare water."
Jinyu nodded: "Madam, please eat something first. I'll go to the bathroom."
The cool morning light fills the courtyard.
Chen Qianyue returned to the main house of Zhuyuan. On the table was a bowl of glutinous rice porridge and a few refreshing side dishes that Jinyu had prepared long ago. She picked up the silver chopsticks, ate a little, and then went to take a bath.
Jinyu frowned as she changed her clothes: "Madam, there are huge bruises on your wrists and waist. The Minister is really a fool."
Shen Qianyue patted her hand nonchalantly: "Go to the pharmacy and find some ointment later."
The misty hot air instantly enveloped me, and the bath water with the elegant orchid fragrance submerged my body. The hot water ironed my skin, dispelling the chill of deep winter and washing away the vague traces of warmth from last night.
Jinyu used the soft sponge of a loofah to wipe her shoulders and back with moderate force, showing the familiarity of years of service.
Shen Qianyue was almost done washing, and Jinyu picked up a large and soft Sujin bath towel and wrapped her carefully.
…
Xie Shangjia woke up drowsily and hit his head hard, trying to wake up.
He opened his eyes hazily and prepared to get out of bed to wash up. When he lifted the thick quilt, he suddenly felt his underwear was wet. He woke up instantly, touched it in disbelief, looked around, and breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, there was no one there.
He rolled around on the soft couch for a few times and pounded the quilt a few times. He began to think deeply about what he had done last night: gambling in the stone shop, getting drunk, and then who sent him back.
"Is the master awake?"
Chen Qianyue changed into a more formal dress with a moon-white base. The neckline and the edges of the wide sleeves were embroidered with elegant green lotus patterns with silver thread. She wore a cloud-green fox fur coat on the outside. A mutton-fat jade hairpin with a few white jade beads was pinned in her bun, swaying gently with her movements.
"Madam, the servants didn't hear anything."
Shen Qianyue opened the door and walked straight towards Xie Shangjia.
Xie Shangjia quickly pretended to be still asleep.
Shen Qianyue sat beside him, and when she sat down, she realized that the person was awake, because the breathing sound of a sleeping person is different from that of an awake person.
Xie Shangjia was nervous, his legs tightly clamped around the quilt, his whole body stiff.
Shen Qianyue leaned over, turned his face, and kissed him on the mouth. When they separated, they rubbed each other's mouths.
"Madam, Guard Qi is waiting at the study door." Jinyu reported in a low voice.
Shen Qianyue took one last look at Xie Shangjia's trembling eyelashes, nodded slightly, and said in a clear voice like broken jade: "Let's go."
He walked out of the warm room with steady steps: "Prepare hot water for the master."
After Shen Qianyue left, Xie Shangjia was as stiff as a stone sculpture. She had discovered... she had discovered!!!
wrong.
When did his bedding become so fragrant? It smells just like Shen Qianyue's.
Xie Shangjia tiptoed forward, he lay on the bed and smelled carefully, and when he looked closely he found there were a few long hairs, and there was a small wet spot on the mattress underneath.
Long hair...
Only Shen Qianyue had just been here...
No way!
He had an incredible guess.
Shen Qianyue's hair loss has reached this point!!
Come around, this bed has her hair.
After coming out, Shen Qianyue went straight to the study. The guards in dark clothes stood solemnly at the door with their hands hanging down.
"Madam, we have found out where the second young master is staying. It's in Songtao Villa in the west of the city."
"Songtao Villa... is quite elegant. Prepare the car." Shen Qianyue's fingertips unconsciously stroked the silver lines on the cuffs.
The carriage drove towards the west of the city. Inside the carriage, Shen Qianyue closed her eyes and rested, but her fingertips rested lightly on her knees, and her fingertips unconsciously stroked the smooth brocade fabric.
Xie Shangyu is definitely a huge rock that can stir up stagnant waters. She must take the initiative, find out the truth, and draw a clear line.
Songtao Villa is located deep in a relatively secluded alley in the west of the city. It is quiet in the midst of the hustle and bustle. The courtyard wall is high and the black lacquered gate is tightly closed. The two words "Songtao" are painted in iron and silver on the lintel, revealing a sense of restrained aloofness.
Shen Qianyue's carriage stopped in front of the door, and the guard came forward and knocked on the door. After a moment, the side door opened a crack, revealing the cautious face of a middle-aged steward.
"Please inform that Mrs. Shen, the wife of the Minister of State, is here to pay a visit." The guard's voice was not loud, but his hand holding the side door to prevent the other party from closing it was extremely firm.
A hint of surprise flashed across the steward's eyes, but he quickly calmed down and said, "Madam, please wait a moment. I will inform the master."
The waiting time was not long, but it was enough to make the fresh air seem even more stagnant. Shen Qianyue sat upright in the car, her eyes calmly sweeping over the stone steps in front of the courtyard and the stone lanterns on both sides.
The side door opened again, this time even wider. The steward bowed and came out to greet him respectfully, "Madam, the master invites you in. Please follow me."
Chen Qianyue calmly got out of the car with the help of Jinyu. Her white cloak fluttered gently in the breeze, making her face look even more beautiful. She walked steadily into the gate of the villa.
The courtyard is indeed a different world. The path is paved with bluestone slabs. The ancient pines are like a canopy, with strong branches and lush needles. The name of "Pine Waves" is well-deserved.
The steward led her through a moon-shaped door, and in front of her was an exquisite courtyard with a pond in the middle. There was a thin layer of ice on the surface of the water. Beside the pond stood an attic with flying eaves and pointed corners. The doors and windows were closed, but through the window lattices covered with plain paper, she could vaguely see the movement of people inside.
The door was gently pushed open, and Xie Shangyu's figure appeared at the door. He was wearing a sky-blue casual brocade robe, with a warm smile on his face. The moment he saw Chen Qianyue, his eyes revealed just the right amount of surprise and concern.
"Sister-in-law? Why did you come here in person so early in the morning? Please come in, it's very cold outside." He walked quickly down the steps of the warm room, his attitude was intimate but not out of place.
Shen Qianyue nodded slightly as a return gesture, and when she raised her eyes, her calm gaze met Xie Shangyu's jade-like face.
"Thank you for your concern, Second Brother. I've taken the liberty of coming here today. First, I want to pay you a visit, Second Brother, whom I haven't seen for a long time. I must be polite. Second,..."
The curve of her lips was so faint that it was almost invisible. Only the icy light in her eyes was as sharp as a knife, piercing straight into Xie Shangyu's gentle and smiling mask.
"I want to hear what Second Uncle has to say about family affairs."
The smile on Xie Shangyu's face was still warm, but under Shen Qianyue's cold and sharp gaze, that smile seemed to carry an imperceptible layer of coolness, like ice and snow.
"Sister-in-law, please come in and sit down first." He led Shen Qianyue into the attic.
The attic is decorated very elegantly, with music, chess, calligraphy and painting displayed in order. The few antiques on the antique shelves exude a low-key luxury, and the air is filled with the elegant fragrance of agarwood.
Xie Shangyu personally poured a cup of hot tea and pushed it onto the small mahogany table in front of Shen Qianyue. The lingering heat couldn't blur the clear hostility between them.
"My sister-in-law cares about family affairs, which is the right way to manage a household. I am deeply pleased." Xie Shangyu also sat down, picked up his cup of tea, and gently blew away the foam with an elegant movement.
His tone was like a needle wrapped in honey: "It's just... this family matter seems a bit confusing now, which makes Second Brother really worried."
Shen Qianyue picked up her teacup and sipped gently. "Shang Jia accidentally fell into an icy lake some time ago, and his memory was reverted to when he was eighteen. I am deeply saddened, and I have invited Shen Yan, the head of the Divine Doctor Valley, to come back."
Xie Shangyu's voice deepened, but his eyes were as sharp as a hawk, tightly grasping every subtle reaction of Shen Qianyue.
"Sister-in-law, neither you nor I are stupid. On my way back, I heard some bad rumors. It said that before Shang Jia's accident, sister-in-law had met with Prince Dingwu privately many times. Even after Shang Jia lost his memory, the prince sent people to secretly visit the backyard of the Xie Mansion. How can this be explained by a mere 'accident'?"
He leaned forward slightly, as if to close the distance between him and Shen Qianyue, exerting invisible pressure. His voice became even lower, but each word fell like a hammer.
Xie Shangyu's eyes were fixed on Shen Qianyue's cold and beautiful face without any ripples on it, not missing a single muscle twitch. He threw out a vicious guess that was enough to nail someone to the pillar of shame.
"Sister-in-law, tell my second brother..."
He paused, and every word he spoke was filled with a poisonous chill.
"Is Shang Jia's amnesia related to you or the now-powerful Prince Dingwu? Did you resort to undue means against your own husband in order to rekindle your relationship with him?"
The elegant scent of Shenshuixiang was instantly replaced by strong murderous intent and cold accusations.
Shen Qianyue sat still, her knuckles turning pale from the force of the teacup she was holding. She was almost crushing the thin porcelain cup to pieces. A fury of being insulted surged like magma beneath the ice.
Time seemed to freeze for a few breaths.
Just when Xie Shangyu thought that this fatal accusation was enough to shatter her forced composure.
"Oh."
A very light and cold sneer, filled with endless mockery, escaped from Shen Qianyue's lips. She didn't even raise her eyes to look at Xie Shangyu's aggressive face, her gaze only falling on the cup of cold tea in her hand.
"Prince Dingwu? Second brother is incredibly well-informed. He even knows the private affairs of the Xie Mansion's backyard so clearly. This level of concern... truly makes me, my sister-in-law, flattered."
Shen Qianyue slowly put down the teacup, and the porcelain collided with the mahogany tabletop, making a crisp but cold "thump" sound.
"Who have I met? Who did the prince send to visit..." She stood up, and the green fox fur glowed with a cold glow under the sunlight. She looked down at Xie Shangyu who was still sitting.
“That’s my business, Shen Qianyue, and the mistress of the Xie Mansion. When will it be the turn of…the second brother of a Jianghu person to judge right and wrong.”
"As for Shang Jia's amnesia, I also think it's strange, but it definitely has nothing to do with me."
The air in the attic was completely frozen, and the scent of agarwood was completely covered by the invisible smoke.
The two men looked at each other, one standing as tall and straight as a pine tree, emitting a cold and inviolable aura, while the other sitting seemed still calm, but his fingers were tightly gripping the teacup and there was a dark tide in his eyes.
The secret battle between uncle and sister-in-law finally came to light at this moment.
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