Chapter 23 The Red Mark on the Neck
He had warmed up a bit, and his face, pressed against her neck, was wet, indistinguishable between sweat and water.
Xie Yushu felt him holding her very tightly, his palms gradually warming against her soaked inner garment.
He must have been half-asleep, mistaking her for Xie Jianing, which is why he nestled against her neck and pleaded, "Hold me a little longer... hold me a little longer, it's too cold..."
Xie Yushu lowered his face and whispered deliberately near his reddened ear, "Then it will cost an additional five thousand taels."
Song Jie heard it, his closed eyes and brows furrowed little by little, and he struggled to open his eyes in the steaming heat.
Those unfocused eyes met Xie Yushu's downcast face. His features were indistinct in the steam, except for a small mole on the tip of his nose that was swaying.
"Awake?" Xie Yushu struggled in his arms, trying to get away.
"Xie..." Song Jie subconsciously wanted to call out a name, but he tightened his arms and held her tightly in his arms. She gasped for breath from the tightness, and her warm hands rested on his shoulders as she said unhappily, "Wake up, Prime Minister Song, I am not Xie Jianing."
His eyes gradually cleared, and he saw the face in front of him clearly. Her face was clean, without any makeup. Her eyebrows and eyes were long and cold, which set against her face, which was reddened by the heat, and she had a contradictory cold beauty.
She was soaked to the bone; her outer robe was so wet it was almost hanging off her shoulders, revealing her flushed collarbones and neck. Her black hair was also wet and clung to her cheeks.
It's gorgeous, like a plump, ripe peach; if you gently rub it open, sweet juice will flow out.
She thought he was going to call her Xie Jianing?
Of course he knew she was Xie Yushu. Who else in this world talks about money all the time? Besides, she didn't look like Jia Ning at all at this moment.
The rising steam softened his hardened heart. Had she come here on her own? Had she heard from the servants of the Pei residence that he had been looking for her?
In the dead of night, she appeared beside him, almost risking her reputation to save him. He clearly remembered that she was holding him, stroking his back, and warming his palms with her arms...
"Host, you have gained another 1 point of Popularity Points, from Song Jie," the system announced.
Xie Yushu was surprised; she shouldn't look like Xie Jianing now, right?
It's true that people are easiest to win over when they're vulnerable. Song Jie only liked the person who redeemed him. Even if it had been some random cat or dog that appeared and warmed and healed him, he would have liked them too.
The dog is here.
Panpan rushed in from behind the screen, put her feet on the bathtub, and excitedly nuzzled Song Jie with her head.
"Has the Prime Minister woken up?" Cangshu asked from behind the screen.
"You're awake." Xie Yushu waved Song Jie's hand away and got out of the bathtub.
Song Jie's gaze followed her, and he saw water dripping down her robe. The blue robe clung to her body, steaming with heat, making her look like a goddess from the mountains.
Jin Ye quickly grabbed a cloak and wrapped it around her, then turned to the side to block Song Jie's view with her own body.
Song Jie then seemed to come to his senses and remembered that she was Madam Pei, someone else's wife.
He withdrew his gaze, turned to the side, and weakly ordered, "Cangshu, fetch a set of inner and outer garments that I haven't worn before for Madam Pei..." He added, "You go out too."
He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but the water in the bathtub got cold as soon as she left.
"Yes." Cang Shu turned around and went to the wardrobe to take out a set of inner and outer robes that the Prime Minister had never worn. He placed them on the side couch outside the screen and said softly, "Madam Pei, the clothes are here. They are much too big. Please wear them for now."
Song Jie frowned. When did Cang Shu become so talkative and considerate? It's just getting a set of clothes, does he really need to say so much?
He then heard Xie Yushu gently say to Cangshu, "Thank you."
Song Jie felt inexplicably uncomfortable. Shouldn't she be thanking him? The clothes were his, and he was the one who asked her to get the clothes, not Cang Shu.
The room door closed.
Jin Ye helped Xie Yushu into the inner room, and carefully lowered the curtain before helping Xie Yushu change into new inner clothes, trousers, and outer robe, all of which were much too big.
Fortunately, she carried a sewing kit in her waist pouch and quickly sewed two stitches for the lady.
After she finished dressing the lady, and just as she put down her wet hair to dry it and re-tied it, she heard the sound of water coming from behind the screen.
Song Jie emerged from behind the screen, coughing softly.
Xie Yushu turned his head to look at him. He was barefoot, wearing only a purple outer robe, underneath which were a soaked inner garment and trousers. His pale face was matched by an equally pale chest. The inner garment clung to his chest and became faintly visible as he moved. It was astonishing that such a frail person had pectoral and abdominal muscles.
“Our lady hasn’t finished getting ready yet,” Jin Ye said hurriedly.
Song Jie coughed, his chest and abdomen aching. He walked unsteadily to the bedside, sat down wearily, and said, "The water's cold."
Can't even stand it for a moment? She thinks it's Prime Minister Song trying to peek at his wife!
Jin Ye thought angrily, then reached out and lowered the bed curtains, saying, "Then Your Excellency, please sit inside and warm up."
Xie Yushu smiled and looked up at Jin Ye, giving her an approving nod. "Little rascal."
She thought that the sharp-tongued Song Jie would make a sarcastic remark, but to her surprise, he remained completely silent and did not utter a single rebuttal.
Through the bed curtains, you couldn't see anyone clearly.
Song Jie sat on the edge of the couch, his clothes soaking wet, and could only see her silhouette sitting by the window. She was wearing his robe, her head slightly bowed, letting the maid comb her black hair. A hair ribbon was twirled between her fingers, going back and forth.
Panpan squatted at her feet, drawn to the hair ribbon in her hand.
The room was no longer filled with the smell of bitter medicine, but also with the fragrance of her floral dew.
Unfortunately, Xie Yushu turned to him and asked, "Prime Minister Song, will you pay the ten thousand taels of gold now, or will you deliver it to the Pei residence another day?"
His illusions shattered instantly, and for a moment his heart felt as if it had been broken. He was unusually speechless for a moment before asking, "Ten thousand taels of gold? You rushed here... because of ten thousand taels of gold?"
She suddenly appeared at his mansion, disregarding her own reputation, embracing him in the bathtub, warming him, and taking care of him... all because of ten thousand taels of gold?
"Otherwise what? I rushed over so late and took such good care of you. Ten thousand taels is just a token of my hard work. You were unconscious at the time, and it was Cangshu who begged me to save you, which is why I agreed to pay ten thousand taels of gold." Xie Yushu frowned at him and asked, "You can't afford it, can you?"
Song Jie laughed, laughing at his own wishful thinking a moment ago, and also at how quickly she changed her mind.
At that moment, he had no doubt that if he said he couldn't produce 10,000 taels of gold, Xie Yushu would make a scene throughout Bianjing and let everyone know that he had cheated her out of 10,000 taels of gold.
How ridiculous! What kind of dream is he having? She is not his bride, but Pei Shilin's bride.
She wouldn't come for him for no reason, to help him through his difficulties; she would only take the opportunity to raise her price and make a killing.
That's Xie Yushu for you.
Song Jie was fully awake. He lifted the bed curtains and looked at her coldly, scrutinizing her closely. The red mark on her neck had turned into a faint bruise.
Such a greedy person as Xie Yushu would come to his side as a fake of Jia Ning for money, and of course he would also go to Xiao Zhen's side, as long as he was paid.
"Cang Shu," Song Jie called Cang Shu in coldly.
When Cangshu walked over with his eyes downcast, he raised his hand and said, "Bring me the silver box."
Cangshu immediately understood and went to fetch the silver box that had been prepared for the evening, handing it to the Prime Minister.
The silver box was opened, revealing a thick stack of silver notes and gold coins.
Song Jie took out a gold note worth ten thousand taels of gold and handed it to Xie Yushu. Seeing that her eyes lit up, he raised his eyebrows and gestured to the maid to take it away.
Song Jie took out another silver note containing one thousand taels of silver and handed it to her again: "One thousand taels for one question. I will ask and you will answer. No lying is allowed."
Xie Yushu hesitated for a moment, wondering if a thousand taels of silver was too little. However, she always knew when to stop, and Song Jie had already spent ten thousand taels of gold tonight. If she raised the price now, she was afraid that he would be like the stingy Xiao Zhen and stop asking.
So she said, "One thousand taels of silver, I will answer selectively."
Song Jie was amused and annoyed. Looking at her shrewd face, he had no choice but to ask, "Where did you go tonight?"
"I had a fight with Pei Shilin and went to my mother's place," Xie Yushu replied casually, then gestured for Jin Ye to get the money.
Jin Ye immediately took the silver note.
"The Marquis of Yong'an's residence?" Song Jie asked in confusion.
"That's the second question." Xie Yushu did not answer.
Song Jie felt a pang of heartache and had no choice but to take out another thousand taels of silver for her.
She then replied, "It's not the Yong'an Marquis's residence, it's my own mother, Qiao Bao'er's place."
Qiao Bao'er? Her mistress.
Song Jie plans to check another day to see if she went there tonight.
He handed her another thousand taels of silver and asked, "When you were in the Duke of Ying's mansion, did the Fourth Prince ever look for you?"
"I did look for him," Xie Yushu replied. "He sent one of his servants to find me, saying that I should go to the gate of the Duke of Ying's residence to see him, but you happened to come, and his servant was so frightened that he jumped out of the window and left, so I didn't go." She added, "It was when you came to the west wing to find me."
Song Jie frowned, looking at her with a mixture of belief and disbelief. "If you're lying..."
"May I be struck by lightning!" Xie Yushu swore directly.
Song Jie looked at her and felt it was absurd. Could someone who was full of lies really be trusted to make a vow? She might even deceive the gods.
But he still gave the silver note to Jin Ye and then took out another silver note worth two thousand taels.
"Why didn't you tell the truth in the west wing hall?" Song Jie asked her.
Xie Yushu retorted confidently, "I have no obligation to tell Prime Minister Song the whole truth, do I?"
Song Jie was speechless. When Jin Ye came to collect the silver notes, he took them back and said to Xie Yushu, "One last question."
He helped Cangshu up and walked to her. Looking at her face that was looking up at him, he really wanted to reach out and touch it.
In the end, he simply touched the bruised side of her neck with the silver note and asked, "How did you get this red mark?"
Xie Yushu shrank his neck from the itch, thinking: He obviously doesn't believe it's a mosquito bite, I can't fool him.
She could only lower her eyes, cover her neck, and say, "Pei Shilin pinched me."
Song Jie paused for a moment, then thought back to when he saw her outside the Duke of Ying's mansion; there wasn't this red mark there, was there? At the banquet, she was quite far away, and he couldn't see that side of her neck...
"You deliberately spoke to me at the gate of the Duke of England's mansion, weren't you openly cuckolding him? He already resented being sent to your residence by me." Xie Yushu angrily glared at him: "How can you let me off so easily after he's inside?"
Did Pei Shilin choke her after she entered the mansion?
Song Jie's heart tightened.
"Are you satisfied now?" she said angrily, raising her hand to snatch the two-thousand-tael silver note.
Song Jie grabbed her arm, surprised, and asked, "Pei Shilin dared to choke you? I heard you had his arm broken tonight."
Xie Yushu looked up at him, blinked, stood up and said, "Naturally, it's because he hurt me first that I got so angry. If he hadn't dared to lay a hand on me, how could I have been willing to hurt my husband?"
She forcefully pulled the banknote away.
Looking at her completely unashamed face, Song Jie wanted to laugh. "Oh? I didn't know you were genuinely in love with Pei Shilin?"
"Of course." She stopped answering his question and handed the silver notes to Jin Ye to keep safe. "Now that Prime Minister Song is alright, I'll be leaving. My husband is seriously injured and is waiting for me at the mansion."
Song Jie then pulled out a gold note worth ten thousand taels of gold and waved it in front of her.
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Author's Note: This is Thursday's update~ I'm also giving out red envelopes for this one~
Tomorrow is Friday, so the update will be moved to 11 PM. There will be two chapters and a red envelope giveaway. Please check back then!
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