Chapter 154 Evil Nature
Xie Qi calculated the time in his mind, thinking that Ye Yunyi would return home after that, and then he pitifully returned to Qianxiang Courtyard with his hands half-closed.
At that time, Shen Yuanzhu was still putting on her earrings. When she saw that Xie Qi had a wound on his palm, she had no choice but to take out the wound medicine.
"How did this happen?"
She held Xie Qi's fingers and examined the wound. Seeing that it looked like a cut from a sharp weapon, but not serious, she slowly applied the wound medicine.
Seeing her careful movements and gentle demeanor, Xie Qi felt as if his heart was being soaked in warm water, feeling soft and warm.
"Why aren't you saying anything? How did you get hurt?"
Xie Qi snapped out of his daze and feigned grievance: "When drinking tea with someone, the teacup was made of such poor quality that it broke in my hand without me noticing."
"What kind of teacup breaks so easily?"
Shen Yuanzhu glared at him, wanting to ask more questions, but Xie Qi interrupted her: "Speaking of which, I have some questions to ask you."
"What do you want to ask?"
Xie Qi said, "When I was at Yujintang, I wanted to help you get back the dyeing manual. Why did you pinch me?"
"So that's what it is."
After bandaging his hand, Shen Yuanzhu sat down beside him and winked playfully: "The Xie family has wanted the dyeing manual for a long time, and I know that I won't have it in my hands for long."
“But if I obediently hand it over, it will have a completely different outcome than if it is stolen by the Xie family.”
Shen Yuanzhu puffed out her round face, her eyes full of innocence: "If they treat you badly, and if the Ruo Ranpu is stolen, the Xie family will always be inferior to you and me."
"They'll always feel a bit intimidated when they see us. I think that in the future, Grandmother and Mother won't feel superior to you anymore, after all..."
Squeezing Xie Qi's hand, Chen Yuanzhu said, "He who takes a gift is bound to be indebted to another."
These words startled Xie Qi, and his eyes immediately welled up with tears.
In this world, perhaps only Shen Yuanzhu would protect me and think of me in every way.
Xie Qi couldn't help but bend down and bury his head in Shen Yuanzhu's neck.
With a soothing touch, Xie Qi was gently stroked on the back and became very obedient.
"What will you do if you run out of dyeing recipes?"
Xie Qi felt wronged for her: "Those are the keepsakes your mother left you..."
“My mother left me many things, which are all cherished memories for me. I don’t need to be fixated on just a few dyeing manuals.”
"As for me, what use would I have for the dyeing manual? I am just a woman confined to the inner quarters. As long as my husband is well, I am well."
"As long as my husband is here, I am here; as long as my husband is at peace, I am at peace."
Upon hearing this, Xie Qi rubbed his burning eyes against her shoulder and said softly after a long while, "You're wrong to think like that. Who can you rely on as much as yourself? You should always keep some thoughts in mind to plan for yourself."
As Xie Qi gently stroked Chen Yuanzhu's hair, his heart felt as sweet as if it were coated in warm honey water, a warm and sweet sensation that made him feel succumb to its sweetness.
Suppressing his lip, Xie Qi earnestly said, "Yuanzhu, life is unpredictable and people's hearts are fickle. Although I will never let you down in this life, there is always a chance that something might happen."
Wasn't the sudden death of Shen's father the biggest "what if"?
This disrupted all of Yuanzhu's mother's plans.
Xie Qi can guarantee that his true feelings will never change in this lifetime, but...
Xie Qi muttered, "We don't know what tomorrow will bring. As long as I'm alive, I'll always find a way to protect you. But what if... what if there's a natural disaster or man-made calamity tomorrow, and I can't even protect myself? What will you do if I leave you to face the hardships alone?"
At this point, Xie Qi lowered his eyes, feeling uneasy.
He initially sought refuge with Yuan Xu because he had nowhere else to turn and no one to rely on. But things are different now. He has developed a weakness and a grudge, so naturally he wants to disembark safely.
Xie Qi thought for a moment and shook his head slightly: "Yuanzhu, I... I will try to find some properties for you to hide outside in the future, so that you can settle down."
"In case, in case I ever get into some kind of trouble, you'll have a way to protect yourself."
"I'm afraid the Xie family won't tolerate you."
"My husband..."
Shen Yuanzhu wrapped her arms around Xie Qi's waist, seemingly deeply moved.
Those touching words were just something she casually uttered, so she naturally thought Xie Qi was just acting on a whim.
She didn't doubt that everything the other person said at that moment was from the bottom of their heart, but true feelings are fickle, and sincerity also has its limits.
True sincerity is like a fine brocade hidden in a warehouse; when it is freshly woven and dyed, it is radiant and breathtakingly beautiful.
Over time, it inevitably becomes old and faded, and perhaps one day if you accidentally open it, you will find that it has been infested with a whole box of woodworms.
Thinking this way, she naturally didn't understand the deeper meaning in Xie Qi's words. She simply hugged him tightly, coaxing and comforting him.
The two became increasingly intimate and affectionate, lingering for a while before Shen Yuanzhu finally said, "Who did you go for tea with today? You got your hands all injured."
"..."
Xie Qi opened his mouth, the three words "Jixia Manor" rolled on his tongue, and then he swallowed them back down.
He bit his tongue in frustration.
He wanted to tell Yuanzhu that he was not entirely useless and had acquired many properties outside, far from being the good-for-nothing the Xie family imagined.
But he repeatedly promised to buy Yuanzhu jewelry, headdresses, and necklaces...
As a result, every business deal he was about to secure ended in failure, which made him feel ashamed.
He owns a huge shop, yet he can't even afford to buy his wife a necklace...
This is really embarrassing for him.
After thinking for a long time, he listlessly swallowed his boastful words and said haphazardly, "Didn't you ask me to help the Jiang family's sister with her marriage the other day?"
"Hmm? What's your decision?"
Xie Qi said, "Today I went to have tea with that person and had a gossipy person in Suzhou go out and speak well of Sister Jiang for a few days. There shouldn't be any problems now."
Before leaving Jixia Village today, he casually asked a few questions, and Yunzheng said that the matter was settled and that he should wait for news in the next few days.
As the young couple were chatting, Madam Luo said that someone from the eldest son's side had come over, saying they wanted to ask Shen Yuanzhu a few questions.
"Can you tell me what you want to ask?"
Madam Luo said, "I did. The old woman sent by the eldest mistress said that she heard you are very familiar with Madam Jiang and wants to ask you some questions about the Jiang family."
Shen Yuanzhu exclaimed, "What a perfect time! My husband is truly reliable in handling matters, and even your gossipy friend is quite dependable."
She got up, straightened her clothes, and combed her hair, which Xie Qi had ruffled, before following Madam Luo to the main house.
In the past two days, Yunzheng has spread news about Jiang Zao several times in Jixia Village.
Now, all the matchmakers and gossips in the city know that the Jiang family has a kind, virtuous, filial, and elegant unmarried daughter.
Shen Yuanzhu pondered to herself, fearing that Hua Nanzhi and Xie Sanniang had already taken a liking to her.
She felt she had lived up to Zhou He's expectations, but little did she know that Xie Qi's two lines about lying on ice to catch carp and wearing colorful clothes to entertain his parents had given Jiang Zao a somewhat "wicked" impression.
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