Chapter 81 From Her
"..."
Xie Qi felt something was off, but then he thought that although Yuan Xu was a eunuch, he had indeed seen many women in the palace.
She definitely understands women's minds better than he does.
Seeing his expression, Yuan Xu chuckled: "Although I don't understand romance, I've seen plenty of this kind of thing in the palace."
"It's not surprising that she would actively seek your favor or even seduce you after marrying you out of an engagement."
seduce……
Xie Qi impatiently brushed his earlobe.
Yuan Xu said, "The survival of women in the harem depends on the emperor's favor. Your status as his wife is awkward, so naturally we can only try our best to please you."
"If she shows even the slightest reluctance on her face during the wedding, you will inevitably suspect that she still has feelings for Xie Xuchuan."
"Therefore, it is not surprising no matter what posture she adopts, whether she is subservient or obsequious."
Thinking of the situation in the palace, Yuan Xu said indifferently, "Women in the palace will do anything to gain the favor of their masters."
Those of low rank not only had to bribe their superiors and subordinates, but some also had to submit themselves to eunuchs with official positions.
"There are also some female officials who have won the favor of their masters and have no hope of leaving the palace in this lifetime. They will also play with those women and say a few good words for them in front of their masters when necessary."
At this point, Yuan Xu snorted: "When I first entered the palace, I once saw a newly arrived palace maid hiding outside the Yicui Pavilion in winter wearing only a thin veil."
"During that period, the master liked to go there to enjoy the snow scenery..."
Yuan Xu lowered his eyes, picked up his wine cup and filled it for himself: "But isn't it a coincidence that the master didn't go that day? That young lady was still unwilling to give up and froze to death in the artificial hill of Yicui Pavilion."
With a soft sigh, Yuan Xu's tone carried a hint of melancholy: "A night passed, and her body froze together with the snowmelt..."
“The old folks in the palace were unwilling to do such rough work, so they sent me there. I shoveled for a long time, until the corpses were mangled and bloody, before I finally cleaned the place up.”
Seeing Xie Qi's expression harden slightly, Yuan Xu assumed he was afraid of these palace gossips and stopped speaking.
Xie Qi didn't care about the life or death of others.
He understood the woman's determination; she was simply a person of little influence, living like a dog in the harem, so she might as well take a gamble and go all out.
If you win, you'll soar to great heights; if you lose, you'll no longer have to live a wretched life, like a pig or a dog.
He just hadn't expected Shen Yuanzhu to be like this...
Looking back now, Yuan Xu's words made some sense.
Although Shen Yuanzhu is the eldest daughter of the Shen family, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that she is helpless and alone.
It seems that Shen Yuanzhu's situation in the Shen family is about 80% similar to his situation in the Xie family.
When he was young, he was no different from the concubines in the palace; he fawned over everyone and was obsequious to his servants.
Before Jixia Village was established, he had no thick coat in winter and no ice to cool him down in summer.
They even had to go to the Xie family's courtyard to collect some dry branches to make a fire to keep warm.
Thinking of this, Xie Qi felt that he had gone too far yesterday.
Shen Yuanzhu lost both her parents, and her husband changed from Xie Xuchuan, whom everyone adored, to him...
Xie Qi pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling somewhat irritated.
He rejected her yesterday, and Shen Yuanzhu is probably at home in a panic right now.
With this thought in mind, Xie Qi became restless.
Seeing his expression, Yuan Xu chuckled and said, "What's wrong? Feeling sorry for Miss Shen?"
Xie Qi said with a straight face: "She is resolute and can stand up for me, so why should anyone else feel sorry for her?"
"It's getting late, I need to get home soon."
He stood up and waved to Yuan Xu, indicating that he would go first.
Watching his retreating figure, Yuan Xu scoffed disdainfully.
What do you mean it's getting late? It's not even Wu Shi yet...
Yuan Xu said "Enough, enough," and then summoned the singing and dancing girls.
Xie Qi left Zuichunlou and wanted to hurry home, but after taking a few steps, he remembered how anxiously he had retreated last night, carrying his bedding to rest on the small couch.
Women are often thoughtful, and it's unknown whether Shen Yuanzhu is overthinking things.
When Xie Qi returned to Qianxiang Courtyard, he was carrying two food boxes. He didn't know what Shen Yuanzhu liked, but he saw that Luo had prepared two extra kinds of pastries when he had breakfast in the morning, so he guessed that she had a fondness for food.
So I bought some snacks from famous old shops in the city.
"My husband is back?"
Upon seeing Xie Qi return, Shen Yuanzhu smiled broadly.
"Um."
Xie Qi's expression was indifferent, but his words were somewhat hesitant: "I brought you some pastries."
Shen Yuanzhu said, "Thank you, my husband."
Seeing that there was no trace of sadness in her eyes, Xie Qi felt much relieved.
Shen Yuanzhu opened the pastry box and looked at each item one by one. Then she looked up with admiration and said, "My husband is so amazing. He has so many kinds. It must be hard to choose."
"It's just some pastries, what's so hard about choosing them?"
She looked as if he had hunted a great tiger, it was truly...
Xie Qi pursed his lips tightly, suppressing the uncontrollable upward curve of his lips.
"Have you thought of a way to sell that batch of faded red silk, my husband?"
"Not yet..."
Xie Qi had some ideas, but they were only in their initial stages. He hadn't thought them through, so he didn't voice them.
Shen Yuanzhu nodded: "My husband has been busy all day, I will help him change his clothes."
"I……"
Just as she was about to say that she didn't need to do these trivial things, Madam Luo stepped forward to help Xie Qi take off his outer robe.
The words stuck in Xie Qi's throat, and he swallowed them back.
"There's hot water on the stove. My son-in-law, you've been out all day, would you like to wash up?"
Xie Qi nodded and turned to go to the bathhouse.
The bathroom was filled with steam, the room damp and carrying a faint fragrance. The fragrance was so subtle that it was almost imperceptible; if you tried to smell it carefully, you couldn't detect it at all.
But just when you think it doesn't exist, that faint fragrance will suddenly appear from somewhere and linger at the tip of your nose.
Two large red soft towels embroidered with mandarin ducks hung on the washstand. One was brand new, while the other was damp and half-dry, seemingly intertwined with the dampness of the room.
Xie Qi stepped into the bathroom and suddenly felt a surge of heat on the ground.
Besides him, only one other person knows how to use this bathroom.
The heat intensified, and Xie Qi couldn't help but bite his index finger until it bled, only then suppressing the unfamiliar annoyance.
He lay by the wooden door for a long time before slamming it down with a loud thud.
His ear tips were burning hot, and the heat lingered for a long time. Xie Qi rubbed them angrily, took off his clothes, and stepped into the bathtub.
He lay on his back in the bathtub, eyes closed, silent, not daring to let his mind wander.
He pressed hard on the wound on his finger until the hot water stung it.
The mark had faded considerably, but Xie Qi stared at it, somewhat lost in thought.
As Yuan Xu had said, Shen Yuanzhu was just like the women in the imperial harem, resorting to any means necessary...
Seduce him.
These three words came to mind, and Xie Qi's face revealed a hint of shyness that was rarely seen by outsiders.
Then, he sighed helplessly.
He feared that if he didn't consummate his marriage with Shen Yuanzhu, he would feel uneasy.
They would have to resort to some tricks and seduce him at every turn.
Xie Qi pursed her lips and splashed a handful of water on her face.
He clenched his teeth slightly, a blush rising to his cheeks, and finally sighed as if making a decision.
Since she was so uneasy, then he...
Just give in to her.
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