Shen Youying smiled at him somewhat guiltily, pleading with her eyes.
Xue Shen couldn't ruin her plans at this crucial moment; she still needed to feign illness to keep Qinglan here for a few more days.
Xue Shen gave her one last deep look, then his smile vanished, and he wheeled himself out with a gloomy expression.
She didn't even greet Xie Qinglan when she left, only giving her a cold glance.
Xie Qinglan's heart pounded when she saw that look. Once she was sure the person had left the courtyard, she rushed forward and questioned Shen Youying: "I came to see you out of kindness, and you've done this to me!"
She recalled the unfathomable look in the eyes of the King of Qin and suspected that she was already on his assassination list.
Shen Youying coughed and made up an excuse: "He came over suddenly, and I didn't know I would run into you."
Xie Qinglan snorted, reluctantly accepting the explanation. Then, he examined her complexion and saw that she was rosy-cheeked and full of energy, showing no signs of illness. He couldn't help but ask suspiciously, "Are you really sick, or are you pretending to be sick because you had a falling out with the Prince of Qin?"
Upon hearing this, Shen Youying immediately clutched her forehead, complaining of dizziness. Seeing Xie Qinglan rush to support her, she weakly said, "How could I use such methods?"
Xie Qinglan pursed her lips, not quite believing it: "You never dared to speak to the Prince of Qin like that before."
Pretending to be sick didn't seem to work, so Shen Youying had no choice but to put her hand down and, in a moment of inspiration, said, "Actually, it's not a serious illness. I just caught a chill because of the cold weather. I took some medicine and I'm fine now. But I'm feeling down, so I came to talk to you. Besides, the Prince's Mansion doesn't need you to manage the household, so you're quite free."
When the Prince's Mansion was mentioned, Xie Qinglan's expression darkened, but she quickly smiled as usual and said, "That's right. Young Master and I will be living separately in the future, unlike you who still have to manage such a large mansion."
"I don't need to worry about anything. Wang Deshun is in front, and Consort Xiao is behind," Shen Youying said casually, then got up from the couch and pulled her to sit on the daybed to talk.
Unfortunately, the spot she was holding onto was exactly where Xie Qinglan was injured. Caught off guard, Xie Qinglan hissed in pain and instinctively pulled her hand away.
Shen Youying was taken aback. Remembering the news that Danzhu had brought back from the Prince's mansion, she was immediately alarmed and hurriedly went to check her arm.
Xie Qinglan tried to cover it up but failed, and could only let her see.
"How did this happen?" Shen Youying looked at her, her eyes full of heartache.
— Xie Qinglan's fair left arm had a large purplish-black bruise that stretched from her upper arm to her forearm, looking quite frightening.
Xie Qinglan originally wanted to find an excuse to get away with it, but when she saw Shen Youying's eyes, she suddenly didn't want to cover for Xue Shaojun and the Prince's Mansion anymore. She pouted and said in a muffled voice, "It was Xue Shaojun who hurt me. He drank too much and tried to force himself on me. When I struggled, he pushed me and I hit the corner of the table."
“You are the legitimate daughter of the Xie family. It is already a disgrace for you to marry a young son who cannot inherit the title. How dare he!” Shen Youying’s eyes reddened as she carefully lowered her sleeve. While calling out to Danzhu outside to fetch a doctor, she cautiously asked, “Qinglan, has Young Master Xue treated you badly?”
Xie Qinglan, who had been holding back her tears, finally broke down under Shen Youying's careful concern. She threw herself into Shen Youying's arms and cried, "Ever since he found out that I once loved the Crown Prince, he's been like a different person. I thought I was the one who wronged him, so I kept tolerating him, but he only became more and more outrageous..."
She cried so hard she could hardly breathe, and choked out as she asked Shen Youying, "Why can a person change so much? Sometimes I even regret liking him."
Shen Youying hugged her with heartache, almost bursting into tears herself. She took out a handkerchief and carefully wiped Xie Qinglan's tears. Holding her thinner, more pointed chin, she solemnly said, "It's not a mistake that you once fell in love with the Crown Prince. Back then, you didn't even know Xue Shaojun. Who did you like? What right or qualification does Xue Shaojun have to criticize you?"
Shen Youying carefully considered her words, but decided to tell her the truth: "The reason he became like that is simply because that's his nature. Xue Shaojun is a scoundrel in human form, and we were all deceived by his appearance."
Seeing Xie Qinglan looking at her blankly, Shen Youying said, "Last time you came with Xue Shaojun, I felt something was off between you two. I was afraid you were being bullied, so I had someone secretly investigate Xue Shaojun, and they found out these things..."
Shen Youying took out the stack of papers containing Xue Shaojun's biography and handed them to Xie Qinglan.
She took Xie Qinglan's hand and whispered, "Look at yourself, but don't be sad for someone like that, it's not worth it."
Xie Qinglan slowly flipped through the pages. By the time she finished reading, the tears on her face had dried. Those sweet memories she couldn't let go of had all turned into unbearable filth.
“I originally thought that although he was at fault in this marriage, I didn’t do well either. Our two families see each other all the time in Tokyo, so even if we really have to divorce, it’s best to part amicably. There’s no need to make things so tense…”
Shen Youying squeezed her hand and said, "You did the best you could have done. You did nothing wrong. It's Xue Shaojun who is unworthy."
Xie Qinglan nodded emphatically, sniffed, and said, "Yes, he has been lying to me all along. He doesn't deserve me. Once you're better, I'll go home and talk to Father about divorcing him."
Shen Youying rubbed her head and said, "Don't rush, stay here with me for a few more days. I've already sent people to investigate his affairs at the Taoist temple, and it shouldn't be long before we gather all the witnesses and evidence. Marital discord is why couples divorce; if you divorce him, wouldn't that be too easy on him?"
Xie Qinglan, her eyes red, said in a muffled voice, "But what else can we do besides get a divorce?"
Shen Youying said, "Young Master Xue is morally corrupt and deceived you first. You also have the support of your parents. Wouldn't it be more satisfying to divorce him?"
Xie Qinglan's eyes widened slightly. She was stunned for a moment, then hugged Shen Youying and exclaimed in realization, "I never expected this..."
Shen Youying comforted her, "So just stay here with me and wait until we have all the witnesses and evidence before I send you back to the Xie family."
.
After Xie Qinglan poured out her pent-up feelings and saw Xue Shaojun's true colors, she no longer struggled or hesitated as before.
She may cherish a relationship, but if that relationship is just a fabricated illusion, then letting go won't be so painful.
Besides, she was naturally an open-minded person. After being comforted by Shen Youying, she stopped thinking about the messy affairs of the Prince's Mansion. The two first ate a hot pot meal, and then squeezed together on the couch to read storybooks. When it was time to rest in the evening, they were still reluctant to part, so Shen Youying simply let her stay and sleep with her.
Xie Qinglan, being a married woman, hesitated upon hearing this: "But... what about the Prince of Qin?"
Shen Youying said, "Didn't we have a fight? He's been sleeping in the study lately, so don't worry about him. You've only been staying with me for a few days, so it's important for me to keep you company."
Seeing that she looked completely unconcerned, Xie Qinglan thought that even if the couple had a disagreement, judging from how the Prince of Qin had coaxed her earlier, it was probably just Shen Youying being unreasonable. She immediately felt relieved and got into bed, saying happily, "Then let's sleep together tonight."
*
After hearing Danzhu's message, Xue Shen's lips curled into a half-smile. He said, "Go tell your young lady that she has another debt to repay."
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