Chapter 857 Old Xie
"I just feel that she took after me in this aspect, which is strangely pathetic."
"..." Xie Lingyun smiled, "That's true."
Xie Zheng looked at his daughter seriously, "But life is neither long nor short, and you will have a very hard time."
“I know, Dad. Don’t worry. Life is full of disappointments. Rather than finding a real person to live with, and then going from loving each other to hating each other, it’s better to just drag it out like this and find some solace in writing.”
Xie Lingyun looked at her fingernails. "Besides, we didn't expose anything to each other. We just treated each other as pen pals. We both knew what was going on, but we both did our duty and didn't overstep the bounds. It's fine."
"The worst thing for people is to indulge in and overstep boundaries. If it happens too often, they will do whatever they want. But people are no different from birds in a cage. Some people just want to enjoy themselves for a moment, while others want a long-term relationship. Each has its own merits," Xie Lingyun said with a smile. "I learned this from my parents."
Thinking of the child's mother, Xie Zheng nodded slightly, once again surprised by his daughter's insight.
"I was overthinking it. You're so young, yet you've thought things through so clearly. Fine, I won't interfere in your affairs."
"The predecessors planted the trees so that the successors could enjoy the shade. Seeing what you and my mother went through, I have to learn something from it, as well as the lessons I learned from my own blood and tears. If I don't understand those things thoroughly, wouldn't I be a pathetic fool?"
Xie Zheng always remained silent when these matters were brought up.
Xie Lingyun looked at her father and knew that he was not in a good mood tonight.
For the sake of Aunt Song, he sent all the Xie family members away, saying that he would go to the Second Master's house after court the next day to pray for good fortune with everyone.
Knowing that the woman from that day was also Aunt Song, she felt much more at ease.
The rumors have recently disappeared, but Princess Anyang has sent people to invite her father twice.
Even when she went out to manage her business, she would still encounter people asking about her father's infidelity.
Whether it's true or false doesn't matter. What matters is that Father just said that perhaps such trouble won't be necessary in the future. Those who truly care about Song Chunxue's arrival in the capital have already seen through their tricks.
On the one hand, he wanted Song Chunxue to go back, but on the other hand, he also wanted her to stay by his side.
But Aunt Song seemed to be busy with her spiritual practice and didn't want to stay at the Xie residence.
On the surface, it seems safer for Aunt Song not to stay at the Xie residence.
Therefore, the father was conflicted and very tired.
She felt a pang of heartache seeing her father's noticeably thinner appearance, yet she was powerless to do anything about it.
Ever since she forced her father to return from Jincheng, he has remained silent as before.
"My lord, the Taoist priest has returned."
Steward Xie was playing dominoes and dice with the servants in the outer room when he heard the commotion in the courtyard. He lifted the curtain to take a look and then ran to the warm pavilion to report.
Xie Lingyun immediately stood up and said with a smile, "Everyone, come and play in my courtyard. I've prepared some money to ward off evil spirits. It's silver melon seeds, and everyone gets a share."
"Okay, thank you, Miss."
"Let's go, let's go, I'm going to win all your silver melon seeds."
"Dream on. Win back what you lost first. All you do is brag."
A group of people picked up fruit platters and melon seed platters and quickly pushed and shoved their way out of the yard.
Song Chunxue stood to the side wearing a face mask, and no one paid any attention to his male attire.
Xie Lingyun paused for a moment when she walked up to her, then smiled and leaned closer, "I know it's Aunt Song, don't try to fool me next time."
Song Chunxue smiled and said, "Okay, I won't lie to you next time."
Turning her head, Xie Zheng half-lifted the curtain and was looking at her through the gap, his eyes filled with tender affection.
Under the glow of the red lanterns, Song Chunxue lifted the curtain and went inside, removing her face mask at the same time.
"You're not wearing that mask anymore?"
"You like watching young people?"
Xie Zheng looked down and held her fingers. "She still looks better this way."
The two hadn't seen each other for many days, and especially on such a special day, they were a little nervous, but even more excited.
"This is the first time we've spent New Year's Eve together, it feels so novel. Shall we grab a drink?"
Something was about to overflow in Song Chunxue's heart, a feeling she couldn't quite describe, but she held his fingers tightly, unwilling to let go.
"No rush, let's talk."
The crackling and popping of firecrackers coming from near and far outside made the house very quiet.
The house was exceptionally bright today, with several lamps on the table and plenty of charcoal burning, making the house very warm.
She took off her thick fur coat and stared intently at him.
Xie Zheng looked at her, feeling genuinely happy at the gentle gaze she gave him.
"What, is there something on Xie's face?"
Will you think I'm awkward?
Xie Zheng immediately shook his head, "Why do you say that? It's me who dragged you into this. Otherwise, you should be spending the New Year with the children this year. Or you could stay in Zhuanglang County to spend the New Year with your daughter. Don't you like living in the fort the most?"
He was somewhat disappointed. "I can't go live with you there right now. I have a lot of things I can't bear to leave behind, but you came to the capital for me."
Hearing this made Song Chunxue feel much better.
"That seems to make sense."
Song Chunxue took off her shoes and sat on the narrow kang (heated brick bed). "It's warm down here, can we talk while lying down?"
I've been traveling to a lot of places lately and haven't had a moment's rest. Now that things have quieted down, I suddenly feel a bit tired.
"Yes, that would be perfect." He couldn't have asked for more.
When he first saw her at the Zhao residence, he wanted to hug her.
The increasingly strong festive atmosphere in the capital made him miss her even more. Every day he looked forward to her return, his weary heart would beat a few times more actively.
He used to care about the people and only wanted to do practical things. He was so stubborn that it was as if he was under a spell. But now he felt that all the prosperity of the world could not compare to her smile.
Putting aside status and all useless worldly prejudices, Xie Zheng discovered that only when he was with Song Chunxue did he feel at ease and experience an unprecedented sense of security.
His focus subtly shifted; he wanted to get closer to her and make her feel more comfortable.
But reality rarely goes as planned.
Why aren't you saying anything?
Song Chunxue leaned against his chest, while Xie Zheng leaned against two or three soft pillows stacked together, lost in thought.
Xie Zheng put his arm around her, his chin gently resting on the top of her head. "Suddenly, I don't know what to say. At this moment, it speaks louder than a thousand words."
Song Chunxue smiled with her eyes closed, "You must be sleepy, everyone else is staying up late to welcome the New Year."
"Whether or not I stay up all night is not important. I always stay up all night every year. It's just that I can't sleep because there's no one by my side."
His voice was different from usual; it was deep, slightly hoarse, and carried a hint of caution and seriousness.
"You said you encountered people chasing you, next time..."
"They probably knew where I was and were waiting for me on the way. So why would I need a fake identity?"
“Not necessarily,” Xie Zheng frowned slightly. “What if they only recognized you because you weren’t disguised?”
Song Chunxue smiled and said, "Did you expect that I couldn't let you go and would run to the capital to see you?"
Xie Zheng smiled, his eyes crinkling with wrinkles, a warm light shining in them. "That's right, they all know how deeply you love me."
"Old Xie, have you recently encountered any situations where you were forced to have a woman and have another child?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
