Chapter 78 The thought flashed through my mind, thank you…
The moment the thought popped into Xie Rongjing's head, he was startled by it, and an absurd feeling spread through his heart for no reason.
He bowed and took his leave with a composed expression, a hidden fear he had suppressed beneath a sense of absurdity, only revealing itself as he bent down to kneel.
...
"Gentlemen, this way please."
Xie Rongjing looked up at the sound and met a group of bodyguards.
Before he could take a closer look, the maid leading the way led the group of bodyguards away down another path.
Xie Rongjing caught a glimpse of the vajra bell at the waist of the last镖师 (bodyguard/escort), and confusion replaced the emotion in his eyes. Was there something the Eldest Princess couldn't let her subordinates do? The Marquis's Mansion and the Eldest Princess had always been on good terms. Did Father know about this?
After the last piece of clothing disappeared into the flowers, Xie Rongjing's thoughts returned to his own, his attention now focused on the letter in his hand.
An hour later, an inconspicuous carriage drove out of the capital.
Sitting alone in the car, Xie Rongjing took out the letter he had hidden in his sleeve.
The envelope was not a common type; the usual inscription on the front of the envelope was blank, and a separate seal was affixed to the closure, with a neat personal seal stamped on both ends of the closure.
Xie Rongjing was undeniably curious about the contents of the letter, but his good upbringing prevented him from engaging in the despicable act of invading someone's privacy.
Xie Rongjing tapped the paper absently with the tip of his index finger holding the envelope.
The repetitive, rhythmic tapping stirred up anxiety within him. The unspoken suspicions he had when he received the letter resurfaced, like a tangled mess in his heart, which was then ignited by the flame of anxiety, burning fiercely and rapidly.
Xie Rongjing's shoulders slumped, he let out a long sigh, and his gaze, which had been fixed on the envelope, shifted away.
He swiftly dismissed the lingering doubts in his mind, his gaze hardening.
Qiong'er is of course his younger brother.
From the first time Xie Zhuo uttered this name, from the first time Xie Baoqiong's figure appeared in his sight.
His feelings for that child had already quietly begun to grow.
Feelings for Xie Baoqiong herself, affection for Xie Zhuo extended to him, or both, intertwined and entangled, converged into the purest emotions poured onto a specific figure.
This makes even their tantrums and foolish acts seem pitiful and endearing.
Xie Rongjing's mind conjured up the image of Xie Baoqiong's face, which looked so much like Xie Zhuo's own child. He couldn't help but despise the thought that had just crossed his mind.
He chuckled at his own guess, his shoulders completely relaxing.
The letter in her hand was snatched away by Xie Zhuo.
Xie Zhuo flipped the envelope over, saw the seal on the seal, his expression slightly frozen, and lightly tapped Xie Rongjing on the head with the letter:
"You dare to keep the Princess's letter to yourself? Aren't you afraid of being punished?"
Xie Rongjing didn't mention the suspicion buried deep in his heart, having already prepared an excuse for not taking out the letter immediately a few days ago:
"Father, the Princess instructed that it be given to you privately. I've been traveling these past few days, and Qiong'er has been by my side the whole time, so I haven't had a chance to give it to you yet."
Xie Rongjing specifically mentioned Xie Baoqiong, whom the eldest princess had named.
Xie Zhuo's expression remained largely unchanged upon hearing this.
He clearly heard Xie Rongjing's pause when he mentioned Qiong'er, and even knew that Xie Rongjing had actually had many opportunities to give him the letter in the past few days, but he did not point it out. He just gave Xie Rongjing a meaningful look.
He tore open the seal in front of Xie Rongjing, took out the letter, quickly scanned the contents of the letter, and then folded the letter up.
“Father…” A hesitant voice came from beside him. Xie Zhuo lowered his eyes, and a pair of pleading eyes met his gaze.
"What's inside is not something you should know."
As he spoke, Xie Zhuo placed the letter from his fingertips onto the burning candlestick.
The flames licked the letter in an instant, devouring the words on it.
Xie Zhuo casually tossed the burning letter into the brush washer on the table, watching the flames turn into blue smoke, leaving only grayish-white embers at the bottom of the snow-white porcelain jar.
The leaping flames subsided into stillness in his deep eyes, leaving behind a deep pool.
On the other hand, Xie Rongjing's face showed regret and confusion, but he did not question Xie Zhuo's decision.
—
Xie Baoqiong was stopped by Chishong on her way out last night, and was then escorted back to her house by Xie Zhuo.
He and Xie Zhu stared at each other for a long time until Xie Zhu couldn't stand his energetic appearance and told him to go to sleep.
But even as he lay there with his eyes closed, almost asleep, he didn't hear the door open or close.
Instead, he was met with approaching footsteps and a gaze that lingered on his face.
He lifted his eyelids a crack.
After the candles were extinguished, the space was dark except for the light coming through the window, which faintly illuminated half of Xie Zhuo's face.
As the night deepened, Xie Zhuo's eyes, like a dark river, swallowed up the outside light, their calm surface occasionally revealing the turbulent waves beneath.
Xie Baoqiong's fingers gripped the edge of the quilt tightly.
The stone's ever-changing heart pounded, each beat louder than the last, echoing in his ears.
This was the first time he had ever felt the existence of this stone heart inside his body so directly.
How could Xie Zhuo, shrouded in darkness, possess a more monstrous aura than him? If he hadn't sensed that the aura was indeed Xie Zhuo, he would have already taken out Cat Brother and charged forward.
His long, thin hair, like spider silk, fell to the side of his face, cold and lifeless, like a spider spinning its web, waiting for its prey to take the bait.
As the distance closed, Xie Baoqiong had already closed his eyes. The air in front of him changed direction slightly, and then a finger with the coolness of the night brushed across his eyelids and traced down his face.
"Why aren't you asleep yet? Are you planning to keep the hawks awake all night?"
Xie Zhuo looked at his subordinate's twitching eyelids and scolded him, "You can't even pretend to be asleep properly."
The affectionate scolding exploded in her ear. Seeing that she'd been exposed, Xie Baoqiong opened her eyes, turned her sleeping head to the side, pinned down Xie Zhuo's hand, and threw a tantrum:
"Dad, I can't sleep. I want to go out and play."
Xie Zhuo avoided Xie Baoqiong's bright, energetic eyes, and the weariness of taking care of the child was evident on his face.
He pulled his hand away from Xie Baoqiong's grasp and covered her bright, sparkling eyes:
"But Father is sleepy."
With her eyes covered, Xie Baoqiong didn't move. She seriously suggested, "Then Dad should go back to sleep early."
Hearing Xie Baoqiong's filial words, Xie Zhuo knew what kind of knowledge Xie Baoqiong had without having to guess her thoughts, and flicked Xie Baoqiong's forehead in annoyance.
Xie Baoqiong fully regained her senses and pried Xie Zhuo's hand away.
But just as he was about to get up, Xie Zhuo pressed him back down, and he opened his eyes blankly:
"father?"
Xie Zhuo's tired eyes were filled with a smile, but the smile at the corner of his mouth revealed a dangerous aura:
"Dad will watch over you while you sleep."
...
Xie Baoqiong, who had slept soundly all night thanks to Xie Zhuo's coaxing, woke up feeling refreshed and got up early to run into the courtyard, where she bumped into Xie Zhuo and Chisong who were about to leave.
He glanced at Chisong, clearly identified his target, and headed straight for Xie Zhuo:
"Father, are you going out?"
Xie Zhuo, with a faint dark circle under his eyes, responded to the energetic voice:
"Yes, I won't be back until tonight. You should stay with Jing'er and not wander off."
Xie Baoqiong had already planned her day. After saying goodbye to Xie Zhuo, she turned to look for Xie Rongjing.
Xie Zhuo watched his figure run away, and a worried expression unconsciously appeared between his brows. The person who was clamoring to go out and play last night, could he so easily give up the opportunity to go out this morning?
He boarded the carriage, his worries shifting to a different cause. With Jing'er by his side, Qiong'er wouldn't face any major problems, but as long as the source of the people's illness in the city remained undiscovered, the city would never find peace...
The carriage disappeared at the end of the road, and Xie Baoqiong found Xie Rongjing in his room.
"Brother, let's go out."
Xie Rongjing stopped the person who was rushing around and made him sit down:
"Didn't your father tell you to stay put?"
“Father only told me to stay with my brother and not to run around. If my brother and I go out together, it doesn’t count as running around.” Xie Baoqiong easily seized on the loophole in Xie Zhuo’s careless words.
Of course, no matter how hard Xie Zhuo tried to convince him, it was no use; he wouldn't listen.
Xie Rongjing had never intended to confine the person to the courtyard, but after hearing Xie Baoqiong's words, he considered it for a moment and agreed:
"But you can't leave me after you go out, understand? And..."
Xie Baoqiong hadn't expected Xie Rongjing to agree to his request so easily. His eyes widened, and he was ready to climb over the wall and slip away.
Before Xie Rongjing could finish speaking, he nodded in agreement.
Xie Rongjing didn't miss the joy on his face, and, turning his head, said with a wry smile:
"There's no rush to agree after I finish speaking."
"What else?" Xie Baoqiong pulled her head out of Xie Rongjing's hands and urged.
"Also, you have to listen to me when you go somewhere."
Xie Baoqiong frowned, he had his own agenda, "Why should it be my brother who decides where to go? I suggested going out, shouldn't he listen to me?"
Seeing his aggrieved expression, Xie Rongjing's heart softened even more, but he gave a reason that Xie Baoqiong couldn't refute:
"Because I am the elder brother."
Xie Baoqiong was speechless for a moment. According to the age at which he developed his senses, he was indeed not as old as Xie Rongjing.
But his true form is stone, and who knows when he came into existence? He must be older than Xie Rongjing, but he just can't bring himself to say it.
Xie Baoqiong, her face contorted in a grimace, was packed up and taken out of the house by Xie Rongjing. When Xie Rongjing stuffed a steamed bun into her mouth, her cheeks were stretched open like a mouse's pouch.
The worry and grievances had long since vanished.
"Brother, I want more." After swallowing a huge bun, Xie Baoqiong naturally made the request.
Xie Rongjing, however, did not readily grant his request and buy him another one as usual. Instead, she carefully examined his face and murmured:
"It seems like you've gained some weight."
"?" You can't get past this, huh? Xie Baoqiong corrected him methodically: "I'm not a little pig."
“Brother didn’t say Qiong’er was a little pig,” Xie Rongjing coaxed. “Qiong’er was too thin when she was away from home, so it’s normal for her to gain some weight now that she’s back home.”
Seemingly worried that his harsh words would hurt Xie Baoqiong's feelings, he led Xie Baoqiong back to the stall and ordered another steamed bun.
As Xie Rongjing turned to receive the steamed bun, Xie Baoqiong, who was following him and whose eyes were fixed on the bun, suddenly sharpened her gaze.
He turned around and looked at the bustling street behind him.
-----------------------
Author's Note: Su Xiaochun: What do you know! I'm using scientific methods to feed them!!
Xie Baoqiong (full of energy): wer wer~
Xie Zhuo (sighs) (manually mutes mic) (forces shutdown)
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