Understanding
The spring rain gradually silenced their voices. A quarter of an hour later, Liu Xu leaned against the eaves, closed his umbrella, and half-embraced his wife as they entered the house, where they lit candles.
Everyone in the mansion had gone to sleep, leaving only the magnolias and hibiscus swaying in the rain.
Xie Lingxi changed into her nightgown and removed all the hairpins from her hair. Her beautiful hair naturally draped over her well-defined shoulders, revealing the curves of her back.
Her clothes were thin, held together by a silk ribbon, neither too loose nor too tight. In the dim candlelight, the lady's skin appeared fair and radiant, like the moon.
Exhausted from the day, she finally escaped the rich and exotic incense in the brothel. Now, she relaxed completely, letting Liu Xu hold her waist as he softly asked, "Are you tired?"
Liu Xu swayed his chin, which was resting on her shoulder.
"My husband is busy with his work every day. He finally gets a day off, which he should have gone to a brothel to enjoy, but he got entangled in some ambiguous affair with someone else. Do you resent him or not?"
Ultimately, what is meant by "other people's business" is actually about Xie Lingxi.
She has many entanglements; men, women, young and old all want to scheme against her, partly due to past lives and partly due to the complex relationships they have built up in this life.
"What does this mean?" Liu Xu frowned. "Lingxi, do you mean you don't consider me family?"
"How could it be so serious?!"
The lamp wick crackled and popped. Xie Lingxi was leaning over the desk, about to pick up her pen, when she felt the shackles around her waist tighten considerably, as if a large hand was lingering within her, secretly measuring her.
Then she heard her husband speak softly from behind: "You've narrowed by three inches—you've lost weight."
He must have been busy these days.
Since the death of the Prince of Pingnan, a long-standing matter has been settled, and a great weight has been lifted from her heart. Moreover, because of the princess's matter, she is full of energy.
These days, while drinking tea here and playing chess there, they've discussed in detail all sorts of schemes and plots, both open and honest.
Sometimes Xie Lingxi was also in a daze: What was she doing? Was she willingly being driven by others?
Then I thought again, this matter is imminent, concerning the rise and fall of the Great Yan Dynasty, the honor and disgrace of the Xie family... and also Liu Xu's official career, how he can have a smooth and successful rise to power...
So he said, "That's not true."
She held Liu Xu's hand around her waist, and touched his forearm with its prominent veins from her sleeve. She said sweetly, "It's only because I'm tired and thin that I asked you, Xu, 'Are you tired? Do you feel resentful?'"
"ah."
Liu Xu was clearly stunned for a moment.
Xie Lingxi continued, "I know you love me, cherish me, and are willing to do anything for me. But you can't bear all the storms of this world, can you? I was just being considerate, and yet you've made me so suspicious. I don't know what to do."
Not, know, what, what, what to do.
Liu Xu perfectly understood the meaning behind her words.
Xie Lingxi simply put down the paper and ink, leaned against her husband's chest, and saw the bewilderment that Liu Xu had concealed so well. She smiled slightly and played with his hair. "Look, every word I said was a wise saying, and it has completely defeated our top scholar."
This is no fault of Liu Xu.
She used to think like this too. After she finished thinking about it in her mind, she would often tell Liu Xu about it day and night, so that Liu Xu could share her unease and her worries...
At the time, their loyalty stemmed from feelings of inferiority and self-deprecation, but now that they are deeply in love, they no longer see themselves as insignificant as duckweed, and their hearts and minds are filled with affection and consideration for each other.
Liu Xu had always only understood love, and the classics of poetry, literature, rites, and history spoke of men standing tall and upright, but he didn't realize that men also needed to be loved at all times. Upon hearing this, he was first stunned, but his mind gradually cleared.
"Um."
Xie Lingxi added, "If we don't explain in time, resentment will inevitably arise as time goes on."
Have a grudge?
No, he won't.
Just as Liu Xu was about to deny it, the person in his arms said, "You love me today, and it's true, but what about tomorrow? What about three or five years from now? If I just sit back and enjoy the benefits, waiting for the day you get tired of me and hold an umbrella for me, how will I face you? How will we mend the rift between us?"
A man's true feelings can change in an instant. This is what Yan Ji taught Xie Lingxi in her previous life.
But the men of this world are always arrogant. For example, right now, Liu Xu's thin lips trembled as he uttered a few words, "You don't believe me?"
"It's not a lack of trust, it's just human nature."
No one had ever said these things to Liu Xu before. He remained silent for a long while before saying, "I understand."
Is this considered a game of strategy?
Husband and wife, man and woman.
He had been traveling with Xie Lingxi ever since, and he never imagined that his wife would remind him of a saying: "The closest and the farthest things are east and west, the deepest and the shallowest streams are clear streams, the highest and the brightest are the sun and moon, and the closest and the most distant are husband and wife."
From closest relatives to most distant acquaintances... husband and wife.
"What game?" The beautiful woman in his arms casually rubbed against his clothes, then grabbed a strand of black hair from his collar and played with it. "Don't talk nonsense, it's just about how husband and wife get along."
Xie Lingxi said meaningfully, "A-Xu, you still have a lot to learn."
Liu Xu: "..."
Finally, I managed to outmaneuver him.
Xie Lingxi smiled faintly, removed Liu Xu's hand from her waist, and crawled onto the bed. Noticing her clothes were a little loose, she was about to tighten them when someone behind her suddenly grabbed her hand—
The strong, powerful hand encircled her entire hand in its palm, and for a moment she found it difficult to break free.
The young man's clear and refreshing aura, like that of green bamboo, surrounded her, and his voice, like the sound of jade, said: "Lingxi taught me something today, and I am extremely grateful. I should return the favor."
Having said that, before Xie Lingxi could think further, her sash was completely loosened, and her thin robe slipped off her shoulders—
"you……"
What kind of reciprocation is this?
A warm, moist kiss came down, accompanied by a soft murmur: "What we heard today may all be false. We stole what others desired. What if Yan Ji comes knocking on our door tomorrow?"
The shimmering water mingled with sticky sounds, and crimson peach petals fell in the night, soaked by the rain, causing Xie Lingxi to tremble. Her black hair was spread out on the bed, and she unconsciously returned the kiss, her mind a jumble of thoughts:
If Yan Ji dares to come to our door and act arrogantly, we will make sure he never leaves.
But a few words escaped her lips, "Husband, husband... are you asking me?"
Liu Xu's hand stroked her back, touching a warm and fragrant jade ointment, as if the petals had been crushed, leaving his hand with a lingering fragrance.
"otherwise?"
He smiled gently, pressing the red heart on Xie Lingxi's arm, but then heard a trembling voice say, "Didn't you say you would teach me, Ah Xu?"
Flowers fall into the rain, life goes on and on. Two or three baby swallows hop to the window, pecking and chirping. The moment the lady raised her hand, Liu Xu pressed it down, his hand also reaching towards the brocade-covered gathering. "You misheard."
This man spoke lightly and acted with restraint, treating her with utmost respect, which inexplicably made her feel a little ashamed.
Did I hear that right?
Xie Lingxi was breathing heavily when suddenly she reached out and grabbed his clothes. "What's that?"
"Rather than saying that Yan Ji sought A Luan to replace me as his companion, with the two of them playing music together and frolicking like mandarin ducks... it's more accurate to say that... someone is using this opportunity to ruin his reputation..."
"Reputation?" Someone pressed on a spot, startling Xie Lingxi so much that she cried out, and then her chin was lifted up.
Liu Xu lay on top of her and said fiercely, "What good reputation does the Prince of Jin have? Why don't you tell me all about it, my lady?"
"Oh……"
Xie Lingxi's entire face flushed crimson, her eyes shimmering like the Qujiang River after a midday rain in early spring. She frowned slightly, her expression a mixture of joy and pain, and her words echoed like the melody of a stringed instrument, "He is magnanimous, sincere, a true gentleman... Ah—!"
"Is it true or false...? Don't you... understand..."
What if you understand? What if you don't?
At this moment, only one thing is true—that this fairy-like figure, as beautiful as a lotus emerging from the water, is now nestled in Liu Chengzhi's arms, tenderly embracing him.
While doing such things, he enjoyed talking about others, treating it as a form of amusement. "Prince Jin is magnanimous, sincere, and a gentleman... but now he is licentious and tyrannical, a complete scoundrel. When I heard that he treated A-Luan as if she were you, I was furious and immediately rushed to Prince Jin's mansion, where we wrestled and fought—"
"This must be a script that Manager Liu carefully arranged for me, right?"
"What scuffle?" Xie Lingxi, drenched in sweat as if she had been soaked in water, slowly curled her lips into a smile. "Ah Xu... isn't he a gentleman?"
"Um."
Liu Xu gently kissed her lips, his breath sweet and fragrant. "They're doing these things, disturbing my peace of mind. It's so excessive."
Therefore... I need my wife's understanding.
The gentle drizzle vanished, replaced by a sudden, violent storm that shook the house violently. Within the bed, the husband and wife whispered sweet nothings. After an unknown amount of time, a pale, white arm draped over the embroidered curtains, only to be pulled back inside by a large, bulging hand, its veins bulging. It could only futilely tug at a corner of the thin veil…
A bright moon shone in from somewhere, and the person on the bed covered their body and listlessly closed their eyes.
...
The next day. It's sunny.
The princess arrived at the Liu residence at this time. It was a warm and pleasant day, and the sun was high in the sky, yet there was still no movement in the garden.
Yesterday's events were reported in the evening. Liu Rumei's schemes not only targeted the King of Qin, but also intended to lure him into a trap, and she had her sights set on Xie Lingxi, causing her great anxiety. Now, after waiting for a long time and seeing no one respond, she was startled and, disregarding etiquette, tried to push open the door to enter.
The next instant, the door opened from the room, and Xie Lingxi, dressed in her nightgown with only a robe casually wrapped around her, was seen wearing clothes adorned with gold and white bamboo leaves. Clearly, these were Liu Chengzhi's clothes.
The princess coughed lightly and turned her back. "It's not even 9 AM yet, Lady Xie. When did you become so carefree?"
Xie Lingxi bowed and casually sat on the soft couch, fiddling with the petals and leaves that had drifted onto the table the night before. "Your Highness, what brings you to my side today?"
Yan Ying then turned around, stared at her for a long time, sat down, and said with a complicated expression, "Last night..."
Before she finished speaking, her meaning was already conveyed, but Xie Lingxi had clearly misunderstood her meaning. He tightened his sleeves to cover the red mark, "What happened last night is probably not convenient to tell Your Highness, is it?"
Yan Ying: "..."
Even if she were slow-witted, she would understand.
All worries are unfounded; what she's talking about now isn't what happened in their room!
So he got straight to the point: "Lady Liu from Qilou came to my residence yesterday and presented a pledge of loyalty."
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