Night Talk
Xie Lingxi still remembers the scene of her, her brother, and her playmates boating on the lake when she was a child.
Back then, the water level of Cuncao Lake was ten feet higher than it is now, and the lakeside was lush and green, with egrets and seagulls often strolling leisurely.
Xie Lingjun and Pei Yuanjing had just started school and changed into scholar robes that were a mix of sky blue and dove gray, giving them a rather elegant air.
It was late spring, and the lake was clear and deep. You could see the water plants swaying at the bottom of the lake. A woman reached out to touch them, but she was caught by the algae and could not break free.
In an instant, the entire boat began to sway precariously.
Suddenly, thunder roared and a torrential downpour began. In the raging wind and rain, the entire lake was churned into a muddy mess. Several people sitting on the edge of the boat accidentally fell into the lake, while those still on the boat were terrified that they would be the next to fall into the water. They were all filled with anxiety and some even cried out.
Seeing this, Xie Lingjun quickly pulled his younger siblings into the cabin and took off his outer robe to shield them from the rain. Without saying a word, Pei Yuanjing jumped into the surging lake and pulled them aboard by clinging to the edge of the boat.
Xie Lingxi was the one who rowed silently.
In the end, all was well and the storm passed. When everyone had calmed down, they found themselves in the middle of the lake, with a winding rainbow bridge hanging right in front of them.
It used to be a wonderful place.
...
As her consciousness returned, Xie Lingxi stared intently at Pei Qian, who was calmly drinking tea, and finally spoke: "In Jingzhou, I was kidnapped. The kidnapper wanted to use my life to blackmail my father and make him do evil deeds."
“You know, my father is a man of high moral character. Although this matter was narrowly avoided, he couldn’t stand the intrigue and backstabbing in officialdom. He no longer had any intention of pursuing a career in government, so he simply feigned illness and stayed home to ensure the safety of his family.”
After listening, Pei Qian seemed to understand: "I see."
“At that time, the Prince of Jin was bitten by a wolf and rushed back to Chang’an overnight to recuperate. My cousin Pei Zizhang, who was not related to me by any degree, also hurriedly returned to the capital later.”
He said, "I thought there was something terrifying about Jingzhou that made people afraid to come near it."
Xie Lingxi said, "There are no evil spirits."
Having said that, the two finally remembered the Cui family and wondered what Pei Qian meant when he said, "They are not the same as the Prince of Jin of the Cui family."
Just as Xie Lingxi was about to speak, Liu Xu said, "Although everyone avoids war like the plague, sometimes, a war is just what is needed to end these conflicts."
Pei Qian put down his teacup and narrowed his eyes: "According to Chengzhi, this battle is inevitable?"
"It's hard to say."
Liu Xu looked at his wife, who was already a little sleepy and was propping her head up on the tea table with her elbow. He smiled gently, without even realizing it himself, "You just mentioned the Cui family. What happened to the Cui family?"
Without concrete evidence or documents, Pei Qian hesitated to speak.
He had known since childhood that the Xie and Cui families had a very good relationship, and had even spent New Year's Eve together. But based on his observations over the past few days, he still reminded him: "Uncle Cui is a very modern person. What he expects may not be what you think."
Xie Lingxi said, "I understand. Thank you, Yuanjing."
Then he saw the guest off.
After the person left, Liu Xu went over and hugged Xie Lingxi, resting her head against his chest. He spoke very softly, afraid of disturbing his wife who was about to close her eyes and sleep, "You did not tell him the truth."
Those claims about being kidnapped and having no interest in his career are all half-truths and fabrications. Xie Lingxi wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered, "Otherwise what? My relationship with him has always been terrible."
Liu Xu was amused by her, smoothed the hair at his temples and tucked it behind his ear. Seeing the lush lamplight and the beautiful woman beside him, he asked, "What exactly is on Cui Jue's jade pendant?"
"A Pixiu with its head tilted to one side, with auspicious patterns carved on its back."
"brave troops?"
Liu Xu watched Xie Lingxi get up. Although she looked tired, her eyes were clear, like a lotus flower that was about to rest in the night, exuding a beautiful beauty from its coolness.
He suddenly shouted, "Lingxi!"
Xie Lingxi took something out of the drawer, glanced back, and asked, "What are you doing?"
Liu Xu also leaned against the couch, his head resting on an embroidered pillow. His clothes were loose and disheveled, revealing his brown undergarment, a loose appearance unknown to outsiders.
He said, "It's nothing, I just called you."
Xie Lingxi suspected he mistook her for some kind of cat servant. "Hmm, call me, and then what?"
Liu Xu's eyes naturally curved into a smile.
"And then...? Nothing."
He took the candy-like object from Xie Lingxi's hand and examined it closely. "Another Pixiu?"
Xie Lingxi: "Yes."
“I told you before, this is the one I got in the secret room in Jingzhou that day.”
Of course, she didn't want to recall the process of revealing the truth. The culprit was right in front of her, and she talked about it indifferently, as if it were as ordinary as eating a bowl of rice or drinking a sip of water.
Instead, he commented, "It's truly a tragedy that a Pixiu could grow up like this."
This Pixiu is different from ordinary Pixiu; it has an eye on its forehead, making it seem out of place.
Liu Xu remembered what Xie Lingxi had said, and suddenly a thought struck him: "Could it be that Cui Sanlang's dog is the same as this one..."
He immediately looked at Xie Lingxi, only to find his beloved wife staring intently at him. He touched his face, puzzled. "What's wrong? Is there something on my face?"
Pretending to be stupid.
She had just tried to talk to this person about serious matters, but he had called her around with jokes. Now that Liu Xu was back on track, her thoughts had drifted far away.
Xie Lingxi thought to herself, "This is really unfair."
Think back to all that happened in the past—
Liu Xu was an extremely considerate husband, and after the Jingzhou incident, he became even more excessively considerate.
Similarly, Liu Xu often made merry with her in the dormitory, using all sorts of tricks with his mouth and hands, which she found hard to resist and always surrendered.
Enraged, he blurted out, "Liu Xu, did you really never have a relationship with any other woman before?"
"?!"
Liu Xu was so startled that his back stiffened.
Xie Lingxi never called him by his full name. When they weren't familiar with each other, she called him "Liu Chengzhi," and later she called him "Axu." This was the first time she had ever been called "Liu Xu" by his full name.
He looked up and saw Xie Lingxi's incredulous expression. His anxious heart finally calmed down a bit, and he asked softly, "What's wrong?"
Xie Lingxi: "Your way of taking care of the girl is very skillful."
What kind of talk is that?
Liu Xu thought it over and over, wondering when he had given Xie Lingxi this wrong impression. He had always been law-abiding and honest, so he retorted, "Lingxi, what are you saying? These days I've been busy with official duties, constantly on the ground. When have I ever taken care of any girls?"
Xie Lingxi was speechless, choked with embarrassment: "Is that what I meant?"
"Aren't you...?"
Only then did he notice Xie Lingxi's first question. Logically, his mind clicked, and he countered, "Lingxi doesn't like that I take such good care of her?"
How can one even begin to describe liking something?
Liu Xuming pointed out: "But when I kissed you, you did not resist, but rather responded."
Upon hearing this, Xie Lingxi covered her face, concealing the blush that instantly rose on her cheeks, and said helplessly, "Can't you say this without my face? You have no shame... but I do."
Liu Xu also noticed the blush. His wife was shy, and after saying a few words, she couldn't help but blush, as if she were drunk. "There are only the two of us in the room, why can't we say it?"
It's always like this.
Xie Lingxi was pushed to the edge—
The young man was pressing her so closely that her head was already pressed against the curtain, her face almost touching the intricate pattern on the corner of the cabinet, leaving some red marks.
Liu Xu tried to lean forward again, but Xie Lingxi turned her head to avoid him, saying, "Wait!"
"?"
She finally found a moment of clarity amidst the winding mountains and rivers, and asked, "Where were we? Cui Jue's Pixiu?"
At this point, the enchanting atmosphere in the room seemed to fade away.
The two similarly carved Pixiu might not prove anything, but they planted a seed of doubt in Xie Lingxi's heart. She looked at them from left to right, and felt that the Pixiu in her hand was made from the scraps of the imperial red jade.
Knowing what she was thinking, Liu Xu didn't offer any words of comfort. Instead, he reached out and tightly embraced Xie Lingxi's arm. "How much do you think the Cui family has to do with this?"
Xie Lingxi said, "Fifty percent."
The night was very deep, and in the dim candlelight, her face was faintly visible, revealing an unusual coldness. "Our family and Ayi's family have been friends for generations. It is common for us to marry, befriend, and serve together. But you understand, there is no such thing as an unbreakable relationship in this world."
She was not fully conscious that day and could not tell who the person who had tied her up was, but based on their words, they were probably very close to her, so she assumed they were her uncles or elders and inevitably went the wrong way.
Looking back now, if it were the Cui family, things seem clear.
But the Cui family is noble and wealthy, with both reputation and fortune. How could Uncle Cui engage in such greedy and opportunistic activities? Moreover... that bandit was clearly strong and burly, a martial artist!
Can a single, similar-looking Pixiu really be used to make a definitive judgment?
50%...
This is an extremely delicate number; taking a step back could open up a vast expanse, while taking a step forward would plunge into an abyss. Liu Xu simply asked, "Then what should we do?"
Xie Lingxi was thinking about something else: "A war is about to break out. Is the fate of the Great Yan about to change?"
...
At the end of the month, the autumn grass in the courtyard was growing lushly, and the gloomy and rainy weather had indeed turned into a bright and sunny one.
Because Xie Heng had beaten Cui Sanlangjun in front of everyone that day, Cui Wenying was heartbroken and had nowhere to vent her anger. So, under the pretext of chanting scriptures for blessings, she detained the Cui siblings in the mansion for several days.
When the ten-day deadline arrived, Cui Yi, lightly dressed, went to the Liu residence and happened to run into Xie Lingxi, who was just leaving.
The woman had just had a new autumn dress made; its bright, watery red color made her look even more rounded and beautiful.
Xie Lingxi also noticed her: "Ayi?"
Now he didn't even leave the house. He sent a maid to announce his arrival, then turned back, affectionately took Cui Yi's arm, and asked tentatively, "How have you been these days?"
"not good--"
Cui Yi pinched Xie Lingxi's forearm. "You're just asking a question you already know the answer to. Lord Cui has been biased for a long time. Cui Jue has been treated like this by us, how can I be okay?"
Without any hesitation, he sat down in the pavilion, casually picked up a few vases and weighed them in his hands, saying, "I want to stay here for a while, Madam Xie, would you allow that?"
The sunlight infused the cool autumn air with a touch of warmth, and only withered lotus leaves and a goldfish remained in the pond beside the pavilion.
That fish was given to her by Cui Yi two years ago. She took good care of it and it has survived to this day.
"How dare I refuse?"
Xie Lingxi had people bring out stacks of pastries and fried cakes, and she picked up a piece and stuffed it into Cui Yi's mouth, saying, "Eat more, you've gotten so thin."
Cui Yi inexplicably swallowed several pieces of osmanthus pastry. Realizing something was wrong, she grabbed Xie Lingxi's hand and glared at her with her almond-shaped eyes: "Stop—!"
"I've traveled a long way to seek refuge with you, and this is how you treat me?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
