Chapter 58: Restless Zhu Hao ordered: "Take it off." ...
"Hey? Have you heard? That Zhu Qi was caught, but guess what happened? He died mysteriously on the way! And... his death was horrific! Just like..."
"It's like being possessed by an evil spirit! I look like a ghost! Black water is bubbling out of me!"
"I never imagined that Zhu Qi and his mother were such bad people! He was also responsible for the Zhou family's medical clinic in Kyoto! He was even involved in the robbery case! Oh, and he was also responsible for Madam Zhu's near-death experience in the fire!"
"God must have been unable to bear this! That's why he's being punished!"
Duan Meiyin stroked her belly with one hand and carried her light luggage with the other. After taking a deep breath, she decided to push open the door of the house. The Huai people who were talking outside shut up when they saw that it was Zhu Qi's concubine Duan. Everyone turned their eyes to Duan Meiyin's bulging belly.
Duan Meiyin didn't even look up, staring intently at the pearls on her embroidered shoes. She deftly dodged the crowd, but an old woman called out to her, "Hey! Where are you going with all that baggage on your back?"
She was about to yell, "It's none of your business," but the old woman stuffed a warm egg into Duan Meiyin's arms. "Is it far? If you get hungry on the way, just eat the eggs my old hen laid this morning. Look, these days, young girls don't even take good care of themselves when they're pregnant... You young people..."
An old man carrying a hoe stepped forward and said, "Your husband has committed a crime, and you'll have a hard time! Zhu Qi'er is really not a man..." He nudged the young woman beside him with his elbow and said, "Look, what did your father say? You must be discerning when choosing a man! You must never marry someone rashly!"
Duan Meiyin's nose suddenly tightened. She saw more and more Huai people gathered around her, some complaining for her, some cursing Zhu Qi. Duan Meiyin gritted her teeth, lowered her head, and tears fell to the ground. She said harshly, "Mind your own business."
"Alas... Look, even now, Mrs. Duan is still grieving for her husband! Zhu Qi has truly done so much harm! He's dragging down such a good young lady for no reason!"
She was not a good girl. Duan Meiyin was walking on the official road in the city. She peeled and ate the cold eggs. The setting sun cast a light on the path. Duan Meiyin's eyes were dazzled by the setting sun. She could only vaguely see a figure standing on the small hill in front of her.
It was familiar yet strange, and made her feel guilty.
A figure strode towards her. When Duan Meiyin saw the person's facial features clearly, the tears she had been holding back burst out like a torrent breaking through a dam.
Chu Zhijian gently stroked her cheek, "Ah Yun, why are you crying? Are you crying because I scared you? Ah Yun, look carefully, I'm not a ghost, don't cry."
Duan Meiyin bit her lower lip and looked at the man in front of her. She tried to touch his brow bone. Her fingertips touched his warm skin. She hit Chu Zhijian's chest fiercely, "Cousin..."
She lowered her head as if she had made a mistake as a child and said, "I'm sorry."
"What are you sorry for? Ah Yun, you asked me to approach Miss Xie so that you could stay by Zhu Qi's side more easily and get the account books from that year. You also asked me to find evidence that Zhu Qi had swapped medicinal herbs with the Zhou family. I pretended to kidnap her, hoping to ruin her marriage to Zhu Qi and consolidate your position in the Zhu family. Who knew I would run into Zhu Qi's private plot? But although these were your ideas, you never forced me to do them. Which of these things were not my own will? Ah Yun, my hands and feet are my own. I dare to do and take responsibility. What have you done to me?"
"It was Ah Yin who led my cousin down a path of no return, and it was me who nearly caused my cousin to lose his life." Duan Mei Yin raised her tearful eyes. Her crying was endearing, a tactic she always used. Only this time, she was truly weeping for the deceased. "Thank you, Lord Shang, for bringing the witness who identified Zhu Qi to court. Was it my cousin?"
Chu Zhijian wiped the tears from her eyes and nodded, "I fell into Cangze Lake. It was Miss Xie who saved me and raised me in the Shi family."
"Although I don't like Xie Shangqing, and Zhu Qi is not a good man, I am indeed guilty of her. I have ruined the girl's reputation for my own selfish thoughts. No matter how much I despise Xie Shangqing, she is still an innocent girl..." Duan Meiyin paused and said with a smile, "Cousin, this is me."
Chu Zhijian rubbed the top of her head and suddenly said, "Are we heading towards Kyoto?"
"Well, the young lady and her family have finally been cleared of their grievances and released from prison. I want to see the young lady, and also..." Duan Meiyin looked into the distance and forced a smile, "Nothing."
She had ruined Xie Shangqing's reputation, causing Lady Zhu to fall into a flower pond and become chronically ill. Although she had never killed anyone, she had done many evil things, such as instigating Chu Zhijian to fake the kidnapping of Xie Shangqing. Although she didn't know Xie Shangqing well, she knew that he would not let this kidnapping go unpunished. Duan Meiyin didn't want to make any more mistakes, nor did she want to be the "villain." Chu Zhijian was under her control, and she wanted to take the blame before Xie Shangqing reported the crime, so as to clear him of the charges.
But she would never tell Chu Zhijian.
She didn't love him, she just didn't want to owe him anything anymore.
Duan Meiyin touched her belly, hoping that this child could save her from some punishment.
"Ah Yin, the carriage is waiting for you at the bottom of the slope, right?" Chu Zhijian knelt before her. "Are you tired after walking all this way? You were pregnant, and your cousin carried you there, just like... when we were little."
When she lay on Chu Zhijian's back, Duan Meiyin finally realized that he had lost a lot of weight.
Duan Meiyin wrapped her arms around his neck, struggling in her heart for a while before mumbling, "Cousin, that night, when I said I liked you, I was just kidding you. I told you before that the child was yours, but that was just kidding. I... don't know whose the child is either."
"Ah Yin... you're going to strangle my cousin to death." Chu Zhijian said with a smile, "No matter what, it's true that I like Ah Yin, so... whether you stayed that night or not, whether you told me you liked me or not, it won't affect my determination for you. As for the child... isn't it better for it to be Ah Yin's?"
She patted him on the back, "Stupid."
The figures of the two were stretched out in the twilight. Chu Zhijian sent Duan Meiyin to the carriage. After the carriage completely disappeared from his sight, he took heavy steps, following the last rays of afterglow, and headed towards the government office.
He knelt outside the yamen and announced loudly: "I, Chu Zhijian, come here to confess! I kidnapped the daughter of the Xie family a month ago. Now I have repented and am willing to plead guilty according to the Dacheng law!"
…
"elder sister……"
Zhu Hao patted Miao Li's hand lightly and said, "If all you say is apologies, you'd better stop talking."
She tucked the quilt in for Miao Li and said gently, "Zhu Qi used your friend's name to give you mushrooms. He took advantage of your poisoning and pinned the blame for burning down the Zhu residence on you. You were so dizzy at the time, how could you tell right from wrong? You, like me, have suffered Zhu Qi's assassination, so why are you apologizing to me?"
"Even if he threatened you with your life, you didn't hurt me, did you? Miaoli, what's your fault?" Zhu Hao pinched her face. "It was me who trapped you by my side for a year because of the house incident. Well, now that the case is cleared, you can go wherever you want after you recover. As for the indenture, I'll give it to you later."
"Sister, what do you mean? Don't you want me anymore?" Miaoli hurriedly sat up from the couch, but Zhu Hao easily pushed her back under the quilt. Miaoli choked up and said, "In the year I've been with you, you said you'd use me as collateral for the house, but you still gave me a monthly allowance... I stayed with you voluntarily. Where else could I go except the Zhu family?"
Zhu Hao scratched her nose and said with a smile, "You're poisoned, yet you still want to find a place to die. Only a silly girl like you can do that. Don't be so silly again. Otherwise, I really don't want you anymore."
Miaoli was embarrassed, her cheeks flushed, "Sister..."
Zhu Hao glanced outside the window and saw a figure walking to sit under the pomegranate tree. She patted Miao Li's hand, signaling her to take good care of herself, and then pushed the door open and went out.
She squatted down in front of Song Xieqing and stroked his cheek with her fingertips, but what she was thinking about in her heart was what Chi Xing had said to her in the cave.
She knew why Song Xieqing married her, but she didn't know that the situation would be so serious that it would cost him his life.
Since her life was already beyond saving, why not save him? Besides, she had always been somewhat fond of him, and the whole thing had begun because she had accidentally dropped the hydrangea at the statue. Since there was a way to break it, why not end it quickly?
In the remaining time of her life, Song Xieqing gave her a healthy body, allowing her to do what she wanted to do. This was already very good. She had many regrets in this life, but if she thought about it carefully, how could she not have regrets in her decades of life?
"Song Xieqing, when you recover from your injury, I have something to do with you."
"Why do we have to wait until the wound heals?" Song Xieqing covered the back of her hand naturally. "My wound has already scabbed over and is completely healed."
Zhu Hao obviously didn't believe it, "Is it really okay? It doesn't matter if it's a big move?"
"Alright." Song Xieqing stood up and moved around in front of Zhu Hao with ease. He teased, "How about... Pianpian check your injuries?"
He originally intended to tease her, but after Zhu Hao listened, she actually took his hand and walked towards the room, closing the doors and windows one by one.
Zhu Hao dragged him all the way to the couch. Song Xieqing raised an eyebrow, "Do you really want to test it?"
She pressed Song Xieqing's shoulders and forced him to sit on the couch. Zhu Hao said in an almost commanding tone, "Take it off."
Before Song Xieqing could figure out what was going on, Zhu Hao had already held his face and kissed him on the lips.
She kissed clumsily, and only because of his compliance was she able to easily penetrate his teeth.
Song Xieqing remembered that when they were in the cave, Zhu Hao had made three rules with him: he was not allowed to kiss her unless... she took the initiative, or cast a spell.
He was a very evil person and looked forward to being cursed every day, but this curse was particularly disappointing.
But now she took the initiative to kiss him, how could Song Xieqing let go of such a good opportunity?
He grabbed Zhu Hao's neck and led her deeper. Both of them were in a daze and their bodies were numb. Zhu Hao pressed his shoulders and, because she was exhausted, she sat directly on Song Xieqing's body.
Song Xieqing's whole body was tense, as if he was in a trance. Zhu Hao's lips were sucked red by him, and her cheeks were flushed. She raised her hands to untie the belt around her waist. Under Song Xieqing's stunned gaze, Zhu Hao's hands moved to his waist and abdomen, and her little finger picked at his corset. Zhu Hao tried no less than three times, but failed to untie Song Xieqing's leather belt.
Song Xieqing grabbed her hand that was pressed on his waist. He breathed heavily and held Zhu Hao's waist and pushed her one step closer to his upper body. Zhu Hao bumped into something solid. Song Xieqing gave her a light kiss on the side of her neck.
The next moment, Zhu Hao felt dizzy and when she came to her senses, she was already pinned down by Song Xieqing. He avoided the scab on Zhu Hao's arm, grabbed her wrist, and tapped his leather belt, "I'll teach you."
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The author has something to say: I will teach you
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