Zhang Wanshu almost lost her composure, but she forced herself to maintain a weak and pitiful expression and continued speaking.
“My cousin-in-law is right. I know I shouldn’t have given this gift. But I’ve been in the Marquis’s mansion since I was a child, and I grew up with my cousin, the young master. Our friendship of so many years can’t be worn away in a short time. Isn’t it going too far for my cousin-in-law to demand that I completely cut off all contact with my cousin the young master as soon as she marries into the family?”
“When I was little, my cousin, the Crown Prince, made a promise to me…” Zhang Wanshu’s voice grew softer and softer as she spoke, and the last few words faded from her lips without being actually uttered.
And it is precisely these seemingly unspoken words that evoke the most imagination.
"Marriage has always been arranged by parents and matchmakers, not by our own choice. Just like my cousin, the Crown Prince, was arranged to marry you by his aunt."
"I never intended to become my cousin's concubine. I just wanted to give him a sachet that I embroidered myself as a final gift, to fulfill my last wish. Would my cousin-in-law be so stingy?"
After Zhang Wanshu finished speaking with a sorrowful expression, she secretly glanced at Ye Chaoxi, only to find that Ye Chaoxi was not as furious as she had imagined.
With his head down, he was so angry he was almost trembling all over!
Is she...is she a wooden doll?! Why isn't she angry yet?!
Ye Chaoxi simply put the sachet away, nodded in agreement, and told her, "It's definitely an arranged marriage. My son and I had our parents' wishes and a matchmaker's arrangement, and we're very happy after marriage. You should be about my age, and the Lady of the Marquis hasn't even helped you find someone to marry yet?"
"If you truly consider me your sister-in-law, I'd be happy to help you find some promising young men of similar age. However, I've only been in the capital for a short time and don't know many people."
"In the village where I used to live, there are a few young men who are still unmarried. They are all of good character. Some make a living by hunting, some work as blacksmiths in town, and there is also a sickly type that you like. He lies in bed all day, sickly, and takes medicine like it's food. Would you like to meet him?"
Ye Chaoxi asked sincerely.
Zhang Wanshu was both angry and heartbroken.
Is this woman deaf?! Besides, she would never marry one of those peasants in the village!
Zhang Wanshu's vision went black for a moment. She was already thin and weak, and her blood and qi were insufficient. At this moment, she was so angry with Ye Chaoxi that she fainted.
"Miss!" Her maidservant quickly helped her up and called over other maidservants to help take her back.
The two women, Cuiyu and Juying, were amazed. The Crown Prince's wife's ability to infuriate people to death was truly amazing!
Once the noise subsided, Ye Chaoxi tossed the sachet behind her and said, "Take this and get rid of it."
Juying quickly caught it.
Cuiyu asked in confusion, "Madam, aren't you angry?"
Ye Chaoxi said indifferently, "What's there to be angry about?"
She wasn't really angry. Xie Qinglan treated Zhang Wanshu like a stranger. Did she really think she couldn't see through Zhang Wanshu's little schemes?
It's just unexpected that even though Xie Qinglan can't see or stand up, Zhang Wanshu can still be deeply in love with him as always.
"Did Zhang Wanshu often come to bother the young master before?"
Cuiyu knew about this; she was well-liked in the mansion and knew all sorts of gossip and rumors.
“When Zhang Wanshu came to the Marquis’s residence, the young master was already fifteen years old and had gone to the battlefield. Later, the young master lost his sight and went to Youju Tinglan Garden. Zhang Wanshu came to bother him a few times, but at that time the young master was in a bad mood and directly scolded her until she cried and told her to get out. Everyone in the mansion knew about this.”
She said she wasn't angry, but Cuiyu and Juying interpreted it differently. They even asked Zhang Wanshu about it, and both of them felt that although the lady appeared calm on the surface, she was actually quite angry inside.
After lunch, Ye Chaoxi began packing her bags with great enthusiasm, while Cuiyu assisted her.
Juying took the opportunity to slip into Xie Qinglan's study, took out the sachet, and recounted what had happened at the courtyard gate that morning.
In conclusion, "The lady is definitely angry."
Xie Qinglan's handsome brows furrowed slightly. "Didn't she say she wasn't angry?"
Juying said, "Young Master, when a woman says she's not angry, she's definitely angry."
A rare look of bewilderment appeared on Xie Qinglan's handsome and aloof face.
Fortunately, he was quick to accept the message. "I understand, you can go now."
He felt it necessary to explain to her that he and Zhang Wanshu had no relationship whatsoever, and that it was all that woman's nonsense trying to sow discord between them, so as not to ruin the relationship that had just begun to grow closer.
When he arrived at the west wing, Ye Chaoxi had just finished packing and placed a large bundle on the table.
"My husband, you've come at the perfect time."
"I heard Zhang Wanshu said some nonsense to you this morning?"
The two spoke in unison.
Ye Chaoxi hummed in response and pushed his wheelchair into the house. "How did you know?"
“Juying told me. Don’t believe her. My relationship with her is completely innocent. I have never had any affair with her. I’ve only met her a few times in the manor. I don’t even remember what she looks like.”
Seeing Xie Qinglan's serious expression, Ye Chaoxi felt playful and wanted to tease him.
"But I heard her say that you made promises to her before..."
"What did you promise?" Xie Qinglan asked.
"How am I supposed to know what you promised? Shouldn't I be asking you that?" Ye Chaoxi said angrily.
Xie Qinglan raised her hand to press her forehead, her head aching, and her elbow bumped into a large bundle on the table.
Xie Qinglan touched the contents of the bundle through the cloth and found that they were all clothes and travel necessities. Her expression suddenly darkened, revealing a dangerous undercurrent.
"You're leaving?"
This morning she told the maid she wasn't angry, but by the afternoon she was packing her bags and running away from home!
Before Ye Chaoxi could even process what Xie Qinglan was thinking, he pulled her forcefully into his arms, making her sit on his lap, his strong arms holding her tightly.
A hand with calloused skin pinched Xie Qinglan's chin along her cheek, and Xie Qinglan felt a surge of anger.
“I understand you’re angry, but why didn’t you come and ask me if what happened was true or false? You just listened to outsiders’ nonsense and planned to pack your things and leave without saying a word?”
She looked at him with wide, questioning eyes. "I don't plan to leave."
"Then why are you packing your bags?"
Xie Qinglan fiercely shut her up, threatening her through gritted teeth, "I wanted to keep my distance from you back then, but you insisted on coming closer. Now that you've provoked me, you'll never get rid of me."
"Whether I'm blind, lame, or dead, I will never let you go!"
The calm and aloof facade crumbled, revealing an undisguised morbid obsession.
The lips and tongue pried open the teeth, barging in to plunder, leaving nothing but scrape-away flesh, the delicate lips grinding painfully.
Ye Chaoxi was forced to retreat step by step, unable to utter a single word, only able to make helpless muffled sounds.
After finally finishing the kiss, Xie Qinglan asked her in a hoarse voice, "Did you hear what I just said?"
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