"You knew it was me? When did you find out?" Ye Chaoxi asked, bewildered.
"I guessed it when I saw you on our wedding night." Xie Qinglan beckoned to her and called out in a low voice, "Come here."
Ye Chaoxi obediently walked over and was pulled onto his lap. "Wedding night? How did you guess that?"
"Your scent is so fragrant and sweet. I'll never forget it once I've smelled it. Have you ever smelled your own fragrance?" Xie Qinglan followed her scent and kissed her.
Ye Chaoxi cooperated by loosening her teeth and letting him in. She opened her eyes and saw a magnified, handsome face right in front of her. She kissed him very sincerely.
She took the initiative, carefully probing his lips with the tip of her tongue. His lips were thin, unlike hers which were plump and fleshy. Ye Chaoxi licked them a few times, and seeing that the tips of his ears were starting to turn red again, she chuckled softly.
How innocent!
Less than fifteen minutes later, she was put back on the bed.
Ye Chaoxi, "..."
As if she never said it!
She quickly patted Xie Qinglan's arm, "Get up! I have something to give you."
"What is that?" Xie Qinglan buried her face below her collarbone, her forceful kisses landing on her alabaster skin, leaving red marks one after another, her tone indistinct.
Birthday gift.
Xie Qinglan stood up slightly after hearing this, and Ye Chaoxi slipped out from the side of his arm and took out the jade pendant she had brought.
"This was custom-made by someone."
Xie Qinglan took it, gently rubbing its surface with her two thumbs. "Is it a Qilin?"
"Yes, the Qilin is an auspicious mythical beast, symbolizing good luck, peace and happiness. I hope that my husband will be happy every day in the future, and I pray that he will be favored by good luck in every crisis and turn danger into safety."
Xie Qinglan smiled, "Alright, Madam, please help me put it on."
...
In contrast to the leisurely and cozy atmosphere of Wenyue Manor, the entire Yongyi Marquis's residence was bustling with activity.
First came news that the heir of the Marquis of Yongyi, along with his wife, had been traveling when they encountered bandits outside the capital. The entire caravan had fallen off a cliff, and their fate was unknown. The Marquis of Yongyi was rarely home; he had returned to the border from the capital half a month ago. Now, the only person in charge of the entire Marquis's residence was his wife, Lady Zhang.
Zhang immediately sent people to search at the bottom of the cliff, determined to find the person alive or dead. The next day, they found a disfigured body at the bottom of the cliff.
The cliff face was jagged and grotesque. The people who had fallen down the cliff were slashed beyond recognition by the rocks, their wounds bloody and mangled. They were barely recognizable as human beings, and their identities could only be made out of their clothes and accessories. The people sent to search returned with the bodies and reported to Madam Zhang that they had found the bodies of the Crown Prince, his wife, and their servants.
Zhang was overjoyed!
He's finally dead!
Heaven knows how difficult it was to kill Xie Qinglan!
Back then, he was sixteen years old and had just returned from the battlefield. She was afraid that if he made great contributions in the future, the position of the Marquis's heir would no longer be her son's chance, so she secretly poisoned him. Unexpectedly, he was so tough that he only lost his eyes!
Neither the Marquis nor the Emperor intended to change the heir apparent.
From then on, Xie Qinglan lived a secluded life, and Zhang Shi could not find another opportunity to strike. Until the last time Xie Qinglan left the mansion, she sent people to intercept and kill him, but unexpectedly he returned alive, with both legs crippled.
This time, the Marquis intended to change the heir apparent, but unexpectedly, his memorial was rejected by the Emperor, and he was scolded, forcing him to slink back to continue guarding the border.
As the saying goes, perseverance pays off. She hadn't intended to act immediately after sending people to follow her; she simply told them to wait and see, and strike when the opportunity arose. And so it was this time, disguised as bandits, that they finally killed Xie Qinglan!
Despite feeling very happy, Zhang still managed to squeeze out a few tears.
"Poor Qinglan! Why is she so unlucky! How am I going to explain this to the Marquis when he returns!"
"Zhaoxi was such a poor child. She was finally found and married into our family, but she didn't even get to enjoy her happiness for long before she passed away! She was so unlucky!"
The people from the second branch of the Marquis's family also rushed over. Hearing Zhang's wailing, they all began to wipe away their tears.
"The most urgent thing is to send someone to the Marquis as soon as possible to ask him to return to the manor to preside over the funeral."
"We must send someone to the palace to inform His Majesty, after all, Qinglan is His Majesty's nephew."
Zhang nodded in agreement.
Before long, the news that the heir of the Marquis of Yongyi had encountered bandits while traveling with his wife and perished at the bottom of a cliff with no survivors spread like wildfire throughout the capital.
The Pingchang Earl and his wife were shocked. How could their perfectly healthy daughter have died just one month after getting married?
While feeling heartbroken, Madam Bo was also secretly relieved that it wasn't Ling'er who had married into the family, otherwise she would have been half-dead!
Ye Muling heard the news on her way to the brothel to find Meng Wenjin. She was shocked but also relieved.
Although it was different from her previous life, Ye Muling was still quite satisfied with the ending for Ye Chaoxi and Xie Qinglan, despite the vague unease in her heart.
She had worried that Xie Qinglan's continued existence would alter the course of her life due to her own rebirth. Now that Xie Qinglan was dead, did that mean that no matter what, Xie Qinglan was destined to die, and Meng Wenjin was bound to rise to prominence?
Now, her mood improved considerably on her way to the brothel to find Meng Wenjin.
Men are all fickle and fond of womanizing. Once he becomes prime minister, he will have even more women. As his legal wife, she must be tolerant and magnanimous.
When she arrived at the brothel, the madam sent people to stop her.
"Why are you here again? We're out having a drink, and you keep coming here every day. Be careful, or we'll get annoyed and dump you."
Ye Muling's eyes widened. "He wouldn't dare! I'm the daughter of the Marquis of Pingchang! How dare he divorce me?! Get out of my way and let me go find him! He hasn't been home for three days. Can't I, as his wife, come and see him?!"
The madam chuckled inwardly. Three days without coming home? In her brothel, some men don't come home for thirty days!
"Get out, get out, don't disturb my business." The madam ordered her to be thrown out.
Ye Muling was furious, and her good mood from the journey vanished completely. She started to throw a tantrum at the entrance of the brothel.
"Meng Wenjin! Get out here! How many days have you been away from home? You left your old mother for me to take care of, and you're here having a good time!"
"I used my dowry to support your whole family, and not a single one of you is grateful to me. You treat me like dirt! Don't you know how difficult your mother is to serve?"
Ye Muling cursed for a long time before Meng Wenjin slowly came out of the building, his clothes on messily, and he was still tying his belt as he walked.
He said impatiently, "What are you doing causing a scene in public? Have you no shame? I was just having a few drinks with my classmates. How am I supposed to face anyone if you make such a scene? Alright, go back!"
Meng Wenjin took the lead and walked ahead, while Ye Muling followed behind, furious. The two returned to the Meng family together.
Marquis Yongyi rushed back from the frontier, and by then more than ten days had passed. The corpses were no longer recognizable.
Marquis Yongyi wept bitterly and ordered a funeral to be held. The Marquis's residence hoisted the white banners that had been prepared beforehand, and the mourning hall was set up.
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