Chapter 23 You Are My Wife
Shen Qingtan withdrew his gaze, passed the hanging flower gate, and saw Shu Yue's figure flash by.
Liu Yue looked in the direction where Shu Yue left and lowered her voice to say, "Miss, Shu Yue asked me to go to Wanfeng Pavilion. Do you want to punish her?"
Shen Qingtan said indifferently: "No need, it will be useful if you keep it."
Liu Yue asked worriedly, "Aren't you afraid of leaving a hidden danger?"
"It wasn't Madam Cheng'en who arranged for Shu Yue to lead you to Wanfeng Pavilion. She was following Madam Wei's orders. If it was Madam Cheng'en who ordered it, she would probably be in Hibiscus Garden now." Shen Qingtan saw through Liu Yue's thoughts and said in a secretive manner, "Shu Yue is more afraid than I am of Madam Cheng'en finding out. She also had a hand in this matter. If Madam Shen knew, she would never let Shu Yue live."
Liu Yue felt uneasy: "But..."
"Shu Yue will cover up this matter, and she's even afraid that you'll reveal it. We have something against her." Shen Qingtan said quietly, "The wife of the Marquis of Cheng'en and I have long been at loggerheads. Even if Mother Wei's death had nothing to do with me, she wouldn't let me go. Even if she knows I was the one who murdered Mother Wei, what can she do? She won't break up with me, she'll just try to trip me up in secret."
Tingxue and Liuyue were stunned.
"So, what does it matter whether she knows or not?" Shen Qingtan pushed aside the peach blossom branch that stretched out in front of him, slowly wiped the black ash off his fingertips with a handkerchief, and smiled slightly: "As long as there is no handle left, why should I be afraid of her?"
Liu Yue looked at Shen Qingtan's tender white hands, and felt an inexplicable chill on his back.
She recalled a rumor that had spread in the mansion after Shen Qingtan's wedding: "Miss, you are not Madam's daughter?"
Otherwise, why would Madam Shen want to harm Shen Qingtan?
Shen Qingtan said indifferently: "Yeah."
The rumor was confirmed, and Liu Yue and Ting Xue were in turmoil, but it also explained why the Chen family deliberately exchanged marriages.
The two people didn't dare to ask more questions. Looking at Shen Qingtan's slender and fragile back, they felt particularly sorry for her.
The person who was once her closest relative now wants to kill her.
The son-in-law she married into was a useless and sickly man who could not protect her master.
If their master had not protected them, they would have died in the river.
The two of them secretly swore in their hearts that they would never betray their Lord in this life.
——
Zhao Yi was standing in the front hall waiting for Shen Qingtan. When he saw her coming back with her maid, he said goodbye to Marquis Cheng'en and returned home.
The couple sat facing each other in the carriage. Shen Qingtan felt a little tired and wanted to lean against the wall. But she saw the man opposite her. He had an upright posture and his green brocade robe was smooth and flat, without a single wrinkle.
She behaved herself immediately.
Zhao Yi caught a glimpse of her slightly arched back, almost touching the wall of the car, but when she caught sight of him, she immediately straightened up and sat very upright.
The corners of his lips curled up slightly, and he took out a large pillow and handed it to her: "It will take another quarter of an hour to get back to the mansion. You've been busy for half a day, so take a rest first."
Shen Qingtan looked at the soft pillow handed to him, his eyes falling on his face as cold as the moon. The faint smile at the corner of his lips had not yet faded, reflecting the bright spring light with a touch of gentle warmth.
She subconsciously took the soft pillow, and after a slight hesitation, she put it behind her waist to lean against it. Her sore muscles and bones relaxed a little, and sleepiness came over her.
Shen Qingtan rested his head on the car wall. The man was reading a book in his hand. His eyebrows were bright and he looked relaxed and comfortable, which made people involuntarily look at him.
She didn't know why, but she suddenly started talking: "Do you know what happened in the Marquis' Mansion?"
"Hmm." Zhao Yi looked up at Shen Qingtan. Her slender body sank softly into the soft pillow, as delicate as a tender leaf, needing to be protected under someone's wings. But her clear eyes were calm and insightful beyond her age, and a tenacity emanated from her bones. He closed the book and said slowly, "The Marquis said it was a matter of the inner chambers, and we are not in a position to intervene."
He looked indifferent, as if he didn't care what happened in the Marquis' Mansion.
Shen Qingtan had never seen him have such emotional ups and downs since she knew him. At this moment, she suddenly wondered: could someone like him, who was indifferent to life and death, encounter something that would cause him to lose control?
She shook her head, having no idea what was going on.
"Second Master."
Zhao Yi put down the scroll in his hand, raised his eyes to meet hers, and asked, "What's the matter?"
Shen Qingtan tried to find out Zhao Yi's bottom line: "What would you think if I had a dispute with the Second House?"
Zhao Yi said gently, "You don't have to worry about anything. Just do what you think you should do."
Shen Qingtan was stunned, as if unable to understand what he meant.
"The Second House is my family, and you are my wife, closer than they are. I should side with you, even if I side with you. Even if I side with you, it's not your fault." Zhao Yi's eyes were gentle, and his voice was clear. "Besides, the Second House is hostile to the First House. Even if you are not my wife, if there is a dispute between you and the Second House one day, I will not add insult to injury. It would be a gentleman's behavior. Tell me, what do I think?"
Faced with his frankness, Shen Qingtan was surprised and tried to test him: "You should think about how to add fuel to the fire so that the second branch will no longer dare to be hostile to the first branch."
Zhao Yi laughed: "What you said makes some sense."
Shen Qingtan breathed a sigh of relief. She had been worried that Zhao Yi would not want to break up with the second house, so as not to hurt the old Duke and the old lady. Now it seemed that she was overthinking it.
——
Shen Qingtan returned to Lanxue Garden and called Madam Liu over, introducing Liu Yue and Ting Xue to her. "These two are my personal maids. They are new here and don't know the rules of the mansion. I'd like to trouble Madam Liu to teach them the rules."
Madam Liu instantly understood that these two maids were highly valued by Shen Qingtan, and quickly agreed: "Second Madam, what are you talking about? This is my responsibility, and I will definitely teach the two girls with all my heart."
Liu Yue and Ting Xue greeted Mother Liu.
Mother Liu led the two of them out with a smile on her face.
Qiu Chan and Chun Jiao stood in the corner, their faces pale. A strong sense of crisis surged in their hearts, but they didn't know how to resolve the current situation.
Shen Qingtan sat in front of the bronze mirror. Qiu Chan came forward with great tact and took off the hairpin on her head. "Second Madam, do you want to take a bath?"
"Yes." Shen Qingtan took off the bracelet from his wrist and ordered, "Chunjiao, go get some hot water."
"Yes, I'll go to the kitchen now." Chunjiao left in a hurry.
A quarter of an hour later, Chunjiao prepared hot water and helped Shen Qingtan take a bath.
Qiu Chan went to fumigate Shen Qingtan's clothes.
After bathing, Shen Qingtan was so relaxed by the hot water that he leaned on the short couch to take a nap.
Liu Yue came in and saw Shen Qingtan leaning on the couch. Her soft and delicate figure formed alluring curves, and her icy skin and bones were a peach pink, charming and fragrant.
Only someone as blind as Zhao Jue would not cherish such a beauty.
Liu Yue was unwilling to deliver Zhao Jue's message, but she was also afraid of ruining her master's good deeds. She suppressed her dissatisfaction and woke up Shen Qingtan: "Miss, Master Zhao San wants to see you."
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