Chapter 78 Reunion at the Marquisate
Under the table, Yu Qinghuan, who had anticipated this, quickly dodged the hand extended by Xie Zhili and placed her own hand on the table.
She glanced at Xie Zhili from the corner of her eye, only to be met with a look that was almost murderous. She gave a dry laugh and replied to Xie Zhiwen, "Not really. Ah Li is being too kind."
Xie Zhili, however, didn't hold back at all and spoke slowly, "But when I came here just now, I heard the maidservant beside you say that you cried last night."
Xie Zhiwen frowned and looked at Xie Zhili, "Which maid?"
Yu Qinghuan's heart was beating wildly with nervousness, fearing that Xie Zhili would talk nonsense. She said hurriedly, "My eyes are a little uncomfortable today, so I just asked the maid to get some eye ointment for me, thinking of using it tonight."
Xie Zhiwen felt something was strange when he heard this, but he didn't think about it too much. He just stared at Yu Qinghuan beside him for a few more seconds and found that her eyes were indeed slightly red and swollen, but it was not noticeable without a close look.
"Tomorrow I'll ask a better doctor to come and see you."
Yu Qinghuan shook her head repeatedly, "No, it's okay."
Meeting Xie Zhiwen's inquiring gaze, she was absent-minded. She felt Xie Zhili's hand stroking her knee gradually move to the inside of her thigh. The heat from his palm made her back tense and pressed tightly against the back of the chair.
Yu Qinghuan wanted to warn Xie Zhili not to talk nonsense or touch her anymore, but Xie Zhiwen was right beside her at the moment, and Xie Zhiwen could see clearly any movement she made, so she didn't even dare to look at Xie Zhili.
Xie Zhili was dissatisfied with this and began to reach inside, wanting Yu Qinghuan to focus all her attention on him, and even intended to speak.
Yu Qinghuan on the side immediately changed the subject, "My Lord, where have you been this past year? What's with that corpse? Why is it wearing your clothes?"
She remembered that although the corpse was covered in blood and the face could not be seen clearly, the clothes he was wearing were Xie Zhiwen's, so there was no mistake.
After these words were spoken, everyone else looked at Xie Zhiwen curiously, especially Wang Shi. Last night, she was only thinking about how to cover up the matter of Zhuangzi and did not ask why her son was not dead but did not return to the Marquis' Mansion.
When asked about what happened that year, Xie Zhiwen sighed, "The body should be the follower I bought on the road. He had no clothes, so I took my clothes to wear for him. Unexpectedly, the carriage had a problem and fell off the cliff."
"I never thought that such a misunderstanding would occur."
Speaking of this, Xie Zhiwen couldn't help but feel fortunate that his family was not in chaos because of him, and fortunately Yu Qinghuan was only sent to the farm by his mother.
Otherwise, if something happens, my life will never be easy.
Yu Qinghuan, who was standing by, tightly gripped the chopsticks, her knuckles turning white. If it weren't for the clothes, she wouldn't have mistaken the body, and the officials would have continued to look for the person, so how could they not find Xie Zhiwen?
At this point, Xie Zhiwen continued to recount what had happened that year. "After I fell off a cliff, I was rescued by a nearby hunter. However, I was seriously injured and was in a coma for six months. When I woke up, I wanted to rush back to the capital, but the hunter had another accident and entrusted his daughter to me. I couldn't bear to abandon a little girl, so I wrote a letter and sent it back to the capital first."
Upon hearing this, Xie Zhili raised his eyebrows slightly, "Indeed, I should repay the life-saving grace. Big brother, just bring the little girl back and make her your concubine."
Yu Qinghuan couldn't help but turned around and glared at Xie Zhili.
This glance was seen by Wang who was sitting opposite. Her expression changed immediately. She thought about how her son had even severed his mother-son relationship with her in order to marry Yu Qinghuan... She must not let her son know about the joint inheritance!
After hearing what Xie Zhili said, Xie Zhiwen immediately glanced at Yu Qinghuan, fearing that he would be misunderstood. "Don't tease me. If Ah Huan misunderstands, I will never forgive you!"
Xie Zhili chuckled twice, and played with the soft and tender flesh on the inside of Yu Qinghuan's thigh through the clothes with his palm.
Yu Qinghuan gritted her teeth and endured it.
Xie Zhiwen, standing by, fearing Yu Qinghuan's misunderstanding, immediately explained, "Ah Huan, there's nothing between me and that girl. I pawned my jade pendant for silver and found her a good family as a dowry. As soon as she got married, I didn't dare delay for a moment and immediately followed the caravan back."
Yu Qinghuan frowned slightly, looked at Wang, and then at Xie Zhili, and no one had a strange expression on their face.
She said in a deep voice, "But we didn't receive the letter you sent back half a year ago."
If I had that letter and knew Xie Zhiwen was still alive, I would never have come to this point.
Xie Zhiwen shook his head. "It was only after I returned to the capital that I learned that the messenger fell ill and died mid-delivery. The letter I wrote six months ago was never delivered at all."
Wang's expression also changed. If the letter could have been sent back half a year ago, she would not have forced Yu Qinghuan to do such a thing.
There were four people at the table, and only Xie Zhili chuckled.
Yu Qinghuan's forehead twitched. What was this madman thinking about?
Xie Zhili loosened his hand, poured a glass of wine, and raised the glass to toast Xie Zhiwen, "Brother, this year has been difficult. I'll toast you a glass."
Xie Zhiwen hadn't expected that after not seeing his half-brother for a year, he, with whom he wasn't particularly close, would become so enthusiastic. He immediately raised his glass and drank with him. "I've been away from home for a while now, and I want to thank you for being filial to my mother and helping your sister-in-law so much. Thank you so much!"
Today he heard that during the year he was away, his younger brother Xie Zhili had been taking care of the affairs of the mansion.
In the past, everyone around him told him to be careful with his half-brother, saying that this brother had evil intentions and would sooner or later harm him, his elder brother.
I have been secretly on guard because of this, and now when I think about it, I feel really ashamed.
Xie Zhili raised the corner of his lips slightly, and gave Yu Qinghuan a meaningful look. "Big brother, you are too kind. This is what I should do."
Yu Qinghuan gripped the chopsticks harder and harder, almost bending them.
Sang Ruxin, who was serving at the back, almost jumped out of her skin, fearing that the Second Master would reveal everything.
After dinner, Xie Zhiwen was just about to go back to his room with Yu Qinghuan to have some private conversation, but Yu Qinghuan was called away by Wang Shi, who didn't allow Xie Zhiwen to follow her.
When she entered Biluozhai, she found that Xie Zhili was also there.
Wang, sitting high up in the seat, glanced at the two of them and spoke in a deep voice, "Now that the Marquis has returned, you two should just pretend that what happened at the manor never happened."
"Yu, these are the two shops I promised you, and I'll give you a house as an addition."
"Second brother, I'll ask someone to help you have a smoother career this year. It won't be difficult to get promoted."
Yu Qinghuan felt mixed emotions after hearing this.
Xie Zhili sneered at the side, "Mother wants to clean up the mess. Why didn't she ask us if we agreed with this arrangement?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Yu Qinghuan spoke up, "I understand."
He even signaled Sang Ru who was standing beside him to go forward and take the deeds to the shop and the house.
Xie Zhili was stunned and looked at her blankly... Could it be that in her heart, he was not as good as two shops and a house?
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