When Jiang Chengli returned to the third house's courtyard, he was still very worried.
Qingxi Pavilion had always been his residence, but it was expanded before his marriage to provide more space for his mistress, Xu Wanying.
Before he left, this place was filled with his presence, but now that he's back, it's completely unrecognizable.
Every blade of grass and every tree here exudes a sense of unfamiliarity, as if it is rejecting his presence.
"Third Master is back." A servant recognized him and immediately ran back to inform others.
Xu Wanying was resting in a recliner when she heard this. She stood up with difficulty and went straight out to greet them.
"Husband, you're back. Are you very tired?" she asked softly with a smile.
Jiang Chengli stopped and stared at her, actually listening to her inner thoughts.
Oh, heavens! He's gone back to his palace, which means my freedom is completely over.
Sure enough, Xu Wanying's inner thoughts were completely opposite to the smile on her face.
"It's alright, what are you doing, Madam?" He originally intended to make an excuse to leave quickly after meeting her, but seeing her like this, he couldn't help but feel like teasing her, so he decided to have a detailed conversation with her.
"Um, I sat in the car for too long today and felt a little uncomfortable, so I rested on the recliner for a bit," Xu Wanying hesitated for a moment before slowly replying.
【What's going on? Doesn't he know what I'm doing? I've been waiting for him for ages! I have to beg him three or four times to even go home. What on earth is he doing?!】
"It's my fault for troubling you, Madam. Why don't you make some arrangements and get some rest today?" Jiang Chengli bowed respectfully to her with his hands clasped in front of him.
"It's nothing. My husband has forgotten many things and must be even more tired. If you're not used to sleeping in the main courtyard, I've had the study prepared," Xu Wanying reminded him.
The system, which had remained silent until now, immediately asked curiously upon hearing this: "Host, you previously boasted about wanting to have intimate contact with him just to spite me. How come you wasted such a good opportunity and even suggested that he sleep in the study?"
He had been silent all along because he didn't want to provoke Xu Wanying anymore, fearing that she might get angry and sleep with Jiang Chengli. If that happened, the loyal second male lead would be tainted, which would be a huge taboo.
[Ha, just to spite you, you ended up in bed with a strange man. Who's really going through all that trouble? Compared to meeting the Duke of Zhou (the god of sleep), you're not even worthy of carrying his shoes.]
Xu Wanying couldn't help but sneer. Although she had been sitting all afternoon, she was still very uncomfortable huddled in the carriage. Moreover, she had been dealing with the princess and Xing Xiaoya in the morning, which had left her mentally exhausted. Now she just wanted to rest and didn't want to be disturbed by anyone or anything.
[Hmph, you talk like you despise him. Don't worry, Jiang Chengli is Xing Xiaoya's most obedient puppy. He keeps his distance from all women. You don't even need to tell him; he'll sleep in the study!]
The system was initially pleased to hear that Xu Wanying wanted to avoid Jiang Chengli, but it became resentful upon hearing the impatience in Xu Wanying's tone.
[System, you're such a jerk!] Xu Wanying said irritably.
She was just about to say something provocative to make the system regret it when she saw the man in front of her shake his head.
“Madam, although I don’t remember many things, you are the third wife whom our Jiang family has married with great ceremony and we are also my wife. We are newlyweds. I was not by your side before, and now that we have returned to the manor, how can we sleep in separate rooms? If word gets out, I’m afraid it will damage your reputation.”
Jiang Chengli spoke with utmost seriousness and sincerity.
He was truly enraged by the system's words. What did it mean to say "Xing Xiaoya's most obedient little dog"? It was like repeatedly stepping on his sore spot.
If it weren't for this system that allows Xu Wanying to speak freely, he would have killed this bastard long ago.
The Jiang family all thought the system was a treasure and called it a magical artifact all the time, but he didn't care for it.
After all, he has lived through hundreds of lifetimes and knows many of the plots. Even if there are some he doesn't know, he doesn't care because Xing Xiaoya is there, and the whole world is on her side. Even if he knows, he is powerless to change it.
But when he heard Xu Wanying say that she saw him kill Xing Xiaoya twice, and Cen Ying overheard it, and the mother and son could even openly discuss the matter, everything changed.
The system became a vehicle for Xu Wanying to express her feelings.
For him, Xu Wanying was the most important person; only she could see everything that had been erased by the world.
Before Xu Wanying could react to his words, the system started screaming at the top of its lungs.
【Ahhh, Jiang Laosan, you're violating male virtues, you deserve to die! You're not allowed to do this, go to the study and sleep right now, Xiaoya is still waiting for you…】
The system kept babbling on and on, like a broken record.
Xu Wanying was only stunned for a moment before nodding in agreement, her face even showing a hint of joy.
"Really? Husband, there's no need to force yourself. You don't remember many things, you probably don't even remember our wedding ceremony, so you must feel uncomfortable staying in the room." She looked up at him, her eyes sparkling, her face full of anticipation.
"If you don't shut up, I really will consummate our marriage." Xu Wanying's voice was unusually cold, a rather direct threat.
[You're not allowed! Host, you're a young lady, you should be reserved. Okay?] The system's tone was very firm at first, but it softened later and began to persuade her gently, obviously afraid that Xu Wanying would be angered and do something even more outrageous.
Xu Wanying simply ignored it and focused on playing her role well.
Although Jiang Chengli had long been aware of her two-faced nature, he was still shocked to see her superb acting skills.
If he hadn't truly heard her inner thoughts, he wouldn't have been able to see through her.
He considered himself a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, capable of seeing through the hearts and secrets of countless people, but faced with Xu Wanying's impeccable demeanor, he truly couldn't find any flaws.
"Although I've forgotten many things, I remember the wedding ceremony with my wife perfectly. Let's go, it's getting late, let's get settled." Jiang Chengli said, raising his hand as if to take her hand and lead her into the inner room.
But just as he was about to touch her, he suddenly changed direction and instead held her hand through her long sleeve.
Xu Wanying raised an eyebrow slightly, and did not object to the arrangements he suggested.
A man who needs to hold hands through a sleeve is probably incapable of engaging in anything more intimate with her.
After washing up, the two lay peacefully in bed.
The system was as quiet as a chicken, afraid that if it said something wrong, it would provoke Xu Wanying to take the initiative and sleep with Jiang Chengli.
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