Chapter 36: Annoying. Is she going to...discuss marriage with someone else?
I heard that Xiao Yichu was locked up again.
He was disciplined and protected by the Xu family since he was young. Although he was not outstanding in any way, he was born in the Xiao family and had a mother like Xu who always took care of him. His life had always been calm, comfortable and smooth.
The multiple blows he had suffered recently had caused his temperament to change drastically. Whether it was rushing in front of Xue Zhiying and saying something he didn't want to say, or asking the old lady to marry her cousin, these were things he had never dared to do in the past, whether he wanted to or not.
All these things happened in public, so the news could not be concealed and soon spread throughout the Xiao Mansion.
It was also reported that the cousin who had lived in the Xiao Mansion for eight years was about to leave the Xiao Mansion and return to her hometown.
The two things spread at the same time, which made people associate them.
There are speculations from all sides, some true and some false.
Xiao Yuanxiang was originally worried that there would be rumors that Xue Zhiying was expelled from the Xiao family and returned home because she seduced the second son of the Xiao family and angered the old lady.
But because Xiao Yichu was looking abnormal now, and most people knew about his feelings towards his cousin, this rumor was denied as soon as it emerged.
Xiao Yuanxiang sighed, "Luckily these people didn't gossip about me, otherwise I wouldn't have let them off!"
Xue Zhiying smiled gently and shook her head: "Even if that rumor is true, it's nothing to worry about."
After all, she was about to leave the Xiao Mansion and would never come back here again, and might not even appear in the capital again. The rumors that briefly caused discussion in a mansion were not that important to her who was about to stay away from here.
"How can it be nothing? I care!"
Xue Zhiying was stunned and her eyes trembled.
Seeing this, Xiao Yuanxiang quickly stopped her, "No more sentimentality! Do you really have to see me cry? Give up, I won't shed a single tear!"
Xue Zhiying smiled and nodded again: "Okay, then I won't say anything."
At the moment, Xue Zhiying is making final preparations for leaving, and she will leave Beijing early tomorrow morning.
The Xiao family prepared a carriage for her, and a maid and a coachman accompanied her to her hometown.
Chuntao, without fully understanding the situation and without figuring it out, firmly said that she would always follow the girl.
In the end, all that was left were some trivial luggage and a final goodbye.
Xiao Yuanxiang came early in the morning and helped Xue Zhiying pack her luggage, but did not allow her to say a single sentimental word.
But in fact, Xue Zhiying didn't have much luggage. She didn't bring much when she came to the Xiao Mansion, and now she didn't have much to take with her when she left.
When Xue Zhiying turned her head, she found that Xiao Yuanxiang was holding a piece of letter paper in his hand.
She stared at it for a few seconds before she realized that it was a letter she had written to herself in her mother's voice.
That was the letter from home that she mentioned when she asked the old lady to let her return home.
Naturally, her mother did not send her a letter at this time asking her to go home to discuss marriage.
Or rather, there will never be one.
She hasn't heard from her mother for more than three years.
At this point, the letter she had fabricated had played its full role and had become a piece of waste paper.
Just seeing it at a glance still made me feel a little depressed.
Xue Zhiying said, "Throw away that letter. We've already left the house. The maids and grooms won't be rummaging through my bag on the way. They won't ask me to take out the family letters to check them all the time."
She said it in a joking tone, but neither of them smiled.
Xiao Yuanxiang folded the papers and gently changed the subject: "Will you write to me in the future?"
"Of course I will write to you!"
That night, Xue Zhiying slept very soundly.
She got up before dawn the next day.
Beside him was the sleepy Chuntao, and in front of the door was a simple carriage waiting.
The old woman and the coachman greeted her. She nodded slightly and led Chuntao into the carriage.
A fair wrist slowly lifted the car curtain.
Xue Zhiying tilted her head to look at the plaque in front of the door with the words "Xiao Mansion" written in a flamboyant style.
She vaguely remembered that when she came here, she looked at this strange mansion in the same way, but at that time she was curious.
Now I have become calm and indifferent.
I didn't feel much reluctance, nor did I feel any joy of finally getting what I wanted.
"Girl, shall we go?"
Xue Zhiying withdrew her hand and lowered the curtain.
A girl's soft voice came from the car: "Well, let's go."
*
It was already late summer when Xiao Yunqi returned to the capital.
After being away from Beijing for a month and a half, nothing seemed to have changed when I came back.
As usual, the Xiao family consulted with him and held a family dinner on the evening of his arrival.
Xiao Ningwang came to Yun Mo Zhai and said a few words of concern to him in a serious and stiff manner. Then he said abruptly: "I found them."
Xiao Yunqi didn't even raise his eyes when he heard this, nor did he ask him why he said this. He just hummed coldly.
Xiao Ningwang seemed to have expected that he would not react much.
But Xiao Yunqi is the legitimate son of the Xiao family and also his son, so naturally he has to be told about this.
"I will take them back later, and you two should get along well."
Xiao Yunqi's eyes were cold and his lips were tight, but this time he didn't respond at all.
Xiao Ningwang waited for a moment, really annoyed by his attitude.
"Wen Yu, I'm talking to you."
Xiao Yunqi finally raised his eyes slowly.
"I've already said it before, there's no need for Father to come all the way here to tell me about your private affairs."
Xiao Ningwang frowned: "You are my son, Xiao Ningwang. Once she enters the family, she will be your stepmother. This is our family matter. Shouldn't I tell you?"
"Okay, got it."
Xiao Yunqi looked away and glanced casually to the side.
He had a blank expression on his face and his eyes seemed to have no emotion, but people who knew him well could see that he was a little irritable at the moment.
It’s not that he was annoyed by what Xiao Ningwang said in front of him.
He didn't care at all and didn't even bother to listen.
The reason why I feel irritable is that I can't find the reason for this irritability.
"What's your attitude? I'm talking to you about serious matters."
"What kind of response does my father want me to make? Should I clap my hands and cheer?"
His eyes fell on the bookshelf beside him.
He knew what was there before he even looked over, so as soon as his eyes stopped, he saw the two books leaning against each other.
It’s a bit infuriating.
At first, in order to get close to him, I ran to return the book eagerly, and then borrowed the next one.
One book after another, but the last one was borrowed and has not been returned yet, and no one knows when it will be returned.
Xiao Ningwang was so angry at Xiao Yunqi's attitude that his liver hurt.
Just as he was about to explode, there was a sudden noise at the door.
Xiao Yunqi looked in the direction of the sound.
The door of the study opened extremely slowly.
It's obviously not someone deliberately breaking in without knocking, it's more like...
A strange and unfamiliar emotion arose in Xiao Yunqi's heart.
The poor excuse that he had scoffed at long ago suddenly popped up in his mind.
The door opened the width of a person's body, revealing Mu Yan's embarrassed face standing in front of the door.
"...Master, please forgive me. I wanted to knock on the door, but it was ajar. I touched it lightly and it opened on its own."
The door was not closed tightly when Xiao Ningwang entered the room.
Xiao Ningwang was furious at being interrupted, and now he had lost all his energy. He said dryly, "It's okay. What's the matter?"
Mu Yan subconsciously glanced at his master.
But Xiao Yunqi looked away with an unhappy expression, and somehow he looked at the bushes in the distance outside the window again.
Mu Yan could only say, "It's some finishing matters from the Dali Temple."
Xiao Ningwang didn't want to stay any longer.
Now he and his son are getting less and less in sync.
At this point, he said coldly: "Then you go ahead and get busy. Don't be late for the family dinner tonight."
Xiao Ningwang turned and left the study.
Mu Yan pulled the corner of his mouth even more awkwardly. Seeing Xiao Yunqi still looking out the window, he could only walk closer and whispered, "Master, the head of the family has left."
Xiao Yunqi nodded, but still looked at it twice more before turning back.
He seemed distracted from his work.
Although this is human nature, no one would want to hear a single word about official business as soon as they sit down at home after being busy for more than a month.
But Xiao Yunqi would never do that.
Mu Yan glanced at Xiao Yunqi tentatively.
"Let me make it short."
"yes."
It was indeed not a serious matter, and Mu Yan definitely did not mean to barge in and interrupt the conversation between the father and son.
It was really because of that door.
As he reported, he wondered whether Xiao Yunqi would blame him for his recklessness.
"Anything else?"
"Master, that's all. That's all."
Xiao Yunqi nodded.
"If you have nothing else, please leave."
"yes."
After Mu Yan left the room, the study, which was not very noisy to begin with, became completely quiet.
With nothing to do, Xiao Yunqi picked up a book and flipped through it, but he couldn't concentrate on the words.
He read in silence for a while, then simply put the book down, leaned back in his chair and rubbed his eyebrows.
He doesn't like this feeling.
But this feeling did not just come at this moment. He would often get distracted along the way and then have this feeling.
It’s just that I’ve returned to the capital and the Xiao Mansion, and the feeling is particularly strong today.
At first, he attributed this to the fact that Xue Zhiying refused to go with him.
He admitted that he wanted to take her with him. After all, she was always like that. If she wasn't watched carefully, she would make him miserable. He was going on a long journey for a month, so if he kept her by his side, nothing would go wrong.
But she actually refused, which made him unhappy.
Whether she was being feigned reserve or truly didn't want to follow, he'd mentioned it once and wouldn't mention it again.
But later he felt that this was not the reason, and he didn't really want to see her every day.
The irritability may be because as the time he was away got longer, he gradually became more and more troubled by Mu Yan's unfounded words.
Because he hadn't been able to resolve a misunderstanding before leaving. If he really let her think about it for a month, it would be very troublesome when he returned.
But it’s actually not that troublesome.
He didn't find her troublesome.
So in the end, Xiao Yunqi still didn't know why there was this faint irritation lingering in his heart, which was not strong but difficult to dissipate.
never mind.
He decided not to think about it.
Since he has returned, she will soon come looking for him for unknown reasons.
Maybe he'll burst into the study the next moment, or maybe he'll be behind the screen at a family dinner.
And his house, which had always been poorly guarded.
Xiao Yunqi picked up the book again. He had no interest, but he continued reading anyway.
However, this afternoon, no one came to Yun Mo Zhai to disturb him.
It was almost time, and Xiao Yunqi set off for Qingqiong Hall for the banquet.
Walk to the outside of Qingqiong Hall.
Mu Yan asked, "Master, would you like me to come in later?"
This has been the case for the past year. Xiao Yunqi is inevitably urged to get married at family dinners, and Mu Yan has to bite the bullet and take her away at this time.
In fact, Mu Yan felt that judging by the intensity of his urging, his master would soon no longer have any use for him.
Xiao Yunqi's patience was almost exhausted. If he was not satisfied with someone, he would not even give any face, stop the show, and just walk away with a sullen look.
Xiao Yunqi pondered for a moment, then ordered: "Come later."
Mu Yan didn't understand what he meant, but Xiao Yunqi had already walked into Qingqiong Hall.
Xiao Yunqi walked to the main table and sat down.
Looking up, I saw a long and wide landscape screen facing me. The gaps between the screen were tight, completely blocking the view on both sides of the screen.
He suddenly remembered that he had asked someone to replace the screen last time.
This made his initial thought that if the elders talked about his marriage at the table, he might be able to see some pictures to relieve his boredom come true.
This family dinner was just like every other one in the past: noisy, boring and irritating.
Xiao Yunqi's patience is indeed much less than before.
Before the banquet was halfway through, after accidentally glancing at the screen again, he stood up with a sullen face and said goodbye.
"Please forgive me, everyone. I'm exhausted from all the traveling. I'll go back and rest first."
The old man who was about to discuss his marriage was obviously reluctant to let him go.
But Xiao Ningwang was so angry with him today in Yun Mo Zhai that he still hadn't calmed down yet, and he didn't have the energy to waste time trying to persuade him. Seeing that he was about to leave, he simply decided to out of sight and out of mind, and waved his hand without trying to keep him.
Xiao Yunqi didn't say any more polite words. He bowed slightly and walked away.
He strode away from his seat and as he walked around the landscape screen, he turned his head to glance in the direction of the women's seats.
Mu Yan, who had been instructed to go in later, was startled when he saw his master walking out with a sullen face at the door.
He thought he had missed something and hurried forward.
Mu Yan: "Master, I think it's still early, so..."
Xiao Yunqi raised his hand to stop him from saying the rest: "I left early, go back to your room."
Mu Yan responded and followed him.
It was hard to say what was strange about it, but he was still keenly aware of something unusual.
When they were almost at the gate of Yingfeng Courtyard, Xiao Yunqi suddenly asked, "Have you dealt with the matter of the second house?"
Mu Yan was stunned for a moment, and after a moment's reaction, he reported, "I heard from someone when I returned home that the second wife was sent to the manor the day the master left the capital, and the second young master was also sent away from the capital a few days ago."
"What else?"
what else?
Mu Yan had just returned home with him and had heard so much without asking specifically.
He thought for a moment and then asked tentatively, "Master, do you want to know about your cousin's situation this month? Should I send someone to ask her now?"
Xiao Yunqi was silent for a moment.
Mu Yan thought it was a consent and was about to leave immediately.
"Come back, no need to ask."
Xiao Yunqi frowned slightly, but soon relaxed his brows. Without giving any more instructions, he walked into Yingfeng Courtyard with an expressionless face.
He didn't see Xue Zhiying at the women's table just now.
But he only took a quick glance. Maybe she was put in some corner, so he didn't see her.
As for her situation over the past month.
He selfishly didn't want to send anyone to ask.
When she comes, you can let her talk to him in person.
Thinking of that rosy little mouth opening and closing non-stop, Xiao Yunqi's eyes changed slightly. Before entering the house, he ordered Mu Yan: "Let everyone in the yard leave."
Mu Yan understood, responded and went to make the arrangements.
*
Xiao Yunqi had three days of leisure.
As there was no urgent business at the moment, he stayed at home even during the day.
Not only is it relaxing, it is also very quiet.
Xue Zhiying didn't come, which made the irritability that had been lingering in his heart even more intense, to the point where he could hardly suppress it, and he was upset every day.
But he didn't send anyone to call her.
Xue Zhiying would naturally know the news of his return home. Now that she knew he was back, she would think of a way to see him.
Xiao Yunqi thought so, but no one came, which only made him more annoyed.
Looking back, Xue Zhiying would always appear in front of him suddenly without any warning.
Although he always does ridiculous things.
He sneaked into his room, drugged him, and tied him up while he was sleeping.
There were also a few unexpected encounters.
In short, he had never felt the feeling of wanting to see her but not being able to. After all, he had seen her before he had time to think about her.
So he doesn't like the feeling he has now.
Xiao Yunqi paused for a moment, and suddenly felt that there was a new answer to his irritability.
Is it because you want to see her?
Xiao Yunqi frowned and pondered for a while, then suddenly stood up and decided to go to Jingshuiyuan in person for the first time.
It was just a thought that popped into his mind in an instant, and he didn't even think about the reason.
But just as he reached the door, his impulse was interrupted by someone.
Xie Heng came to get the bracelet he had asked for earlier.
Xiao Yunqi was dissatisfied, but still turned back.
Xie Heng joked casually as usual, "You've been back for a few days, and you're obviously free, but you didn't send anyone to bring me the things. I had no choice but to come and ask for them myself."
"Not idle."
Xie Heng glanced at him and said, "What's wrong? What's bothering you? You look like you're in a bad mood."
Xiao Yunqi took out the brocade box from the drawer and handed it to him: "You are seeing things."
Xie Heng didn't know if he had seen it wrong from his expression, but when he looked in the drawer, he definitely saw another brocade box of the same size.
"You also made a bracelet from that craftsman?"
Xiao Yunqi closed the drawer calmly and ignored him.
"To the old lady?"
"I got the stuff, you should go."
Xie Heng clicked his tongue twice. It was obvious that he was right in seeing that he was in a bad mood.
But he was indeed in a hurry to leave, otherwise he would not have come to the Xiao Mansion to pick up something.
"I've already thanked you verbally for this, and I'll thank you again later."
Xie Heng happily took the brocade box and left.
Xiao Yunqi stood in front of the cabinet, looking down at the closed drawer.
He thought for a moment, opened the drawer again, took out the brocade box and put it in his lapel.
When he saw the jade, he felt that it suited Xue Zhiying very well.
The transparent emerald green reflected on her porcelain-white skin. The jade bracelet circled her slender wrist, moving up and down with the movement of her arm, which was a dazzling and beautiful sight.
When he asked the craftsman to make this jade bracelet, what Xie Heng had said before coincided with his thoughts.
After Xiao Yunqi took the brocade box, he took another step. Although he was no longer as impulsive as before, he did not give up the idea of going to Jingshuiyuan.
Just think of it as trying to please her.
Didn’t you say last time that you liked the gift he gave you?
But this time, just as Xiao Yunqi walked to the gate of the courtyard, he saw Mu Yan hurried over.
He frowned unabashedly: "What's the rush?"
Mu Yan didn't know where Xiao Yunqi was going at this time, but seeing that he looked gloomy, he hesitated whether to tell him the news he had just received.
Mu Yan's brief silence made Xiao Yunqi lose his patience.
He walked straight past Mu Yan and walked out of the yard.
Seeing this, Mu Yan had no choice but to follow.
Until he discovered that Xiao Yunqi was walking towards the road leading to Jingshuiyuan.
At this moment, the news had to be told.
"Master, I have something to report."
Xiao Yunqi continued walking without stopping, and said without paying any attention: "You'd better not talk to me about irrelevant nonsense at this time."
“That’s not nonsense.”
Mu Yan took a deep breath and reported with his head lowered, "I heard news about my cousin at your house. It was said that..."
Xiao Yunqi's pace slowed down noticeably: "What did you say?"
Seeing that they had reached the intersection outside Jingshuiyuan, Mu Yan said quickly, "It is said that the cousin has left the Xiao Mansion."
Xiao Yunqi stopped and turned around to ask: "Where did you go?"
His tone still sounded as if he didn't care, but it was a little deeper.
The sunlight was bright, shining through the gaps in the treetops, casting a flickering light on the man's tall nose, but a larger shadow covered his face.
"...I heard that he went back to his hometown."
Jingshuiyuan was originally located in a remote area of the mansion, and the bluestone path was silent for a while.
There was no change in Xiao Yunqi's expression. He just felt that he had heard some completely impossible nonsense, but the restlessness rising in his heart surged uncontrollably.
Xiao Yunqi's eyes grew colder: "Who told you that?"
"I'm not talking nonsense. This... Master, I've already been to Jingshui Courtyard, but my cousin isn't here."
At this moment, Xiao Yunqi still didn't think that the news Mu Yan had obtained was true.
But he seemed to have forgotten that Mu Yan had followed him for many years. If it was not accurate information, how could he report it without authorization? He would not casually tell him false rumors that he heard from others.
But why would Xue Zhiying leave?
Why did she go back to her hometown? Who allowed her to go back?
Or maybe she had run into some trouble again during the month and a half that he was away from home.
Should have kept her with him.
A series of messy and contradictory thoughts kept colliding in my mind.
Xiao Yunqi's pace became faster and faster, and in a moment he arrived outside Jingshui Courtyard.
The desolation of this place made him look stunned. He never thought that Xue Zhiying had been living in such a place.
He always felt that it was incompatible with the warm and soft feeling she always gave him in his impression.
He looked at the wall connecting to the courtyard gate and the tiny cracks on the wall, and suddenly felt a sense of unease spreading.
Xiao Yunqi hated this emotion.
He felt that there was no need for him to have such emotions.
In short, it is impossible for Xue Zhiying to leave on her own.
She liked him, and before leaving, she said in a soft voice that she would wait for him to come back and would miss him every day.
How could I leave in anger just because I couldn't see him in the end?
If she was bullied, he would beat the person up and keep her by his side to watch over him.
If she was really sent back to her hometown, he would send someone to bring her back.
But he still really disliked the possible changes that might happen at this moment.
When I reached the gate of the courtyard, I suddenly heard a noise coming from the courtyard.
Xiao Yunqi paused, not noticing that his expression had relaxed.
He glanced at Mu Yan.
Mu Yan hurried forward and pushed open the gate.
The sight comes into view with a green scene that sweeps away the desolation. The not very spacious courtyard is simple and orderly, with green plants growing in the flower beds and fish playing in the pond in the corner.
Although there are some weeds that have not been taken care of yet, it is not difficult to see that the flowers and plants above the weeds are growing vigorously because of careful care.
Although there is some moss growing on the edge of the pond, but...
Xiao Yunqi saw a mess of footprints on the bluestone ground which was obviously covered with dust.
It was obviously stepped on not long ago.
How could there be so much dust in a courtyard where people live and not be swept?
At this moment, the door of the main house in the middle of the yard suddenly opened.
A servant came out of the room, carrying a large bundle.
"What are you doing."
Xiao Yunqi strode forward and questioned in a cold voice.
Even though he was a servant, seeing a man entering and leaving an unmarried woman's bedroom so casually made him feel furious.
The servant was stunned and couldn't answer for a moment.
Then, Xiao Yunqi saw another servant coming out of her boudoir, also carrying a bundle.
"Speak up, what are you doing here?"
Another servant was so frightened that his bag almost fell to the ground.
"My dear, my cousin has returned to her hometown and will not be coming back. No one will live here anymore. The old lady sent us here to vacate this house today."
Never come back?
Who agreed.
"Put your things down."
The two servants put down their bags, neither wanting to leave nor to stay.
Xiao Yunqi swept his cold gaze over them and asked in a deep voice, "When did she leave? Who sent her away?"
No one understood why the eldest son, who had no relationship with the cousin in the past, suddenly came here today and looked like he wanted to be held accountable for this matter.
The servant lowered his head in confusion but still answered truthfully, "My cousin left the house a month ago. No one sent her away. She herself asked the old lady for permission to return home."
"She said she was going back to her hometown to discuss marriage, and she probably won't be coming back."
Xiao Yunqi's expression froze, then turned gloomy, and a creepy chill enveloped his body.
She left because...
She's going to... discuss marriage with someone else?
-----------------------
The author has something to say: A little late, sorry sorry
Then send a red envelope to celebrate Xiao Gou's wife's death [spreading hands]
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