A sound of pleasure
The setting sun melted into gold, and the evening clouds merged into a brilliant white. A-Li and his companions were having dinner when there was a knock on the door. Cha Suxun opened the door and saw Qi Heng and Chu Xiao standing outside.
Chu Xiao didn't waste any more time and took out the Dali Temple token. He said unhappily, "The government is investigating the case."
"May I ask what crime we committed?"
Seeing that they were government officials, Ah Li was a little panicked and frightened. After all, they were bandits. Putting down the food in her hand, Ah Li took her cousin's hand, gently comforting her and telling her not to be afraid.
"Do I need to explain to you what the government is doing? You three, come with us."
"Even the government can't arrest people for no reason, right?"
For a while, the tension between Cha Suxun and Chu Xiao was very strong.
Qi Heng's attention was almost entirely on A'li, and he had no time to care about the two people who were quarreling.
Ah Li's eyes, still cold and unfamiliar, now showed a touch of wariness and hostility. However, she was well-dressed and well-fed, and her face had become smooth and radiant. It seemed that Jiwang Valley was more nurturing than the Imperial Capital.
"Officer, is my wife a murderer? You have been staring at her since I opened the door, and your eyes have never moved away."
Hearing the hidden anger and jealousy in Ah Xun's tone, Ah Li quickly stood up and walked over to him. She asked the seemingly reasonable officer, "Could you please tell us what case we are involved in? We are just asking for peace of mind. We are just ordinary people dealing with the government and a case, so it is natural for us to be a little scared. My husband has always been kind, and he is just anxious today. He did not mean to offend you."
Qi Heng replied, "The case is serious, so I can't tell you. I came here just to ask a few questions. Once you answer them, you won't have to go to the government office."
"Sir, please come in and sit down."
Seeing that Axun still refused to move, A Li had no choice but to hold his hand and squeeze it before he agreed to move away.
When the kinder officer entered the room, he stared at the two of them holding hands tightly for a while, and his expression seemed to become even more displeased.
Chu Xiao pointed at Chi Xun and his cousin and said, "You, and you, come out with me. The three of you must answer the questions separately. You can come in after you finish asking them one by one!"
"No! My wife is from a respectable family. If she were to be alone in a room with this official, even if it was just a simple question, it would affect her reputation if it got out."
"How dare you! How can we, the Lord, offend your wife?"
As he spoke, Chu Xiao drew out the sword from his waist. The sword flashed with a cold light. An ordinary person would be scared to death, but the two of them showed no fear at all, which made Chu Xiao suspicious.
"My cousin's wife is pregnant, so please don't scare her. If you need any information, please ask my cousin first, and then ask us. A woman's reputation is so important, so please have mercy on her. When you question us, we promise not to make eye contact or interrupt."
Heqi spoke softly, doing her best to play the role of a weak mortal woman, acting as a peacemaker. Making things worse would only cause more trouble.
Her words exploded like a firecracker in Qi Heng's mind, taking him a long time to recover. He felt weak and numb all over, and his heart was blocked.
Taking a deep breath, Qi Heng slowly asked, "Are you pregnant?"
A'li touched her belly which was swollen from eating too much, with a happy expression on her face. She looked down at her belly with the same loving eyes as her mother did, as if there really was a child of hers and A'xun there.
"Yes, the doctor just diagnosed my pregnancy a few days ago. My husband cherishes me and our child too much, so his tone when speaking to the two officers was a bit impulsive. I hope you two officers will forgive me."
"It's okay, just... take care of yourself."
"More adults, please be considerate."
"The three of you turn your backs to each other and don't look back. Whoever I ask the question to speak will be the one to speak."
After the three of them did as they were told, Qi Heng asked Ah Li, "Where are you from? What are you doing here?"
"We're from Qingshui Town. We're here to help my cousin find her husband. He's been away for years, and we heard he might have joined bandits, so we're here to look for him."
"Of all the places to look, why choose to look here?"
"Because the fellow who told us the news said that he was last seen here."
"You are so rich, it would be easy to find a husband for your cousin. Your cousin's husband abandoned her for many years and became a bandit. Would you still go to so much trouble to find a man like that? If your husband were like this, would you still stick with him?"
"If the official had a woman he deeply loved, he wouldn't ask me such a question. If it were me, no matter what my husband's status was, or how unbearable he was in the eyes of others, before I even met him, I would only believe in the beautiful him in my heart. There is only one husband in the world, and I only want him. My cousin feels the same way."
"It seems that you two are very affectionate."
Thinking of Wanwan, whom Ah Xun was thinking about, Ah Li couldn't for the first time unequivocally confirm Chi Xun's love for her. What kind of love could there be if her husband might have someone else in love?
Putting aside her worries, Ah Li smiled and said affirmatively, "My husband and I have been childhood sweethearts and were betrothed to each other since we were young. Naturally, we love each other."
Qi Heng nodded slightly, walked up to Chi Xun, and asked, "What are you doing in Hedong Village?"
"Help my cousin find a husband."
"How dare you guys go to the bandit camp to look for someone, and still come out safe and sound? Could it be that you are bandits too?"
"Your Excellency seems to hate bandits, but that's true. You're an official after all. We're just ordinary people doing small business in Qingshui Town, not bandits."
Qi Heng subconsciously glanced at A Li and deliberately explained, "This officer only hates bandits who harm the people and do evil. So, you admit that you went to Hedong Village? Take him away."
"Yes, otherwise you wouldn't have come to me, right?"
"His wife is pregnant, so she doesn't need to go with him. Take these two back to the government office."
Chu Xiao obeyed the order and immediately called in someone to restrain the two. Ah Li was extremely anxious and pleaded helplessly, "My husband has not harmed anyone. Is there a misunderstanding here? Sir, sir, please don't take my husband away. We will fully cooperate with you in investigating the case."
In a hurry, Ah Li subconsciously grabbed Qi Heng's hand. When his eyes fell on her hand, Ah Li realized what was happening and quickly let go and stepped back. "Please forgive me, sir."
"My dear, I will be back soon. We have done nothing wrong. I will be back after cooperating with the investigation. You don't need to beg him. Be careful with the baby in your belly. Don't worry."
Seeing Chi Xun and her cousin being taken away, leaving only the two of them in the room, Ah Li became completely anxious and knelt down to beg, "Sir, we are really not involved in any crime. My husband is innocent. Please let him go, sir."
Qi Heng helped her up and comforted her: "It's just an interrogation, not a conviction. Don't worry, you are still pregnant."
Although the officer in front of her looked fierce, he cared about her, a stranger, and seemed to be a good person. As if she had found an opportunity, Ah Li grabbed his sleeves tightly. "Is this really just an interrogation, not imprisonment?"
"If he's innocent, he'll be back soon." After hesitating for a moment, Qi Heng whispered, "A-Li, you don't have to kneel down and beg me like this. If he's truly innocent, I'll let him suffer less and come back soon to protect you. Right now, this place is not peaceful, so I'll leave some people nearby to protect you. But when you're alone, you must also be more alert."
His words made Yuanli a little confused. She had felt that this man was weird before, and now he could call out her name directly, but she really didn't remember him.
Whether it was the wrong person or they had known each other before and forgotten, in order to save Chi Xun and her cousin, Ah Li had no choice but to follow his words and whispered in the same voice: "Okay, take care of yourself too."
Although there were thousands of questions and words in his heart, Qi Heng suppressed his emotions after thinking about the dangers and grievances she had encountered with him in the past. Just like her, he should try to treat the other person as a stranger.
After helping her up, Qi Heng quickly left the room, fearing that if he stayed with her any longer, he would selfishly try to keep her again.
While waiting for Chi Xun to return in the house, A Li did not dare to go out. She even had to ask the shopkeeper to bring in food, and she would only eat it after carefully testing it for poison.
That night, the crescent moon was like a hook, and the night was warm. The wind was exceptionally cold, and the howling mountain breeze slammed against the open wooden window frame, making a noisy sound. Ah Li put on her outer robe and quickly ran to the window to close it.
When I turned around, I saw a waiter sitting in the room. He was tall and straight, with a rather imposing figure. His right fist was clenched on the table, and beside him was an exquisite gift box.
Ahri immediately became alert and observed him calmly by candlelight.
"Don't be afraid, I'm Chu Xiao."
Although A Li didn't know who Chu Xiao was, she could tell that the voice was that of the official who came during the day.
"This official came here in the middle of the night disguised as a waiter. Could it be that he also needs to investigate the case?"
"Miss Chi Li, are you still angry about us taking away your newlywed husband?" Chu Xiao pushed the gift forward and gestured, "These are health supplements for you."
Seeing that she didn't respond, Chu Xiao continued, "Do we have to pretend to be strangers? Even if we can't be husband and wife, we can still be friends for life and death, right? Back then, my Lord hid you and planned for you, risking the crime of deceiving the emperor. You disappeared quietly, and now when we meet again, you pretend to be a stranger to him for the second time. Even if you want to break up with my Lord, can't you just be honest with him? If you truly love others, my Lord will fulfill your wish. Miss Chi Li, I have always admired you and respect you as a friend. So, please consider our past friendship and be decisive with my Lord. Don't give him a second chance."
"I really don't understand what you are saying, sir."
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