Chapter 66: How about you give it a try?
It was late at night, but Song Baoyuan was no longer sleepy.
The old house had not been inhabited for a long time, so there were many dilapidated places, and there were several "dog holes" leading to the next yard.
Although Song Baoyuan made a lot of repairs after moving back, there were still some omissions.
But fortunately this time there was an omission, which allowed Tan Qiuying to hide next door successfully and not be found by the officers and soldiers.
After the soldiers had completely disappeared, Song Baoyuan hurriedly sent for Tan Qiuying to be brought back. However, she found her anxious and frightened, completely different from the innocent and carefree girl she remembered.
"Sister Qiuying."
Song Baoyuan put her cloak on her and saw the messy red marks on her body from a close distance.
"What's wrong with you? What happened?"
Tan Qiuying felt a sore nose, tears fell, her vision was blurred, and she was speechless for a long time.
"It's okay." Song Baoyuan hugged her and patted her back gently to comfort her. "Don't be afraid, it's okay."
Xie Yuchao stood a few steps away, rubbing his hands behind his back.
He didn't say anything and didn't leave.
Song Baoyuan didn't care about him. After Tan Qiuying calmed down a bit, she asked, "When did you return to the capital?"
"Four years ago." Tan Qiuying said in a hoarse voice.
Song Baoyuan was stunned, her eyes filled with astonishment. "You came back four years ago? How come I didn't know? Besides, you never replied to my letters before."
Sister Qiuying was a year older than she, and had married a year earlier. At the time, the Tan family had chosen a man from a prestigious list of candidates, with a simple background. After the wedding, Sister Qiuying left for distant Fuzhou with her expatriate husband, and they had no further contact since then.
"I haven't received your letter!" Tan Qiuying said in surprise.
Song Baoyuan was slightly stunned, "How could that be?"
The year she was still unmarried, she kept writing letters because she missed him, but she never received a response.
"It must have been detained by that damn bastard!" Tan Qiuying suddenly said angrily.
Song Baoyuan was startled by her sudden anger. Sister Qiuying never had such expressions and actions before. She was always gentle, generous, dignified and elegant.
Even after I got married, I started to imitate her.
"Who are you talking about?"
"Xu Ying." Tan Qiuying smiled bitterly, the upward curve of her lips revealing sarcasm. "Back then, my father saw that although he was poor, he was ambitious and had a simple family background, with only a mother. He thought that as long as I brought enough family wealth, I would not be wronged if I married him. But, Xu Ying is a devil! The Marquis of Pingyuan likes his wife and likes to abuse her. To please him and for her own official career, Xu Ying actually sent me there herself!"
Song Baoyuan was stunned. "Then where are your father and brother?"
"What can they do?" Tan Qiuying said helplessly, "Marquis Pingyuan is powerful. How can my father and brother, just merchants, afford to offend him? They can only send more money to the Marquis' Mansion and beg him to spare my life."
Song Baoyuan clenched her palms, not knowing how to comfort her.
"You, since you have already returned to the capital and encountered this kind of thing, why don't you come to me?"
Tan Qiuying lowered her head and cried, "At first, I heard that you married your brother as you wished, and I was very happy for you. Later, I also heard some rumors, and I thought you must be having a hard time, so I didn't dare to disturb you."
Song Baoyuan lowered her head and clasped her hands together in confusion.
He whispered, "It's not that difficult."
"But Ayuan." Tan Qiuying grabbed her hand, her voice trembling, "I don't want to involve you, but I really can't bear it anymore. There's really no other way! Ayuan, I beg you..."
"Don't be like this." Song Baoyuan felt mixed emotions. "If I can help you, of course I will!"
Tan Qiuying seemed to be grasping at her only lifeline, "Then could you please ask your brother to come forward and ask Pingyuan Hou to let me go!"
Song Baoyuan was slightly startled, "Him?"
"Yes, he's the only one I can think of," Tan Qiuying choked up. "Now it seems that your father's vision is much better than mine. Jiang Shaoqing is very successful in the officialdom and is highly trusted by His Majesty. Everyone knows it, so he must be able to find a way!"
Seeing Song Baoyuan in trouble, Tan Qiuying felt even more uncomfortable, "Ayuan, please ...
She even wanted to kneel down.
Song Baoyuan was frightened and quickly grabbed her, "I'll help you! I will definitely help you!"
*
At the Jiang Mansion, Jiang Keyu, who was sitting quietly in the study, had not yet rested and had not turned on the lights.
Liu'an hurriedly pushed the door open with a lantern in hand and walked in, "My dear!"
Jiang Keyu was startled by the sudden noise and looked up, her eyes subconsciously filled with vigilance and alertness.
"Miss..."
"I don't want to know!"
Liu'an was stunned. Before he could finish his words, he was interrupted by his husband. His resentful tone almost scared the lantern in his hand away.
Jiang Keyu said impatiently: "She can do whatever she wants, I have no right to control her!"
Lu'an raised her eyebrows and raised her lantern higher so that she could see her husband's expression.
Jiang Keyu was annoyed by the warm light shining on her face, "Take it away!"
"You really don't want to know."
"In no mood!"
Liu'an was helpless, "My dear, please don't be angry. The lady's words may not mean what you think."
"So, what does she mean?"
Lu'an couldn't answer.
"I'm not even as good as an outsider." Jiang Keyu turned her face away anxiously and looked out the window.
Liu'an sighed, "You really don't care. This is a serious matter."
Jiang Keyu turned around and asked, "Why didn't you tell me earlier if it was serious?"
Liu'an: "..."
He scratched his head and said, "The lady has already solved it herself."
"What's going on?"
"I wonder if you still remember Miss Tan, who used to come to our house often."
Jiang Keyu frowned slightly, "Ayuan's friend?"
"Yes, he's a friend from your youth. He seems to have offended the Marquis of Pingyuan, and with nowhere else to turn, he came to see you. I hope you can ask me, my dear, to help resolve this matter."
Jiang Keyu lowered her eyes, as if thinking about something.
"Then will she come to me on her own initiative?"
Liu'an raised his eyebrows and deliberately raised his voice, "It's useless to come here. My husband has just been wronged. I can't help him!"
"How could I be so stingy?"
"But you just said it doesn't matter!"
"I..." Jiang Keyu's face was full of displeasure, and she seemed a little reluctant. "If she had a better attitude, I would naturally still obey her."
Liu'an put down the lantern to hide the sneer on his face in the darkness.
*
Calming incense was lit in the guest room of the old house.
Song Baoyuan arranged for Tan Qiuying to stay and ordered someone to guard her.
She herself was feeling restless and had no desire to sleep.
When she walked out the door, she happened to see Xie Yuchao's slender figure standing in the shadow of the tree.
The bright moonlight filtered through the gaps between the branches and leaves and fell on him, giving him a sense of isolation and coolness.
"Thank you, Master."
Xie Yuchao heard the soft call and turned around.
"Thank you for helping me out tonight." Song Baoyuan walked over and stood with him in the cold night.
Xie Yuchao felt inexplicably stiff.
The person beside her was just standing there casually, her loose black hair blown gently by the evening breeze, giving her a bit of charm in the night that was rarely seen during the day.
Is God partial to her? Why is every hair blown to perfection?
"It's my duty," he said.
His voice was so low that Song Baoyuan couldn't hear it clearly, so she looked at him.
"I was worried they would turn back, so I didn't dare to leave."
"I know." Song Baoyuan sighed silently, "Thank you."
She didn't know what else to say except thank you.
Xie Yuchao felt a little uncomfortable, "You look like you're not in a good mood."
Song Baoyuan shook the hand that had been grabbed by three people today, with mixed feelings in her heart, "It's hard for anyone to feel good after hearing something like this."
"Then are you going to look for Jiang Shaoqing?"
Song Baoyuan lowered her head and remained silent.
Seeing her like this, Xie Yuchao wondered if he had said something wrong, so he tried to make amends, "Actually, actually, it's useless to go to the government for this kind of thing. We can only find someone with influence to mediate and resolve it privately. Jiang Shaoqing might be able to do it, but there are actually many other options."
His speech speed became faster and faster. "If you need me, I can..."
"No need. I've already troubled you with so many things." Song Baoyuan interrupted, "I don't know how to repay you."
"I don't expect anything in return."
Song Baoyuan smiled, a hint of fatigue in her eyes, "I know, you are just kind-hearted."
Xie Yuchao: “…”
Not really.
If you really want to find out the reason, probably...
It was on that ordinary morning that she appeared at his door with a smile as beautiful as a flower, making him feel dazed.
So everything about her became unusual afterwards.
"Can I ask you a question?"
"you say."
"Why did you divorce that person?"
Song Baoyuan remembered that she had asked the same question when she had just comforted her sister Qiuying to sleep.
"If it's inconvenient to say, forget it." Xie Yuchao said as casually as possible, "I'm just curious, just asking."
Why did they divorce? Song Baoyuan thought, after all the things that happened, it all came down to one reason.
"Because he doesn't love me."
Xie Yuchao was stunned for a moment, "But I see, he cares about you quite a bit."
Song Baoyuan sighed deeply.
"Perhaps. But that's not because he has feelings for me, but because my parents raised him. He's always been threatened by affection, and to him, I'm a responsibility weighing on his shoulders. But it's a responsibility that's not taken on willingly, it's no different than a burden. I don't want to be a burden that drags down others. He wouldn't be willing to do that, and it would be exhausting for me."
After she finished speaking, Song Baoyuan suddenly understood the answer.
"I won't go looking for him."
She spoke calmly, without any emotion in her voice, but Xie Yuchao still wanted to ask: "Are you blaming him?"
Song Baoyuan was stunned.
Suddenly he laughed, "Do you believe me if I say no?"
After finishing speaking, she lowered her eyes again, "But I have no right to blame him at all. Everything good or bad is all my own fault. At first, I thought that love would grow over time. But six years have passed, and I have lost my time and sincerity, and the result is still the same."
Her eyes dimmed, "It's a failure."
"If I don't win someone's favor, am I considered a failure?" Xie Yuchao looked up at the sky. "Is it possible that the person just isn't worthy?"
He said casually, "If you find someone else you like, you won't have to work so hard, and everything will be better as you wish."
Song Baoyuan gradually became confused, "Really?"
Xie Yuchao glanced sideways at her face, and suddenly his expression brightened. "Why don't you try it?"
Song Baoyuan slowly raised her eyes, staring at him for a long time with her slightly dull eyes.
His smile at this moment seemed like a warm invitation.
It seems to be saying, why don’t you try it and see if you like me.
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