"I don't deny it, my wife."
Ji Zhuo's voice grew lower and hoarse: "Xi'er, if you won't tell me, then..."
"Go to bed!" Lin Xihe said, both embarrassed and anxious, her face flushed.
Lin Xihe thought to herself that Ji Zhuo was probably going to be stubborn today. Anyway, what was going to happen would happen, and she couldn't afford to lose another set of teaware worth a thousand gold pieces.
Ji Zhuo let Lin Xihe cling to him, kissing her as he walked towards the bed.
In an instant, the room was filled with the enchanting colors of spring, with soft moans and gasps mingling in waves until the sky began to lighten.
The next day, Lin Xihe didn't wake up until noon.
As soon as she stood up, she felt her legs go weak and powerless, as if they were filled with lead. Looking down, she saw that her arms and neck were covered with a dense array of ambiguous hickeys.
Recalling how Ji Zhuo had lingered and been affectionate with her when he left that morning, Lin Xihe's cheeks instantly burned.
Ling Xue carried toiletries into the room and immediately noticed the agate teacups with broken rims scattered on the floor. She asked with a puzzled look, "Miss, why are these agate teacups with broken rims on the floor?"
Although Ling Xue knew about marital relations, she didn't know the intricacies involved. Her questions were innocent and naive, but Lin Xihe blushed with embarrassment.
Late last night, Ji Zhuo was in high spirits, but he still remembered her fondness for this teacup. At the crucial moment, he moved it to a safe place before continuing their passionate entanglement.
Before Lin Xihe could come up with a suitable excuse, Ling Xue noticed that the gilded teacups on the daybed on the other side of the room had also fallen to the ground, and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "Huh, why are these gilded teacups on the ground too?"
"And all the books on this desk, how come they've all fallen off..."
Lin Xihe's cheeks burned. She coughed lightly and tried to appear calm as she said, "Well, it was probably because the wind was too strong when I opened the window last night..."
She secretly resented Ji Zhuo in her heart. Ever since he had figured things out, he seemed like a different person. He was curious about everything and wanted to try everything.
Lin Xihe rested for a whole day, and only felt a little better in the evening.
After dinner, she played with Tangbao.
But after playing for a short while, Tangbao looked drowsy in her arms.
Just then, a maid from the outer courtyard rushed over and reported, "Miss, Xu Qi is outside the courtyard requesting an audience. He says he has important business to discuss with you and would like to invite you to the west courtyard for a chat."
When Lin Xihe and Xu Qi met, they were almost always alone, usually in the west courtyard, which is why the maid felt comfortable coming to deliver the message.
"Okay, tell him to go back first, and tell him I'll go after Tangbao falls asleep."
Lin Xihe said softly, then gently patted Tangbao to lull her to sleep.
Half an hour had passed by the time Tangbao drifted off to sleep.
Lin Xihe told Ling Xue and the others to go and rest first, while she went to the west courtyard alone.
In order to isolate Xu Qi from others and avoid unnecessary trouble, Lin Xihe specially arranged for him to live alone in the west courtyard.
This secluded and quiet west courtyard, rarely visited by anyone, is precisely the place where Xu Qi can conceal his whereabouts.
By this time, the night was deep and all was quiet, except for a dim yellow light shining from behind the window of the west courtyard, flickering in the darkness.
Lin Xihe gazed at the light and wondered to herself, "Could it be that Xu Qi has received news from the Northern Border and is planning to return?"
Otherwise, given his consistently calm and reserved nature, why would he suddenly be so eager to see me?
Lin Xihe had other plans in mind. If Xu Qi really wanted to leave, she would definitely have a good talk with him and beg him to stay a little longer.
After all, Ji Zhuo was away on official business and had not yet returned. With Xu Qi in the mansion, she could feel somewhat at ease.
With these thoughts in mind, Lin Xihe walked gracefully to Xu Qi's house. She raised her hand and gently knocked on the door: "Xu Qi, open the door."
The wooden door slowly opened from the inside, the gap widening as dim yellow light poured out from inside, outlining a slender figure.
The first thing that caught Lin Xihe's eye was a pair of eyes as deep as a cold pool, so deep that they were unfathomable and so cold that they chilled her to the bone.
In an instant, a bone-chilling cold surged up from the soles of her feet, like an invisible force that swept over her entire body.
She felt a chill run down her spine, goosebumps erupted all over her body, every hair stood on end, her legs went weak uncontrollably, and she swayed precariously, almost losing her balance.
Lin Xihe's lips trembled slightly, and with great effort, she managed to squeeze out a few indistinct words: "Mu... Mu Ruoyan..."
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