Chapter 20: Lady Xu’s Affection

If Xu Qingyi had overheard this question, she would have immediately rebutted with firm conviction.

‘What do you mean by “why”?’

Naturally, it was because she could afford the price.

Did Xie Huaian think that marrying Xie Yunzhi would mean she could simply sit back and let things fall into place? 

The praise she received was something she deserved. Becoming the young mistress of the house came with numerous responsibilities, both inside and out.

Just taking care of the three children alone required immense effort, ensuring they grew up in a stable and healthy environment. 

It’s not that letting them grow up without strict oversight was impossible—after all, gold always shines on its own. 

But one must act with integrity. If you want to enjoy the shade of a big tree, you first need to plant it and nurture it. 

You can’t expect to bask in its comfort without putting in the hard work first. 

It was during her bath that Xu Qingyi first heard the news that Mama Chang had brought back. 

The news was that the Marchioness had gone to the ancestral hall to visit Xie Huaian. As she kept thinking about it, her anger grew, so she went to Xie Huaian’s courtyard and grabbed Du Jinyun by the hair, slapping her hard.

Du Jinyun’s lip split from the blow, and she was showered with harsh words from the Marchioness.

The maids and women servants who were around watched with great interest, their eyes widening, whispering amongst themselves. “The Marchioness is really fierce! Who would have thought?”

Normally, the Marchioness had an air of dignity, always maintaining a poised, elegant presence, meticulous in her conduct—she certainly didn’t seem like someone who would act like a shrew.

Xu Qingyi, however, was not surprised. In the original story, the Marchioness was also extremely displeased with Du Jinyun.

But in the book, there was the legitimate wife, Xu Qingyi, in the front, shielding everyone from the full force of the conflict, so the tensions didn’t escalate as much.

Now, Du Jinyun had caused Xie Huaian to lose his legitimate wife and left behind the mess of an illegitimate son.

This directly impacted Xie Huaian’s prospects of finding a high-born wife, so it was no wonder the Marchioness hated Du Jinyun.

Just as Xu Qingyi was about to drift into a light sleep, the wet nurse quietly asked, “Young Mistress, today… should I attend to the Young Master?”

Xu Qingyi’s sleepiness vanished instantly. Her mind was a bit foggy for a moment, but she slowly made up her mind. “Yes, go ahead.”

Since the plan had already been set into motion, there was no point in delaying. Once the first night was over, it wouldn’t be as daunting as walking to the execution ground. 

‘Cough’, perhaps once this body fully adapts, she might even begin to enjoy it.

Xu Qingyi, a mature woman in her thirties, thought to herself with a sense of calm and practicality.

As for the Young Master, the pulse was checked almost every other day.

Today, the physician had already come, and confirmed that the Young Master’s condition was stable as usual.

Xie Yunzhi felt a bit disappointed. It seemed that a pulse check couldn’t reveal whether he had regained consciousness, but then he thought—perhaps this wasn’t such a bad thing.

It spared his family further sorrow.

He wasn’t the sentimental type. Rather than everyone constantly immersed in the grief of his misfortune, he preferred they simply ignored his plight and went on with their lives.

But people were complex. After lying in bed for so long, it was better to have someone remember him than to be completely forgotten.

That night, as usual, Xu Qingyi arrived again.

Xie Yunzhi had become accustomed to her visits. She came every night, speaking with him as usual, recounting the events of the day. Today, she talked about the things that happened during her visit to the family’s ancestral home. 

The couple, Marquis and his wife, who were once the parents-in-law of his second brother, and now, of course, were his own in-laws, had accepted their marriage.

From what he heard, the expectations for their second daughter weren’t high to begin with.

They simply asked that she take care of her husband and children and avoid causing trouble.

This made Xie Yunzhi a little curious—what kind of person was Xu Qingyi really?

From what others had said, she seemed like an ordinary woman, yet her actions often made her appear quite unconventional and rebellious.

If he had a choice, Xie Yunzhi would have preferred Xu Qingyi to be more conventional and traditional, after all, he was a traditional person himself.

What also puzzled Xie Yunzhi was…

What happened to Ming Yu and Zi Xiao tonight?

Usually, these two were quick-witted and attentive, but today, they hadn’t been serving tea or water as usual, and he had no idea where they had gone.

Lying there for a long time, he found the sound of someone cracking melon seeds oddly pleasant.

Then, suddenly, everything went quiet around him, and Xu Qingyi stopped talking. 

Xie Yunzhi thought she was about to leave. Sure enough, there were no tea or snacks, which meant her visit would be a short one.

“Young Master.”

Suddenly, Xie Yunzhi felt the warmth of fingers brushing against his face, a touch that made him pause in surprise.

Xu Qingyi was… caressing his face?

Then, his mind became clear.

It seemed that Xu Qingyi was infatuated with him.

No wonder she had volunteered to marry him, this crippled man. After a moment of surprise, Xie Yunzhi felt a sense of helplessness.

In his short life, many women had admired him, but he didn’t want to accept their affections.

Others’ admiration was a burden to him.

Whether in his healthy days or now, Xie Yunzhi didn’t want to respond to any woman’s feelings.

Xu Qingyi: “…”

Admiration? Love?

She simply felt that starting with a full course meal was too monotonous and needed to liven up the mood.

And the Eldest Young Master’s face, just happened to be quite aesthetically pleasing, so she used it to boost the atmosphere.

Of course, if she knew the Eldest Young Master was conscious, she wouldn’t have done this, it would be awkward.

But she didn’t know, did she?

So, she indulged herself, kissing the Eldest Young Master’s brow and eyes. In Xu Qingyi’s mind, intimacy was a romantic affair, and she didn’t want to turn herself into a mere breeding tool.

If she could enjoy it, she might as well enjoy it a little.

Xie Yunzhi felt the gentle kiss spread across his face, from his thin eyelids to his cheeks.

This made him inexplicably nervous, his heart pounding rapidly in his chest.

The air was filled with the woman’s fragrance, swirling endlessly around his nose.

After an unknown amount of time, the gentle kiss finally ended.

Just when Xie Yunzhi thought it was over, Xu Qingyi’s restless hand wandered to other parts of his body, with a different kind of meaning.

At that moment, Xie Yunzhi seemed to piece together the clues; no wonder Zi Xiao and Ming Yu had gone out.

It turned out Xu Qingyi had long been plotting this…

He could only lie there, allowing Xu Qingyi to take the lead, which made him feel somewhat uncomfortable and a little angry.

How could she treat him this way?

More than anything, he was surprised that Xu Qingyi’s affection for him was so profound—so profound that she wanted to share this intimate moment with someone like him, a man deemed useless…

Having regained his awareness for some time now, Xie Yunzhi certainly knew that he still had the ability to be intimate.

However, everything depended on Xu Qingyi to take the initiative.

Was she really going to go through with this?

Xie Yunzhi couldn’t tell if he was resisting or just nervous. It wasn’t until the moment Xu Qingyi fully merged with him that he held onto an uncertain mindset.

Once he was sure, his mind went completely blank; he was absent for a moment before gradually coming back to reality.

But he was overwhelmed with a mix of shame and indignation.

How could Xu Qingyi do this to him without his consent?

It was too much…

“My Lord…”

Within the dim bed curtains, the woman’s voice was soft and breathy.

Xie Yunzhi’s face flushed crimson; he felt his breathing, beyond his control, becoming rapid and fervent.

Xu Qingyi placed her hand over the Eldest Young Master’s chest, feeling the strong beat of his heart beneath his skin.

“You will wake up, won’t you?”

If the Eldest Young Master didn’t wake up, who would support her and her children?

Xie Huaian would inevitably transform into a true viper, and she was quite worried about that.

“…” Xie Yunzhi felt a mix of emotions; naturally, he didn’t know if he would wake up.

In short, he didn’t want to owe anyone anything. Otherwise, if he didn’t wake up, it would be as though he had wronged Xu Qingyi.

Xu Qingyi fell silent, her crimson-lacquered nails gently digging into Xie Yunzhi’s arm.

The faint prickling sensation brought a sense of being alive to Xie Yunzhi.

He, too, wanted to breathe as rapidly as Xu Qingyi, but he couldn’t control his body. He could only passively accept whatever she brought upon him.

“Well,” he thought, “let’s just consider it fulfilling my duty as a husband.”

Since he was still capable, it seemed like the right thing to do. Otherwise, wouldn’t Lady Xu become a widow in name only?

Just as Xie Yunzhi had completely let go of his resistance and accepted his duty, Xu Qingyi suddenly leaned on his shoulder and began to rest.

Xie Yunzhi: “…”

This abrupt halt was not pleasant.

A woman could rest whenever she pleased, but he was in agony. It felt as if a million ants were gnawing at his flesh, crawling through his veins.

Though it was disrespectful to speak of his wife in this way, Xie Yunzhi still wanted to say, “Useless thing…”

If this were in their camp, no, not even the camp would let her in.

The useless Xu Qingyi rested for a moment, then resumed.

Whether it was her illusion or not, she felt that the Eldest Young Master was even more powerful tonight than before, his abilities sharply improved, as if he had awakened something…

But to be fair, after enduring the initial discomfort, the afterward was quite enjoyable.

This enjoyment lasted for a good half an hour.

In the course of a few hours, Xu Qingyi didn’t know how many times she rested, ultimately employing every method to finally satisfy the Eldest Young Master.

Xie Yunzhi, exhausted by Lady Xu, felt her soft body pressed against him, and sensed her heartbeat, as well as her breathing gradually slowing and lengthening.

Had she… fallen asleep?

Or passed out?

Xie Yunzhi didn’t know what to say. All he could think was that Lady Xu’s constitution was far too frail.

Fragile women didn’t really suit his tastes.

But he had married her, and consummated the marriage.  No matter how much his wife didn’t suit his preferences, he could only accept it.

Just as Xie Yunzhi thought he would spend the night sharing a bed with Lady Xu, the person on top of him shifted.

Then, a soft, weak voice came: “Mama…”

Xie Yunzhi heard someone enter, likely helping Lady Xu down. He felt his body lighten.

Soon, only a thick, sensual atmosphere remained in the room.

Then Zi Xiao and Ming Yu came in to attend to him.