Chapter 52

In the delicate atmosphere that left Yiling feeling at a loss, she almost lost the ability to think and instinctively reached for the chopsticks.

But at that moment, her fingers wouldn’t cooperate, and the chopsticks felt uneven in her grip. After a while, she still couldn’t pick up a single piece of vegetable.

Until the person across from her picked up the very vegetable she was trying to grab and placed it into her bowl.

Yiling lifted her head again and looked at Xie Hengzhi, who was quietly eating with his head down, and she fell into complete rigidity.

What was he after?

Was it just because he was her husband in name?

But he clearly knew that Shang Yiling had no feelings for him whatsoever.

And the woman sitting before him now—

No way…

Could it be…?

A guess that Yiling had once dismissed resurfaced in her mind.

This time, the answer came too clearly, almost making Yiling eager to find evidence to refute it.

She stared at the man in front of her, the shock in her heart unrelenting, growing louder with each passing moment.

No, it couldn’t be like this.

Xie Hengzhi was an incredibly protective person.

Even if it were a dog from the Xie family, Xie Hengzhi wouldn’t let anyone take it away.

Could this really mean he had fallen for a dog?

Right, it was just possessiveness.

Which man could tolerate someone openly trying to steal his wife?

“Aren’t you hungry?”

As Yiling struggled with her thoughts, Xie Hengzhi suddenly spoke, changing the topic.

Yiling’s reaction was exactly what he expected, and he hadn’t really hoped for any response from her.

“I am hungry. Why wouldn’t I be?”

Yiling, eager to avoid the situation, quickly buried her head and started eating.

At that moment, eating became just a way for Yiling to cover up her emotions. She didn’t care about being refined anymore.

She barely chewed, practically swallowing everything whole.

She kept eating for a while.

Suddenly, another thought flashed through Yiling’s mind.

She abruptly looked up again, cheeks puffed, eyes wide.

She almost forgot! The old servant, Mama Cao, and Mallow, whom she had sent away, were already on their way back to Jiangzhou.

She had to stop them!

… And her money!

Before Yiling could say anything, Xie Hengzhi saw through her thoughts and sneered.

“By the time you remember, they’ll already be back in Jiangzhou.”

The next morning, Mama Cao and Mallow were brought back by Dao Yu.

It must be said that the old woman and the young girl seemed unremarkable, but when they ran, they could really run fast. They even brought a small raccoon with them. In just one night, they had crossed mountains and left the capital’s borders. Dao Yu, a martial artist, had to hurry on horseback for most of the night to catch up.

When they returned to the Xie family, their hair was disheveled, their clothes muddy, and their faces covered in dust.

It had only been a day and a night since they parted, but for the three of them, it felt like a life-and-death separation.

As soon as they met, Mama Cao began to wail for a good half hour.

At first, Yiling was touched, but after a while, it started to get annoying.

“Alright, if you really want to cry, go cry in front of the master.”

The crying abruptly stopped.

Mama Cao wiped her tears with the back of her hand and looked around, then quietly asked, “Madam, did that Hu Ba person really leave?”

“Yes, he left.”

Yiling said, “He left before dawn today.”

When he left, another snowstorm had fallen over the Shangjing.
Just like when he arrived, silently and without leaving a trace. Except for the royal family and a few high-ranking officials, no one even knew that the second son of the Hu Ba king had visited the capital that winter.

After hearing this, Mama Cao and Mallow finally felt the weight lift from their hearts.

Yesterday, when Yiling had sent them back to Jiangzhou, she had said she was annoyed by their lack of cleverness. In truth, they knew Yiling had been giving them a way out.

Otherwise, if the two servants had gone to Hu Ba, it would have been a dead end.

Fortunately, everything had returned to the right path. They wouldn’t have to endure the torment of their conscience by returning to Jiangzhou, and Yiling wouldn’t have to suffer with Hu Ba either.

But Mama Cao didn’t understand how things had taken such a sharp turn overnight.

After thinking for a while, she figured that the only person capable of such a reversal was one man.

“Madam,” she asked, “… Did the master not agree to send you to Hu Ba?”

Well, that was exactly what had happened.

Yiling nodded but didn’t want to explain further.

“I knew it! The master definitely couldn’t bear to part with you!” Mallow cried, “The master treats you so well; he must have feelings for you. He would never send you to Hu Ba!”

Yiling had already been troubled by this matter, lying in bed the whole night without daring to breathe too loudly. She curled up like a shrimp in the corner of her bed, afraid that one glance might make Xie Hengzhi, this impulsive man, openly confess his feelings to her.

She had barely managed to get through the night until Xie Hengzhi left for the palace in the morning, and she finally felt a sense of relief.

But in the end, after holding it in for so long, Mallow blurted it out in front of everyone.

Despite the fact that all the maidservants around her were trying their best to avoid looking directly at her, Yiling still felt her cheeks burning with embarrassment.

“Alright, alright, you two go and rest. Stop crying here,” she said as she sent the two women away. Finally, she sat down, letting out a long sigh of relief.

Thank goodness, thank goodness. She hoped that Xie Hengzhi’s actions were just a fleeting whim and that he didn’t truly develop deep feelings for her.

If the entire world came to believe that she and Xie Hengzhi were a perfect match, deeply in love, how would she live on?

Just then, a messenger arrived from the front courtyard, saying that Aunt Feng Yu from the East Palace had come.

Yiling: “…”

Recently, due to Shen Shufang’s illness, she had hardly visited the Xie residence. Now, at this crucial moment, someone from the East Palace came. Yiling suddenly had a vague, uneasy feeling in her heart.

Could it be that Shen Shufang had sent someone to inquire about this matter?

However, it was from the East Palace, so Yiling had no courage to neglect the visitor. She quickly ordered someone to invite Aunt Feng Yu in.

The moment Aunt Feng Yu entered, she smiled warmly and greeted Yiling.

“It snowed this morning, and the weather is quite cold. How is the lady?”

“Everything is fine.”

Yiling asked, “How is the queen? Is her health improving?”

“The queen is much better now. She hasn’t seen you for a long time and misses you greatly. That’s why she prepared tea at the East Palace, hoping that you could join her to admire the snow.”

Yiling: “…”

As expected.

In the East Palace’s Bayin Lake, there was a long embankment lined with tall deciduous trees.

At the end of the embankment stood a small pavilion with a pointed roof, covered with green tiles. Under the curved eaves were four white jade columns.

On normal days, the view here was nothing special, and Shen Shufang wouldn’t have paid much attention to it.

But when it snowed, the branches of the towering trees along the embankment were covered with thick, white snow, creating a unique and refreshing sight against the clear sky.

Inside the pavilion, high-quality silver frost charcoal was burning, and a delicate small stove was placed on the table. Yiling and Shen Shufang sat across from each other, not feeling cold at all.

But Yiling knew that Shen Shufang didn’t invite her here just to enjoy the snow. Every time Shen Shufang seemed about to ask about the matter, Yiling would skillfully change the subject.

She spoke endlessly, not giving Shen Shufang a chance to speak.

So, an hour later, Shen Shufang even knew the reason why Mallow, Yiling’s maid, was refusing to return to her husband’s home, staying at her maternal family’s house.

Shen Shufang: “…”

After hearing all of this, Shen Shufang felt dizzy, and Yiling, finally tired, took a sip of water.

Just as Yiling’s lips were about to touch her teacup, Shen Shufang, who hadn’t had a chance to speak, suddenly said, “So, Xie Hengzhi really did sign a military order in front of the Emperor for your sake?”

Yiling: “…”

Great.

She closed her eyes, took a large sip of tea, and after a while, she nodded with pursed lips.

“…Yes.”

Upon hearing the confirmation, Shen Shufang gasped and clutched her chest. When she first heard this from the queen, she didn’t believe it and thought the queen was exaggerating.

But it turned out to be true!

“Then quickly tell me, how did Xie Hengzhi change his mind?” she eagerly asked. “Did you use some clever scheme?”

Yiling had thought that Shen Shufang, like Mama Cao or Mallow, would immediately start talking about things that would make anyone uncomfortable to listen to.

To her surprise, Shen Shufang seemed to think Yiling had used some strategy to make Xie Hengzhi change his mind.

This made Yiling question herself.

Could it be that she really did use some clever trick?

After thinking for a while, Yiling responded, “I once pointed at his nose and scolded him harshly, making him have a sudden realization.”

Shen Shufang: “Ah?”

Yiling continued, “Or perhaps I threatened him, saying that if he sent me to the barbarian lands, I wouldn’t let him have an easy time, and that scared him?”

Shen Shufang: “Uh…”

Yiling leaned forward toward Shen Shufang, seriously asking, “Your Majesty, which plan do you think worked?”

Shen Shufang: “…I don’t think it was any of those.”

Yiling: “Then…?”

Shen Shufang looked Yiling up and down, then turned her gaze towards the barren lake.
Her eyes then returned to Yiling, and she looked her over again, from head to toe.
“…It must have been the beauty trap.”

Yiling: “?”

She immediately stood up, excitedly saying, “Impossible! I’ve never used such methods!”

Shen Shufang glanced at her and smiled, “My dear sister, just standing there, you’re already using the beauty trap.”

Yiling: “…”

Helpless.

Shen Shufang wouldn’t understand. Her face was still the same, but she was no longer the same person.

After saying this, Shen Shufang paused deep in thought and became more convinced of her guess.

“He must have fallen for you. You’ve really waited for the clouds to part and the moon to appear!”

Yiling: “…”

That moon was better off not showing up.

“Your Majesty, perhaps you’re overthinking.”

Shen Shufang had originally thought Yiling would be overjoyed at getting her wish fulfilled, but instead, she got this reaction.

It seemed as though she was unwilling to admit it, as if she were resisting something.

Why was she so lacking in confidence? Had she been hurt in the past?

Or was it because Xie Hengzhi was so silent and never expressed his feelings aloud, making her unable to believe it?

As Shen Shufang pondered this, her gaze suddenly brightened when she caught something out of the corner of her eye.

“Ah! Speak of the devil, and the devil comes!”

Yiling followed her gaze and turned her head. She quickly spotted Xie Hengzhi walking confidently along the snow-covered embankment.

The heavy cloak draped over him didn’t appear bulky at all; instead, it made him seem as slender and upright as a pine tree in the snow.

Yiling was momentarily distracted by his figure, and in the blink of an eye, he was already standing at the bottom of the steps.

From a moderate distance, Xie Hengzhi first looked at Yiling before bowing to Shen Shufang.

At the moment their gazes met, Yiling’s heart skipped a beat. She quickly turned her head, no longer looking at him.

Does he have ears that can hear for miles?

How is it that just as we were talking about him, he arrives at the Eastern Palace?

As she was thinking this, Shen Shufang asked aloud.

“Lord Xie, no need for formalities,” she said with a smile. “May I ask what brings you here?”

The wind was light after the snow, and there were few people near the pavilion, leaving the surroundings quiet and still.

Thus, Xie Hengzhi’s voice was especially clear.

“The hour is getting late, so I happened to be passing by and decided to escort Yiling home.”

Upon hearing this, the ominous feeling in Yiling’s heart resurfaced.

Sure enough, in the next moment, the dignified Shen Shufang subtly tugged at Yiling’s sleeves.

Although no words were spoken, this small gesture made Yiling even more embarrassed, worried that Xie Hengzhi might see and understand what the two of them were implying.

So, Yiling subtly pulled her sleeve away.

With her hand now free, Shen Shufang glanced at Yiling’s flushed cheeks and suddenly cleared her throat, speaking seriously to Xie Hengzhi. “Lord Xie, come in and speak with us.”

Yiling: “?”

Wait, what is the purpose of inviting him in?

Xie Hengzhi seemed equally puzzled.

However, after looking at the two women sitting in the pavilion, he didn’t ask further questions, stepping up the stairs and walking in.

“Does Your Majesty have something to instruct me?”

“Not particularly.” Shen Shufang replied, “I was just having a casual conversation with your wife, and I mentioned that you’ve worked so hard to resolve such a difficult situation, all because of your deep feelings for her. Is that correct?”

Yiling: “…………”

She should’ve known; she should’ve continued talking about how Mama Cao’s second son taught the guard dog to dry clothes instead of letting Shen Shufang speak!

At this point, Yilng had no choice but to parry, “Of course, it’s for the greater good, after all.”

Shen Shufang: “Silence.”

Then she extended a slender finger and pointed at Xie Hengzhi. “You tell her yourself, is that how it is?”

Xie Hengzhi: “…”

Seeing that Xie Hengzhi remained silent, Shen Shufang became anxious.

She might not have good luck in relationships herself, but she couldn’t stand seeing two people clearly in love yet delaying their happiness just because they hadn’t clarified their feelings!

“Lord Xie, speak! Is what I said true?”

“Love must be declared aloud!”

“…”
Yiling closed her eyes.

A moment later.

“Yes.” Xie Hengzhi looked at Yiling, whose eyes were closed. “I have deep feelings for Madam.”

“…”
Yiling mentally checked out of the conversation completely.