Chapter 67

Face, blush?

Is it?

Yiling immediately raised her hand to cover her cheek, but the heat still spread from between her fingers.

When she lifted her head again, she met Xie Hengzhi’s eyes, filled with suppressed laughter. Her flustered reaction seemed like an unspoken confession.

Just a moment ago, Yiling almost fell into his trap, drawn in by his gaze.

“When you make up stories, don’t you blush when you’re caught?”

Yiling let go of her hand and frowned at him, glaring.

“Is that the reason?”

He asked casually, his gaze still on Yiling’s face, and the smile at the corner of his lips never faded.

It was the same disbelieving expression again, and Yiling couldn’t take the feeling of talking to a brick wall. She stiffened her face and turned to leave.

“Believe it or not.”

As she reached the door, Xie Hengzhi grabbed her wrist and pulled her back.

“Where are you going?”

“Mind your own business.”

Yiling struggled twice but couldn’t break free. When she turned around and saw the look in his eyes, she suddenly felt like she was being seen as embarrassed and angry, trying to escape.

At that moment, a breeze blew in from the window.

Yiling calmed down a little, took a deep breath, and then smiled, though there was no warmth in it as she looked at Xie Hengzhi.

“My lord, after such a long journey, don’t you need to take a bath? You’re all smelly.”

Xie Hengzhi indeed released her and looked down at himself.

He noticed the clothes he had changed into today, specially chosen for entering the palace. 

After a moment, he looked at Yiling with a hint of helplessness in his eyes.

“Fine, I’ll go take a bath first.”

More than half an hour later, Xie Hengzhi finally came out of the bathing room.

The weather was getting warmer, and as he had a cold-resistant constitution, he had changed into a lighter outfit. As he moved, a faint scent of partridge flowers drifted from him.

However, when he glanced into the room, it was empty, with no one in sight.

He called for the maid standing outside.

“Where is my wife?”

The maid glanced outside and answered, “Madam is in the East Wing.”

“Why is she in the East Wing?”

The maid said, “Madam said she will sleep in the East Wing tonight.”

The maid lowered her head and did not look directly at Xie Hengzhi.

After a moment, he said in a low voice, “Bring her back.”

In the East Wing.

Yiling sat at the table, holding her face, sulking at a flower vase.

She had been stirred up by Xie Hengzhi’s casual question just now, causing her anger to boil. 

Now that the heat had subsided, she was left with a faint feeling of exhaustion.

It was clearly him who was being overly sentimental, not her!

Just as she was broodering, the door was knocked.

Yiling said “come in” without turning around.

The maid’s voice came from behind her.

“Madam, the Lord asks you to return.”

“I’m not going!”

Yiling said, “Tell him not to bother me.”

Sensing the maid’s awkwardness, Yiling turned around, and her tone softened.

“Just tell him I’m not feeling well today and want to be alone.”

“Understood.”

As the maid left, Mama Cao entered with a small plate of snacks.

“Madam,” Mama Cao said, “Are you really sleeping here tonight?”

Yiling angrily said, “What else? I’ll sleep wherever I want!”

Originally, Mama Cao was just asking casually, but hearing Yiling’s tone, she immediately understood—

They were still bickering.

Mallow had said they had been arguing a few days ago.

Yesterday, when they encountered falling rocks in the mountains, the Lord was injured while protecting the madam, but they still argued.

No one knew what they were arguing about.

Mama Cao naturally wanted to persuade them a bit.

But as she was about to speak, she suddenly remembered something, and her gaze swept over Yiling, swallowing her words.

Finally, she simply placed the snacks in front of Yiling and said, “Madam, you haven’t had money crisp for a long time; have a taste.”

The smell of the money crisp was irresistible, and even though Yiling had already had dinner, she couldn’t resist reaching for it.

When she looked up, she saw Mama Cao smiling strangely at the corner of her mouth.

“What are you smiling about?”

Yiling asked.

“Hmm?”

Mama Cao touched the corner of her mouth.

Is it that obvious?

But since Yiling asked, she might as well say a little.

“Nothing, I just think life is getting more and more interesting.”

Yiling: “…?”

Interesting where?

Interesting in the way she’s getting angry every day?

Seeing Yiling’s confusion, Mama Cao explained with a smile.

“Madam, you see, in the past, you and the Lord didn’t bicker much, but you couldn’t even say two sentences to each other.”

“Sometimes when the lord is busy, you don’t see him for ten or fifteen days, and the house feels so cold, like there’s no warmth in it.”

“But now, it’s different. Arguing and bickering is part of life. Look, which couple doesn’t argue? That’s when feelings grow stronger!”

Yiling: “…”

She didn’t want to hear more, so she gestured for her to be quiet and turned away to eat the money crisp.

Mama Cao didn’t say anything further, but just before she left, she couldn’t help but add, “The lord argued with you, but didn’t he still send someone to buy your favorite money crisp? He didn’t use to do this.”

“Look, he’s even sending someone to ask you to come back; give him a break.”

“…”

Mama Cao left as soon as she finished speaking, leaving Yiling alone to stare at the money crisp on the table, her mind filled with the word “husband and wife.”

It’s over.

At this rate, things are really going to end badly!

Before long, the door was suddenly knocked on again.

Yiling turned around and said, “I told you, I’m not feeling well!”

As soon as she finished speaking, the door was pushed open.

Xie Hengzhi stood outside, staring straight at Yiling.

After a long silence, Yiling had yet to speak when Xie Hengzhi stepped inside.

“Where do you feel unwell?”

She hadn’t expected him to come in person, and Yiling wasn’t prepared at all. She didn’t know what to say, only showing panic and helplessness, which Xie Hengzhi saw clearly.

But Xie Hengzhi wasn’t planning to ask her why she was resisting.

After all, the outcome was the same.

So Xie Hengzhi stood in front of her and asked, “Are you really not going back?”

“No.”

Yiling said, “I just want to stay here.”

“Alright.”

Hearing his indifferent tone, Yiling felt a little relieved.

But in the next moment, she saw him walk directly toward the bed.

Although she had expected it, Yiling was still shocked when he sat down.

“What… What are you doing?”

The bed in the eastern wing was much smaller, and Xie Hengzhi, being tall, took up most of it when he sat down.

“I’m staying here for the night too; is that a problem?”

Yiling: “…”

The grand Xie Lord, why did he have to keep bothering her about such trivial matters?

How had she never noticed that this person was so shameless?

“Do you have to keep pestering me like this?!”

It seemed like Xie Hengzhi had expected her to say this. He wasn’t surprised and even accepted her words.

“Why is it allowed for you to pester me, but not for me to pester you?”

“How is it the same?”

Yiling said, “Mine is excusable!”

Xie Hengzhi stared at her.

“Why can’t mine be excusable?”

“What could you—”

Before she finished her sentence, Yiling suddenly realized what he meant, and she fell silent.

His “affection” and her “affection” seemed different.

No… No, this wouldn’t do. If this argument continued, he would make things clear.

Realizing this possibility, Yiling turned to leave.

But after walking a few steps and seeing the familiar lights around her, she stopped.

Where could she go? She couldn’t escape from Xie’s residence.

As Yiling froze, Xie Hengzhi didn’t say anything but kept his eyes on her back, seemingly certain that she would turn around.

After a long time, Yiling finally did turn around.

However, her expression was no longer urgent. She closed her eyes and, looking troubled, said, “It’s impossible between us.”

Even then, Xie Hengzhi wasn’t surprised.

“Why is it impossible?”

Yiling didn’t understand why he was so insistent on her giving a reason.

Wasn’t his attitude clear enough?

The panic she had finally suppressed came back, and Yiling clenched her fingers tightly in her sleeves, trying to control her emotions.

“Would it be better if we stayed like we were before?”

Xie Hengzhi: “Before? What was that like?”

His voice wasn’t loud, and his tone was calm, but there was an overwhelming force behind his words—What was it like before? What is it like now?

Indeed, his initial plan had been to use the title of husband and wife to let her enjoy the wealth and honor of the Xie residence, just like Xie Xuan.

But what if he had changed his mind?

Did she really not understand that they were a match granted by the emperor? Unless they were buried under the yellow earth, they would be husband and wife for life, with no other way out.

And everything he could do for her, he had done. What he couldn’t do, he had also done. Did he not have the right to change his mind?

Xie Hengzhi stared at the silent Yiling for a long time before finally standing up and walking step by step toward her.

Yiling suddenly took a step back.

“Don’t do this!”

“What’s wrong with me?”

Seeing that she wanted to avoid him, Xie Hengzhi grabbed her hand and pulled her in front of him. “I’m your legitimate husband. Have I done anything improper?”

Seeing the anger rising in his eyes, Yiling realized too late that he wasn’t listening to any of her words. It was as if he was determined to treat her as a true wife.

But what could she do?

She couldn’t reveal the real reason.

“…Or you could take a few concubines,” Yiling’s mind was in a mess, and she almost spoke one word at a time, “Or three, four… five, six, anything, I won’t say anything.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Yiling felt her wrist being squeezed painfully.

When she looked up, she saw that Xie Hengzhi’s face was as dark as water.

“Now you’re magnanimous.”

After a long while, he finally smiled coldly and said, “Aren’t you going to divorce me? So, when I have other women, will you have to squeeze onto the same bed with us?”

She knew he was mocking her, but Yiling didn’t have enough presence of mind to argue with him.

She lifted her chin and stubbornly stared at him.

“Sure, I don’t care.”

Her voice was light, but it seemed to echo heavily in the room.

Xie Hengzhi loosened his grip slightly, but his face grew even darker.

He stared intently into Yiling’s eyes, as if trying to see whether her words were sincere.

But all he saw was determination and resistance.

After a long time, Xie Hengzhi finally spoke.

“Then what do you care about?” he asked. “Are you still thinking about that man?”

Which man? What man?

Yiling was momentarily stunned before coming to her senses.

How did they end up talking about Hu Yanqi again?

“I didn’t!”

Yiling almost stamped her foot in frustration, “I haven’t had him in my heart for a long time!”

“Then why can’t there be me?”

Finally, Xie Hengzhi straightforwardly asked the question.

Yiling looked into his dark eyes, and in the turbulent gaze, she even felt a hint of uncertainty within her own heart.

“Of course not!”

Feeling her thoughts becoming increasingly disordered, Yiling closed her eyes and resolutely said, “Even if all the men in the world die, there still won’t be you!”