The night was like a curtain, and the Hou carriage quietly returned.
Lin Xingxue rushed into the inner room and burrowed herself in the soft quilt, not lifting her head for a long time.
Wu Tong was startled by her, tentatively asking, “Madam, what happened?”
Why did it seem like she was greatly troubled after this trip?
Lin Xingxue silently sat up straight, and Wu Tong immediately saw the wound on her lip, getting nervous at once, “What happened? Did you bump into something?”
Lin Xingxue covered her lips, too embarrassed to speak.
When Shen Hanxing came in, she turned away from him, nervously clutching the quilt with her hands.
She must have been confused today. How could she have taken the initiative to kiss her husband twice?
Now, she didn’t know how to face him.
Lin Xingxue was so nervous that she didn’t even notice when Wu Tong left.
Suddenly, Shen Hanxing cupped her chin, his fingertips gently applying the cool ointment to the wound at the corner of her lips. Despite the calluses on his fingers from years of martial arts practice, his touch was surprisingly gentle as he treated her injury.
Lin Xingxue was forced to look at him, and several times her gaze flicked to his lips before she quickly looked away again.
After applying the ointment, Shen Hanxing put away the bottle and inadvertently glanced at the Yulan magnolia sachet at Lin Xingxue’s waist, remembering the dark blue sachet he had previously.
The sachet was still with Luo Yan. Shen Hanxing asked him to bring it over, and along with it, a pair of scissors was handed to him.
Shen Hanxing dangled the sachet’s string in front of Lin Xingxue, “Did you embroider this for him?”
The girl almost got engaged to Gu Yan, so it would’ve been normal if she had embroidered a sachet for him.
But Shen Hanxing just didn’t like this sachet.
The sharp scissors were placed aside, and Lin Xingxue keenly sensed the danger, shaking her head quickly. Afraid that Shen Hanxing wouldn’t believe her, she went to the box where her mother’s belongings were kept and took out an old sachet.
The sachet she brought out was also embroidered with Yulan magnolias, and the thread colors matched the one at her waist exactly. However, this one was her mother’s relic, somewhat old.
Lin Xingxue had made a new sachet modeled after the one left by Concubine Su[1].
She had been wearing the Yulan magnolia sachet all these years, and if someone was observant, they could have replicated it.
Shen Hanxing nodded in understanding. He picked up the scissors and deftly cut the dark blue sachet into pieces, then handed the remnants to Luo Yan to throw away.
The “snip snip” sound of the scissors seemed to cut into Lin Xingxue’s heart. The girl sat obediently, not daring to question anything.
She thought that perhaps she should embroider a sachet for her husband.
The room was warm and cozy. After washing up, Lin Xingxue got into bed, accepted the bed warmer handed by Wu Tong, and huddled under the quilt.
She gently took out a storybook from under her pillow. She had only opened it to one page when a stern voice sounded from behind the screen, “Sleep.”
Lin Xingxue nervously closed the book, the candle flame went out, but Shen Hanxing did not come out.
She quietly sighed in relief, put the book back under the pillow, and in the cold moonlight, the cover faintly displayed the words “Tyrant General.”
She slept soundly that night.
The unease of the past few days seemed to be swept away by last night’s fluttering heart. Lin Xingxue woke up naturally for the first time in a long while.
She turned over, her arm reaching for the bedrail, but Shen Hanxing quickly grabbed her wrist to prevent her from hitting it too hard.
The girl lazily opened her eyes. Seeing Shen Hanxing, she shifted closer, resting her head on his hand, quietly watching him, and couldn’t help but smile as she watched.
Seeing her silly reaction, Shen Hanxing ruffled her hair, “Get up.” Follow the newest chapters on g.com.
“Okay.”
Lin Xingxue got up briskly and went with Shen Hanxing to greet the Old Madam.
When Old Madam Shen saw the wound on her lip, she smiled knowingly but did not ask much.
Returning to the East Wing, before entering the house, Wu Tong whispered a few words in Lin Xingxue’s ear.
Shen Hanxing had gone to the study, and Lin Xingxue stepped into the West side room, seeing An Ling waiting inside.
These days, although An Ling was working in the East Transverse Courtyard, she mostly did rough chores like sweeping. She couldn’t even get close to Lin Xingxue.
She was also very well-behaved, completing her tasks without gossiping.
Seeing Lin Xingxue enter the room, An Ling properly greeted her.
After Lin Xingxue sat down on the couch, An Ling knelt and declared, “I have something important to report to Madam.”
Wu Tong waved for the others to leave, “Go ahead, what is it?”
An Ling seemed a bit hesitant but eventually gritted her teeth and said, “Nanny Kang has been secretly embezzling Madam’s dowry, committing theft while in a position of trust. Please do not trust her anymore.”
The tea rippled slightly as Lin Xingxue raised her eyes to look at An Ling.
An Ling let her scrutinize her, firmly testifying, “I personally saw Nanny Kang take Madam’s dowry from the small storeroom. I followed her secretly and saw her enter a pawnshop. I inquired at the pawnshop and confirmed that Nanny Kang indeed pawned a jade hairpin. If Madam doesn’t believe me, you can check the storeroom items.”
Lin Xingxue knew the storeroom items were decreasing, just a few pieces of jewelry missing, serving as bait for the thief.
But she hadn’t expected An Ling to report this matter.
“Madam will investigate this matter herself. You may leave now,” Wu Tong waved for An Ling to leave.
An Ling, however, refused to stand up and bent low, saying, “I know Madam is wary of me. I came from the Lin residence and was the eldest lady’s personal maid. The mistress sent me to come with you to the Hou residence to have me monitor you. But now, my life and livelihood are in Madam’s hands, so I have no reason to be loyal to anyone else.”
An Ling wouldn’t declare her loyalty without a reason. She must have heard some news, knowing that she could no longer rely on Lady Han.
“So?” Lin Xingxue wrote with tea on the table.
“So, what do you want?” Wu Tong conveyed Lin Xingxue’s words.
“I was an inner[2] maid in the Lin residence, rarely doing heavy chores. I don’t dare to hope to serve Madam too intimately, just want to have an easier time,” An Ling stated her desire straightforwardly.
Her bluntness about disliking hard work made Wu Tong trust her a bit more.
“Madam will make arrangements. You may leave now.”
An Ling bowed and left. After she was gone, Wu Tong asked softly, “Madam, do you think she is trustworthy? She did not lie; she indeed was the eldest lady’s personal maid. Now entering the Hou residence as a sweeping maid, she must feel wronged.”
Her sister, An Yun, went with the bride[3] to the Gu residence, but she could not follow, so she was probably harboring a grudge about that.
Wu Tong trusted her a bit.
Lin Xingxue smiled lightly, her trust or distrust unclear.
At dusk, servants were preparing dinner in the kitchen, making the East Transverse Courtyard seem somewhat quiet.
Shen Hanxing had not yet returned to the residence, and Lin Xingxue was reading a book in her room.
Seeing that no one was paying attention, Nanny Kang used a key to open the storeroom door. She went inside and carefully selected an inconspicuous thumb ring from among the opulent items.
She carefully tucked the thumb ring into her arms and closed the door. She was about to turn to leave when Wu Tong and a few others hurriedly approached.
Sensing something was wrong, Nanny Kang hurriedly turned to leave.
“Stop!” Wu Tong shouted sternly.
Her attendants immediately stepped forward, tying up Nanny Kang and finding the jade thumb ring on her.
Holding the thumb ring, Wu Tong’s voice was stern, “Madam trusted you to manage her dowry, yet you dared to embezzle from her. Nanny Kang, do you confess?” This chapter is updated first at novelping(.)com.
“Don’t slander me. I was just looking at this thumb ring, who said I was stealing? Did you see me take it out of the Hou residence?” Nanny Kang retorted stubbornly.
“Then look at these receipts. All the items you pawned are Madam’s dowry. What more can you say?” Wu Tong threw the receipts in Nanny Kang’s face.
They had come today to catch her red-handed.
Seeing no way to refute, Nanny Kang reluctantly questioned, “I was sent here by the mistress of the Lin family with the bride. How dare you deal with me arbitrarily?”
“Of course, Nanny Kang is a senior servant in the residence. Madam is kind-hearted and would not deal with you arbitrarily. Soon, someone will take you back to the Lin residence, where the matter will be explained and dealt with by them.”
A thieving servant handed back to the Lin residence, given the current chaos there, would hardly have a favorable outcome.
When Shen Hanxing returned, the guards informed him of the evening’s events.
Nothing that happened in the East Transverse Courtyard escaped Shen Hanxing’s notice. He had long known about Nanny Kang’s theft but hadn’t warned Lin Xingxue.
Now, hearing the guard’s report, he realized he had underestimated the girl.
She wasn’t unaware; she was just waiting for the fish to take the bait so she could then deal with it effortlessly.
Lin Xingxue, hearing the sound of the wheelchair, quickly hid her book under the quilt.
Her movements were quick, and Shen Hanxing seemed to notice nothing unusual when he entered.
Lin Xingxue approached him, took out the ointment bottle she got from Qi Ye, and wrote in his palm: Time to apply the ointment.
Shen Hanxing looked at the scab on her lip, not needing ointment anymore.
Seeing his misunderstanding, Lin Xingxue opened the bottle, releasing a strange sticky smell.
Shen Hanxing immediately realized what it was and his expression turned colder, “Did Qi Ye give this to you?”
The girl nodded.
“No need to apply,” Shen Hanxing pushed the bottle away, “It’s useless.”
An external ointment with almost negligible effect, why bother using it? It was self-deception.
Lin Xingxue shook her head and wrote in his palm: Try it, it might help.
Even the smallest effect was useful; it shouldn’t be given up so easily.
Seeing her stubbornness, Shen Hanxing’s eyes lowered, looking at the girl with dark eyes seemingly suppressing something, “Do you think I am pitiful, trying all means to make me stand?”
Lin Xingxue’s heart tightened, shaking her head vigorously.
After a long silence, she wrote in his palm: You are a heavenly god.
“A heavenly god?” Shen Hanxing sneered, “If heavenly gods were like me, they couldn’t even save anyone. No need to try.”
He pushed Lin Xingxue away and went straight behind the screen.
Lin Xingxue stood there in a daze, watching Shen Hanxing’s desolate back, feeling a pang in her heart.
No one seemed to consider whether the once high-spirited young man, falling from grace, felt pain. The world only saw his cold side, retreating in fear, never seeing his vulnerability.
Lin Xingxue tightly held the ointment bottle, looking at the Yulan magnolia sachet at her waist.
Inside was a jade token, the initial connection between her and her husband.
[1] Her mother
[2] as a higher-ranked maid who didn’t do any heavy labor
[3] Lin Xingxue’s sister