“Moreover, I also touched your feet.”
Xie Yunye added, “Naturally, I must take responsibility for you.”
These words only made Meng Jinyue feel even more ashamed and furious to the point of death.
Her eyes reddened as she choked back tears and asked:
“You… do you mean that just by helping a woman, with only slight contact, you must take responsibility? Then… in the future, your rear courtyard will likely be filled with countless women.”
Meng Jinyue took a deep breath before daring to speak.
Her nature had always been gentle and timid, and tonight, she must have been terrified to dare ask him such a question.
Xie Yunye was not angry but instead earnestly explained to her: “I have never touched another woman and would not casually allow other women to get close to me.”
“Tonight’s incident was merely a coincidence. Since it has already happened and was caused by me, I should handle it properly.”
“I will not become your concubine.”
Meng Jinyue tightly bit her lips, tears welling in her eyes.
“Not as a concubine.”
Xie Yunye chuckled, “I will marry you.”
“It was I who barged into your room. Since I must take responsibility for you, how could I make you a concubine? What difference would that have from insulting you?”
Meng Jinyue bit her lip, took a deep breath, and mustered the courage to interrupt him:
“I… I don’t need you to take responsibility for me. I only wish you could forget tonight’s events, no matter what you saw.”
She turned her back, trembling as she wrapped herself in her outer garment, and continued speaking.
“I will only remember you as Second Sister’s fiancé, my future brother-in-law. I will never do anything to betray Second Sister, nor will I ever compete with my own sister for anything.”
Xie Yunye gazed at her with dark, complex eyes.
He had never seen such a foolishly naive woman. Meng Jinrong wished to trample her into the dust and had spoken countless slanderous words about her.
Yet, even now, she could not see through the true nature of this elder sister, still foolishly regarding her as a beloved sibling.
“Is that acceptable?”
After she finished speaking, Meng Jinyue watched as Xie Yunye’s favorability toward her increased significantly once again. In truth, after their first meeting, Xie Yunye’s favorability toward her had already reached thirty. After some time had passed, on the day he sent the Shadow Guard, it had risen to thirty-five, and today it reached forty-two.
“Are you truly certain? Do you really not care about tonight’s incident?”
If it were any other woman, having her body seen by someone would likely leave her heartbroken and devastated.
“Yes, I cannot betray Second Sister.”
Meng Jinyue understood clearly that Xie Yunye’s offer to take responsibility at this moment was genuine.
He prided himself on being upright and honorable. Tonight’s events weighed on his conscience, so naturally, he would want to make amends.
But if she truly agreed, things would become different once again.
In her previous life, it had been like this. After Xie Yunye proposed to marry her, the Xie family was thrown into chaos. The Xie family did not agree, and Meng Jinrong’s maternal family, the Chenguo Duke’s residence, also opposed it.
Meng Jinrong even attempted suicide by hanging, and the matter was brought before the Empress herself.
In the end, Xie Yunye’s intention to marry her came to nothing.
People always weigh the pros and cons. Xie Yunye’s offer to take responsibility stemmed from the teachings he had received since childhood, not because he particularly liked her or could not live without her.
In truth, if one truly loves someone, all obstacles become mere trials in the eyes of lovers. The more they are opposed, the more fiercely and resolutely they love.
But Xie Yunye was not like that. So, in her previous life, when the situation escalated beyond control, she was the one who had to be abandoned.
Xie Yunye could not, for a woman he did not particularly care for, defy everyone’s opposition and disregard imperial authority.
Unfortunately, in her previous life, she had failed to see through these things. Back then, she had believed she would spend her entire life following her father’s arrangements, unable to escape the fate of being sent away to serve others with her beauty.
But Xie Yunye had given her hope.
Just as he had vowed earnestly tonight, promising to take responsibility for her, she had believed him then—trapped with no way out, her body seen completely by Xie Yunye.
She regarded Xie Yunye as her savior and saw what had happened as fate.
She thought she could leave the Meng residence through Xie Yunye, escape this hellhole that treated her as less than human.
Yet just as she was filled with hope, reality plunged her into despair.
Xie Yunye apologized to her and offered generous compensation, but this compensation only made Meng Jinrong hate her even more fiercely.
In her previous life, Xie Yunye could be considered one of the triggers for her death.
So in this life, it seemed only fitting that she used him to get close to the Crown Prince.
“Alright.”
Xie Yunye had his own pride. After being rejected by Meng Jinyue like this, he did not bring it up again.
“Matters concerning a woman’s reputation are delicate. I will keep tonight’s events strictly confidential, ensuring no third person learns of them.”
“Adding A Zhi’s matter to this, I now owe you twice. With two favors owed, if you ever have a need in the future, simply have Qiu Zhi relay the message. If I can help, I will certainly do so.”
Meng Jinyue shook her head.
Guilt could indeed quickly forge connections between people—like how she and Xie Qingzhi had become close friends after she saved her.
But Meng Jinyue also understood that too much of anything was harmful. Excessive guilt could become a burden for the person receiving help.
This much was already enough. Retreating to advance was the superior strategy.
She lowered her gaze, her tone sincere as she shook her head and whispered softly, “Although I saved A Zhi before, you also gave me Qiu Zhi, and A Zhi has treated me very well. We’ve long been even.”
“As for tonight’s matter, if you still feel uneasy…”
She lowered her head in thought for a moment before cautiously speaking, “You could give me some silver.”
Xie Yunye: “How much?”
Meng Jinyue: “Twenty taels will suffice.”
“Twenty taels of gold?”
Meng Jinyue hurriedly shook her head in panic, “N-no, silver.”
Xie Yunye scoffed. Was she a fool or an idiot, to make such a trivial request?
It seemed she truly wanted nothing to do with him.
Xie Yunye: “Is one favor from me only worth twenty taels?”
He was once again struck by her naivety.
“Then… fifty taels?”
Meng Jinyue asked tentatively in a small voice.
Seeing Xie Yunye remain silent, Meng Jinyue lowered her head, somewhat at a loss. “Is that too much? Actually, I could just take…”
Before she could finish, Xie Yunye waved his hand to interrupt her. “Choose something else! Don’t mention silver!”
“Ah?” Meng Jinyue was stunned, a hint of grievance in her voice. “If you don’t want to give money, that’s fine. Just give me something that doesn’t involve silver, as long as we’re even.”
Xie Yunye glanced at her, his words light but pointed. “A favor from me, Xie Yunye, is not so worthless as to be measured in mere taels.”
“Ah?… Oh.” Meng Jinyue finally understood, staring at him blankly.
The stunningly beautiful woman before him had wide, round eyes that were incredibly clear, yet somehow still looked a bit foolish.
“Think about it properly!”
Meng Jinyue obediently lowered her head to think. She paused and pondered for a long while, then suddenly lifted her head, gazing at him with eager, sparkling eyes.
Xie Yunye waited for her to speak, but she bit her lip and remained silent for a long time.
“Speak your mind. If Xie has promised something, he will see it through.”
“Could… could you secretly look after my mother? She’s all alone at the manor, and I worry for her.”
“Just keep her safe, is that alright?”
Her voice carried a plea.
Xie Yunye gazed at Meng Jinyue. He had overestimated her—her long silence had led him to believe she was about to make some difficult request.
“I will have someone discreetly watch over your mother. No harm will come to her.”
“Thank you.”
When he had proposed marrying her, she hadn’t shown much joy. Yet now, with his promise to care for her mother, her delight was unmistakable.
Meng Jinyue asked, “You’re injured. Would you like me to bandage it?”
Xie Yunye’s lips curved upward. “Alright.”
He knew she wanted to repay his kindness, and since he was indeed wounded, he didn’t refuse.
But just as she was about to begin, a frantic knocking sounded at the door.
“Who is it?” Meng Jinyue’s voice held a note of tension.