After Rebirth, My Aloof Husband Can Hear My Inner Thoughts [Transmigration & Rebirth] - Chapter 18

The next morning, when Lin Shengshen woke, Xie Zhizhou was long gone from the Arhat Bed, with the bedding neatly folded and placed to the side.

On the small table beside the Arhat Bed lay several books, the top one being The Collection of Doubtful Cases. Next to it was coiled a hair ribbon in a sapphire blue shade he seldom wore.

Such a youthful, spirited color, paired with the slightly ornate baoxiang floral pattern, clashed sharply with Xie Zhizhou’s usual mature, solemn, and unsmiling demeanor.

Lin Shengshen walked over, picked up the hair ribbon, and gazed at it for a long time.

Peilan approached from behind, holding a dress, and craned her neck to look. “Isn’t this the hair ribbon you gave the young master a long time ago? Back then, he had all those things returned, but this ribbon was accidentally left behind. You were so happy about it for ages, miss.”

“Happy for ages?”

Perhaps in this lifetime, it hadn’t been long since that incident, but for Lin Shengshen, after three years of suffering and countless tears, the memory had faded significantly in her heart.

Peilan didn’t notice Lin Shengshen’s sudden dip in mood and merely smiled as she said, “Miss, hurry and get dressed. Second Miss is waiting for you outside.”

Lin Shengshen quickly brushed the matter aside. “Why is that child waiting outside? The sun is so strong—call her in at once.”

“I tried, miss, but Second Miss said she’s too ashamed to face you and refuses to come in. Perhaps you should go out to her?”

Lin Shengshen lifted the curtain and stepped out.

Under a small tree by the veranda, Xie Zhenhuan stood plucking petals from a camellia.

The little girl’s face, initially clouded with worry, lit up at the sight of Lin Shengshen, her small fangs peeking out eagerly. But then she lowered her head again, her little mouth drooping.

Lin Shengshen glanced at her and couldn’t help but laugh. She stepped forward, took Xie Zhenhuan’s hand, and led her inside.

“What’s this? Brave enough to drug me, but not brave enough to face me?” Lin Shengshen pinched Xie Zhenhuan’s cheek. “Am I more frightening than your brother?”

Xie Zhenhuan protected her cheek while dodging, “Sister-in-law, sister-in-law, I was wrong…”

Lin Shengshen released her, “Knowing you’re wrong is good enough. Don’t be so mischievous from now on.”

“Sister-in-law, it’s all my fault. I thought you’d be willing, so I… but I ended up hurting brother. You must have been suffering lately too, I… I didn’t even dare to come see you.”

“Hurt?” Lin Shengshen laughed scornfully, “I’m the one who got hurt! What injury could Xie Zhizhou possibly have?”

[Could it be that if that part of him becomes like that, it would get injured if not…?]

Just as Xie Zhizhou reached the corner and saw the two of them huddled together inside the door, he heard this sentence and paused in his steps, “…”

Xie Zhenhuan said with a pained expression, “I heard brother bled a lot that day.”

“Bled?!”

[I’ve only heard that women might bleed during their first time, but never that men could too… Besides, I didn’t touch him that day, how could that part of him bleed?]

Xie Zhizhou’s expression became unreadable as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Xie Zhenhuan continued, “Sister-in-law, don’t you know?”

Lin Shengshen shook her head like a rattle-drum.

Xie Zhenhuan suddenly realized something, “You two weren’t together that day?”

Lin Shengshen looked rather proud, “Of course not.”

“So that means brother didn’t force you? And you didn’t cut him with scissors? Then how did he bleed so much?” Yuan Qing’s information must be unreliable!

Lin Shengshen was completely confused by this question, “What?”

Before the two could say more, they heard the door open. Xie Zhizhou, who should have left early in the morning, had actually returned.

Having been caught gossiping about someone just as that person appeared, both Xie Zhenhuan and Lin Shengshen looked uncomfortable.

Lin Shengshen glanced at Xie Zhizhou and saw him standing as proud as a pine tree among clouds, still with that arrogant look as if no one else mattered. He entered Tangli Residence as naturally as if it were his own study.

[Seems he didn’t hear.]

[But… why haven’t I heard about Xie Zhizhou being injured recently? And injured by scissors?]

Lin Shengshen’s eyes lit up.

[Could it really be as I thought – after that part of him becomes like that, if it doesn’t get relief, it bleeds?]

[Yes, yes, that must be it! He’s too embarrassed to tell anyone, so he’s blaming it on me.]

[What an injustice. I never thought Xie Zhizhou, who’s always so fair and just, would one day throw mud at someone else. And I know the truth but can’t explain it to Zhenhuan…]

Xie Zhizhou felt something inside him shatter piece by piece. Keeping a straight face, he said sternly, “Zhenhuan, how is the book copying coming along?”

Xie Zhenhuan felt like the sky was falling, “What? Brother, didn’t you say I could rest today and accompany sister-in-law to the temple?” Why was he asking about copying books now?

Xie Zhizhou coughed and said, “I meant the copying from the other day.”

“Of course it’s finished.” Xie Zhenhuan said with confidence.

“Then go do it. Why are you still standing here?”

After saying this, Xie Zhizhou walked to the inner room, took a book from the small table, scanned the table with his eyes, and then walked out.

“Yuan Qing, where is the medicine you were supposed to have ready?” Xie Zhizhou sat in the official’s armchair by the window.

Yuan Qing hurriedly fetched the medicine.

He saw that Xie Zhizhou had already rolled up his sleeve himself, unwrapped the silk cloth, revealing a deep and long wound beneath, and began applying the medicine.

Yuan Qing stood nearby, somewhat puzzled.

A few days ago, the young master had said the wound was fine and didn’t need more medicine, so why was he applying it again now?

Xie Zhenhuan nearly rushed over, her eyes misty with tears as she saw the wound. “Brother, how did it get so serious?”

Xie Zhizhou said calmly, “It’s nothing.”

After speaking, he glanced seemingly unintentionally at Lin Shengshen, only to see her still sitting in her original spot, not even casting a look his way.

“Brother, I was wrong, I won’t dare do it again,” Xie Zhenhuan said, taking the medicine bottle and starting to sprinkle powder on Xie Zhizhou’s wound.

Xie Zhizhou seemed to be in pain, frowning and letting out a cold hiss.

“Brother, it must hurt a lot.”

“Not too bad.” In just two short words, one could hear the restraint.

Lin Shengshen finally looked over. She was genuinely curious—had he really been cut by scissors? How much did it hurt? In all the years before, she had never seen Xie Zhizhou in pain.

[It seems I was mistaken. Could it be that on the painted boat that day, Xie Zhizhou went mad from the medicine and accidentally cut himself?]

Lin Shengshen nodded to herself.

[So it wasn’t because that place became like that…]

Xie Zhizhou breathed a sigh of relief and stood up, lowering his sleeve and giving Lin Shengshen another glance, only to see that she had already turned her head away and was back to playing with the abacus beads in her hand.

“Since the medicine is applied, I’ll take my leave now.”

After saying this, he scanned the small tables and incense altar in the room but didn’t see the hair ribbon. Xie Zhizhou’s expression turned slightly subtle, and he strode away.

The weather was growing hotter, and Xie Zhizhou’s carriage had a basin of ice placed inside, accompanied by the faint fragrance of lychee, making it exceptionally refreshing.

“Aside from that hair ribbon, did you find any other items?”

Yuan Qing thought for a moment, then shook his head. “No. In the past, everything Young Madam sent over, you had me return. That hair ribbon was an oversight on my part—I accidentally left it behind.”

Xie Zhizhou said nothing more.

According to Yuan Qing, Lin Shengshen had been sending him various things over the years, but he had little impression of them. Because from the first time he received a fan pendant from Lin Shengshen, he had ordered Yuan Qing to return everything without reporting it.

Yuan Qing spoke up inopportunely from outside the carriage, “Young Master, did Young Madam see that hair ribbon? She must be very happy to discover you’ve kept the hair ribbon she gave you.”

“Shut up.”

Yuan Qing quickly closed his mouth and didn’t dare say another word.

After a while, Xie Zhizhou asked, “If your wife gave you a hair ribbon and then took it back, what would that mean?”

It was rare for Xie Zhizhou to ask such a down-to-earth question. Yuan Qing had already guessed most of what had happened to that sapphire-blue hair ribbon. One had to ask—since childhood, Young Master Xie had been revered and respected wherever he went—when had he ever suffered such grievances?

First, he was rejected on their wedding night; then, on his birthday, his arm was cut and bleeding profusely as he returned home alone; and last night, he slept miserably on the Arhat Bed.

Forget about showing care and concern—these days, Young Madam hadn’t even given the young master a proper glance.

One might have thought the young master would enjoy the peace, but instead, he seemed to have taken it as a challenge, determined to figure out the intricacies of love and relationships between men and women.

Yuan Qing cleared his throat and said meaningfully, “She must have felt something wasn’t good enough and wanted to take it back to make changes.”

Xie Zhizhou nodded, lowered the carriage curtain, and sat upright again. He picked up the dossier and studied it carefully for a while before setting it down. “Well done,” he remarked.

Soon they arrived at Zhonghua Gate, where a carriage had already stopped by the palace entrance. Crafted from ebony inlaid with gold, it was exceptionally imposing—the Wen family’s carriage.

Xie Zhizhou alighted and, surrounded by palace attendants, proceeded through the gate. There, he encountered Wen Lingzhou, followed by a procession of palace maids carrying various rewards.

The two brushed past each other without yielding, but just as they were about to part ways, Wen Lingzhou suddenly turned around. “Lord Xie.”

Xie Zhizhou also turned, his expression indifferent as he glanced at Wen Lingzhou.

“The scent on Lord Xie reminds me of a formula I encountered in my youth.”

A faint smile tugged at Xie Zhizhou’s lips, though his brow remained cold. Having spent the night in Lin Shengshen’s chamber, his clothes were naturally imbued with the sweet fragrance of her room.

Even he was still unfamiliar with this scent—how could Wen Lingzhou recognize it so readily? The suspicions he had suppressed yesterday surged back abruptly.

“General Wen has a keen nose. After years of campaigning, perhaps it’s time to set aside such youthful sentiments.”

“Youthful sentiments are sincere, far better than feigned affection. If I were her, I would never choose someone cold and distant, only to live a life of sorrow.” Wen Lingzhou fanned himself with his folding fan. “What do you think, Lord Xie?”

Xie Zhizhou’s face instantly turned frosty. He stared at the fan for a moment—its exquisite jade ribs gleaming coldly, a perfect match for the pendant dangling beneath.

“You are not her, and you cannot sway her,” he said coldly.

Wen Lingzhou raised an eyebrow and nodded confidently. “Naturally, it depends on her choice.”

With that, he walked away, fanning himself. From behind, his high ponytail, woven with gold threads and gemstones, swayed slightly as he moved, suggesting a lighthearted mood.

Xie Zhizhou watched his figure disappear beyond Zhonghua Gate, his expression dark and unmoving.

The palace attendant, bewildered, ventured cautiously, “Lord Xie… this…”

“Let’s go.”