After Rebirth, My Aloof Husband Can Hear My Inner Thoughts [Transmigration & Rebirth] - Chapter 29

Xie Zhizhou ate without tasting the food, and even when Lin Zhiping asked him about court affairs, he responded with little interest.

After several rounds of polite conversation, the table fell silent for a while.

A cool breeze rustled through, gently swaying the water lilies in the fish tank. A faint lotus fragrance drifted over, mingling with the sweet pear scent from Lin Shengshen, lingering at the tip of Xie Zhizhou’s nose.

He couldn’t help but lower his gaze. He saw the soft black hair at the back of Lin Shengshen’s ears cascading over her shoulders, her ears like flawless white jade, and further down, her neck and collarbones.

Xie Zhizhou lifted his head, not daring to look any longer.

If he remembered correctly, there was a small mole beneath her collarbone. Last night, that tiny mole had been exposed when her undergarments came loose, rising and falling with her breath, tempting him to take a bite.

His heart racing, Xie Zhizhou took a few more bites of the chilled locust leaf noodles.

It wasn’t enough—this dish should have been served with more ice.

Lin Shengshen watched as Xie Zhizhou ate bite after bite, feeling puzzled.

[I don’t remember Xie Zhizhou liking this before…]

Under the bright moon and gentle breeze, with the fragrance of flowers wafting around, Lin Shengshen stopped overthinking. Her appetite returned, and she buried herself in her meal.

After the others had picked up their chopsticks and paused again, each held their cups to drink.

Lin Zhiping was in high spirits. Firstly, he hadn’t seen his student in a long time and had naturally been concerned; now that Xu Wei had returned safely, he could rest easy. Secondly, he had noticed how well Xie Zhizhou treated Lin Shengshen, and his previously anxious heart was finally at ease.

“Yuzheng, I heard you were assassinated in Yingzhou. What exactly happened?” Lin Zhiping asked.

Xie Zhizhou set down his wine cup and looked up. Yingzhou?

Xu Wei replied, “This time, I was sent to Yingzhou under the Ministry of Water Resources’ orders to conduct an inspection. It’s only a day’s journey from Yunjing to Yingzhou, but I was ambushed as soon as I reached the Yingzhou border. Fortunately, the servant Uncle arranged for me was highly skilled in martial arts, so I returned safely.”

“With the official documents, it only took a day to reach Yingzhou. The assassins were so well-informed and familiar with my itinerary—it’s clear they were from Yunjing.”

Lin Zhiping sighed. “Yunjing has been unstable lately.”

“After the Yingzhou flood and Minister Xu’s suicide in prison, no officials from the capital have been sent to inspect Yingzhou. Even the Crown Prince’s men were completely withdrawn back then.”

Xu Wei said, “On the day I entered Yingzhou, after escaping, I stayed at the county office. I thought the trouble had passed, but on the day I set out for the Ying River, assassins followed me again. This time, they were patient, waiting until I reached a remote mountainous area before making their move.”

Chen Yuying asked with concern, “Yingzhou borders Yunjing and has always been well-governed. Apart from that flood years ago, it’s usually peaceful. How could it be so dangerous?”

Lin Zhiping said meaningfully, “The decline of the Xu family back then probably wasn’t as simple as it seemed.”

“Xu family?” Chen Yuying inquired. “If I recall correctly, Lin Xunen’s deputy is named Xu Wulin—seems he was the only son of the Xu family back then.”

Lin Zhiping nodded.

The group drank another round of wine and didn’t elaborate further on the matter.

After all, when the Xu family was imprisoned years ago, it was by His Majesty’s personal decree in a fit of rage. Now that years had passed, and Xu Wulin had grown from a frail youth into a young general, why stir up trouble by bringing it up again?

Moreover, back then, the Crown Prince was cold-shouldered by His Majesty for a whole year because of this incident, and even the Empress voluntarily retreated to Buddhist cultivation.

Who would dare bring up old matters now?

Even if Xu Wulin stood before His Majesty, he wouldn’t dare cry injustice for what happened back then.

Lin Shengshen pricked up her ears and listened intently for a long while.

[After Lord Xu was imprisoned over the Yingzhou flood, he kept proclaiming his innocence. I heard he submitted petitions repeatedly and never admitted guilt during interrogations. It’s truly puzzling why he suddenly committed suicide in prison.]

Xie Zhizhou lowered his eyelashes. Lin Shengshen seemed quite informed about the Xu family affair.

[Was Lord Xu wrongly accused or deserving of punishment? And what about Xu Wulin? How much did he know about the flood back then? Why did he abandon the city and flee in the northern territories?]

Lin Shengshen found the matter bewildering. In her previous life, she had been solely focused on the Xie family, with no interest in outside news, so now, trying to piece it together felt like groping in the dark—utterly clueless.

[If Lord Xu hadn’t died in prison, would Xu Wulin have grown up without deserting his post? Did he abandon the city out of hatred for the Great Yong, or for someone specific in the dynasty?]

[Lord Xu was very likely framed.]

Xie Zhizhou’s heart jolted, his ears ringing. What had he just heard?

Xu Wulin abandoned the city?

But wasn’t Xu Wulin currently serving as a deputy under Lin Xunen without issue?

Even if there were battles, it should be Lin Xunen leading the campaigns, not Xu Wulin.

With a clatter, the wine cup in Xie Zhizhou’s hand tipped over on the table, the fragrant liquor instantly soaking into his sleeve and spreading a damp patch.

Lin Shengshen suddenly snapped back to attention, exclaiming “Oh no!” as she hurriedly stood up, hoping to avoid staining her own clothes, but it was too late—some wine had already trickled onto her skirt.

Chen Yuying instructed the two maids beside her, “Go, assist the young lady and young master in changing clothes.”

Xie Zhizhou walked alongside Lin Shengshen like a man in a daze.

A bold conjecture suddenly struck him: what if the dreams Lin Shengshen had were all real events?

Only, they occurred in another time and space, akin to… past and present lives?

If that were the case, everything would make sense.

Lin Shengshen had married into the Xie family full of hope, yet never received his proper regard. Many things might have happened in between—the Lin family’s decline, with no one to support them, and in the end, Lin Shengshen… Lin Shengshen, she…

Xie Zhizhou didn’t dare think further.

But if the Lin family had fallen, how could he have stood by and done nothing? Even if there were no marital affection between him and Lin Shengshen, he wouldn’t have been capable of coldly watching the Lin family collapse.

Lin Zhiping was no mediocrity. Having served as an official traveling between the north and south for years, he understood the people’s hardships best. Though the Lin family were newly risen nobles, standing in stark opposition to the century-old Xie family, Xie Zhizhou knew clearly in his heart that Lin Zhiping possessed true ministerial talent—and for this, he held genuine respect.

Even without considering Lin Shengshen’s affection, merely judging by Lin Zhiping’s literary talent and Lin Xunen’s military prowess, Xie Zhizhou would not stand idly by and watch the Lin family fall.

He and Lin Shengshen must have had many misunderstandings.

Yet, aside from these misunderstandings, given his aloofness and indifference toward Lin Shengshen, perhaps…

A pain as sharp as carving bone and scraping flesh suddenly surged in Xie Zhizhou’s heart. He recalled Lin Shengshen’s tears in her sleep and the trembling when she drew close to him.

In their past life, he must have hurt her deeply.

So much so that Lin Shengshen now suffered from nightmares every night.

He suddenly felt despair. Only now did he truly understand how bitter those tears were—so bitter they scorched his heart with agonizing pain.

Even if there were misunderstandings between him and Lin Shengshen, was there any chance left for redemption?

She must despise him utterly.

Moonlight cast the courtyard of Shuying Pavilion as if flooded with water, the dense shadows of trees intertwining in the water—chaotic and turbid, mirroring Xie Zhizhou’s current state of mind.

The two entered the main room. Lin Shengshen dismissed the maids, and a single lamp flickered faintly in the room as Xie Zhizhou closed the door.

Lin Shengshen carried the small lamp behind the screen and silently began changing her clothes.

Though she said nothing, Xie Zhizhou could hear her thoughts clearly.

[After the series of events—the Consort’s miscarriage, the Crown Prince’s confinement, my brother’s imprisonment, Xu Wulin’s abandonment of the city, and Prince Su saving the northern border from disaster—what truth lies hidden beneath it all?]

[Qi Xin’s suspicious behavior—in our past life, was the Consort’s miscarriage caused by Qi Xin or the Crown Prince?]

[Hmm, why did I tie the silk ribbon of my undergarment into a tight knot?]

[Oh… I remember now. Ever since Xie Zhizhou went mad and slept on my bed that day, I’ve been tying the silk ribbon of my undergarment into a tight knot every day…]

[Ah, forget it. I won’t change the undergarment for now. Only the hem of my skirt got wet anyway.]

[But the dress Peilan brought me is light yellow, and my undergarment is pale red—they really don’t match…]

Xie Zhizhou stood outside the screen, hesitating to change his own clothes. His throat tightened. “Shall I help you?” he asked, his voice slightly hoarse.

Lin Shengshen was startled. “Absolutely not!”

[It’s all Xie Zhizhou’s fault! If he hadn’t spilled the wine, I wouldn’t be struggling like this!]

Feeling guilty, Xie Zhizhou added, “Are you having trouble untying the ribbon? I can help you.” He said earnestly, “I won’t look.”

Lin Shengshen’s arms were sore from twisting behind her back, and she was physically exhausted. After a moment’s thought, she replied, “Then come and help me.”

“Alright.”

Lin Shengshen naturally knew he wouldn’t look. Xie Zhizhou usually regarded women with the same indifference as grass by the roadside, his gaze always detached and uninterested.

Besides, if Xie Zhizhou weren’t in a hurry to leave Shuying Pavilion and return to the flower hall, unwilling to share the same room with her, he probably wouldn’t bother helping her now.

Lin Shengshen watched as Xie Zhizhou walked behind the screen with his eyes closed.

She turned around, took his hand, and placed it on the tight knot hanging in the middle of her back. “Hurry up.”

Xie Zhizhou’s fingers, brushed by her soft hand and accidentally touching Lin Shengshen’s back, felt as if scorched by a flame. He instinctively wanted to pull away, yet he couldn’t bring himself to.

After a long internal struggle, he finally opened his eyes.

With just one glance, his breath caught, and the blood in his body surged like a bursting dam—first rushing to his head, then flowing downward.

Xie Zhizhou felt dizzy.

Several silk ribbons draped along the smooth curve of her spine, the ones pressed against her sides leaving slight indentations on her skin while the middle ribbon hovered just above her backbone, shifting with Lin Shengshen’s breathing.

Following the spine downward was…

Xie Zhizhou exhaled a heavy breath of heated air, then drew another deep inhale—Lin Shengshen’s natural fragrance instantly flooded his senses.

He began untying the stubborn knot.

Lin Shengshen gathered the hair draped over her shoulders to her front, her mind still occupied with the news she’d received earlier. Having Xie Zhizhou standing behind her made her deeply uncomfortable.

Moreover, perhaps because his eyes were closed, his fingertips kept accidentally brushing against her back. His fingers were cool, sending tingling sensations through her.

The main chamber was utterly silent.

Xie Zhizhou suddenly spoke: “Lin Shengshen, when is your birthday?”

“Hmm?” Lin Shengshen pulled her thoughts back, replying, “It passed long ago. Your birthday is in March, mine is in February.”

“February?”

“February twenty-sixth.”

Xie Zhizhou’s hands stilled. If he remembered correctly, February twenty-sixth was the day he had gone to consummate their marriage with Lin Shengshen.

Had she waited for him that day in her previous life, overjoyed at first, only to fall asleep alone with tears in her eyes?

Her birthday—had he torn it apart and ruined it just like that?

A sharp pain twisted in Xie Zhizhou’s chest. He suddenly wanted to embrace the slender figure before him, but his hands trembled slightly, and in the end, he didn’t move.

“Lin Shengshen, I’m sorry.”

“Ah? Can’t you untie it?” Lin Shengshen reached back herself and found the knot had already been loosened.

She didn’t dwell on what he was apologizing for, simply saying, “Thank you.”

Yet the person behind her remained motionless. Lin Shengshen added, “Young Master Xie, you may leave now. I need to put on my dress.”

Xie Zhizhou stepped out from behind the screen and returned to his original position, listening to the faint rustle of fabric from the other side.

The fervent blood that had surged through him moments before was suddenly plunged into an ice bucket.

A sour, bitter green apricot seemed lodged in Xie Zhizhou’s throat—impossible to swallow, impossible to spit out.