After Rebirth, My Aloof Husband Can Hear My Inner Thoughts [Transmigration & Rebirth] - Chapter 32

Lin Shengshen was momentarily speechless.

[Of course it hurts. I formulated it carefully—if it didn’t hurt, all my research these past days would have been for nothing.]

Xie Zhizhou kept his hand outstretched, displaying the wound to Lin Shengshen, even giving it a slight shake.

Lin Shengshen examined it carefully again, ensuring no residual powder remained on his hand. She reassured him, “Don’t worry, since I made it, I can cure it. Once we’re back at the Xie residence, I’ll prepare the medicine for you.”

Xie Zhizhou still didn’t withdraw his hand.

[…]

[What does he mean? Pain is normal—he has to endure it. Does he expect me to blow on it like a child?]

Xie Zhizhou’s eyes brightened slightly, though his expression remained impassive.

[I understand now. I made this powder myself and personally gave it to Wan’er. Xie Zhizhou witnessed everything, so he must be blaming me.]

[Well, it’s only natural.]

Lin Shengshen said, “I’m sorry, I didn’t know the powder would get on your hand. You were injured protecting me, and I will definitely make sure you recover completely.”

Xie Zhizhou’s eyes dimmed completely.

He withdrew his hand. “That’s not what I meant. Protecting you is my duty. It was my carelessness that caused the powder to get on me, it has nothing to do with you.”

Lin Shengshen glanced at Xie Zhizhou, somewhat perplexed.

[Protecting me is his duty? That doesn’t seem right. We maintain a respectful distance like two separate streams, what duty could there be?]

Lin Shengshen said stiffly, “Anyway, thank you… If it hurts badly, you can blow on it yourself.”

“Just remember to blow from a distance. If you blow too close, the warm air will make it hurt more.”

[I remember back in Lizhou when I fell and scraped my palm, Wen Lingzhou blew on it twice from very close. It hurt so much I grimaced in pain…]

The atmosphere in the carriage suddenly turned cold. Xie Zhizhou took a deep breath and exhaled helplessly. Wen Lingzhou again…

Xie Zhizhou raised his hand and blew several puffs of warm air directly onto the wound from very close range.

Seeing this, Lin Shengshen said anxiously, “Oh, why are you so foolish? That’s not how you do it. Didn’t I just teach you?”

Xie Zhizhou glanced at her and nodded to show he understood, then moved his hand an inch away and blew several more puffs of warm air.

[…]

“Not like that! Oh, why can’t you learn?” Lin Shengshen was so frustrated she wanted to stamp her feet. She took Xie Zhizhou’s injured hand, raised it to about a fist’s distance from her lips, then pursed her lips and blew gently a few times.

“See, you should blow like this. Can you feel how cool it is?”

Xie Zhizhou looked at her and nodded.

“Does it feel a bit better?”

Xie Zhizhou’s gaze fixed on her lips, and he nodded again.

Her hand was so soft, resting in his palm as if holding his beating heart.

He couldn’t tell warm air from cool air anymore, only feeling that his hand didn’t hurt at all, but rather itched faintly, like water gently stirred by willow branches.

When the warmth of her hand left, Xie Zhizhou felt empty inside, but he couldn’t bring himself to ask Lin Shengshen to blow on it again.

After all, even that previous moment had been something he schemed to obtain.

“Young Master, Young Madam, we’ve arrived at Xie Manor.” Yuan Qing’s voice sounded.

Since they were returning to Xie Manor unexpectedly in the middle of the night, they had disturbed Xie Changxing. Lin Shengshen had no choice but to accompany Xie Zhizhou to pay respects at Xie Changxing’s study first.

“You were supposed to be staying peacefully at the Lin residence. How did you suddenly injure your hand?” Xie Changxing took a sip of tea, his eyes repeatedly glancing at Xie Zhizhou’s hand before sweeping over to Lin Shengshen.

Lin Shengshen stood up to reply, “There was some trouble at Baoxiang Tower. My husband accompanied me to handle it and accidentally injured his hand.”

Husband, husband, husband…

Xie Zhizhou raised an eyebrow and sat up straighter. He’d never noticed before how softly Lin Shengshen said the word “husband,” with a trailing tone that seemed to hook at something.

He savored those two words carefully.

Xie Changxing snorted coldly. “Going to the shop to make a spectacle in the middle of the night? Whatever matters arise should be handled by the servants.”

Xie Yunshuang, who rarely moved about the residence and usually stayed in her own courtyard, had also come. Her voice was timid as she asked, “Brother, is your hand alright?”

Xie Yunshuang was Concubine Jin’s only child, now just sixteen years old. She had a plain face—if tossed into a crowd, it would take a while to pick her out again. Her temperament was quiet and reserved, and she usually stayed in her own courtyard.

Concubine Jin stood behind Xie Changxing and smiled. “Shengshen is young and hasn’t been living in Yunjing before. It’s normal for her to be a bit restless.”

Hearing this, Xie Changxing snorted coldly again. “Sell that shop of yours early and settle down at home to bear children and tend to your husband and family.”

[Old fossil.]

Just as Lin Shengshen was about to retort, Xie Zhizhou stood up. He first walked to Lin Shengshen’s side, wrapped his arm around her waist, and guided her to sit in the Rose Chair.

Then he turned to Xie Changxing and said, “If it weren’t for Lin Shengshen blocking for me today, your son might have been injured more than just his hand.”

“The matter at Baoxiang Tower is related to a case the Dali Temple is currently investigating. If I hadn’t insisted on going to check in the middle of the night, Lin Shengshen wouldn’t have followed me out of concern and ended up in danger.”

“Father, the injury on my son’s hand needs urgent treatment. I must take my leave now.”

Xie Changxing was stunned for a moment. “Ah, go on then. Go quickly and don’t delay.”

Xie Zhizhou nodded and led Lin Shengshen out of the study.

Throughout, he didn’t give Concubine Jin so much as a glance, as if she weren’t part of this family.

Watching Lin Shengshen being led out by Xie Zhizhou with his arm around her waist, Concubine Jin pursed her lips. “Sir, look at this! All these years, haven’t I treated the young master well? Yet he still doesn’t regard me!”

Xie Yunshuang stepped forward and took Concubine Jin’s arm. “Mother, let’s go back.”

Concubine Jin wouldn’t let it go, squeezing out two tears as she looked pitifully at Xie Changxing.

“Stop making a scene and go back,” Xie Changxing said, still reading his book, clearly unwilling to deal with these matters any further.

Originally, when Lady Wang died, Xie Zhizhou was still young, and Xie Changxing had the lucky thought that he wouldn’t understand the complexities involved.

But…

Recalling the words Xie Zhizhou had spoken to him in the study over a month ago,

Xie Changxing shuddered.

This son took after Lady Wang in temperament—not someone to be trifled with.

He was getting old and only wished for a smooth life in his remaining years, watching Xie Zhizhou uphold the Xie family and prevent those cousins in Dingzhou from coveting their position. As for other matters, he couldn’t be bothered.

Concubine Jin quickly retracted her tears. “Never mind, never mind. After all, I’m not his birth mother.”

She had managed to stand out among the many beauties in the Xie residence not just through her looks but also through her ability to read situations and know when to stop.

“Yunshuang, quickly bring the nourishing soup you made today for your father to taste.”

Xie Yunshuang complied and brought it forward.

Xie Changxing set down the book scroll and picked up a porcelain spoon to stir the bowl.

Concubine Jin seized the moment to speak. “I’ve heard that you’ve recently started looking for a match for Zhenhuan… Yunshuang is only half a year younger than Zhenhuan. Do you think we could also look for a match for Yunshuang?”

“What ideas do you have?” Xie Changxing set down the porcelain spoon and asked coldly.

Concubine Jin said, “I don’t have any specific ideas, but I’ve heard that Consort Qi is currently selecting a liangdi for Prince Su…”

Before she could finish, Xie Changxing rebuked, “Do not even think about Prince Su! Cizhou currently supports His Majesty in court and never involves himself in factional struggles. If our family were to produce another concubine for Prince Su, what kind of spectacle would that be? How would Cizhou maintain his standing in court?”

Concubine Jin quickly stopped her.

“Let alone the matter of factional struggles, the Xie family has never emphasized the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children over its century-long history. If discussing marriage arrangements, Yunshuang would naturally be treated fairly. Why do you, as her mother, keep insisting on sending your daughter to be a concubine?”

“Yunshuang has a gentle and quiet temperament. It would be better for her to be the legal wife of a minor official or military officer than to become a concubine in a prince’s residence.”

Xie Changxing pushed the porcelain bowl away, causing the soup inside to spill onto the table.

Concubine Jin dared not say more and signaled with her eyes for Xie Yunshuang to withdraw.

Even she, a woman confined to the inner chambers, knew that Prince Su had recently achieved great merits. There was no guarantee that he might eventually replace the Eastern Palace and ascend the throne. If that were to happen, what would it matter to temporarily be a concubine?

When Prince Su rises to greater heights in the future and enters the palace to become a royal consort—that would be the proper path!

But she didn’t dare say this aloud, knowing it wasn’t the right time for such discussions. Many matters still required her own careful planning.

Lin Shengshen returned to Tangli Residence, picked up a brush and wrote a prescription, handing it to Baidou. “Quickly! Fetch the medicine and simmer it over a low fire.”

Baidou accepted the order and left. Peilan approached carrying sleepwear.

“Young mistress, please go bathe quickly. That powder today was pervasive—be careful it hasn’t gotten on your clothes.”

Without looking up, Lin Shengshen replied, “I can tell by the scent—none has gotten on me.”

She set down her jade brush and said to Xie Zhizhou, “You should go bathe quickly. There’s some on you.”

Xie Zhizhou’s eyes softened. Lin Shengshen had thought of him first.

He stood up and headed toward the bathing chamber.

“Ah, be careful of your wound—don’t let it get wet.”

Xie Zhizhou gave her a deep look and nodded. “Alright.”

Lin Shengshen handed the written prescription to Peilan. “When the house physician arrives later, give this to him. Ask if the medicines listed are correct. If any additions or reductions are needed, let the physician handle it—it’s not urgent.”

“Oh, and remember, this forsythia ingredient absolutely must not be omitted. The others can be adjusted.”

Peilan took the prescription, hesitating as if wanting to speak but holding back.

“What is it?”

“Young mistress, General Wen had a messenger deliver a letter to you through the purchasing maid in our courtyard.”

Lin Shengshen grew wary. “Which maid?”

“Xiaomei. Don’t worry, young mistress—General Wen didn’t reveal his identity. No one else knows, and even I only recognized it by the mark on the message tube.”

Reassured, Lin Shengshen said, “Good, give it to me.”

Peilan hesitated. “Young mistress… this…” She glanced toward the bathing chamber. “Perhaps you should wait until the young master leaves tomorrow before reading it.”

Suddenly understanding, Lin Shengshen said, “What are you thinking? This is just an ordinary message. Besides, even if there were something, it wouldn’t matter.”

Lin Shengshen took the message tube.

Wen Lingzhou’s handwriting was wild and bold: Xu Wulin indeed has trusted followers in the southeast. The coral matter is suspicious—be extremely careful.

The following content seemed to have been written after a long pause, the ink somewhat dry: Conflict has erupted in the northwest. I will depart soon. Shengshen, take care.

Lin Shengshen folded the letter and sat in a daze under the lamplight for a while.

The two of them had been childhood friends, but those days in Lizhou were too distant now—many details had grown fuzzy in her memory.

Vaguely, those indescribable feelings—whether friendship or something else—she couldn’t distinguish them clearly now. In any case, when Wen Lingzhou left for the southwestern campaign in their youth, she had been truly heartbroken for a long time.

Perhaps it was simply because they had grown up together and played side by side since childhood, that the sudden separation left her feeling so empty.

That lingering sense of loss clung to her like the dampness of the rainy season, sticking stubbornly for a long time until she arrived in Yunjing and filled her heart with other matters before finally shaking it off.

No matter what, she would always worry when he went off to battle. Having grown up together, she hoped Wen Lingzhou would return safely.

Lin Shengshen picked up her brush, pausing to think before writing a little, then stopping again to ponder. It took her a long time to finish just a small page. After folding it, she retrieved it just before handing it over.

Peilan asked, “Miss, would you like to write another letter?”

Lin Shengshen shook her head and burned the letter. “Forget it, there wasn’t much to say anyway.”

When Xie Zhizhou emerged from the bath chamber, he happened to see Lin Shengshen sitting at the desk, lost in thought.

The room carried the scent of burnt letter paper.

His heart tightened, and he inexplicably recalled the letter Lin Shengshen had burned in the carriage that day—it had been from Wen Lingzhou.

Wen Lingzhou and she were exchanging letters again.

So, was Lin Shengshen’s melancholy at the desk because of that letter?

If he wasn’t mistaken, Wen Lingzhou would be setting off for the northwest in half a month. Had she found out and was feeling down?

An unfamiliar emotion surged within him—a sour ache in his heart, tinged with rising anger and impulsiveness.

This feeling was something he had never experienced in over twenty years of his life.

It was jealousy.

Perhaps Lin Shengshen was right—he was far more jealous than she was.

A sudden, piercing pain shot through his fingers. The agony he hadn’t noticed earlier now assailed him with full force.