After Rebirth, My Aloof Husband Can Hear My Inner Thoughts [Transmigration & Rebirth] - Chapter 36

When Xie Zhizhou entered Tangli Residence, Lin Shengshen was sitting before the mirror removing the gold hairpins from her hair. She didn’t even glance up when he walked in.

He walked over and sat down in the armchair several steps behind Lin Shengshen, accepting a cup of tea offered by Peilan. He drank while reading, occasionally lifting his eyes to gaze at the reflection in the mirror.

Outside the window, clusters of roses swayed in the wind, their shadows faintly visible under the dim yellow light from inside. Lin Shengshen sat quietly before the mirror, more captivating than the flamboyant roses.

Peilan approached, holding a jade comb to style Lin Shengshen’s hair. As she combed, she marveled, “Miss, your hair is truly beautiful!”

Lin Shengshen smiled, raising her eyes to look at her reflection in the mirror. Just then, she caught sight of Xie Zhizhou seated slightly behind her, watching intently as if deeply absorbed. Frowning, Lin Shengshen said, “Peilan, you may retire and rest for now. We can continue combing tomorrow.”

Peilan withdrew as instructed, leaving only Lin Shengshen and Xie Zhizhou in the room.

“Lord Xie, although as an inner chamber woman I have no right to inquire about the Dali Temple’s cases, I am still the owner of a perfumery that was searched. So…”

“Ask away,” Xie Zhizhou replied before she could finish. He stood and walked behind Lin Shengshen, picking up the jade comb Peilan had just set down. Gently stroking her dark hair, he prepared to comb it.

Lin Shengshen immediately stood up.

[If you want me to ask, then why are you combing my hair?]

“Lord Xie, please maintain propriety.”

Xie Zhizhou snapped back to reality, glanced at the jade comb in his hand, and returned to sit in the armchair.

He must have been possessed by a ghost just now—how could he have…

Feeling empty inside, Xie Zhizhou took a sip of water and resumed reading. But the words seemed like celestial script, twisted and jumbled, making it difficult to focus and comprehend.

Lin Shengshen sat down again. “Lord Xie, did the search of all the perfumeries and apothecaries in the city that day yield any results?”

Xie Zhizhou shook his head. “Nothing.”

“So the case will just be left unresolved? Veratrum is highly toxic. Why would Xunniang concoct poison for no reason? Someone must have instructed her. The person who killed Xunniang and the mastermind behind it might very well be the same.”

Xie Zhizhou stared at Lin Shengshen for a moment. Seeing her delicate brows slightly furrowed and her expression earnest, his heart skipped a beat. He averted his gaze and smiled calmly. “Lin Shengshen, everything you’ve said is correct. However, the Dali Temple’s investigations require both witnesses and material evidence. Without finding the veratrum or capturing the mastermind, all these conjectures remain mere speculation.”

Lin Shengshen opened her mouth but said nothing, only sighing softly.

“That day I detected the scent of hellebore on Xu Wulin. If my deduction is correct, Xu Wulin could only have two possible identities—either the one who instructed Xunniang to concoct the poison, or the one who delivered it.”

“Either way, he’s inextricably linked to Xunniang’s death!”

Xie Zhizhou raised an eyebrow, surprised that Lin Shengshen had also noticed Xu Wulin…

While Lin Shengshen had detected it through scent, he had spent these days conducting covert investigations and learned that Xu Wulin had followed Lin Xunen to the southern border, where they achieved remarkable military feats. There was even a folk song in the southern border praising Xu Wulin: “The general’s single sword strike seals the barbarians’ throats.”

However, this alone wasn’t sufficient evidence to arrest Xu Wulin.

Xie Zhizhou said, “Don’t be impatient. This case is connected to the assassination attempt on Zhang Yin several months ago. The Court of Judicial Review is already prioritizing the investigation. We’ll have results within three months.”

As entrusted by His Majesty, this case involved far-reaching implications. To uproot an entire patch of weeds, careful planning over an extended period was necessary.

Lin Shengshen nodded, though she still felt powerless inside.

[Three months? By then it’ll be too late! There are only two months left until Consort Qi’s birthday. By the time Consort Qi miscarries and they frame the Crown Prince…]

[Consort Qi’s miscarriage…]

It felt like a hammer had struck Lin Shengshen’s heart. Previously unclear connections suddenly became clear, and she gasped sharply.

In her previous life, Consort Qi had suddenly fainted, experienced difficulty breathing, and ultimately miscarried. Lin Shengshen had always believed it was due to the lingering scents of patchouli and clove permeating the Qingchun Palace. But now, reconsidering…

How could patchouli and clove have such a powerful effect? Even if they caused a miscarriage, it would have been silent and unnoticeable, not like this—as if she had been poisoned…

Poisoned… what if the poison was hellebore?

[This is too cruel! Would Consort Qi dare to experiment with hellebore, even to bring down the Crown Prince?]

[With thousands of poisons available in the capital, why choose hellebore from the distant northern regions, which has such obvious poisoning symptoms?]

Lin Shengshen sat before the mirror, lost in thought for a long time.

Xie Zhizhou’s gaze slowly traveled over Lin Shengshen. He took a deep breath. If his deduction was correct, the Lin family must have suffered complete destruction in their previous life, and this disaster was likely connected to the struggle between the Crown Prince and Prince Su.

Lin Xunen was a key subordinate of the Crown Prince. If even the Lin family had fallen, then in their previous life… could it be that Prince Su had actually won the position of the Eastern Palace?

How was that possible? His Majesty clearly favored the Crown Prince.

Unless there was some compelling reason to depose the Crown Prince…

Abandoning cities? Causing three northern cities to fall into enemy hands? Given the barbarity of the northern enemies, they would surely vent their years of resentment toward the Great Yong upon the city’s inhabitants—

Massacre.

Xie Zhizhou rapidly considered all possibilities. His expression turned grave. The calamity of their previous life must not be repeated in this one. If the Lin family fell, Lin Shengshen would undoubtedly be heartbroken.

Though he didn’t know if there would still be a chance with Lin Shengshen in this life…

Even if she ended up with someone else, Xie Zhizhou hoped she would be safe, smooth-sailing, carefree, and happy.

At this thought, his chest felt as if filled with molten iron, scalding and burning his lungs, stinging so sharply he nearly shed tears.

Xie Zhizhou steadied his mind. “Lin Shengshen, rest assured—”

But Lin Shengshen had already finished doing her hair, stood up, and yawned. “Lord Xie, you should rest early. The wound on your hand has already scabbed over and no longer needs medicine.”

Xie Zhizhou instinctively withdrew his injured hand beneath his sleeve. Though the wound had healed, scarring remained a significant concern.

The two rested in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.

Lin Shengshen, having already resolved her plans in her heart, slept soundly. In contrast, Xie Zhizhou’s mind was a tangled mess, tossing and turning on the small couch, unable to find rest.

How exactly had Lin Shengshen… passed away in her previous life? Had she suffered? Had he been by her side then?

The more Xie Zhizhou dwelled on it, the more despair gripped him.

He was well aware of his own aloofness and the distance he had maintained toward Lin Shengshen in the past. Ever since his mother’s death, it felt as though his heart had been carved out entirely. Above him loomed the treacherous Concubine Jin and his cold, indifferent father; below him was his innocent younger sister. To protect the Wang family’s legacy within the Xie residence and safeguard Zhenhuan and himself, he had no choice but to sever all sentiment.

Over the years, he had thwarted Xie Changxing’s heirs, aborted the fetus in Concubine Jin’s womb, cut short Xie Yunshuang’s ambitions of climbing the social ladder, raised Zhenhuan to adulthood, ascended swiftly in court, and achieved great success—all by adhering strictly to the principle of detachment.

Yet, in doing so, he had forgotten to look back at his wife—the one who had given her all to follow him, pouring out a lifetime of fierce devotion: Lin Shengshen.

Not all love was a destructive force. It was a pity he had realized this too late.

Moonlight flowed like a gentle stream as Xie Zhizhou rose and approached the bed. Parting the layers of gauze curtains, he sat at the foot of the bed.

Lin Shengshen preferred sleeping on her side, one arm resting on the soft pillow beside her cheek, fingers slightly curled.

Due to years of crafting incense, she never grew her nails long nor painted them. Under the moonlight, her fingertips resembled glistening gemstones—yet Xie Zhizhou knew that, though they looked like jewels, they were not hard like them. Her hands were soft; the slightest touch against his hand would set his heart racing, his thoughts wandering.

Xie Zhizhou restrained himself and averted his gaze, sitting quietly at the foot of the bed with lowered eyes until the moon set and the stars faded, and the thrushes beneath the flower corridor began their incessant chirping.

That night, Lin Shengshen turned over three times, kicked off the covers once, and had a brief dream of her youth.

—

Lin Shengshen woke at daybreak. The room was filled with a faint, soothing fragrance of pear, but Xie Zhizhou was already gone.

“The incense burned today is quite pleasant,” Lin Shengshen remarked, her mood bright.

Peilan, combing her hair, looked puzzled. “This servant rose a bit late today and hasn’t yet lit any incense in the main room.”

Lin Shengshen paused. Could it have been Xie Zhizhou? Impossible—he detested such warm scents. Given that he had been staying with her lately, it was a wonder he hadn’t held his nose in disgust. Why would he light pear incense?

It must have been another maid.

With Xie Zhizhou staying at Tangli Residence every night lately, it was only natural that some eager servants would try to curry favor.

“Baidou, come here,” Lin Shengshen whispered, leaning close to Baidou’s ear to relay her instructions.

“Go ahead.”

Relying on mountains, they may crumble; relying on rivers, they may run dry. This time, she had to speed up her plans—she couldn’t afford to sit idly by.

For the next four or five days, Xie Zhizhou left early and returned late each day, appearing thoroughly worn out. Lin Shengshen, too, kept herself busy. Ever since her previous attempt to secure a deposit with the manager of the Wan Jin Lou had failed, she had begun preparing a backup plan. These days, she shuttled tirelessly between shops on West Street and East Street.

During this time, Lin Shengshen and Xie Zhizhou had not spoken. Whether it was her imagination or not, Xie Zhizhou seemed to be in a particularly foul mood these past few days.

Lin Shengshen found it rather amusing—his spirits soared one moment and plummeted the next, a stark departure from his usual calm and detached demeanor. If one were to compare, he truly resembled a young bride married far from home, his emotions as delicate and changeable as a summer afternoon’s weather.

Although he had stopped taking the medicine, the scent of danshen still lingered in the main room these days. Was he still using the scar-removing ointment?

Could it be that he had a sweetheart? He was actually paying such close attention to his appearance.

Lin Shengshen nodded to herself. It might very well be true. In her past life, she had never had the chance to get close to Xie Zhizhou, so she naturally knew nothing of his whereabouts or state of mind. Perhaps at this time in her previous life, Xie Zhizhou already had someone in his heart—she just hadn’t known.

No wonder her desperate pleas had gone unanswered—his heart already belonged to another.

Thinking of this, Lin Shengshen smiled. In that case, once the Lin family was settled, she would properly discuss divorce matters with Xie Zhizhou.

As Lin Shengshen stared blankly into the mirror, Baidou hurried in to report, “Miss, we’ve got a lead.”

“These past few days, I sent an inconspicuous servant to secretly follow him. Sure enough, yesterday he met with a woman in a dark alley. They didn’t exchange any items, just spoke a few words.”

“Who is this woman?”

“A courtesan from Drunken Qiongrui… named Ningxiang. Miss, the servant just reported that after returning from the suburban military camp today, he went straight to Drunken Qiongrui.”

Lin Shengshen stood up. Since no items were exchanged yesterday, the terms must not have been agreed upon. Now that Xu Wulin had taken the initiative to go, it seemed the deal was set—the exchange would happen today!

Was the item the processed hellebore poison?

If it really was… then the scent Lin Shengshen had detected on Xu Wulin a few days ago was probably just a small portion of the poison. The remainder would all be exchanged today.

She would know once she went to investigate. As long as Xu Wulin received the hellebore, the Dali Temple would have grounds to investigate him.

“I need to go there.”

Baidou stopped her. “Miss, even if you go, you can’t snatch anything from his hands! Why don’t we seek help from General Lin? He would definitely have a way.”

“No, my brother values loyalty too much. If he hears about this, he’ll go straight to confront Xu Wulin. That would ruin our best opportunity!”

Lin Shengshen continued, “Besides, I don’t need to snatch anything from him. I just need to secretly take a look and have a sniff. Don’t worry, I’ll be careful.”

Arriving at Drunken Qiongrui, Lin Shengshen entered directly through the back door and found the madam.

Normally, young ladies and wives from noble families rarely appeared in public places, so most madams wouldn’t recognize them. However, Lin Shengshen not only personally managed shops—making her quite unconventional by appearing in public—but also had her romantic affairs widely known among commoners. Thus, the madam recognized her.

“Miss Lin, this isn’t proper. I understand you’re anxious right now, but… but this is a brothel. How can I let you ruin our business?”

The madam, Meichun, patiently persuaded her, “Why don’t you go home first and confront Lord Xie after he’s finished his entertainment and returned? If you catch him here today and cause a scandal all over Yunjing, what will happen to your reputation? Jealousy is one of the seven grounds for divorce!”

“If Lord Xie divorces you because of this, my sin would be great!”

Lin Shengshen dabbed the corner of her eye with a handkerchief where no tears existed and said gently, “I was the one who begged for this marriage. How could I possibly confront him? I would never make a scene. I just want to beg him to come home. Don’t worry, I’ll only plead with him—I won’t cause any trouble.”

With that, Lin Shengshen took out a piece of gold and handed it to Meichun, “Take this. Even if my husband stayed here for a month, you wouldn’t earn this much, would you?”

Meichun was stunned by the extravagance. She exclaimed softly as she took the gold, then paused and frowned, offering a word of caution: “Miss Lin, though I may be someone of low standing, I am still a woman. So I’d like to advise you—men are all the same. Don’t throw yourself into it too recklessly. If you end up hurting yourself, it’s truly not worth it.”

Lin Shengshen was taken aback for a moment, then nodded. She put on her veil hat and went upstairs, encountering no obstacles along the way.

A woman wearing a veil hat was clearly not a courtesan but a wife coming to catch her husband. Men who frequented brothels had seen plenty of such scenes and knew that a woman bold enough to come here must come from a powerful family, so they dared not provoke her casually.

As Lin Shengshen made her way upstairs, aside from receiving a few disdainful and curious glances, she faced no hindrances. She reached the third floor.

The atmosphere on the third floor was entirely different from the two floors below. The faint strains of silk and bamboo instruments mingled with the indistinct sounds of intimacy, which were utterly distasteful to the ear. Her mind wandered—if she remembered correctly, such acts were supposed to be painful, so why did they…

She shook off the distracting thoughts and began peeking through the door cracks. Why would Ningxiang arrange to meet Xu Wulin on the third floor? It was truly baffling.

Lin Shengshen glanced through the first crack—shadows intertwined, accompanied by coquettish scolding and pleading sounds. A flurry of table and chair noises followed as a man dragged a woman to the window, spewing vulgarities as his movements grew increasingly fierce.

So much chatter—and from the voice, it wasn’t Xu Wulin.

Lin Shengshen moved to the next door. The commotion was quieter, but the posture was intimidating. One person lay supine on the table, legs hooked around the waist of a man standing before it. The room was filled only with the sounds of rhythmic impacts, now hurried, now slow. Suddenly, the man picked up a cup from the table and splashed wine onto the woman’s front, eliciting a soft cry from within the room.

Catching a glimpse of the man’s profile, she confirmed it wasn’t Xu Wulin.

Lin Shengshen shook her head and sighed inwardly. Not only had she spent gold, but she also had to witness such wretched scenes. She couldn’t help but feel she was having a streak of bad luck.

Moving to the next room, Lin Shengshen peeked inside. The tables and chairs were neatly arranged, and the bed curtains swayed gently in the breeze. No one? She tilted her head to listen—no sounds.

Could it be this one? Lin Shengshen still believed Xu Wulin didn’t seem like the type to indulge in pleasure before completing serious business.

She gently lifted a corner of her veil, revealing her eyes to take another look through the crack—

A sharp, cold-glinting eye met hers directly!

Lin Shengshen’s breath caught in her chest, her heart pounding wildly. In that instant, the door swung open, and a large hand dragged her into the room.

The door slammed shut. Pressed against it with a hand clamped over her mouth, Lin Shengshen immediately drew her dagger and, without hesitation, stabbed toward the chest of the person before her.

Ssshh—

The moment she recognized who it was, Lin Shengshen shifted the blade slightly upward and tried to pull back her strength, but the sharp edge still pierced a spot five inches below his collarbone.

“Xie Zhizhou? What are you doing here?!” Her lips moved slightly, her voice muffled against his palm.

“Lin Shengshen, you handle a dagger quite well.”

Aimed straight for the heart, with enough force and swift reflexes—it was clear she had been practicing diligently these days.

Truly, Lin Shengshen never half-heartedly approached important matters.