After Rebirth, My Aloof Husband Can Hear My Inner Thoughts [Transmigration & Rebirth] - Chapter 46

Xie Zhizhou’s eyes seemed to glisten like snow-melted water. Lin Shengshen was so close to him that their noses nearly touched, and she couldn’t help but hold her breath.

One of her legs was straddling Xie Zhizhou’s waist and abdomen, while the other remained on the inner side of the bed. Her arms were braced on either side of his head.

Trapped in this awkward position, she froze in place.

Xie Zhizhou seemed to have just woken up. After a dazed moment, the corners of his eyes suddenly curved into a smile. “Shengshen.”

Lin Shengshen wanted to flee.

She quickly tried to move the leg on the inner side of the bed outward, but before she could act, the world seemed to spin around her. She was forcefully pressed back into the inner side of the bed.

The bed curtains trembled, and sunlight scattered like splashing water droplets.

The hibiscus-patterned brocade quilt cushioned Lin Shengshen’s waist and back softly, and she sank deeply into it under Xie Zhizhou’s weight.

A faint fragrance, like citrus peel bursting open under the sunlight, filled the air.

“Your injury!” Lin Shengshen hurriedly pushed against the person on top of her.

Xie Zhizhou pressed down on her restless legs with his waist and abdomen, his arms slightly propping him up as he allowed her pushing force to create a small distance between them.

He could see the momentary panic and resistance in Lin Shengshen’s eyes, as well as her worry and concern.

His heart softened.

“I’m fine.”

Xie Zhizhou tentatively leaned closer, slowly.

First, their noses brushed against each other, then their noses parted, and their breaths intertwined.

Soft lips were within reach, warm breaths intertwining between them.

He could hear Lin Shengshen’s heart pounding, thumping against his wound.

It hurt.

And itched.

Making one dare not take another step.

From outside the window came the voices of Peilan and Baidou.

“I wonder if the young lady is up yet. Let’s remind the kitchen to heat more water—we might need it later.”

“You’ve read too many romance novels! It’s not like what you’re imagining. The young master is badly injured; he probably won’t…”

Peilan laughed, “If we do end up needing it later, are we supposed to make the young lady wait in bed?”

Though they were whispering in the corridor, the room was eerily quiet, and every word was heard clearly.

“…” Lin Shengshen’s face burned fiercely.

[I’ll throw away all her romance novels later—let’s see if she still dares to fantasize like this.]

Xie Zhizhou chuckled softly, his nose brushing against her cheek as he whispered hoarsely, “May I?”

“May you what?” Lin Shengshen began to struggle.

She kicked her legs but had no strength, pushed with all her might, yet Xie Zhizhou remained unmoving. Gradually, a blush spread across her face, and her pale red silk sleeping robe grew damp with a light sweat.

[Shameless… shameless!]

Xie Zhizhou’s nose trailed from her cheek to her lips, lingering over the cupid’s bow. Lin Shengshen dared not speak, afraid of what he might do next.

[No!] Her beautiful eyes widened as she glared at him in anger.

Xie Zhizhou finally pulled back slightly, looked at her, and then curved his lips into another smile.

“Alright.”

Though he said “alright,” he still didn’t release Lin Shengshen. Instead, he continued to nuzzle her cheek with his straight, refined nose—from her temple to her earlobe, then down along her porcelain-white neck to her collarbone.

His nose, both firm and soft, traced a path downward with each heated breath, brushing past her sensitive earlobes, skimming her vulnerable neck, and finally resting against her delicate collarbone. Lin Shengshen shuddered.

It felt like a feather’s gentle sweep and a wave of scorching heat.

Lin Shengshen couldn’t help but let out a soft whimper.

She thought she had escaped a kiss, but she hadn’t expected Xie Zhizhou to continue his trail downward. Unlike soft lips, the sensation of his nose was even more intense, making her clutch the front of his robe tightly, unable to let go.

Xie Zhizhou was like a wolf that had caught the scent of honey—his sharp gaze softened, his breathing grew somewhat hurried, and he gazed greedily at Lin Shengshen in his arms. The earlobes he had just nuzzled were tinged with a faint red.

“Shengshen.” The two syllables lingered on his lips as he called her name.

Lin Shengshen, now thoroughly flustered by Xie Zhizhou’s teasing, glared at him again.

But in Xie Zhizhou’s eyes, her gaze was seductive and captivating.

“Shengshen…”

“Stop calling me!”

Xie Zhizhou held Lin Shengshen even tighter, lowered his head again, and slowly approached her lips, testing her heart.

Lin Shengshen’s mind went blank. All thoughts of teasing him like a puppy or playing hot and cold vanished. Xie Zhizhou, lost in passion, his usually cool and detached face now flushed with worldly desire, looked even more devastatingly handsome, making her face grow warm.

However, the man atop her suddenly lost strength, his lips brushing past Lin Shengshen’s cheek as he buried his face into the soft pillow, followed by his full weight completely pressing down upon her.

“Xie Zhizhou! What’s wrong with you?”

Peilan handed a cup of hot tea to Lin Shengshen while gently stroking her back.

“Miss, please don’t be angry…”

Peilan had been startled by the commotion in the room earlier. When she rushed in, she saw Young Master Xie collapsed on her mistress, the scene… truly resembled…

The residence physician checked his pulse and rebandaged the wound, then stroked his beard as he came to the outer chamber.

“Fortunately, it’s nothing serious. However, with the wound reopening repeatedly, it’s inevitably damaging to his health. He must rest quietly.”

After speaking, the physician glanced at Lin Shengshen’s expression and said meaningfully, “Young Master Xie’s injury shouldn’t be agitated. It would be best if the young lady and the young master slept in separate rooms.”

Upon hearing this, Lin Shengshen’s eyes widened in disbelief, nearly choking on her breath as she angrily retorted, “It’s not what you think!”

Yet the physician calmly smiled and said, “I’ll prepare a prescription to clear heat and reduce fire for the young master later. There’s no need for the young lady to worry.”

“…” Lin Shengshen resigned herself to the misunderstanding, curling her lips bitterly as she snapped, “Prepare it then. Double the dosage.”

For the next three consecutive days, Lin Shengshen didn’t set foot in the Golden Moon Pavilion. She was furious at Xie Zhizhou for being reckless and even more incensed by his ability to bewitch others and push his luck.

No matter what messages the maids from the Golden Moon Pavilion brought, Lin Shengshen turned a deaf ear, only summoning the residence physician daily to inquire about Xie Zhizhou’s injury condition.

After two rainfalls, the weather gradually cooled. Lin Shengshen added a dark blue vest over her clothes and descended from the carriage with Peilan’s support.

The Qi residence was magnificent, boasting three artificially excavated lakes alone, not to mention the pavilions and waterside towers surrounding them. At a glance, the layered upturned eaves were dazzling to behold.

Lin Shengshen only glanced briefly before engaging in conversation with the guiding matron.

“I heard Madame Qi has been unwell since autumn began. I hope she’s feeling better now? “ The matron assessed Lin Shengshen, thinking to herself that she truly lived up to her reputation as a merchant – astute and perceptive, she even knew about Consort Qi’s illness, which even the influential Consort Qi in the palace had only learned of this morning.

The matron smiled, “She’s already recovered, but doesn’t wish to pass on any illness. So today, our family’s young lady will simply discuss matters with you.”

Lin Shengshen nodded.

The Qi family’s young lady? From Xie Zhenhuan, she learned that the Qi family had five daughters. Consort Qi was the eldest, who entered the palace early. Qi Xin was the third miss, summoned to serve as an imperial attendant a few years ago. The second and fourth misses married in the same year and both had children, while the fifth miss just married earlier this year.

Thus, the only one who could calmly discuss incense with her today was likely Qi Xin alone.

As a daughter of the Qi family who had gained His Majesty’s favor, it was perfectly normal for Qi Xin to occasionally return home in place of Consort Qi to fulfill filial duties.

“Miss Lin, please.” The matron led her to a tea room door.

After thanking her, Lin Shengshen pushed the door open and indeed saw Qi Xin kneeling at the tea table, preparing tea.

“Miss Lin, come and taste this.”

Lin Shengshen thought to herself that Qi Xin was remarkably prescient, even calculating her arrival time so precisely.

Sitting beside Qi Xin, Lin Shengshen picked up a cup and took a small sip.

“Miyun Long. This tea yields only thirty cakes per year. It seems His Majesty holds you in great favor.”

Knowing Lin Shengshen’s intelligence, Qi Xin didn’t conceal anything, “Favor? How long can such temporary favor truly last?”

Lin Shengshen smiled and said, “If the Five Finger Mountain were gone, Lady Qi could rest easy.”

Qi Xin replied, “Easier said than done.”

Lin Shengshen had come prepared. Setting down her teacup, she looked at Qi Xin earnestly and said, “As long as the Qi family stands firm, Lady Qi will never have a chance to rise again.”

“You’ve helped me deceive Consort Qi twice before, so you must have a use for keeping me around.”

Qi Xin’s willow-leaf brows relaxed. “You are clever.”

“But don’t thank me yet. Qi Ruyun is foolish and can’t see through your schemes, but her son, Prince Su, is quite sharp. He is gradually slipping out of control.”

Slipping out of control? Did that mean secretly setting traps for the Crown Prince, or… secretly colluding with northern enemies in a plot to rebel? Lin Shengshen smiled without speaking.

“Draining the pond to catch the fish is never sustainable.”

Qi Xin asked, “Do you know why I’ve kept you?”

Lin Shengshen replied calmly, “To help you topple this Five Finger Mountain.”

Lin Shengshen took a drawing from her sleeve. “I’ve already identified the hellebore. Lady Qi, if you wish to completely absolve yourself when the Consort miscarries a month from now, I suggest you purchase this item from Xiangyun Tower.”

Qi Xin was not surprised that Lin Shengshen had uncovered her covert actions. She glanced down at the drawing and smiled faintly. “Why go to the trouble of buying it? Yin Wei is greedy and ignorant. I need only drop a hint, and he’ll be eager to present it to Qi Ruyun himself.”

“Watching dogs fight—wouldn’t that be entertaining?”

Lin Shengshen observed Qi Xin. Her narrow eyes gleamed with a twisted light, like a centipede that had coiled too long under a stone slab, suddenly exposed to daylight, its venom brewing.

Qi Xin did not mind Lin Shengshen knowing more. She poured tea again and spoke as if to herself, “Back then, my mother became pregnant with me while serving in the master’s chamber. She thought she could conceal it, but who knew… Qi Weiduan was so licentious, he dared to seduce her in broad daylight. In the end, the affair became known to all, and my mother bore all the blame. As for Qi Weiduan, he was merely labeled a libertine.”

“But my mother was scorned and cursed, heavily pregnant yet starving, and she gave birth to me in the woodshed.”

As she spoke, her expression remained detached, as if recounting someone else’s story.

“Do you know what my mother cried out with her dying breath?”

Lin Shengshen shook her head.

“She cried, ‘Don’t touch me, don’t touch me… I beg you, don’t touch me.’”

Lin Shengshen froze.

Qi Xin smiled. “The Qi family called her shameless and vile, accused her of seduction, but who knew that behind the master’s bed curtains, she wept and struggled as Qi Weiduan forced himself on her.”

“Who, then, was truly shameless and vile?”

The Mi Yun Long tea tasted bitter in Lin Shengshen’s mouth, its earlier fragrance gone.

Qi Xin sighed. “I am fated to have no children, and it is precisely for this reason that His Majesty dotes on me.”

Lin Shengshen said, “Your talents are abundant; His Majesty must admire you for them.”

Qi Xin replied, “Talents? For someone of my status, talents are the most useless thing.”

Lin Shengshen asked, “Have you considered that if the Qi family falls, His Majesty might become suspicious of you?”

Qi Xin answered with a smile, “After all these years in the palace, do you truly believe I’ve been trampled under Qi Ruyun’s heel without any backup plan?”

A backup plan? But what if even His Majesty were gone someday? Lin Shengshen’s expression turned complex. Qi Xin sought neither status nor power, nor longevity—only vengeance, to settle all the hatred and grievances she had accumulated over the years.

The world’s most brilliant and perceptive mind, when filled with hatred, inevitably turns reckless and heedless of consequences.

Countless schemes, all dedicated to a single act of revenge.

When Lin Shengshen returned to the Lin residence, the sky had already darkened. Her mind was in turmoil; in this lifetime, she had suddenly come to understand many things and many people. Though only a few months had passed, it felt more complex than the three years of her previous life.

As usual, the residence physician came to Shuying Pavilion to report on Xie Zhizhou’s injuries. There was slight improvement—he could now walk around carefully but must avoid exertion.

Yun’an, the matron, also came to report that during the day, envoys from the palace had arrived, bringing a large quantity of tonics. The scale of the procession and the lavishness of the rewards were truly unprecedented.

Upon hearing this, Lin Shengshen was furious. That scoundrel had torn his wound open from his own antics, fainted, and even caused her to lose face in front of everyone. Yet in the end, he was the one who received His Majesty’s sympathy.

How utterly unfair!

“Light the lantern and bring the ancient texts I usually enjoy reading. We’re going to Jinyue Pavilion.”

Peilan was puzzled and asked blankly, “Didn’t you say you wouldn’t pay any attention to the young master these days?”

“Ignore him? That would be letting him off too easily. I’m going to tease him a little!”

After all, Xie Zhizhou was so ill that his face was pale, and he gasped for breath every few steps. A few light prods would be enough to make him faint—Lin Shengshen wasn’t afraid of him.