After Rebirth, My Aloof Husband Can Hear My Inner Thoughts [Transmigration & Rebirth] - Chapter 47

Jinyue Pavilion was quiet. Knowing that Lin Shengshen would surely ignore him these days, Xie Zhizhou devoted himself to handling the matter of Xu Wulin, organizing the confessions and other evidence sent by Yuan Zhen.

He wondered how Zhenhuan was progressing with the tasks he had assigned her. With his severe injuries and unfamiliarity with the Lin residence’s staff, if Zhenhuan proved incompetent, he would truly be isolated and powerless.

Thinking of this, Xie Zhizhou suddenly recalled how, in the past, Lin Shengshen had married into the Xie residence alone, where all sorts of sinister characters lurked. How had she adapted and lived there for three years?

His own cold temperament had caused her great embarrassment. Xie Changxing’s rigid and pedantic nature often made her uncomfortable. Concubine Jin, with her hidden fangs, must have openly mocked and belittled her countless times. As for Zhenhuan…

Zhenhuan was close to her, but she would eventually marry and leave, leaving Lin Shengshen alone in the Xie residence. With the Lin family facing such major troubles, the loneliness and hardship she endured were beyond what he could comprehend now.

Now, longing burned in his heart, and after just three days, he felt unbearably empty, wishing he could rush into Shuying Pavilion just to see her once.

In their previous life, when he repeatedly forbade her from entering the front courtyard, forcing her to secretly hide behind trees just to catch a glimpse of him—what had she been thinking then?

His heart felt as if a sour apricot had been crushed inside. Xie Zhizhou had no mind to continue reading.

The night was deep. He had heard that Lin Shengshen went out today. Was she back safely? Had she encountered anything interesting today? Or anyone?

He had heard that Xu Wei had frequently visited the Lin residence to see Lin Zhiping in recent days, only stopping a few days ago.

That man pretended to be upright, using the pretext of a sibling-like relationship and the convenience of being a teacher to covet Lin Shengshen for so many years. Even after she married, his intentions never waned.

Utterly shameless.

Confined to Jinyue Pavilion to recuperate these days, Xie Zhizhou found the maidservants clueless whenever he asked, and Yuan Qing, being his personal attendant, couldn’t move freely within the Lin residence.

Thus, he had no way of knowing what Xu Wei had said or done during his visits to the Lin residence.

That man Xu Wei was utterly despicable.

Xie Zhizhou felt a surge of anger, coughing violently several times. He took a sip of tea to barely suppress it.

“Yuan Qing.” His voice was like a ghost in the night, cold and eerie.

Yuan Qing felt a chill run down his spine.

“Go, investigate Xu Wei’s background, and also check the vacancies in Yingzhou.”

No matter what, Xu Wei could no longer remain in Yunjing. Once the matter with Prince Su was resolved, given Xu Wei’s talent in water management, he could be sent to Yingzhou. He only needed to mention this matter before His Majesty.

Yuan Qing breathed a sigh of relief. At first hearing the tone, he thought he was being ordered to kill Xu Wei.

Yuan Qing was about to withdraw when he heard Xie Zhizhou cough twice and say, “Go to Shuying Pavilion and tell Peilan we need another high-quality mountain ginseng prepared here.”

Yuan Qing was taken aback. Had it really come to this? These past few days, the young master’s injuries had been gradually healing. He could even stroll around the courtyard alone, and this morning he had even practiced with his sword against advice.

Before he could figure it out, Xie Zhizhou shot him a sharp glare, and he hurriedly retreated.

Reluctantly, he had to brace himself and go ask for it.

Jinyue Pavilion wasn’t far. Lin Shengshen, holding Peilan’s arm, crossed a small bridge and had just caught sight of Jinyue Pavilion’s gate when a servant from Lin Zhiping’s side came to report.

“Young lady, the master and madam are in the main hall speaking with Young Master Xu. He has brought many Jiangnan novelties for you and asks that you go take a look now.”

Lin Shengshen’s eyes lit up. “Yu Zheng is back?” She changed direction toward the main hall.

As she walked, she asked, “During his travels in Jiangnan these days, was he attacked? I hope it wasn’t as dangerous as his trip to Yingzhou last time.”

The servant smiled and replied, “Young lady, you’ll see for yourself in a moment. Young Master Xu was safe and sound throughout the journey. At first glance, he looks much more spirited than when he returned last time!”

Lin Shengshen felt relieved. “That’s good, that’s good.”

As Yuan Qing left Jinyue Pavilion, he saw Lin Shengshen leading her maids and servants toward the main hall.

He hesitated momentarily. Logically, since the young master’s injuries weren’t serious, the mountain ginseng shouldn’t be urgent. He shouldn’t disturb Young Madam on her way to the main hall.

While he was hesitating, a maid carrying a water bucket approached and asked, “Young Brother Yuan Qing, what are you standing here for?”

Yuan Qing, following Xie Zhizhou’s orders, was always very polite to everyone in the Lin residence. He smiled and said, “I was just about to find Miss Lin to pass on a message.”

“Oh dear, Miss Lin isn’t free right now. Young Master Xu has returned, and she’s on her way to the main hall to speak with him.”

A lightbulb went off in Yuan Qing’s head. He suddenly felt he had never understood the young master’s intentions so clearly. No wonder he wanted to investigate Xu Wei, no wonder he had to ask for the mountain ginseng…

Yuan Qing wiped his cold sweat, somewhat helpless. Young Master Xie now seemed to have unlocked some hidden potential—not only did he know how to care for others, commissioning people to search everywhere for jewelry and accessories, but he also knew how to use the “play the victim” strategy and the “lure the enemy away from his base” tactic.

Lin Shengshen was chatting and laughing with the servant, nearly reaching the main hall, when suddenly Yuan Qing came running up behind her, panting and looking urgent.

“Young Madam, does the residence still have any high-quality mountain ginseng?”

Lin Shengshen’s face turned pale, countless possibilities flashing through her mind.

“Why are you asking this!”

Before Yuan Qing could speak, Lin Shengshen pushed Peilan. “Quick, go to the storeroom and find one. The best one!”

Then she herself picked up a lantern and strode toward Jinyue Pavilion. “Hurry, let’s go. I’ll go check.”

Peilan, still holding ancient texts in her hands, didn’t even bother to put them down and sprinted toward the storeroom.

Yuan Qing followed behind, not daring to breathe loudly. He hadn’t lied—the young master had indeed ordered him to get a mountain ginseng. He had delivered the message; he hadn’t added any exaggerated details.

The door was suddenly pushed open, letting in a gust of wind that made two calligraphy scrolls on the wall sway in the moonlight.

The Milky Way yearns to turn as a thousand sails dance,

The Silver River flows silent as magpies bridge the way.

The brushstrokes were vigorous, the ink still fresh, as if embracing the entire galaxy onto paper.

Lin Shengshen adjusted to the dim light in the room.

The bitter scent of medicine instantly reminded her of the moments before her death in her previous life.

“Cough, cough…”

Two coughs came from the bed.

Lin Shengshen walked to the bedside, reached out to lift the bed curtain, and before even seeing the person on the bed, she said coldly, “Xie Zhizhou, how dare you deceive me?”

The freshly written characters on the wall didn’t seem to be penned by someone gravely ill, yet they were unmistakably Xie Zhizhou’s handwriting!

Before she could say more, her wrist was suddenly seized by a large hand. A forceful, almost brutal strength pulled her into the bed curtain, dragging it down along with her.

The curtain, specially chosen by Chen Yuying, was made of light blue gauze—cool and translucent, like a slowly descending rain.

“You—!” Before Lin Shengshen could finish her sentence, her lips were bitten by Xie Zhizhou.

The rain finally fell, covering Xie Zhizhou’s broad back, and along with it, Lin Shengshen.

“Shengshen…” Xie Zhizhou’s tongue lingered over her lips.

The lingering pain on Lin Shengshen’s lip pearl hadn’t faded. She opened her mouth and bit his lip hard. “Shameless! Vulgar!”

A faint sweetness of blood spread. Lin Shengshen looked at the man above her and saw his expression remained unperturbed, his gaze carefully tracing her features in the moonlight.

“I missed you,” Xie Zhizhou’s voice was low and deep, tinged with a desire born of intense longing.

“I didn’t miss you.” This was no lie. Lin Shengshen had been busy these days—making two trips to Baoxiang Tower and one to the Qi residence, running around in circles.

“It’s enough that I missed you.” To be remembered by Lin Shengshen was a luxury; Xie Zhizhou wasn’t that greedy.

Lin Shengshen was left speechless.

“Shengshen…” He called her name again, tender and lingering, with endless affection.

Lin Shengshen wanted to cover her ears.

There was no helping it. When she had fallen for Xie Zhizhou without hesitation, it was truly love at first sight—his appearance, his voice, even the aura in his every gesture were all to Lin Shengshen’s liking.

And as it happened, Lin Shengshen’s tastes had always been stubborn.

Perhaps it was precisely this that Xie Zhizhou had seized upon, repeatedly seducing her.

Pinned beneath him, Lin Shengshen’s chest pressed against his with every breath. Yet, as if unaware, he made no effort to move away. Her face flushed, and she struggled to push him off.

The blue gauze curtain enclosed them in a small space. As Lin Shengshen moved, her subtle fragrance quickly filled the confined area. Xie Zhizhou’s back stiffened, and he grumbled, “Don’t move.”

“Your injury doesn’t hurt anymore, does it? Then why did you send Yuan Qing to ask for the ginseng? Making me…”

Xie Zhizhou seized her wrists and pinned them above her head, his other hand tangling in the dark hair at the back of her head.

“Making you what?” Xie Zhizhou curved his lips. Their color was no longer pale as in previous days but a soft, light red.

Lin Shengshen stayed silent, shifting her gaze away from his lips.

Xie Zhizhou’s hand cupped her head, forcing her to look at him.

“Making you worry about me, think of me, and rush to see me immediately?”

Lin Shengshen’s face grew even redder. She muttered softly, “Not at all. Don’t flatter yourself.”

Xie Zhizhou’s gaze drifted downward, sweeping over her delicate collarbone, then further down to her still-heaving chest, rising and falling.

“You ran here?”

Lin Shengshen couldn’t bear it any longer, gritting her teeth as she said, “I’m afraid you’ll die! We haven’t divorced yet. If you were stabbed to death by me, not only would I have to become a widow, but His Majesty would also have me beheaded!”

Xie Zhizhou curled his lips into a smile, his hand behind her head gently curving as he massaged her scalp. “Your husband isn’t that easy to kill.”

“Hmph, that’s only because my skills aren’t refined enough. Once I practice more, let’s see if you still have the strength to act tough here.”

“Oh? If you practice more, would Shengshen really have the heart to stab a knife into my heart?”

His expression was focused, as if seriously contemplating the question.

Lin Shengshen was stumped by his question.

That night, she had indeed aimed for his heart, but Xie Zhizhou had pressed forward like a madman, practically begging her to kill him immediately. In the end, Lin Shengshen couldn’t bring herself to do it, feeling it unnecessary to go that far. So…

[Mainly because I don’t want to be a widow.] Lin Shengshen deliberately thought to herself.

Xie Zhizhou’s expression immediately turned stern, then softened as if conceding. “Fine, whatever. In the end, you can’t bring yourself to do it.”

Lin Shengshen found something amusing in this.

[Actually, thinking about it now, what’s so bad about being a widow? There are plenty of fine young masters in Yunjing who haven’t married yet. Among those who came to propose back then, I’ve heard many madams keep asking Mother about me every now and then.]

“…” Xie Zhizhou naturally knew about this.

Some time ago, Madam Song had invited Madam Chen to watch a polo match together. During their conversation, they kept asking about Lin Shengshen’s affairs in the Xie residence. And that scoundrel Zheng Yuan—half a month ago after court adjourned, he claimed to invite him for a drink but actually wanted to find out when he would divorce Lin Shengshen…

It felt as if Lin Shengshen had reached into his heart and squeezed it. Her nails were clearly rounded and pink—how could they squeeze until he bled and ached so painfully?

Seeing his expression grow even gloomier, Lin Shengshen felt extremely pleased. She kicked her legs, trying to get the person on top of her to move away, and struggled vigorously with her wrists.

Unexpectedly, Xie Zhizhou only held her tighter, his scorching waist and abdomen pressing down firmly on her legs. The hand behind her head exerted slight pressure to maintain control. “Shengshen, don’t think like that.”

Immediately after, Lin Shengshen was kissed by him, her breath stolen along with it. After several rounds of back-and-forth, his tongue forcefully entered her mouth.