After Rebirth, My Aloof Husband Can Hear My Inner Thoughts [Transmigration & Rebirth] - Chapter 53

Lin Shengshen laughed uncontrollably, nudging Xie Zhizhou’s shoulder as she said, “And you call yourself Zhenhuan’s brother? How could you speak of her like that behind her back? If she heard you, she’d cry for days.”

Seeing her doubled over with laughter, her waist trembling, the knot of frustration in Xie Zhizhou’s heart loosened. He pulled her into his arms and pinched her cheek.

“If you knew it was from me, why didn’t you accept it?”

Lin Shengshen covered her cheeks with both hands, making her lips pout. “Why should I accept it just because it’s from you?”

Xie Zhizhou’s gaze was drawn to her plump lips. Staring intently, he said, “It seems you don’t like it.”

Lin Shengshen withdrew her hands, shook her head, and slipped out of his embrace. She picked up her brush again and began sketching under the lamplight. “As for the style or the material, neither is lacking.”

She glanced back at him, tilting her head. “But, this young lady has been in a bad mood lately, so I don’t feel like accepting it.”

The warmth and softness had slipped away, and she was even reluctant to let him gaze at her rosy cheeks a moment longer. Lin Shengshen turned back to continue her painting at the desk. Watching her retreating figure, Xie Zhizhou felt as though a handful of willow catkins had settled in his heart—stuffy and itchy.

“Why are you in a bad mood? Who upset Shengshen?”

Without turning her head, Lin Shengshen replied, “Someone surnamed Xie, named Zhizhou.”

“Me?” Xie Zhizhou thought carefully about the past couple of days. Could it be that he had hurt her again on the bed a few days prior?

“This coral looks familiar. I once went through great trouble and spent a fortune to acquire two pieces, intending to make them into buttons for you. But…”

She didn’t continue. What had happened to those two buttons in the end? Either they were left gathering dust in the storeroom or buried deep in a cabinet.

“This pair of corals is yours.” Xie Zhizhou’s eyes seemed filled with moonlight, gentle and kind. “A while ago, I was ungrateful and meddled in your affairs. In your anger, you threw away many things, and this pair of corals was among them.”

It took Lin Shengshen a moment to recall that incident. Xie Zhizhou had likely wanted to prevent conflict between her and Xie Changxing, so he advised her to visit Baoxiang Tower less often. Though his intentions weren’t bad, Lin Shengshen had interpreted it differently.

“Are you saying you retrieved everything I threw away?”

“That’s right.”

Lin Shengshen’s face grew warm. Softly, she asked, “What about those letters…?”

“Shengshen’s handwriting is beautiful.”

Well, Lin Shengshen understood now—this scoundrel had read every single one.

In her youth, and even for a long time after their marriage in her previous life, she had often written him letters, filled with deep affection and tender words. It was truly…

How could someone who had lived two lifetimes bear to face this!

“Where did you put those things?” she probed.

Xie Zhizhou replied, “In the study.”

“Oh.” Lin Shengshen pressed further, “Where in the study?”

A mischievous smile played on Xie Zhizhou’s lips. “In the inner chamber.”

“…” Lin Shengshen asked again, “Where in the inner chamber?”

“In the third layer of the treasure box under the qin table beside the low couch in the inner chamber.”

Lin Shengshen pressed her lips together and nodded. “A good spot.”

Xie Zhizhou observed her expression. “Indeed.”

Just then, Yuan Qing called from outside the door, “Young Master, it’s time to change your dressing.”

Ever since he had started living with Lin Shengshen, Xie Zhizhou had been reluctant to let Yuan Qing come in to tend to his wounds.

Although the inner chamber was separated from the outside by a screen and curtain… he didn’t even want others to catch the slightest fragrance from Lin Shengshen’s room.

Xie Zhizhou went out to retrieve the medical kit, then strode to the dressing table far from Lin Shengshen. Lighting a glass lamp, he sat before the mirror to change his bandages.

Lin Shengshen grew suspicious watching his secretive behavior. Could it be that his injury wasn’t actually severe, and he had been pretending all these days? Was that why he avoided her during dressing changes?

No wonder he’d been so vigorous in bed recently, showing no signs of having been stabbed.

The thought irritated her. Xie Zhizhou was as cunning as an old fox—if he feigned illness, she wouldn’t detect it; if he concealed worries, she couldn’t uncover them. How infuriating.

Tiptoeing to the dressing table, she peered from a distance. The wound on his chest was unclear through layers of unraveled silk gauze, only a deep crimson streak visible.

She crept two steps closer, craning her neck, when Xie Zhizhou suddenly spotted her in the mirror.

The instant their eyes met, he stood up, hastily pulling his half-removed robe to loosely cover his chest. His sharp, guarded expression startled her.

His face was cold, his gaze piercing—if he held a dagger, would he strike?

Lin Shengshen retreated several steps, mustering courage. “Wh-what? Hiding something shameful?”

Xie Zhizhou’s tension eased, his demeanor softening. “Why did Shengshen come over suddenly?”

“Your… how is your wound?”

“Not healed yet.”

“What does ‘not healed’ mean? Have you been lying to me? You weren’t seriously injured at all, were you?”

He laughed helplessly. “The stab wound is real, and it truly hasn’t fully healed—that’s no lie.”

“Then let me see.” She remained skeptical.

He kept the robe clutched over the injury, leaving only his other pectoral and broad shoulder exposed. In the hazy lamplight, he faced her with his back to the mirror, which reflected his silhouette.

A slender waist tapered into broad shoulders, his spine forming a graceful valley between rising peaks. Moonlight caressed the pale slopes and shadowed hollows. Lin Shengshen swallowed.

Noticing her reaction, he tightened the robe over his wound. “Don’t look.”

Her suspicion deepened. She stepped forward. “So you really have been deceiving me.”

Trapped, he sighed. “You won’t like what you see.” And… would she dislike the rest of him too?

“Why?” How could a wound be about liking or disliking?

“It’s ugly.” He added, “Even worse than the scar on my hand before.”

Lin Shengshen froze, realizing his reason. They say women adorn themselves for those who appreciate them, but men are the same. No wonder he’d been frequently applying scar-removal ointment those days…

She nudged him back to the mirror stool. Their eyes met in the reflection. “It’s fine, I just want to see.”

Secretly delighted by his rare discomfort, she pressed on.

Xie Zhizhou gazed at the two small hands resting on his shoulders—soft, warm palms like glowing sunset clouds.

Lin Shengshen coaxed, “You must let me see how bad it is. Otherwise, I’ll keep worrying.”

Worrying? About him? “Really?” He seemed to believe her completely.

“Really.” (A lie—she still needed confirmation he hadn’t deceived her.)

Xie Zhizhou hesitated for a moment before moving aside the clothing that had been covering the wound. A gash as long as a finger was revealed, surrounded by scabs that had not yet faded, with a deep crimson center that looked gruesome and terrifying.

Lin Shengshen’s heart tightened. Xie Zhizhou hadn’t lied to her—the knife wound was far from minor.

It looked excruciatingly painful. How had Xie Zhizhou endured the agony of the blade piercing his flesh that night, managing to speak so much and still hold her tightly in his arms?

Her fingertips reached out, but Xie Zhizhou stepped back. She pressed her other hand on his shoulder and continued reaching until her fingers lightly brushed the wound.

The scabs felt like coarse gravel, grating against her delicate fingertips and causing a slight pain.

“You…” Lin Shengshen lifted her head to look at him.

She saw that Xie Zhizhou avoided meeting her gaze, turning his head aside as if evading her scrutiny. His eyes were lowered, his lashes concealing their color, and the small mole on the side of his nose bridge lent him a touch of softness.

He looked every bit the delicate beauty in poor health—a shy beauty who cared deeply about his appearance and was unwilling to reveal his sickly state!

Lin Shengshen’s heart raced for a moment…

She had intended to say it wasn’t ugly, but at the sight of this, a mischievous thought crept into her mind.

[Tsk tsk, it really isn’t as good-looking as before.]

Lin Shengshen felt the shoulder beneath her palm stiffen. Xie Zhizhou abruptly turned to look at her, his eyes filled with urgency.

Lin Shengshen knew what he was about to say—something along the lines of, “Once the wound heals, using scar-removal ointment will restore it,” and so on.

[But still… it’s rather heartbreaking to look at.]

Sure enough, Xie Zhizhou fell silent again, even pondering seriously for a while, likely weighing the pros and cons of keeping or removing the scar.

Lin Shengshen curved her lips into a smile. “Shall I apply the medicine and bandage it for you?”

Xie Zhizhou looked at her in disbelief, paused, then averted his gaze. “No need, I can do it myself.”

[That’s fine too. Out of sight, out of mind—then it won’t hurt anymore.]

“Then I’ll trouble Shengshen.”

Lin Shengshen stifled a laugh, took the silk cloth and bamboo splint, pulled him to sit by the bed, and carefully applied the medicinal ointment.

As she turned to fetch the silk cloth, she suddenly caught a glimpse of a row of gold edges peeking out from beneath the innermost cosmetic case on the dressing table. Her heart skipped a beat.

[Oh no, I almost forgot about this.]

She quickly suppressed her thoughts and glanced at Xie Zhizhou’s expression. Seeing that he looked as calm as usual and probably hadn’t overheard anything, she continued fetching the silk cloth to bandage his wound.

Xie Zhizhou, whose mind had been wandering restlessly from her leaning over his chest and moving back and forth, noticed her glancing several times at the cosmetic case with evident tension. His heart felt as though stuffed with a tangled ball of silk.

Lin Shengshen clearly had no idea that he had long been aware of the existence of that Heart Lock Pendant, much less that he was fully informed about her youthful affections with Wen Lingzhou.

Was she so nervous because she feared he would be overwhelmed by jealousy and damage the token of their love?

In her heart, did she really think him so narrow-minded and intolerant?

A bucket of cold water seemed to pour over his head, and the Heart Lock Pendant felt like a lump stuck in his throat.

Lin Shengshen busied herself bandaging his wound, initially thinking of teasing Xie Zhizhou a bit more. However, he seemed in low spirits, his brows slightly furrowed and a shadow of gloom gathering in his eyes. Lin Shengshen found it baffling—had he gotten upset over the bandaging?

She didn’t disturb him further. After reading at the desk for a while, she bathed and lay down on the inner side of the bed.

Xie Zhizhou was listless. It took him a quarter of an hour to bathe before he wordlessly lay down on the outer side of the bed.

For a moment, the atmosphere was somewhat awkward.

Just a few days ago, Xie Zhizhou had either been holding her tightly or kissing her repeatedly, but now he suddenly turned cold, making her feel somewhat unaccustomed. And to think she had even bandaged his wounds for him today! From now on, she would never meddle in his affairs again.

Feeling irritated, Lin Shengshen turned over to face the inner side of the bed, her eyes wide open. She couldn’t sleep yet—later, after Xie Zhizhou fell asleep, she had two important tasks to attend to.

Suddenly, Xie Zhizhou let out a soft sigh, wrapping his arms around her from behind and resting his chin in the crook of her neck. Muffled, he said, “Shengshen…”

Lin Shengshen did not respond.

“Don’t think about anyone else anymore.” Though the words were a command, they sounded almost like a plea.

Lin Shengshen didn’t understand. Think about whom? She hadn’t been thinking of anyone.

“And don’t think about anyone else’s things either,” he added.

Lin Shengshen was even more baffled. Deciding to ignore him, she kept her eyes open, gazing at the carved patterns on the bed frame in the moonlight.

Seeing that Lin Shengshen seemed disinterested, Xie Zhizhou didn’t want to disturb her further. He simply held her tightly from behind, inhaling her sweet pear fragrance, his mind in turmoil—

His greed was flaring up again. Having gained an inch, he wanted a mile, and now he couldn’t even tolerate that Heart Lock Pendant. It was truly wrong of him.

It was just a Heart Lock Pendant, after all. She and Wen Lingzhou had long since parted ways. Back when Lin Shengshen was just beginning to understand love, Wen Lingzhou had abandoned everything in Lizhou and headed southwest. The two of them had already missed their chance.

But… the thought that Lin Shengshen might still think of Wen Lingzhou or his belongings while she was with him made his chest feel tight.

Tonight would be a sleepless night…

Lin Shengshen forced herself to stay awake until the hour of the Ox (1–3 a.m.). Only then did she move her stiff legs, gently extricating herself from Xie Zhizhou’s embrace. She tiptoed out of bed, put on her outer robe, and first went to the dressing table. From beneath the cosmetics case, she retrieved a thick booklet. Then, she quietly walked to the splayed-leg flower stand and hid the booklet inside the Official Skin Box.

The night was deep. To eliminate future troubles once and for all, she stepped outside, startling Peilan, who was waiting there. The two of them huddled together and whispered about something. Peilan lifted a lantern to light the way as Lin Shengshen headed toward Xie Zhizhou’s study.

The room fell silent for a long time. Xie Zhizhou pushed aside the bed curtains, the cold moonlight illuminating his face as if it carried a chill.

Why had she gotten up in the middle of the night, gone to the dressing table to retrieve the Heart Lock Pendant, and hidden it away?

Was she afraid he would discover it someday and destroy it?

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. Xie Zhizhou threw on his outer robe and walked over to the splayed-leg flower stand in the clear, cold moonlight. He pulled out the Official Skin Box and slowly opened it.

What was the point of hiding it here?

If he wanted to find it, he could uncover it even if it were hidden at the ends of the earth. Since she was so afraid of him discovering it, he might as well smash the jade pendant today to spare Shengshen from future anxiety and thoughts of Wen Lingzhou.

Xie Zhizhou had never despised himself more—narrow-minded, foolish, despicable, and shameless, secretly destroying another’s token of affection. It was truly beneath him.

But today, he…

Before he could finish the thought, Xie Zhizhou reached into the Official Skin Box again. It was empty, with no trace of any gold or jade. Only a thick booklet remained.

He took it out and examined it in the moonlight. Gilded edges framed four elegantly written characters: Romantic Ecstasy.

…

What was this? Xie Zhizhou slowly turned to the title page. Vivid and alluring scenes met his eyes. As he flipped further, the illustrations were exquisitely detailed and lifelike, with poses and positions unlike any he had seen before.

So this was what Lin Shengshen liked…