After Rebirth, My Aloof Husband Can Hear My Inner Thoughts [Transmigration & Rebirth] - Chapter 60

How could Xie Zhizhou, always as aloof as a pine in snow, possibly shed tears?

Lin Shengshen closed her eyes, then looked again by the moonlight.

Glistening, fragmented trails marked Xie Zhizhou’s cheeks, like winter’s shattered snowflakes melting into icy droplets upon skin.

Yet this was early autumn, indoors by the bed—certainly not melted snow.

Lin Shengshen slowly moved her hand, tugging at the wounds on her back, the pain making her gasp sharply.

Her slender, pale fingers brushed past Xie Zhizhou’s tear-streaked corner, then she slowly brought them closer to examine. The dampness on her fingertips confirmed it: they were truly tears.

Some memories suddenly flooded her mind—that day on this very bed, when she woke from sleep and pressed a dagger against Xie Zhizhou’s chest, the faint chill that had trickled onto her shoulder.

So, had Xie Zhizhou been crying back then too?

Like a pine tree shattered with a wave of the hand, like snow melting in one’s palm, the once aloof moon hanging high in the sky was now shedding tears for her.

She had always thought it was an illusion in the hazy darkness.

Lin Shengshen’s voice remained hoarse, her words unclear as she struggled to speak: “Don’t cry.”

Xie Zhizhou, who had been frozen in place, seemed to have his clockwork set in motion. Trembling, he leaned down, restraining himself as he embraced Lin Shengshen, pressing his cheek against hers. The arm encircling her was both forceful and controlled.

“Shengshen…”

With Lin Shengshen awake, Tangli Residence instantly became a hive of activity.

Chen Yuying, Lin Zhiping, and Lin Xunen nearly ran into the main room. The family reunited, momentarily speechless, their eyes meeting with tears.

The space before the bed was crowded—her parents and elder brother inside, servants and maids outside. Lin Shengshen glanced around and noticed Xie Zhizhou had already retreated to the doorway, his gaze still fixed on her through the slight gap.

She clenched the jade ring in her hand, its warmth and smoothness reminiscent of Xie Zhizhou’s embrace when he had leaned in earlier.

Lin Shengshen spoke first, “I’ve caused Father, Mother, and Elder Brother to worry. I am an unfilial daughter.Chen Yuying looked at her swollen, bruised arm and recalled the physician’s description—the densely packed wounds on her back, the bowl-sized bruises on her legs—her heart aching with anguish.”

“Who have you offended? How could they be so ruthless?”

Lin Shengshen, who had trudged through muddy reeds until midnight, already had her suspicions, but it wasn’t the right time to voice them. She simply shook her head, “We’ll know once it’s investigated. For now, I am safe at home. Father and Mother need not worry anymore.”

Lin Xunen asked, “Is it…”

Before he could finish, he glanced at Lin Zhiping and Chen Yuying, then noticed Lin Shengshen’s slight shake of the head and stopped himself.

“Regardless, we are uneasy about you staying at the Xie residence. Shengshen, come home.”

Lin Shengshen instinctively looked toward the doorway, but Xie Zhizhou was no longer there—he must have stepped out.

“Elder Brother, there’s no need to worry. The Xie residence is heavily guarded. Nothing like this will happen again.”

The implication was clear: she had no intention of returning home for now.

Lin Xunen grew indignant, “Since your marriage, when has he ever treated you with care? I thought he had changed recently, but now this happens! Shengshen, come home with us.”

Xie Zhizhou had not gone far. He stood just outside the thin wooden door of the inner room.

What Lin Xunen said was true, and Xie Zhizhou had no defense. Ever since he returned from the palace at dusk the previous day and found Lin Shengshen missing from the Xie residence, he had begun tracing clues around the Yong’an Marquis estate.

The coachman was cunning, likely experienced in abducting noblewomen. Starting from the Yong’an Marquis estate, he had meticulously erased his tracks, even detouring through bustling markets to conceal his trail. Eventually, he split into five identical carriages heading in different directions, with two carriages merging and separating again along the way.

It was only by the end of the Xu hour, after receiving reports from his dispatched subordinates, that Xie Zhizhou roughly pinpointed Lin Shengshen’s location.

For investigation, this speed was already remarkable, but for saving a life, no matter how fast, it was never enough.

He felt deeply guilty and blamed himself for Lin Shengshen’s suffering this time.

If not for Lin Shengshen’s extraordinary intelligence and talent, he might never have seen her again in this lifetime.

Hearing that Lin Shengshen showed no intention of returning to the Lin residence in her words, Xie Zhizhou breathed a sigh of relief.

Then Lin Shengshen’s voice came from the inner room, “Why dwell on the past? Brother, he treats me well now, so you can rest assured.”

Taking the medicine bowl from Baidou’s hands, Xie Zhizhou pushed open the main room door intending to enter, when suddenly there was a commotion in the courtyard. Xu Wei rushed into the room like a gust of wind.

He seemed to have come riding in haste – his usually neatly tied hair was somewhat disheveled with a few dried leaves caught in it, his expression panicked.

“Where’s Shengshen?”

Xie Zhizhou glanced at him coolly, his tone somewhat stern, “Your elder sister has woken up and is speaking with her parents and brother inside. Do you want to disturb them?”

He emphasized the words “your elder sister” heavily.

Xu Wei seemed oblivious to the implied meaning in his words and stepped toward the main room, “Awake? Shengshen, Shengshen!”

A vein twitched at Xie Zhizhou’s temple as he stopped the reckless young man, “Your elder sister is still weak. Don’t disturb her peace. Since you’re her younger brother, come with me to take a distant look.”

Xu Wei laughed angrily at this, “What? Are you trying to discipline me with your brother-in-law authority? How much has Shengshen suffered since marrying into the Xie residence? How many tears has she shed? Now she nearly lost her life! Why didn’t you suffer in her place? Why are you still standing here perfectly fine?!”

Xie Zhizhou’s expression turned cold instantly, but he disdained to argue. He glanced into the room and saw that Lin Shengshen had been disturbed by the shouting and was looking in their direction.

Chen Yuying and everyone else in the room followed Lin Shengshen’s gaze.

The room fell silent, all eyes fixed on the two men arguing at the doorway.

Lin Shengshen said slowly, “Yu Zheng, don’t be disrespectful to your brother-in-law.”

Hearing this, Xu Wei clenched his fists. Watching Xie Zhizhou’s slightly relaxed brows, he felt his lungs would burst with anger. How could Lin Shengshen still defend Xie Zhizhou at a time like this! Brother-in-law? He would never acknowledge this so-called brother-in-law!

But looking through the crowd at Lin Shengshen lying pale on the bed, Xu Wei said nothing more and walked toward the bedside.

Xie Zhizhou entered with the medicine, his tone gentle, adopting a forgiving, understanding attitude toward his junior, “Shengshen, don’t get upset over this. Yu Zheng is young and immature – I don’t take it to heart.”

Xu Wei’s face darkened. He turned to look at Xie Zhizhou, breathing rapidly, wishing he could immediately fight him, but he restrained himself. Approaching the bedside, he said painfully, “Elder sister, you’ve suffered.””

Lin Shengshen drank some water to moisten her throat, then said gently, “I’m fine. Thank you for coming all the way from Yizhou.As Xu Wei was about to speak again, Xie Zhizhou cleverly blocked his view with a subtle shift of position. Xie Zhizhou came to the bedside, sat beside Lin Shengshen, first put down the medicine bowl, then gently helped Lin Shengshen sit up against soft pillows.Skillfully picking up the medicine bowl, he stirred it with a jade spoon, scooped up the medicine, blew on it to cool it, tested the temperature, and brought it to Lin Shengshen’s lips.

The series of caregiving actions were performed smoothly and effortlessly in one continuous flow.

After efficiently feeding her the entire bowl of medicine, Xie Zhizhou took out a sugar pill and brought it to Lin Shengshen’s lips, “Pear-flavored, your favorite.”

Lin Shengshen opened her mouth and took the candy pill, letting the sweet flavor wash away the bitterness in her mouth. Unconsciously, she curved her lips into a smile.

[So sweet.]

Xie Zhizhou smiled slightly, picked up a handkerchief, and carefully wiped the corners of Lin Shengshen’s mouth. Then he helped her lie down, tucked in the quilt, brushed aside the stray hairs on her forehead, and checked her temperature with the back of his hand.

Just like the countless times he had repeated these actions over the past two days.

“Father-in-law, Mother-in-law, although Shengshen has woken up, she still has a fever and must not be overexerted. She needs to rest again in another quarter of an hour.”

Chen Yuying, Lin Zhiping, and Lin Xunen watched Xie Zhizhou complete this series of actions and could no longer find anything to say, so they simply nodded.

Xie Zhizhou stood up. “The ointment for Shengshen’s wounds still needs to be prepared. I’ll go to the storeroom to find some high-quality medicinal herbs for the imperial physician.”

He had only taken two steps when he suddenly turned back. “Yu Zheng, it’s already early autumn. Riding a horse at night might have given you a chill. It would be best to keep your distance so you don’t pass any illness to your elder sister. She can’t handle any more strain right now.”

Xu Wei wanted to say that he was strong and healthy and definitely wouldn’t catch a cold, but after one look at the frail Lin Shengshen, he didn’t dare to be so certain. What if he did pass on some illness?

Lin Xunen said, “Yu Zheng, there are physicians outside. Why not go and ask for a prescription to take some medicine?”

Xu Wei had nothing more to say. Even though he had only caught a glimpse of Lin Shengshen and spoken just one sentence to her, he had no choice but to leave now.

It truly was as Xie Zhizhou had said: he could only go in and take a distant look.

The room fell quiet again.

Only the four members of the Lin family remained.

Xie Zhizhou did not go far. He sat in an armchair in the outer room and drank a cup of tea—his first sip of water since the previous night.

He tilted his head and, through the carved gaps in the wooden door, could see Lin Shengshen obediently lying under the covers. As if to reassure her parents and elder brother, she wore a faint smile.

Yet her wounds were clearly causing her immense pain at that moment.

[That damned coachman actually tried to crush my leg! If my bones weren’t so strong, I’d have been crippled for life.]

Chen Yuying advised her, “Right now, you need to focus on recovering. It’s not convenient for you to return home, but once you’re healed, if you wish to go back, just say the word.”

Lin Shengshen replied, “Mother, I’m all grown up now. I know what I’m doing, so please don’t worry.”

Xie Zhizhou’s heart, which had been hanging in suspense, settled once again.

Chen Yuying’s words had been deliberately ambiguous, testing Lin Shengshen’s true intentions.

In the past, Lin Shengshen had never dared to clarify her relationship with him to her family, often pretending to be a deeply affectionate couple. But now that the truth was out in the open and she had no more reservations, if she wanted a divorce, this would be the perfect opportunity to say so while she was ill.

Yet she didn’t. She chose to stay by his side.

Could it be… that Lin Shengshen no longer intended to divorce him?

Perhaps Lin Shengshen already held him in her heart.

In an instant, Xie Zhizhou’s mind overflowed with visions of the future—they would live in perfect harmony, waking up nestled together every morning, strolling hand in hand at dusk to watch the flowing clouds and crimson sunset. All the beauty they had missed in the past would be theirs from now on…

[With the matter of Prince Su still unresolved and this recent danger so suspicious, it’s possible that someone close to us… How could I possibly feel safe returning home now?]

[No matter what, I must wait until I’ve recovered and until Prince Su and Consort Qi have been overthrown before I go back home.]

“My parents don’t know the inside story. If I stay at the Lin residence, I’ll inevitably reveal my flaws sooner or later. How should I explain it then? Tell them I’ve been reborn? Tell them our Lin family will be brought down by Prince Su? Perhaps by then, my parents would be so frightened they’d call a physician for me!”

Xie Zhizhou frowned, his heart, which had just settled, was once again suspended.

[I’ll stay at the Xie residence for now.]

[Once Yunjing stabilizes and the Lin family secures its footing, whether my marriage with Xie Zhizhou continues or ends won’t matter much.]

[Ah, I truly miss the meals at the Lin residence.]