After Rebirth, My Aloof Husband Can Hear My Inner Thoughts [Transmigration & Rebirth] - Chapter 68

Xie Zhizhou wasn’t angered by her scolding. Gazing at the person in his arms, he said, “I’m only shameless with Shengshen.”

Lin Shengshen kicked her legs, wanting to get down.

Xie Zhizhou had no choice but to release the person in his arms, setting Lin Shengshen steadily back on the ground.

The sky had grown darker. With no lights in the corner, they could only vaguely see each other’s faces up close.

Xie Zhizhou seemed to have lost some weight, but his spirits were much better than in the past half month.

Lin Shengshen asked, “Are you fully recovered?”

Xie Zhizhou bragged, “It was just spitting up some blood, nothing serious. I’ve been fine for a while.”

“If you’ve been fine for a while, why haven’t you come to see me?”

Xie Zhizhou coughed and told the truth, “Actually, I only started feeling somewhat better today, enough to get out of bed and walk around.”

Lin Shengshen snorted.

“If there’s nothing else, I’ll be going now. The evening banquet will start soon.”

“Shengshen!” Xie Zhizhou grabbed her arm.

Lin Shengshen turned to look at him.

Hesitating for a moment, Xie Zhizhou asked, “Why did you make those Scented Pills for me?”

The question was subtle, and for a moment, Lin Shengshen felt like teasing him.

“Oh? Which Scented Pills are you talking about?”

“Spring Message in Snow.”

Lin Shengshen suppressed a smile, deliberately drawing out her tone as if suddenly understanding. “Oh… those? Of course, they’re for selling at Baoxiang Tower. As the weather gets colder, there’s a long line of people waiting to buy my specially made Spring Message in Snow.”

Xie Zhizhou’s expression darkened again, and his grip on Lin Shengshen’s arm tightened.

“Then… I thought…”

Lin Shengshen found his hesitant demeanor quite unusual, remembering how in the past, no matter what she asked him, he would only give brief replies like: “Not allowed.” “Leave.” “Take it back.” “Don’t come again.” “Dislike.”

Xie Zhizhou’s tone grew somewhat urgent, “Were those Scented Pills not specially made for me?”

“No, they weren’t.”

Xie Zhizhou pressed further, “Then when you asked Zhenhuan to tell me we’d meet again after I recovered, was that also a lie?”

“Yes.”

Lin Shengshen appeared completely unbothered and indifferent.

Xie Zhizhou pulled her into his arms and held her tightly. “Do you truly have no feelings for me in your heart?”

Lin Shengshen lifted her head and stared into his eyes. “Xie Zhizhou, can you no longer hear my thoughts?”

Xie Zhizhou froze. Clearly, he didn’t want Lin Shengshen to know about this. If even this connection was gone, what difference was there between him and those other men—the Xus and the rest—in her eyes?

Lin Shengshen repeated, “You can’t hear them anymore, can you?”

After a tense silence, Xie Zhizhou finally nodded.

Lin Shengshen stepped out of his embrace, looked up at him, her eyes holding a glimmer of moonlight. “Then guess what I’m thinking.”

“What?”

A cool evening breeze swept past, tangling the edges of their fluttering robes together.

Lin Shengshen grabbed the front of Xie Zhizhou’s robe, stood on her toes, and quickly planted a kiss on his chin. Then, without looking back, she ran off.

Xie Zhizhou stood frozen in place. The force of Lin Shengshen’s kiss had been strong—the smacking sound left him dizzy. What was she thinking? What was she thinking?

She had kissed him—what else could she be thinking?

Xie Zhizhou pressed a hand to his chest, feeling as though his heart might leap out. It took him a long while to calm down.

Lin Shengshen, ah, Lin Shengshen.

Lin Shengshen jogged all the way back to the main hall, pausing to catch her breath once she arrived. She had never realized it before, but teasing Xie Zhizhou was quite amusing.

Madam Feng, sitting beside her, whispered, “Miss Lin, are you unwell? You were gone for so long.”

Lin Shengshen pressed the back of her hand to her warm cheek and smiled. “I ran into a cat by the wall and played with it for a while before coming back.”

Madam Feng covered her mouth with a handkerchief and chuckled. “Miss Lin likes cats?”

Lin Shengshen replied, “I didn’t used to, but after petting one just now, I find them quite adorable.”

Madam Feng nodded with a smile. “My Third Miss adores cats and keeps one in her room. That little creature may seem aloof and indifferent, but in secret, it’s very clingy—practically begging to be held all day long.”

Lin Shengshen thought to herself, Not just during the day—it can’t bear to be apart even at night.

Madam Feng, hoping to please her, said, “If you like, Miss Lin, I can ask my Third Miss to pick one out for you. How does that sound?”

Lin Shengshen politely declined. “Thank you, but that won’t be necessary. I already have one.”

Madam Feng looked surprised. “I’ve never heard you mention it before.”

Lin Shengshen’s eyes curved into crescents as she spoke, her words sounding utterly convincing. “I’ve only had it for a short while. It’s being kept at the Xie residence.”

Madam Feng pondered this for a moment, concluding that the rumors of Miss Lin and Young Master Xie being on the verge of separation were unfounded. She flattered, “Young Master Xie may seem cold, but he treats you very well.” Xie Zhizhou certainly didn’t seem like the type of man who would enjoy keeping cats or dogs.

Lin Shengshen smiled without responding, tacitly agreeing with the remark.

A short while later, someone arrived at the empty seat not far across from them.

Xie Zhizhou was dressed in a black robe with subtle golden patterns embroidered on the cuffs and collar. His tall, slender frame, broad shoulders, and narrow waist lent an air of nobility to the garment. His face was handsome, with high cheekbones, a straight nose, and thin lips tinged with red. The corners of his mouth were set in a neutral line, giving him an aura of refined elegance and restraint.

His gaze swept over and instantly caught Lin Shengshen, giving her a deep look. Seeing that she was also looking in his direction, he curved his lips into a smile before taking his seat.

Lin Shengshen lightly covered her slightly swollen lips with her fingers, feeling somewhat guilty…

It was all Xie Zhizhou’s fault—he had held her and kissed her incessantly. Now, under the brilliant lights of the night banquet, if anyone with sharp eyes noticed their unusually red lips, they might start imagining things.

Soon after, the hall fell silent as His Majesty, hand in hand with Consort Qi, slowly took their seats at the head of the hall. Everyone rose to offer their congratulations.

After the customary greetings and formalities, they were finally able to sit down. Lin Shengshen paid no attention to the singing and dancing in the hall, instead lifting her gaze to look into the distance.

Consort Qi appeared elegant and radiant, but her complexion was noticeably worse than before. Her makeup was thickly applied, and a set of hairpins adorned her head, shimmering brilliantly under the lights—clearly of immense value.

Lin Shengshen chuckled inwardly. Xiangyun Tower was truly sparing no expense.

Just as she was about to lower her head to sip her tea, she noticed Qi Xin, standing behind Consort Qi, glance in her direction, a faint, elusive smile curling at the corners of her lips.

Lin Shengshen returned the smile and averted her gaze. Whether it was Consort Qi, Qi Yan, Qi Xin, or even Prince Su, none of the Qi family members were normal. Once all these matters were resolved, she intended to keep her distance.

After a round of singing and dancing, everyone raised their glasses in another toast. His Majesty’s expression remained indifferent today, even bordering on perfunctory.

Next came the presentation of gifts. This year, it seemed as though everyone had come to an unspoken agreement—there was no competition to outshine one another. The gifts were respectable but not particularly outstanding.

This was vastly different from her previous life.

With a slight shift in her thoughts, Lin Shengshen quickly grasped the underlying intricacies.

The Crown Prince had not prepared an extravagant gift this time. Instead, he had the Crown Princess train a dance troupe personally at the Eastern Palace to present as a tribute.

The court officials, along with the consorts from various palaces, naturally refrained from making any grand displays and had scaled back their gifts as well. Some, with more cunning minds, even began speculating about the shifting political winds. The Crown Prince had held his position securely in the Eastern Palace for years—neither particularly accomplished nor at fault, yet deeply favored by His Majesty. How long the Qi family’s prominence would last remained uncertain.

It was still wiser to align with the Eastern Palace.

Seated at the head of the hall, Consort Qi’s expression grew increasingly grim. Ambitious by nature, she had always sought to stand out above the rest. Yet today, being subtly undermined in front of everyone left her deeply frustrated.

As her anger simmered, a dull ache began to stir in her abdomen. She was already seven months pregnant, but recently, she had started bleeding…

Since she had gained favor, no other children had been born in the imperial harem, and she herself had not conceived again after Prince Su. His Majesty was aging, and she was no longer young. This pregnancy had been a rare opportunity—a chance to secure her position and deter the younger women vying for His Majesty’s attention.

But fate had not been kind. As her belly grew larger day by day, her health deteriorated. Could it be that she and this child were truly not meant to be?

Consort Qi stretched out a trembling hand, which Qi Xin steadily grasped, offering her a sliver of comfort.

Her so-called younger sister was aware of her condition. She had trained her well and knew Qi Xin would never dare to reveal the truth.

“Your Majesty, this humble consort requests to freshen up.”

His Majesty glanced at her indifferently and nodded.

Once she stepped out of the main hall, Consort Qi leaned against the wall, supported by her attendants. Cold sweat beaded on her forehead. “Quickly, fetch my medicine from Qingchun Palace.”

Qi Xin held her hand, her tone filled with concern. “Your Highness, it’s already prepared. Please take it quickly.”

In that moment, Consort Qi felt a flicker of gratitude. Otherwise, if she had to wait for the medicine to be delivered from Qingchun Palace, His Majesty would surely grow suspicious.

She swallowed the medicine, calming her breath slightly, and holding Qi Xin’s hand, walked back inside.

Seeing Consort Qi leave and return, Lin Shengshen’s heart gradually tightened—was she unable to hold on any longer? Qi Xin had acted swiftly; she had intended for Consort Qi to…

Before she could finish her thought, a sudden thud was heard from above. Consort Qi had fainted outright. The crowd panicked but dared not breach etiquette before His Majesty, all sitting restlessly.

Then Qi Xin shouted, “Physician! Quickly summon the physician! Her Highness is bleeding heavily!”

Amid the chaos, the originally lively Mid-Autumn Festival banquet was forced to end early. All the noble ladies and young misses left the palace ahead of time, with only Lin Shengshen being detained.

The bedchamber of Qingchun Palace was filled with the scent of blood. Lin Shengshen entered and bowed in greeting.

His Majesty’s voice was deep and authoritative, “I’ve heard you own a shop called Baoxiang Tower.”

Lin Shengshen affirmed this.

His Majesty continued, “Your Baoxiang Tower is quite close with Jinzhi Tower, is it not?”

Lin Shengshen again affirmed.

Suddenly, a weak voice came from behind the bed curtains—Consort Qi’s. “Your Majesty must uphold justice for your servant! I believe Jinzhi Tower conspired with the Lin family girl to harm both me and my child!”

The physician trembled as he reported, “These hairpins indeed contain poison harmful to a fetus… It seems Her Highness placed this set of hairpins on her dressing table, inhaling the toxic vapors daily, which led to the miscarriage…”

Lin Shengshen’s expression remained unperturbed. Consort Qi was like a cornered animal, biting wildly in desperation.

Inside the bed curtains, Consort Qi wept. After learning the hairpins presented by Xiangyun Tower were problematic, she had panicked momentarily. Who stood behind Xiangyun Tower? Her own son, Prince Su!

Moreover… though Prince Su hadn’t told her, she knew exactly what shady dealings Xiangyun Tower was involved in behind the scenes!

If these matters came to light, not only would she suffer, but the entire Qi family would meet a terrible end!

Consort Qi seethed with hatred but could say nothing.

Since the physician had already reported the hairpins’ issues to His Majesty, she could only try to implicate Lin Shengshen. If she succeeded, it wouldn’t be a total loss!

As for Prince Su’s complicated schemes—she would deal with them after recovering her health!

Lin Shengshen calmly stated, “This set of hairpins was not made by Jinzhi Tower. They were crafted by Xiangyun Tower.”

“Oh?” His Majesty’s tone betrayed no emotion.

Lin Shengshen recounted the events in detail—how the hairpin designs were created, how the designs were stolen, and what misconduct Xiangyun Tower had been involved in previously.

His Majesty listened in silence.

Consort Qi struggled to rise and kneel, but His Majesty stopped her. She pleaded, “Your servant specifically chose Jinzhi Tower to present the hairpins—this was widely known among the people. How could it become Xiangyun Tower? Xiangyun Tower is merely an obscure small shop—why would I ever select them?”

With both sides sticking to their stories, the situation grew increasingly chaotic.

His Majesty, appearing somewhat bored, sat at the head and ordered a eunuch, “Go, summon the manager of Jinzhi Tower.”

Everyone waited quietly in the hall.

After hearing the eunuch’s orders outside the hall, Xie Zhizhou knew the time had come. He led his men on horseback out of the palace.

Prince Su arrived, entered the hall to visit Consort Qi, then said with a grave expression, “Father, Mother has always enjoyed good health. It must be Jinzhi Tower’s hairpins that caused the miscarriage. Father, you must deliver justice for Mother!”

His heart was also in turmoil—what exactly was going on? Ever since Xu Wulin was discovered obtaining the poisonous incense from the northern enemies, he had abandoned this plan. After all… Consort Qi was ultimately his mother. Using the northern enemies’ poisonous incense to cause her miscarriage and then skillfully shifting the blame onto the Crown Prince… such a scheme ultimately violated human ethics.

Yet, he had to admit, the previous plan was ingenious. Not only could it eliminate the male fetus, but it could also pin the crime of colluding with the enemy on the Crown Prince, bringing down the Lin family and even the Xie family along with him. What a pity.

Now, this matter was strange. Could it really be that Xiangyun Tower was behind the poisoning? Had that scoundrel Yin Wei gone mad?! If His Majesty were to thoroughly investigate Xiangyun Tower, could he bear the consequences? Prince Su could only pray inwardly that Yin Wei was clever enough to evacuate those people early.

Prince Su restrained his temper, suppressing the urge to kill someone.

During this time, Lin Shengshen examined the set of hairpins. Yin Wei had indeed invested a considerable amount of money—they were truly identical to the design drawings. Even the hollowed-out connections between the gold beads and the hairpins were exquisitely crafted, perfectly convenient for Qi Xin to conceal the poison.

After a long while, commotion arose outside the hall as three or four people approached the entrance.

Lin Shengshen was startled—why had Zhou Qiong come?!

At that moment, a eunuch came to deliver a message, “Minister Xie encountered this young lady on his way to Jin Zhi Lou. She claimed to have evidence, so he brought her along.”

The group knelt outside the hall, separated by a screen, and paid respects to His Majesty. The manager of Jin Zhi Lou spoke first, “I have indeed seen the design for these hairpins, but only at a glance. Back then, Yin Wei, the manager of Xiangyun Tower, obtained the design and flaunted it publicly, showing it off for everyone to admire.”

Prince Su said coldly, “These hairpins were meant as a tribute to Consort Qi. If he had the design, he would have kept it secret and worked on it quietly. How could he flaunt it publicly? It seems to me you are lying!”

The manager of Jin Zhi Lou replied, “Your Highness may not be aware, but this design is extremely complex and requires exceptionally high craftsmanship. Only a master craftsman privately retained by Xiangyun Tower could produce it. Ordinary shops like ours lack such skill. Yin Wei knew this well, which is why…”

Zhou Qiong spoke up, “I am the second daughter of Zhou Wei, the Assistant Director of the Court of Judicial Review, and my name is Zhou Qiong. I can testify that Xiangyun Tower is very familiar with this method of poisoning.”

“Oh?” His Majesty could not recall who Zhou Wei was, but this daughter of his seemed rather bold.

Zhou Qiong rolled up her sleeve, revealing a section of skin covered in scars, and extended it beyond the screen. Her maid then handed an incense burner to the eunuch—the very one Yin Wei had given her earlier.

Lin Shengshen was puzzled—why did Zhou Qiong still have scars? She had provided her with ample medicinal herbs.

Zhou Qiong said, “These scars are what remained after I was harmed, and this incense burner was a gift from Yin Wei.”

His Majesty glanced at it but did not delve deeper. Lifting his gaze, he commanded, “Go and search Xiangyun Tower.”

Prince Su exclaimed in alarm, “Father! How can you trust the words of commoners?”

His Majesty raised an eyebrow, his imposing aura intensifying, frightening Prince Su into kneeling with a thud. “My mother has been with Your Majesty for decades, and the affection between you runs deep. If today Your Majesty listens to the slander of petty people and distrusts my mother, how will she maintain her standing in the rear palace from now on?”

At that moment, a eunuch suddenly came to report from outside the hall, “Your Majesty, Minister Xie requests an audience.”

“Let him in.”

Xie Zhizhou stood behind the screen at the entrance of the bedchamber, separated from everything inside the hall.

His voice was clear and resonant, his tone forceful. “Reporting to Your Majesty, earlier this official went to Xiangyun Tower to conduct a search and witnessed Yin Wei leading over a dozen people attempting to flee. Finding this suspicious, I brought them all back.”

As he spoke, several individuals dressed in exotic attire with distinctly foreign features were forced to kneel outside the hall.

Prince Su’s eyes widened with fury. “How dare you search Xiangyun Tower without His Majesty’s decree?!”

Xie Zhizhou’s voice remained steady. “Investigating cases is this official’s duty.”

Prince Su glanced at His Majesty again, only to find his expression unreadable. A heavy stone seemed to drop in his heart.

Today’s intricate twists and turns were likely a meticulously woven net, trapping both him and Consort Qi within it!

His Majesty stepped outside to survey the scene before returning in silence. Unable to gauge his mood, everyone remained quiet.

Xie Zhizhou suddenly added, “These incense burners were also discovered at Xiangyun Tower. Their inner walls conceal hidden mechanisms capable of holding poison, indicating Yin Wei has been engaged in numerous such schemes.”

A eunuch presented the incense burners.

Inside the bed curtains, Consort Qi fainted again from overwhelming anxiety.

His Majesty asked, “Where is Yin Wei?”

Xie Zhizhou replied, “He was so terrified he wept and soiled himself, babbling nonsense about Prince Su saving him. Fearing he would offend Your Majesty’s eyes, I had him securely bound and detained below the steps.”

The matter was already clear, but with so many present, His Majesty refrained from explicit judgment, only remarking gravely, “Consort, you have raised a fine son.”

The hall fell so silent one could hear a pin drop. His Majesty waved his hand, dismissing the crowd.

Only Prince Su and the foreigners remained.

Lin Shengshen felt reassured, knowing that Xie Zhizhou and His Majesty had long planned today’s events. Given the circumstances, Prince Su would surely have no chance of recovery.

After leaving Qingchun Hall, Lin Shengshen pulled Zhou Qiong aside and asked, “Why did you come? You frightened me.”

Zhou Qiong blushed. “I heard about the incident at the palace banquet and that it involved poison hidden in hairpins, so I rushed here to testify… But everything seemed to proceed smoothly today. Miss Lin, was I too impulsive? Perhaps my testimony wasn’t even necessary.”

Lin Shengshen smiled reassuringly. “Your willingness to testify is certainly commendable. Don’t worry, you haven’t disrupted anything. In fact, you might even receive a reward tomorrow!”

Zhou Qiong whispered, “As long as you’re safe, Miss Lin, I didn’t come for any reward…”

Lin Shengshen said earnestly, “I know, I know.”

Today’s events were essentially a trap, meticulously arranged by her, Xie Zhizhou, and Qi Xin. There was no room for error, and Zhou Qiong’s presence or absence would have made little difference.

Yet, witnessing her fearless dedication to testifying moved Lin Shengshen deeply.

Lin Shengshen rolled up Zhou Qiong’s sleeve and asked, “What happened to this scar? Did the medicine lose its effect?”

Zhou Qiong smiled faintly. “The ingredients you provided were too precious, Miss Lin. My stepmother embezzled and withheld much of them, so… there wasn’t enough.”

“Heartless creature! How could she steal even that?” Lin Shengshen fumed. “Why didn’t you tell me at the time? This scar will be difficult to fade now.”

Zhou Qiong shook her head. “How could I trouble you further, Miss Lin? But it’s all healed now, and the scar doesn’t bother me. It’s fine.”

As they walked, they suddenly noticed Xie Zhizhou standing tall by the palace wall in the distance, as if waiting for someone.

Zhou Qiong hurriedly said, “I should return early. Miss Lin, I’ll take my leave now!”

As soon as Zhou Qiong left, Xie Zhizhou strode over. His dark black robes shimmered under the moonlight as he drew close, his eyes fixed entirely on Lin Shengshen. He said gently, “Shengshen, come home with me.”