After Rebirth, My Aloof Husband Can Hear My Inner Thoughts [Transmigration & Rebirth] - Chapter 69

Lin Shengshen swatted Xie Zhizhou’s hand away, and the two walked side by side along the palace path. A cool breeze brushed past, the bright moon hung high in the sky, casting a soft glow over them.

Lin Shengshen said, “Who wants to go back with you?”

Xie Zhizhou replied, “Then I’ll go back with you.”

“You’re not allowed to come!”

“Why not?”

For a moment, Lin Shengshen couldn’t find a reason. Logically, they were husband and wife, and now they were even in sync with each other’s feelings. It made sense for him to want to stay with her at the Lin residence for a few days.

But… Lin Shengshen was a little afraid.

The memory of Xie Zhizhou’s wild behavior that night was still etched in her mind. The next day, she ached all over. When she bathed, she held up a round mirror under the lamp and saw numerous red marks on her back, mingling with the faint scars from before. At first glance, it looked as though she had endured some form of punishment.

And… the swelling and pain lasted for several days, only easing up this morning. She truly didn’t dare go through that again.

These past few days, Chen Yuying’s most frequent question had been: “Shengshen, are you ill? You look so weak…”

Lin Shengshen, afraid her mother would notice something, simply claimed that Baoxiang Tower had been very busy lately, which was why she looked so pale.

“Anyway, you’re not allowed to come,” Lin Shengshen said firmly.

Xie Zhizhou had no choice but to agree, then secretly reached under his sleeve to hold her hand.

Having just rejected his request, she felt it would be too harsh to refuse him again. So, Lin Shengshen let his warm hand envelop hers.

Suddenly, Xie Zhizhou said softly, “Then let me take a good look at you before we part.”

He made it sound as though they were going to be separated for years. Lin Shengshen found it amusing and turned to face him. “Then look, take a good look.”

Unexpectedly, Xie Zhizhou only glanced at her briefly before shifting his gaze away.

Lin Shengshen tilted her head and moved into his line of sight. “I offer to let you look, and you refuse. What’s going on?”

Xie Zhizhou’s voice was low. “If I look any longer, I won’t be able to resist kissing you again.”

Lin Shengshen flushed with anger. “I knew you were utterly shameless. And here I thought you were so serious and aloof back in the Golden Cloud Hall.”

Xie Zhizhou sighed lightly. “It’s all because you’re Lin Shengshen.”

After hearing a basketful of sweet nothings, Lin Shengshen’s face was completely red. She thought it best to change the subject quickly, lest any palace servants see them. How improper would that be? While His Majesty was busy dealing with family matters, the two of them were openly flirting—it was far too disrespectful.

Lin Shengshen asked him, “Did His Majesty already know about today’s events?”

Xie Zhizhou nodded. “You could say he had it all under control.”

“Then why did you bring the second daughter of the Zhou family?” Logically, Xie Zhizhou wasn’t one to meddle in others’ affairs. Could it be that he wasn’t entirely confident about the situation today?

Xie Zhizhou glanced at her. “Haven’t you been worried about her? By coming here, not only can she help seal Xiangyun Tower’s fate more firmly, but she can also gain some recognition in front of His Majesty.”

Lin Shengshen was astonished. “You even knew about that?!” She had thought Xie Zhizhou never paid attention to such trivial matters. After all, men rarely noticed these subtle, indirect intentions.

Xie Zhizhou held her hand and said, “Now it’s settled. She has shown her face and earned merit. Once the rewards arrive tomorrow, even if her husband passes the imperial exams in the future, he won’t be able to bully her. You can rest assured, Madam.”

Lin Shengshen felt shy at being addressed as “Madam” and dared not look at him. “Look at what you’re saying, as if she came to help with ulterior motives. Zhou Qiong was clearly sincere—she had no idea this matter would go so smoothly beforehand. To her, this endeavor seemed like traversing a mountain of knives and a sea of flames.”

Xie Zhizhou said, “Whether sincere or hypocritical, as long as you, Madam, no longer trouble yourself over others and keep your whole heart devoted to me, that is enough.”

Lin Shengshen muttered under her breath, “When have I ever troubled myself over others…”

Xie Zhizhou asked, “Then why did you sigh in the flower garden today? I heard it clearly.”

Unable to argue with him, Lin Shengshen had to admit, “Even if I did worry, it was only a fleeting thought. This world is full of pitiful people and unjust matters. If I were to fret over every one of them, wouldn’t that be exhausting?”

Xie Zhizhou chuckled, “There are many pitiful people and countless injustices, but Shengshen alone is exceptionally broad-minded.”

Lin Shengshen felt that the moon tonight resembled a sugar pancake hanging in the sky—just a glance at it brought a sweet sensation.

She asked again, “What do you think… how will His Majesty decide after tonight?”

Xie Zhizhou gently stroked the back of her hand. “Don’t worry. Prince Su no longer has any chance to turn the tables, and the Qi family has lost all opportunity for arrogance.”

“Really?”

“Prince Su colluded with the northern enemies, even to the extent of audaciously meeting the northern envoy in private. His Majesty is first and foremost the ruler of the nation, and only then is he Prince Su’s father. There is no room for tolerance in this matter.”

Lin Shengshen nodded, feeling somewhat relieved. “You discovered Xiangyun Tower several days ago—why wait until tonight to act all at once?”

Xie Zhizhou walked beside her, shielding her from the increasingly chilly night breeze, and said slowly, “Today was the perfect timing. Consort Qi suddenly miscarried, Prince Su entered the palace unprepared, internally His Majesty used the investigation as a pretext, and externally I led a group to conduct the search—leaving Prince Su no chance to react.”

Lin Shengshen suddenly understood and lowered her voice, “You mean… Prince Su had long been preparing to force his way into the palace?!”

Xie Zhizhou nodded silently.

The palace path was bathed in a pale white glow—the light of the moon.

Lin Shengshen shivered. In the imperial family, bonds were inherently cold and ungrateful. In the face of absolute power and interests, what significance did blood ties hold?

Xie Zhizhou wrapped his arm around Lin Shengshen’s shoulder, drawing her into his embrace.

“You’re cold—let’s walk faster.” Though reluctant to let her go, he had no choice but to hurry her back to the carriage.

Lin Shengshen remained dazed for a long time before suddenly saying, “No wonder all these years, the Crown Prince has neither achieved great merits nor made major mistakes, always overshadowed by Prince Su, yet His Majesty never once considered replacing the master of the Eastern Palace…”

In the cold and ungrateful imperial family, a child as filial and obedient as the Crown Prince was truly rare and precious.

Xie Zhizhou chuckled softly, “Who said the Crown Prince has neither merits nor faults? If he were truly as mediocre as everyone perceives, how could he have securely held the Eastern Palace for twenty years? Even the Empress, who retreated from the turbulent court to accompany ancient Buddha in seclusion, is deeply concealed and formidable.”

Lin Shengshen pondered this for a moment. “Then in our previous life, it was truly fate playing tricks and circumstances forcing actions…”

Just as Xie Zhizhou said, His Majesty was first a ruler and only then a father. In their previous life, when the Crown Prince was framed for treason and collusion with the enemy, the unjust souls of the people from the three border cities lingered. Under such circumstances, even if His Majesty wished to be a compassionate father, he had no choice but to reluctantly push Prince Su to the throne step by step.

Such imperial strife had led to the destruction of her family, leaving her a wandering, solitary soul.

Suddenly feeling her body lifted lightly, Lin Shengshen realized they had already reached the carriage when Xie Zhizhou picked her up.

Once inside the carriage, Lin Shengshen finally felt somewhat warmer. She hesitated, wanting to speak but holding back.

Xie Zhizhou stood outside the carriage, gazing at her through the small window with a lingering, reluctant look.

Just as Lin Shengshen was about to tell the coachman to depart, Xie Zhizhou suddenly said, “Shengshen, remember to properly reward Shopkeeper Zhu’s daughter from your Baoxiang Tower another day. If I recall correctly, her name is Wan’er.”

Lin Shengshen was taken aback. “Why?”

Xie Zhizhou explained, “When I took people to capture Yin Wei today, she ran out from the alley behind Xiangyun Tower and secretly pointed out a dog hole in the bushes, telling me to station guards there.”

“The girl looks frail, but she’s actually quite clever. Later, we indeed managed to block Yin Wei’s escape through that hidden dog hole.”

Lin Shengshen covered her mouth and laughed. “No wonder she insisted on staying in the small alley behind Xiangyun Tower that day—she was determined to keep a close watch on that old fox Yin Wei. Don’t worry, I’ll definitely reward her properly.”

Xie Zhizhou smiled. “Why would I be worried? I noticed how fond you are of Wan’er, so I just mentioned it. If it were someone unimportant, couldn’t the Dali Temple spare a few taels of silver as a reward?”

Lin Shengshen thought to herself that while others said she was meticulous in speech and action, they didn’t realize the truly flawless one was Xie Zhizhou.

“Alright, alright. Since Lord Xie wants me to play the good person, how could I dare refuse?”

Xie Zhizhou pursed his lips. The cold wind outside grew stronger, making his robes flutter loudly. Dressed in profound black, he was bathed in moonlight, the sheen captivating. His tall figure stood motionless in the wind, like a pine tree.

Lin Shengshen felt a stir in her heart, as if the sugar cake in the sky had been eaten right at the tip of her heart, melting sweetly bit by bit.

She mysteriously leaned out of the carriage and lowered her voice. “Actually, there’s one more thing I didn’t tell you today.”

Xie Zhizhou leaned closer, inclining his ear toward her, and asked gently and patiently, “What is it?”

Lin Shengshen pressed close to his ear, exhaling a warm breath. She could see him tense up instantly and smiled inwardly. Then, she quickly nibbled on Xie Zhizhou’s earlobe before shrinking back into the carriage and lowering the curtain, hurriedly saying, “Back to the Lin residence!”

Leaving Xie Zhizhou alone standing in the cold wind.

The wind was strong and cold, but Xie Zhizhou felt hot.

Watching the carriage gradually move away, Lin Shengshen leaned out again to look back. Seeing that he hadn’t left and was still staring, she quickly ducked back inside.

Why hadn’t he noticed it before? Lin Shengshen was so pitiful and adorable that one couldn’t look away.

The autumn night was quite chilly. Worried that Lin Shengshen had exhausted herself, Chen Yuying specially spent a large sum to buy precious medicinal herbs for Lin Shengshen’s bath.

Lin Shengshen, pinching her nose, leaned against the bathtub and exclaimed in frustration, “It’s all Xie Zhizhou’s fault!”

Peilan, who was placing her sleeping robes on the clothes rack nearby, smiled and asked, “These herbs were bought by Madam for you, young lady. Why blame Young Master Xie?”Lin Shengshen was too embarrassed to explain in detail and vaguely said, ‘If it weren’t for him, why would my complexion be so poor?” And why would Mother buy these bitter medicines for me?”

Peilan understood immediately and replied with a shy, bashful smile, “Young lady, you must replenish yourself well. In a few days, when you return to the Xie residence, you’ll have plenty to keep you busy.”

“…” Lin Shengshen suddenly stood up from the bathtub, about to step out.

Startled, Peilan quickly supported her and urged her back in. “What’s wrong, young lady? Don’t come out—what if you catch a cold?”

“I’m determined to search your room today for those storybooks and see what you’ve been reading all this time!”

Peilan was caught between laughter and tears. “They’re just for passing time, nothing remarkable…”

Lin Shengshen was about to say more when she suddenly heard rustling branches outside the window. Instantly alert, she demanded, “What was that? Go check outside quickly!”

Peilan hurried to the window and looked out. Under the moonlit night, leaves were falling, and a stray cat darted past.

“It’s just a cat, Miss. You can rest assured.” Peilan closed the window and returned, refilling Lin Shengshen’s water.

Lin Shengshen paid it no mind, leaning against the edge as she read. “I need to soak for another half hour. You may go rest.”

The palace banquet had run late, and it was already midnight.

Knowing Lin Shengshen disliked having others around while reading, Peilan quietly withdrew.

The ancient text was obscure and difficult to understand. Some spices from centuries ago might go by different names now, and… the illustrator of this ancient book had terrible drawing skills!

The illustrations were such a mess she couldn’t distinguish leaves from flowers.

Rubbing her temples, Lin Shengshen set the book aside and drowsily leaned against the bathtub.

In her light sleep, she dreamed of noisy chatter. She sat bored at a desk, listening to girls around her discuss the young masters of Yunjing.

After listening for a while, it always came back to that one from the Xie family.

Hearing them praise him to the skies, Lin Shengshen felt disdainful.

How handsome could he be? She had seen plenty of good-looking young men in Lizhou. Could those from Yunjing really be more special? Growing curious, she secretly peeked from behind some flowers—

The sensation at that moment was so vivid: her heart seemed to stop, everything around her felt submerged and unreal, and only Xie Zhizhou’s figure swayed in her vision, every movement etching itself into her heart.

Perhaps it was love at first sight.

Lin Shengshen also admitted she was drawn by his looks.

Regardless, she wanted to marry Xie Zhizhou.

Suddenly, another sound of dry branches snapping underfoot, accompanied by the creak of a window, jolted her awake.

She sank deeper into the hot water, warily eyeing the latticed window.

In the deep night, Xie Zhizhou stood outside the window, arms crossed, tilting his head as he watched her.

“…” Lin Shengshen gasped, “What are you doing here?!”

Xie Zhizhou frowned. “Are you ill?” The strong medicinal scent suggested a serious condition.

Lin Shengshen averted her eyes, fabricating an excuse. “It’s for strengthening the body. When we return to the Xie residence, I’ll bring some for you to try.”

Xie Zhizhou raised an eyebrow, thoughts unreadable.

Lin Shengshen pressed, “You still haven’t said—why are you here in the middle of the night?”

Xie Zhizhou replied, “You bit me today. I’m here to return the favor.”

Remembering how she had playfully bitten him at Zhonghua Gate, Lin Shengshen instantly regretted it. “Must you be so vindictive…”

Xie Zhizhou leaned forward.

Panicked, Lin Shengshen exclaimed, “You… you wouldn’t actually climb through the window, would you?”

To Xie Zhizhou, this was no more shocking than his usual strict adherence to rules. “I’ve already scaled the wall. What’s a window compared to that?”

Just then, Peilan called from outside, “Miss, were you calling me?”

Footsteps immediately approached.

Lin Shengshen glanced at Xie Zhizhou climbing through the window, then at the approaching figure behind the screen, her forehead beading with anxious sweat.

“Don’t come in!” Lin Shengshen explained, “I… I’ve finished bathing, already dried off and dressed myself. You should rest, no need to come again.”

“Ah?” Peilan’s footsteps halted as if pondering for a moment. “Alright.”

The sound of footsteps gradually faded away.

Lin Shengshen shot a reproachful look at Xie Zhizhou, who had already reached the bathtub, and whispered, “Didn’t we agree you wouldn’t come? Why break your promise?”

Xie Zhizhou, having shaken off the chill from outside, was now softened by the steam in this small space. He leaned in, almost pressing Lin Shengshen against the bathtub.

Through the misty haze, his features were blurred, but she could clearly see his smiling lips, the small mole beside his tall nose bridge, and his gentle yet burning gaze.

Lin Shengshen felt her heart flutter under his intense stare.

Xie Zhizhou curved his lips, “You said not to come, but now that I’m here, my lady doesn’t seem angry at all.”