The Sickly Beautiful Prime Minister's Cannon Fodder Scum Wife - Chapter 5

Xie Qingqi laughed lightly. “Yes, yes, it’s me who can’t live without my wife.”

Xiao Shuyan stamped her foot in anger. 

“Xie Qingqi, you weren’t like this before! You said marrying her would stop you from thinking about Brother Changyu, and now you treat this criminal’s daughter like some priceless treasure!”

“Your Highness should be careful with words.” Xie Qingqi frowned. “This marriage was decreed by the Empress Dowager herself. Are you implying that Her Majesty deliberately shielded the daughter of a traitor?”

Xiao Shuyan dared not admit such a thing, so she changed tack, provoking instead. 

“Even if she’s not a traitor’s daughter, her conduct is disgraceful! Back when she was engaged to you, she was still entangled with Brother Changyu. She even broke off your engagement because of him—have you forgotten?”

Xie Qingqi only vaguely recalled that Xiao Shuyan had liked Zhou Changyu. She had nearly forgotten that Zhou had once gone to the Li household to propose marriage—unsurprisingly, he had been rejected. As for the broken engagement, everyone knew it was because the “original” Xie Qingqi was scandalous and dissolute. But somehow, the story had been twisted into Li Huaiyin being fickle and disloyal. Rumors—how vicious they could be!

Thinking back to Zhou Changyu’s sneering face on their first day, when he had gone out of his way to insult and belittle Li Huaiyin, Xie Qingqi cursed him a thousand times in her heart. If he couldn’t have her, he’d rather destroy her. Men, tch.

“Li family broke off our engagement first, then Zhou family proposed after and were rejected. How could any of that be blamed on my wife? And besides, when a woman as beautiful and accomplished as my wife is involved, shameless men who can’t win her heart will stoop to slander.”

She lowered her gaze, eyes brimming with tenderness as she looked at Li Huaiyin. “Since she chose me again, then no matter wealth or poverty, health or sickness, I’ll love and protect her a hundredfold, a thousandfold. Will you accept that?”

Li Huaiyin couldn’t stand being looked at so directly. She lowered her head to avoid her gaze.

But Xie Qingqi kept waiting like a fool, and Xiao Shuyan sat there watching the show. Left with no choice, Li Huaiyin gave a noncommittal “mm.”

It was reluctant, but in Xiao Shuyan’s eyes, Li Huaiyin was pretending to be coy—playing innocent while she snared both her cousin and Brother Changyu with that false demure act.

Xiao Shuyan’s eyes narrowed, then suddenly lit up. She jabbed a finger toward Xie Qingqi. “What’s wrong with your neck?”

Recalling those dramas where the proper wife accused the mistress of seduction and made scenes, Xiao Shuyan grew excited. She stepped closer, pointing at Li Huaiyin. “Even if my cousin went after another woman, as his wife you should have persuaded him, not scratched your own husband! How can my cousin face anyone now? You have no virtue as a wife at all!”

Xie Qingqi: What nonsense are you spouting?

Sitting quietly at home, and somehow a pot had been dumped on her head. And people weren’t even bothering to whisper their slander anymore!

“I don’t mind if she goes to other women,” Li Huaiyin said coolly, though her gaze lingered on Xie Qingqi. “If you find someone suitable, just bring her home. I’ll give up my place early.”

“I mind!” Xie Qingqi blurted out. “Other than my wife, I’ll never marry anyone else.”

Turning to Xiao Shuyan, her expression hardened. “Please don’t spout lies, Your Highness. I’ve been at home these past days, never with any other woman. I’ll only ever have one wife in this life—Li Huaiyin. Please show some respect.”

But Xiao Shuyan wasn’t cowed. “Spouting lies? The whole city knows you brought courtesans home, that you’re preparing to let one through the Marquis’s gates! Brother Changyu even had to go to that filthy place, Huachao Tower, just to help bring you that woman Liu Liu!”

Xie Qingqi laughed. “Is that so? I haven’t seen Liu Liu in a month. If Zhou Changyu is using that excuse to fob you off, then….”

“Brother Changyu would never do that!” Xiao Shuyan snapped.

“Your Highness, birds of a feather flock together. Zhou Changyu used to run with me. What kind of man do you think that makes him?”

Xiao Shuyan faltered, face reddening with fury. She spat, “Xie Qingqi, just you wait! Don’t think you can rely on my Third Brother anymore!” Then she stormed out the door.

As soon as she left, the smile vanished from Li Huaiyin’s face. She jerked her hand out of Xie Qingqi’s grasp, her tone cold. “Stay away from me.”

Clutching her neck pitifully, Xie Qingqi murmured, “You already scratched me, and your words still cut this deep?”

“What kind of good person do you think you are?”

Xie Qingqi: …stepping on my own toes again.

“I only said that to anger her!” She coughed guiltily. “Yes, I wasn’t a good person before, but can’t I turn over a new leaf now?”

“It has nothing to do with me.” Li Huaiyin took out paper and brush. “Write it.”

“Write what?”

“A divorce letter.”

Xie Qingqi forgot all about her wound. “Didn’t you just promise you wouldn’t divorce me?”

“I never promised.”

“But you just said you’d let me love and protect you, no matter wealth or sickness—”

Li Huaiyin echoed her words back, mocking: “I was fooling you.” She really couldn’t stand to hear Xie Qingqi repeat those corny, borrowed lines again.

Xie Qingqi: …stepping on my own toes again, twice over.

Li Huaiyin handed her the paper and brush. “That was all for show earlier. If you truly want to change, then write it now.”

The air seemed to freeze. The room went utterly quiet.

After a long pause, Xie Qingqi whispered, “Fine. I’ll write it.”

Li Huaiyin watched her calmly, unsurprised to hear her add, “But on one condition.”

“We’ll divorce in one month. Until then, you’ll cooperate with me in treating your illness.”

Li Huaiyin thought it over. She still needed to attend the Empress Dowager’s birthday banquet in half a month and meet with Xiao Mingzhu. Waiting a few days longer afterward wouldn’t matter. With a divorce paper in hand, it would be easier for Xiao Mingzhu to help her leave later. She agreed.

Xie Qingqi stared at the paper, brush hovering in her hand. Just before the tip touched down, she froze and lifted her head with wide, innocent eyes.
“Um… could you tell me… how exactly does one write a divorce letter?”

*******

When Xie Qingqi finally emerged from the room, she felt like she’d signed her own death sentence. But if she hadn’t written it…

Well, she’d still be dead.

That night, she returned with medicine—two bowls.

Catching Li Huaiyin’s suspicious look, she explained, “It’s a new prescription. It’ll help your illness recover faster.”

But the guilty look on her face made it seem more like she was saying: It’ll help you die faster.

“You promised you’d cooperate with your treatment today,” Xie Qingqi muttered under her breath.

“Just set it down.”

When Xie Qingqi left, Li Huaiyin only drank her usual medicine. The new bowl she poured away.

At midnight, she heard her door creak open.

Xie Qingqi tiptoed inside and lit the lamp. Even knowing the medicine would make Li Huaiyin sleep deeply, her heart still pounded with nerves. If she woke up now, there’d be no explaining herself even if she jumped into the Yellow River.

She crept closer to the bed. The woman there slept peacefully, breath light, long lashes resting against her cheeks. A soft glow seemed to halo her in sleep.

How can someone look this beautiful even when asleep?

In slumber, Li Huaiyin lost her guarded, distant air. She looked so unapproachable when awake, but now—now she made one want to reach out, to smooth her hair.

Of course, Xie Qingqi didn’t dare.

Instead, she pulled out a roll of silver needles, their tips gleaming in the lamplight.

She sighed inwardly. Treating her from the back would’ve been more effective, but this was all she could do for now.

Carefully, she lifted the quilt and rolled up Li Huaiyin’s sleeve. What should’ve been simple movements felt like performing surgery.

Sneaking into a woman’s room at midnight, pulling back her covers—no matter how you looked at it, this didn’t look like she was doing anything proper.

Xie Qingqi steadied her breathing and focused.

Soon, with quick, precise movements, Li Huaiyin’s pale arm was dotted with silver needles.

Though she pretended to sleep, Li Huaiyin felt it clearly. The prick of the needles wasn’t painful, but when Xie Qingqi guided the flow through her meridians, a deep ache spread through her arm.

After about half an hour, Xie Qingqi gently lowered her arm, tucked the quilt back up, and moved quietly to the foot of the bed.

Her ankle was suddenly enveloped by the warmth of a palm. Le Huaiyin nearly jolted upright, her fists clenching tight on both sides, barely holding back the shiver that shot through her body.

Completely unaware, Xie Qingqi gently spread her feet apart and focused on guiding the silver needles along the acupoints.

At the end, she even had to lean across the bed to treat the other arm.

By the time half an hour passed, Xie Qingqi was drenched in sweat.

Le Huaiyin hadn’t fared much better. Her skin was naturally cool, so every time Xie Qingqi’s hand brushed against her, it felt scalding hot.

And with her eyes closed, in the silence of the room, every sensation was magnified… She gritted her teeth and endured, her nails unknowingly digging into her palms.

When Xie Qingqi finally withdrew the needles and was about to leave, she noticed the sheen of sweat on Le Huaiyin’s forehead. After hesitating, she fetched a towel, dipped it in warm water, and carefully wiped it away before turning to leave.

Le Huaiyin had a good guess about what that bowl of medicine contained. After three days of enduring without drinking it, and seeing that aside from necessary contact Xie Qingqi never overstepped, she eventually gave in and drank the medicine—better that than enduring such torment each time.

With more than ten days of herbal decoctions, acupuncture, and restful sleep, her complexion looked much improved.

*******

“Medicine’s here!”

As usual, Xie Qingqi came in with the bowl of medicine, not noticing how cold Le Huaiyin’s gaze had grown.

“Get out.”

Xie Qingqi froze, confused, and turned around. “What’s wrong?”

Le Huaiyin lifted her eyes. Her gaze was icy, piercing to the bone, like a fathomless abyss of frost. It reminded Xie Qingqi of the first time they met. Her chest suddenly tightened, leaving a dull, bitter ache.

But for the past half month, she had done nothing but boil medicine during the day, go to Hua Shian to feign seeking advice, or pore over medical texts. At night she stayed up until midnight doing acupuncture. She was certain she had done nothing to wrong Le Huaiyin.

Le Huaiyin offered no explanation. She simply drove her out.

Xie Qingqi grew stubborn. “If you don’t drink the medicine, I’m not leaving.”

Not wishing to waste another word on her, Le Huaiyin strode straight to the door. Deep down, she regretted ever trusting enough to drink what Xie Qingqi handed her. How could she ever have believed that scum like her could change?

Xie Qingqi darted ahead and blocked the doorway. “Yesterday you were fine—what happened? Even if you want me dead, at least let me die knowing why!”

Le Huaiyin turned, scooped up a few books from the table, and said coldly, “If you want to humiliate me, just say it outright. Don’t put on this false kindness while secretly doing things you can’t show your face for.”

With that, she shoved both the books and Xie Qingqi out the door. The books scattered across the floor.

Just as Xie Qingqi was about to knock again, her eyes caught a piece of paper slipping out from between the pages.

She picked it up. The handwriting was messy, but she had no trouble recognizing it:

“Lei Wang colluded with the enemy and betrayed the country, disloyal and unworthy of imperial grace. In light of past merits, his family shall not be implicated. Household members to be dispersed. All estates and properties to be confiscated…”

It was the official decree announcing the Lei family’s downfall.

But why was it tucked inside the books she had given Le Huaiyin? And worse—why was it in her own handwriting?

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