Chapter 69 The Scroll

Chapter 69 The Scroll

Shen Nanzi stood in Lie Feng's room. His belongings were all left in their original places, and he only took a few changes of clothes with him.

Shen Nanzi understood that he had been hurt this time.

She knew his personality; if things were like before, he would find all sorts of reasons to stay.

In his heart, since she saved his life, he belonged to her.

However, she didn't need this way of repaying a debt of gratitude. She saved him because she hoped he could live a complete life.

Instead of living to repay a debt of gratitude, becoming her appendage, and being ready to die for her at any time.

She was indeed negligent and failed to notice his changing feelings for her sooner.

Moreover, she is unable to reciprocate his feelings, and if he stays by her side, he will never have a life of his own.

Most importantly, the situation is changing rapidly and is not in her favor. She has to get rid of him as soon as possible and cannot use gentle methods.

With his personality, wherever he goes, he will inevitably tie his fate to hers.

If her fate is destined to be a tragedy, then why harm the innocent?

He was one of the people closest to her. There are only two ways to make a man change the fastest: love or hate.

She could only resort to psychological manipulation to quickly resolve the situation.

If she and her brother can turn things around someday, she will explain everything to him in person.

"Your Highness," the aunt rushed over anxiously, "His Highness Prince Jing is here!"

Shen Nanzi looked puzzled. They hadn't met since returning from Consort Wei's place that day.

What brings him here?

Suppressing her doubts, Shen Nanzi returned to her room.

The doors were wide open, and he stood in the hall, wearing a cypress-colored robe, his back to her, hands clasped behind his back.

Perhaps he heard her footsteps, and turned around.

His face remained stunningly handsome, a sight to behold.

However, it no longer stirs any waves in her heart, not even the slightest ripple.

Shen Nanzi was satisfied with herself now that she had let go, so she calmly looked at him.

"What do you want with me?"

Xie Yan looked at her. She was exceptionally elegant today, wearing a white, gold-embroidered dress with a front opening, and without even a hairpin in her hair.

Her black hair was styled into a side bun, casually tilted to the left.

She wore no makeup, her face was bare, so simple that he almost didn't recognize her.

However, she was naturally beautiful with fair skin, which made her features even more striking.

Before coming here, he had just returned to the Jingwang Mansion when Shi Tou handed him an anonymous box.

He opened it with a puzzled look; inside was a painting. He unrolled the scroll.

The painting depicts a courtyard filled with flowers, with a pavilion in the center.

The pavilion is completely covered by bamboo curtains, except for one section where the curtain is half-open, revealing half of the view inside.

Beside the stone table, a man and a woman were in an intimate pose. The woman was leaning against the edge of the stone table, her hands resting on the stone table behind her.

The man's hands pressed down on the woman's hands, conveying a sense of oppression and aggression.

Xie Yan recognized the brightly colored skirt at a glance, swaying gracefully as she walked past him.

Such elaborate and exaggerated dresses would be a disaster on anyone else.

But with her stunningly beautiful face, she is unforgettable at first glance.

His heart skipped a beat, and he almost dropped the scroll.

With his fingers clenched, he almost crushed the scroll.

He thought he hadn't remembered anything about her at all.

But at this moment, he realized that she had indeed left a mark on his memory.

Otherwise, how could he have recognized the woman as Shen Nanzi at a glance!

His shock was beyond his imagination.

There was some humiliation, some unspeakable shame, and a mixture of indignation.

Perhaps noticing the change in his expression, the stone curiously peered over.

He quickly put away the scroll and went into the inner room, leaving Shi Tou looking puzzled.

He didn't want anyone to see him, afraid that people would recognize her as the woman he was having a secret rendezvous with in the pavilion.

Xie Yan couldn't understand it, he only knew that his chest felt uncomfortable, as if someone was choking him and he couldn't breathe.

Who is Shen Nanzi with?

He unrolled the scroll again and carefully examined the man.

His attire was not elaborate, revealing strong, powerful calves encased in a tight-fitting outfit.

The edges of those shoes were worn.

The only person who fits this outfit is Lie Feng!

After guessing the answer effortlessly, Xie Yan collapsed onto the edge of the bed.

Even though his reason told him that it was absolutely impossible.

However, remembering that he had seen Lie Feng's unconcealed thoughts before, he couldn't help but wonder if the audacious Shen Nanzi would do something outrageous.

With her personality, when she loves him, she can disregard everything.

Now, her attitude keeps changing, to the point that he can't figure out her standards for doing things.

He was so carried away that he couldn't control himself. He came to her courtyard and met her calm and serene gaze.

Xie Yan felt as if he had been stung, and suddenly felt like a clown. What was he doing here?

Should we question her about whether she had an affair with the guard?

Or perhaps it was because he was wavering in his feelings that he demanded her unwavering loyalty to him.

Unlike other men who could be affectionate with multiple women, he only wanted to hold the hand of one woman for life when he was young.

Even after marrying Shen Nanzi by accident, he never considered taking a concubine.

Yes, he shouldn't need to care.

He was simply apologizing to her; even if they couldn't be a loving couple, he wanted to take responsibility for the rest of her life.

He could understand and even support her no matter what.

But why was his heart filled with anger?

He attributed all of this to the prevailing societal notion that, after marriage, a woman should only be faithful to her husband.

This is due to the man's possessiveness.

Whether he was sad or ashamed just now, it was all because she was the Princess Consort of Prince Jing.

Yes, after meeting her serene eyes, he confirmed his suspicions.

Therefore, he suppressed his displeasure.

"His Majesty is unwell. Tomorrow, you will come with me to the palace to attend to him."

He is a man who is good at hiding his thoughts.

Even if one's heart is in turmoil, no emotion can be seen at this moment.

Shen Nanzi had no interest in studying his joys and sorrows as she had before.

But when Xie Yan said that the Emperor was unwell, his heart skipped a beat. It was exactly what he feared!

What she and her brother feared most was the Emperor's good health; as long as the Emperor lived, they would be safe.

For them, the slightest movement of the emperor's body was like a blade hovering over their necks.

Suppressing her unease, she revealed her genuine concern, "What is the Emperor's illness?"

Seeing that she looked natural, Xie Yan said, "The illness isn't very serious, but she's been feeling a little unwell these past few days and needs to rest in bed."

Hearing that it wasn't serious, Shen Nanzi's worries subsided somewhat.

"Okay, I understand."

"We'll ride in the same carriage tomorrow." Xie Yan understood her meaning, and they would each ride in their own carriage again.

Her behavior really displeased him, even though it was the situation he had longed for most before.

Now that she's stopped bothering him, he's actually feeling a bit presumptuous and wants to sit with her.

"So that others won't suspect we don't get along," he said, spouting a lie that even he found hard to believe.

"When have we ever been on good terms?" Shen Nanzi raised an eyebrow and asked, not wanting to sit with him.

"Sitting in a carriage is like burying your head in the sand. Xie Yan, we are a mismatched couple."

She spoke casually, as if she had long accepted the terrible relationship between them.

Thinking of the scene between her and Lie Feng, although he hadn't yet determined whether it was true or not, he knew that it was very likely to be true.

Sometimes he wished he wasn't so perceptive, able to see through things at a glance.

“Even unhappy couples are still spouses; if they don’t separate, their fortunes and misfortunes will be intertwined.”

He found himself to be somewhat stubborn; it didn't matter whether he rode in a carriage or not, but he was fixated on such a trivial matter.

Moreover, he seems to have deviated somewhat from his original intention.

Then she changed her mind again, saying, "Whatever!"

After saying that, he walked out of the courtyard, feeling upset.

"Grandma, where's Liefeng?"

Xie Chengze's voice made Xie Yan, who had just entered the courtyard, stop in her tracks.

He glanced to the left at the servants' quarters, where Xie Chengze, carrying his child's bow, emerged from Liefeng's room.

His aunt replied from the kitchen, "Your Highness, Liefeng has gone to serve as a lieutenant general!"

What is a Lieutenant General?

"This old servant doesn't know either, but anyway! He's going to become an official, which is a great thing."

As she spoke, her great-aunt came out wiping her hands, a genuine smile on her wrinkled face.

"When will he come back? I'm waiting for him to teach me how to shoot!"

"Let's see if he can come back when he's on leave!"

"Does that mean I can't find him anytime, anywhere?"

"No, he holds an official position and will have his own residence in the future, not live in the Prince Jing's Mansion."

Oh, I see! Xie Chengze's little face was filled with disappointment and reluctance.

His voice was low and dejected. "Then can I go find him?"

“He’s in the north of the city, which is quite a distance,” my aunt said.

Xie Chengze understood; he could only wait for Lie Feng to come to him.

He was raised by Lie Feng since he was a child, and suddenly he can't see him anymore. He thinks that he won't be able to see him whenever he wants in the future.

His nose stung, his eyes instantly reddened, and he threw himself into his great-aunt's arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Your Highness, don't cry!" Auntie didn't expect Xie Chengze to be so upset, and quickly comforted him.

"Don't cry! Your Highness, he will come back to see you."

"I want the cold wind! I just want the cold wind!"

Hearing Xie Chengze's cries, Xie Yan turned around.

The aunt looked at the newcomer in surprise, worried that the young prince's crying had upset him, and quickly reminded him:

"Your Highness, Prince Jing has arrived!"

Xie Chengze's trembling shoulders immediately stopped shaking. He wiped his tears with his sleeve and turned around.

A red mark was smeared on her fair face, her eyelashes were still wet, and her dark eyes were crystal clear.

But the moment he saw Xie Yan, he instantly turned cold.

He had been so innocent and childlike before, but in the blink of an eye, he seemed like a completely different person, indifferent and aloof.

His voice also became stiff, "Cheng'er greets Father!"

Looking at Xie Chengze's respectful and distant demeanor, Xie Yan couldn't help but think of Xie Hongrui.

The child was always very affectionate towards him, either holding his hand or asking him to carry or hug him.

You can make demands in front of him and express your emotions freely.

Looking at Xie Chengze again, his small body was stiff. Although he was very respectful to him, it was actually because he was bound by etiquette and rules.

If it weren't for these things, he probably would have run away or ignored him.

He was too indifferent to him.

He reached out to touch his head to comfort him.

Before he could even touch his hair, Xie Chengze took several steps back, looking at him warily.

His eyes seemed to say, "What are you going to do?"

It's as if he's a bad person who wants to hurt him.

Xie Yan's heart clenched, and his outstretched hand froze awkwardly in mid-air.

Suddenly, I remembered that his eyes used to be filled with a cautious, ingratiating look.

Every time I see him, my eyes are filled with anticipation and nervousness.

He never liked him; even glancing at him made him feel guilty towards his mother and Xue Qingning.

Just like with Shen Nanzi, she felt an instinctive physical resistance and disgust towards him.

When did Cheng'er begin to show hostility and resistance towards him?

After a moment of thought... it seems to have started after that ice skating performance.

Thinking back to what happened then...

He awkwardly withdrew his arm, and tried to speak, as if to close the distance:

"You want to see Lie Feng, don't you?"

Xie Chengze stared at him warily, as if trying to grasp the meaning behind his words.

Even the aunt behind him nervously gripped the apron around her waist, somewhat bewildered by Xie Yan's sudden behavior.

That restless posture seemed ready to protect the young prince at any moment.

Looking at their expressions, Xie Yan felt a tightness in his chest and a sore throat.

"I can take you there!"

Xie Chengze thought of this so-called father and wondered what his intentions were.

However, ever since he could remember, he had hardly ever looked at him directly.

His eyes were only on Xie Hongrui, making him unable to hold his head high in front of outsiders.

At the Royal Academy, the other princes told him that Hongrui was his biological son.

When he heard the news, he was struck dumb. It seemed that everything made sense now, and he wondered why the man had treated him and his mother this way.

He had long understood that the person in front of him loathed him and his mother!

Xie Chengze clenched his fists tightly. If someone who doesn't like you suddenly becomes nice to you, they must have something to gain.

These are the words my mother once said.

Thinking of this, he coldly refused with a stiff face, "I'm not going!"

…

Looking at the defensiveness and hostility in his eyes, Xie Yan felt that she had gone too far.

So much so that the child treated him like a complete stranger.

His chest ached as he said, "Whenever you want to go, Father... will take you!"

He uttered the term that represented blood relations with some difficulty.

This was a relationship he had never faced squarely, and he wanted to mend it, not wanting to become a second version of himself.

He crouched down to be at Cheng'er's eye level, speaking in as gentle and kind a tone as possible:

"Dr. Du said your handwriting is not neat. Father...Wang would like to teach you?"

“Mother is already teaching Cheng’er.” His cold rejection was like a sharp blade, swift and decisive.

“My father can also teach,” Xie Yan added.

"Cheng'er only wants to learn from his mother."

"What about your riding skills? How about your father takes you next time?"

When it comes to horsemanship, Xie Chengze could only sneer, wondering what he was trying to achieve by pretending to be so hypocritical.

He remembered clearly that every time he saw Xie Hongrui riding past him with Xie Hongrui, his hatred would grow stronger.

He doesn't need a father like that.

"No need, Cheng'er will wait for Liefeng to teach."

Another biting wind blew, and Xie Chengze felt a pang of jealousy towards that little guard.

Shen Nanzi and Xie Chengze only had eyes for him.

He knew he shouldn't be compared to a general, but the mere mention of Liefeng made him incredibly annoyed.