Chapter 91 Xie Yan, the Jealous Man

Chapter 91 Xie Yan, the Jealous Man

Xue Qingning froze instantly upon hearing the commotion opposite the bookshelf.

Xie Yan is buying storybooks.

Who did he buy it for?

Then Wuying's voice was heard, "Master, you've bought too much. Madam is mainly recuperating; how can she possibly see so many?"

"Buy more, I don't know which ones she likes to watch?"

Xie Yan's voice was as indifferent as ever, but to Xue Qingning's ears, it was like a thunderclap.

Madam? Recuperating?

The nickname "Shadowless" that doesn't reveal one's identity—who else could it be but Shen Nanzi?

Xue Qingning was pinching a book on the bookshelf with her fingers, completely unaware that her fingertips had already torn the cover.

Her maid looked at her anxiously, but dared not utter a sound.

Xue Qingning's eyes were filled with sorrow. During the days he was recuperating, she worried about his health every day.

I thought the first thing he would do after recovering was to go to the pear orchard to see her and Hong'er.

He didn't!

He actually dragged his newly recovered body to buy storybooks for Shen Nanzi!

Xue Qingning's eyes were filled with turbulent emotions, and her breathing became noticeably shorter.

Little did she know that what she was about to hear would plunge her into an abyss.

Wu Ying said with concern, "Master, please don't go to the Pear Courtyard today."

Xie Yan remained silent.

Wuying continued, "You've been taking care of Madam tirelessly for so many days, and she even fainted yesterday. How can your body handle going there to handle business today?"

"It's alright, just take these books back!"

Xue Qingning almost lost her balance this time, and it was only with the help of the maid behind her that she was able to stand up.

What did she hear?

For so many days, he has been taking care of Shen Nanzi tirelessly in the Jing Prince's Mansion!

She even took such good care of herself that she fainted!

Thank you for taking care of Shen Nanzi!

How is that possible?!

She didn't listen any further, and instead left the bookstore with her maid, looking distracted.

She was afraid of hearing anything that would upset her even more.

She hurried toward the carriage, her white veil billowing in the wind, blurring her vision, and tears streamed down her face like a burst dam.

No wonder her brother locked her in the room!

My brother already knew!! He was afraid she'd find out!

The next moment, Xue Yubai grabbed her arm and pulled her directly onto the carriage.

Xue Yubai pushed her into the carriage, clearly angry.

Xue Qingning entered the carriage and collapsed onto the bench.

His shoulders trembled, and a soft, mournful sob escaped from between his palms.

"What's there to cry about!" Xue Yubai sat opposite him with a livid face, his hands on his knees. "He's just showing pity. Stop crying, it's the most useless thing."

"Impossible... I noticed something was off about him last time at Zuixianlou."

After Xue Qingning finished crying, she sat up straight and wiped away the tears that had fallen with her pale index finger.

Mentioning this, Xue Yubai gritted his teeth, "I'm reminding you that you need to discuss everything with me, but you always act on your own."

Xue Qingning growled at him, "You are too merciful. How can you win this war? Now that you have embarked on this path of no return, those who stand in your way must be exterminated."

Xue Yubai looked at Xue Qingning and shook his head in disapproval: "Aren't you afraid Xie Yan will find out? A liar will eventually be exposed after lying for a long time!"

Xue Qingning turned her head to the side, her face still wet with tears, her eyes already filled with ruthlessness, "Those who achieve great things do not concern themselves with trifles."

The two remained silent.

"You'd better pretend you know nothing," Xue Yubai warned. "We've been planning this for so many years; we can only succeed, failure is not an option!"

"Forget about your personal feelings. After this is done, you can do whatever you want with me! What do I have to fear from Shen Nanzi!"

Xue Qingning regained her senses, a hint of disdain flashing in her eyes for a moment. "Her! If it weren't for Grand Commandant Shen, she would be nothing to fear!"

"Grand Commandant Shen..." Xue Yubai drawled, his eyes filled with determination: "It would be best if we could find a flaw in it, but even if we don't, we should find a way to create one."

"Only by removing him from power and replacing him with our own people can we make our actions easier."

Xue Qingning's expression was cold; the two siblings were remarkably alike in this respect.

*

The day before, Shen Nanzi said she wanted books, and by noon the next day, the room was piled with at least a hundred books, and the whole room was filled with the fragrance of ink.

The books were delivered by Shitou, a servant from his courtyard, who only said, "Your Highness didn't know which kind Princess Jing preferred, so he took a few extra."

Surprised, Shen Nanzi flipped through the books and found that most of them were new, and many of them were ones she liked to read.

However, she would never spend her time on this storybook; there were far too many other things waiting for her to deal with.

A person who wants to survive must do their utmost to gather strength in order to withstand the thunderous blow of the future.

Xie Yan, from now on, we are enemies!

The kind that's irreconcilable!

＊

In the Pear Blossom Courtyard, in Xie Yan's study, he opened the pear wood cabinet door, pushed the cabinet inside inward, and a door opened.

An oil lamp was lit inside. He walked down the steps one by one, and the door behind him closed automatically.

The interior was brightly lit, and the secret room had been divided into several smaller rooms.

In the outer hall, several people dressed in ordinary clothes were hunched over a table, dealing with urgent matters.

Xie Yan went straight to his room, and immediately someone entered.

"Your Highness Prince Jing, the matter you asked us to investigate has yielded results."

As he spoke, he took out a white letter.

Xie Yan took it, tore it open, pulled out the letter, and unfolded it.

Immediately, the fingers gripping the letter tightened slightly, and the knuckles turned slightly white.

He pursed his thin lips, a hint of expected disappointment in his eyes. After looking at it several times, he pulled out the bottom drawer on the side of the desk.

Take out a mother-of-pearl inlaid lacquered wooden box, inside which are several letters stacked.

＊

Two months have passed in the blink of an eye, and the leaves of the green plants outside the window have turned from tender green to dark green.

Xie Yan came by a few times during this period, but only stayed for a short while before leaving.

My aunt said that he would occasionally go to Cheng'er's room, but Cheng'er didn't like him and always avoided him.

Between father and son, especially Cheng'er's attitude towards Xie Yan, there was a hostile relationship that was obvious to everyone.

This morning, the imperial physician took her pulse for the last time and said she was basically recovered, and prescribed some medicine to regulate her body.

Having recently received some information from the imperial physician, Shen Nanzi couldn't wait to go to the Grand Commandant's residence.

Remembering that her sister-in-law had mentioned wanting to grow some daffodils when she came to visit, she decided to go to Chang Le Street first.

The first time she went out after her injury was from spring to summer.

The windows in the house were all open, but it still didn't feel cool enough. The sun outside was quite harsh, and it was dazzling to look at.

Shen Nanzi wore a light blue silk cross-collar dress, moon-white embroidered shoes, and held a pearl-white fan embroidered with blue butterflies and flowers.

She casually styled her hair into a bun, adorned with a kingfisher feather and pearl hairpin, and a touch of pale yellow on her forehead.

She strode out the door, with her maid holding a light-colored curved umbrella behind her for sun protection.

As soon as I stepped out of the courtyard gate, I encountered Xie Yan.

He was wearing a white robe embroidered with silver, standing against the sunlight, squinting as he looked at her.

Where to?

“Go to my brother’s!” Shen Nanzi replied, then lowered her gaze and continued walking, lifting her skirt.

As she brushed past him, her arm was grabbed.

Shen Nanzi looked down at his hand, then looked up, her eyes full of confusion.

“I’ll take you there!” His tone left no room for argument.

"don't want!"

Not to mention that the sun must have risen in the west for him, it was the first time he had to send her back to her parents' home.

She still had to go to Chang Le Street and then to the Grand Commandant's residence. Besides, she was going there to speak ill of him, so what would he say in return?

"Your injury has just healed, it's better if I take you!" He stubbornly refused to let go, his eyes brooking no argument.

Shen Nanzi pried open his fingers, "Xie Yan, you're being a bit nosy!"

But she was clearly not strong enough, and Xie Yan's fingers held her firmly in place.

Unable to bend it, Shen Nanzi simply gave up and glared at him.

"Have you forgotten how you got hurt?" he asked, staring at her with a hint of helplessness in his eyes.

"I can ensure your safety within the Prince Jing's residence. Once outside, however, you're more vulnerable to hidden dangers!"

Shen Nanzi looked at him, and if it weren't for the irrefutable evidence in her hands, she would have really thought he cared about her.

Seeing that she remained silent, Xie Yan turned to Wuying and said, "Go and bring the person here!"

Wuying accepted the order and disappeared immediately.

Outside the courtyard, the sunlight was dazzling, and Shen Nanzi's palms were already covered with a thin layer of sweat, sticky and sticky.

Seeing that Xie Yan had no intention of letting her leave, she had no choice but to retreat to the big tree in the courtyard.

Xie Yan, as if afraid she would run away, held her wrist with one hand and put the other behind his back, standing beside her without saying a word.

The aunt and the other maids stood quietly in the courtyard, heads bowed, waiting.

It was a hot summer day, and cicadas were chirping loudly from the trees overhead.

The waiting time seemed to pass especially slowly.

Shen Nanzi was still thinking about Xie Yu waiting for her outside.

"Grandma, go cut a pear!"

He must be thirsty.

Before long, my aunt brought over a frozen green pear.

The green pear was cut into several pieces and placed on a white jade plate.

Shen Nanzi took the plate and handed it to Xie Yan, hoping that when he took the pears, he would also release her wrist.

Shen Nanzi felt the heat in Xie Yan's palm, which made her uncomfortable.

Xie Yan lowered his eyes and stared at the pear that had been separated in the jade porcelain bowl, his eyes instantly turning dark.

"Do you know that when a husband and wife eat pears, they should not share them?"

Shen Nanzi had already eaten a piece of imported pear; the crisp, refreshing pear flesh instantly cooled her down.

She finished her piece and shrugged nonchalantly, "That's because couples are loving and afraid of separation, we..."

Shen Nanzi looked up at him with a playful smile, "We're a mismatched couple, so what difference does it make whether we separate or not?"

Xie Yan felt a pang of sadness when he saw the mockery in her eyes, and he was so choked up that he couldn't utter a single word.

She doesn't care at all!

Let go completely and decisively!

"Do you want some?" Shen Nanzi handed the plate to him.

Xie Yan turned her head away, offering a silent refusal.

"Fine, I won't eat it. I'll eat it all by myself." Shen Nanzi slurped up the cold pear flesh, looking completely satisfied.

Footsteps sounded outside the courtyard. Shen Nanzi picked up a wet wipe brought by a maid and wiped the pear juice from between her fingers.

Looking up again, I saw two groups of people standing in the courtyard.

On one side was Wuying, followed by a tall and strong woman.

He was dressed in shorts with thin sleeves, which vaguely revealed his strong and powerful arms.

On the other side, Xie Yu was wearing a royal blue wide-sleeved thin shirt and holding a folding fan in his hand.

His eyes, filled with a questioning look, inadvertently fell on her.

A woman followed behind him; she was slender and had broad, thick hands.

His expression was indifferent, and his eyes showed no fear or trepidation; one could tell at a glance that he was a master.

"What are you doing in her yard?" Xie Yan asked Xie Yu coldly.

Xie Yu glanced at the woman beside Wu Ying, smiled knowingly, and waved his fan a few more times.

"The objectives seem to be the same!"

Xie Yan felt troubled.

Xie Yu was also here to escort the guards?

"By what capacity are you here?"

Xie Yan's question was neither too harsh nor too mild, but it contained a hidden warning and interrogation.

Xie Yu's lips curved slightly, and his clear, bright eyes were filled with honesty.

"Third brother, Princess Jing was injured while saving me. As the sixth brother, I'm sending a guard to my sister-in-law to protect her safety. It's only right and proper."

When Xie Yan spoke of Shen Nanzi sacrificing herself to save him, his face darkened even more, and his fingers cracked as he clenched them behind his back.

Shen Nanzi's wrist was still being held by him, and he couldn't help but tighten his grip, which she naturally felt as well.

She couldn't help but look up at him.

"I have already arranged guards for her. I appreciate Sixth Brother's kindness," Xie Yan replied coldly, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Xie Yu remained smiling, his expression gentle, neither annoyed nor angry. "I've already delivered it, how can I take it back? Third Brother, you... should let Sixth Brother have it!"

Xie Yan sensed Xie Yu's competitiveness and uncompromising attitude, as if he were openly declaring war on him.

He really is something else!

Xie Yan's body stiffened, his face turned ashen, and he tried his best to endure it.

"Auntie, go get the Sixth Prince an iced pear, it's so hot."

As if she had been prepared, her aunt turned around and presented the ice pear to Xie Yu.

"Thank you, Auntie!" Xie Yu picked up a whole iced pear and started eating it with one hand.

Xie Yan looked at the whole ice pear in his hand, which was thawed just right, as if it knew he was coming.

His eyebrows furrowed slightly, and the fingers gripping Shen Nanzi's wrist tightened even more.

The atmosphere in the courtyard became tense; even the cicadas' chirping disappeared, leaving only the sound of Xie Yu munching on an iced pear.

Seeing that his prince was being wronged, Wu Ying gave the sixth prince a whole green pear, while his prince shared it.

It's obvious they never intended to feed his prince.

It wasn't for the food, but because Princess Jing treated outsiders better than her own prince.

Wuying, seething with anger, mustered the courage to speak, "The guards are the closest people to us, how can we use outsiders?"

Upon hearing this, a ridiculous smile appeared on Shen Nanzi's lips.

Why would she want Xie Yan's guards? Wouldn't that mean her every move would be under his surveillance?

"Let Princess Jing choose; after all, he is her bodyguard," Xie Yu suggested calmly.

Xie Yan stood beside her, glancing at her sideways, his jawline straight, his cheeks slightly puffed out in suppressed emotion.

"Keep both of them; an extra guard means extra security."

Even Wu Ying could hear the helplessness and sorrow in Xie Yan's compromise.

He must have guessed that the young lady wouldn't choose the guards His Highness sent, which is why he said he wanted both.

This was the female guard that His Highness had been choosing for a long time and was most satisfied with.

Wu Ying remembered clearly that His Highness had begun the selection process two months ago.

When he was choosing, he found this female guard, and he was very satisfied with her in every way.

He was very pleased to still remember his prince.

He personally taught her for many days at the Prince Jing's residence, explaining all of the Princess Jing's preferences and habits in detail before bringing her over.

Having witnessed it firsthand, how could Wuying not feel indignant for his prince?