Xie Lang's expression froze slightly. He almost forgot that he had been so elated today after finally being accepted by Li Xiyu that he couldn't resist showing off to Shen Mingzhu. Little did he expect that this matter would now come back to bite him like a boomerang.
"Well..."
Xie Lang hesitated for a moment and finally let out a long sigh. He said to Shen Mingzhu, "Alright then. Remember to come back early."
"Okay."
Shen Mingzhu's voice was cold, seemingly no different from usual. She was suddenly glad that Xie Lang hadn't lit too many candles at the moment, which allowed her to perfectly conceal her guilt at this moment.
After changing into her nightgown behind the screen, Shen Mingzhu saw that Xie Lang was already asleep. She couldn't help but stand there and look at him for a while.
What if... what if she told Xie Lang right now?
Shen Mingzhu was startled by this bold thought that suddenly popped into her mind. Then she dug her fingernails hard into her palm to calm herself down a bit.
Lying in bed, Shen Mingzhu's mind was in a complete turmoil. It felt as if there were a hundred people talking inside her head. She couldn't help but reach out and rub her slightly swollen temples.
The rubbing sound when she raised her hand was very soft and faint, but Shen Mingzhu suddenly heard Xie Lang's sleepy voice asking her, "What's wrong? Can't you sleep because of a headache?"
Shen Mingzhu was startled.
What was going on? Xie Lang usually slept soundly. How could he even hear her raising her hand?
The rustling sound of footsteps approached. Xie Lang casually slipped on his shoes, half of his heels exposed, and shuffled towards Shen Mingzhu.
"Still hurting?"
Xie Lang's voice was very soft when he spoke, with a hint of sleepiness. He squinted at Shen Mingzhu and said, "Don't move. I'll give you a massage."
"How do you know how to do this?"
A warm sensation spread across her forehead. A hand with a comfortable amount of pressure was massaging her head, making Shen Mingzhu squint her eyes in comfort. She subconsciously asked him.
"Oh, I know a little bit of everything."
[Shen Mingzhu definitely won't be able to guess that I have a whole bunch of other identities.]
[I wonder when she'll finally find out.]
Shen Mingzhu felt a bit complicated. An inexplicable sense of guilt welled up in her heart, and her gaze towards Xie Lang also became a bit solemn.
She quietly looked at Xie Lang. His face lacked the usual laziness during the day. When he squinted at her with a hint of sleepy trust, he looked like a drowsy big cat.
Shen Mingzhu couldn't resist such a trusting look, and she felt herself getting more and more conflicted.
"Go to sleep!"
Xie Lang's gentle voice came. The pressure on her head remained unchanged, rubbing bit by bit, making Shen Mingzhu feel at ease and sleepy.
The next moment, Xie Lang somehow grabbed a handkerchief and casually placed it over Shen Mingzhu's eyes. He said lazily, "Close your eyes quickly. If you don't go to sleep, won't I have massaged you for nothing?"
[Go to sleep. I'm so sleepy. If you don't go to sleep soon, I'll fall asleep myself.]
Falling into darkness, Shen Mingzhu rarely obediently closed her eyes. The soft sound of Xie Lang's breathing filled her ears, and the familiar fragrance of jasmine wafted into her nose.
The handkerchief that belonged to Xie Lang carried his scent, a scent that made Shen Mingzhu feel at ease.
Shen Mingzhu could hear the regular beating of her own heart, thump after thump. Finally, she fell asleep in the fragrance of jasmine.
...
She woke up early.
The clear chirping of birds came from outside the window. Shen Mingzhu closed her eyes for a moment and then fully woke up. Turning her head, she saw Xie Lang sleeping with his eyes closed. He didn't even hear the sound of her getting out of bed.
She quickly got dressed and went out to wash up. Subconsciously, Shen Mingzhu looked back at the room. There was no movement inside, and her mind inexplicably went back to last night's events.
Should she really keep this from Xie Lang?
She hesitated for a moment. Chun Tao was standing quietly beside her. Seeing Shen Mingzhu constantly looking back at the room, she finally said, "Is Your Highness hesitating whether to tell the imperial son-in-law?"
Shen Mingzhu pursed her lips and nodded. A hint of hesitation appeared in her eyes.
"Why doesn't Your Highness write a note for the imperial son-in-law and then have someone deliver it to him?"
Shen Mingzhu was really tempted. So Chun Tao quickly had someone prepare the necessary items. After Shen Mingzhu finished writing, she gave the note to a maid in the courtyard.
"Remember to give this to the imperial son-in-law as soon as he wakes up. Don't be late."
After instructing the maid, Chun Tao turned around and followed Shen Mingzhu into the sedan chair.
Neither of them saw that after they left, the maid suddenly looked up at their backs. After a moment of silence, she hurriedly walked off in an unknown direction.
Today, Shen Mingzhu planned to spread the news that she had obtained some evidence, which was why she was in such a hurry to rush back to the capital. She wanted to expose those people who were hiding in the shadows and eager to take action.
She needed to clean up the mess around her first. Otherwise, Shen Mingzhu didn't even know how many pairs of eyes were watching her.
Thinking like this, after getting into the sedan chair, Shen Mingzhu fell silent. She constantly rubbed the sword in her hand, and her expression gradually became sharp, just like a famous sword drawn from its sheath.
After a while, she subconsciously looked back. Finally, she withdrew her solemn gaze and waited for those people to take the bait.
...
Xie Lang didn't wake up too late, but after getting up, he found the courtyard unusually quiet. He wasn't used to it for a moment.
Shen Mingzhu had left, but why did she take all her servants with her? Not a single one was left behind.
Just as he finished washing up, Xie Lang heard someone knocking on the door.
"Come in."
As soon as the door opened, the young maid saw him and respectfully said, "Mr. Xie, our young lady has something she wants to talk to you about."
Seeing that the person in front of him was Li Xiyu's personal maid, Xie Lang gently said, "I'll come right away."
When he reached Li Xiyu's courtyard, Xie Lang knocked on the door and entered. He saw Li Xiyu standing in the courtyard. There was even a hint of urgency in her expression.
When she saw him, Li Xiyu's expression suddenly changed. She said to him, "Please sit down, imperial son-in-law."
A hint of doubt flashed through Xie Lang's mind. Then he sat down opposite Li Xiyu.
The small table in the courtyard was under a tree. The gentle mountain breeze blew by, bringing with it a slight chill.
Xie Lang suddenly remembered that Shen Mingzhu had a headache last night. He hadn't had the chance to tell her today to wear more clothes. So he couldn't help but frown and subconsciously wanted to leave.
"What's wrong?"
Li Xiyu's voice was always gentle. Seeing the expression on Xie Lang's face, she remained calm and continued, "Has the imperial son-in-law remembered something?"
Could it be that Xie Lang had already noticed something was wrong?
Li Xiyu's heart sank slightly, but her face remained calm. There wasn't a single flaw.
"No." Xie Lang explained to Li Xiyu, "I just suddenly remembered that Her Highness probably caught a cold from the mountain breeze yesterday because she wore too little during the day, which is why she had a headache."
Just like Shen Mingzhu, Xie Lang regarded Li Xiyu in front of him as an elder, so he couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed. He said, "I forgot to remind Her Highness to add more clothes today."
Li Xiyu's expression was complicated.
"Oh no!"
The door was knocked, and suddenly a female voice sounded.