“…”
The tips of his ears burned. He averted his gaze, wanting to deny it, but the words that reached his lips transformed into a single light scoff.
Clever of her, catching everything like this.
Half-indignant, half-embarrassed, Zhang Zhixu made to pull away from her. But her fingers softened, and she very gently kneaded his cheeks.
“If you sent me clothes, I’d love them no matter how poor the fit. When he sends them, I find them ill-fitting no matter how well they’re made.”
“Fengqing. I am not someone like Xie Lanting. Stop being so uneasy all the time.”
Something struck him in the chest — a soft, aching sensation that spread outward in waves, his palms warming, the tips of his ears warming alongside them.
Did she know what she was saying?
How was this any different from a declaration of affection!
How could she be unwilling to marry him, yet keep saying things so easily mistaken for love?
Zhang Zhixu stood frozen in place, watching helplessly as the person before him drew closer and closer. Every thought dissolved into haze and confusion; he could no longer discern anything — could only see her face.
“Master.” Ningsu pushed the door open and came in. “Lord Xie has come.”
Chen Baoxiang leapt sideways in a flash, withdrawing her hands.
Zhang Zhixu came back to himself. After a moment he raised a hand to cover his eyes: “What does he want at this hour of the night?”
“I’ll go draw water from the well in the back courtyard. You two talk, you two talk.” Chen Baoxiang slipped away like oil off a pan’s surface and vanished in the blink of an eye.
He had half a mind to say something, but could only glare at the doorway and stew in silence.
“Fengqing.” Xie Lanting strode in and announced: “Quickly — lend me two thousand taels.”
Zhang Zhixu: ?
Zhang Zhixu: “Didn’t you just say you’d never borrow money from me again?”
“That was in daylight. Of course I don’t borrow money in the daytime. But it’s dark now.” He pointed outside.
Exhaling wordlessly, Zhang Zhixu pulled out a stack of silver notes and handed them over.
Xie Lanting was astonished: “Didn’t you sever ties with the Zhang Family? How are you still this wealthy?”
“So you knew about that.” Zhang Zhixu gave him a sideways look. “And here I thought you hadn’t heard.”
“I’ve been rather busy lately and didn’t get to ask you about the details, but I figured you’d manage.” He laughed heartily. “On my end, it’s an urgent situation. There’s someone I very much want to redeem.”
There was always someone he very much wanted to redeem.
Zhang Zhixu waved him off with ill humor: “Go on. No rush to repay me.”
“Right.” Xie Lanting pocketed the silver notes and didn’t leave right away. Instead he cast a glance out toward the room and hesitated: “Where’s Chen Baoxiang?”
“She’s gone to rest. Did you need her for something?”
“There’s a case lately that involves Lu Qingrong.” Xie Lanting looked down. “I wanted to ask if she’d had any news of Lu Qingrong since then.”
Zhang Zhixu heard this and his expression darkened at once: “The person you let escape, and you’re coming to ask her for information?”
Have you no shame?
“I’m just asking in passing — what’s got you so worked up?” Xie Lanting raised an eyebrow. “You’ve really taken up residence here, have you?”
“Get out.”
“Right away.” Xie Lanting laughed and made a swift, cheerful exit.
Zhang Zhixu watched his retreating figure with a sideways glare, feeling something wasn’t quite right.
This man didn’t seem to have come to ask questions at all. He seemed to have come to probe.
By the charges against her, Lu Qingrong shouldn’t actually be implicated — at most her family’s assets would be confiscated. Even if she were brought back, she would serve no great purpose, and Chen Baoxiang hadn’t mentioned her in a long time.
Why would Xie Lanting suddenly want to come ask about her now?
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