Ink Burns

Chapter 113 The First Rejection

The person on the right stands sideways, with a tall figure, jade-like face, a narrow face, a high nose, and sharp features. He stands there quietly, like a jade stone statue perched in a lonely temple where few people visit. When there are incense sticks, there is no ripple, and when there are no incense sticks, there is silence.

The man's breath was light and silent, as if he melted into the rain with every breath.

Only those eyes.

The eyes are dark brown, with sharp eye sockets and shallow pupils with a layer of rippling waves at the bottom, as if there is a hurricane puffing out clouds and mist in the depths.

The corners of Shanyue's lips twitched unconsciously: in a moment, she was a little overwhelmed and could not control her expression at all!
——She has seen him!
She had seen these eyes before!

And seen it twice!

That painter!

No, no!
Not a painter!

It was the masked man in black who disguised himself as a painter and entered the Liu Mansion for the second time to steal the Liu family's transaction list!
The man in black who was in the closet and taught her to "be careful when killing"!
Shanyue's head was buzzing, as if there were thousands of bees flying around in his mind!
The painter is Xue Xiao? !
Shanyue suddenly remembered the two of them hiding in the closet. She said that she was the candidate submitted by "Qingfeng" to the eldest son of the Xue family. The man in black had a complicated look in his eyes and spoke in an unbelievable tone!
In other words, Xue Xiao knew at least from that time on that he was about to marry a "Green Phoenix"!
But he accepted it and married her obediently?

Before Shan Yue had time to think seriously, "flowers and fruits" fell from the sky. Red and green melon seeds, peanuts, lotus seeds, longans and dates dropped from his body. Mrs. Quanfu and the bridesmaids' exaggerated and lively congratulations of "many children and good fortune", "have a son soon", "five sons passing the imperial examinations", and "grow old together" lingered in his ears.

Shanyue had a mask of liveliness, festivity and stupidity on her face, which belonged only to a newly-married woman. She allowed herself to be dazed and go with the flow.

After the sitting was completed, Xue Xiao stood up and left the hall.

As soon as Xue Xiao left, the noble ladies dressed in jewels and precious stones put away the smiles on their faces and found excuses to leave one after another.

Fortunately, Shanyue was left with a quiet and lonely room where he began to think.

Her mind was like a tangled ball of twine, and she couldn't even find the end of the thread.

Why did Xue Xiao want to marry "Qing Feng"?
Shanyue recalled that when the two of them were hiding in the cabinet, Xue Xiao seemed to be very interested in "Qing Feng" and kept asking questions about "Qing Feng". Was it for this reason that he stole the Liu family's contact list?

Why is he interested in "Qing Feng"?

Shanyue suddenly remembered that she had clearly met Xue Xiao three times - when Liu Hezhou was still alive, the Chief Censor of the Censorate went to Liu's Mansion to inquire about the "Duzhou Dam Breach Case". At that time, she had just entered Liu's Mansion under the guidance of Grandma Liu, and across a long corridor, she caught a glimpse of Xue Xiao's back.

Lonely, chilly, upright and quiet.

Not like a mad dog, but like a wolf, a wild wolf, a vicious wolf that disdains the company of a pack of dogs.

He was investigating a case and had already traced back to "Qing Feng".

There was no need for a blank leather book to record. Shanyue was surprised that his head, which had been hit hard, could still remember all the moments related to Xue Xiao.

——Then, the biggest question at the moment is, how will Xue Xiao treat her?
She knew that he knew she was "Qing Feng", a gift carefully selected by Jiangnan officials and sent to Xue Xiao, with some unspeakable mission.

He knew that she knew he was investigating secretly, but she still agreed to keep a "Green Phoenix" by her side.

He must be on guard against her.

Will also win her over.

Because, he saw her disloyalty and selfishness as "Qingfeng" from her poisoning of Liu Hezhou.

He would take advantage of her infidelity and investigate everything about "Qing Feng" - this was the reason why he agreed to marry her.

There are still some things that I have not figured out: For example, why does he want to thoroughly investigate "Qing Feng"? Is there someone behind him?
Many questions are still floating on the surface of the unknown.

But Shan Yue breathed a long sigh of relief. As long as she was still valuable to Xue Xiao, it was good enough.

"Knock, knock, knock--" a series of tiny sounds broke the silence.

Shanyue trembled all over and quickly locked onto the source of the sound: on the flower stand, there was a large bamboo and wooden birdcage, in which a snow-white long-haired parrot with only a bright yellow spot on its forehead was jumping up and down.

When the parrot saw Shanyue looking at it, it jumped onto the slender wooden beam with its feet, tilted its head, and looked back at Shanyue innocently.

Shanyue:.
Her previous speculation about whether Xue Xiao was a jade-faced parrot or a broad-faced horn eagle was pure groundless nonsense.

It was still a bit shocking to see a snow-white parrot in the bridal room.

"That bird thing is really pretty." Qiu Tao: "Tsk tsk tsk tsk——"

The white-haired parrot rolled its eyes, flipped over its feet and jumped, then raised its butt very flexibly to show off. Qiu Tao: “?”

"Did it, it, it gave me a sidelong look?" Qiu Tao stammered.

Shan Yue was stunned for a moment, then nodded affirmatively: "Yes, yes, it looks down on you."

"Why?" Qiu Tao collapsed.

Shan Yue thought for a moment and said, "Maybe it's because you called it like a dog?"

"Creaky——" the door opened a crack.

Qiu Tao and Shan Yue stopped talking.

Xue Xiao pushed the door open and came in. There was no smell of alcohol on him. He changed out of his bright red round-necked wide gown and walked in wearing a beige coarse linen gown. Seeing that Shan Yue was still wearing the complicated bright red gown, he raised his eyebrows slightly, then lowered his eyes and casually tidied up the scattered picture albums on the table.

The fair and radiant woman was surrounded by rich red. The thick powder, festive lips and curved, black eyebrows perfectly concealed her true self.

"Didn't you change into comfortable clothes?" Xue Xiao asked in a deep voice. His fingertips paused and he raised his chin slightly: "You were too busy thinking to change clothes?"

"Bang—"The guess hit the bull's eye.

Shan Yue pursed her lips, folded her hands on her stomach, and looked at Xue Xiao motionlessly.

When two people confront each other, the worst thing to do is to lose the initiative.

From Liu Mansion, we dig to Cheng Mansion, and from Cheng Mansion, we can dig out the "bridge bone". As for going further down, nothing can be dug out.

Xue Xiao controlled at least half of her life, but she only knew his official position and name.

She had already lost the initiative, so she simply stood still and waited and watched.

Xue Xiao was not unfamiliar with Shan Yue's silence. He stacked the picture albums one by one and after they were tidy, there was a knock on the door as expected.

"Knock, knock, knock—" a timid female voice sounded outside the door: "I am here to deliver the wedding wine."

"Come in." Xue Xiao said casually.

Oh, there is one last step to go through.

Hand over a glass of wine.

The maid in indigo-colored clothes bowed and entered. The wine pot was a beautiful silver enamel pot with two handles. The maid opened the lid of the wine pot, took out a silver needle from her sleeve and placed it in the wine. After waiting for a while, she took out the silver needle that had not changed at all and respectfully presented it to Xue Xiao with both hands: "Sir, please take a look."

Xue Xiao glanced at him and nodded slightly.

Drug test?

Shan Yue watched calmly.

The maid bowed and stepped back, placing two half-gourd-shaped wine glasses on the table. She rolled up her wide sleeves with one hand and held the pot with the other to pour wine for the wedding cups.

The maid handed one of the cups to Xue Xiao with both hands, and the other cup to Shan Yue.

The mountain moon bowed its head, and the wine soup, like blue waves, was trapped in the small white porcelain cup.

"I won't drink this drink."

The mountain moon rises.

As soon as Shan Yue finished speaking, the white parrot in the birdcage on the flower stand flapped its wings and flew to Xue Xiao's shoulder.

Xue Xiao raised his chin slightly and looked at Shan Yue.

Shan Yue pointed to the ring at the top of the wine jug and whispered, "When I first came in, there was a sapphire on the top of this wine jug, but now it has become a ruby - after she tested the poison, she secretly twisted the lid of the jug, causing the gem to change."

"This wine is not right."

(End of this chapter)