Daily Life of a Powerful Official Supporting His Wife

Chapter 3

third chapter

When Lu Baoer woke up, it was raining outside the window. The sound of water splashing into the window and the dampness hit her face.

She lay on the couch, the thin quilt was not warm enough to keep her warm. She didn't know if it was because of the excessive blood loss that made her body weak and cold, so she felt particularly cold, or because the weather had changed, so she could truly feel the bleak chill of winter.

Lu Baoer wanted to get up, but her internal organs felt like they were torn apart. The pain was so severe that she could only breathe in but not out.

She wasn't abandoned in the wilderness by the mad horse, and she felt pain, which meant she was still alive. She was so lucky. Maybe her father was blessing her from above.

Thinking of her dearest father and the ruthless Xie Junling, she finally had a reason to cry, and her tears fell like money.

"Does it hurt a lot?" Someone opened the door and came in, asking her softly, with the faint fragrance of orchids and the bitter smell of boiled medicine gradually enveloping her.

This voice... Lu Baoer remembered it! Wasn't it Xie Junling?
She tried to move, but then shrank back twice in fear, her large, cat-like eyes fixed on the man carrying the medicine. He was still as handsome as ever, and even without her, he hadn't lost much weight.

It seems that he is living well without her, with food and sleep. It's just that she is stupid. When she is in the countryside, she sometimes thinks of Xie Junling and becomes so sad that she can't eat. She only eats two duck necks coated with oil.

If Xie Junling really wanted to kill her, why would he pretend to send her medicine at this time?
Could it be poison?
Never mind, if it was poison, how could she escape? It was just a life, if he wanted it, he would take it and let her be reborn in the next life without having to endure such humiliation.

"I boiled the medicine for a long time. I remember you were afraid of bitterness, so I prepared candied fruit." Xie Junling never touched her, but at this moment he was very strange. His soft fingertips touched her cheek, as if he was heartbroken. The corners of his eyes were slightly narrowed and raised, as if he couldn't bear to see her miserable condition.

Lu Baoer took the risk. She raised her chin slightly and obediently put her lips on the edge of the bowl. The rich medicinal juice rolled down her cheeks. Xie Junling didn't mind the dirtiness and caught it with his white and slender hands. At the end, he actually stuffed a candied fruit into her mouth.

Just like that, the two of them remained silent for a quarter of an hour, and Lu Baoer was not poisoned to death.

"I'm sleepy." She held a candied date in her mouth. It was sweet in her mouth, but her heart was still bitter. It would be shameful if a piece of candy could make her realize Xie Junling's kindness again.

Moreover, he had wanted to kill her. The scene of his near death was still vivid in her mind, constantly reminding her that this man had a side that no one else knew. Although they had been married for a year, she did not understand him.

Lu Baoer was at a loss and could only drive Xie Junling away like this.

Xie Junling refused to leave. He sat in front of the bed and muttered to himself, "I asked the doctor to examine you. Fortunately, your injuries are not serious. You will be well in a few months of recuperation."

Seeing that this house was secluded and not even as good as the one she had picked out in the countryside, Lu Baoer guessed that it was definitely not in Xie Junling's mansion where the top scholar was.

Could it be that he didn't even want Lu Baoer to set foot in his mansion, so he hastily bought her a house and settled her there, and from then on they went their separate ways and had no further contact?
Lu Baoer frowned almost inaudibly, feeling bitter in her heart, and asked with a sense of grievance, "This shouldn't be your residence, right?"

Xie Junling glanced at her calmly, then opened his lips and said, "No."

After hearing this, Lu Baoer lowered her brows and eyes, not daring to ask further questions. What's the point of digging into the matter? It's better to keep some distance so that we can still remember each other's kindness in the future.

"I think this yard is nice. There's plenty of sunlight outside. I can even cultivate an acre of land here by myself. When I have nothing to do, I can plant a couple of cucumbers and eat them cold with vinegar in the summer."

Lu Baoer pursed her lips into a bitter smile. She wanted to smile more beautifully, but for some reason, the forced smile looked hideous.

Xie Junling tucked the quilt in for her and said softly, "As long as you like it, it's all good."

He rarely smiled so gently at Lu Baoer. When they were in the countryside, he always sternly told her not to enter the study, so as not to ruin the article he had just written, the ink of which had not yet dried.

Now he is so affectionate to her, could it be that it is for the last few times they meet, to leave a little affection between husband and wife?

It really didn't have to go this far. She had benefited from it, and she wouldn't tell anyone about it. She could still say she had never married anyone before, that she was a beautiful first-time bride, and that she would find a lover in the future. Xie Junling's current hypocritical attitude made her feel upset. In fact, Xie Junling didn't want Lu Baoer to enter the study because he was afraid that she would always bring flower cakes into the house to eat.

The smell could attract wild cats, and cats had entered his house more than once to look for food. This was all thanks to Lu Baoer. She always fed the wild cats in the backyard secretly without him knowing, and she was not afraid of being bitten.

Xie Junling has to go to the Hanlin Academy tomorrow and cannot stay in this countryside for long.

He rented this remote courtyard and also provided Lu Baoer with five or six servants. If anything really happened, those servants would come forward to take the blame. After all, Xie Junling was not a good person and he held the future and lives of the whole family in his hands.

It’s better not to tell Lu Baoer about these things. She has been raised to be innocent and naive, and you can’t pollute her ears with these things.

Xie Junling stood up, calmly straightened his wrinkled sleeves, reached out to pull out his inner garment, and said slowly, "I have to go back first. I'll see you tomorrow. I've assigned a few people to you. You can choose them and call them if you need anything."

Lu Baoer bit her lip, wanting to say something, but in the end, nothing came out. He had left her behind so openly, so was he still asking for anything?
Seeing Xie Junling's clothes fluttering and about to escape her sight, Lu Baoer couldn't help but call out, "Xie Junling..." She called him unfamiliarly. She used to call him husband as a joke.

"Aren't you going to call me husband?" Xie Junling never joked with her like that. If she called him that, he would scold her for being silly. This time, for some reason, she actually brought it up.

Lu Baoer pursed her lips, closed her eyes, and gritted her teeth: "Why do you want to kill me? If you want to kill me, why did you save me?"

Xie Junling was stunned for a moment, then suddenly clenched his knuckles, "Do you think I want to kill you?"

"I'm the only one who wrote to you, saying I'd arrive in Kyoto in two weeks. I even specified the exact route and type of vehicle... No one else knew except you. Besides, you're an official now, enjoying immense glory. Someone like me wouldn't be able to help you, and would actually be a burden. So..."

She also wanted to say it wasn't him, but who else could it be besides him? Even if she was looking for revenge, why did she have to find Lu Baoer instead of him?

"So what?" Xie Junling rarely raised his voice. He always looked like a gentle and steady gentleman. Even though he was much older than her, he had never been angry with her, a "child".

But this time, seeing the sinister look in his eyes, Lu Baoer didn't dare to continue speaking, fearing that she had touched a sore spot.

Would it anger him? Or would he get angry because his thoughts were exposed?
Xie Junling was just angry. He was angry that he had raised her for over a year, but she hadn't learned anything else, but she had read a lot of romantic stories in opera scripts. He felt sorry for her. She was still young then, tiny, just up to his waist. After not seeing her for a few years, she had grown so big, like a girl.

She was his little wife, and he was preparing for the imperial examination and seeking fame in order to give her a better life, but she never believed him.

After a pause, he said, "Listen carefully. If I wanted to kill you, why would you be allowed to recuperate in this villa? I hired people to search for you for three full days before finally finding you deep in the jungle. If I wanted you dead, I would have killed you long ago when I found you outside. Why would I leave any evidence behind now? You can suspect anyone, but you can't suspect me. I am your husband."

He paused at the last sentence, feeling somewhat at a loss for words. Perhaps he'd said too much today, leaving him feeling a bit overwhelmed. To lose his composure in front of a little girl was truly ridiculous.

Lu Baoer thought about it and realized that this was the truth. She was speechless. So, was it her fault for causing this incident and wrongly accusing Xie Junling? Besides him, who else could it be?
Her expression was complicated, and she didn't know what to think. At this moment, she quickly asked another question: "Since my husband doesn't dislike me, why does he let me stay in such a remote house, hiding from others?"

Xie Junling glanced at her, not knowing whether it was out of anger or sarcasm. "The doctor said that you have many injuries on your body. You are lucky that your neck is not broken. It is best not to move for half a month. Even if I want to take you back home, I have to see if your body can handle it."

Is that really the case? Lu Baoer was stunned for a second, her face flushed. She felt embarrassed, but she didn't know what to say to explain.

She said she didn't care, but she was clearly upset in her heart. She even said it out loud, making Xie Junling laugh.

Lu Baoer whispered to please Xie Junling: "Husband..."

Xie Junling turned back and said calmly, "A vicious and evil person like Xie is not worthy of being called your husband."

“…” It’s over, he is really angry.

(End of this chapter)