If you were cold and aloof in your past life, why are you crying in this one?

Chapter 34

The morning light was thin, and his robes were half-dampened by the dew, indicating that he had been waiting for quite some time. There was a faint dark circle under his eyes, probably from not sleeping much all night.

Xi Lingxian finally raised her gaze completely and looked at him seriously.

Then she said, "How many people you recruit and what you use them for is your business. You don't need to tell me."

Wang Jue stood still.

It felt like a bucket of cold water was poured over my head and down to my toes.

She spoke so naturally and calmly, as if she were reporting something unrelated to a stranger.

Wang Jue's hand hung at his side, slowly clenching. His knuckles cracked twice, then he loosened his grip.

His chest felt tight, and an unprecedented, absurd sense of frustration surged up from his stomach.

-

Xi Ling returned to the room, her hand resting on the door as she prepared to close it.

Suddenly, a hand reached in from the outside and firmly pressed down on the door.

Xi Lingxian was taken aback and looked up.

Wang Jue stood outside the threshold, her expression not pleasant, her lips pressed into a thin line, and a hint of emotion in the corner of her eyes that she couldn't quite decipher.

"I haven't finished speaking."

His voice was very low, so low it sounded like it was being squeezed out of his throat.

Xi Lingxian took a step back, her lower back bumping against the edge of the dressing table. She steadied herself, her brows furrowing slightly: "You—"

Wang Jue leaned forward, bracing his arm against the wall behind her.

Xi Lingxian's back was pressed against the wall, with nowhere left to retreat. She looked up at him, her tone slightly heavy, "What are you doing?"

Wang Jue lowered her head, her breathing somewhat unsteady.

"Why are you asking me?" he said in a hoarse voice. "I'd like to ask you the same thing, Xi Lingxian."

He turned his head, leaned close to her ear, and whispered in a voice so low that only the two of them could hear: "Can't you see how I've treated you these past few months? Last night I took in a few people, and I spent the whole night figuring out how to explain it to you. I got up before dawn to wait—"

He paused for a moment, his jawline taut.

"And you," his voice finally cracked, "don't you need to tell me?"

He repeated those four words through gritted teeth, one word at a time.

Xi Lingxian's gaze was fixed on his face, and she did not speak.

Wang Jue's eyes were bloodshot: "Are you really indifferent, or are you just pretending?"

Xi Lingxian lowered her eyes, her eyelashes trembling slightly. She raised her hand, placed it on the arm he was using to brace himself against the wall, and pushed it away.

It didn't get off the ground, but the meaning was clear.

"Calm down," she said.

His tone remained lukewarm.

"Answer me first." He adopted a shameless attitude, determined not to give up until he got what he wanted.

Xi Lingxian sighed, "You must have your reasons for accepting it. I don't need to make a fuss about it, do I?"

"So you just don't care, is that it?"

"When I cared before, didn't you think I was being unreasonable? Besides, now that we have no official relationship, I have no right to care."

"I told you long ago that I've let it go. What's the point of you telling me all this now?"

Wang Jue felt as if a blunt knife was cutting into his chest.

My past ignorance and failures;

All the pain that now resembles slow slicing is retribution.

His eyes welled up with barely suppressed tears. Not wanting to appear so pathetic in front of her, he turned and quickly walked away.

Xi Lingxian, clutching her chest, slowly walked to the bedside and sat down.

If you know today, why should you be in the beginning.

……

When Wang Jue first arrived in Jiangzhou, there were many people and things he needed to investigate and figure out. Xi Song was also taken away by him to help with his work.

Actually, it's still about teaching step by step.

When you're completely clueless about something, you feel utterly resistant, but once you get the hang of it, you start to get hooked.

Especially the taste of power.

Among the scions of noble families, who can resist the temptation of power, and who doesn't crave it?

If learning from Wang Jue before was somewhat forced, then spending several days with Wang Jue in the Jiangzhou officialdom...

Having witnessed the genuine obsequious flattery of local officials towards Wang Jue, who was only three years older than him, Xi Song's ambition was awakened and completely ignited.

Being at the center of power is a wonderful feeling.

It was so wonderful that he didn't want it to happen only once, and he certainly didn't want to experience this feeling through someone else.

Once a man's ambition is ignited, it is impossible to hide. Wang Jue looked at the light gleaming in his eyes and was not surprised at all.

This is what he wanted.

The Xi family can't just have Xi Rui, who's good at martial arts; they need to have someone who's good at literature too.

……

The four beauties sneaked into Xi Lingxian's courtyard in the afternoon.

Leading the group was Ningzhi, followed by Yanhong, Cuimei, and the ever-silent Shenlu.

Four people, carrying tea and snacks, pushed open the courtyard gate with smiles, appearing familiar and friendly.

Xi Lingxian was sitting on the veranda flipping through a book when she heard the noise. She looked up and frowned slightly.

"Greetings, young lady." Ningzhi bowed and smiled warmly. "We were just passing by and thought you must be lonely here all by yourself, so we came to keep you company."

Without waiting for Xi Lingxian's reply, he went straight to the corridor and placed the tea and snacks on the small table.

Yan Hong had already moved closer to Xi Lingxian and reached out to massage her shoulders: "Miss, you are so frail. You must be exhausted from the long journey to Jiangzhou. Let me loosen your muscles and bones."

Xi Lingxian froze, and before she could dodge, Cui Mei had already squatted down and grabbed her hand: "Miss, your hands are cold, let me warm them for you."

She was surrounded by five hands at the same time.

Xi Lingxian was completely stunned.

She had lived two lives and had never been served like this before, and she couldn't understand why these four complete strangers were suddenly being so warm to her.

The pressure from the shoulder massage was just right, and the palms of the hands were warm and soft.

To be honest, it was quite comfortable.

But she was filled with anxiety.

What's going on?

Weren't they given to Wang Jue? Why aren't they trying to please him instead of trying to please her?

Did Wang Jue send them? Or did he have some other purpose?

She wanted to ask, but felt that speaking would reveal her timidity, so she could only sit still with her usual indifferent expression.

Ningzhi noticed her unease and explained with a smile, "Please don't take it to heart, Miss. Although we serve the magistrate, we all know in our hearts that you are the true mistress of this house."

It wasn't just these four people; from the day the Xi siblings followed Wang Jue to Jiangzhou, no one thought the relationship between the Xi girl and the Wang boy was purely platonic.

"Yes, yes," Yan Hong echoed, rubbing her shoulders. "Anyone with eyes can see the magistrate's feelings for the young lady. How dare we be presumptuous? From now on, whatever the young lady commands, we will go through fire and water for her..."

Xi Lingxian was even more confused.

Just then, a voice came from the courtyard gate.

"Who allowed you to come here?"

Wang Jue stood in front of the door, his face as somber as the sky before a storm.

His gaze moved from the hands resting on Xi Lingxian's shoulders and holding her wrists, finally settling on the tea and snacks on the small table.

His face turned completely dark.

The four beauties froze simultaneously, released their grip, and stepped aside to bow.

"My lord... we simply came to pay our respects to the young lady..."

"Greetings?" Wang Jue stepped into the courtyard, each word dripping with coldness. "Who gave you permission to disturb the young lady? All of you, get out of here!"

"From this day forward, no one is allowed to set foot in this courtyard. Anyone who dares to come again will be severely punished!"

The four beauties hurriedly bowed and withdrew, then ran out of the courtyard gate in small steps.

The courtyard fell silent.

Xi Lingxian's face was expressionless, but her heart was still pounding.

She also experienced the feeling of being surrounded by beautiful women.

Wang Jue's jaw was taut.

He saw it.

Seeing that woman named Yan Hong holding Xi Lingxian's hand so naturally and intimately, I was struck by how she did it.

How long has it been since he last touched her hand?

Those women, on the other hand, immediately started massaging her shoulders and hands, surrounding her affectionately.

She didn't even try to dodge.

Of course, she didn't dodge because she was stunned.

But he just wasn't feeling well.

A bittersweet feeling, unlike anything he had ever experienced before, welled up in his chest, and he couldn't tell whether he was angry at her or at himself.

"Why...why did you let them touch you?"

Xi Lingxian looked at her like she was an idiot. "What? Are you envious?"

"..."

"You know perfectly well that's not what I meant!"

She was determined to misunderstand him, completely disregarding whether he lived or died.

Xi Lingxian loved seeing him anxious; his anxiety made her happy.

"I must say, the service from these four beauties was really quite pleasant."

"...You actually enjoyed it?"

"I can't take it anymore. They brought me snacks and tea, and even massaged my shoulders and back. They spoke so softly and gently, like a confidante. Anyone would feel good about that."

Wang Jue was so angry she laughed.