Zhang Rishan thought Xu Ansheng was signaling him to speak up quickly. "Madam?" he tested tentatively, watching the flash of a smile vanish from his patriarch's face.
Zhang Rishan couldn't help frowning. What had happened that he didn't know about? His gaze swept over Xie Nanyou's hands. The slender finger that had been completely bare yesterday now wore a jade ring, and it looked somewhat familiar.
Zhang Rishan swallowed hard and looked at Zhang Qiling. "Patriarch, Miss Nanyou is...?"
"Madam." Zhang Qiling looked up at Zhang Rishan, appearing extremely displeased with his form of address.
Zhang Rishan nodded. What was there left to be unclear about now? He glanced at Xie Nanyou's face, then back at the corner of his patriarch's mouth, wondering if it was what he thought it was.
Xie Nanyou looked at Zhang Rishan, and then her gaze fell on Xu Ansheng. "Go check the dining room and see if those two brats are finished eating. Once they're done, tell them to get lost and go keep vigil." She was in a bad mood right now; even Xu Ansheng was an eyesore to her, let alone those two bastards.
Glancing at Zhang Qiling, who sat beside her watching her, Xie Nanyou let out a heavy breath. She turned her head only to see Zhang Rishan still standing in the same spot. "Got nothing to do? Then go find Second Brother and see if you can help out. Standing around here—are you waiting for me to invite you, or are you afraid I'll make a move against your patriarch?"
Seeing that Xie Nanyou was in a foul mood, Zhang Rishan hurriedly turned and left, not forgetting to silently break into a cold sweat for his patriarch.
Seeing everyone chased away by Xie Nanyou, Zhang Qiling stood up, walked over to sit beside Xie Nanyou, took her hand, and pressed it against his chest. "Don't be angry. You can hit me."
Although he had tricked her last night just so he could stay, he was sincere. Time would prove that apart from lying to stay the night, everything else he said was true.
Xie Nanyou looked at Zhang Qiling, meeting those clear eyes, and her gaze dropped to the corners of his mouth. Originally, she had intended to cooperate with this person last night.
He would help her weather her heavenly tribulation, and she would help him eliminate those people. It would be a mutual benefit. But this person had rushed up indiscriminately, not saying a word before kissing her.
She had lived a long time, yet her first kiss had been forced upon her. The moment all her anger surged to her head, her blood boiled, and the phantom of the Nine-tailed Fox already covered the entire study.
Yet the very next moment, sweet blood slid from her mouth down into her throat, and her roaring blood actually calmed down. The restless phantom also retreated.
Xie Nanyou forcefully pulled her hand back. If it hadn't been for the sake of calming her blood completely last night, she certainly wouldn't have let him stay, let alone sleep beside her. And now he was actually lingering and refusing to leave.
The Zhang Family really was full of no-good scoundrels. Back when she cooperated with Zhang Qishan, had it not been for the Xie Family, she certainly wouldn't have gone to find him in person, and she had done the heavy lifting afterward. Now the Zhang Family Patriarch was acting just like him.
And worse—even greedier than that bastard Zhang Qishan! "Got nothing to do? You don't really think a single jade ring is enough to marry me, do you?" With that, she narrowed her eyes slightly at Zhang Qiling, letting him know that if he dared to say a single improper word, she would give him something to regret.
Zhang Qiling looked at Xie Nanyou's hand. "A token. The Zhang Family."
She took a deep breath, fighting down the impulse to throw the man out. "Stay if you want. I'm going to the front." She stood up, raised a hand to smooth her robes, and walked away toward the mourning hall.
Perhaps this person had arrived a little too late. If her older brother were still here, he probably would have been very happy to see someone coming to propose marriage.
Inside the study, Xie Nanyou looked at the two adults and one child sitting to the side. "The burial is finished. The two of you should get out of here quickly as well. Staying too long will make people suspicious."
The two of them had kept vigil all night and hadn't had much time to rest during the day. They looked a circle thinner than when they first arrived, and the dark circles under their eyes looked as if they'd been beaten. Her anger had dissipated anyway; she couldn't manage them, so she let them be.
"Great-Aunt, I..." Xie Nanyou waved her hand and looked at the child nestled in her nephew's arms. "Xiao Xie can come find Xiaohua to play in the future."
Wu Xie nodded. "Next time, I'll bring the milk candies I like for Great-Aunt and Xiaohua."
Seeing the glittering little sparks in the child's big eyes, a smile finally appeared on Xie Nanyou's face. "Alright, then Great-Aunt will wait for you to bring the milk candies."
Wu Erbai stood up. "Aunt Xie, we'll be heading back first. Xiao Jiu has already left his number with me; if anything happens, just have him notify me."
The study door was pushed open. Seeing the person standing there, Zhang Qiling said nothing, walking straight over to sit by the sofa, where he stared unblinkingly at Xie Nanyou.
"All right, you guys hurry up and leave. Watch your step on the road." Watching them leave and hearing the study door click shut, Xie Nanyou turned her head to look at Zhang Qiling. "Where is Xiaohua?"