At these words, a sudden, fierce hostility radiated from Qi Jinshan.
"What nonsense are you spouting?"
He pressed his hand over Xie Mingyue’s, his cold gaze lashing out at Madam Yun. He had long known his mother disliked his wife, but seeing with his own eyes that the bracelet Madam Yun had given Xie Mingyue contained a drug to cause infertility made the chill in his heart churn and boil. He should have protected her, yet his own mother had been recklessly harming her in the shadows. It was his failure.
"Mother, is there anything else you wish to say?"
Madam Yun’s lips tightened. She disliked Xie Mingyue because the woman had bewitched her son to such an obsessive degree. She and her son had struggled together to reach where they were today; she would not let anyone threaten her standing in his heart. This woman, Xie Mingyue, must not remain by her son’s side!
"Jinshan, I am your mother." Madam Yun went pale, swaying as she was supported by her servants. "Would you really trust such slander?"
"But Mingyue is my wife," Qi Jinshan replied coldly to Madam Yun. "If you insist that what Nanny Bai says is untrue, why don't we go to the front hall? We can send someone to the pharmacy to investigate and see exactly who bought this medicine."
Since it was her own people who had bought it, what was there to investigate? Seeing that Qi Jinshan would grant her no face, Madam Yun’s expression turned ash-gray. "I have been unwell lately and cannot handle such strain."
"Since you are already suffering from a chronic illness, perhaps it has flared up again today. You should spend some time recuperating in your quarters. As for the affairs of the First Branch, I will have Mingyue take charge."
Without batting an eye, Qi Jinshan placed Madam Yun under house arrest within her own courtyard. He turned to look at Xie Mingyue, who offered him a faint smile. "That sounds right. Since Mother is unwell, I am willing to share the burden."
Although Xie Wanqing had given her the account books, most of the First Branch’s staff remained under Madam Yun’s control. Now that Qi Jinshan had spoken, it would be much easier for Xie Mingyue to keep the servants in line.
Madam Yun was bitter, but there was nothing she could do. If Nanny Bai had turned on her and the news that she had poisoned her daughter-in-law to cause infertility spread, it would do her no good, and Madam Luo would surely seize the opportunity to strike relentlessly. Being confined for a few months was nothing; when she first entered the Marquis' Estate, she had nothing, yet she had climbed step by step to a position equal to Madam Luo. As long as she was still Qi Jinshan’s mother, she would naturally hold the upper hand over Xie Mingyue.
With that thought, she glared resentfully at Xie Mingyue and slunk back to her courtyard.
The maids were dragged away to be dealt with. Xie Mingyue glanced at the valuables that had been searched out from the floor and shook her head. The people Madam Yun had hired were truly incompetent; they even dared to embezzle these items. Everything Qi Jinshan had given her was a treasure—if not an imperial gift, then something one-of-a-kind. If they had tried to sell them, one could easily have traced the trail back to them. Greedy and short-sighted—it was no wonder they were being dealt with alongside Madam Yun.
She pursed her lips and smiled, but Qi Jinshan, watching her, mistook it for regret over the lost gifts.
"I will buy you more in the future. These are already soiled; there is no need to look at them." He hesitated for a moment, then wrapped his arm around Xie Mingyue’s waist. "It is late. Go rest."
Xie Mingyue paused. "The Eldest Young Master is returning to his courtyard; why are you dragging me along? My own courtyard is right here."
She tried to pull away, but Qi Jinshan held her waist firmly and looked at her intently. "Are you not afraid there might be other poisons in your room?"
The words caused Xie Mingyue to freeze. She was indeed unsure if her room had been tampered with over the past ten years. She hesitated, and a smile so faint it was nearly invisible touched Qi Jinshan’s lips.
"Stay in my courtyard for the night. Tomorrow, I will have someone inspect Qionghua Courtyard from top to bottom."
At these words, Xie Mingyue’s face turned crimson. She and Qi Jinshan were husband and wife—sleeping together was the most natural thing in the world—but she… she was simply not prepared.
She shuffled step by step toward Qi Jinshan’s Qihai Courtyard. Seeing her reluctance, his eyes darkened.
"You sleep here. I will go to the side room."
He turned to leave. Xie Mingyue only just managed to brush against his sleeve before watching him stride out the door. Judging by his expression, he was clearly displeased. And rightfully so—after ten years of marriage, who would expect to be chased to the side room by their wife?
She looked around the room she had occupied, her relief at having escaped the situation suddenly replaced by a sense of unease. A man she had despised yesterday had become her husband the moment she opened her eyes—who could adapt so quickly? Yet, thinking of Qi Jinshan’s bloodshot eyes, her heart softened. He seemed to treat her quite well. Back at the Xie Family, her grandmother would torment her mother, and her father would mostly just try to smooth things over, but Qi Jinshan had risked everything to save her face, without a moment's hesitation.
Forget it.
"Wutong, go and ask the Eldest Young Master to come back," Xie Mingyue sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. "Tell him I am afraid of the dark and dare not sleep alone in his room."
Wutong’s eyes lit up as she left the room. A while later, a cold breeze swept in, and Qi Jinshan returned.
"Ten years, and when did you develop a fear of the dark?"
He walked around the screen, step by step, toward her. Xie Mingyue swallowed nervously. "I have always had it; I just never told you."
She decided that since he had worked so hard, she would indulge him just this once. Qi Jinshan unfastened his outer robe, revealing his slightly damp undergarments. He had already bathed, and his dark hair fell to his chest, making him look much gentler than he did when his hair was bound. Seeing him sit on the edge of the bed, Xie Mingyue quickly curled up toward the inner side, lying stiff as a board until her limbs went numb. She didn't know that this was their first time sharing a bed in ten years.
"Sleep."
Qi Jinshan’s expression was neutral. After lowering the bed curtains, he lay down on the outer edge, maintaining a distance between them. Xie Mingyue breathed in the lingering scent of cold wood from beside her, her mind racing with flashes of memory. Just a moment ago, she had intentionally dropped the bracelet; Qi Jinshan had clearly seen it, yet he had pretended to be ignorant and played along with her lead.
"Qi Jinshan," she couldn't help but say, "don't you blame me? She is your mother."
When two intelligent people speak, many things do not need to be stated explicitly. Qi Jinshan was silent for a moment before replying slowly, "Mother has her own husband, and I am your husband. I should naturally protect you."
He knew full well that today’s events were a trap set by Xie Mingyue. But if it weren't for this marriage, she and Madam Yun would be strangers; it was because of him that she was forced to be hated and poisoned by his mother. In this estate, if he were not there, who else would protect her?
As he was lost in thought, a warm, soft presence pressed against his side. Xie Mingyue, wrapped in her quilt, leaned toward him, moved. "Thank you, Qi Jinshan. You are a very good person."
*You are a very good person.*
The words seemed to overlap with a memory from many years ago. An uncontrollable urge surged within Qi Jinshan’s calm heart. He suddenly rolled over, pinning Xie Mingyue half beneath him.
"Is that so?" In the darkness, a spark ignited deep within his pitch-black eyes. "Then, Madam, what is my reward?"
Xie Mingyue felt a hand slide into her quilt, gripping her cold, slender wrist.