The Beauty Within the Gates
Chapter 97
The Xie family fortune was still intact. It had merely been moved to the Eastern Capital. The residence beside Xiangguo Temple had not been bought with his reward money either. It had originally belonged to the Xie family.
His little wife had known everything from beginning to end. She had simply stood by and watched him suffer, watched him be driven into a dead end by money…
Sure enough, she truly was a virtuous wife who knew how to manage a household.
Though waves surged violently inside him, his face remained calm. He turned and asked Second Madam, “Where is she?”
“She went to the Ming residence. She said she would return later.” Second Madam glanced at his expression and advised him, “Do not go looking for trouble for yourself. If you cannot bring things to a proper end, you will still have to pick up your own dignity afterward.”
—
Whenever Wen Shuse was together with Ming Wanrou, time always seemed tight and never enough. The sky had already turned dark, yet she was still at the Ming residence.
After coming to the Eastern Capital, Ming Wanrou had been kept inside the palace the entire time. Today was her first time going into the bustling market, and everything she saw felt fresh. Especially knowing that after she entered the palace in the future, she would have even fewer chances to come out, she wished she could see all the liveliness of a lifetime in one day.
The two of them made a hurried circuit through ready-made clothing shops, jewelry shops, and restaurants. By the time both their calves were aching and they climbed into the carriage, it was already dusk.
Ming Wanrou insisted that Wen Shuse come with her to the Ming family residence, at least to recognize the place first, so she could visit more easily next time.
“Didn’t you say Third Young Master is very easy to talk to, and that he listens to everything you say? You are only going back a little later. Third Young Master will surely understand. What are you so anxious for?”
Wen Shuse remembered how she had boasted to this silly woman before, unwittingly causing a huge misunderstanding and ruining her husband’s reputation. Feeling somewhat guilty and wanting to make up for it, in front of Ming Wanrou, she wished she could praise him as if he were a flower in bloom.
Hearing Ming Wanrou say this, Wen Shuse could not argue with her and could only follow her first to the Ming residence.
Since she had already arrived, she naturally had to go in and sit for a while.
Second Young Master Ming had wine and refreshments prepared. Only after the three of them had finished two pots of wine did Second Young Master Ming carry a gauze lantern and walk in front, sending Wen Shuse to the gate together with Ming Wanrou.
The Ming family would arrive in a few days, but the sisters in the family had never been close to Ming Wanrou. Ming Wanrou repeatedly reminded Wen Shuse, “The day before my wedding, Gao Xian, you must come. I’m afraid there will be no one to talk to me, and it will be terribly lonely.”
Wen Shuse’s ears were practically calloused from all Ming Wanrou’s nagging. She nodded and said, “You can rest easy. I promise I’ll be here bright and early.”
“It’s a pity your wedding last time was so rushed. I did not even receive the slightest news, let alone get to accompany you…”
These words stirred up a piece of Second Young Master Ming’s own past. It would not be quite proper for him to keep listening, so he quickened his steps and put some distance between himself and the two ladies, intending to wait for them first by the gate.
Just as he stepped out, he saw a carriage stopped outside the alley. Beside the carriage stood a young gentleman, holding a lantern in his hand. He had not yet changed out of his official uniform. The soft glow fell across his face like a layer of moonlight, making him appear elegant and handsome.
Second Young Master Ming paused, then greeted him. “Commander Xie.”
Xie Shao nodded in return. “Second Young Master.”
When Second Young Master Ming had first heard that the Second Young Lady had married the Third Young Master Xie, aside from heartbreak, he had also once felt that it was unworthy of her. He had interacted with Xie Shao before. Although the man was clever, he had not attended to proper work and spent his days indulging in wine and pleasure. Second Young Master Ming had worried that her path in the future would be difficult. Now, looking again, it seemed he himself had been blind, failing to see the talent and courage hidden beneath the surface.
A talented gentleman and a beautiful lady. He and the Second Young Lady were indeed a match made in heaven.
Toward someone he had once liked, he could not pretend to feel nothing. A faint sourness rose in his heart, but he quickly pushed it down. Since Xie Shao had managed to find his way here, he must have been worried about the Second Young Lady, so Second Young Master Ming explained, “Third Young Madam and my younger sister have been close since childhood. Today, my sister was willful and kept her a while longer, causing Commander Xie to worry. I truly apologize.”
“No matter. I had just finished my shift and came this way to pick her up along the way.”
The two young ladies were still talking behind them and took a long while to come out. Second Young Master Ming politely invited him in, “Since Commander Xie has already come to the door, why not come inside my humble home for a seat and a cup of tea?”
Xie Shao did not move. He smiled courteously. “Is getting late. Another day, when Second Young Master has time, I’ll come pay a visit.”
Second Young Master Ming did not insist further. The two men stood facing each other in silence for a while in the night breeze, the atmosphere somewhat awkward. Only then did the young ladies finally come out.
Ming Wanrou lifted the gauze lantern in her hand. “Careful of the threshold. Going back so late, Third Young Master truly will not…” Her gaze lifted, and when she saw the person standing beside the carriage outside the gate, she immediately stopped speaking.
Wen Shuse had not expected Xie Shao to come pick her up either. She froze for a moment, then hurriedly bid farewell to Ming Wanrou and Second Young Master Ming before walking over to her husband, surprised. “Husband, why have you come?”
Xie Shao did not answer. He nodded in farewell to Second Young Master Ming and Ming Wanrou behind her, then turned and supported his little wife by the elbow, helping her into the carriage.
Knowing that she had delayed too long, Wen Shuse felt somewhat guilty. As soon as she climbed in, she hugged her husband’s arm and admitted her fault. “Today, I was keeping A’Yuan company and chatting with her, and before I knew it, I forgot the time. It was my fault. There will not be a next time. Husband, were you worried?”
These words sounded like those of a drunkard who had stayed out all night. The more one promised, the less credible it became.
Xie Shao turned his eyes to look at her profile. She had such an innocent, harmless face that whatever she said could make people believe her. Thinking of himself in officialdom, where there was no ghost or spirit he could not see through, yet he had fallen into her hands again and again, taken in by one great trick after another, he never knew how many more things that little head of hers was still hiding from him.
Grandmother was right. When she deceived people, she did it with full sincerity. Who knew whether today’s visit to see Ming Wanrou had been a pretext, and meeting an old flame was the real purpose.
In a strange, sour tone, he tossed out a sarcastic remark. “Mm. I was afraid you would not come back.”
“How could I possibly not come back?” His little wife’s mouth was a lying little ghost, and when she coaxed someone, she had one phrase after another ready. “In life, I am yours. In death, I will be your ghost. No matter how late it is, I still have to return home.”
If she had been a man, with that silver tongue of hers, she would have a whole harem by now. A wave of helplessness washed over him. Suddenly, he had no idea how to deal with her soft, persistent coaxing. Instead, he drilled himself into a pointless corner. “Do I not have a name?”
Wen Shuse paused slightly. Then she tilted her head and leaned closer to him, saying softly, “Husband. My lord husband…”
There was a smile pressed into the young lady’s eyes, openly mocking his petty jealousy. “Xian Wei?”
When discussing serious matters with his little wife, one simply could not look at that troublemaking face of hers. It was far too easy to forget what one had meant to say.
Xie Shao reached out and turned her face away. “Wen Shuse, is there even a single true word in your mouth?”
Wen Shuse did not understand what he meant by this. She covered her own chest. “A whole sincere heart. What truth does Husband wish to hear?”
From that falsely sincere heart of hers, finding even one true sentence was indeed difficult. He reminded her, “Think carefully. What else are you hiding from me?”
The young lady truly began to think seriously. After a long while, she asked, “Which matter is Husband referring to? I truly cannot guess.”
Xie Shao’s eyelids trembled slightly.
“Are you jealous?” She had returned home so late, and from the Ming residence at that. Second Young Master Ming had also been there, so of course his heart must feel uncomfortable.
She spoke to comfort him. “On this point, Husband may rest assured. My heart is very small. It can only hold one husband.”
His little wife’s sweet words came so readily that he could not help suspecting her. “Have you said this to Second Young Master Ming before as well?”
This question of his was far too unreasonable. Wen Shuse could understand that he was jealous, but he could not slander her, and still less could he look down on her. “Does Husband think I am that kind of person?”
Anyone else would have known how to answer such a question. But Wen Shuse looked at him for a moment, only to hear him say, “I do not know.”
If not for the matter of the switched marriage, the person she would have married would have been Second Young Master Ming. Second Young Master Ming’s temperament was steady and reliable. She likely would not have needed to spend any effort coaxing, deceiving, or hiding things from him.
Wen Shuse’s expression faltered. “How can Husband think of me like that?” She let go of his hand, and the smile on her face vanished as well. “Second Young Master Ming and I are perfectly innocent. Although we once had feelings for each other, we never crossed even the slightest line. Forget sweet words like that, even being alone together, we deliberately avoided. Though I was not born into some famous noble family, I was still raised with proper teachings. If you mind…” She paused, then remembered. “Even if you do mind, there is nothing you can do now.”
Xie Shao had no time to correct the direction in which the young lady had twisted the conversation. His mind was filled entirely with the phrase had feelings for each other, and it felt like countless fine needles were slowly pricking into his heart.
When his heart felt uncomfortable, the words that came out were naturally sharper. “At last, you finally told the truth. You had feelings for Second Ming, and you have feelings for me too. Your love is truly generous. No matter whom you marry, the words are all the same.”
The young lady looked at him in astonishment, unable to understand where this temper of his had come from. “Do not always pick on my matters. No matter what I am like, I am still clearer-headed than that childhood sweetheart of yours. Calling you ‘Brother Xie’ again and again, so intimately. Does she not know you are a married man? Do you not know it yourself? I have not even settled accounts with you over that, yet you keep pushing. I am generous in love, am I? I like everyone, do I? Since you do not care to hear it, I am too lazy to say it anymore.”
It had been a long time since he had angered her to this extent. Her heart felt so blocked that she could hardly catch her breath. She pushed open the carriage window and called for the coachman to stop.
Before the carriage had even come to a full stop, she jumped down, lifted her skirt, and strode quickly back the way they had come.
Behind her, her husband followed closely. “I am speaking reasonably with you. Why are you getting out of the carriage? Where are you going?”
Wen Shuse did not even turn her head. She was so angry that she had lost all reason. “I do not want to speak with you. What does it matter to you where I go? You go back to your home. I am going to find Second Ming right now and ask whether he is willing to listen. I will say it to him instead. Otherwise, would I not have suffered your slander for nothing?”
Then she added, “Back then, it was not as though you had no choice at all. You were the one who first suggested we make do with each other. Before saying such things, you should have investigated all eight generations of my ancestors clearly, so you would not come to regret it now and settle accounts with me.”
“Wen Shuse!”
She was simply a white immortal hedgehog. When all was well, she could drive away illness, invite wealth, and ward off disaster. But once provoked, she could prick a person until he was covered in holes.
The young lady turned a deaf ear. Her steps were swift as the wind. The alley was pitch-black, without even the faintest lamplight, yet she could still see clearly. She walked faster and faster. Unfortunately, her legs were not as long as her husband’s, and she was soon caught.
Xie Shao grabbed her arm. “Go on, then. Try it.”
The young lady was the sort who would yield to softness, not force. Tears circled in her eyes, yet stubbornly refused to fall. “Am I not already on my way there? You are the one holding me back. How am I supposed to try?”
He had always known that if he ever truly angered her, she would turn away without a second thought, leaving no trace of attachment. He did not have his little wife’s toughness. He could not afford to gamble. He held tightly onto her and refused to let go. “You said you liked me. Do not deny it.”
“Did Husband not say he did not care for it?”
“What I don’t care for are your empty words.”
From the moment they met tonight, he had been strange. Wen Shuse did not know what was wrong with him, nor did she want to guess. “If Husband has something to say, then say it directly. Don’t keep grinding my heart like a millstone.”
Xie Shao looked at her and asked directly, “Did the Xie family truly go bankrupt?”
Wen Shuse finally understood his abnormal behavior. Her expression paused. Knowing that Old Madam Xie had most likely already told him, she answered honestly, “No.”
But if this matter were calculated carefully, he had not suffered a loss. If she and Old Madam Xie had not hidden it from him and forced him forward step by step, he would not have achieved what he has today. She did not understand why he was so furious.
“The Xie family did not go bankrupt. Is that not a good thing? Husband has now become an official, and you also have wealth to rely on. You should be happy.”
Talking to someone with no conscience was enough to pierce a person’s heart and liver. “Did it ever occur to you how miserable I felt?”
It was true that he had suffered quite a bit. Wen Shuse’s tone softened. “This idea was not mine alone. Grandmother reminded me again and again and urged me repeatedly that I absolutely had to cooperate with her. She hoped Husband would enter officialdom and become an official. Husband did suffer many hardships, but after the wind and rain comes the rainbow. Have you not endured it and come through now?”
“Why did I enter officialdom? Was it for myself? Was it for the Xie family?” He hated that she had wasted such lovely eyes and yet couldn’t see. “I did not want to see you go hungry with me. I did not want to see you live worse than other young ladies. I wanted to give you the very best this world has to offer. That day, when you took a liking to those outfits in the shop, and I could not afford to buy them, do you know how miserable I felt? I wish I could go rob and steal them for you.”
And she had actually had the heart to let him suffer like that.
“I can risk my life and fight for you and for the children we will have in the future. But if it were anyone else, I could not do it. Only you, Wen Shuse, have that ability.”
This confession was sincere and direct.
Compared with the words she had just said, she had suddenly become the petty, narrow-minded one. The tears were still turning in her eyes, but her anger had already vanished. Wen Shuse stared blankly at her husband. “I…”
What she had said had only been words spoken in anger.
The dignity of this entire lifetime had already been folded up and lost in the young lady’s hands. Xie Shao no longer cared about losing it once more. He slowly released her hand and asked her, “Do you still want to go find Second Ming?”
The young lady shook her head vigorously.
He had never expected to find an equal measure of feeling from her anyway. Could he really be angry with her, question her about why she immediately wanted to seek another path the moment they disagreed, and ask why she could not have a little patience with him?
Absolutely not. Since the young lady had handed him a wooden ladder, he could only climb down along it. “Can we go home now?”
Wen Shuse nodded like a pecking chicken. “Yes.”
Preserving what little dignity he had left, he didn’t reach for her hand. He turned and walked in front, leading the way for her. He had long since grown used to this sort of situation: coming to her full of anger, only to return in crushing defeat. Afraid that his little wife would be unable to see the road clearly and trip, he walked very slowly.
Before they had gone far, the young lady behind him suddenly stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his waist. Her hands passed from behind his back to his front, hugging him tightly. Her face pressed against his lower back as she said guiltily, “Husband is truly good. It was I who failed to think it through.”
The fact that she could see his goodness meant there was still hope for her.
In order to make him become something better, she had not hesitated to bear the reputation of a spendthrift. The hardships she had endured together with him had all been real. How could he blame her?
“I do not blame you. For Wife to act this way, in the end, it is because I failed to make you feel secure.”
Gently, he pried her hands apart, crouched down, and said, “Come up. I will carry you.”
The young lady did not move and said considerately, “Husband has been tired all day. I can walk by myself…”
Before her words had even finished falling, Xie Shao turned and scooped her into his arms. He pressed a light kiss to her lips. “I already told Mother that we would return late tonight and that there was no need to leave the gate open. We will stay at the Wen residence tonight.”
He had lost one account, so he had to recover another.
The carriage driver was still watching from behind. Wen Shuse tried to dodge. “People are watching…”
Her husband heard nothing at all. His lips brushed against his little wife’s earlobe, and as if venting his resentment, he caught it between his lips. Beneath the faint starlight, half-hidden veil, whether anyone saw them, no one could tell.
Once they returned to the carriage, he pulled his little wife back into his arms and placed her on his lap. The latticed windows on both sides were lowered and shut tightly, blocking out the spring scenery and the night.
—
After the two of them had moved into the Xie family’s new residence, the rooms at the Wen family’s residence had still been kept.
With no one to disturb them, tonight could go however he wished. Her husband had made up his mind to take his revenge and wash away his humiliation.
In the carriage, the young lady’s clothing had already come loose. The moment the carriage stopped, her husband could hardly wait. He held the young lady in his arms and kicked the door open straight into the courtyard.
“Husband, do not act recklessly yet. Do not touch…”
“There is no one here anyway. What are you afraid of?”
Seeing that the situation was about to become uncontrollable, the blurry figure standing in the courtyard, who had been completely ignored, had no choice but to speak up as a reminder.
“Ahem…”
The two people embracing each other froze at the same time and turned to look over in astonishment. Only then did they see a person standing behind the screen wall. Even the night could not conceal the awkwardness on Wen Huai’s face.
“Second Younger Sister. Brother-in-law.”
Wen Shuse’s mind buzzed. She wished she could find a crack in the ground and crawl into it. In a panic, she quickly jumped down from her husband’s body and hid behind him, her voice nearly sobbing. “Brother, couldn’t you have coughed earlier?”