Casting Nets to Catch a Husband

Chapter 211: Extra (2)

From Yuanzhou to the capital, Xie Rongzhi had been pondering the entire journey. It wasn’t until he entered the Imperial City, gave the little emperor his report, and made his way to Chongming Hall, that he still felt a lingering sense of unease.

At the entrance to Chongming Hall, He Xiangsheng, the head eunuch by the regent’s side, spotted him from afar, raised an eyebrow, and, swinging his duster, made his way over with a smile, greeting Xie Rongzhi even from a distance.

“Lord Xie, you’re back from Hongdu Prefecture? Was the mission successful?”

He Xiangsheng, though merely an inner eunuch by the side of the prince, wielded more power than the chief eunuch at the emperor’s side. After all, the young emperor was not yet thirteen, and the true power in the court was in the hands of the regent, who resided in Chongming Hall.

Xie Rongzhi returned He Xiangsheng’s smile and nodded, saying, “Yes, thanks to Eunuch He, this mission went quite smoothly. I’ve just reported to His Majesty, and now I’m on my way here. I wonder if His Royal Highness is free at the moment?”

He Xiangsheng glanced at the entrance to Chongming Hall and quietly said, “He’s reviewing memorials right now, but we’ve been waiting for news from Hongdu Prefecture. Lord Xie, please wait for a moment, I’ll inform His Highness right away.”

Xie Rongzhi cupped his hands in acknowledgment. “Thank you, Eunuch He.”

He Xiangsheng came out quickly, and Xie Rongzhi followed him into Chongming Hall. Regent Xiao Ji was hunched over, reviewing memorials. When He Xiangsheng and Xie Rongzhi entered, Xiao Ji didn’t even lift his head.

No one dared to speak or interrupt, standing quietly below.

Having just returned from Yuanzhou, Xie Rongzhi couldn’t help but recall events from over thirty years ago. He subtly raised his eyes to examine Xiao Ji.

The regent, Xiao Ji, was over sixty years old, his tall frame unchanged since his younger days. However, his black hair had turned gray at the temples, and the sharp features of his face had developed a few wrinkles. The boldness that characterized him in his youth had now transformed into a more restrained and dignified demeanor.

Xiao Ji’s red brush never paused as he spoke casually, “How are things in Hongdu Prefecture?”

Xie Rongzhi quickly took out two memorials from his sleeve and handed them over, briefly explaining the situation in Hongdu Prefecture.

Xiao Ji hummed and opened the memorials. As he read through them, he casually asked, “And what about Yuanzhou? I’ve heard that Yuanzhou controlled the disaster the best this time.”

At the mention of Yuanzhou, He Xiangsheng, who had barely made any presence, couldn’t help but slightly lift his eyelids. He quickly lowered them, suppressing the slight movement.

Xie Rongzhi thought to himself, As expected, but he didn’t show any reaction outwardly. He continued to explain the situation in Yuanzhou, though his mind was already racing.

Should I speak or not?

Recalling the events from over thirty years ago, Xie Rongzhi still felt a shiver down his spine. Was there some connection between Shen Yan and his family? But this trip to Hongdu Prefecture had been arranged with He Xiangsheng’s subtle encouragement, making it seem like Xiao Ji wanted him to check on an old acquaintance.

But these were all just speculations. Xie Rongzhi had been thinking this over the whole journey back to the capital and during his time in the palace. Even after coming into Chongming Hall, he was still hesitant.

By this time, Xiao Ji had already finished reading the two memorials Xie Rongzhi had handed over. One of them was the memorial submitted by Yang Zhizhou through Xiao Ji.

Xie Rongzhi’s mind was busy weighing options, but his mouth never stopped. He continued speaking about the relief efforts by the Lu and Liu families. With over thirty to forty years of experience in the court, he was adept at multitasking.

Xiao Ji casually responded, “Hmm, we’ll draft a reward for them soon.”

The others couldn’t detect anything unusual, but He Xiangsheng, with his sharp ear, subtly twitched his ear and cast a quick glance. He immediately realized that the regent had drifted off in thought again.

Xie Rongzhi, not one to be easily fooled, knew more about the regent’s affairs than most people in the capital.

He had finally made up his mind. He couldn’t afford to keep hiding. He bowed and said, “Your Highness, during my trip to Hongdu Prefecture, I made a stop in Yuanzhou, and there is another matter I wish to report to you.”

At last, Xiao Ji’s gaze shifted from the memorials to Xie Rongzhi. He Xiangsheng, too, glanced over, but his reaction was swift, immediately looking down and adopting the posture of “eyes on the nose, nose on the heart.”

Xiao Ji set the red brush in its jade holder and took a sip from his cup, idly playing with it. His tone was indifferent, “What is it?”

Xie Rongzhi looked around and hesitated, revealing a troubled expression.

He Xiangsheng glanced at Xiao Ji. Xiao Ji raised his chin slightly, signaling He Xiangsheng to step back a few paces. He then waved toward the eunuchs guarding inside the hall, saying, “You all may leave.”

He Xiangsheng himself retreated to stand outside the door, guarding it.

Xie Rongzhi, seeing the reaction of both Xiao Ji and He Xiangsheng, immediately realized he had guessed correctly. A sense of unease surged within him, but what followed was even more intense—shock.

“Speak,” Xiao Ji said, glancing at him, his tone still calm and devoid of any emotion.

If it weren’t for the hand gripping the cup, knuckles whitened in tension, Xie Rongzhi might have believed that Xiao Ji truly didn’t care.

Now that this matter had fallen upon him because of the Hongdu Prefecture assignment, he knew he couldn’t escape it.

With a deep breath, Xie Rongzhi closed his eyes and decided to be bold.

“Does Your Highness still remember Shen Yan?”

A heavy silence hung in the air. Xie Rongzhi dared not look up.

Xiao Ji’s gaze fixed on him for a long time, long enough that Xie Rongzhi could feel cold sweat trickling down his back. Finally, Xiao Ji spoke, his voice low: “You’ve seen her?”

Xie Rongzhi felt a sigh of relief inwardly. As expected, Xiao Ji had never forgotten her. But as the thought crossed his mind, Xie Rongzhi was struck with shock—Shen Yan had been dead for over twenty years. Did Xiao Ji not know she had passed?

Realizing this, Xie Rongzhi was paralyzed with hesitation. He was already in too deep, though; the moment had come to speak, and he could no longer hold back.

Cold sweat soaked his brow. “I saw a woman in Yuanzhou who looks exactly like Shen Yan.”

Xiao Ji’s gaze sharpened. Xie Rongzhi stared at the floor, not daring to lift his eyes.

“And then?” Xiao Ji pressed.

“I sent people to inquire. The woman’s surname is Liu. It was her husband and brother who were helping with the disaster relief in Yuanzhou,” Xie Rongzhi continued.

Xiao Ji narrowed his eyes slightly. “You came here to tell me this?”

“I sent people to inquire further. This woman is Shen Yan’s granddaughter.”

Xie Rongzhi hesitated, the words tasting like lead in his mouth. He wondered desperately how to proceed.

What could he do at this point?

Xiao Ji studied him as he struggled to speak. He ground his teeth, trying to suppress the growing impatience as he asked, “And her…?”

The “her” was unspoken, but it was clear who he meant.

Xie Rongzhi’s heart skipped a beat. His head nearly dropped to his chest in regret. He regretted taking the Hongdu Prefecture assignment, and he regretted even more following He Xiangsheng’s advice to go to Yuanzhou. He wondered why he hadn’t just feigned illness and declined.

But Xie Rongzhi quickly accepted that it was too late now. The disaster in Hongdu Prefecture had already stirred Xiao Ji’s thoughts. The entire capital knew about Shen Yan, and only the Xie family knew the truth about her relationship with Xiao Ji. Whether he went or not, it seemed that the decision was no longer in his hands.

He closed his eyes and spoke the truth, “Shen Yan passed away twenty years ago.”

It was as if a heavy object had struck him in the chest, like a powerful blow from a hammer. The impact left him unprepared, and he felt the full force of it.

Xiao Ji trembled uncontrollably. His senses seemed overwhelmed—his ears, eyes, nose, and mouth felt as though they were being smothered from the inside, a constant pressure that was unbearable. He stared at Xie Rongzhi with disbelief, his voice thick with shock, “Say it again?”

Seeing Xiao Ji’s reaction, Xie Rongzhi didn’t dare to speak further. He quickly dropped to his knees.

The hall was plunged into complete silence, with only the sound of Xiao Ji’s heavy breathing filling the space. After a long time, Xiao Ji’s voice came, strained and cold: “Leave.”

Xie Rongzhi dared not stay. He lowered his head, gave his respects, and quickly retreated from the hall, bowing as he walked out.

He Xiangsheng, who had been waiting outside, must have heard the commotion within. He opened the door at the right moment. Their eyes met, and He Xiangsheng’s face was even paler than Xie Rongzhi’s.

Xie Rongzhi did not linger, rushing out of Chongming Hall. As he passed the corridor, he had barely taken a few steps when he heard a sharp cry from within the hall: “Your Highness!”

Inside the hall, as soon as Xie Rongzhi left, Xiao Ji spat out a mouthful of blood.

He Xiangsheng, who had been outside, had already turned pale when he heard the news of Shen Yan’s death. But when he entered the hall and saw this sight, he was so shocked that his soul seemed to leave his body.

“Summon the Imperial Doctor, quickly! Summon the Imperial Doctor!”

The shout almost changed pitch, followed by a flurry of chaos.

Hearing the cry, Xie Rongzhi’s legs went soft, and the only thought left in his mind was:

It’s over…

~

He stood in the corridor outside Chongming Hall, unable to move, watching the eunuchs hurriedly rush off to fetch the Imperial Doctor, listening to He Xiangsheng’s anxious and alarmed voice from within the hall, and watching the Head of the Imperial Medical Bureau rush in.

Xie Rongzhi could already imagine that the Emperor would be coming soon, and the Empress Dowager and the Grand Empress Dowager would likely send people to inquire as well.

As his thoughts raced, a young eunuch came out of the hall, walked up to Xie Rongzhi, and whispered, “Sir Xie, my master asked you to return first. Don’t mention today’s matter to anyone.”

Xie Rongzhi didn’t even remember how he left the palace. The moment he stepped out of the palace gates, he realized his clothes were soaked in sweat.

~

At the Xie residence, a servant had already returned home and reported that Master Xie had arrived in the capital. Preparations for the welcome feast had already been made for when he returned from the palace.

The children and grandchildren crowded into the room, but Xie Rongzhi was lost in thought. He forced himself to eat a few bites, then left the table.

Madam Xie tried to comfort the children and grandchildren, then spent some time with the younger ones before returning to the main courtyard.

After asking the maid, she learned that Xie Rongzhi, for once, was not in his study but in the main room, which surprised her. “Is the sun rising in the west today?”

When she entered the main room, Xie Rongzhi had already dismissed the servants. Madam Xie quickly realized it wasn’t a strange day, but rather that something troubling had occurred that he could not make a decision about on his own.

Indeed, once the servants had left, Xie Rongzhi sighed, “I think I’ve gotten into trouble.”

Madam Xie poured him tea and asked, “Did something happen with the Hongdu Prefecture mission?”

Xie Rongzhi shook his head. “No, I saw a young woman in Yuanzhou who looks exactly like Shen Yan.”

The teapot in Madam Xie’s hand clattered onto the table, spilling the tea she had just poured. She didn’t care about the mess, trembling as she asked, “What did you say?”

Madam Xie grabbed Xie Rongzhi’s sleeve, nearly shaking with fear. “Did you investigate? Is she related to Shen Yan? Where is Shen Yan? Where is she?”

After more than thirty years, it wasn’t just Xiao Ji who hadn’t forgotten Shen Yan.

Shen Yan was Madam Xie’s fate.

Xie Rongzhi rubbed his face with his hand. “She passed away… twenty years ago.”

The sound of a chair crashing to the ground filled the room as Madam Xie fell into it, stunned. “She passed away twenty years ago? How could this be…?”

Madam Xie’s vitality seemed to drain away. Her well-maintained face, now weathered with age, had tears rolling down her cheeks.

Xie Rongzhi knew that although Shen Yan had been his wife’s maid, they had grown up together, relying on each other. He gently patted his wife’s hand. “Please, don’t be too upset.”

Madam Xie wiped her tears and looked at her husband. “Tell me, how did Shen Yan end up in Yuanzhou? And how did she die?”

Xie Rongzhi, too, had no idea why Shen Yan was in Yuanzhou. After recalling the details he had learned, he said, “Perhaps it had something to do with her husband, whom she married later. I learned that the small village in Yuanzhou was the home of the young general from the Northwest.”

Madam Xie froze. “You mean Liu Jingcheng?”

Xie Rongzhi nodded.

To him, Liu Jingcheng was merely a name, without any clear face or image.

He had only met him once, and that was the last time. By the time Xie Rongzhi learned Liu Jingcheng was Shen Yan’s husband, Liu Jingcheng was already a bloodied figure.

Xie Rongzhi could never forget that trip to the Northwest more than thirty years ago. He and his wife had grown up together, so he was familiar with her maid, Shen Yan, who was like a sister to her. It was the first time he had seen such a fierce look in Shen Yan’s eyes.

She was the one who had stabbed Prince Yan Xiao Ji with a sword and still managed to escape unharmed.

Xie Rongzhi and his guards had been driven away by the already heavily wounded Prince Yan, retreating far from the scene. No one knew what had been said between Shen Yan and Liu Jingcheng, but Xie Rongzhi clearly remembered the scene of Xiao Ji vomiting blood as he ordered them to retreat, and Shen Yan dragging Liu Jingcheng’s body, slowly walking away.

Before Prince Yan lost consciousness, he had ordered that no one was allowed to touch Shen Yan, no one was allowed to pursue her, and even the news was to be completely sealed.

That sword had put Xiao Ji out of commission for a year. Had it not been for his heart being naturally positioned slightly differently from others, Xiao Ji would not have survived.

That sword also ended Prince Yan’s ambitions for the throne. He secluded himself for five years, and during that time, all his concubines and wives left him.

While the five imperial princes fought each other to the death, only Prince Yan, who had lost his will to fight, survived.

When the throne was finally within reach, after all his efforts—including using his concubines as bargaining chips—Prince Yan looked at it once, then turned and returned to his palace.

The eldest son of the former crown prince ascended the throne, and after another purge, no one held the throne for long. At least, after Xie Rongzhi entered the imperial court, the current young emperor was already the fourth ruler.

Yes, the older emperors were gone. Facing the royal relatives who came seeking the throne, Xiao Ji remained indifferent. The throne, which everyone else desired so fiercely, was something Xiao Ji once fought for with all his strength. But now, to him, it meant nothing—he even rejected it.

With multiple changes of emperors, the Xiao family’s royal line had dwindled to just Xiao Ji as Regent and the young emperor, who was still under thirteen.

The young emperor had ascended at six, and it was only after the Empress Dowager had begged Xiao Ji five times that he agreed to become Regent and protect the young emperor for a few more years.

Madam Xie, having lived for so many years, had seen many partings, but now, with her hand pressed to her chest, she slowly regained her sharpness. “How does this have anything to do with the trouble you caused?”

She stared intently at Xie Rongzhi as she asked.

Xie Rongzhi, under his wife’s gaze, felt an unexplainable guilt, but he couldn’t do anything about it.

“I reported this matter truthfully to the Regent. The moment I left Chongming Hall, I heard chaos inside. He Xiangsheng was shouting for the Imperial Doctor to be summoned.”

Madam Xie’s eyes nearly bulged with anger. “You told Xiao Ji about Shen Yan?”

Having spent their entire lives supporting each other, Madam Xie felt a surge of anger, wanting to tear Xie Rongzhi apart.

Xie Rongzhi’s entire body slumped in exhaustion. “I thought he knew about Shen Yan.”

“Moreover, with so many young officials in the Ministry of Revenue, how could they have asked an old man like me to go on a mission like this? He Xiangsheng specifically singled me out and told me to go to Yuan Zhou. It was just by chance that I encountered Shen Yan’s granddaughter, and thinking he knew about Shen Yan’s situation, how could I not report it?”

When Xiao Ji was injured and hiding at Xie Rongzhi’s house, he became entangled with Shen Yan, and when Xiao Ji left, Shen Yan was taken away by him.

Xie Rongzhi still didn’t know how Shen Yan and Xiao Ji came to the point of turning their swords against each other.

He only knew that during the years Shen Yan was missing, Xiao Ji seemed almost mad, and he vaguely learned some things later, guessing that Shen Yan had probably been living poorly in the Yan Wang’s mansion.

Tears streamed down from Xie Rongzhi’s wife, the matriarch of the family.

If it weren’t for Xie Rongzhi calling her back to their home, Shen Yan would never have gotten entangled with Xiao Ji. And if not for her and the Xie family’s sake, how could Shan Yan have been repeatedly manipulated by Xiao Ji, eventually ending up in such a fate?

Xie Rongzhi sighed. “It’s been over thirty years, and he never sought Shen Yan. I truly thought he had already let go.”

Given Xiao Ji’s status and abilities, if he really wanted to find Shen Yan, how could he not have?

He Xiangsheng could clearly mention Yuanzhou; how could he not know about Shen Yan’s situation? So Xie Rongzhi truly thought it was just because of the drought in Hongdu Prefecture that had triggered Xiao Ji’s interest in reconnecting with old acquaintances and checking on their well-being.

But now, recalling Xiao Ji’s reaction, it didn’t seem like he knew anything about Shen Yan.

Now he didn’t know what the situation was in the palace. If something happened to Xiao Ji, the Da Qing dynasty would probably be in chaos.

In the court, the first thing on Xie Rongzhi’s mind was always state matters.

Xie Rongzhi’s wife, however, had a different worry. “You said Shen Yan’s granddaughter looks exactly like her?”

Xie Rongzhi shook his head. “Not just like her, it’s as if they were made from the same mold.”

Xie Rongzhi’s wife had a trace of worry in her eyes, and Xie Rongzhi noticed it, but he shook his head. “You don’t need to worry about that. Even though Xiao Ji may have treated Shen Yan poorly back then, his character isn’t bad enough to harm Shen Yan’s granddaughter.”

This was why he dared to mention the situation of the Liu family. If he thought it would harm them, he would never have mentioned it.

Xie Rongzhi’s wife relaxed. Indeed, it had been over thirty years, and the Prince Yan’s mansion had no mistress, not even a concubine.

In the Cining Palace.

The Empress Dowager and the Empress were both there, listening to the news brought by spies from within the palace. After a long silence, the Empress Dowager waved her hand, signaling the servants to leave.

The emperor was young, the Empress was around thirty, and the Empress Dowager was almost sixty, though well-preserved and still looking energetic.

Once the servants left, the Empress furrowed her brow and said, “Isn’t it just the drought in Hongdu Prefecture? A large amount of money and grain has already been sent, what could have happened to make the Imperial Uncle react this way?”

The idea of him spitting blood was enough to make anyone fearful. After all, the young emperor was still too small, and their family’s prosperity was tied to the regent’s hands.

“Hongdu Prefecture?” The Empress Dowager shook her head.

With so many state affairs every day, if a mere Hongdu Prefecture incident could provoke the regent like this, the Da Qing dynasty would have long since changed rulers.

She walked back and forth in the hall.

“Hongdu Prefecture, Xie Rongzhi… Xie Rongzhi…” The Empress Dowager suddenly froze.

“Someone come!”

A trusted maid entered, and the Empress Dowager whispered something in her ear. The maid nodded and left.

The Empress Dowager’s voice was low, and even the Empress couldn’t hear it clearly. She looked confused. “Mother, what’s this?”

The Empress Dowager glanced at her. “I need to confirm something.”

Without explaining further, she dismissed the Empress and asked her to rest, not to speak of it again.

The following morning, a trusted maid who had received orders the previous night entered the hall. She dismissed the attendants and whispered the information she had gathered to the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager’s face changed slightly, and she immediately asked for the Empress to be summoned.

“Are you saying the Imperial Uncle might have a bloodline scattered among the people?”

The Empress’s eyes grew wider than usual. They had only secured their positions because there were no other royal bloodlines, but if the regent still had blood descendants, that would change everything.

The Empress paced back and forth, unsure of what to do, and looked at the Empress Dowager. “Mother, what should we do?”

The Empress Dowager was more composed. She shook her head. “It’s only a possibility.”

As for what to do, the more ruthless option would be to completely cut off any future risks.

However, the Empress Dowager knew that this was just as risky as waiting for the throne to be taken from them. Xiao Ji was not someone they could easily deal with.

After a long pause, she made up her mind. “I’ll go to Chongming Hall!”

“Royal bloodline? Mine?”

Xiao Ji glanced at the Empress Dowager and immediately understood.

The Empress Dowager looked slightly awkward. Her private investigation into Xiao Ji’s background had just been leaked. But when she thought about the rumors she had heard in the past, she wasn’t sure if they were true. Rather than making reckless moves and angering Xiao Ji, she decided to confront him directly.

The Empress Dowager nodded. “I was just concerned about your situation, so I inquired. I heard that there was a favored concubine in your palace back then, but she later seemed to leave. I’m not sure if it’s true, but if she is really of royal blood, she should be brought back to honor the ancestors.”

Xiao Ji chuckled bitterly. “My royal sister is overthinking. The one you’re talking about wasn’t my concubine, just a maid who married a general from the northwest.”

The Empress Dowager’s expression grew puzzled. “Then why did you…?”

Xiao Ji raised an eyebrow. “It was a maid I once thought of taking into my household. She refused to be a concubine, so she left and married someone else. I just learned yesterday that she died twenty years ago. I was a bit affected by the news.”

The Grand Empress Dowager’s eyes flickered slightly. When Prince Yan went to the northwest years ago to oversee the military, he almost lost his life. After that, he shut himself away, dismissed his concubines, and even annulled his marriages with both his principal wife and secondary consort, both of whom were officially registered in the imperial family records. Who hadn’t speculated about the reason?

It turned out to truly be because of that favored concubine from back then.

A maid? Back in those days, the Princess Consort of Yan certainly didn’t treat her like a mere maid—her eyes turned red with hatred at the sight of her.

The Grand Empress Dowager still hesitated, but Xiao Ji suddenly laughed. The more he laughed, the more bitter it became, tinged with a longing for someone who had passed.

His laughter made even the Grand Empress Dowager uneasy. Finally, Xiao Ji spoke:

“Your Majesty, rest assured. Not to mention that I have no illegitimate bloodlines roaming outside the palace, that throne, the position of empress, and any consorts’ titles—she never cared for them. Cheng’er is almost thirteen now. If you’re ready for him to take the reins of power, he can assume them at any time.”

Using Shen Yan’s words, he was filthy enough to make her sick.

“You misunderstand, Sixth Brother. I never meant it that way,” the Grand Empress Dowager’s expression shifted slightly, but inwardly, she felt a large sense of relief. “Sixth Brother, take care of yourself. I’ll take my leave now.”

Xiao Ji didn’t respond, and the Grand Empress Dowager wisely turned to leave.

As she reached the palace doors, she suddenly heard Xiao Ji speak again:

“Does Your Majesty know why I’ve never once returned to Jiangnan all these years?”

The Grand Empress Dowager stopped in her tracks and shook her head.

Xiao Ji smiled faintly and said:

“Back then, when I went to oversee the army in the northwest, it was because I received news from my subordinates that they had found her trace. By that time, she had already been married for years to a low-ranking officer stationed at the border and had two children. My subordinates, eager to curry favor, set a trap during wartime. Her husband died in that very trap, set by his own side.”

Xiao Ji pointed to his chest, over his heart.

“She took her husband’s sword and stabbed it right here—straight through to my back. That I survived was nothing short of a miracle granted by fate.”

The Grand Empress Dowager stood frozen, her mouth agape, unable to speak for a long moment.

Back then, when Prince Yan nearly lost his life, it was said to have been due to injuries sustained in the army. Who would have thought it was a result of the actions of a former favored maid?

A truly ruthless woman.

“I’ve never gone to Jiangnan…” Xiao Ji paused. “Forget it. I just wanted to tell you, the Liu family in Yuanzhou is the descendant of that maid and the small general from the northwest. They are not of royal blood. You don’t need to worry about those children.”

Even though they weren’t his bloodline, he still cared for that woman.

The Empress Dowager understood and finally felt relieved. “I understand now. Don’t worry, I’ll leave it be.”

After the Empress Dowager left, Xiao Ji leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. He stayed like that for a long time, so much so that He Xiangsheng thought he had fallen asleep. Finally, Xiao Ji spoke.

“He Xiangsheng.”

He Xiangsheng quickly bent over and answered, “My lord?”

Xiao Ji kept his eyes closed, and in a low voice asked, “Did Xie Rongzhi say that the Liu child looks exactly like Shen Yan?”

He Xiangsheng glanced at Xiao Ji and nodded.

There was a long silence, and then Xiao Ji’s voice broke the quiet. “Have Xie Rongzhi come to see me.”

“Understood, I’ll send word right away.”

He Xiangsheng quietly exited, turned, and when he was out of Xiao Ji’s sight, he pressed his palms to his eyes.

Sansukini: One more chapter left. I decided to finish it all this week so expect another chapter tomorrow.

I’ll be launching 2 new novels next week. One is a novel about a virtuous wife (modern) whose husband cheated on her on the second year of their marriage. But the primary focus of the novel is not the cheating and second chance with the husband. The primary focus is how she was able to move on and have the faith to love again.

I will also launch a comedy, where a woman transmigrated with a melon-system (gossip system). I will be posting the summary of it tomorrow. Meanwhile here’s the summary of the former.

The Second Year After Marriage

In the second year of her marriage, Wen Yang discovered that Cheng Yanyu was having an affair with a woman two years older than him. This woman was elegant, intelligent, and had guided him in business, helping him succeed. They shared everything, with nothing left unspoken between them.

She was poised, respectful of boundaries, and never demanded attention or favor, yet Cheng Yanyu was madly in love with her, treating her as his ideal, wanting to present the world to her feet.

Meanwhile, from the moment Wen yang discovered the affair and investigated, she felt utterly defeated. Cheng Yanyu’s eyes were now filled only with the other woman.

Wen Yang had assumed this woman was simply someone interfering with her marriage. To her surprise, the woman was already married, and her husband was an incredibly wealthy and attractive man.

To address her marriage, Wen Yang reached out to the woman’s husband, Fu Xingzhou.

1. The male lead is Fu Xingzhou.
2. An intense and emotionally charged narrative.
3. A story of mature adults, with the development between the main leads occurring after divorce.

Translator’s Note: After discovering her husband cheating on her with a married woman, Wen Yang reached out to the mistress’ husband to discuss their spouse’s affairs. This is a story about a housewife’s growth after divorce and how she was able to move on and be happy with the help of her friends, her new career and new love. It’s a bit angsty at first, but the story progresses happily and ends on a happy note. The second husband is doting. The cheating spouses gets their face slaps.

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