Ex-Wife is a Big Villainess
Chapter 199 - 126: Palace Incident!

Chapter 199: Chapter 126: Palace Incident!

For some reason, Miss Ran ultimately failed to purchase a house within the remaining half of the day.

Jiang Shouzhong was unaware of this.

After dinner, Jiang Shouzhong planned to talk with Miss Qiuye again, but she seemed to be deliberately avoiding him. Occasionally, Miss Xiahe would whisper something to her, causing her to vigorously nod her head, her cheeks becoming bright red.

Jiang Shouzhong watched them, bewildered, thinking to himself that these two girls weren’t planning some seductive schemes.

Late at night, after the lights were out, Jiang Shouzhong had just lain down in bed when he suddenly felt several silver needles pinching him.

Miss Xiahe was up to mischief again.

Jiang had already gotten used to it.

Sure enough, Xiahe walked up to his bed, grabbed him, and took him to the rooftop.

The night sky was as clear as if it had been washed, not a trace of cloud to be seen, bathing the rooftop in a phosphorescent glow under the moonlight; Miss Qiuye stood there, as if she were a dried leaf swaying uncertainly in the autumn breeze.

The girl clutching her skirt’s tips turned pale from excessive force, indicating her inner turmoil and unease.

"I say, have you two had enough?"

Jiang Shouzhong felt somewhat drained.

The man started to wonder if it was because he had been too agreeable, letting these two girls become increasingly presumptuous.

Miss Qiuye’s expression was immensely complex, her eyes shifting with a hint of evasion, not daring to look at Jiang Shouzhong. She pitifully said to Xiahe, "Second sister, let it be, madam will definitely get angry with this."

Xiahe, always straightforward, replied, "Even if she gets angry, it’s already a done deal, I don’t believe madam won’t relent. Madam is tough-talking but soft-hearted. Or we wait until you’re pregnant, then we’ll tell madam."

"Pregnant?"

The girl’s eyes widened, her tender earlobes turning a fiery red.

Jiang Shouzhong listened to the two women’s conversation and finally realized something was amiss.

What done deal?

What pregnancy?

And from the sound of it, it didn’t seem like Jiang Yi had instructed this.

"Hey, what exactly are you two trying to do?"

Jiang Shouzhong’s face was serious as he stared at Miss Qiuye, "Miss Qiuye, don’t mess around. A girl’s reputation is very important; don’t be foolish like your elder sister!"

"Shut up!"

Xiahe’s face, cold as ice, flushed slightly as she coughed lightly and spoke indifferently, "Don’t go to madam for now, she definitely won’t agree to marry Qiuye to you. She might even imprison Qiuye. For now, the only option is to keep it from her, let things become a done deal by you having a child; even if madam gets angry, she’ll have to agree.

Of course, having you consummate on the rooftop is somewhat unconventional, and if you’re not used to it, there’s no helping it. Er Liang and Que’er are still young, they shouldn’t be affected. We, people of Jianghu, needn’t be too fastidious; all you have to do is be sincere to my younger sister..."

"Stop stop stop!"

Jiang completely blanked out.

What in the world were these two talking about, as if possessed?

As for having the wedding night on the roof, he was an experienced expert and had no discomforts about that. Even if a female zombie came, he could still make rain fall unceasingly under the eaves.

But the problem was, he couldn’t understand a thing these two girls were saying.

Jiang Shouzhong frowned deeply, "Have you two misunderstood something? When did I ever say I wanted to marry Miss Qiuye? Even if I were to propose to madam, it should be for Xiahe."

Hearing the man’s words, Qiuye froze, her face turning from red to white, her lips trembling slightly.

Xiahe was stunned for a moment, then grew angry, "Jiang Mo, are you even a man! Today, in front of you and Miss Ran, Qiuye said she wanted to be your concubine. Miss Ran was even kind enough to go speak with madam for you, and you agreed at that moment to personally go ask madam for her hand, and now you’re reneging!?"

Jiang Shouzhong’s gaze shifted back and forth between the two women.

What is all this?

He carefully replayed everything, recounting all that had happened since Qiuye came last night.

Gradually, the man finally realized that from the very beginning, everyone seemed to have been talking on different wavelengths.

Jiang Shouzhong looked at Qiuye, whose face was pale, and tentatively asked, "So the things you suddenly said today, they weren’t to upset Ran Qingchen, nor were they under madam’s coercion, but were actually true?"

The girl’s eyes filled with tears, her skirt fluttering, outlining her frail form like a helpless fallen leaf trembling gently in the wind.

Her voice trembling, she asked, "Jiang Mo, do... do you like me?"

Jiang Shouzhong was not emotionally dense, but he also wasn’t particularly sharp when it came to affection between men and women.

He didn’t have the time to study women’s minds, nor the energy to play the romantic hero, spending his days thinking about how to seduce a woman into bed.

He simply believed that if you liked a woman, you should pursue her; if you won her heart, cherish her; if not, bless her.

Just like he felt he should take responsibility for Xiahe, he simply proposed.

He could ensure he would treat Xiahe well after marriage, that was enough.

Feelings should be straightforward and direct.

Like Ran Qingchen, if she didn’t want to be his wife, she just said it outright. He thought that was good; no need for unnecessary complications.

In this respect, he and Xiahe were somewhat alike.

Initially in Anhe Village, he liked Ye and directly expressed his love, but when rejected, he didn’t insist further. Later, when Hong’er came and they slowly grew closer, he developed feelings for her and straightforwardly confessed.

However, Qiuye’s reticent nature made it hard to discern what she was thinking on a daily basis.

Her sudden outburst of emotions was thoroughly unexpected.

Jiang Shouzhong really couldn’t understand how she had developed feelings for him. It wasn’t like they had much of a development in their relationship.

The first meeting involved crossing swords, then helping her heal wounds, seeing her body, and even poking her chest. The second time at Silver Moon Tower involved rescuing her, during which he held her and then saved her life...

At this point, Jiang seemed to have some understanding finally.

For a young maiden, having her body seen and touched already meant a loss of purity, so feeling troubled was only natural. And a storyline where a hero saves a damsel always touches the heart of any woman, thus deepening emotions made sense as well.

I only blamed myself for thinking too modernly and failing to consider the other’s feelings.

Jiang Shouzhong was very troubled and didn’t know how to respond.

He didn’t really have any feelings for Miss Qiuye, and his involvement with Miss Xiahe was merely out of a sense of responsibility. After some hesitation, Jiang Shouzhong spoke softly:

"Miss Qiuye, the reason I am willing to marry Miss Xiahe is because I want to take responsibility for her purity and not because I have fallen in love with her. The same goes for you; if you feel I ruined your purity that night, I am willing to take responsibility and treat you well..."

"So you don’t like me either."

Miss Qiuye murmured to herself.

The tears of the young girl fell like broken pearls, one after another.

It had been unrequited love from the very beginning.

Suddenly, she turned around, her long hair tracing a lonely arc in the air, and with a light tap of her toes on the tiles, she vanished into the desolate, empty wind.

"Little sister!"

Xia He wanted to follow her, but after thinking it over, she stopped.

Having lived together as four sisters for so many years, they knew each other very well. Whenever her third sister encountered something upsetting, she preferred to hide away alone, not wishing for comfort or company.

Xia He turned around and glared furiously at Jiang Mo. "Jiang Mo, why couldn’t you just lie to her!?"

"Lie?"

Jiang Shouzhong looked at the young girl with clear eyes, "Miss Xiahe, in matters of romantic love, there are no ’kind lies.’ I want to tell you some truth; impulsive feelings rarely lead to good outcomes because marriage is for life. It’s not just about enjoying the beauty of youth but also accepting growing old together...

If I were to deceive Miss Qiuye now, about her body and her emotions, even if I am willing to treat her well now, can you guarantee that I’d do the same decades later? If a marriage is maintained solely through beauty and physical appeal, it won’t last. I’m not a man loyal to only one woman, but at least I hope, while loving her, I can ensure it lasts a lifetime!"

Xia He slowly became silent.

She looked in the direction where Miss Qiuye had vanished, showing a confused expression.

They had been with the lady of the house since they were sensible, like canaries in a cage, unaware of romantic feelings.

She disliked what Jiang Mo said, yet she felt it was logical.

What good is it if one cannot love for a lifetime?

Could her third sister love Jiang Mo for her entire life? Was her sister’s affection just a momentary emotional thrill or a lifelong devotion?

Xia He recalled the lady’s words.

It turned out that romantic feelings between a man and a woman could be so bitter and exhausting.

"I’m sorry."

After a long while, Xia He put away her silver needles and silently returned to the house.

Jiang Shouzhong sat alone on the roof, feeling gloomy. The sleep he had accumulated was now thoroughly dispelled.

He vigorously ruffled his hair, muttering under his breath.

Mengniang appeared silently beside him, smiling as she spoke: "Being too rational about emotions isn’t good either; it hurts the girls too much."

Jiang Shouzhong helplessly responded, "A confused love hurts more."

Mengniang paused, recalling her own experiences. A hint of sadness crossed her charming, fair cheeks as she softly said, "You’re right, it’s just a minor hurt now, but once deeply entangled, it’s like being flayed, the most unbearable pain."

The two sat quietly like two statues, reflecting on the solitude of the universe amid desolation.

After a long time, Jiang Shouzhong softly asked, "Can we find her?"

"Going to comfort her?"

Mengniang looked at him with a half-smile.

Jiang Shouzhong scratched his head and said, "I should probably go and provide some guidance; no matter what, we can’t let that young girl harbor a death wish."

Mengniang smiled slightly and gently pressed on his shoulder, "Let’s go, I’ll take you to her."

All of a sudden, Jiang Shouzhong felt a blur before his eyes, and he was lifted into the air, struggling even to open his eyes.

Moments later, Jiang Shouzhong saw Miss Qiuye’s figure.

The girl sat not far from Huailan Lake, quietly hugging her knees, emanating an indescribable loneliness and melancholy.

Jiang Shouzhong was about to approach her when suddenly he heard a loud "boom."

Even the ground beneath his feet trembled.

Looking in the direction from which the sound originated, it seemed to be coming from the palace.

At the same time, above Jiang Shouzhong, shadows flying by the power of Sword Control swept across, carrying a fierce killing intent towards the palace.

Something was happening at the palace?

Jiang Shouzhong furrowed his brows.

Before he could recover his senses, the waters of Huailan Lake began boiling as if they were being heated.

A coffin could be vaguely seen slowly emerging from the water.

Suddenly, a deep celestial thunder rang through the sky, vibrating the eardrums and causing a humming noise.

"I, Yelv Shenye by the order of Empress Dowager Yan Rong, have come to borrow the Crown Prince’s divine fortune for a purpose!"

"Zhao Wuxiu, dare you obstruct me!?"

Within the palace, pillars of light soared into the sky, connecting heaven and earth.

...

[Author’s note: The upcoming plot will conclude the first volume, as it nears its end, featuring a revelation about the female protagonist.]

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