Quand je reviendrai avec toi

Chapitre 108

She was momentarily stunned.

"When I meet the person I love, I can remain devoted and considerate in everything I do."

"Huh??" Her cherry-like lips parted slightly.

"In addition, I possess martial arts skills sufficient to protect my wife and children, and substantial savings."

"Huh???" She was stunned and speechless.

He gazed at the stunned beauty and then unleashed his final thunderbolt.

Would you like to give it a try?

Ah~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This...this...what is this strange person saying...?

Her mind went blank, her face flushed red, and she was speechless. In the bustling street, the bright and capable Miss Shen had turned into a stone statue.

...That's too abrupt...That's too much...That's too rude...That's too...

Countless words of rebuke swirled in her chest, yet she couldn't utter a sound. Her clear eyes held no hint of jest, waiting with utter seriousness. Shen Mingzhu could only stare blankly, dumbfounded.

...that slightly clenched fist, that gentle smile, that half-revealed dimple...it was truly...truly...

Disputes

The news of the third young mistress's pregnancy spread throughout the Xie family. The Xie couple were overjoyed. Madam Xie even came to inquire about her in person and had a heart-to-heart talk with her third daughter-in-law. The already precious daughter-in-law was even more pampered, which made people envious. There were quite a few people who were secretly jealous.

Despite the congratulations from others, Young Master Xie showed no joy and was in a very bad mood, barely speaking. He stared blankly at Qianying all day, ignoring any questions, as if he were possessed.

“Fluttering…” In the still of the night, he suddenly woke his wife. “Is it alright if we don’t have children?”

The drowsy feeling vanished instantly. "No."

"It's not too late yet. I asked my second brother, and he said it won't hurt too much," he coaxed gently, still unwilling to give up. "If you really want it, you can wait a few years until you've recovered."

She stared at him without saying a word, her dark eyes devoid of emotion.

No matter how gentle he is, a lie is still a lie, and next time he will never leave any possibility.

"lightly……"

There was a bruise on her chin that hadn't faded yet, and she rubbed it. "Does it hurt? Suiyu was a bit too rough."

"I deserve it." He gave a bitter smile and grasped her slender hand. "It's because I made you have a child."

"It was my own decision." Her long eyelashes drooped. "I'm sorry."

“Pianqian…” he pleaded softly. “Please listen to me just this once…”

"Would you trick me into taking abortion pills?" The casual question instantly froze.

After a long silence, he answered with great difficulty.

"No." This thought crossed my mind countless times, but... I never dared to.

"That's good." She forced a smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Don't make me hate you."

He held back for a moment, then said fiercely, "Aren't you afraid I'll hate you?"

His sword-like brows furrowed with suppressed anger, yet he remained incredibly handsome even in his fury. Only she could possibly enrage him like this… Her slender fingers traced his elegant features, her words as soft as a dream.

"You'll forgive me...you always do."

He almost sneered, gritting his teeth.

"Sister Jun!"

Shen Mingzhu supported her delicate body, Shuangjing held out a silver basin, and waited for her to vomit and straighten up. A maid handed her some tea to rinse her mouth, which barely dispelled the sourness and bitterness on her tongue.

A light sheen of sweat glistened on her pale forehead; she looked sickly and weak. Shen Mingzhu carefully helped herself to a seat on the soft chair, stealing a glance at the motionless figure not far away.

"The one I just drank is wasted. Ask the pharmacy to send another bowl." She had been suffering from morning sickness for days and didn't have much strength to speak.

"Or should we stop for now? This tonic has a strong flavor; you'll definitely vomit if you drink it. You haven't been able to eat anything for days," Shuangjing suggested worriedly, seeing her growing thinner and thinner.

She simply shook her head slightly, and Shuangjing dared not say anything more, but could only follow orders.

The person at the desk seemed unable to stay any longer and turned to leave the room.

Jun Pianxian showed no sign of sadness; instead, she breathed a slight sigh of relief.

"Why is the Third Young Master so indifferent and uncaring?" Shen Mingzhu complained indignantly as the man walked away. "Seeing my sister in such distress, he didn't even offer a word of comfort." Despite his wife's pregnancy, he had abandoned his usual attentiveness and acted like an outsider.

"I chose to have this child, and I'll take responsibility for its quality. What does it have to do with him?" Jiao Yan said calmly, without a trace of grievance. "I brought this upon myself."

"What are you saying, sister? If it weren't for the Third Young Master's sake, why would he go through all this trouble? He should be taking better care of him."

Jun Pianxian couldn't help but laugh, her chest heaving, and it took her a while to calm down.

"He doesn't want it at all, yet he has to be grateful and thankful for my willfulness, serving me hand and foot. It's too much to ask."

Shen Mingzhu was stunned, but still felt something was wrong. "No matter what, you shouldn't treat your sister like that. I remember when Sister-in-law Shalin was pregnant, she was in a terrible temper, bossing around and nagging Second Brother. The whole family was annoyed, but we still had to give in to her." After talking for a while, she thought of the person who had been appearing and disappearing mysteriously recently, and her face turned red. Even though she knew she couldn't find any trace of him, she still couldn't help but look around.

Jun Pianqian lowered her eyelashes as if she hadn't seen him. "Shalin... is she doing well at the Shen family's?"

"What's wrong with her? Second Brother should protect her more." After searching several times without success, Shen Mingzhu felt a little annoyed and wrinkled her apple-shaped face. "I don't understand what Second Brother likes. She's spoiled and willful, and she cries and makes a fuss all the time. She always thinks she's the most wronged person in the world. Everyone who sees her gets a headache."

Jun Pianxian was silent for a while. "She grew up in the palace and was the most beautiful woman in the Western Regions. She was highly favored in Shanshan Kingdom. After suffering a lot of setbacks, it is inevitable that her emotions would be unbalanced."

"She is indeed a princess, but she's caused too much trouble since marrying into the Shen family." Shen Mingzhu said, her voice filled with anger. "At first, Mother pitied her background, but later she got angry because she was so irresponsible, putting my second brother in a difficult position. We had to buy another house for her, and only then did the house become peaceful. I heard that she complained that the house was too small, there were too few servants, her clothes weren't bright enough, and her jewelry wasn't exquisite enough. She was always picking and choosing and was never happy. My second brother must have owed her something in his past life."

Just as she finished speaking, half of her head mysteriously appeared at the window, hung upside down, made a funny face, and then disappeared again. Shen Mingzhu almost screamed, but she tried her best to suppress it. Her heart blossomed with joy, and she was overjoyed.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jun Pianxian lightly touching her chest, and she immediately became anxious. "Sister, are you feeling unwell? I'll go and call the Third Young Master over."

"It's alright, no need to trouble yourself." Xiuzhi's brows furrowed slightly, but after a while they smoothed out, and she regained her composure.

Looking at her face, which had become much thinner in just a few days, Shen Mingzhu was truly puzzled. "Sister, if you are in so much pain, you can just act coquettishly and pout. The Third Young Master will definitely stay by your side. Why do you have to endure it all alone?"

Jun Pianxian smiled, her dark eyes glancing over indifferently, calculating whether it was time to transfer someone to the Mingwei, or if things continued this way she might twist her slender neck.

"Thank you for your kindness, Miss Shen, but I think I probably can't change this temper." Wen Lang's voice came from outside the house, and Jun Suiyu replied with a smile.

Shen Mingzhu stood up. "Young Master Jun isn't angry? The Third Young Master is so indifferent."

Jun Suiyu examined Su Yan's face closely and pressed her pulse for a long time before releasing her.

"What you see on the surface may not be the truth." She looked into Qing's eyes and said jokingly. "I'm afraid there are people who are suffering even more than she is."

Shen Mingzhu didn't understand and was about to ask again when a medicinal fragrance wafted to her nose, and a maid carrying a medicine cup lifted the curtain and entered.

The frost mirror checked the temperature and found it to be just right, then lifted the lid and handed it over.

Jun Pianxian took a sip, slightly puzzled, "Why does it taste wrong?"

The maid bowed in response.

"Miss, the second young master just changed the prescription. He said that taking it for a longer period of time would have the same effect. He removed some of the astringent ingredients and added some mild ones to replace them, so as to avoid vomiting too frequently."

He swallowed it slowly; the medicine was still just as bitter, but his brow gradually relaxed.

"Rest assured, proper recuperation is of utmost importance now. You must not be careless again. Remember to have your pulse checked on time." Jun Suiyu chatted for a while, then got up to give instructions as the sun was setting. It had been some time since they left Xijing, and with the end of the year approaching, they had to embark on their journey home. Xie Yunshu and Xie Feilan saw them off as well.

Jun Pianxian insisted on seeing him to the door, where the carriage waited quietly in the cold wind.

"I'll find some more nourishing elixirs. If you need anything, just let me know." She thought, "I'll probably be about to give birth by the time I come back." Jun Suiyu glanced at the man standing silently to the side and whispered, "If he still has that look on his face then, you can take the baby and come back to Xijing with me."

His expressionless, handsome face seemed even colder, yet she broke into a smile.

Her pearly white teeth were slightly visible, her complexion as bright as the spring dawn, adding to her boundless charm.

Fighting spirit

As time passed, Yangzhou entered the harsh winter, and after several cold rains, fallen leaves covered the ground.

Everyone in the Xie family knew that the Third Young Master and his beautiful wife had suddenly developed a rift, their outward harmony masking their inner discord.

After learning of his beloved wife's pregnancy, the third son of the Xie family never smiled, and his attitude towards her was vastly different from before. Inevitably, private gossip began to arise, and suspicions multiplied like mosquitoes and flies, spreading like wildfire once they took root.

"The Third Young Master has sent word that he has business to attend to today and will be returning late," Shuangjing reported softly.

This has become the norm lately. Unsurprisingly, she glanced out the dark window, put down the scissors, used a bamboo stick to pick up the paste, and carefully pasted the cotton paper onto the bamboo frame. A small paper kite finally took shape, no bigger than a palm. A look of satisfaction appeared on her face as she held it between her fingers and played with it.

"It doesn't seem too difficult."

"Such a small kite?" Shuangjing brought over hot water to wash her hands. "Why didn't you make a bigger one, Miss?"

"Just killing time." He casually pulled out a colorful pen and started scribbling.

"I heard yesterday that Miss Shen has arrived at Dongting Lake." Shuangjing saw that she was in a good mood and wanted to make her smile. "She really did say she wanted to travel all over the beautiful mountains and rivers. Moyao has had a great time on the way. Who knows, he might be able to hold a wedding when he gets back." Moyao followed her under the guise of escorting her, his intentions were obvious.

"It's rare for him to be moved. Compared to him, Bi Jun is much smarter. He took advantage of his proximity to the person next to him, saving himself the trouble of pursuing him from afar." The beauty smiled faintly, teasing him rarely. Shuang Jing blushed instantly, and after a long while, she stammered, "I think this couple is a good match, but I'm afraid that if the disciples don't meet the right person, the Shen family won't approve in the future."

"Did Jade Falcon send you to ask? To instruct you to sound out my intentions on behalf of Ink Hawk?"

Shuangjing could only chuckle awkwardly. "Nothing can be hidden from Miss."

"Let him decide for himself. Mingzhu can use whatever method he wants, but he must not hurt Huaiyi's parents."

"Yes." This was the one she feared most, Shuangjing thought to herself, secretly groaning.

“Mo Yao has been following me for so many years, how could he not even handle this? He wouldn’t have chased after me if he wasn’t confident.” She picked up the paper holder and blew on it to dry it. The kite-shaped paper was a mess of colorful scribbles, like a child’s doodle, quite different from someone else’s work. She couldn’t help but shake her head. “I’ll ask a teacher to come and teach me to paint in a couple of days.”

"There's no need for such a fuss. Miss has her own experts by her side." Shuangjing changed the subject, hoping to take this opportunity to resolve the long-standing cold war.

Disappointed, he tossed aside the kite, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly. "It's best to find someone more capable."

How long is this bickering going to last? She keeps a stern face and makes excuses outside, yet secretly cares deeply for her mistress. Shuangjing truly disapproves. Seeing her mistress's weariness, she carefully helps her to bed, covering the bright pearl with a silk handkerchief, leaving only a night lamp in the corner, before quietly slipping away.

The exquisitely crafted but terribly drawn kite sat on the ebony table, and Xie Feilan curiously examined it.

"Dream drawn by Third Sister-in-law?" It's exceptionally bad; it's hard to imagine that it was drawn by such a beautiful woman.

Xie Yunshu took it without replying.

"You clearly declined the social engagements, yet you care about her so much. Why are you avoiding me?" Xie Feilan couldn't stand it anymore. "Third Sister-in-law is pregnant. No matter how angry you are, Third Brother, you shouldn't disregard this fact."

“She has someone taking care of her.” Xie Yunshu’s prolonged silence has become the norm.