newbobooks Chapter 231: Enough for the journey's expenses.
Chapter 231: Enough for the journey's expenses.
"Lie down here." Qin Jiuwei placed a small soft cushion on her lap.
Xie Yanli's lips curved into a faint smile.
Without hesitation, he immediately lay down on his side and rested his head on her lap.
This was the first time they had been intimate like this... He liked it very much.
Qin Jiu looked down at him, a slight smile curving her lips.
Xie Yanli has excellent manners and is always upright and dignified.
Now that he's relaxed, he's lost some of his imposing presence and gained a sense of languor.
Qin Jiuwei reached out and touched his forehead, her fingertips gently tracing the space between his eyebrows.
Noticing that his tense expression had not completely relaxed, she couldn't help but whisper, "Relax a little."
Feeling the warmth of Qin Jiuwei's fingertips, Xie Yanli's smile widened.
Gradually, he relaxed, and his brow unfurrowed.
Looking at the dark circles under his eyes, Qin Jiuwei couldn't help but feel a pang of pity.
She pressed her fingertips against his temples with a gentle, gradual pressure, her movements delicate and tender.
Xie Yanli's breathing gradually slowed, and he felt his fatigue being gently massaged away by her fingers.
He closed his eyes and couldn't help but ask, "When did you learn that? Your hands are so skillful."
Qin Jiuwei's lips curled slightly, her tone tinged with a hint of teasing: "My husband is so busy with affairs of state, so naturally I need to learn more skills, lest one day you can't keep up and it will be too late to learn them then."
Xie Yanli chuckled softly, his voice carrying a hint of relief after exhaustion: "I'm not that fragile."
Qin Jiuwei continued what she was doing, but her tone became more serious.
“The capital is so big, and there are so many disaster victims. No matter how strong you are, you can’t shoulder everything by yourself.”
Xie Yanli remained silent for a moment, then opened his eyes and looked at her quietly.
The candlelight illuminated her beautiful face, her brows furrowed with worry.
His heart skipped a beat. He raised his hand and gently grasped her wrist, his voice low and deep: "Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to me."
Qin Jiuwei sighed softly.
She knew that no matter what she said, Xie Yanli would still do everything himself.
So she stopped talking and simply slowed down her massage, continuing to massage him.
Xie Yanli's eyes were half-closed, and the coldness in his eyes had faded a bit, revealing a rare sense of ease.
The room was quiet and warm, with only the soft crackling of burning charcoal.
Just when Qin Jiuwei thought Xie Yanli was about to fall asleep, his deep voice suddenly rang out.
"Meng Qihuang, we're almost in the capital."
Qin Jiu was slightly taken aback for a moment, then her eyes lit up with surprise. "Really? When?"
Xie Yanli smiled and felt her fingertips tighten slightly with excitement. He took her hand, squeezed it gently to signal her to relax, and then continued, "We will arrive in the capital within ten days."
"Finally, it's here." Qin Jiuwei couldn't hide her joy.
In this lifetime, as long as Meng Qihuang can arrive in the capital ahead of time, there certainly won't be so many deaths.
At this time, at Zhiyuan Academy.
The flickering candlelight inside the room illuminated Xu Liuer's slightly pale face.
"Second Young Madam, all the jewelry has been exchanged for silver notes," Shan Ping said in a low voice, cautiously.
Xu Liuer held her breath and watched as Shan Ping took out a thin stack of silver notes from her sleeve and handed them over with both hands.
She reached out and took it, her fingertips trembling slightly.
After taking a deep breath, he spread out the banknotes and carefully counted them one by one.
“Fifty taels, fifty taels... one hundred taels…” she murmured softly, her eyes gleaming in the dim light.
After counting the last bill, she slowly exhaled and whispered, "A total of six hundred and thirty taels."
"Second Young Madam, this silver is enough for our travel expenses. If we are careful, we can buy a small courtyard in the south and live a peaceful life."
Xu Liuer gripped the silver note tightly, took a deep breath, and forced herself to calm down.
She whispered, "Shanping, go to the south of the city now and find a reliable connection. Make sure you get a travel permit. Be quick and don't attract attention."
Without a travel permit, no one can freely enter or leave the city or cross state borders.
In particular, the city's defenses have become increasingly tight recently, and the checks are extremely strict. Without a travel permit, one may be stopped and questioned even while traveling outside the capital, let alone leave the city.
Shan Ping nodded: "Don't worry, Madam, I will act with caution."
Xu Liuer was about to give a few more instructions.
However, at that moment, the door was suddenly pushed open without warning!
"boom--"
The sound startled the candlelight inside the room, causing it to flicker violently.
Xu Liuer's heart tightened, and she turned around abruptly. When she saw who it was, her face turned deathly pale.
It was Xie Zhongzhi!
He was dressed in a black robe, his brows were cold and his deep eyes were as sharp as a hawk's.
Xu Liuer's heart skipped a beat, and even her breathing became slightly labored.
She clutched the silver note in her sleeve, so shocked she almost lost her balance.
"Husband...husband?"
Her voice trembled slightly as she forced herself to remain calm and looked at Xie Zhongzhi, but her mind was in complete turmoil.
Xie Zhongzhi stood at the door, his gaze sweeping heavily across the room before finally settling on Xu Liuer and Shan Ping.
He narrowed his eyes, his voice low and deep: "What were you doing just now?"
Something's not right here.
Xu Liuer suppressed the panic in her heart and forced a smile to appear on her lips.
She lowered her eyes, quietly tucked the banknote into her sleeve, and pretended to be nonchalant, saying, "No, I didn't do anything, just chatted with Shanping about everyday things."
Xie Zhongzhi's gaze lingered on her face for a moment, as if judging the truthfulness of her words.
Xu Liuer's heart was pounding, and her palms were sweating with nervousness.
She dared not show the slightest sign of anything amiss, turned around smoothly, picked up the teacup on the table, gently blew on it, and handed it to him: "Husband, it's chilly at night, have a cup of hot tea to warm yourself up."
Her movements were gentle and practiced, and her eyes held their usual docility.
Xie Zhongzhi nodded in satisfaction; he liked Xu Liuer's meek and obedient demeanor the most.
He took the teacup, lowered his head, and took a small sip.
The warmth of the hot tea seeped through his fingertips into his palms, and his brows relaxed slightly.
Xie Zhongzhi's gaze fell on Xu Liuer, and he said gently with concern, "It's chilly at night, why are you dressed so lightly? It's been cold lately, don't take it lightly."
Xu Liuer immediately replied cautiously, "I remember, I will wear an extra dress tomorrow."
"Don't just talk." Xie Zhongzhi looked at her slender figure, his brows furrowing slightly, his tone unconsciously carrying a hint of admonition.
“You caught a cold a few days ago, and it’s even colder today. Your body is already weak, so it’s always good to wear more clothes. It will be too late if you catch a cold.”
He saw her reddened fingertips, his heart tightened, and he was about to say a few more words of advice when his gaze suddenly stopped.
His gaze was fixed on her empty wrist.
"Where are your jewelry?" Xie Zhongzhi stared at her, his voice carrying a hint of probing.
Why aren't you wearing any of them today?
Xu Liuer was startled, and her fingers tightened instantly.
He actually noticed!