She seemed to have made a great decision and mustered great courage to speak.
"At least, don’t let Sister bear your child," Xie Ruilin pleaded. "It’s fine if you consummate your marriage with Sister... but my only and last request is that I hope Brother Yanqing won’t have a child with Sister. Once Sister has a child, ours will always be born out of wedlock, forever lesser in status. I can suffer injustice, but I don’t want my child to be born deprived of everything."
"Xie Ruotong is not worthy," Song Yanqing said emphatically, "she has no right to bear my child!"
Xie Ruilin’s tears turned to laughter.
Waiting for Song Yanqing’s affirmative response.
She delicately flung herself into Song Yanqing’s embrace.
There was a malicious smile in her heart.
She was crystal clear about Xie Ruotong’s intentions.
To tempt Song Yanqing to consummate the marriage was to seek pregnancy.
Once she was pregnant, the value of the child in her womb would diminish, and with the child’s diminished value, her own value would decline even more.
Xie Ruotong shouldn’t even dream of it!
As in days past, the Song Family sat at the dinner table for their evening meal.
Ming Yufang, as always, instructed Zhu Hong to serve soup to Song Yanqing.
"No need, I won’t have any," Song Yanqing said coldly.
His rejection didn’t even warrant Ming Yufang a single glance.
It was dismissive to the point of disregarding etiquette.
Ming Yufang’s expression darkened slightly.
Xie Ruotong’s hands, holding her bowl and chopsticks, paused as well.
Her eyes met Ming Yufang’s, and both were aware of something.
But neither showed any reaction.
After the evening meal.
Song Yanqing still returned to Xie Ruilin’s room with her first.
Ming Yufang stopped Xie Ruotong, "Has Yanqing discovered something?"
"Mhm," Xie Ruotong nodded.
His behavior tonight was very telling.
"What should we do then? You’ve only consummated your marriage last night; could today’s effort be wasted?" Ming Yufang was somewhat anxious.
"Let’s see if Song Yanqing will come to my room tonight. If not, we’ll make a long-term plan," Xie Ruotong was more composed.
As for what had happened.
Rather than worrying, better to accept it and think about what to do next.
"Although Yanqing has been sensible and obedient since childhood, not causing us parents much worry, and despite being the only child of our Song Family, we’ve never felt any regret about that. But Ruotong, you should also feel that, although Yanqing follows our arrangements in many matters, there are many things that we can’t control him in, such as your marriage. On this matter, your father-in-law and I are quite passive," Ming Yufang said with concern. "Now I’m worried that he will target you after knowing the truth."
"Mhm," Xie Ruotong had already considered this.
If Song Yanqing knew someone had tampered with his food.
The first person he would suspect would be her.
And indeed, it was her.
She could only accept it.
"Let’s get through tonight first," Ming Yufang said with some resignation.
To avoid worsening the relationship with her son, Ming Yufang wouldn’t really do anything for Xie Ruotong.
Xie Ruotong didn’t care much about them.
Returning from Ming Yufang’s place.
The moment Xie Ruotong walked into the room, she sensed something unusual.
She saw Song Yanqing sitting on the soft couch in her parlor, drinking tea.
Dignified and elegant.
No different from his usual demeanor.
The situation was naturally different.
How could Song Yanqing possibly be so kind as to wait for her?
How could he be so kind as to come into her room?
But she could pretend she knew nothing and moved forward to pay her respects, "My lord."
She didn’t ask why he had taken the initiative to come to her room.
After all, they had consummated the marriage just last night.
Asking would be revealing what’s hidden in the ground.
Song Yanqing raised his eyes to look at Xie Ruotong.
His eyes clearly colder.
He scrutinized Xie Ruotong up and down.
His overt gaze lingered on her face, her body, coldly observing.
Xie Ruotong felt an inexplicable shame.
It was filled with disdain.
"Xie Ruotong, in the end, you have extinguished the only bit of favorable impression I had of you," Song Yanqing spoke, his usually gentle voice now chillingly cold.
Xie Ruotong faced Song Yanqing.
Even if she despised him, her own face was one of calm and icy detachment. She said, "My lord is the same, isn’t he?"
Song Yanqing’s eyes tightened. Tʜe sourcᴇ of thɪs content ɪs Nove1Fire.net
"My lord is the same, tearing away all of my past yearnings and hopes for you, little by little, into shreds," Xie Ruotong stated with equal standing.
Her tone was gentle, yet her presence in no way ceded to Song Yanqing.