Chapter 132
Chapter 132
Under Ji Hanyi’s scornful gaze, Xie Yuheng’s face went pale. Shame surged through him, as if those eyes had seen straight through him, and his entire body stiffened.
He had indeed been the one to tell Li Mingrou, and he had known what she had done.
But he had not stopped her. He had even looked forward to seeing Ji Hanyi come back and beg.
Once the shop – the only thing Ji Hanyi could rely on – was ruined, she would lose her final means of support. Only by returning to his side could she regain the comfortable, affluent life she once had.
He simply had not expected Ji Hanyi to choose this path. From beginning to end, she had never once gone to him.
For the first time before Ji Hanyi, Xie Yuheng felt utterly despicable. Humiliation rose within him at having his true nature exposed.
That single word-shameless-shattered the aloof, upright image he had always maintained before her. He had believed she would forever chase after him and look up to him.
He still remembered the way she used to look at him, her eyes filled with admiration and the respect a wife held for her husband.
Now, she called him shameless.
As though the last scrap covering his shame had been torn away, he offered a pale, feeble defense. “I’m not what you think I am. I never expected Mingrou to do such a thing either.”
Ji Hanyi merely regarded Xie Yuheng coldly without saying a word.
Under her gaze, Xie Yuheng swayed slightly. Then he said hoarsely, “Hanyi, you’ve changed.”
Ji Hanyi nodded, her voice as calm as ever. “Because I finally left the Xie Family. Because I finally left you. I once tried to be a virtuous wife, but you were never worthy of it.”
“Now, I have finally become myself. I hope Lord Xie will have nothing more to do with me from this day forward.”
“Do not accost me like this again. If we happen to cross paths in the future, simply pretend we are strangers.”
The blood vessels in Xie Yuheng’s eyes grew even more pronounced. “Do you hate me that much?”
Ji Hanyi nodded. “So stop appearing before me. You disgust me.”
Xie Yuheng trembled. His eyes reddened as he said, “Hanyi, I know I wronged you in the past, but I also know your life can’t be easy now. Something happened to your shop too. As long as you come back, I’ll make it up to you.”
Ji Hanyi frowned. “Lord Xie, I have no need of that.”
Xie Yuheng froze. Then he suddenly reached for her. “Hanyi, I don’t believe you…”
“Hanyi, you must still care about me…”
Ji Hanyi had not expected Xie Yuheng to suddenly lose his mind. She leaned back and was just about to tell Rongchun to summon the officers from the Military Patrol Office when a long, powerful hand seized Xie Yuheng’s wrist before he could reach through the curtain.
There was a faint crack.
Xie Yuheng screamed, doubling over as cold sweat poured down his face.
The instant that hand released him, he collapsed to the ground.
The curtain fell back into place as Xie Yuheng went down. Ji Hanyi’s heart pounded wildly. She straightened in her seat and lifted the curtain again, only to see Shen Si standing beside the carriage. Two constables from the Military Patrol Office came over, hauled Xie Yuheng up from the ground, and tossed him aside.
The firelight flickered in the night, playing across Shen Si’s black robes. He carried an air of noble austerity, aloof and imposing. Tall and lean, he stood a great deal taller than the average man. Seated inside the carriage, she had to tilt her head even farther back to look at him, making the faint authority etched into his features all the more striking.
At the sight of Shen Si again, her fingertips instinctively curled tight.
She did not know why. Perhaps it was because her gratitude toward him was mingled with unease. Or perhaps it was because their last meeting at the Imperial Palace had not ended pleasantly.
She stared at him in a daze until Shen Si tilted his head slightly and his deep gaze settled on her face.
Ji Hanyi felt as if caught in the act of a mistake; her heart flustered, she quickly let go of the curtain.
The curtain dropped down, blocking the firelight outside. In the dimness, Ji Hanyi clutched her embroidered handkerchief to her chest, as if that could calm her.
But the next moment, the curtain was lifted, and Shen Si bent down to look in.
Those deep black eyes, like cold pools, looked toward her. His silent gaze made even the firelight behind him seem chill and desolate.
That look seemed different from before, but Ji Hanyi couldn’t understand it.
Ji Hanyi propped herself up on the cushion, but before she could speak, the curtain had already fallen back down, as if Shen Si had only lifted it to check if she was alright.
She became lost in the darkness again. Not long after, Wen’an’s voice sounded outside: “Miss Ji, please follow the Marquis to the office first.”
Only then did Ji Hanyi lean forward to lift the front curtain of the carriage.
When she got out of the carriage, Xie Yuheng was no longer outside, and Ji Hanyi didn’t care about him. Her eyes were now on Shen Si’s tall, slender figure as he walked away.
He seemed to merge with the night, aloof and unapproachable, growing more distant before her eyes.
Wen’an was waiting beside Ji Hanyi. Seeing her gaze at the Marquis’s back, he smiled and said quietly, “Miss Ji, please follow the Marquis.”
Ji Hanyi adjusted the white gauze of her veiled hat, then followed behind Shen Si’s steps.
Wen’an walked at the rear, noticing how the Marquis had noticeably slowed his pace after Miss Ji caught up. He couldn’t help but smile, then pulled back Rongchun, who was about to hurry after them, and said sternly: “What are you doing following them?”
Rongchun was baffled: “I always follow my lady, why can’t I go up?”
Wen’an said with a stern face, “My Marquis is discussing official business about this case with your lady. Moreover, the Military Patrol Office is a restricted place; did you think you could just enter as you please?”
These words frightened Rongchun. She looked at the guards holding weapons at the entrance of the Military Patrol Office, each tall and imposing, very intimidating. She had never been to such a place, so she asked, “Then what should I do?”
Wen’an said, “Just wait outside.”
Rongchun then looked at Wen’an and asked, “What about you?”
Wen’an glanced at her: “What do you think?”
After saying this, Wen’an had someone take Rongchun to sit in the gatehouse, while he himself went inside the main gate.
Rongchun’s eyes widened.
On this side, Ji Hanyi followed Shen Si into the inner hall of the Military Patrol Office. The room was empty, very quiet. Ji Hanyi glanced behind her; Rongchun had not followed either.
It wasn’t the first time she had been alone with Shen Si, but there was always a trace of nervousness.
Shen Si turned to look at Ji Hanyi. She was standing not far from the door, keeping her distance from him.
He knew very well that he had selfish motives. Such a trivial case was far from requiring his presence, let alone her coming here.
Yet he had still made an excuse to have her come.
He had no reason to see her, and deep down he even understood that she might not want to see him, but he had done so anyway.
He stood by the table, looking at her slender figure, and spoke in a low voice: “You need to sign your mark here.”
Ji Hanyi suddenly heard Shen Si’s voice and hurried over, looking at the complaint document lying quietly on the table.
It was her first time at the Military Patrol Office, and she didn’t know the procedure. Since Shen Si said so, she hastily complied, not daring to delay.
She took off her veiled hat and set it aside. Shen Si stood very close to her, just a step away. Ji Hanyi suppressed her nervousness, lowered her head to look at where Shen Si’s finger was pointing, then searched for the ink pad to sign her mark.