Chapter 191
Chapter 191
Ji Hanyi’s gaze paused for a moment when she saw Xie Yuheng again.
He had grown considerably thinner. His once-clear eyes were now filled with exhaustion and despondency. He stood in the middle of the Gu Residence’s main entrance, with First Madam Xie behind him.
The arrogance on First Madam Xie’s face had diminished considerably since their last encounter, but deep in her eyes remained the condescension of someone offering charity from on high.
Ji Hanyi frowned at the sight. Without looking at Xie Yuheng, she turned to Madam Zhang.
Madam Zhang had come to watch the spectacle, but when Ji Hanyi looked at her, panic immediately flashed across her face. She forced herself to remain calm and said nothing.
Meanwhile, Xie Yuheng hurried over to Ji Hanyi. The moment he reached her, he tried to take her hand, only for the guards stationed beside her carriage to block him and push him back.
Xie Yuheng’s face was pale as the guards held him at bay. He stared in shock at Ji Hanyi’s indifferent eyes and said urgently, “Hanyi, I regret it. I truly regret it.”
“Come back with me. We can go back to the way we were before.”
First Madam Xie was furious to see her son being so rudely shoved by the guards. How dare the Gu Family treat them this way? She turned a cold gaze on Ji Hanyi. “We came to speak to you civilly. Are you truly determined to tear all ties between us apart?”
Ji Hanyi did not even want to look at them, much less waste her breath talking to them. She simply said to her mother, “Let’s get into the carriage first.”
Madam Gu quickly nodded.
Her daughter was about to marry Marquis Shen and had a bright future ahead of her. She had no desire to become entangled with the Xie Family again.
Madam Lin was so enraged by Ji Hanyi’s dismissive attitude that her entire body trembled. Just as she was about to speak, Xie Yuheng shouted at her, “Mother!”
Startled by his voice, Madam Lin froze in place.
Xie Yuheng turned his bloodshot eyes back to Ji Hanyi. He could not see even a trace of the regret he had hoped for in her. She was more composed than ever, every movement quiet and serene. Graceful and gentle, she had bright eyes, fair skin, and delicately curved brows.
He stared at her in a daze before saying hoarsely, almost besotted, “I was the one at fault before. Everything was my fault. Can we reconcile and start over?”
Ji Hanyi glanced at Xie Yuheng indifferently. He looked so defeated now, without a trace of the refined, handsome man he had once been. She no longer felt either joy or anger because of him. She could not even muster the interest to say a single word to him.
If she truly had to say anything, it was that she hoped he would never live a good life.
Ji Hanyi paused briefly as she looked into Xie Yuheng’s bloodshot eyes. Her voice was flat when she spoke. “Eldest Master Xie, do you remember that snowy night? If Censor Liu had not kindly sent people to clear the snow in time so that I could return, I might have died that night.”
“But while I was close to death, you and Li Mingrou were in each other’s arms, whispering sweet nothings.”
“You nearly caused my death, yet you still want me to walk the same path as you. You make me think you are the most vicious person in the world.”
“I only hope you can die once too. Perhaps after dying once, you will understand exactly how much I despise you.”
Her words were calm, but each one pierced Xie Yuheng’s heart like a knife. He nearly staggered and fell, and his eyes reddened instantly.
She had nearly died that night.
And what had he been doing? His heart and mind had been entirely occupied by Li Mingrou. He had never spared Ji Hanyi a thought.
It seemed she had every reason to hate him…
Yet he still instinctively tried to defend himself. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…”
“I didn’t know something would happen to you…”
“Back then… Back then, I…”
Xie Yuheng suddenly clutched his head. At that moment, he realized that even he could no longer convince himself.
Ji Hanyi looked coldly at him. A person like Xie Yuheng would never truly believe he was at fault. He would always find excuses to justify his actions to himself.
That was why he could act without guilt. That was why he was so self-righteous.
Ji Hanyi had no intention of paying him any more attention. She helped her mother into the carriage and was about to climb in herself when another lavish carriage stopped in front of the Gu Residence.
Five or six guards stood around it, each wearing a sword at his waist. Wen’an hurried over, bent down, and carefully lifted the curtain from the side.
Every eye turned toward the carriage, and the clamor died away in an instant.
A tall, distinguished figure slowly stepped down from the carriage. The sight made everyone’s breath catch, and the crowd fell silent without realizing it.
Madam Lin’s expression shifted.
She had planned to persuade Ji Hanyi to return with them today. If Ji Hanyi refused to see reason, she would have someone forcibly take her back to the Xie Residence on the road.
An unmarried woman had stayed in a man’s home for two nights without any proper justification. Once word got out, Ji Hanyi would have no choice but to return to the Xie Family if she wanted to preserve even a shred of her reputation in the capital.
What Madam Lin had not expected was for Marquis Shen to appear here.
Then her eyes widened as she watched Marquis Shen walk straight toward Ji Hanyi.
At that moment, a horrifying possibility suddenly occurred to her.
The day before, Xie Jin had returned home complaining that the Censorate had been keeping a close eye on Lu Yuan lately. They had summoned him for questioning several times already. After so many years as an official, how could he possibly have kept his record completely spotless? Lu Yuan had spent the past few days on tenterhooks, unable to figure out what he had done to offend Marquis Shen.
And now, seeing Shen Si walk so naturally to Ji Hanyi’s side, could it be that…
As soon as Ji Hanyi saw Shen Si approaching, she hurriedly moved closer to him.
Shen Si lowered his gaze and swept a glance over Xie Yuheng before looking down at Ji Hanyi.
Seeing the cool detachment in her eyes, he smiled and held out a hand to her.
Ji Hanyi froze. She stared at Shen Si’s outstretched palm and hesitated briefly before placing her hand in his.
His fingers immediately closed firmly around hers, and his deep voice sounded beside her. “Shall we go back now?”
Ji Hanyi nodded at once.
She did not want to look at Xie Yuheng for even another moment.
Shen Si studied her. Her fair, lovely face was tilted toward him, and for the first time, she had even taken the initiative to lean closer.
He raised an eyebrow, tightened his hold on her hand, and led her toward the carriage.
Xie Yuheng stared blankly at the scene, his gaze fixed on Ji Hanyi’s hand clasped in Shen Si’s.
“Impossible…” he muttered.
Ji Hanyi had long since lost all support. How could she possibly stand beside Marquis Shen?
That was Marquis Shen.
The Empress’s younger brother and the man His Majesty the Emperor valued most. Xie Yuheng was not even worthy to stand at his feet.
The Xie Family could not even hope to cross the Shen Family’s threshold. How could such a favored son of heaven possibly be holding Ji Hanyi’s hand?
It had to be an illusion. He refused to believe it.
Only after he watched Ji Hanyi follow Shen Si into the carriage did he stagger, nearly collapsing to the ground.
The pain racking his body brought him back to his senses. Of course. How could it be possible? It simply wasn’t…
Then he remembered the rumors circulating through the capital that Marquis Shen had arranged a marriage with the Cheng’an Marquis’s Residence. That woman certainly could not be Ji Hanyi.
Another possibility suddenly occurred to him. Perhaps Ji Hanyi had traded on her beauty to make him regret his decision, to spite him – or simply to secure her livelihood and find herself a new protector.
He had to admit that Ji Hanyi possessed a beauty rarely seen in the capital. It was entirely possible that Marquis Shen had been captivated by her appearance.
But such a situation could never last. In the end, she would be nothing more than a plaything in a man’s eyes.
Lost and despondent, he thought that Ji Hanyi had truly fallen so low.
No wonder Marquis Shen had been targeting him at every turn. No wonder Marquis Shen had been present when they divorced last time. When had the two of them begun their affair?
A chill swept through Xie Yuheng’s entire body.
Madam Lin’s face had gone deathly pale. She turned toward Madam Zhang, hurried over, and demanded, “Since when did she have anything to do with Marquis Shen?”
Madam Zhang was equally stunned. She had yet to recover from the shock and had no idea what was going on.
Beside her, however, Gu Wanyun already had tears brimming in her eyes. Her whole body trembled as she recalled the words she had overheard that day. She stumbled backward in a daze.
So that was it…
So that was how it was…