It was in the afternoon now. By tacit rule, one shouldn"t pay a visit to another at the moment unless they were really close or anything urgent happened. Otherwise, it would be a disrespectful act for the latter.

Commandery Princess Qingjiang was Jian Xubai"s sister. Yet, Song Yixiao was still new to the family and didn"t get familiar with her. After careful consideration, Song Yixiao didn"t set off immediately but send a visiting card first to ask whether it would be convenient to her that she came by.

“Send my word to Ms. Zhao that she doesn"t need to come back in a hurry since Mr. You"s case has been just closed and she has a lot of family issues to deal with. She should take care of her family first.” Song Yixiao instructed, “As to Ms. Zhao"s daughter and grandson, send for a doctor to check on them. If they don"t have enough money, just take it from the accountant and put the expense under my name!”

Upon thinking of Ms. Zhao, Song Yixiao inevitably thought of Zhiqin. After making all the arrangements, Song Yixiao went to the small yard at the southeast corner of the mansion to visit Zhiqin, who was settled here for recuperation.

When Song Yixiao was still living under the roof of Prince of Hengshan, she was concerned about this maid.

Now that she became the mistress of Duke of Yan"s mansion, Zhiqin"s life became better for sure.

Zhiqin"s yard had a sunny exposure with two maids to serve her. First maid as she was, she was treated more or less like a lady of a wealthy family.

When Song Yixiao entered the yard, Zhiqin was sitting in the sun in the yard.

Now it was getting late. She was huddling herself up on the large cane chair with her sleeves curled up, covered by a thin sheet to keep warm. As a result, her small figure was well manifested.

Standing in situ, Song Yixiao could only see Zhiqin"s fine side of her face, which was white and tender with curved eyebrows and almond eyes. Currently, Zhiqin was having a faint and sweet smile, const.i.tuting a painting of a quiet beauty.

When Zhiqin heard footsteps and turned around, her severely damaged half of her face was inevitably shown.

Zhiqin glimpsed at Song Yixiao with her only eye and hurriedly tried to stand up. She opened her mouth and uttered the words “Your Ladyship” in a quiet way.

“I"ve told you many times. Don"t take me as an outsider!” Holding back her sadness and guilt, Song Yixiao trotted forward and pressed her, tucking in her blanket by the way.

“Greetings, Madam!” The two maids in the room also noticed Song Yixiao"s arrival and hastened to run outside. While making a curtsey, they both looked nervous.

Song Yixiao glared at them with a frown, “Where were you? Don"t you know at least one of you should stay with Zhiqin and serve her? What if Zhiqin is thirsty or hungry? I"ve ordered you to look after her well and this is how you look after her?”

Zhiqin couldn"t speak but she could listen. Under the circ.u.mstance, she grabbed Song Yixiao"s sleeves and tried to plead for mercy.

“No need to beg for mercy for these lazy bones. I"ll subst.i.tute them with another two later!” Song Yixiao didn"t want to forgive the two maids. She was so painful about Zhiqin"s disability and even felt it like a fishbone getting stuck in her throat for not being able to take revenge on Cui Jianlian and other ringleaders. Now even the maids dared to act in opposition to her order. If Zhiqin were not at present, she would whip the two maids with a horsetail whisk herself!

However, this incidence gave her a reminder. “These two maids have been designated to me before I got married, who know that I care about Zhiqin very much and yet still dare to neglect her! Obviously it is not only because Zhiqin is disabled but also because she is only a maid by name!”

While chatting with Zhiqin, Song Yixiao was pondering on giving her a decent ident.i.ty. Otherwise, new maids wouldn"t be willing to serve Zhiqin well.

Song Yixiao had been thinking about this then. After Jian Xubai came back, he and Song Yixiao talked about the result of You Hong"s case and together guessed about Qiu Shuxia"s next move. However, based on what they learned by far, they had no clues at all.

Therefore, throughout discussion, they decided to live as usual while keeping an eye for him.

Then Song Yixiao mentioned Zhiqin, “I wouldn"t survive but for her back then. As a result, she has been disfigured for saving me. Now that her marriage becomes a problem, I won"t let those who come to propose to her with evil intentions go near her. Maybe I have to support her for the rest of her life. If she is still a maid only, how can the maids I send to serve her be convinced? If they talk to her meanly, I"m afraid that she will feel hurt!”

She was determined about this matter so she played some tricks amidst discussing with Jian Xubai.

For example, she stood behind Jian Xubai, ma.s.saging his shoulders and then leaning against his back with her head placed against his shoulder and her arms around his chest. Meanwhile, while playing with his belts, she tilted her head and whispered to Jian Xubai closely, requesting in a soft voice, “I cannot decide it on my own, so…”

“This is not negotiable!” With his eyes closed, Jian Xubai was enjoyed his wife"s enticing moves, and yet uttered in a resolute and decisive tone, “It is only a t.i.tle, but your maid is too seriously disfigured! Even if she is not asked to serve me closely, others may laugh at me for having such a concubine!”

Song Yixiao was speechless.

She took a deep breath and then asked with a rigid face, “Why do you think I want you to take her as your concubine?”

“Didn"t you just say you wanted to support her for the rest of her life?” Jian Xubai opened his eyes and answered with a question in confusion, “And you also need my permission. If you don"t want me to take her as my concubine, what else do you want?”

“I only intend to support her for a lifetime!” Song Yixiao stood up straight angrily and then pushed him away, shouting, “Yet, I don"t want to see her stay single forever! I still hope that she can meet someone nice and live happily! By giving her a t.i.tle, I mean taking her as my foster sister!”

Jian Xubai felt amused and angry, “It is you who want to take her as foster sister but not me. You can just do it! Why do you want to ask for my help? Why did you push me away? You didn"t express yourself clearly!”

Song Yixiao, still furious at the moment, sneered without thinking, “I didn"t express myself clearly? Did I say I would let you have a concubine? You must want to have a concubine so desperately that you just keep thinking about it!”

Since when did she become so virtuous that she would persuade her husband into having a concubine by acting coquettishly?

She was not that open-minded and generous!

It must be because Jian Xubai had that kind of intention himself!

“It was simply a misunderstanding. I don"t want to have a concubine. Why are you so unhappy?” Jian Xubai didn"t take it seriously but as he sensed his wife"s anger, he turned around to look at her teasingly, saying, “You don"t want to see me have a concubine? Or do you dread that I may dote on the concubine and abandon my wife?”

“You"ve thought too much!” Song Yixiao walked across him and sat down across the table. She poured a bowl of tea and took a sip, saying casually, “In light of your ident.i.ty, it will be strange if you don"t have a few considerate sweethearts. However, as your wife, I am married to you for several days only. If you have a concubine now, I will be mocked by others. Therefore, I hope that you can do that in some time given our marriage.”

Then she added, “In fact, you always go out early and come back at dusk for work. And I feel bored at home alone. If only I can have a few sisters to keep me company and kill time!”

She believed that her speech was decently made with a fine line, showing her intention implicitly and explicitly of getting along well with the concubines. In her eyes, Jian Xubai would feel happy to have such a sensible and virtuous wife or at least stop doubting that she was a jealous wife.

Unexpectedly, Jian Xubai pulled a long face instead!

He rubbed the tea bowl decorated with grisaille painting of flowers and birds quietly. His thin and white fingers appeared arguably pretty like exquisite jades under the reflection of the black glaze. He smiled faintly with his eyes full of coldness, saying indifferently, “You are quite generous. I thought since you could talk of divorcing me with a casual air, you must want your husband to love you only, just like your mother.”

Hence, it was not a good thing that Mother was too imposing!

Song Yixiao heaved a sigh, “Mother is too reputed. As her birth daughter, it is too difficult for me to play a virtuous wife!”

However, in this case, she could only go on!

She tried to think of herself as someone famished for three days and Jian Xubai as a well-cooked braised pig knuckle. Instantly, she appeared like having a strong admiration for him, “Everyone has his own blessings. You know about my family background. To be honest, it is immensely lucky for me to live an extravagant and healthy life as well as have a chance to oversee such a mansion! How can I dare to desire for more?”

She made the speech so tearfully and sincerely that even she herself was touched!

When Jian Xubai insisted on marrying her, he mentioned that he liked her for her sensibility.

Now that Song Yixiao said so, shouldn"t he be touched regardless?

However, after Jian Xubai heard her out, he stopped rubbing the tea bowl suddenly. With no smile on his face anymore, he frowned seriously and stared at her in a cold look, “In this case, you married me just for a well-off life and being able to manage the household affairs of the mansion?”

Oh, why not?

Song Yixiao felt so puzzled, “Didn"t they reach an agreement that she would manage the household affairs for him and in return he would offer her fortune?”

Why was he still not contented since she acted and spoke by appointment?

She took a glance at Jian Xubai"s cold countenance and rubbed her bracelet, thinking anxiously, “Did he see through that I was only saying? And he realizes that I am actually thinking about clearing myself of suspicion after murdering him, adopting a concubine"s son from his eldest brother to inherit the t.i.tle of duke, and then living a domineering life as a widow, something and so on!”

She reflected on her behaviors after getting married and believed that she was a qualified good wife on the whole except losing her temper sometimes. Even if she lost her temper once in a while, she did it only to spice things up between husband and wife, which was actually good for facilitating their affections and winning favor from Jian Xubai. It was never a conduct of jealousy!

Moreover, if Jian Xubai didn"t trust her at all, he wouldn"t marry her then!

After spending the past days together, they were cooperating with each other happily though they were not genuinely intimate.

He was not a prophet anyway. How could he tell her nature of fierceness through her feigned softness and obedience?

Song Yixiao gathered her thoughts. Since Jian Xubai didn"t point it out, she might not have exposed herself. Hence, she had better not get nervous and panicked herself. Thus, after remaining silent for a while, she decided to keep pretending to be a sensible good wife with clear self-knowledge, “Of course! Like I said, I never desire to…”

“Enough!” Jian Xubai yelled to interrupt her. Song Yixiao raised her head and saw his extremely fierce look!

His eyes, just like a knife, was sharp enough to cut off her flesh!

Did she say anything wrong?

Song Yixiao had never felt so wronged before!