CHAPTER 224: CHAPTER 221: AFTER DRINKING

Xie Liangchen hurriedly headed outside, vaguely hearing Song Xian calling her name inside the house, unsure of what else he was saying.

She didn’t want to listen; if given the choice, she wouldn’t hear a single word he said tonight.

After walking a certain distance, Xie Liangchen turned to look at the entrance of the east wing to ensure Song Xian hadn’t followed her. She took a deep breath.

So be it, if he runs out again, it has nothing to do with her.

Of course, if possible, she would love to find two pieces of wood to nail the door shut, trapping the big and small drunk inside.

Returning to the main house, Mrs. Gao had already fallen asleep. Xie Liangchen quickly freshened up, locked the door, and lay down beside Mrs. Gao.

As things quieted down, sleep didn’t come as expected.

"Can I call you... Sister...?"

"Sister... is that okay?"

Those eyes, different from usual and slightly intoxicated, were fixed on her, the voice slightly low.

"Sister."

In the chaotic haste of pulling her back, she inadvertently kneed him hard.

Did Song Xian ever suffer such a loss?

Does he have to be beaten and taught a lesson before he listens... even like this, Chang An and Chang Yue were comfortable leaving him here.

Is Song Xian asleep now? Will he drunkenly wander around the yard?

There is also a well in the yard of the east wing.

Thinking about that well, Xie Liangchen felt anxious and couldn’t sleep; what kind of trouble had she brought upon herself?

After holding back for a while, she finally got up, got dressed, and quickly walked out of the house, hearing Mrs. Gao turning over as she left.

Xie Liangchen’s heart thumped wildly, as if she was doing something unspeakable.

Some people should be domineering and fierce; that way she could handle them better. Now that he’s turned into a soft pile, tossing him aside didn’t feel right, and neither did ignoring him.

Xie Liangchen returned to the east wing, seeing the door tightly shut gave her slight relief. She reached out to slowly push the door open, unsure if she hoped Song Xian was inside or not.

She walked into the room step by step, gently lifting the curtain.

In the darkness, it was hard to tell how many people were on the bed, so she had to move closer.

Finally seeing clearly, Song Xian was still lying on the bed, covered with a thin quilt, his whole face hidden, leaving only his hair exposed.

Did he feel too ashamed to see anyone?

Xie Liangchen breathed a sigh of relief, turned to leave, but the person on the bed moved at that moment, pulling the thin quilt down, slowly revealing his face from underneath.

Bit by bit, like a butterfly emerging from a cocoon.

"Sister," Song Xian looked up at her, "why aren’t you sleeping?"

As if caught in the act, she stood there stiffly, unsure of what to say.

She was foolish for even making this trip.

Xie Liangchen didn’t speak; Song Xian didn’t persist, only watched her quietly leave.

Returning to lie on the bed, Xie Liangchen closed her eyes, forcibly trying to forget everything, but that night she was destined never to meet Zhou Gong in her dreams.

As dawn approached, Mrs. Gao woke up, eager to get to the kitchen to prepare meals. She had slept well through the night, her fatigue completely gone.

"Aunt."

Mrs. Gao had just put on her shoes when she heard Xie Liangchen’s voice.

Mrs. Gao was startled; she thought Miss Chen would sleep a while longer, but didn’t expect her to wake up so early. The spinning wheel was finished, so she must have slept well last night.

"Did you sleep well?" Mrs. Gao smiled, "Rest a bit longer."

Xie Liangchen hadn’t slept at all; she felt groggy and her limbs weak.

"Second Aunt," Xie Liangchen said, "General Song came last night."

"Ah?" Mrs. Gao was caught completely off guard, "What... how is that, the General he..." They had all slept, without even someone to serve tea or water.

Xie Liangchen continued, "General Song didn’t leave; he slept in Brother’s room."

Mrs. Gao was even more surprised; she only went to bed early one night, and so much happened? The General had good relations with Chen Family Village, but to sleep with Zigeng... she just couldn’t imagine it.

Xie Liangchen said, "After General Song came, Zigeng went to the kitchen to make red bean soup, which requires rice wine. Zigeng tasted it while cooking and ended up getting drunk.

I was in the room working on the spinning wheel and didn’t notice until it was too late to intervene."

Mrs. Gao asked, "Zigeng was drunk, he didn’t offend General Song, did he?"

Xie Liangchen thought of her unconscious brother and, with a resolute heart, lied with her eyes open: "No, he just wouldn’t let General Song leave."

Mrs. Gao listened with regret, wishing she hadn’t indulged in sleep the night before: "Zigeng usually seems so clever and lively; how could he get himself drunk like that, and this... oh dear, this is so embarrassing."

Cleverness doesn’t prevent foolishness when drunk; not to mention Brother, even someone who’s been clever throughout all lifetimes combined, wasn’t immune? She was too embarrassed to mention the more disgraceful incidents.

Xie Liangchen said, "Second Aunt, get Chu Er to buy some medicinal herbs for me later. The list is on the table. General Song caught a cold and cared for Zigeng all night; I’d like to prepare some medicine for him."

Mrs. Gao nodded repeatedly, "Of course, of course. General Song helped us with the spinning wheel and cared for Zigeng; if he fell ill because of it, that’d be a real sin. General Song is truly diligent, look at how Zhaozhou is different from before, I heard from your Fourth Uncle..."

Mrs. Gao kept talking, while Xie Liangchen seethed inside. That whole restless night wasn’t because of Song Xian; it was because of her. He did those things, and she had to work hard to cover for him.

After Mrs. Gao finished talking, she instructed Xie Liangchen to sleep a bit more while she’d prepare the herbs when Chu Er got them.

After Mrs. Gao left, Xie Liangchen looked out the window. What did Song Xian want to say last night?

Liangchen, I don’t want Su Huaiqing to see you.

Wasn’t it because he grew to loathe the Su family’s actions?

Xie Liangchen cut off her own thoughts, pulling the covers tightly over her head.

Getting up, washing, cooking, and preparing medicine, Xie Liangchen was busy all morning. When she brought the medicine to the east wing, she saw the silhouettes of two people.

Chen Zigeng was slumped over Song Xian’s back, the two of them talking and laughing as they came out of the restroom.

Spending a night sleeping together, the two drunkards seemed much closer.

Song Xian carrying Chen Zigeng back to the house heard footsteps, turned his gaze, and saw Xie Liangchen’s figure.

She was holding a wooden lacquer tray, peering cautiously into the courtyard, looking a bit different from usual.

Song Xian felt a burst of joy, temporarily setting aside the worries after sobering up. He shouldn’t have done anything last night post-drinking that would anger Xie Liangchen; otherwise, she wouldn’t be visiting him so early.

Their eyes met, Song Xian stood still, and Xie Liangchen had no choice but to approach, maintaining a facade of calm while the medicine bowl in the tray swayed gently.

Song Xian said, "Good morning."

Xie Liangchen nodded, "General Song, you’re up quite early."

Chen Zigeng tightened his arms around Song Xian’s neck, "Brother woke up very early; this is the second time he’s taken me to the restroom."