CHAPTER 482: CHAPTER 163: PALACE BANQUET, JOYOUS OCCASION

A tranquil night.

Xie Ruotong recounted her past experiences in a light and breezy manner.

Her honesty made Song Yanqing feel that he had been somewhat petty.

During this time, the way Xie Ruotong had conducted herself in the Song Family, he really shouldn’t have made those conjectures about her.

Upon hearing Xie Ruotong’s words, he inexplicably felt a sense of oppression in his heart.

He wasn’t sure if it was because of the shame from the darkness within his own heart, or because... Xie Ruotong said that her marriage to him was truly just to satisfy her grandmother’s wishes.

The more he interacted with Xie Ruotong, the more he understood her, the more he felt that he was harboring unnecessary feelings.

Actually, Xie Ruotong had no feelings for him at all.

Instead, he had assumed that she cared a lot about him, had assumed that to win him over, she would do something excessive.

Thinking back now.

There were only two reasons why Xie Ruotong married him.

The first was due to her parents’ orders, that is, her grandmother’s intentions.

The second was her desire to live a quiet and peaceful life.

If her grandmother had chosen someone else instead of him, she would have gladly married him as well.

And she would have lived her life in the same way.

Perhaps having drifted too long and seen too much bloodshed, she truly wanted to settle down.

After coming to this understanding.

Song Yanqing said nothing.

He did not know whether it was to protect his so-called pride, or for some other reasons, but anyway, after Xie Ruotong openly shared her past and inner thoughts, he did not respond, merely said indifferently, "It’s late, let’s sleep."

"Mhm," Xie Ruotong nodded.

Perhaps she never expected Song Yanqing to say anything to her.

So she was indifferent.

It seemed that whatever he did, Xie Ruotong would not care.

It wasn’t indulgence and compliance towards him.

It was just because it wasn’t important.

He wasn’t important.

Song Yanqing turned over, with his back to Xie Ruotong.

Forced himself to fall asleep.

...

From that night onwards, Xie Ruotong and Song Yanqing.

Started living under the same roof.

Song Yanqing attended court early every day and would leave early.

But each time he got up, Xie Ruotong was already awake.

Then she would see him off from home.

She was every bit the good wife.

Usually, after attending the morning court he would go work in the cabinet with his father, dealing with state affairs.

He would not return until the afternoon.

Upon returning, he would still first visit Xie Ruilin’s room, and only after having dinner would he return with Xie Ruotong to her yard.

Under his guidance, as the days went by, the distress and humiliation Xie Ruilin felt gradually eased a lot.

A month passed by quickly.

Xie Ruilin was no longer confined.

Song Yanqing also moved out of Xie Ruotong’s room.

When leaving.

Xie Ruotong’s attitude towards him was the same as usual.

Not too warm, but exceedingly respectful.

Song Yanqing even thought he saw Xie Ruotong breathe a sigh of relief after seeing him off.

He didn’t know whether she was happy that she finally didn’t have to sleep on the floor anymore.

One day.

Song Yanqing received an invitation to the Imperial Palace’s Winter Solstice banquet.

The current Emperor did not particularly enjoy extravagant entertainment, and the palace banquets held throughout the year were very few, apart from the small family dinners, there were only three festivals when court officials were truly invited: the Emperor’s Birthday, the Winter Solstice, and the New Year Festival.

Given that the Emperor disliked ostentation, only a few court officials were invited.

This invitation was indeed a great honor for Song Yanqing.

Naturally, everyone in the family was overjoyed.

The only one unhappy was Xie Ruilin.

Going to the Imperial Palace for the Winter Solstice festival tomorrow, she, as a concubine, did not qualify to be there; only Xie Ruotong could accompany Song Yanqing.

Having just been released and finally free to come and go in and out of the residence, what would have been a happy occasion turned sour upon hearing such news that filled her with jealousy; she was extremely displeased.

She even thought that among the three daughters of the Xie Family, Xie Ruotong and Xie Ruiyao would attend, but only she had lost that qualification.

She was never the worst one from childhood.

Why had she fallen to this state?

The thought of being mocked by others was unbearable to her.

The reason she had insisted on marrying Song Yanqing was partly due to her affection for him and partly out of spite, but more importantly, she felt confident that she could move from being a concubine to the primary wife. However, over the past few months, it seemed that she had gained no advantage in front of Xie Ruotong, and aside from Song Yanqing’s consistent kindness towards her, and the fact that Song Yanqing only had eyes for her, she had gained nothing else. The Song Family had clearly treated Xie Ruotong better!

Under such circumstances, her desire to reclaim her spot as the main wife was nothing but a pipe dream.