Xingxing thought her young lady was courting death.
The master-in-law's eyes were terrifying.
Xingxing didn't dare to move. Xie Jingchen shot her a cold glance, causing the maid to run off as fast as the wind.
The door was closed, and Su Jin looked at Xie Jingchen. Just as she was about to speak, he directly picked her up, startling Su Jin. Her cheeks turned crimson as she said, "What are you doing? Let me go!"
Xie Jingchen threw Su Jin onto the bed, causing her to grimace in pain. She heard him coldly say, "Whether you are pure or not, we'll know after the examination."
The bed was in disarray. Su Jin quickly grabbed the quilt, hugging it to her chest, glaring at the approaching Xie Jingchen nervously, "Stay where you are! Let's talk this through!"
Xie Jingchen indeed stopped moving.
He never intended to consummate the marriage. However, this woman was becoming increasingly unreasonable. If he didn't give her a lesson, she would continue to spout nonsense to get a divorce letter.
She was the one who snatched him on the street, insisted on marrying him as she wished, and now was causing a fuss to get a divorce. What did she take him, Xie Jingchen, for? Just because she knew some medical skills and could save him, did she think she could toy with him so arbitrarily?
Su Jin was truly frightened. Xie Jingchen was handsome, but through such a short interaction, she didn't know what kind of person he was at all. The strength he used to strangle her the other day left no room for her to resist if he became forceful.
Knowing when to yield was wise; living under someone else's roof, one had to bow down...
But clearly, he was the one asking for help!
Su Jin was frustrated.
Xie Jingchen stared at Su Jin, expressionless. "I don't like speculation. I'll give you half a cup of tea's time to explain yourself clearly."
Su Jin held the quilt tightly, "What's there to explain? The clearer my explanation, the quicker my death."
Xie Jingchen frowned, "What do you mean by that?"
Su Jin gritted her teeth, "You were unconscious, and the Duke Zhen's family wanted me to drive away the bad luck. I originally thought they just wanted to vent some anger, but after checking your pulse, I realized someone wanted you dead and sought to blame me. The Duke Zhen Country Mansion couldn't tolerate you, let alone me, the Eldest Young Madam. Sure, you're good-looking, but not so much that I'd risk my life for you."
This was Su Jin's heartfelt truth. But after speaking, seeing Xie Jingchen's incredibly handsome face shrouded in frost and his eyes filled with sadness, she felt her words were too hurtful.
However, his expression suggested her guesses weren't wrong.
Toxins in his body prevented him from fighting. Hence, when Su Jin publicly snatched him, he couldn't resist and got dragged back to the Dongxiang Marquis Mansion.
Once out of the Dongxiang Marquis Mansion, he was immediately brought back, and the toxins in his body worsened. If it wasn't someone from the Duke Zhen Country Mansion poisoning him again, outsiders wouldn't have had the chance.
But there was one thing Su Jin couldn't figure out, and it was an excellent topic to change the subject. She asked, "Your toxins are unstable, but you won't faint as long as you don't get too agitated. When I bound you and brought you to the Dongxiang Marquis Mansion, you were fine. This indicates you were prepared. Why did you vomit blood and faint when leaving?"
This was the only thing Su Jin couldn't figure out. Given his endurance, it shouldn't have happened.
Xie Jingchen's eyes burned with anger, "Do you really not know, or are you pretending to be ignorant?"
Su Jin looked innocent. If she knew, would she still ask, "I fainted that day, and no one told me what happened afterward."
Xie Jingchen felt his blood boiling again, gritting his teeth, "It was all because of your father!"
Su Jin was stunned, "My father? How did my father provoke you?"
At that moment, there was a knock at the door, followed by Xingxing's voice, "The Imperial Physician has arrived."
"Come in."
Xie Jingchen turned and sat down.
Su Jin quickly got off the bed.
Soon, the maid led the Imperial Physician into the room, with Xingxing following behind. She walked up to Su Jin worriedly, "Young lady, are you alright?"
Su Jin asked, "That day, after I fainted, what did my father say to him?"
Xingxing blinked, "Not much, just complimented the young lady a few times."
Complimented her?
"What did he say?" Su Jin asked again.
Xingxing thought for a moment, "He praised the young lady for being kind-hearted, obedient, filial, sensible, considerate, gentle, and reserved… He told the master-in-law to formally propose after returning home, and the Marquis had no other demands except that he shouldn't take concubines to wrong the young lady. If the master-in-law couldn't comply, the Marquis would kill him. That's all."
That's all...
Su Jin felt dizzy and her face burned red with embarrassment.
How did Marquis Dongxiang manage to say such things?
Even if Xie Jingchen was healthy, let alone sick, hearing these would still make him vomit blood, right?
The more Su Jin knew, the more embarrassed she felt about asking for a divorce. Couldn't he just give it to her voluntarily?
While she was lost in thought, the Imperial Physician finished taking the pulse and asked Xie Jingchen if he had taken any medicine. The maid replied no, and though the Imperial Physician found it strange, he couldn't pinpoint why. He concluded that maybe the ritual to ward off bad luck indeed worked.
The Imperial Physician didn't prescribe any medicine, stating that all medicines have some toxicity. Common supplements wouldn't benefit Xie Jingchen much. He merely advised him not to get angry or... overly excited and tired.
These pieces of advice were fine, but the Imperial Physician glanced at the messy bed while advising them, which was a big problem. It also indirectly confirmed everyone's speculation that the Duke Zhen Country Mansion brought in the Eldest Young Madam for the ritual to ward off bad luck, and she eagerly consummated the marriage while he was unconscious. The Imperial Physician could perceive it through the pulse and advised her not to do it again!
After finishing breakfast, when Su Jin and Xie Jingchen were on their way to offer tea, they were pointed and talked about behind their backs.
The looks directed at her were of disgust and accusation, while those towards Xie Jingchen were of pity and sympathy.
Su Jin told herself those shameless, face-losing insults weren't about her, and there was no need to get angry.
Xie Jingchen glanced sideways at her, intrigued. This patience was remarkable. How long could she endure, and how would she react afterward?
Seeing Su Jin remain calm, Xingxing looked at her, "Young lady, aren't you angry? They're saying you're cow dung, that the master-in-law is like a fresh flower on cow dung. Even the servant can hardly bear this. I want to hit someone."
Su Jin felt like spurting blood. Hearing it was one thing, but was there a need to say it aloud for her? Were they afraid she wouldn't get internal injuries from anger?
Taking a deep breath, Su Jin laughed, "It's a compliment. Without the nourishment of cow dung, how could flowers bloom brightly?"
Xingxing, "..."
Xie Jingchen, "..."
This woman, could she have some shame?
Su Jin turned and saw Xie Jingchen staring at her, his twitching mouth barely escaping her notice.
All those accusations, were they endless? It was the same words back and forth. If she didn't stand up for herself, her ears would eventually develop calluses.
Su Jin twisted her ankle and murmured, "I'm tired, I can't walk anymore."
Xingxing exclaimed, worried, "We've only walked a short distance; how can you be tired? Are you sick? Let the servant carry you back to see the doctor."
Su Jin ignored her, just looking at Xie Jingchen.
Xie Jingchen felt overwhelmed. Was this woman planning to give up and take him down with her?
Yet her attitude was oddly appealing to him.
Xie Jingchen walked over, scooping up Su Jin, continuing forward.
Those gossiping maids and elderly women opened their eyes wide instantly, their anger boiling over.
Ah ah ah!
They were taking a stand for the young master, but the young master had already fallen. How could he carry the female bandit!
It's only been a day, and the female bandit had led the young master astray, even to this shameless extent!
Watching those clutching their chests in anger, Su Jin suppressed her laughter, "From now on, no one will sympathize with you, this terminal young master."
"I don't need their sympathy."