[Zhu Qingjia x Xie Jibai]
1.
Zhu Qingjia's husband died on the battlefield in Mobei. When the bad news reached the Duke's mansion, the two had been married for less than three months.
Her mother-in-law was cold and mean, and gave Zhu Qingjia two paths, either to die to earn a chastity memorial for the Xie family, or to borrow someone else's seed to have children for a second wife.
Zhu Qingjia came from a humble background and was originally married into a high family. Her natal family relied on her to support her. Now, to survive in the house, she needs to rely on others even more, walking on thin ice everywhere.
Between death and life, she decisively chose life.
But Zhu Qingjia didn't know that the person designated by her mother-in-law to borrow the seed was actually Xie Jibai, her late husband's eldest brother.
As the eldest son of the Duke's palace, Xie Jie Baihe was a dignified and cold-blooded man. He was the youngest chief minister in the dynasty, and he was also a great figure who silenced the civil and military officials of the dynasty.
Zhu Qingjia was in awe of Xie Jibai. After they got married, they only met once. His aura was too cold, and she always kept her eyebrows low and did not dare to look at him.
How could such a high-mountain flower on the altar be something that I could reach?
But in the cannibal society, childlessness means being slaughtered by others, and she desperately needs a child.
One lonely rainy night, she broke into Xie Jibai's study in thin clothes and expressed her intention.
She imagined countless Xie Jibai's reactions, secretly thinking that he would think that she was as dirty as filthy mud, and would send people to expel her like a drowned dog.
But Zhu Qingjia only waited for the man's low and cold question:
"Since my brother-in-law is here to ask for help, why don't you dare to look directly at me?"
"Look up at me."
2.
The rain was absurd, and Zhu Qingjia's life also became absurd.
Xie Jibai agreed to her request and asked her to go to him every night, but he put forward three conditions:
"Only actions, no romance."
"We need to observe etiquette when we meet in the daytime."
"Stop once you're pregnant."
Zhu Qingjia responded obediently and docilely one by one.
The first time they had sex was in his bedroom. Although Xie Jibai looked cold and stoic, his movements were not gentle at all, and he didn't know how to show mercy to her.
Zhu Qingjia couldn't bear it and cried, leaving scarlet bite marks on his shoulders.
Afterwards, I thought Xie Jibai would be more responsible, but Xie Jibai just put on his clothes and said politely and distantly: "It doesn't matter."
At first, he asked her to turn her back to him, as if she was completing an emotionless official duty.
But later on, the places they had sex were random and varied, sometimes in the study, sometimes in the bathtub, sometimes in front of the mirror...
They had an intimate skin-to-skin relationship. Things that Zhu Qingjia and her late husband had never done were done by Xie Jibai. Her charming and innocent attitude that she had never had before was also displayed in front of Xie Jibai.
Zhu Qingjia thought that this incident would slightly ease the relationship between the two, until she accidentally bumped into Xie Jibai's side cleaning up the things in the room that she had touched, and heard the servant saying that he was about to marry the princess.
At this moment, Zhu Qingjia thought that Xie Jibai hated him. He was like mud in the rain, staining his flawless life.
Therefore, when she finally became pregnant two months later, she unilaterally ended the relationship between them, took the initiative to distance herself, and asked her mother-in-law to raise the baby outside.
3.
Xie Jibai was a first-class official, and he was famous for his coldness, self-restraint and etiquette.
He was aloof and never took Zhu Qingjia seriously. The reason why he agreed to her request to borrow seeds was just for the purpose of family reproduction.
But physical decline often precedes feelings.
In the morning afterward, Zhu Qingjia would tidy up his clothes, and he would hold her wrist to feel her fragile and easily broken skin.
He began to lose focus during discussions, and would look at the courtyard where she lived when he returned home late at night.
If he found that a man from another clan was courting Zhu Qingjia, he would coldly transfer that person to another place.
Even when he was in deep love in bed, he would feel despicable jealousy when he heard Zhu Qingjia call his dead brother's name.
When Zhu Qingjia took the initiative to alienate herself and avoid Zhuangzi to raise her child, Xie Jibai experienced insomnia for the first time in an empty room.
He finally realized that he wanted more than just a bed partner.
Small Theater
During the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Duke's Mansion was busy organizing a family dinner, wishing Qingjia to raise her baby alone in the lonely village.
She suffered from severe morning sickness, so she went to the courtyard to relax.
My feet stepped on the slippery stone steps and I almost slipped, but a gentle and strong hand held me up.
Turning his eyes, he saw that it was Xie Jibai whom he hadn't seen for half a year.
Zhu Qingjia broke away from his support in a distant manner, "Da Lang is already engaged, so it's probably inappropriate for him to appear here."
Xie Jibai's eyes fell on the woman's belly. Through the skirt, he could see the slight bulge, where his heir was contained.
After waiting for no response from the man for a long time, Zhu Qingjia bowed and returned to the house. The next moment he took a breath, his wrist was grabbed forcefully.
Xie Jibai said a few words in a low voice.
The first sentence: "I wish Qingjia."
Second sentence: "I regret that promise."
Intention: love yourself