Su Xiaoqi's big eyes blinked, her long eyelashes fluttering, a look of panic in them.
She hadn't expected Shen Yun's actions to be so sudden; she was genuinely startled.
However, she quickly regained her composure.
In fact, ever since they had consummated their marriage and become true husband and wife, Shen Yun kissing her had become as common as eating and drinking.
When reading or writing, if he saw her, he would pull her over for a long kiss.
While they walked or strolled after meals, he would wait for her at a corner, bestowing a kiss.
And in the spring chamber, it was even more so…
"Mmm… Husband." Su Xiaoqi was embraced from behind, her chin gently cupped, forced to turn towards Shen Yun behind her. Unable to struggle, she could only wriggle her body and playfully plead for release.
"Wife, are you still angry?" Shen Yun caressed her tenderly, insisting on an answer.
"Not angry, not angry anymore." Su Xiaoqi's breathing was labored, and she quickly conceded.
She wasn't truly angry; she was just teasing him intentionally.
Hearing this, Shen Yun released her lips and held her tightly, pressing against the back of her head, he whispered, "Wife, there's really nothing between her and me. Childhood matters are hard to say for sure.
Besides, I don't even remember the things I said back then." Shen Yun sounded somewhat helpless.
He had to defend himself for something he hadn't done. But what choice did he have, when the person involved was his dear wife?
If it were anyone else, he wouldn't care what they thought.
Su Xiaoqi looked at his agitated explanation.
He was nowhere near his usual calm and composed self; he was truly flustered.
She chuckled, deciding to stop teasing him.
"I didn't say anything, nor do I blame you, husband. Why are you so anxious?"
Shen Yun paused, carefully recalling Su Xiaoqi's actions just now.
It seemed true; she hadn't said a single bad word about him from beginning to end.
Moreover, when in front of Mei Xin, she had wholeheartedly defended him.
Little did she know, this made him even more ashamed.
This was trouble he had caused, and he should have resolved it himself without his wife's knowledge.
Instead, he had brought it home and troubled his wife to handle it.
"Don't overthink it, and don't say this is just your problem. We are husband and wife, one entity, aren't we?" Su Xiaoqi spoke with a soft, gentle voice, and Shen Yun immediately understood.
How could he have thought that way? His wife had always been different from other wives.
How could he judge her with ordinary people's thoughts?
"I'm just very curious. You've already rejected her so clearly, and I haven't exactly been polite to her either.
Why is she still stubbornly staying here?"
Su Xiaoqi genuinely couldn't understand.
Logically, no matter how much Mei Xin liked Shen Yun, given Shen Yun's attitude towards her, she should have given up by now.
After all, the case of Jiangning Prefecture had long been concluded.
Those who deserved to be exiled were exiled, and those whose property should be confiscated had their property confiscated.
Why was she still trying so hard to stay here?
Shen Yun wouldn't overthink things like she did.
It wasn't that he looked down on women.
He simply looked down on Mei Xin.
When she first appeared, he did have some residual affection for her.
Of course, it had nothing to do with romantic feelings.
Purely as an old acquaintance from his youth, he was willing to help her out.
But after being repeatedly pestered by Mei Xin, and when she kept bringing up their youthful affection, which perhaps never even existed, it began to annoy him.
He now just wanted to get rid of her completely.
Ideally, someone he would never see again.
So, he discussed with Su Xiaoqi where to settle her.
"This is difficult to arrange."
Su Xiaoqi spoke the truth.
Mei Xin had apparently been a concubine to a young master of the Huang family before.
But the Huang family had fallen, their property confiscated and their members exiled, so naturally, she could not return.
And she currently had no other relatives in the capital.
The Mei family did have some relatives who were exiled to Xinjiang.
But they wouldn't send her there.
Supporting her wouldn't be an issue, but they had no standing in this matter.
Yet, they couldn't just abandon her, as it would go against righteousness.
After all, she had contributed to the Jiangning Prefecture case.
The two pondered over it and found the matter indeed rather troublesome.
Su Xiaoqi said, "Why don't we send her back to the residence in Mao'er Hutong for now?"
Shen Yun frowned; he was reluctant.
He hadn't thought of it before, but now it bothered him greatly.
After all, this Zhuangyuan Mansion was bestowed by the Emperor, not his true home.
Mao'er Hutong was.
It held many traces of the effort he and Xiaoqi had put into decorating it.
The grapevines in the courtyard, the rockery in the back garden, the display cabinets in the rooms…
Selfishly, he didn't want his and Xiaoqi's private residence to be tainted by someone like Mei Xin.
He couldn't explain why, but it felt like a kind of mental fastidiousness.
He shared his concerns and unexpectedly received a kiss from Su Xiaoqi.
"This is probably because you consider it your home." Naturally, one wouldn't want unrelated people living in their own home.
In fact, it wasn't just Shen Yun; Su Xiaoqi also held a special affection for Mao'er Hutong.
It had witnessed the qualitative leap in her relationship with Shen Yun.
Both were somewhat reluctant to let go, so they temporarily set aside this idea.
Besides, arranging for her to stay in the outer courtyard for now wouldn't bother them.
They hadn't seen each other for a long time and didn't want to waste this precious time on Mei Xin.
"Let's go see Mother first," Su Xiaoqi urged Shen Yun.
Madam Zhao had already heard the news of Shen Yun's return from Madam Zhao.
Tea and snacks that Shen Yun liked were already prepared in the room.
Seeing the young and handsome couple walk in hand in hand, Madam Zhao was very happy. She stood up abruptly, intending to greet them.
Shen Yun was startled. What reason was there for a mother to come out and welcome her son back?
He pulled Su Xiaoqi and quickened their pace. They flanked Madam Zhao and knelt to pay their respects.
"Ah, ah, you're finally back," Madam Zhao said with full of joy and emotion.
From the end of April, Shen Yun had been on one trip after another.
First Jiangning Prefecture, then Tongzhou, and now the Gan Jin area.
However, his frequent travels and good execution of duties had led to rapid promotions.
His fellow Jinshi scholars were either junior academicians in the Hanlin Academy, assigned to the six ministries for observation, or sent to prefectures as county magistrates. In any case, none of them could compare to him, so how could their old mother not be proud?
Madam Zhao was not an ignorant woman. She knew her son had always been talented and different from others, coupled with his own hard work.
And with the help of a good wife like Xiaoqi, her son had such a bright future.
Madam Zhao had thought about it, and the Grand Princess and the Old Madam of the Duke of Yu's mansion had also spoken to her.
Promotions were good, but Madam Zhao's primary concern was Shen Yun's safety.
Seeing if he had lost weight, if he was tired, the family of three talked happily.
Madam Zhao then remembered Shen Mingzhu.
She remarked that it was late and her daughter had not yet returned from the shop.
And Erdan, at Qingyang Academy, could only return for one day a month.
The capital was unlike Zhaojia Village; one couldn't go out freely, nor were there elders to serve.
Moreover, there were no close neighbors to interact with. Madam Zhao gradually felt that life in the capital was not as good as in Zhaojia Village.
Su Xiaoqi understood her thoughts perfectly.
It was like an elderly lady from the countryside moving to the city, completely unaccustomed to it.
When they first arrived, Su Xiaoqi also found the rules in the capital to be many and troublesome.
But fortunately, their family was not like those old aristocratic families with strict rules, where women were not even allowed to go out, let alone start a business.
"Mother, if you have some free time, you can visit the Old Madam.
Also, you could consider rummaging through our family's storeroom and prepare some impressive dowry for Mingzhu."
Su Xiaoqi found something for Madam Zhao to do.
Shen Yun smiled and squeezed his wife's palm. His wife was truly thoughtful.
Su Xiaoqi's words immediately reminded Madam Zhao.
She nodded and agreed, her low spirits lifting instantly. She busied herself asking Su Xiaoqi if anyone had proposed to her younger sister.
Her son was already married, and now it was her daughter's turn for the important matters of life.