Chapter 21: Chapter 21 Catching Adultery in the Act
Behind the guesthouse’s rear wall, under the dim light.
Xia Chuyi stood with her hands stuffed in her pockets, standing straight, gazing at a certain window on the first floor of the guesthouse.
The curtain of that window was pulled tight, with just a dribble of sickly yellow light seeping through.
Suddenly, there was a burst of noise from inside the room as the curtain was yanked open, and a figure hurriedly scrambled out of the windowsill.
No sooner had the person tumbled out than they came face to face with Xia Chuyi.
The person was stunned.
Xia Chuyi regarded the person before her with cool detachment.
Perhaps in too great a haste to escape, He Qing hadn’t even put on his coat, his hair was disheveled, and his clothes were in disarray.
“He Qing, what are you doing out so late? What made you interested in sneaking out of my sister’s room?” Xia Chuyi’s tone was especially neutral, indifferent as if discussing the cold weather or a rising wind.
“Xia Chuyi…” He Qing’s face turned pale, then flushed as he wrapped himself with his coat, somewhat awkwardly facing her.
“Hey, I was wondering why your room is so odd, got burgled?”
Wang Xiaofang’s voice came from the room.
“No, no, no, it was stuffy, I just opened the window a bit…”
Shadows flickered behind the window.
“It’s so cold, why open the window…” Before she could finish, the curtain was lifted again.
Wang Xiaofang, with her face full of disdain, and Xia Lan, who tried unsuccessfully to stop her and who looked utterly panicked, along with the two people outside, were all clearly illuminated under the light.
“Oh my, why is there a man here?” Wang Xiaofang exclaimed with feigned surprise.
“This, this…” He Qing stuttered, unable to speak. He turned to look at Xia Chuyi, his eyes full of blame, as if to reproach her for being there at all since he could have otherwise made a clean escape.
Xia Lan bit her lip, on the verge of tears but not crying.
Xia Chuyi remained silent.
It was as if time had spiraled back to this morning when Xia Chuyi had hurriedly fled down from the second floor to avoid the scandal; back to her past life when outsiders witnessed her and Huo Shiqian disheveled together.
It’s true, you never know whom heaven will spare when you look up.
Wang Xiaofang glanced at He Qing, then at Xia Lan, and spat out with contempt.
“Pah, a couple of dogs!”
That shout shocked Xia Lan.
Xia Lan’s eyes widened before she lowered her head and began to cry softly.
After crying a few times, Xia Lan raised her head, looked through the window at Xia Chuyi, her eyes brimming with pain and guilt, and said in a voice full of pity, “Chuyi, sister didn’t mean to… Brother Qing and I, it’s mutual love.”
“You know, Brother Qing and I have been childhood sweethearts. It’s only because Qinghe’s parents looked down on my family’s poverty that…”
Upon hearing Xia Lan’s words, He Qing immediately found his direction and said righteously, “Yes, Xia Chuyi, your sister and I are truly in love. I had my family propose marriage, and it was Xia Lan I intended for them to propose to, not you! It got changed along the way!”
“From the beginning to the end, I never liked you. I was forced by my family!”
Xia Lan called out with tender affection, full of moved feelings, her voice heartbreakingly earnest.
In front of Xia Chuyi, He Qing confidently went back to the window, took Xia Lan’s hand, and looked disdainfully at Xia Chuyi, saying, “Don’t worry, I’m here for you!”
Wang Xiaofang stood aside, wide-eyed and speechless.
Xia Chuyi was expressionless: “Since the two of you are in love and you were forced, why didn’t you come to my family to call off the engagement?”
He Qing was caught off guard by the question.
Xia Lan immediately took over, “Parental orders and matchmaker’s words, Brother Qing is filial, that’s why he didn’t call off the engagement, right, Brother Qing? You accepted this marriage because of your respect for Uncle He and Aunt He, right?”