Becoming the Cannon Fodder Wife of Crazy and Powerful Official - Chapter 28

Shen Qingqi’s sudden voice caught Xin Yueying off guard, making her a little flustered.

“Huh?” Xin Yueying instinctively glanced at the mirror, catching sight of her own puffy, sleep-swollen eyes and the bird’s nest atop her head. Looking down, she saw the clothes she’d slept in were now covered in wrinkles. In a fluster, she haphazardly tried to smooth down her hair.

“What did you buy this for?” she asked, still fussing with her hair.

Shen Qingqi, “Your things were stuffed randomly into the cabinet; it was a mess.”

Xin Yueying gathered her thick hair with her right hand, twisting it round and round at the back of her head.

“Sit here,” he said, pointing to the chair in front of the dressing table.

Thinking he had something to say, Xin Yueying simply smoothed her hair down her back and sat down.

She didn’t expect Shen Qingqi’s long, pale fingers to pick up the comb from the table, nor for him to take a small wooden box from the vanity case and place it on his lap. He wheeled his chair around behind her.

“Turn around,” he said, pressing his lips together, “I’ll do your hair.”

His voice was much lower than usual, laced with a hint of nervousness.

Xin Yueying stared at his reflection in the mirror, “Maybe not. Last time, after you did that hairstyle, Huo Qi called me ‘Old Taoist Xin’ for days.”

She scratched her head, embarrassed, “It probably really didn’t suit me. I can just tie it up casually.”

“I learned a little from Auntie Song,” he said, his eyes downcast, avoiding her gaze in the mirror. His sword-like eyebrows were slightly furrowed, “What choice do I have? You’re so clumsy, you can’t even do your own hair. Always running around with a mess on your head—people will really start thinking you’re a little lunatic.”

“Let me tell you something,” she retorted, meeting his gaze defiantly, “Out of everyone in Niujiagou, the person with the most stable emotions is me, Xin Yueying.”

“Hurry up,” he said impatiently, his brow still furrowed, “I still have to go help Xie Asheng.”

He opened the box on his lap, which contained hair ribbons of various colors. He looked up at the dressing table and asked her, “What are you wearing today?”

Xin Yueying said absently, “Just this, I guess.”

Shen Qingqi looked down at her clothes, frowning, “It’s all wrinkled. Wear that pomegranate-red one.”

His tone was casual, “There are three sets of inner garments in the cabinet. Light blue silk, that one with the crimson cloud embroidery, and another set in sky blue. Those three are for sleeping in at night. Don’t wear this one to sleep…”

The words ‘it’s uncomfortable’ reached the tip of his tongue but stopped.

He changed his phrasing, “…you’ll ruin it. This was quite expensive. Be more careful with what you wear.”

Xin Yueying’s mouth fell open as she stared straight at Shen Qingqi’s reflection in the mirror.

What kind of person is this? She truly couldn’t figure him out.

Shen Qingqi gathered her thick hair in his left hand and patiently began combing it with his right.

“You said the shopkeeper picked them out. How do you know exactly which clothes I have? Didn’t you say you didn’t look carefully?” she asked coolly.

Shen Qingqi’s comb paused. He looked at Xin Yueying in the mirror, “I spent the money. Shouldn’t I know what I bought?”

“Well, since you looked, then what’s the deal with that bellyband?”

The question returned to the bellyband.

Shen Qingqi never expected her to be waiting for him here with that.

His sword-like eyebrows knitted tightly together, “Why do you have so many questions? Do you want your hair done or not?”

“……”

He shot her an impatient look, then looked down and selected a pomegranate-red hair ribbon. He held it gently between his lips, using both hands to style her hair.

She looked at the reflection of the quiet Shen Qingqi in the mirror. Behind him, sunlight streamed through the paper window, filling the room, and within that beam of light, even tiny specks of dust could be seen dancing gently.

He was as pale as snow, his features seemingly carved with exquisite precision. Even though he wore simple, ordinary hemp clothes, they couldn’t conceal his clear, transcendent aura.

She looked down again at the dazzling array of jewelry in the vanity case, then at the exquisitely crafted clothes she was wearing.

He had money now, so why hadn’t he bought himself a single nice set of clothes?

All he knew was how to annoy people with his bad temper, but didn’t know how to get himself some decent clothes. What a difficult child.

But it had to be said, Shen Qingqi was truly clever. She watched as her usually unruly hair became obedient and well-behaved in his hands. Her dark tresses were styled into two beautiful spiral buns, tied with two striking red ribbons. He picked white pearl hairpins and adorned them on either side of the buns. At a glance, she looked bright, beautiful, and charming.

“Wow…” Xin Yueying stared straight at the dressing table mirror.

As she looked, her gaze shifted to Shen Qingqi’s reflection, who was also intently watching her.

He straightened her head and was also examining her, quietly admiring the Xin Yueying in the mirror.

His fingertips rested lightly near her temples.

She was a bit dazed, somewhat entranced. Her sparkling eyes held a blazing light as she stared unblinkingly at him. His right hand gently moved downward, his cool fingertips tracing a path until they lightly touched her cheek, stroking the corner of her eye.

This overly intimate gesture made her heartbeat quicken.

He raised his hand and suddenly smiled.

Xin Yueying tilted her head, wide-eyed, staring at him.

“Eye crust.”

He turned his fingertip over, thoughtfully showing it to Xin Yueying.

Xin Yueying’s dark pupils crossed slightly as she looked at the glistening piece of sleep sand before her eyes.

“………”

She froze on the spot.

He looked down with a laugh, turned his wheelchair, and went out.

Xin Yueying stared blankly at the swaying door curtain.

She concluded that the fact she hadn’t gone insane yet, despite being tormented by these people every day, was truly a magnificent achievement.

Xin Yueying arrived at Lame Ma’s house in the afternoon.

As expected, it was still impossible to squeeze through the crowd in front of the door; the line under the old locust tree was even longer than a few days ago.

Xin Yueying tied up the donkey, and this time just pushed the door open and went straight in.

It gave Lame Ma a fright.

He turned around in a panic, but upon seeing it was Xin Yueying, he relaxed, “Close the door quickly.”

She closed the door.

This time, Lame Ma didn’t bother hiding his activities from her. He simply sat right in front of her at the table, studying the process of making poison.

His bamboo cage held two small chicks, probably for his experiments.

Xin Yueying shot him a glare, angrily sat down by the table to rest her feet.

Seeing that reasoning with him was futile, she might as well ask him about Shen Qingqi’s legs while he was still alive,
“Besides medicinal compresses, could acupuncture be useful for his legs?”

“Acupuncture would only make his legs worse,” Lame Ma said without looking at her, focused on using a small spoon to place some powder into the feed trough in the chick cage.

“How so?”

Limping Ma held up one finger, “The knees are particularly susceptible to wind pathogens, especially in his condition. After acupuncture, the acupoints open. If wind pathogens enter, it’s not something that can be expelled quickly. That’s the first point.”

He held up two fingers, “Second, the joint is enclosed by bone. If the needle technique isn’t mastered properly and goes too deep, damaging the meridians, then his leg will be completely useless.”

Xin Yueying looked at Lame Ma in shock. Meng Ruxin had been taking silver needles to Shen Qingqi every day before: stab, stab, stab.

Who knows how many people she’s caused problems for with her needles.

She was terrifying.

Lame Ma tapped the table with his fingertip, watching the chicks peck at the feed.

His eyes filled with a sinister light. He stroked his beard with his index finger, gave a crafty laugh, and held his breath, waiting for the chicks to succumb.

“BOOM—————” A tremendous noise erupted from outside.

Lame Ma and Xin Yueying jumped in fright.

“Everyone, get out of my way!”

Xin Yueying and Lame Ma’s eyes lit up. They exchanged a glance, then whooshed towards the front window, opened it swiftly, and looked out at the man.

Xin Yueying strained her eyes and saw a group of constables in purple uniforms standing outside the yard. They held gleaming knives in their hands. Xin Yueying’s face turned deathly pale, and she was so scared that she instantly collapsed onto the ground.

Lame Ma was also terrified. He rushed back to the table, frantically gathering up the scattered evidence of his crimes.

“Close the window quickly! They’re here to arrest me and my husband!” Xin Yueying said, trembling with fear.

“You close it! They’re here to arrest me!” Lame Ma said, flustered and panicked.