WBSGVS Chapter 155 V1

Xie Manor

When Qiyue returned from visiting a few of the concubines, her brows were furrowed. After dismissing the maid, she whispered, “Miss, Master hasn’t touched any of the concubines again—it’s been three days now.”

“But he’s still drinking the soup you asked me to give him…”

To keep Xie Rongyun from exhausting himself too early, Qingli had been secretly brewing him a medicinal tonic. The soup enhanced a man’s stamina in certain ways, but since it worked by overdrawing energy in advance, extended use would eventually take a toll.

That said, it also significantly increased his… needs.

With the effects of the tonic and several charming concubines around, the fact that he’d still managed to restrain himself raised some serious questions. Where was all that energy going?

Qiyue didn’t dare speculate too much, but Qingli remembered something from her past life that made her uneasy—Xie Yuning had once said something that left a deep impression. Those two weren’t the type to respect traditional boundaries.

If Xie Rongyun wasn’t touching anyone else, then it likely meant things with Mu Lanyer had already reached a boiling point.

After a moment of thought, Qingli said calmly, “Leave it alone.”

These concubines she’d personally selected weren’t the type to take rejection lightly. It would be one thing if there were no men around, but he was right there, and he’d already slept with two of the others. Now that it was the third’s turn, and he suddenly abstained? No way they’d buy that.

Just as Qingli expected, after Consort Xu and Consort Zhang, it was Consort Zhou’s turn—and suddenly, Xie Rongyun started acting like a saint?

Consort Zhou wasn’t having it. The next day, after getting Qingli’s permission, she went out for a bit.

Later that evening, Qiyue came to report back. After dinner, Xie Rongyun went to the study to handle some matters, and Consort Zhou personally brought him a bowl of tonic soup.

That night, the study requested bathwater.

Qiyue, who had never experienced a true inner-court power struggle before, was dumbfounded. Could you handle things like this?

But honestly, this was nothing.

The only pity was that it benefited Xie Rongyun.

Qingli was about to poke fun at Qiyue when she suddenly heard something on the rooftop. She paused, then chuckled, “What’s the big deal? He’s no saint. A man who can sell even his own body—of course, he can’t resist temptation. Let’s call it a night.”

Qiyue nodded blankly. Technically, she was supposed to be on night duty, so she’d been keeping an eye on the study the whole time. As soon as the maid brought news, she couldn’t wait to come share it with Qingli.

Now that she had, she felt like she’d overreacted. She quietly stepped out and closed the door.

With a soft creak, silence returned to the room.

Qingli opened the window. As soon as she turned around, a black-clad young man stood before her.

“Second Young Master Nie,” she said softly.

Nie Xiao stared at her for a moment, as if trying to figure out what kind of person she was. But as soon as he realized she was wearing nightclothes, his eyes flicked upward, and a faint blush spread across his face. He lowered his voice. “This morning, the Third Prince tried to trade horses with the Sixth Prince. After being refused, he rode his horse, but midway, it suddenly went wild. He was nearly trampled to death.”

Qingli gasped and quickly covered her mouth, genuinely shocked. “That’s what happened?”

Nie Xiao fell silent for a beat. “How did you know?”

Qingli pointed in the direction of the study and said earnestly, “I overheard it. I couldn’t let someone like that endanger the Sixth Prince, so I passed the message along.”

Nie Xiao frowned slightly and glanced in that direction too. When he’d first arrived, he’d heard a maid telling Qingli what was going on in the study. That had unsettled him enough to make some noise on the roof.

After a moment of hesitation, he believed her explanation. He pressed his lips together and said, “His Highness said to thank you for the warning. He even considered promoting Xie Rongyun because of it. I thought I’d ask—what do you want in return?”

Qingli had thought this through. Without hesitation, she said, “I heard there’s been unrest in the Lianshao region—bandits causing trouble. The court’s been trying to assign someone, but no one’s been chosen yet. If, by next month, it’s still undecided… could you send Xie Rongyun?”

Lianshao’s bandits?

Nie Xiao stared at her intently.

Qingli beamed, her voice light and crisp. “I don’t think it’s such a hard thing to arrange. His Highness wouldn’t refuse, right? I think you overheard everything just now—you should know my reasons.”

“…Do you want me to just take care of him directly?” Nie Xiao asked quietly, glancing at her again. His tone was a little more relaxed now.

Qingli’s smile widened. “Even better! Just don’t let him die too quickly!”

She’d been planning to do it herself, but if someone else wanted to take over, even better. She had no reason to say no.

Nie Xiao nodded. “Alright.”

Qingli waited, thinking he might say more. But after that single word, he fell silent again. She hesitated—were they just going to stand here all night?

That would be awkward.

Also… she was getting sleepy.

She yawned quietly, raising her arm. Her sleeve slipped down, revealing a small section of her pale, delicate wrist.

Nie Xiao, just about to speak again, suddenly froze. He quickly looked away, staring at the wooden beam above, clearly distracted.

Qingli’s yawn was over in a flash, and she lowered her arm, not noticing the effect it had. Seeing Nie Xiao staring at the ceiling, she panicked a little, wondering if something was hidden up there. She looked up, too.

After a while, seeing nothing unusual, she felt slightly exasperated. She was about to call out to him—

But then the young man seemed to return to his senses. He cleared his throat and said, “His Highness said… If anything else like this happens, please report it again. You’ll be well rewarded.”

“Of course!” Qingli grinned.

Nie Xiao lowered his gaze and, for a moment, his eyes rested on her smiling face. Then, as if forcing himself to move, he finally turned to leave. “I’ll take my leave.”

“Take care,” Qingli said cheerfully.