NOVEL NEXT
Chapter 167
Zhou Heng had no intention of involving Li Xia. "You don't need to worry, I've arranged everything."
Li Xia looked at Zhou Heng with concern. Zhou Heng raised his hand as if making a promise, "Don't worry, this time I won't let our own people get hurt again."
"Contact me anytime if you need anything," Li Xia instructed before leaving Tian Yi Pavilion and returning to Qingyue Street. Having sorted out her thoughts, Li Xia slept peacefully.
When she went to pay respects at Wild Goose Pavilion, she mentioned wanting to visit the Wang Family before the new year to check on Xu Xinyue.
Knowing that Li Xia was concerned about the pregnant Xu Xinyue, Mrs. Lu agreed to let Li Xia go and took out many suitable supplements for pregnant women from the storehouse. Li Xia arrived at the Wang Family with a carriage full of goods.
Seeing Li Xia arrive, the visibly pregnant Xu Xinyue came running. This action frightened everyone behind her, "Madam, you mustn't!" Li Xia was also startled and quickly got off the carriage to support Xu Xinyue.
"Be careful, you're pregnant," Li Xia carefully supported Xu Xinyue, intending to scold her but saw that Xu Xinyue was in tears. She suppressed the thousand words in her heart. Pregnancy had turned her into a crybaby.
"You haven't come to see me for so long," Xu Xinyue said, as if Li Xia were an unfaithful lover.
Carefully helping Xu Xinyue sit down inside, Li Xia asked, "How's the little brother doing? Is he being naughty?" She looked at the protruding belly.
"What brother? It's a sister," Xu Xinyue didn't want a boy. She was hoping for a daughter.
"Alright, alright, it's a sister," Li Xia didn't argue with Xu Xinyue. With her upgraded ability, Li Xia could sense more. She could tell the baby in the belly was a boy. fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com
"Look, I've made so many little clothes," Xu Xinyue brought out all the baby clothes she had made. Calculating that the child would be born in April of next year, Xu Xinyue had made all pink spring outfits for a girl.
"It's still early, there's no need to make so many," Li Xia said, looking at the dozen or so girl outfits Xu Xinyue had made. Thinking about how the little brother would look wearing when he's born, Li Xia couldn't help but smile.
"Ever since I got pregnant, they won't let me do anything. If I don't make baby clothes to pass the time, I'll die of boredom," Xu Xinyue said as she pulled out two winter outfits she had made for Li Xia from underneath. "I made these for you, try them on and see if they fit."
The two winter outfits were as pink as the baby clothes. Li Xia's smile froze on her face.
"Mother, what you made for me must fit, no need to try," Li Xia put them aside, feeling her eyes hurt just looking at them.
"You're really angry with me," Xu Xinyue's tears fell.
"Alright, I'll try them on," Li Xia reluctantly agreed.
Xu Xinyue immediately stopped crying and put the two outfits in Li Xia's hands. "Go try them on quickly, I want to see you in both."
Li Xia silently reminded herself that this was her mother, her pregnant mother. She took the clothes and went into the inner room.
Xu Xinyue folded the baby clothes while waiting for Li Xia. Every so often she would call out, "Xia'er, are you done? I want to see."
"I'm done," Li Xia walked out looking as if she were going to her execution.
Xu Xinyue looked Li Xia up and down. The pink, cute clothes indeed didn't suit Li Xia. Seeing Li Xia's expression as if facing death, Xu Xinyue couldn't help but burst into laughter.
Li Xia turned and went back to change into her original clothes, unwilling to wear them anymore. Xu Xinyue didn't force her to wear them again.
"Are you happy now?" Li Xia looked at Xu Xinyue laughing heartily.
"Yes, I'm happy," Xu Xinyue couldn't stop laughing. This whole act was intentional; she wanted to see Li Xia in pink clothes. Since childhood, Li Xia had always refused to wear such clothes, and Xu Xinyue could never persuade her. This time, taking advantage of her pregnancy and Li Xia's unlimited tolerance for her, she played this little trick on her.
After spending a day with Xu Xinyue at the Wang Family, Li Xia got in the carriage to return to Qingyue Street as evening approached.
"Young Master," Qiuchan's voice sounded from outside the carriage door.
Then Li Hui lifted the curtain and sat inside the carriage.
"Big brother, you're hurt," Li Xia smelled a hint of blood on Li Hui.
"Ran into some ruffians," Li Hui raised his arm, which had a long, deep cut.
"What were Zhang Hu and the others doing?" Li Xia sprinkled some hemostatic powder on the wound. Her handkerchief was too small, so she tore a strip from the pink clothes Xu Xinyue had insisted she take back and used it to bandage the wound.
"I didn't let Zhang Hu and the others follow me," After leaving the Supreme Court, Li Hui had gone alone to buy a gift for An'an. On his way home, walking through a small alley, several people suddenly rushed out with knives and attacked him.
Li Hui was caught off guard and got his arm cut. Fortunately, Li Hui had never slacked off on his training and managed to fight back and drive off the attackers.
"Who has big brother offended recently?"
"Don't worry about this," Li Hui had someone in mind but didn't want Li Xia to know the details.
"If big brother won't tell me, I'll investigate myself," As for what Li Xia would do once she found out, that was beyond Li Hui's control.
Hearing Li Xia's implied meaning, Li Hui reluctantly explained. The first case Li Hui took on after joining the Supreme Court, although they caught the culprit, Yu Wu, the son of the steward of the Minister of Works, Li Hui always felt that he wasn't the real murderer.
Before Yu Wu's execution, Li Hui visited him multiple times, hoping he would reveal the true culprit. But Yu Wu remained silent. Li Hui's superior, Zhang Qun, the Deputy Chief Judge of the Supreme Court, hinted to Li Hui that the matter should end there and not be investigated further.
Li Hui outwardly agreed not to investigate, but privately continued his inquiry. Finally, not long ago, he discovered that the real culprit was Liu Yuanchang, the son of Liu Jie, the Minister of Works.
Liu Yuanchang was a notorious playboy in the capital. His favorite pastime was seducing married women and destroying families. Liu Yuanchang mostly targeted families living outside the city. Afterward, the Liu family would send people to silence them, so it never caused trouble.
Liu Yuanchang accompanied his grandmother to offer incense at Qingan Temple and saw a beautiful woman. He found out that she was the wife of a hunter living at the foot of a nearby mountain. The hunter was of ordinary status, with no powerful connections. The woman usually stayed at home doing embroidery to sell and supplement the family income.
Liu Yuanchang pretended to be an out-of-town merchant interested in the woman's embroidery. He struck up a conversation with her, trying to seduce her. But the woman was faithful and ignored all of Liu Yuanchang's advances.
After several unsuccessful attempts, Liu Yuanchang lost patience. When the woman came to deliver her embroidery, he forced himself on her. Afterward, he left her a silver ingot to buy her silence. The woman, feeling disgraced, went home and hanged herself that night.
When the hunter returned home with his catch, full of joy, he opened the door to find his wife hanging from the beam. The woman had left a suicide note explaining that she had been violated and was no longer worthy of being the hunter's wife.
The hunter deeply loved his wife. After discovering everything, he investigated and found out that Liu Yuanchang had caused his wife's death. When Liu Yuanchang was away, the hunter set a trap intending to kill him. However, Liu Jie already knew about Liu Yuanchang's deeds. Fearing for Liu Yuanchang's safety, he arranged for numerous people to protect him. The hunter was overpowered and captured.
Liu Yuanchang's face was injured in the encounter. He brought the hunter back to his mansion, torturing him to death, and ordered Yu Wu to dispose of the body. Yu Wu and his men threw the hunter's corpse into the moat surrounding the city.