She mistakenly got into the bridal sedan chair and married a sickly but powerful minister, becoming

With these thoughts in mind, Shen Qingtan took action and went to the door to greet Zhao Yi.

This was the first time Zhao Yi had received such treatment. He raised an eyebrow and asked, "Was your trip to the Marquis's residence today successful?"

Shen Qingtan smiled and said, "With Second Master's secret assistance, things will naturally go smoothly."

"Secretly?" Zhao Yi coughed a few times, a smile playing on his lips. "When Jiang Chao and Jiang Mu went to the Marquis's residence with you, I thought they were openly on your side."

Shen Qingtan: "..."

Liu Yue covered her mouth and chuckled from behind.

Shen Qingtan glared at Liu Yue and followed Zhao Yi into the inner room. She saw him take out casual clothes from the sandalwood wardrobe with carved poems. After hesitating for a moment, she stepped forward and came to stand in front of him.

"Second Master, let me help you undress."

Her delicate fingers reached for the leather belt around his waist.

Zhao Yi froze, pressing his fingers against the back of her hand: "I can do it myself."

"Second Master, we are husband and wife, it is my duty to undress you." Shen Qingtan raised her eyes, looked at his somewhat unnatural face, and pursed her lips, saying, "Or... do you not like other people being close to you?"

Zhao Yi lowered her eyes, her clear gaze seemingly holding a hint of probing. It was as if her rejection this time meant she would never be close to him again.

"No."

Zhao Yi slowly withdrew his hand, letting her undress him.

Seeing that he had given his consent, Shen Qingtan's eyelashes trembled slightly.

On the day they returned from the palace, the carriage encountered an unexpected situation, and the two of them collided.

At that time, she vaguely sensed that Zhao Yi seemed less averse to her.

Zhao Yi watched as she lowered her long eyelashes and carefully untied his leather belt, doing what a wife does for her husband.

He spread his arms and let her take off her regular clothes and change into casual clothes.

Shen Qingtan said softly, "Alright."

Zhao Yi didn't move, but watched as her slender fingers straightened his collar and smoothed out the creases.

That moment seemed to press into the depths of his heart, causing a slight ripple to spread across his calm, still heart.

He opened his eyes and gazed at the gentleness in her eyes, and was momentarily stunned.

The atmosphere was so pleasant and warm that it gave him a slight illusion.

It was as if they were a perfectly matched and harmonious couple.

He unexpectedly thought of the divorce papers left with his grandfather.

"Second Master, are you free now?" Shen Qingtan helped him change his clothes and took a step back. "I have something to tell you."

Zhao Yi concealed the emotions in her eyes: "I'm free."

Shen Qingtan gave him a faint smile, walked to the outer room, and instructed Liuyue to go out and guard the door.

Upon seeing this, Zhao Yi subconsciously glanced at his newly worn casual clothes, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes.

After washing his hands, he sat down opposite Shen Qingtan, his mind preoccupied.

Shen Qingtan poured him a glass of warm water and asked thoughtfully, "Why did you investigate my elder brother, Second Master?"

“You were bullied in the Marquis’s mansion, and I wanted to find out what happened, so I sent someone to investigate secretly.” Zhao Yi did not hide anything from her, and then apologized to her: “I’m sorry, I interfered in your affairs without your consent.”

"There's nothing to apologize for. You were just concerned about me." Shen Qingtan was initially a little reserved, but seeing Zhao Yi's frank yet sincere attitude, she gradually relaxed and said just as sincerely, "I was forced into this situation by you. You were willing to accept me during my most difficult time, and you treated me with all your heart, protecting me. I'm so grateful..."

She paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "This is very precious to me, how could I blame you?"

"Life is full of disappointments, and no one has a smooth life." Zhao Yi breathed a sigh of relief when he heard her nonchalant words.

He looked into her sad eyes and said gently, "There is a lot of fate between people. It is fate that brought us together, not that anyone forced you on me."

Shen Qingtan was taken aback.

Zhao Yi smiled and said, "My mother said that I am able to marry you because of the good fortune I had in my past life, and I should cherish you."

A look of surprise flashed across Shen Qingtan's eyes as she held the teacup in both hands: "I'm not as good as my mother says."

Zhao Yi stared intently at her with his dark eyes, and said in a clear and gentle voice, "Whether you are well or not, no matter what others say, it's useless. I have my own experience."

Hearing his firm tone, Shen Qingtan felt a pang in her heart.

Looking into his gentle, deep eyes, she felt as if she could easily say the words that were difficult to utter in front of him.

"Don't you find it strange that the Marquis and his wife, who once doted on me so much, would scheme against me when I was getting married?"

Before he could answer, Shen Qingtan curled her lips and said sarcastically, "Because I am not their daughter, but someone they stole and brought back. From the very beginning, they treated me as a tool for profit, and all that pampering was just a way to deceive me. Even if they had invested a little bit of their true feelings, they wouldn't have been so heartless as to abandon me."

Shen Shaoheng is related to them by blood, and they persecuted him for infringing on their interests. How much more so would they persecute someone who is not related to them by blood?

If she continues to be as close as sisters with Shen Mingzhu and obediently accepts the maidservant arranged by Madam Shen, they will not secretly plot against her. They will still pretend to be a good mother and a good sister, coaxing her to be their slave.

A look of surprise flashed across Zhao Yi's eyes, as if she hadn't expected this reason.

Then, recalling what the Marquis of Chengen's family had done, he was no longer surprised.

Because his lifespan is short, and Shen Qingtan is a daughter carefully cultivated by the family, it would be more beneficial for the Marquis's mansion if she married Zhao Jue, considering the family's interests.

No wonder the Marquis's mansion went to such lengths to arrange a marriage exchange. If the truth is that Shen Qingtan is not the Marquis's biological daughter, then all of this is explained.

“Today I went to Old Madam Shen’s courtyard, and she gave me a pair of bracelets. They were the ones I was wearing when Madam Hou abducted me.” Shen Qingtan got up and went to the inner room to take out the bracelets, then handed them to Zhao Yi: “Madam Hou abducted me in Nanling Prefecture. You have more connections than I do. If it’s convenient, could you keep an eye out for me?”

"Hmm." Zhao Yi took the gold bracelet, examined it for a moment, and frowned slightly. "The patterns and characters on the bracelet are quite special. Each family has its own characters and totems. We can start from there."

"You make the arrangements, but don't make too much noise. Do it secretly, and it's okay if it's a little slower, as long as you don't alert them." Shen Qingtan was uneasy. In this life, because of her rebirth, many things in her previous life had changed.

She worried that her parents, who were having a smooth relationship, would suffer irreversible harm because of the commotion she was causing.

Shen Qingtan emphasized, "Their safety is paramount."

"it is good."

Zhao Yi looked at the gold bracelet several more times, memorizing the unique pattern. He placed the bracelet in her hand and watched her carefully put the item into the lacquer box. Some thoughts welled up in his heart.

Shen Qingtan told him everything about her background without any secrets, which showed how much she trusted him.

Zhao Yi mentally organized his words, trying to figure out how to tell her that he had written a letter of divorce and left it with his grandfather. He assured her that if he were no longer around, the Duke's mansion would not restrict her from living whatever kind of life she wanted, and would be her support and backing.