After Qin Yongtao’s burial, Qin Shuying finally returned to the Liang residence.

When saying farewell to Qin Yunyun and the others, Qin Shuying noticed that Qin Yunyun’s gaze toward her carried a drifting, evasive quality. When their eyes met, Qin Yunyun instinctively looked away.

Qin Shuying couldn’t be bothered to say anything and directly boarded the Earl’s residence carriage.

Their suspicion was inevitable, and their retaliation was equally inevitable. However, she had already made everything clear with Zhou Qin today, openly declaring her position.

Therefore, from now on, she, Qin Shuying, would never again be soft-hearted.

Upon returning home, Liang Zhe was lying on the couch by the window, teasing the rainbow parrot: “Wife, wife, your husband is hungry, please feed your husband…”

The rainbow parrot imitated perfectly: “Wife, wife, your husband is hungry, want food, want food…”

“Not just want food, but you feed your husband.”

The rainbow parrot tilted its head: “Don’t understand.”

Liang Zhe was so frustrated he wanted to throw it out: “Stupid bird!”

The rainbow parrot retorted indignantly: “You’re the stupid bird!”

When Qin Shuying entered and saw them bickering, she shook her head: “You’re both good birds, good birds, enough already, okay?”

Liang Zhe laughed: “Wife, how did you learn to scold people?”

Qin Shuying sat beside him: “Let me see if your wounds have healed.”

Liang Zhe’s fiery eyes swept over Qin Shuying once: “All better, all better, completely healed.”

Qin Shuying knew Liang Zhe had no good intentions, glared at him reproachfully, and was about to examine Liang Zhe when suddenly the rainbow parrot chimed in: “Bird is also better!”

Qin Shuying’s face immediately turned bright red, while Liang Zhe laughed “heh heh heh”: “What nonsense are you talking? My wife doesn’t even know, what do you know?”

Qin Shuying’s face grew even redder, scolding: “If you keep talking nonsense, I’ll leave!”

The rainbow parrot jumped in its cage: “Bird is just better, just better!”

Liang Zhe grabbed Qin Shuying’s hand, and she blushed deeply: “Ziyu!”

Liang Zhe laughed happily: “Shuying, why is your face so red?”

Qin Shuying could neither leave nor stay, sternly scolding with a straight face: “You really forget the pain once the wound heals! Quickly lie down and let me examine your wound!”

Liang Zhe continued laughing, knowing Qin Shuying was thin-skinned and would actually leave if he continued, so he quickly complied with her request and lay down.

Qin Shuying carefully examined him, finally breathing a sigh of relief: “Just need more rest and you’ll be fine. So many wounds, how painful that must have been. Damn Zhou Qin, he truly deserves to die!”

The playful expression on Liang Zhe’s face finally diminished slightly: “He knows how formidable we are now. He actually dared to attack me, but with just a little scheming from my wife, he’s eating his just desserts.”

Qin Shuying hadn’t initially intended to kill Qin Yongtao.

Ziteng had brought two black iron boxes. One actually contained a letter threatening Qin Yongtao – if he didn’t act according to her instructions, she would expose the fact that Xu Shi had become pregnant during the mourning period. The second box was the one that contained the poison.

If Qin Yongtao refused to see Ziteng, then Ziteng would give Qin Yongtao the second black iron box.

Who would have thought Qin Yongtao would court his own death by fooling around with a maid for so long. He was getting old after all, and it had been a long time since he’d done such things. When stimulated by the poison, he actually died.

Incidentally, it also brought down Zhou Qin, who had been unconscious for days.

Qin Shuying said: “Ziyu, I haven’t finished avenging myself against Zhou Qin yet. Does Ziyu have anything to say?”

“Whatever my wife commands, I would die ten thousand deaths without refusal.”

“Bah bah bah, why talk about death and dying?”

Liang Zhe stared at her with burning eyes: “Wife, whether your husband lives or dies, you’ll know if you test it.”

Qin Shuying knew that once Liang Zhe improved even a little, he’d start being improper. Thinking of how he tormented her every time he returned from the garrison, she couldn’t help but blush deeply.

Liang Zhe was vigorous, and sometimes Qin Shuying really couldn’t handle it.

“Ziyu, I’m speaking seriously. I’m pregnant, so I can’t serve you now. There are three concubines in the back courtyard who can serve you…”

Liang Zhe’s expression immediately darkened, interrupting Qin Shuying: “No!”

Although Qin Shuying didn’t want other women serving Liang Zhe, he was a man in his prime who had already tasted pleasure. How could he go without someone to serve him? Rather than let him lose control outside and find someone of unknown background, better to use those few confined in the back courtyard.

These past months, although those women had pulled various tricks, they ultimately hadn’t caused any major waves. Qin Shuying was confident she could control them.

“Why is that?”

Liang Zhe asked sullenly: “Shuying, don’t you like me?”

“Why do you ask that?”

Liang Zhe’s voice carried some grievance: “Why push me toward other people?”

Qin Shuying fell silent.

She truly had come to love him, hadn’t she?

Otherwise, why would she faint upon hearing news of his severe injury? Why would she transform into a venomous woman to avenge him, even killing her biological father from her previous life, her uncle in this life?

But… she really wasn’t completely psychologically prepared yet.

No, she had been avoiding it all along. She didn’t dare face it, had never dared to face it, didn’t dare completely open her heart, didn’t dare tell herself that she had fallen in love with another man again.

Seeing the hesitation on the woman’s face, Liang Zhe grasped Qin Shuying’s hand. Her hand was so small – her entire person was small, curled up in his arms like such a tiny bundle.

Her parents had died early, her uncle and aunt watched her with predatory eyes, her cousin wished she could devour her flesh and blood, and even her grandmother’s protection was limited. She had barely managed to escape from that wolf’s den.

Yet the Liang family was hardly any better than the Qin family. She had exhausted all her mental energy and schemes to plan their way to today.

He said he supported the Crown Prince, so she stood behind him, helping him navigate the whirlpool of succession struggles step by step, forcing herself to become a ruthless woman…

Liang Zhe said gently: “Shuying, Father and Mother originally had very good feelings for each other, but because of Luo Meixiang’s interference, they became estranged, ultimately leading to tragedy. Actually, if Mother had trusted Father, I think perhaps she wouldn’t have suffered so much later. But Mother didn’t trust Father, and with the old woman stirring up trouble, that’s how later events unfolded. So, Shuying, you must trust me, trust yourself. Shuying, now you just focus on nurturing the baby. Everything else is on me.”

Qin Shuying responded with complex emotions. Liang Zhe felt she still had things left unsaid, so he spoke to Qin Shuying’s abdomen: “Baby, your mother doesn’t trust Daddy.”

Qin Shuying smiled it off. Talking about all this now was pointless. The future was long – they’d see how things developed.

Then she heard Liang Zhe say: “Zhou Qin dared to provoke my wife, so I’ll let him properly enjoy the consequences of provoking my wife. Zhou Qin has already been broken by my wife’s games. Now it’s my turn to play with him. Wife, don’t interfere this time – just peacefully nurture the baby at home. This time, if we’re going to play, let’s play big.”

“What does Ziyu plan to do?”

Liang Zhe’s eyes narrowed: “Wife, you just focus on nurturing the baby. Everything else is on me!”