Chapter 60: Elder Sister, Impotent? Marry Big Brother

"Huh?"
Xia He was startled.
He couldn't quite understand why his wife kept trying to matchmake him with Yang Qing'er.
His brow furrowed instantly.
Seeing Xia He look somewhat displeased, Li Huilan felt her heart tighten, fearing he might misunderstand.
Quickly, a flush rose to her cheeks, and she hurriedly explained,
"Don't be angry, Brother He. You are a capable man, and you will surely take concubines in the future."
She believed that Xia He was destined for greatness and would take concubines sooner or later. Finding someone at random outside worried her, as she wouldn't trust them.
It would be much better to choose Yang Qing'er, seeing as the two women already got along reasonably well.
Moreover, Yang Qing'er was diligent, gentle, and shared a harmonious rapport with her.
On top of that, ever since Xia He began practicing martial arts, he had become increasingly formidable in that regard, and she alone could no longer keep up with him. Thus, she had been thinking of finding a sister to share the burden.
Seeing his wife's anxious expression, Xia He felt a pang of tenderness and pulled her into his arms.
Overcome with a wave of affection, he gently embraced Li Huilan and murmured softly,
"My silly Lan'er, my heart can hold only you and no other; not a single other woman could ever step foot inside."
Although Li Huilan had previously brought up the topic of Xia He taking concubines on multiple occasions, hearing him express such deep and unwavering devotion at this moment made her lovely face flush as bright as a ripened apple, while her heart felt as sweet as honey.
Washing clothes in the courtyard, Yang Qing'er caught the movement inside the room, a trace of envy flashing in her eyes.
"Brother He is really so good to Sister Lan."
Not only was Sister Lan exceedingly virtuous, but she was also as gentle as water, making everyone around her feel as comfortable as a gentle spring breeze.
Furthermore, the way Xia He treated his wife was vastly different from all the other men she had ever witnessed.
In Yang Qing'er's past perception, men with even a shred of capability typically loved to carouse and indulge in sensual pleasures outside.
Upon returning home, they would assume an arrogant and overbearing posture, bossing their wives around as if they were mere servants.
Even her own father was like that, ordering her mother about throughout his entire life.
At this thought, Yang Qing'er could not help letting out a soft sigh.
Just as her gaze remained fixed and somewhat dazed upon the two hazy silhouettes inside the room,
Snap! A crisp sound shattered the tranquility.
A small pebble suddenly flew in from over the courtyard wall, landing precisely by Yang Qing'er's feet with a faint clatter.
Yang Qing'er's expression shifted slightly. The envy in her eyes vanished instantly, replaced by an indescribable complexity.
At that exact moment, Li Huilan's caring voice drifted from the room: "Little Sister Qing'er, it's cold outside. Come inside as soon as you're done hanging the clothes. Do you need any help?"
Hearing the familiar call, Yang Qing'er snapped back to her senses as if waking from a dream. She quickly steadied herself, took a deep breath, and responded loudly, "I know, Sister Lan. No help needed, I'll be done in a second."
Hearing Li Huilan step back inside, Yang Qing'er stood frozen in place, pricking up her ears to listen closely to the movements within the room.
Ensuring there were no other sounds coming from inside, Yang Qing'er finally picked up the pebble from the ground, cast one more involuntary glance toward the darkness outside the courtyard, and entered the house in silence.
When night fell and the neighboring room grew quiet, assuming Xia He and Li Huilan had both fallen asleep,
Yang Qing'er rose cautiously, making not a sound as she slipped out the back door into the night.
Taking several twists and turns until she was a safe distance from the courtyard, her pace quickened. Soon, she arrived at a dim and secluded alley where a dainty figure stood waiting for her.
"Sister!" Yang Qing'er whispered softly.
Hearing the call, the figure slowly turned around. Her face was extraordinarily striking, and her brows carried a seductive charm capable of captivating anyone who beheld her.
Had Xia He been present at that moment, he would undoubtedly have been astonished to discover that this woman was none other than the one who had mysteriously vanished a long time ago, leaving old Zhou's son lovesick and soul-drawn day after day.
The moment they saw each other, happy smiles bloomed simultaneously on their faces.
They quickly drew close and clasped each other's hands tightly, their expressions filled with concern.
"Qing'er, how have you been these past few days? You haven't suffered any grievances, have you?"
Seeing Yang Qing'er shake her head, Yang Xishuang assumed she was merely putting on a brave face and sighed immediately,
"The men of Qin are cruel and lustful. Since you are executing a mission for the young master, suffering grievances is inevitable. It's been hard on you..."
Yang Qing'er blushed fiercely upon hearing this, yet she still managed to say,
"Sister, I am still pure..."
"What? Could it be that the Qin man is impotent?"
"No... no, Brother He is quite capable; he always keeps going until the middle of the night."
Only then did Yang Xishuang notice something was amiss.
Brother He? Was that what she called the Qin man?
Observing the flush on Yang Qing'er's face, a horrifying thought struck her, and her expression changed drastically.
"Little Sister Qing'er, could it be that you've fallen for that Qin man?"
"Sister, I..."
Yang Xishuang grew somewhat anxious.
"Sister, do not be deceived by that Qin man's sweet words."
Yang Qing'er turned pale and immediately corrected herself,
"Don't be angry, Sister, Qing'er has not."
"Besides, that Qin man leaves early and returns late every day, and I haven't found anything unusual about him yet..."
"Very well, I understand. Qing'er, you must not be bewitched by this Qin man. Do not forget who saved you, and do not forget our mission. Great Qin... is not our home."
With a pale face, Yang Qing'er bit her lip and nodded heavily.
Parting ways with Yang Xishuang, she returned to the courtyard in a daze.
Reaching the door, she involuntarily glanced toward the room shared by Xia He and Sister Lan.
Ultimately, she let out a soft sigh and crept back into her own room on tiptoe.
Yet, just as Yang Qing'er turned back to close the door, a calm voice echoed suddenly from the darkness behind her.
"Back?"
Yang Qing'er's delicate body stiffened, every hair on her back standing on end.
Startled, she whipped around, her chest heaving violently as she asked with a trembling voice,
"Brother He, it's so late, why are you in my room..."
"I should be asking you that. It's so late, why weren't you in your room?"
"Brother He, I went out to relieve myself. You... if you wanted to come, you should have given me some warning so I could mentally prepare myself. Why sneak around like this?"
Clutching her rising and falling chest, Yang Qing'er acted as though she had been genuinely frightened.
Yet once she spotted Xia He, she seemingly recovered, her tone carrying a hint of coquettish reproach.
Xia He stood up and suddenly let out a sigh.
"Your psychological resilience is quite impressive, but that only proves you are far from simple. It turns out you didn't fall for my good looks after all."
With that, he suddenly lunged forward, dashing right in front of Yang Qing'er. He opened his powerful palm and clamped it mercilessly around her neck.
"State your purpose, and live."
"Otherwise, die."