Chen Xi was not interested in Zhu Qin because he had no intention of involving a woman related to power politics.

That's right, he thought he liked beautiful women very much, but he knew how to grasp the right way. At least Zhu Qin's beauty and his appreciation of Zhu Qin were far from the point where he could forget about this woman and even violate the principles.

When he came out of Zhu Hui's mansion, he was in good spirits. Although it was already time for the first time, he did not plan to go home. At this time, he had other concerns in his heart, such as Ma Lian, who had just been with him but had to separate temporarily because of the war against the Tatars.

Of course, Chen Xi was more concerned about Hui Niang and Li Jin, but at this time the two girls were not in the capital, but were placed in Tongzhou near the capital, and straightened out the affairs of the long-desolated chamber of commerce.

Before Chen Xi entered the Duke of Baoguo's mansion, he sent Zhu Hong and others back to the mansion. Only a few entourages and sedan chairmen who were affiliated with the intelligence system were waiting outside. After Chen Xi got on the sedan chair, he first went to an intelligence station in the city, then changed into a group of guards, and transferred to Ma Lian's residence by carriage.

Chen Xi was a little sleepy on the way and couldn't help but be surprised: "Is it because I drank a few glasses of wine that I was actually sleepy? Why didn't I feel it before?"

Because he only drank five or six cups of Zhu Hui's wine, he basically poured it into the water bag on his sleeve. So [.] I don't think I've drunk too much. In this way, there is only one explanation for this phenomenon, that is, Zhu Hui added extra things to the wine, which is not necessarily unfavorable to him. Chen Xi knew that the nobles in the capital are now living in luxury, and it is very likely to add some fun-inspiring medicines to the wine during banquets.

"It seems that Duke Baoguo's house cannot go to the future."

Chen Xi regretted going to Zhu Mansion a little, but since he had been there, he found out that there was a problem afterwards, so he could only endure it.

When he arrived at Ma Lian Mansion, Chen Xi's spirit finally improved a little. Chen Xi was a little uncomfortable with this kind of mental change. He has always been known for his strong willpower, but now he has recurred his spirit because of those unknown drugs, which makes Chen Xi feel very uncomfortable.

"Madam, the master is here!"

Ma Lian has no habit of going to bed early. She is reading books in the study. She sent her servants to the book market outside to buy. For example, the "Dream of Red Mansions" that Ma Lian has read several times but still can't put it down.

Ma Lian usually has nothing to do, like a canary raised in a cage. She can't contact anyone except meeting her sister-in-law. She never takes the initiative to go out because she has gradually become accustomed to this kind of life of a man who stays at home and waits for a man to come back. At least she doesn't have to worry about anything, and she lives a carefree life.

Chen Xi sent people to deliver a lot of things so that she could meet her spiritual needs while having enough food and clothing, such as piano, chess, calligraphy and painting, etc. In addition, there was no shortage of gold, silver, jewelry and other things.

This kind of life was a dream in the past, but after personal experience, she realized that this kind of life might not be what she wanted, but there was nothing more to look forward to for the time being.

Once a person loses Yuwang, he will not feel uncomfortable in life like a cage. He will only think that the cage is the same as outside the cage.

When Ma Lian heard the maid's report, he quickly came out of the study.

There was a north wind outside and the weather was very cold. She shrank her neck and saw a man in thick clothes coming from the opposite side. When she saw the appearance of the visitor under the glimmer of light of the lantern held by the maid, she immediately showed a surprise smile on her face, but immediately shook her back. Pinting stepped forward and saluted: "Sir, are you back?"

Unlike the maid's name for Chen Xi, Ma Lian likes to call Chen Xi "Adult", which is a name that is incompatible with her class. She has always been strong, and at other times she likes the feeling of freedom, equality and unrestrainedness, but in front of Shen Xi, she likes to put herself in a position of admiration and admiration, so that she can feel at ease.

Chen Xi nodded: "It's cold outside, come into the house and talk."

"good."

Ma Lian wanted to go forward to support Chen Xi, but found that she was thin. Chen Xi seemed to be more burly than before, or more mighty than she had imagined. If she stepped forward, she was more like a bird dependent on others. A little hesitated, Ma Lian took the initiative to make way. As a result, Chen Xi walked in front, and she followed her into the house. In an instant, a warm feeling came, making people feel that it would be better to stay in the house.

"Sir, sit down. You didn't say hello to me before you came. I haven't started preparing... Come on, prepare hot tea for me."

Ma Lian was a little restrained, which had a lot to do with her unclear relationship with Chen Xi. She could not define what position she occupied in Shen Xi's mind, nor did she know what she would be in the future. In this way, she could not accurately grasp her identity and behavior.

Before Chen Xi sat down, she waited for Ma Lian to untie his cloak, and then turned around and looked at Ma Lian.

Suddenly being looked at by Chen Xi, Ma Lian was somewhat embarrassed. Her shyness was different from Zhu Qin's performance that Chen Xi had seen before. Even though he was both ashamed and happy, a kind of happiness appeared on Ma Lian's face. Zhu Qin's expression was too heavy, and others might not pay attention to it, but Chen Xi was used to observing people in the face.

Ma Lian asked, "When will the lord return to Beijing? I just heard that the lord is coming back, but there has been no definite news."

"I entered the city yesterday."

Chen Xidao, "I handled some things after I came back. I have time to come here today. Are you still safe here?"

Although Chen Xi's tone did not have much color in her tone, since she took the initiative to greet her, Ma Lian immediately felt a warm feeling, and she only wanted Chen Xi's care. As for whether Chen Xi loves her, this is too luxurious for an outdoor room, not a question that can be imagined as her identity, so Ma Lian was extremely at ease at this time.

Ma Lian replied, "Everything is fine, peace is fine. I never leave the hospital in the capital. I only came here twice before and told me about something outside. I learned that the adults led the army to win a great victory and made great achievements. Even my brother also benefited from it. My sister-in-law said that it was the good luck brought to the Ma family by the slave. I was very happy and kept waiting for the adults to come back from the northwest to serve the adults."

While speaking, Ma Lian secretly looked up at Chen Xi, as if he wanted to know what Chen Xi was reacting, but found that Chen Xi had been standing there staring at him, becoming more and more embarrassed. Now he was embarrassed to raise his head, with a slightly chin, and his hands were at a loss. Every move was full of different styles, which made Chen Xi feel that the girl in front of him was indeed the kind of woman who could make people crazy.

"Aren't I coming?"

Chen Xi said, holding Ma Lian's little hand directly. Ma Lian's delicate body trembled slightly, and then a pair of soft trousers were grabbed by Chen Xi. Her cheeks were hot and she looked even more shy.

Chen Xi's hands seemed a little cold. After all, she had just come in from outside, and Ma Lian had been in the room with a stove so she didn't feel cold at all. But at this time, she didn't feel cold in Chen Xi's hands because the warmth in her heart was really indescribable.

"grown ups."

Ma Lian was still very shy, but at this time he also began to try to express his thoughts and asked, "Sir, are you leaving tonight?"

Chen Xi smiled and said, "Half an hour ago, I was a little uncomfortable with the atmosphere there. I didn't eat much during the meal. I was a little hungry at this time, so I came to you to eat something and stayed here tonight... Would it be inconvenient?"

Ma Lian shook his head and said, "No, it's very convenient for me. I will serve the Lord well."

This time, Ma Lian mustered up the courage to raise her head again. When she looked at Chen Xi, her face was filled with a kind of persistence in her little daughter's family, which was a kind of persistence in pursuing happiness.

"That's all I can say is to trouble you."

Chen Xidao, "Come on, sit down first. I haven't seen you for a long time, and see if it's still as lovely as before." As he spoke, Chen Xi had already pulled Ma Lian to sit down at the table.

When Ma Lian sat on Chen Xi's lap, she looked embarrassed: "Sir, please wait for me to arrange things first, otherwise what will I eat later? The girl in the house has a very average skill, so I want to cook for me personally."

Chen Xi shook his head and said, "No, just give me an order. You don't have to work yourself. When the maid brings hot tea, just arrange it."

After saying that, Chen Xi held Ma Lian in his arms.

Ma Lian didn't think about struggling, so he obediently put Zhen's head on Shen Xi's shoulder. Chen Xi did not act too intimately. A warm feeling was spreading between the two. Chen Xi picked up the book on the table in front of him and realized that it was the book he wrote.

When Ma Lian saw Chen Xi looking through the books in her boudoir to relieve loneliness, she felt even more shy and explained in a low voice: "When I am bored, I will take a look to pass the time. I don't know who wrote such an interesting thing, but I can't read enough."

Chen Xi smiled and said, "If you like it, I ask someone to send you a few more books... Speaking of which, I wrote this book in my spare time."

"Written by sir?"

Ma Lian found it incredible and asked, "Adults do great things. Do you have time to write these? Will it delay your studies and your daily business?"

Ma Lian seemed to be a girl who was willing to be serious and would not be deceived easily. She liked to ask questions. Chen Xi replied: "Can you not achieve great things by writing these things? Maybe you don't believe that this book will be passed down through the ages. In comparison, no academic or official business matter is important."

Ma Lian shook his head, obviously unable to understand this logic, and did not understand that Chen Xi had accumulated a lot of wealth through these statements, understood the entire Ming Dynasty's business system, and used these things that were distracted to win over Zhu Houzhao, the Prince of the Eastern Palace at that time, and developed his own connections based on this...

When the maid brought the tea in, her face turned red. Seeing that her wife and the master had intimate behavior, it was a bit abrupt and reckless for them.

Ma Lian was also very shy, but in front of Shen Xi, she had no opinion at all. She followed Chen Xi's wishes and asked the maid to prepare meals.

Chen Xi spoke with Ma Lian, roughly talked about his experience on the battlefield, and occasionally mentioned Ma Ang's performance.

Ma Lian listened very seriously and said, "Sir, I am so powerful. I can lead the army to gallop on the grassland and kill the Tartars and flee in panic. The achievements are comparable to those of the ancient Huo Qubing and Li Jing, and will surely be famous throughout the ages. In fact, I also hope to ride a horse on the grassland. I think it should be very interesting, right?"

Chen Xi did not expect that Ma Lian had the literary side, and had the independent thoughts that other girls in this era rarely had, and pursued the unrestrained state of freedom.

"I will take you to see if you have a chance."

Chen Xi smiled and said, "It's not interesting to be bored in this yard. Didn't you want to go out and have a look before? If you have time, you can go out for more walks. When the war is over, the world will become peaceful. You can see something, which is much more interesting than reading books at home."

Ma Lian looked at Chen Xi, not understanding why the other party encouraged him to leave the yard. When she thought, men would have a strong possessive desire. It would be better to tie the woman's body and mind around her.

But Chen Xi was obviously more open-minded than she thought.

Soon dinner was delivered to the house, and it was all simple dishes. As Ma Lian said, among her servants, there was no chef's level at all. The home-cooked dishes were quite average, but Chen Xi tasted a familiar feeling. Chen Xi found that the taste of the dishes was like the things that Zhou had cooked back then. It was after Zhou's family entered the city and wanted to live a good life, but their level could not keep up with that time.

Later, when Zhou had a maid, he rarely did such things, and Chen Xi could eat much better than this.

Ma Lian originally wanted to eat with Chen Xi, but after she ate it, she felt that it was not very good and felt that it was difficult to swallow. Although this was the food she usually used, she still felt inferior and felt that she should work harder in some aspects so that she could win Chen Xi's heart. But after looking up, she felt that she was worried too much.

"The simplest food in this world is vegetables and rice, which tastes very delicious." Chen Xi said in a dim manner, "I feel like home."

Ma Lian pursed her lips and smiled: "Can the chef of Chen's house cook such a bad meal?"

Chen Xi smiled: "Whether good or bad, the judgment standards are different. If I could eat this kind of food on the grassland, I might even ignore the war. I must first enjoy such delicacies before talking about other things."

Ma Lian was stunned when she heard Chen Xi's words. The people who spoke to her before obviously would not use dialectical ideas to reason, but Chen Xi would do this unconsciously. To a woman like her who has certain ideas, Chen Xi's simple words are so philosophical, which always makes her fall into it, just as she saw the shock caused by the plot in this story.

People are different from others, and the situation will change with the situation. Many materialist ideas are very ordinary to future generations, but they are so fascinating to people of this era.

After Chen Xi had supper, Ma Lian seemed to be thinking about something. Chen Xi asked, "If you don't eat, let the maid take these down."

Ma Lian nodded slightly, stood up from the chair next to him, and summoned the maid to come in at the door. After the maid lifted the bowls and chopsticks with wooden support, even the table was wiped, Ma Lian went to close the door himself.

This time she just closed the door, and felt a pair of warm hands behind her hugging her waist.

"grown ups……"

Ma Lian felt that her body seemed to be very stiff. This was something she had been thinking about for half a year. It was something that made her feel very intoxicated and infinite fascinated.

Chen Xi held Ma Lian from behind and leaned his head in her ear and asked, "Have you ever thought of me?"

"Um."

Ma Lian didn't know how to express her feelings, but this was just a very simple question. She just needed to answer yes or no. She could answer Chen Xi with a simple nod. Then she felt that Chen Xi's hands were a little irregular, and the tension in her heart gradually increased.

Chen Xi smiled and said, "I am thinking about you too. Sometimes I even think about what you are doing on the front line of the battlefield. When countless enemies rushed over, I am still thinking about what I looked like when I first met you."

Simple words, to Ma Lian, sounded the most touching love words in the world, because she didn't dare to think that Chen Xi would have such a deep attachment to herself. She originally had a deep sense of inferiority, and felt that she was not qualified to get Chen Xi's sincerity. She felt that she was just a toy, and Chen Xi would not have any spiritual communication with her. Now when she heard it with her own ears, she still couldn't believe it, thinking that Chen Xi was deceiving herself, but this was enough to make her heart moved. Besides, what Chen Xi said was not a lie, but a fact.

A Ma Lian seemed very simple, and the way he came to him was almost without any prefixes, but Chen Xi did remember this thoughtful girl.

"grown ups."

Ma Lian turned around and stared at Chen Xi deeply with her tears in her eyes. She enjoyed the spiritual communication with Chen Xi in front of her, which she had never experienced before.

Chen Xi's eyes were also a little hazy, as if everything was a little unreal. He landed his hand on the jade man's face, wiped away the tears as big as beans on her cheeks, and said with a smile:

"Maybe after experiencing a lot, I know how to cherish it. In the past or in the future, you will endure loneliness for a long time, but I do have your place in my heart and have never changed."

"Um."

Ma Lian's emotions were almost collapsed. Suddenly reuniting with her lover after a long separation would make her cherish the time in front of her more and she couldn't help but enjoy everything. It was not important for her to even if the whole world was destroyed. Just one word from Chen Xi could make her desperate.

...

...
To be continued...