Hearing this, Li Qiongyu chuckled lightly, "Stop digging your own grave."
Liu Rongruo tugged at his lips and said nothing, his clear, cold eyes gazing faintly at the scenery outside the window, lost in thought.
After they had drunk for a while, Wei Qingge brought people out.
The little girl was timid.
Despite her tall, slender figure, she trailed behind Wei Qingge.
Her eyes were wide and dewy.
Upon seeing Liu Rongruo, she immediately tiptoed over and tugged at his sleeve.
"Brother, is it pretty?"
Liu Rongruo's expression was indifferent as he subtly brushed away her hand and smiled, "It's beautiful."
Wei Qingge, standing behind, watched this scene and felt an indescribable pain in every limb, her heart as if roasted over a fire, bursting and trembling.
"Why are you standing there, come here."
Suddenly, Li Qiongyu looked at her coldly, his voice betraying his suppressed anger.
Wei Qingge flinched at his shout, snapping back to reality and cursing inwardly.
What's with the shouting!
"I've been working for you for almost a month. I won't be coming tomorrow."
She quickly walked over, picked up her chopsticks, and began to eat.
She was starving and too tired to have even eaten yet.
Li Qiongyu propped his head on one hand, glancing at her. The light from the window streamed onto his face, obscuring his expression.
He said nothing.
Wei Qingge looked at him sideways, puzzled, "Is it okay?"
Li Qiongyu pulled at his lips, "No."
"You----"
"How much does Qingge still owe you?"
Suddenly, Liu Rongruo looked at the two of them and asked.
Wei Qingge retorted indignantly, "I don't owe him anything. He tricked me."
"Tsk, trying to renege on your debt?"
His demeanor was utterly infuriating.
Wei Qingge kicked him from under the table.
Li Qiongyu swiftly dodged, and before she could react, he retaliated with his foot.
His speed was truly astonishing, and Wei Qingge was no match for him. Within a few moves, he had captured her, pressing her ankle firmly against the leg of the stool, wrapping around it halfway.
She gasped in pain, glancing at Liu Rongruo opposite her with concern, forcibly suppressing the urge to hit him.
However, her eyes were so angry that their corners turned red.
As they subtly competed under the table, Liu Rongruo naturally noticed and glanced over with a hint of unspoken meaning.
His gaze landed on Li Qiongyu's face, carrying an enigmatic look.
Li Qiongyu scoffed and released her foot.
Wei Qingge seized the opportunity to kick him hard, but having been held for too long, the sudden exertion sent a sharp pain through her ankle.
"What's wrong?"
Li Qiongyu looked over at her.
Wei Qingge gritted her teeth and glared at him, "It's none of your business."
"I can't be bothered to manage you."
"Brother, I'm done eating."
At this moment, Chi You hugged Liu Rongruo's arm, raising her gentle eyes and speaking softly.
"I want to go home and sleep."
Liu Rongruo turned his head, lowered his eyelids, and looked at the person leaning into his embrace, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
"Let's go."
Seeing the two of them get up to leave, Wei Qingge's gaze became somewhat dazed.
Chi You suddenly turned back and looked at her.
"Sister Qingge, are you coming home with us?"
"Uh, no thank you."
Seeing her unhappy expression, Liu Rongruo said, "Qingge, he was just teasing you. He didn't really want you to repay the debt here."
"The army camp recently received several warhorses. If you like them, go and have a look."
Wei Qingge's heart trembled, and she nodded dryly.
Brother Liu always treated her like a sister.
Seeing this, Liu Rongruo said nothing more and turned to leave.
The room fell silent.
Li Qiongyu leaned by the window, watching her dazed expression with a cold smile, "They're all gone, what are you still looking at?"
Wei Qingge was jolted back to attention by his words and glared at him angrily.
"It's none of your business."
After speaking, she quickly shovelled a few mouthfuls of rice and stood up.
However, before she could take a step, a searing pain shot through her ankle.
Her face immediately turned pale, and she supported herself on the table.
"Did you sprain your ankle?"
Hearing his question, Wei Qingge inexplicably found her eyes welling up.
The scenes from earlier flashed through her mind, and a difficult, sour emotion surged from the depths of her heart, making her want to cry.
Brother Liu truly liked A Wu; otherwise, he wouldn't let others get close to him.
Li Qiongyu lowered his gaze, seeing her red-rimmed eyes, a dark glint flashing within them.
He deliberately placed his wine cup down with a loud clatter.
Wei Qingge came back to her senses, suppressed her discomfort, and hopped outwards on her injured foot, her voice tinged with a hoarse cry.
"I won't be coming tomorrow."
She wanted to return to the border with her grandfather, but—
What about Mu Rou?
"Sit down and let me apply the medicine."
Li Qiongyu walked over from behind, grabbed her by the collar of her clothes, and lifted her.
"Ah—my neck."
Wei Qingge cried out in pain, quickly grabbing at her collar and struggling.
Li Qiongyu loosened his grip, "Go by yourself."
His voice was very cold, but Wei Qingge didn't notice.
Her neck hurt from his grip. As soon as he let go, she coughed a few times, tears of pain streaming from the corners of her eyes.
"Li Qiongyu, you did that on purpose."
She was so angry that she instinctively turned to kick him, but before she could exert any force, the pain in her ankle made her wince.
She hissed a few times. Seeing his displeased expression, she lost her nerve, dared not argue with him further, suppressed her anger, and turned to leave.
"Stop!"
Hearing his tone, Wei Qingge turned back and shouted with red eyes, "Why do you care about me? I'm leaving."
He only bullies her.
Not only does he exploit her for work, but he's also always yelling at her, not treating her like a friend at all.
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became, and she couldn't help but want to cry.
But she refused to show weakness in front of him. Suppressing her distress, she turned to leave.
Suddenly, a large hand came from the side and roughly lifted her.
Wei Qingge cried out in alarm, feeling dizzy as he lifted her like a chicken, the sight of the floor tiles blurring.
She waved her hands in the air in anger, kicking her legs, and said indignantly.
"Put me down, I'm going to be sick."
Li Qiongyu ignored her, strode to the bedside, and tossed her onto it.
With a thud, Wei Qingge landed with a noise.
She shot up, furious, "What are you doing? Trying to kill me?"
Fortunately, the mattress was thick; otherwise, she would have been in severe pain, her pubic bone aching.
"Apply the medicine."
He took a porcelain bottle from a nearby cabinet and ordered, "Take off your shoes."
Wei Qingge would rather swell up and die of pain than pay him any mind, but seeing that he seemed angry, she sullenly withdrew her gaze.
He's crazy. Who offended him?
"There's a difference between men and women, don't you know? I'll do it myself, you go out."
A flicker of something passed through Li Qiongyu's lowered eyes.
Seeing that he remained silent, Wei Qingge used her other foot to push him, "Did you hear me? Go out, I'll apply the medicine myself."
As she spoke, she heard him say with a dismissive tone.
"Who's bothered to manage you? When did you mention men and women being different back in Yanzhou?"