Lu Li’s ear tips, which had turned as red as if they could drip blood, were also tinged with a faint blush.
His heart was like thousands of deer crashing into each other, panicking and losing all formation.
Seeing him like this, Qiao Ci, feigning ignorance, asked, “Your face is so red, are you feeling unwell?”
Lu Li quickly shook his head. “No, no, I just feel a bit warm.”
“Shall I have someone bring some more ice?” Qiao Ci got up, ready to instruct someone to fetch ice.
Before she could move, Lu Li stopped her. “Thank you, Guoshi. No need. I have important matters to attend to at home, so I won’t disturb you any further.”
As he finished speaking, he left in a hurry, his back seeming as if a great tiger was chasing him.
“Host, is the cub a little afraid of you?” Little Spoon asked with some worry. Every time the cub came, he only asked about the safety of his father and brother, and seemed unimpressed by the Host. What could be done about this?
“Where do you get the impression he’s afraid of me?” Qiao Ci asked curiously.
“I feel like whenever Host try to flirt with the cub wishfully, he always gets scared away by you. *Wuwuwu*, my Host’s sweet romance is nowhere in sight~” Little Spoon started crying as he spoke.
If the Host didn't have a sweet romance, what would happen to its performance and year-end bonus?
Wishfully?
“You understand idioms, but don’t use them next time.” Qiao Ci glanced at it and then closed her eyes to rest.
Using divine power on a large scale was too much for this mortal body. It seemed she would need a few days to recover.
The second day after Lu Li returned home, he received a letter stating that his father and brother were returning.
He couldn’t help but recall the warmth and delicacy of Qiao Ci’s wrist when he had touched it yesterday, and a blush reappeared on his face.
At the same time, he wondered what kind of man could be worthy of her. She was so noble, beautiful, and majestic.
The thought of a man standing beside her in the future, eating with her, sleeping with her, and even having children with her, made Lu Li feel intensely uncomfortable.
Although he was young and had never liked a girl before, he understood this feeling.
He had already placed the woman admired by all people in his heart, and his feelings grew deeper and more fearful, lest any slight reveal of his emotions… would offend her.
Shen Residence,
Lou Qing, who had initially disdained her princess status, had now truly become a commoner, and resentment filled her heart again.
The rain and clouds had just cleared, and she couldn’t help but complain to Shen Si, “What kind of intoxicating potion did Qiao Ci give to Father Emperor that he doesn’t even want me, his own daughter anymore?”
“A word spoken in jest comes true.” Shen Si’s eyes flickered slightly as he suddenly replied.
“What?” Lou Qing looked at him doubtfully, not understanding why he had uttered those four words.
“Do you remember when we first returned to the capital? You said it was fine if Father Emperor wasn’t in charge. I suppose the Emperor has had people monitoring me since I hung up my armor and returned to farming. After all, I know too many military secrets about Chu Yun Kingdom. It’s possible the Emperor heard that sentence you spoke at the capital’s gate when he was able to mention what happened between you and me.” Shen Si finished speaking and looked intently at Lou Qing. These past few days, he had discovered that she was not as sincere as she appeared on the surface.
Previously, she had vowed that if the Emperor was incompetent, she wouldn’t acknowledge him. Yet now, truly demoted to a commoner, she kept calling him Father Emperor. How had he not noticed her contradictions before?
However, it was fortunate she still had her medical skills. Otherwise, when they were forced to get married, he would have resisted with his life, as it was an insult to him. After all, becoming the husband of a daughter even the Emperor disdained was not something to be proud of, and it would also affect his children.
Indeed, as soon as he spoke, Lou Qing’s face went from green to white, like a palette.
She pouted, “I don’t regret it! He’s the one who should regret it. He lost a daughter with peerless medical skills, while I merely lost my princess status. I still have you, my husband~”
As she spoke, they began to play around again. If nothing else, Shen Si liked her fiery and straightforward nature, so different from her initial reserved shyness, which captivated him.
Although the Shen Residence was large, it no longer had guards or servants. Shen Si’s finances were insufficient to support his former extravagance.
For the safety of his siblings, Shen Si’s master bedroom was kept very close to the children’s rooms, especially for the two sisters sharing a room.
Shen Wu irritably covered her ears and complained to Shen Sisi beside her, “I originally thought Aunt Qing was a princess, so even if our Father wasn’t a general anymore, we could still live good lives and meet little princes and young lords. I never expected her to be nothing now, and she’s still married to Father. Moreover, she doesn’t take care of us like our former stepmother, and she’s constantly clinging to Father and howling every night. It’s so annoying!”
Shen Sisi lay quietly, one hand touching the obvious scar on her face, staring blankly at the ceiling.
“Fourth Sister, say something. You’ve been quiet lately. Is it because you also started to dislike Aunt Qing?” Shen Wu propped her small face with her hand and looked at Shen Sisi.
Shen Sisi finally spoke, “No.”
“You’ve become a mute! Sigh, our former stepmother liked Father so much, and then she suddenly went crazy and abandoned us. It’s all Aunt Qing’s fault for seducing our Father! Tell me, if Father divorces Aunt Qing, will she come back?” Shen Wu said, wiggling her hands and feet excitedly.
“In that case, we would have a Guoshi as a stepmother, and she could control the wind and rain. I guess even princes and princesses would envy us! Hehe, if she remarries Father and can still treat us as well as before, I won’t scold her. I can even call her Mother!”
Shen Sisi looked at her with disinterest. What a pipe dream.
Since her face was injured, she no longer played with her elder brothers and sisters. She had seen many things clearly and understood much.
They used to look down on Qiao Ci as a village woman, and now they looked down on Lou Qing, who had been demoted to a commoner. All of this was their own fault and the consequences of their own actions.
If she had the ability to command the heavens, she definitely wouldn’t come back to be angered.
Fifth Sister was too naive.
Finally, the howling and commotion beside them ceased, and the two sisters slowly drifted off to sleep.
*
Although Lu Li was conflicted about his feelings, it did not prevent him from visiting the Guoshi Residence whenever he had the chance. Dining was secondary; the main purpose was to bring her interesting things and, *cough cough*… to see her.
“Why aren’t you asking me to divine the safety of your father and brother today?” Qiao Ci asked him strangely.
Lu Li was bewildered. “Aren’t they already on their way back to the capital? Is there still a need for divination?”
Qiao Ci smiled helplessly, recalling Little Spoon’s words. She decided to pressure this hesitant young man regarding his feelings. “Your father and brother will be back soon, and you won’t need to come to the Guoshi Residence so frequently anymore.”
Lu Li’s expression froze, his throat tightened, and he didn’t quite know how to respond to that.