Chapter 43 Complaint

Li Qu deeply felt Zhou Jin's subtle revenge. Unable to withstand his aggressive kiss, she repeatedly retreated.

She was so angry that she started crying loudly when he pressed her against the shelf from behind, and only then did he let her go.

She took the opportunity to gasp for breath, and he took the opportunity to undo his belt.

He pressed his forehead against hers, watching her soft, panting breaths and her pitiful, helpless look as she awaited her fate.

He admitted that he was somewhat jealous of Xiao Cong.

She was jealous that Xiao Cong had discovered her beauty so early on.

He threw off his robe and kissed her fiercely and ruthlessly.

He was even angrier at her lying way of saying "I like you" all the time.

At that moment, he felt relieved.

For a con artist who tries to deceive someone's feelings, you should respond to her "likes" and punish her directly and decisively.

*

Xu Mama, who had been dug out of bed by Hongguo and Cuiguo to save her life, heard Li Qu's pitiful pleas for mercy coming from the bathroom next door as soon as she entered the room.

Her smug face flushed red, and when she turned her head, she saw that Hongguo and Cuiguo were so embarrassed that they almost buried their heads on the ground.

Granny Xu led the people out of the room, and Cuiguo explained, "When Third Master came, his complexion was really terrible."

Granny Xu sighed wearily, "He didn't even draw his sword, what's there to be afraid of!"

Hongguo didn't dare utter a sound.

Cui Guo argued, "So much has happened these past two days, we servants are really scared."

"Alright, stop making a fuss. Get the water ready, prepare some clean clothes, and get to work!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Hongguo and Cuiguo walked out together, saying in unison, "This servant will go and have someone bring water."

Granny Xu: "..."

In the end, it was this old woman who bore the brunt of it all.

Looking at her hands, which were wrapped up like dumplings, she hurriedly chased after them, calling in a low voice, "Come back, come back! The old woman's hands are still injured!"

By the time the spring tide receded, it was past midnight.

Li Qu first washed up and left the bathhouse.

After changing into a clean bathrobe, she sat on the tatami mat with her legs stretched out straight, lazily gathering the hem of her skirt above her knees, and let Cuiguo apply medicine to her knees.

Cuiguo went to get the medicine box.

Hongguo thoughtfully took a dry towel and dried her wet hair.

Because of Zhou Jin's arrival, Cui Guo and Hong Guo dared not breathe, and the room was completely silent.

Li Qu stared at her feet, watching her toes wiggle and dance.

“Auntie’s contraceptive pills are running low.” Cui Guo sat on the footstool, preparing to apply the medicine to Li Qu. She glanced up and saw faint red marks from being pinched hard deep into her mistress’s thigh beneath her skirt.

Cui Guo's ears turned red, and she quickly looked away, carefully applying medicine to Li Qu's knee.

When Zhou Jin came out, he saw the beauty reclining on the couch with her long, slender legs exposed, hugging a soft pillow and closing her eyes in a tender manner.

"Why is your skirt so high? Haven't you suffered enough yet!"

Li Qu opened her eyes and glared at him coquettishly: "I have suffered so much today, and you don't even know how to cherish me."

Zhou Jin had already noticed the bruises on her knees.

She's always so delicate.

"Tch." If it weren't for her pitiful state today, she would be crying later on!

He didn't expect her to come and help him get dressed; she wasn't that virtuous before, and now that she had a leg injury, she had even more excuses.

Those two girls are so clueless.

He picked up a clean set of clothes and put them on himself.

Seeing that he was about to leave, Li Qu quickly got up and went forward to offer him her services.

Perhaps because he was satisfied with her cooperation just now, the murderous aura on his body dissipated considerably, unlike when he first arrived.

As she helped him get dressed, she carefully observed his expression.

From her inner garment to her outer robe, she would sometimes accidentally touch his skin, or raise her arm to adjust his clothes, brushing against his strong waist as she passed through his waist.

Intentionally or unintentionally, they flirted and teased each other.

He waited quietly for her to continue.

Sure enough, she spoke softly, with a hint of pleading.

"I wish to see my parents."

Seeing that he did not respond, she seemed extremely disappointed and resorted to a less desirable option: "Sir, you won't interrogate them anymore, will you?"

He looked down at her.

The ravines are deep.

He looked up again and shifted his gaze elsewhere.

She fastened his sash, then wrapped her arms around his waist like a leech, nuzzled her head against his chest, and looked up at him in a coquettish and soft voice, asking, "Was I good just now?"

Zhou Jin's eyes darted around for a moment, then he quickly regained his composure, swallowed the response that was about to come out of his mouth, and began to put on a stern face to hide his true emotions.

Unable to hear him, she called out softly, "Jinlang..."

His temple twitched slightly: "Shut up!"

As if anticipating his intention to remove her arm, she used her strength to hug him even tighter, coaxing him into a passionate embrace.

She asked in a sweet, coquettish voice, "Master, how many days will you be away? When will you be back?"

Her delicate brows furrowed slightly, as if she were troubled: "What should I do if I miss you, my lord?"

She pleaded softly, "Master, please stay tonight and lull me to sleep! Please leave only after I'm asleep, okay?"

Zhou Jin clenched his back teeth.

He knew she was using her beauty to seduce him; had he fallen for it once before? Would he fall for it a second time?

"If you can't sleep, then don't sleep tonight!" He reached out and pulled at her robe.

He thought she would flinch, but she didn't; she let him pull her robe down her left shoulder.

She glanced at him, then shyly looked away, displaying her delicate beauty and charm to the fullest.

The desire he had finally managed to suppress suddenly flared up, and Zhou Jin's Adam's apple bobbed instinctively.

He looked at her intently, then raised his hand to lift her chin.

She released his waist, took two steps back, spun around, and asked, "Isn't it pretty?"

He raised his hand but missed, and ran fast enough to quickly glance at the two clueless maids in the room. He found that the two maids were like quails, with their heads down and not having noticed anything, which instantly put him at ease.

He raised his arm to brace himself, coughed, and cleared his throat to cover up his embarrassment at having taken the bait.

Li Qu turned around, gently gathered the robe he had pulled off her shoulder, went to him, and picked up the embroidery on the robe to show him: "I think it looks good too."

Zhou Jin really didn't know what was so interesting about the flowers on the clothes.

She wrapped her robe around her fingertips: "These are lilies, symbolizing a long and happy marriage. I embroidered them stitch by stitch."

He became unhappy when the topic of embroidery came up: "It has nothing to do with the master!"

She glared at him and turned to walk to the table.

Zhou Jin then noticed a dark-colored garment on the tray on the table.

She presented the clothes to him, saying, "I know that the embroidery is too extravagant for me to even dream of."

She unfolded her clothes, revealing a man's robe similar in style to the plain silk she was wearing.

Zhou Jin noticed the unfinished embroidery on the bathrobe, which was exactly the same as the embroidery on her own bathrobe.

She picked up the unfinished embroidery on the dark nightgown and gently rubbed it between her fingertips: "But I just want to wear it with you, even for just one night."

She had her head down, so he couldn't see the expression in her eyes, but he could feel how much she cherished the flower.

He looked at her indifferently, not believing her.

"But I suffered the punishment of having my hands slapped, and I embroidered a screen for the Second Madam, insoles for the Old Madam, and finished my own nightgown. I have been working day and night, but I still cannot finish yours before the Mid-Autumn Festival."

She looked up at him, her eyes clear and pure: "I don't know where you heard that I embroidered a sachet for you. I never said that the sachet was made by me."

She held up the embroidery on her nightgown and displayed it to him: "I am not only good at embroidery, but I am also good at double-sided embroidery. This is my embroidery."

"If I were to embroider, I would only do the best double-sided embroidery for you, my lord. I am truly devoted to you."

She slowly put down the embroidery, as if she had thought of something, and lowered her eyes in disappointment: "That day, I only painted a picture for you, my lord."

"I thought to myself, if you could come back and keep me company, it would be better than me raising my cup to the moon alone on Mid-Autumn Festival, making three of us."

The desire in his eyes had dissipated.

Just from her few words, he could imagine what she was feeling when she waited for him in the courtyard last night, and what suffocating shock she felt when she saw him.

She stopped acting coquettishly and showed no signs of grievance. Holding her nightgown, she sat on the couch, like a virtuous woman from an ordinary family, folding and dressing her husband's clothes.

She said nothing else, only about the sachet: "My lord, you have wronged me."

He sat down to the side, picked up his boots and put them on: "I will give you an explanation for this matter myself."

"My room has been turned into a complete mess by your orders. My jewelry is broken, my clothes are torn, and even the side room where I used to make lip rouge has been ransacked. Not to mention the things in the storeroom!"

"The bronze hairpin was in my dressing case. Why did you find it and make such a mess of my things?"

He openly complained about Zhou Jin, but Zhou Jin understood the implied meaning.

She was talking about being in love.

Li Qu didn't hesitate; since she was going to file a complaint, she would go all out.

“When I went to the storeroom that day, Miss Huaichun told me that the jadeite headdress in Your Majesty’s storeroom was exceptionally valuable. If Your Majesty is willing to make amends, then please compensate me with that piece.”

Sword pointed at youthful love.

He stood up and straightened his robes: "Why do you have such great hostility towards Huaichun?"

Li Qu looked at him incredulously: "How could I dare to harbor hostility towards Miss Huaichun?"

“Miss Huaichun is yours, and I have always treated her with respect and courtesy.”

"This morning, she was acting on the master's orders and barged into my room with her men. Without permission, she snatched the comb from Hongguo's hand and tried to use it to do my hair. It was extremely rude, so I couldn't bear it any longer and slapped her."

She softened her tone: "I hope you will put in a good word for me in front of Miss Huaichun, so that she will not hold it against me."

"At that time, I was also worried about the safety of my family, which is why I did things like hitting her and disobeying the old lady."

At this point, comparing Huaichun and the old lady together is a huge act of flattery that could backfire.

She folded her robe neatly and put it aside: "If Xu Mama goes to Jinxiu Hall to deliver a message again, and the message gets distorted by the time it reaches the master's ears, it will be me who suffers in the end."

After saying that, she got up and walked to him: "Won't you stay and coax me to sleep, sir?"

Zhou Jin glanced at her, then walked outside.

She followed him with small steps, saw him off to the veranda, and leaned against a pillar to watch him go.

Suddenly, she spoke: "Jinlang~"

Zhou Jin finally stopped and turned to look at her: "What is it?"

She smiled, the lamplight from the eaves illuminating her bright, expectant eyes: "Remember to bring me a gift when you come back. I'm waiting for you to return home."

Zhou Jin snorted heavily and replied, "Mmm."

Then, he turned around, head held high, chest out, and strode away.

Only after leaving Fanghua Garden and seeing Huaiqiu waiting outside did he suppress the almost imperceptible smile on his lips and say in a low voice, "Summon Huaichun to Mianxiao Residence."