"Then why have you been so absent-minded and gloomy these past few days?" Yuan Doudou didn't believe she was wrong; Lu Xi's condition clearly indicated that she was lovesick.

Her thinking wasn't purely wishful thinking, but rather based on experience. There was a girl in her university dormitory who was perfectly normal at the beginning of the semester, attending classes, eating, and going to the library. Suddenly, from some unknown day, she seemed to go crazy. She would go to the wrong classroom, eat from the wrong plate, and stop going to the library. She would stay in her dormitory, wallowing in self-pity and rambling on and on, and would start writing some painless, whiny poems.

Later I found out that she had fallen for a boy from the school next door, but he had a girlfriend, and she was heartbroken because she couldn't have him.

Lu Xi's delirious state was exactly the same as hers, and Yuan Doudou still firmly believed that she was not wrong.

Lu Xi remained silent. The ball was almost in front of the goal, just one kick away from deciding the outcome, but he still hesitated.

"If it's not a matter of feelings, then it's a matter of interests. Do you have your own ideas about work?" Yuan Doudou asked bluntly.

Lu Xi seemed to understand but not quite. Did Dou Dou Jie mean "job"? He wanted to go out and learn new skills, which was essentially a betrayal of Dou Dou Jie.

That's why he didn't dare to say it.

Lu Xi remained silent, and Yuan Doudou was certain that she had guessed correctly this time. She just didn't understand why Lu Xi didn't just tell her directly if she wanted to go out and work. She wasn't a domineering person. Just because she bought Lu Xi didn't mean she could be high and mighty and become his master. She wasn't from here and couldn't understand the meaning of selling herself.

All people are equal. What gives anyone the right to think they can buy someone's entire life for a mere thirty taels of silver? Such a person is inherently corrupt, perverted, and twisted.

"Lu Xi, do you still consider me your older sister?" Yuan Doudou intended to have a heart-to-heart talk with him.

Lu Xi nodded heavily. When he first met Dou Dou at the Lu residence, he secretly thought to himself, "How wonderful it would be if this fairy-like girl were my older sister."

He only secretly thought about it until Yuan Doudou stood up for him and stopped Haitang from bullying him. Then he had a bold idea in his mind: to leave the Lu family and follow Sister Doudou.

Later, this wish came true.

"Since you still consider me your older sister, what can't a younger brother say to his older sister?" Yuan Doudou's gaze softened, and her tone rose, giving people a sense of closeness.

Lu Xi lowered his eyes. He wondered if Dou Dou was angry with him. Probably not. She looked gentle and kind, like a warm spring breeze gently blowing on him. He felt the intimate care of a mother.

He wanted to open his heart and tell DouDou everything.

Lu Xi's mouth moved repeatedly, her fists clenched tightly, all the muscles in her body tense, and the blood in her body was flowing wildly, shouting and cursing him like a coward.

Perhaps it was because the charcoal fire inside was burning too brightly, or because he was wearing thick cotton clothes, or perhaps because his blood was burning intensely, but Lu Xi's forehead was covered with a dense layer of sweat.

The beads of sweat started small, then slowly grew to the size of soybeans, trickling down his temples and dripping onto his clothes and the clean floor.

To say or not to say.

This decision had been tormenting him, and Lu Xi felt his mouth was dry and his head was steaming.

DouDou's face, once beautiful and graceful, gradually became blurry.

He clenched his fists, swallowed hard, and forced himself to calm down.

"Me, me, me"

His lips moved, but he could only utter the word "I" after a long time, like a stuck disc, repeating the same thing over and over.

Lu Xi's tense and uneasy state was like a plague or virus, directly infecting Dou Dou.

Yuan Doudou unconsciously clenched her fists, her heart raced, and every pore on her body opened up, as if afraid of accidentally suffocating.

It wasn't until Huang Rong came out of the kitchen that she saw the two of them facing each other, like two statues, locked in a stalemate.

"Lu Xi, can't you act like a man?" Huang Rong's disdain was blatant.

It was such a small thing, and they kept dawdling over it for ages without explaining it clearly. If it were her, she would have already resorted to violence. She's not as patient as Sister Dou Dou.

Lu Xi straightened his back, his spine upright, and his chest puffed out, as if to say that he was a true man.

Even a man has moments when he can't speak.

"If you're a man, just say it. If you don't, I'm going to." Huang Rong was so angry she felt like her lungs were about to explode. She really wanted to speak up for Lu Xi. It wasn't a big deal, so what was she afraid of?

Yuan Doudou was taken aback. What was going on?

Huang Rong actually knew about Lu Xi's troubles. Oh dear, I should have just asked Huang Rong.

However, Huang Rong didn't say anything because she wanted to give Lu Xi a chance. A man should be responsible for his own affairs.

Lu Xi wavered. A voice in his heart told him that he could no longer remain silent and could not let Huang Rong speak out. Huang Rong was his master and should bear the consequences of his thoughts.

His Adam's apple, which had just developed and was not yet very prominent, moved up and down.

"Sister Dou Dou, I want to go outside and learn a trade."

Good heavens, it's finally out! It's like a shocking secret suddenly being announced to the world, and there's a feeling of relief.

Suddenly, all the meridians in his body opened up, and his blood flowed freely, no longer frantic, but calm.

Yuan Doudou was stunned.

Has he finished speaking?

He argued with her for so long over such a trivial matter, which frightened her into thinking it was some earth-shattering, terrifying act, as if she would be hunted down if she told anyone.

Seeing her in a daze, Lu Xi panicked again. Oh no, Sister Dou Dou must be very angry. He betrayed her, not satisfied with the confines of the tavern, and wanted to venture out into the wider world.

But she didn't know that his desire to make a name for himself was also for her sake.

He had given up on the path of studying, taking exams, becoming an official, and getting rich; the only way to make money was to do business and become a businessman.

The country prioritizes agriculture over commerce, yet it still produces many wealthy merchants. With money, their lives are generally better than those of ordinary people.

Yuan Doudou was stunned for a moment, then suddenly burst out laughing, laughing louder and louder until the fetus in her belly got excited, at which point she covered her belly and stopped.

Lu Xi felt a chill run down his spine from her laughter. He had heard that people laugh when they are extremely angry, using laughter to express their anger.

Now he panicked even more.

"Sister Dou Dou, I'm sorry." Even a belated apology is still an apology, and he felt deeply remorseful.

Yuan Doudou laughed so hard her mouth cramped, but she wasn't entirely happy. Like him, she also felt guilty, realizing that she had only focused on making money and neglected to care for Lu Xi.

She calls herself the older sister, but in what way has she fulfilled her duties as an older sister? Lu Xi doesn't like to talk, but that doesn't mean she has no thoughts.

She never asked questions, but thankfully she noticed this time.

There is still a chance to remedy the situation.