Chapter 180 I raised him with love and care
Granny Zhang, who was listening nearby, couldn't stop her mouth from twitching. She quickly stepped forward to soothe her, saying, "Madam, please calm down. The young master knows he was wrong..."
"He knows he's wrong? He knows nothing!"
Madam Xiao shook off Granny Zhang's hand and continued speaking in increasingly outrageous terms, "I think he's just like his father, that blockhead! Back then, your father was covered in wounds and passed out in a ravine. It was I who picked him up and healed his injuries! But he, as soon as he was healed, thought of running away and spouted all that nice talk about repaying kindness and having plenty of time in the future! Bah! I never save people for nothing. I tied him up and threw him into the bridal chamber. We had our wedding ceremony that very night! I made him my husband."
"You're something else! You can even drive away a wife who's practically handed to you! I've seen it all in my life—everything I've fought for, everything I've earned, even my husbands were rescued and then kidnapped. I've been through so much, and yet I still have to trip up with you!"
Xiao Yeming: "..."
Granny Zhang knew her mistress all too well; judging by her current temper, she probably wouldn't calm down even if she kept scolding her until dawn.
She couldn't bear to see the mother and son arguing like this, and she felt sorry for her husband kneeling upright on the ground, so she gently advised, "Madam... your husband has been kneeling for nearly two hours. Even the strongest knees can't take that long."
She lowered her voice even further, almost whispering in Madam Xiao's ear, and pleaded, "My husband has always respected you the most. This time, his refusal to marry must be due to some unspeakable hardship. Marriage is something that cannot be forced. Please forgive him this time."
How could Madam Xiao not feel heartache?
Seeing her son's pale face, her heart softened, but her anger and resentment prevented her from showing any emotion. She could only wave her hand irritably and say, "Get out! Just looking at you makes me angry. Don't get in my way!"
She really couldn't understand it.
It was obvious that he admired Lady Lu, so why did he refuse the marriage in public? He didn't care about losing face, nor did he care about the laughter of Madam He and her daughter behind his back, but she truly felt sorry for Lady Lu... Fortunately, that child was open-minded and not a resentful person.
Xiao Yeming silently kowtowed. When he stood up, his blood and qi were slightly stagnant from kneeling for so long, and his movements were a little slow. Then he walked out with steady steps.
As the footsteps faded into the distance, Madam Xiao immediately turned to the night sky and began to wail at the top of her lungs: "Linlang! My short-lived husband! Open your eyes and look at your grown son! I raised him with my own hands, and now he wants to drive me to my death, so that your Xiao family line will end..."
The loud cries, each word clearly reaching Xiao Yeming's ears who had not yet gone far.
Xiao Yeming paused slightly, a helpless twitch appearing at the corner of his mouth.
He was already used to his mother's elaborate performances and, without turning back, walked straight towards his own courtyard.
Back in the courtyard, he instinctively headed towards the waterside pavilion.
A night breeze swept by, and as he looked up, he suddenly froze.
Through a sparse patch of flowers and trees, one could see Lu Zhaoruo standing alone by the railing in the courtyard of Chengrui Courtyard, quietly gazing up at the starry sky.
The cool moonlight shone on her, as if draping her in a dreamlike veil of light, making her figure appear solitary and otherworldly.
She stood there motionless...
Xiao Yeming held his breath, not daring to disturb him in the slightest, and stared at the figure in the shadows that he would never dare to approach again in his life.
But my heart was throbbing with pain.
Sister Lu.
It's not that I don't want to marry.
It's not that I dare not marry her.
The scene of his first mission to Jizhou City flashed through his mind.
The snow that day was very light, with fine, scattered flakes settling on the plum tree in the Lu family's courtyard.
Lu Zhaoruo sat on the swing under the plum tree, dressed in a plain-colored jacket and skirt, with a book open on her lap.
The swing swayed very gently with her movements. She lowered her eyes and read sentences from the book. Her voice was clear and crisp, like ice striking jade chimes. Each word seemed to drown out the burning pain in his shoulder wound and resonated clearly in his heart.
At that time, he was huddled awkwardly in the shade of a nearby rooftop.
The arrow wound in his shoulder blade continued to bleed, soaking through his clothes. The biting cold and excruciating pain intertwined, and he almost gritted his teeth to pieces.
They had only taken refuge here to escape pursuit, but the sound of someone reciting a book inexplicably captivated their attention.
He looked up and saw her reading with great interest, the corners of her lips unconsciously curving upwards.
Sparse snowflakes quietly settled on her temples and the pages of her book, but she was completely unaware, as if the entire noisy and chaotic world had faded away, leaving only her, the book, and a lonely plum tree behind her.
Lu Zhaoruo suddenly recalled Xiao Yeming's resolute refusal of marriage at the banquet earlier.
She had long since resolved to no longer be attached to worldly love and affection. Whether she married or not was, to her, like fleeting clouds, leaving no trace.
But at this moment.
A night breeze swept by, yet a faint, dull ache rose in my heart. It wasn't painful, just...uncomfortable.
While she was still in a daze, she seemed to sense a gaze and subconsciously turned her head to look at the opposite pavilion.
However, the moonlight was cold and clear, and the pavilion was empty and deserted.
She looked away and gave a self-deprecating smile.
The next morning.
Madam Xiao specially invited Lu Zhaoruo to Ning'an Residence for breakfast.
Lu Zhaoruo stepped into the flower hall, her steps pausing slightly.
Xiao Yeming was already sitting upright to the side, his back straight as a pine tree, his expression aloof, and the porridge and dishes in front of him untouched.
Madam Xiao seemed not to see him at all, and warmly invited Lu Zhaoruo to sit down next to her.
"Zhaoruo, come quickly!"
Madam Xiao personally served her a bowl of thick, sticky barley porridge, smiling broadly: "This porridge is very nourishing, you should eat more of it."
He picked up another piece of fresh bamboo shoot and placed it on her plate. "These bamboo shoot tips are so tender, try them!"
For a time, Madam Xiao was the only one who showed great care and concern for Lu Zhaoruo, while leaving her own son out in the cold.
Lu Zhaoruo felt grateful but also somewhat embarrassed, and secretly glanced at the silent Xiao Yeming.
Just then, he looked up, and their eyes met briefly before looking away.
Madam Xiao took in this subtle action and was secretly pleased: "Tsk tsk, what a well-matched couple!"
Then, on second thought, he muttered to himself, "What a pity I had such a blockhead son!"
After breakfast, the atmosphere remained subtly tense.
Madam Xiao's eyes lit up, and a plan came to her mind.
She deliberately pushed the teacup toward Lu Zhaoruo's hand and exclaimed, "Oh dear, I have such a bad memory! Zhaoruo, this tea is probably cold. Could you please add some hot tea for me?"
Lu Zhaoruo readily agreed and stood up to pick up the teapot.
Madam Xiao immediately turned her head, her face stern, and said to her son, "You blockhead, don't you have any sense? Zhaoruo is a guest, how can you let a guest do the work? Hurry up and go and help him!"
Startled by his mother's scolding, Xiao Yeming had no choice but to get up, walk to Lu Zhaoruo's side, and whisper, "Thank you, Madam Lu, I'll do it."
Lu Zhaoruo nodded slightly and handed over the teapot.
Just as their fingers were about to touch, Madam Xiao suddenly coughed violently from the side.
Xiao Yeming's hand trembled, the spout of the kettle tilted slightly, and a few drops of hot water almost splashed out.
Lu Zhaoruo instinctively whispered, "Be careful."
The two looked at each other at the same time, their eyes met, and then they quickly looked away.
Madam Xiao saw this and was anxious, wishing she could personally press their heads together.
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