Chapter 178
Early spring, Shishi Alley, Jinling Prefecture, Nanzhili.
The lotus pond had only just warmed up, and a few slender lotus stems had emerged from the water. The crabapple trees, however, were the first to bloom, the ones planted outside the flower hall ablaze with pink and white.
The main room was replaced with a bamboo curtain and the windows were opened, so you can see the willow branches outside that have just sprouted new buds. In warm weather, a breeze can blow on your face when you open the windows.
"Madam, the Marquis is here." A maid wearing a green bodice came in through the curtain and said, bowing.
There was a pair of thrushes under the eaves. He was so attentive, knowing she liked them, he bought them at a great expense. He had plenty of money anyway; he'd bought the house from a wealthy local squire, who had willingly given it to him. He was the best at pleasing people, eager to heap the best things in front of her.
Luo Yining was pruning the branches of an evergreen. When he heard he was coming, he got angry and cut off a main branch.
She tried every possible means, but this guy remained unmoved. He didn't want her to leave at all! She had said it was all in the past, that she had let it go long ago and didn't like him anymore, but he refused to let her go.
How could Luo Yining dare to run away on her own? Not to mention that Lu Jiaxue was personally watching over her this time, without Cheng Lang letting her off. He knew how many mosquitoes flew into her room in a single day. Even her bulging belly made her hesitant to take risks. The baby was already five months old. How could she dare to move when she was being protected so carefully?
Lu Jiaxue was kind enough to encourage her to socialize with the wives of the surrounding bureaucrats after she arrived, saying it would keep her from getting bored. A neighbor, the wife of the Vice Magistrate of Jinling Prefecture, often visited with another gentry wife. He, on the other hand, had nothing better to do, so he tended flowers and birds, sending them to her when they were ready.
She put down the scissors and glanced at Lu Jiaxue walking in, followed by a tall woman carrying a package.
When Luo Yining saw the woman, he stood up in surprise... After not seeing her for many years, this person seemed to be... Xuezhi?
Xuezhi had her hair styled in a bun, making her look older. Her eyes welled up when she saw Yining, whom she had also raised. How could she not be surprised and excited to see the grown-up girl already pregnant?
"You're not saying that the person who usually serves you is bad, are you?" Lu Jiaxue sat down and poured himself some tea. "I'll find her to serve you, okay?"
Lu Jiaxue sipped his tea, shaking his cup. Seeing Yining's round chin, he smiled. After all, she had gotten a bit rounder. Although she wasn't very friendly to him, she still ate everything he brought her. She cared deeply about the child. She had been having morning sickness a while ago, vomiting violently in the mornings. Lu Jiaxue slept in her green gauze cupboard, got up to check on her, and even brought her tea to rinse her mouth.
Luo Yining was shocked when she saw him. She didn't know he lived here.
Lu Jiaxue knew that she hated him to death, but he didn't do anything to her and just kept her like a flower.
Luo Yining still ignored him, so Lu Jiaxue put down his teacup and went out, letting her talk to Xuezhi.
The master and servant hadn't seen each other for years, so naturally, they talked for a long time. Yi Ning knew that Xuezhi had married in Baoding and given birth to a five-year-old boy, but the child had been abducted by human traffickers, and she couldn't find him anywhere. By then, the Luo family had already moved to the capital, and she had no one to turn to, crying heartbreakingly. Her husband's family, believing she had neglected the child, treated her coldly all day. Xuezhi simply packed up her dowry and moved out to live on her own.
Then Lu Jiaxue's people found her and said they wanted to take her to a place.
She hadn't expected the bumpy journey to Jinling, the most prosperous area in Nanzhili, which had been the capital before the Central Government moved.
Xuezhi had already felt that life was meaningless, but when she saw Luo Yining again, she couldn't stop crying. Yining hugged her to comfort her and asked the maid to quickly bring in hot water to wash her face.
How could such a young girl in her prime lose her child and become like this!
Before she came, Lu Jiaxue must have asked her to wash up. Yi Ning held her shoulders and said, "You just got here, rest for a while, there's no rush."
Luo Yining walked out of the house and saw Lu Jiaxue in the flower hall next to him. A man wearing Cheng Ziyi was bowing and talking to him.
Seeing her coming, Lu Jiaxue asked the man to step back.
"Xuezhi's child was abducted by human traffickers two years ago, and their whereabouts remain unknown..." She hesitated as she stood before him. Xuezhi had cared for her for years, watching her grow up. She had been incredibly reluctant to leave when she left. Their friendship was extraordinary, and Luo Yining would never bring herself to say such a thing to anyone else.
"Are you begging me?" Lu Jiaxue looked at her and asked.
Luo Yining nodded and said, "Yes, I'm begging you, will you agree?"
Lu Jiaxue said, "Come here."
Luo Yining walked over to him, and he suddenly pulled her into his arms. Luo Yining glared at him, but Lu Jiaxue said, "Let me hold her for a while, then I'll go find her son. If you ask me to do something, you should pay me for it, right?"
Lu Jiaxue saw her slender neck, a soft pinkish-white hue, even prettier than the apricot blossoms outside. She smelled fragrant, too. She often drank goat's milk, which had a sweet, milky aroma. It was very pleasant. He was, after all, a normal man. Just like now, he felt a fire burning inside him. If only he could kiss her face. She looked so kissable. But she would definitely jump up, then be so angry that she wouldn't speak to him for days.
Lu Jiaxue tightened his arms, hugging her even tighter. She was like a soft, fragrant candy, comforting to hold. Of course, he was just holding her: "Don't move, or you'll never get Xuezhi's child back." He let her sit on him and then spoke to her, "The other day, that Jinling Saint said you're having a boy..."
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