Chapter 368 Feeling Wronged, Putting on a Show
Qiao said, "Lord Ji, as you said, these are all things from when I was young. Things are different now. I'm getting old and my looks have faded. I'm going to get a scolding from you, Lord Ji."
Ji Bolian clicked his tongue twice, gazing at her profile.
"Didn't we agree in the letter that we'd put on a show and keep Xiao Wu at home? How was my performance?"
Qiao Shi, unwilling to look him in the eye, said, "That's wonderful."
Gibran asked with concern, "Did the shards of the cup hurt you?"
He reached out to put his arm around Qiao's shoulder, but she frowned and pushed it away.
Qiao said sarcastically, "It's just a cup. At most, it might cut your skin, but it won't hurt your feelings."
A bitter expression also appeared on Gibran's face, knowing what she meant.
"I have put a lot of thought into this, but if my wife still doesn't understand, my heart will probably be shattered into a thousand pieces."
Knowing the inside story beforehand, Qiao felt heartbroken by those words, and the thought that Ji Qingwu knew nothing made her feel terrible.
She snorted loudly, her face stern, and said, "Lord Ji, you have such an air of authority, speaking without any regard for others. If I were Xiao Wu, I would be heartbroken to hear this and would never want to acknowledge you again."
Gibran's expression changed repeatedly, as if he had considered this possibility.
Finally, she sighed and said, "Madam, you know what, Xiao Wu's personality is such that he can't afford to lose anywhere. He almost got me all into a mess."
"She even talked to me about the ways of being an official, and about the saying that a married woman should obey her husband. It seems that she also knows the rule that an unmarried woman should obey her father. Xiao Wu understands all kinds of principles. This child has been smart and quick-witted since she was a child. She is not the kind of child who just studies to death."
His words were full of praise.
Ji Bolian praised enthusiastically, saying, "Madam, tell me, Xiao Wu's features are still the same as when he was a child, not much has changed, especially his eyes, which can express both joy and anger. I can't take my eyes off them once I see them."
At this point, they started praising it.
Qiao glared at him: "Didn't you see her face all scrunched up and teary-eyed when she was dragged away? How could you bear to do that!"
Gibran touched his nose and said, "I really didn't see it; I turned my back."
He was afraid he would soften his heart, so he turned away after saying those harsh words.
Qiao said, "I told you long ago that we would inform Xiao Wu in advance. She married into the Wei family in a moment of desperation and she didn't want to stay there."
"Xiao Wu is smart, she will definitely cooperate with us."
Gibran disagreed, saying, "If she knew beforehand, the performance wouldn't be convincing."
"He wants to marry my daughter without my consent as her father-in-law, and he's even forcing her into marriage. That Wei family brat is just delusional!"
At this point, Mr. Ji was truly angry.
Qiao said, "I don't care about your reasons. Now that our Xiao Wu has been wronged, what do you suggest we do?"
Gibran shook his head and said, "This child looks soft and cute, just like when she was little, but according to what you wrote in your letter, she is a woman of her own mind, and her personality is completely different from her appearance. She is simply fearless."
“You always spoil her and pamper her because you think she only comes home for short periods of time. This is not good for the child.”
Gibran sighed, "There has to be someone in the house that she fears."
"You're still not satisfied with me playing the villain?"
Qiao pursed her lips and said, "You wicked person, I still find you despicable when I see you now, stay away from me."
She gave Gibran a push, got up, and walked into the inner room.
"Go back to your study and stay there. Don't stay in my Anju Garden."
"I just got home, and you're already kicking me out?"
Gibran stared at her in astonishment.
Qiao lowered the gauze curtain in the inner room, and her voice slowly drifted out from inside.
"Didn't Lord Ji say he wanted to put on a show? If you're going to put on a show, you have to go all the way. I need to rest for a while, so please make yourself at home, sir."
Ji Bolian sighed and paced around the room twice, making sure that Qiao Shi really didn't want to pay attention to him before leaving Anjuyuan.
But instead of returning to his study, he went out of the mansion.
*
Ji Qingwu thought he would be taken to a secluded room and locked up, but Chunhua led him back to Wutong Garden, where no one was guarding the door.
She thought she wouldn't be given any food, or only simple fare, but the lunch was unexpectedly lavish, and everything was one of her favorite dishes.
If being locked up is like this, she'd be willing to be locked up forever.
After settling her in, Chunhua returned to Anjuyuan, leaving Qiushi behind.
Ji Qingwu swallowed the stir-fried chrysanthemum greens in her mouth and asked, "Did Granny Li make this?"
She could tell who made it at first bite.
Qiu Shi said, "The meals were prepared and delivered from Anjuyuan a long time ago."
Ji Qingwu nodded. Even if he was feeling suffocated, he couldn't let his stomach get the better of him, so he ate quite a bit of food.
Qiu Shi had been instructed to silently note down all the dishes she used.
After lunch, Ji Qingwu had nothing to do, so he went back to bed, finding it more comfortable in his own courtyard.
Even the quilts were freshly aired, fluffy and fragrant, the smell of the Qiao family's house.
She slept a very sound sleep.
When he woke up, he found that there was another maid in the room.
Lanzhi looked at her from the bedside and said happily, "Fifth Miss."
Ji Qingwu thought he was still half asleep. Shouldn't Lanzhi be staying at the Wei family's house? Why is she back at the Ji family's house too?
She sat up and asked, "When did you get back?"
Lanzhi said excitedly, "It was the master who brought me back personally."
She stepped aside, pointed to several large boxes on the ground, and said, "These were all brought back by the master and the servants of the manor."
Ji Qingwu glanced at it; these were her dowry and clothing trunks. Her eyes flickered slightly.
Is Gibran really planning to keep her at home?
But wouldn't that be tantamount to breaking ties with the Wei family?
"Fifth Miss, you have no idea how dashing the Master looks standing there in front of the Wei family."
Lanzhi mimicked Gibran's gesture, waving her hand.
“Take all of Wu’er’s things away. As her father, I have never agreed to let my daughter marry into your family.”
Lanzhi even perfectly imitated the gesture of stroking her beard.
"Your Wei family has gone too far! I will settle this score with you later!"
Ji Qingwu pretended not to care and straightened his wrinkled clothes, but he was listening carefully to what Lanzhi was saying.
Lanzhi remembered something and said, "By the way, Fifth Miss, the master seems very angry."
Ji Qingwu paused for a moment, then nodded: "I know."
Lanzhi asked in surprise, "Miss even knows that the master is angry?"
"But......"
Ji Qingwu said in a muffled voice, "Stop talking." She didn't want to hear about these unpleasant things.
She got out of bed and went to the small couch in the outer room. She found the medicine powder and refilled the porcelain bottle that was half empty.
Seemingly sensing Ji Qingwu's gloom, Lanzhi stopped talking and, together with Qiushi, began to pack up the large boxes that had been brought back.
Put the items back in their original positions.
Footsteps came from the doorway...
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