As evening fell, the maid who was guarding the door saw Ji Zhuo enter the courtyard and whispered into the house, "Miss, Lord Ji has returned."
Upon hearing this, Lin Xihe, who was talking to Gu Qinghuai, immediately got up and went to the door to greet him.
"I thought you wouldn't be back until dark," she said softly.
"I was afraid you'd wait for me to come back before eating, so I rushed back as soon as I finished my work," Ji Zhuo said, gently cupping Lin Xihe's face and placing a tender kiss on her forehead.
"Isn't Ayan coming back today?" Lin Xihe looked behind Ji Zhuo and saw that only he had returned.
"He still has to meet with several former officials of the Great Hao Dynasty, so he probably won't be able to get away today," Ji Zhuo replied, his tone tinged with pleasure. After all, being busy was the norm for an emperor, and the busier he was, the more satisfied he felt.
However, when Ji Zhuo's gaze swept across the room and he found that Gu Qinghuai was still there, the smile on his face couldn't help but fade a bit.
"Gu Qinghuai, what are you still doing here?" Ji Zhuo asked with a hint of displeasure.
Gu Qinghuai didn't care about Ji Zhuo's attitude at all. He calmly picked up the teacup beside him, took a sip, and said lightly, "Why are you leaving?"
"Didn't I say I'd come tonight?" Ji Zhuo frowned slightly, feeling somewhat displeased. He thought to himself, he had already given Gu Qinghuai an entire afternoon, how could this person be so ungrateful?
"Come if you want, I didn't stop you." Gu Qinghuai remained calm, unaware of who was the rightful owner at this moment.
Ji Zhuo's face immediately darkened. Just as he was about to speak, Lin Xihe stepped forward, took his hand, and coaxed him softly, "Qinghuai was just joking with you. This is your home. Husband, are you tired? Why don't you come with me to see how the food preparation is going?"
Lin Xihe's principle has always been to appease Ji Zhuo first, as for the other one...
You have to coax them slowly!
After all, it was her own choice, and she experienced both pain and joy.
Sure enough, this tactic was very effective against Ji Zhuo.
As long as Lin Xihe showed favoritism towards him, he would instantly calm down like a kitten being stroked, his face would brighten instantly, and he would take Lin Xihe's hand and walk outside: "Then let's go and take a look together."
Lin Xihe was pulled away by Ji Zhuo and walked out, but she didn't forget to glance back at Gu Qinghuai.
Gu Qinghuai remained calm, thinking to himself: If I don't take him now, he'll eventually come to invite him for a meal.
The two walked towards the dining hall. Ji Zhuo looked around and sighed, "Your residence is exactly the same as when I left."
“I’ve had it all taken care of, so you can stay here without worry. Ayan doesn’t have any plans to move the capital anytime soon, so your parents and Tangbao can stay here when they come back,” Lin Xihe suggested, but then felt a little uneasy as soon as she said it.
"They don't live here. I've already arranged for people to renovate the Ji residence." Ji Zhuo's tone was calm, but his heart was filled with complex emotions.
After all, he couldn't openly let his parents know about this relationship.
The two had visited Tang Bao together in Nanzhao, so their parents must have sensed something was amiss, but they all kept quiet about it.
Of course, Ji Zhuo also hoped that his father would not mistakenly believe that he was with Mu Ruoyan.
"I'll do whatever you say," Lin Xihe replied obediently.
Ji Zhuo had promised that she didn't need to worry about these things, so she didn't dwell on it too much. She took Ji Zhuo's arm and continued walking forward.
I walked a few more steps.
Ji Zhuo suddenly turned his head and asked, "Then what do you plan to do about Gu Qinghuai?"
Lin Xihe was speechless for a moment, unsure how to respond.
Although Gu Qinghuai did not explicitly say that he wanted to be with her again in the afternoon, the meaning behind his words was all too clear.
He asked her if they could take Tangbao out to play together when Tangbao came back; he also asked if he could come to the Gu family's house for meals every day since he didn't want to come back.
Lin Xihe remained silent, simply pulling Ji Zhuo along as they continued walking. She felt she couldn't make any more demands and could only suppress these complicated emotions for the time being.
Seeing Lin Xihe like this, Ji Zhuo no longer hid his intentions, his tone carrying a hint of frankness and relief.
“Xi’er, before Gu Qinghuai went to the Western Regions, I thought about whether I would stop you from seeing each other if he returned in triumph and we were already married.” Ji Zhuo stopped and looked at Lin Xihe with tender eyes.
"So... what do you think?" Lin Xihe asked softly, a hint of trepidation in her eyes.
"I don't dislike him."
Ji Zhuo said frankly, "Although he once took you away from me, I no longer harbor any resentment towards him after he took the initiative to break off the engagement and let you marry me. You two were childhood sweethearts and were once engaged. It was my refusal to let go that led to all the entanglements that followed. In a way, he was innocent. At that time, I was already able to accept him being by your side." Ji Zhuo finished speaking with a touch of emotion in his tone.
Ji Zhuo stopped again, looked at Lin Xihe seriously, and said slowly, "We were both wrong, but we were also both right. Life is short, and I don't want you to have any regrets. But, if there is a next life, can you choose only me?" Ji Zhuo's tone was tinged with grievance, but also revealed a sense of relief.
If it weren't for Lin Xihe's system, he might not have had this opportunity.
Lin Xihe felt a warmth in her heart, hugged Ji Zhuo tightly, and softly replied, "Okay, if there is a next life, or the life after that, as long as it's you, I will only choose you."
That's what she always thought.
Even when she returned to Beijing, her feelings for Ji Zhuo were more about compromise and promises, but in her time with him, she gradually fell in love with him.
Fortunately, whenever she had a choice, she always firmly chose Ji Zhuo.
The two embraced tightly, and after a long while, Lin Xihe asked softly, "But, Ayan can't possibly agree." Mu Ruoyan dotes on her, but that doesn't mean he can accept the existence of a third person.
“You don’t need to worry too much. I already hinted at it to Mu Ruoyan after the three of us met earlier.”
Ji Zhuo continued to explain, "He is Tang Bao's father, so it's impossible to completely sever ties. It's fine if Gu Qinghuai comes looking for you normally; let's take it slow."
"Um... Qinghuai just came to have a meal with me and to see Tangbao," Lin Xihe added somewhat guiltily.
“The night before I left the Northern Border, Mu Ruoyan came to see you, and you said the same thing.” Ji Zhuo glanced at her with dissatisfaction.
Lin Xihe grinned awkwardly, not daring to reply.
Book categories, authors, and full-length book rankings
Homepage Click Ranking Recommended Ranking Favorites Ranking Temporary Bookshelf
PC version of all novels, latest updates, site map, member bookshelf
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
