kvmb Chapter 138 Misunderstanding
Chapter 138 Misunderstanding
At the dinner table, Brother Liu served food to Chu Qingyin and her companion, saying, "The rabbit meat from these mountains is delicious, you should eat more."
Chu Qingyin said gratefully, "Thank you, Brother Liu. I have never eaten such delicious rabbit meat before."
Brother Liu is an honest and kind man; when he hears her praise like that, he just smiles sheepishly.
"Eat more if you like it, look how thin you are." Sister-in-law Amei put a rabbit leg on her plate.
Chu Qingyin could not refuse, so she had no choice but to lower her head and eat.
Since the beginning of summer, her appetite had been declining day by day, and she felt that nothing tasted good. She never expected that after coming here, even simple meals would taste like the best food in the world.
"Yinyin, what are your plans for the future?" Brother Liu suddenly asked while we were eating.
"Huh?" Chu Qingyin looked up at him, somewhat bewildered.
“I’m not being nosy, but you’re still a young girl. You’ve been away for so long, your elders at home must be worried.”
Brother Liu spoke earnestly, adopting the demeanor of an elder, saying, "Whether two people can be together or not, it's best to have the blessings of their elders, so that their future days will be easier."
"Yes, your brother is right. Yinyin, listen to your sister-in-law's advice, don't hold a grudge against the elders in the family. Once you two have recovered from your injuries, go home as soon as possible."
After saying that, as if afraid that she would overthink it, Amei continued, "It's not that your sister-in-law is trying to drive you away, we just feel that it's not appropriate for a young lady like you to be out with a man."
Amei glanced at Lu Zhiheng and said sullenly, "Young Master Lu is a good person and so handsome. I think your elders will definitely agree."
Upon hearing this, Chu Qingyin couldn't help but chuckle.
They actually thought she and Lu Zhiheng were star-crossed lovers who eloped because their elders disapproved of their marriage.
No wonder Brother Liu hesitated to speak earlier, and his expression towards the two men showed a lot of sympathy.
Just as she was about to explain, Lu Zhiheng spoke first, "Brother Liu, don't worry, I'll take her back once I'm healed."
Chu Qingyin was taken aback upon hearing this. She was about to say something when Lu Zhiheng subtly tugged at her sleeve, causing her to swallow back the words that were on the tip of her tongue.
She glanced at Lu Zhiheng with some confusion, but saw that his expression was calm.
Brother Liu and Sister-in-law Amei nodded in satisfaction when they heard Lu Zhiheng say that. "That's right. Young people can't keep being so willful."
After the meal, Liu's wife and the others went to clean up the dishes, leaving only the two of them in the front yard.
The chirping of insects in summer is particularly noisy, echoing the croaking of frogs, but it doesn't feel annoying.
The moonlight was as clear as water, and the shadows of the trees in the forest were cast into the courtyard, like water plants intertwining. The two sat on small bamboo chairs, and the moonlight made their shadows look long and slender.
After a long silence, Chu Qingyin finally lowered her voice and asked, "Lu... Lu Zhiheng, why didn't you explain just now?"
Lu Zhiheng looked at her, his pale face devoid of any emotion, his tone cold and calm: "Since we're already stranded outside, it's better to avoid trouble. Just agree to their wishes to avoid them pressing us for answers and causing unnecessary complications, isn't that right?"
Chu Qingyin thought about it and felt that Lu Zhiheng's words made sense. She gently bit her rosy lips and said, "Okay, but..."
She hesitated, a vague unease creeping into her heart.
"Just what?"
When Lu Zhiheng was alone with her, he always had a cold and aloof demeanor, unwilling to say even half a word more than necessary. He leaned against the back of the chair with one hand to avoid rubbing the wound on his back.
"But I'm afraid that if people from the palace come looking for us and find out about our relationship..."
Thinking of the intrigues and backstabbing in the palace, Chu Qingyin felt inexplicably annoyed.
For a moment, she even felt a little reluctant for Pei Yuanling to find this place and take her back to that infighting, cannibalistic royal palace.
"What, are you afraid His Majesty will be jealous?"
Lu Zhiheng narrowed his eyes, looked Chu Qingyin up and down, and smiled slightly with a hint of sarcasm. "Miss Qiao, don't forget that for him, the most important thing is your face. Nothing else matters."
Upon hearing Lu Zhiheng's words, Chu Qingyin's expression stiffened slightly.
Indeed, she is just a substitute now. For Pei Yuanling, this face is the most important thing.
Thinking of this, she forced a smile: "I'm just afraid that if he finds out about our situation, it will be bad for you."
Upon hearing this, Lu Zhiheng straightened his back slightly, a barely perceptible dark glint flashing in his eyes. "As an emperor, his thoughts are unpredictable. If he really comes looking for me, I will deal with it myself. You don't need to worry too much, just focus on recovering from your injuries."
Chu Qingyin bit her lower lip, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Lu Zhiheng, you have saved me time and time again, but I always end up dragging you into such a predicament. One day, I will definitely repay your kindness."
Since falling off the cliff, he has saved her twice, and she was even seriously injured because of him, which made Chu Qingyin's feelings towards him increasingly strange.
But kindness is kindness, and hatred is hatred, and she will never give up revenge just because the other party saved her!
"No need."
Lu Zhiheng gazed at her, the moonlight shining on his face, outlining his cold and handsome features.
“Miss Qiao, I only advise you not to follow the example of that Consort Chu in the future, otherwise you will die a terrible death.”
When Chu Qingyin heard him mention her past life, her brows furrowed, and her tone suddenly turned much colder: "Lord Lu seems to have many different feelings towards that Consort Chu? What, did she offend you?"
Whenever matters concerning the palace are brought up, the two inevitably clash.
"I told you, this is just advice; it's up to you whether you listen or not," Lu Zhiheng said, unwilling to say another word.
If the late Consort had not loved Pei Yuanling so deeply, she would not have ended up in such a state, and the Duke of Chu's mansion would not have suffered the fate of being exiled as a whole.
The Chu family was loyal to Pei Yuanling because of the Imperial Concubine, but in the end they suffered such a fate. Even with his interference and encouragement, it was still not enough.
To completely overthrow the Chu family, Pei Yuanling's suspicions and obstacles are inevitable.
After all, the Duke of Chu's mansion holds a high position and great power, and General Chu Tianheng, the protector of the country, has a large army in his hands. There is no higher position to be granted. Now that there is an opportunity to take back military power, how could Pei Yuanling give up his great cause for a woman?
He merely handed this handle to Pei Yuanling. If Pei Yuanling intended to protect him, he only needed to spend some time investigating to find out whether Chu Tianheng was truly a traitor.
Ultimately, Consort Chu's position in his heart was not as important as the throne.
Seeing that Lu Zhiheng was unwilling to say more, Chu Qingyin felt unwilling, but she also knew that pressing him for an answer would not yield any results.
She gazed silently at the night sky, where the stars twinkled, but her thoughts drifted back to her days in the Chu family.
Back then, my brother doted on me, and my family was happy. Compared to the current state of displacement and constant danger, it feels like a lifetime ago.
"Thank you for your kind words, Lord Lu. I will remember them." Chu Qingyin's expression darkened slightly. She knew that Lu Zhiheng's words were not alarmist, but genuinely well-intentioned advice.
In her previous life, she was too arrogant in the palace, which made her many enemies. However, because of the emperor's favor, no one dared to harm her.
Looking back now, she was favored every day, but after losing her first child, she never became pregnant again. Was it really because no one dared to harm her?