Volume 13
Chapter 16: The Trial Period
Lu Li had thought that Zhu Qiao would excitedly fly into his arms when she saw him. He had already figured out how to explain his and Little Qiao’s intimate relationship to Zhu Xi. But when Lu Li had drunk his second cup of green tea in the reception room, the Zhu sisters had not made any indication. Little Qiao, moreover, was timidly shrunk in her chair, occasionally glancing at him surreptitiously, as if she had been possessed by a little village girl.
Had something happened? Had she been lectured by Zhu Xi? Or was Zhu Xi starting to settle the score with her for running away from home? They didn’t say, and Lu Li also held back, as if whoever spoke first would be at a disadvantage. After drinking four infusions of tea, the flavor of the tea had faded. Finally, he heard Zhu Xi say, “Have you had enough to drink?”
“Good tea.” Lu Li closed the lid of his cup. He had actually been observing Zhu Qiao’s complexion the whole time. Little Qiao’s face was rosy, much better than before. Recalling the Zhu Qiao who had lain in his arms as cold as a corpse before, Lu Li couldn’t help but be glad that he had made it in time. Otherwise, he would probably have another regret in this life. “Little Qiao, are you still feeling unwell anywhere? Are you dizzy? Are you hungry?”
The moment Lu Li spoke, Little Qiao couldn’t help but smile with optimism, saying softly, “Not dizzy~ not hungry~” Her voice was sweet and coquettish. After being glared at by Zhu Xi, she pouted and pretended to be mute.
After glaring at her sister, Zhu Xi turned to glare at Lu Li. “You with the surname Lu, you have some nerve, hiding Little Qiao for a month. If I hadn’t used the husband selection to force you out, you probably would have hidden Little Qiao for a lifetime, wouldn’t you? What? You want to raise her for a lifetime?” Zhu Qiao, who had been listening silently, blushed, her head buried low, wishing she could drill into the ground. She wondered, are the ants on the ground also eavesdropping?
Not to mention, Lu Li actually did have this idea. If not for the Yan Matriarch’s pursuit, Lu Li really did plan on raising Little Qiao as his younger sister. “It’s not impossible. You also know the situation before. Sending her back would just be sending her back to the Yan Matriarch. It’s better for her to eat and drink well at my place…”
Zhu Qiao also spoke up for Lu Li. “That’s right, that’s right. Gege is very good to me. I like him very much…”
“Little Qiao, you don’t have a say in this today. I haven’t forgiven you for running away from home yet! If you’re going to run away, at least tell me, right? I can help you arrange an escape route, which is better than you wandering around rashly on your own!” Zhu Xi was disappointed in her. “In the future, you won’t have the Miko’s ability. If you don’t cultivate the ability to be independent, you’ll suffer a lot in the future.”
Zhu Qiao shook Zhu Xi’s arm. “Sister Xi, don’t be angry. I’ll listen to you.”
After scolding her sister, Zhu Xi turned her head to look at Lu Li and saw the scumbag man watching the sisters’ lecture with a cheerful grin. Her long, narrow eyes narrowed slightly. “You with the surname Lu, do you know why I called you here?”
“I can’t guess.” Lu Li actually could guess. It was nothing more than some private matters, most likely about the imperial son-in-law.
“Lu Li, the matter of the husband selection is not yet over,” Zhu Xi said, looking into Lu Li’s eyes. “I know you don’t want to be the imperial son-in-law. Because to be the imperial son-in-law, you would have to marry into the Zhu family. You wouldn’t marry into a family, am I right?”
Lu Li didn’t want to be too absolute. If he said yes with determination, it would inevitably hurt Zhu Xi’s feelings a little. During the backtracking before, at the last moment of their lives, Zhu Xi had kissed him passionately. That fiery passion would have ignited even a piece of wood. But returning to this moment, they had to face reality. Zhu Xi was a princess. Since the constitutional movement in Shenzhou, there had been no examples of a princess marrying out. Only men married into a family; no women married out. Lu Li thought, if he were the prince of some country, he might have a little chance.
“Is it okay if I don’t marry in?”
Zhu Xi had expected this. “Of course you can.”
Lu Li thought he had misheard.
“I can’t marry you. Besides, I never said the husband selection was for me, at least there was no official statement.” Zhu Xi was young, but she was also full of schemes. “Little Qiao can acknowledge her ancestors and return to the clan from today on, so she can also be considered half a princess. I plan to, as her guardian, marry Little Qiao to you. This way, you’ll become one of our own, and it won’t delay you from tricking that little girl Chu Jingyi. Little Qiao has also agreed. Now, what’s your opinion?”
Lu Li was dumbfounded. He had always thought it would be him and Zhu Xi as a pair, but he hadn’t expected this woman to take herself out of the equation and send Little Qiao over. Ah, that’s right. She probably had this idea for a long time. Back during the backtracking, she had stubbornly refused to backtrack to an earlier time to sever the connection between him and Little Qiao. Before she “died,” she had even entrusted Zhu Qiao to her.
No wonder Little Qiao had been so fidgety and blushing. Lu Li looked at Zhu Qiao again and saw the latter pull up her collar, covering her little face and pretending to be an ostrich. The two proud, full mounds on her chest were made particularly prominent by the tight-fitting clothes, and her slender, fair waist was also revealed. This girl was very easy to bully. If she really married him, Lu Li was afraid he would bully her until she cried every day.
He shook his head violently. Lu Li, what are you thinking! Didn’t you say you would only see her as a sister? Don’t fall for the common failing of men!
“You with the surname Lu, what’s your opinion?” Zhu Xi was no longer being a dictator, but was actually seeking Lu Li’s opinion. It was obvious that Zhu Xi had thought about it carefully. Privately, Little Qiao clearly liked Lu Li, and Lu Li was also sufficiently devoted to his lovers. If she let Little Qiao marry him, she at least wouldn’t have to worry about her sister’s future. Publicly, Lu Li urgently needed an identity that would allow him to achieve a class leap. This identity could be an imperial son-in-law, or it could be Zhu Xi’s brother-in-law. The latter would not rule out the possibility of Lu Li pursuing Chu Jingyi.
From both public and private aspects, Zhu Xi’s proposal was the most perfect, with only one flaw.
Lu Li pulled Zhu Xi to the small room next door. “What about you?”
“What?”
“What about you?” Lu Li was a little dissatisfied. “I’ve always seen Zhu Qiao as a younger sister. If I had to choose, I’d rather marry you! I like you!”
Zhu Xi’s eyes flickered. She turned her head away, not looking directly at Lu Li. “If you like me, then you like me. In the vast land of Shenzhou, there are many who like me. One more of you isn’t many, and one less isn’t few.” These words annoyed Lu Li. Taking advantage of the fact that they were alone, he hugged Zhu Xi and pressed her full, snowy mounds against his chest, his hands unceremoniously gripping her buttocks. “Then can I do this? Can others?”
Zhu Xi squirmed in his arms but didn’t struggle, letting Lu Li do as he pleased. “After Little Qiao marries you, you are not allowed to do this kind of thing again, or I won’t spare you.”
Lu Li was amused by her insincerity. “Then, sister-in-law, or sister, what do you call those times we rolled in the sheets? What do you think Little Qiao will think when she finds out? Letting her take over? Don’t you feel guilty?”
Zhu Xi’s eyes flickered, her imposing manner weakening a notch. “That-that was just a trial period. I was testing your abilities for Little Qiao. That aspect is quite important for married life…” She had only heard of it. At this moment, she could only bite the bullet and talk nonsense.
Lu Li pressed his advantage, pinning Zhu Xi against the wall. “Are you worthy of Little Qiao? Doing this kind of thing with her future husband?”
This sentence triggered a strong sense of immorality in Zhu Xi’s heart. She stammered, not knowing how to answer, feeling the thing Lu Li was pressing against her crotch constantly expanding, and her delicate body also gradually became hot. It was rare for Lu Li to see Zhu Xi feeling guilty. Naturally, he wouldn’t miss the opportunity. He pinned her tightly against the wall and took her fragrant lips in one go.
At the same time, Zhu Qiao was still rolling around in her chair.
