Edited by Elanor
What was this question? How could you ask others to answer this question?
“Umn…” Xie Tingyue was thinking about whether or not to pretend to be shy or to act in a way that fit his persona, when he suddenly remembered the name ‘Lu Li’, as if he had heard it somewhere before.
He was not particularly familiar with him. This person must have been very famous at a certain stage in the past. Where did he hear of him?
The Prince Consort Fang Huai didn’t even hear Lu Li’s question. After greeting Chu Mu, he happily pulled Lu Li over and said, “Second Young Master Xie is very interesting. You don’t know what he just said, so impressive! I’ll tell you…”
He was eager to share the conversation just now and was very excited.
Xie Tingyue breathed a sigh of relief.
Shameful question… no need to answer.
Dare to ask such a question in front of someone else’s husband, needless to say, the relationship between Lu Li and Chu Mu should be very good.
Xie Tingyue glanced sideways at Chu Mu and gestured with his eyebrows and eyes: Are you the reason?
Chu Mu helplessly spread out his hand, his eyes filled with the sight of him.
Xie Tingyue felt that Chu Mu’s smile today was particularly different, as if he was very happy, joyful, and even somewhat… attracting bees and butterflies, very charming.
Who pleased him?
What just happened?
Thinking of Xie Ru, Xie Tingyue’s head ached even more.
While the two of them were chatting over there, he approached Chu Mu and asked in a low voice, “My Step-Sister Xie Ru just came to find you? What’s wrong with her behavior?”
He knew Chu Mu was clever, and when he came to see Xie Ru absent, he had already relieved half of his mind and his expression was not very nervous.
Chu Mu’s smile narrowed and he leaned in, whispering, “It’s a bit inappropriate…”
Xie Tingyue was worried. The other person’s voice was so low that it was almost inaudible. He was anxious and decided to get closer. The two of them were shoulder to shoulder, with their hair sliding down and intertwined with this type of distance.
The parties involved didn’t feel it, but outsiders felt… it was very ambiguous.
Lu Li’s smiling eyes widened.
This, this, this —– was the rhythm of losing! The two of them really seemed to have a good relationship!
Chu Mu knew he was watching and deliberately lowered his voice, calling out to Xie Tingyue, “Come over here.”
Xie Tingyue’s expression became even more solemn, thinking, he couldn’t let anyone hear him, Xie Ru must have caused something big.
Chu Mu almost blew into Xie Tingyue’s ear as he whispered, “She seems to have set her sights on someone… not me, it’s Lu Li.”
There was nothing that Xie Tingyue couldn’t know. Being prepared was the key to being more accurate. Chu Mu was very calm.
Xie Tingyue became angry.
At the Plum Banquet he hosted, did his Step-Sister really think he was easy to bully when she came to do such a thing?
He was very angry, his face unknowingly bulging, his eyes squinting, like a furry cat……
Chu Mu really wanted to touch him.
Chu Mu thought for a moment and did exactly that. He placed his hand on Xie Tingyue’s head and gently stroked it, his eyes full of tenderness. “Don’t worry, I have already sent someone from Qin Ping’s people to watch, he will report back as soon as there is anything.”
Many times, the important manifestation of jealousy was anger. The wife was angry, but the husband cannot be comforted? Xie Tingyue’s expression was too appropriate, and Chu Mu deliberately guided him. It was normal for Lu Li to misunderstand.
Especially this last time, rubbing the other person’s head so close, was he about to kiss him in the next moment?
He felt like he was utterly redundant here.
Lu Li looked incredulous.
At this moment, Xie Tingyue fiercely demanded to Chu Mu, “You are not allowed to see her again!”
Chu Mu knew that Xie Tingyue was worried about Xie Ru causing problems and was worried about his health, and had no other intention, but Lu Li didn’t know……
He tilted his eyebrows and smiled at Lu Li, his eyes full of emotions and a lot of pride: How is it?
Lu Li expressionlessly removed the jade pendant from his waist and angrily placed it in front of Chu Mu, “Alright, it’s yours!”
Xie Tingyue:??
He was completely confused.
The Prince Consort was quite discerning and immediately intervened, saying, “Did you guys make a bet?”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Although everyone knew each other, the relationship between Lu Li and Chu Mu was better. When joking, there could be no sense of propriety, but Fang Huai was different. Lu Li laughed, “hahaha en, we made a small bet, I lost. It’s embarrassing. I’m really sorry to say that…”
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He was actually very interested in this viewpoint and felt that it had opened the door to a new world. If it weren’t for the bet he made before, he would have been chatting with Xie Tingyue long ago.
Xie Tingyue nodded, “It’s suitable for a very small group of people. With more people, there will be more differences, and the cost is too high. It won’t be cost-effective to do this again.”
The core theory of 《The Great Power of Economy》 always considered using the lowest cost to achieve better results.
Lu Li ran this matter through his mind from beginning to end, vaguely having the idea, but he couldn’t quite catch it for a moment. Following his true feelings, he talked about a recent case he was trying to judge: “In an ordinary residential alley, everyone’s family background was about the same. To the East, the neighbor’s house was being renovated and the fence was accidentally damaged. Not only did the brick wall smash the wall of the neighbor’s house on the West, but it also killed the goldfish raised in the pond next to the wall. The key is that the goldfish was a treasure, and the price outside was extremely high that it was hard to find this type of rare fish. The neighbor to the West wants full compensation from the neighbor on the East, but the Eastern neighbor can’t afford it. So relying on the settlement… What do you think of this case?”
Xie Tingyue pondered for a moment, “In my opinion, it is unreasonable for the Western neighbor to demand full compensation from the Eastern neighbor.”
“Oh?” Fang Huai’s interest returned, his eyes flickering. “Come, let’s talk about it.”
Xie Tingyue smiled, “If the wall was broken, the Eastern neighbor is definitely responsible for full compensation, this is undeniable. The key is this fish. Everyone comes from similar backgrounds, and the Eastern neighbor didn’t know that the Western neighbor bought such an expensive fish. Only the Western neighbor knew about it, so he has the responsibility to properly protect this fish…”
There was a Handel formula in 《The Great Power of Economy》, and Xie Tingyue didn’t know why it was given such a strange name. The main idea was: The lower the cost of avoiding accidents, the greater the responsibility. When the Western neighbor bought such an expensive fish, the unexpected situation he faced was not only the possibility that the neighbor was repairing a wall and smashing it, but also a sudden bad weather that the fish couldn’t stand or a series of accidents that might happen if his own children ran to the pond to play, or surprisingly, someone could even came to steal…
It was his responsibility to take a series of protective measures.
In this accident, the Eastern neighbor was responsible and must definitely pay the compensation, but it was unreasonable to demand the full price.
“Wonderful!” Fang Huai clapped his hand, “It makes a lot of sense, it’s very persuasive argument.”
Lu Li’s gaze also flickered slightly. It’s amazing, Chu Mu’s Young Madam is really a treasure.
How could this guy be so lucky to marry such a powerful male wife, ah.
In the midst of his thoughts, his gaze unconsciously slid towards Chu Mu, who was smiling and looking proud.
Lu Li: …..
It was not your ability, why are you feeling so proud!
Looking back at Xie Tingyue, his gaze became somewhat complicated. With such a structured vision, it would be too mediocre to just be doing a small business.
Xie Tingyue didn’t feel aggrieved, nor did he think he was very impressive. As he spoke, he also paid attention to Chu Mu’s cup, not letting him drink cold tea and having him fall sick again. .
Chu Mu’s gaze at him was so gentle and soft that it almost melted like water.
Lu Li felt like he and the Prince Consort were more and more redundant….
But after finally encountering such an interesting person, he and the Prince Consort shared the same idea and could not let him go.
The two of them chatted with one another and tied Xie Tingyue here, holding him down and not letting him leave.
The atmosphere was harmonious.
This Warm Pavilion has a wide view and could be seen everywhere outside. The four of them were all handsome and outstanding, sitting around the warm stove and talking loudly, with plums blooming with fragrance next to them. What kind of scenery was this?
A true scholar was naturally charming, but that’s all!
As the servants walked around, words spread, and the four of them stole the show. Some of the guests even quietly came over to take a peek, and they were all very appreciative.
As expected of the Chu family, which was once one of the four major families, it was really admirable to have such high skills in marrying an amazing male wife.
Who was this male wife? Surname Xie, Second Young Master Xie?
Yes, Yes. He could manage the household, handle the Plum Banquet with his own hands, and everything was elegant and orderly. He could accommodate distinguished guests in the outer hall, and even make money when going out. Have you heard of that Indigo Cloth that was purchased at several thousand taels? It was this Second Young Master Xie who made it.
Who doesn’t want a wife like this, and who doesn’t want to make friends with such a person? To put it bluntly, if the Chu family hadn’t made the move first, they would have grabbed it!
Being a male wife was naturally the best. If the Second Young Master Xie wanted to marry, he could choose his husband as he pleases.
Public opinion was like this: When you are deemed bad, everyone would criticize you and try to ruin you. Even if you are a celestial immortal, you will be dragged into the quagmire; When you consider yourself good, it’s just that the hero doesn’t ask for the source, and it’s not right if others don’t praise you.
Everyone kept praising Xie Tingyue, some were happy, while others were unhappy.
Second Madam Sun’s face was about to be frozen stiff.
Who wants to like Xie Tingyue! A male wife who rushed into marriage, how could he have such a big face!
Initially, Huang Momo had sent a message, but she had hesitated. Now… she had made a decision.
Everyone wants to see the Second Young Master Xie’s beauty?
He must not be allowed to become higher!
It was not advisable to set up Xie Tingyue herself to embarrass him. If she embarrassed Xie Tingyue at this Plum Banquet, would the Chu family look good? Would it reflect on her face? Maybe calculate against Xie Ru, something like her seducing men. But the Chu family’s Plum Banquet could not have a scandal.
What is the best way? Madam Sun’s abacus was calculating with a crackling sound in her heart.
Housewives were all humans, and many things do not need to be seen to be believed as true. On the contrary, if there were only vague nuances, they were more worth digging deeper and spreading.
For example, private exchanges and secret meetings… Rumors that seem vague were the most hurtful.
She only wanted to shame Xie Tingyue, the Xie family, and Xie Ru.
In a moment as her mind raced, she had an idea and, while arranging her affairs, summoned her trusted maid and gave her instructions, ‘Such, and such, and such’…..’
The four in Xie Tingyue’s side chatted extremely well, no matter how reluctant they were to leave, they couldn’t sit together forever. The host had other guests to entertain, and the guests themselves had to greet the others as well. Everyone was in the same circle, and they had to understand the rules. They had to go around to show their faces, exchange greetings, and build relationships.
Lu Li, as a talented young man who has not yet gotten married and held an official position, was naturally the focus of everyone’s attention. When he entered the crowd, he couldn’t leave at all. There were endless stream of people greeting him and he was almost rasping after talking so much, his throat parched dry.
Fortunately, the maid standing next to him was sensible and kept adding tea to his cup.
Lu Li couldn’t even count how many glasses he had drunk, and if he had drunk too much… he naturally had to let out water.
“Where is the residence restroom?” he asked the maid in green.
The maid in green pointed in the direction and cupped her hand respectfully, saying, “The area over there is relatively quiet, with fewer people.”
Lu Li really wanted to go to a quiet place, at least let his ears rest.
On Xie Ru’s side, she was even more like a fish in water. Xie Tingyue has gained a lot of attention and as his Younger Sister, she could easily gain a good impression by showing off her good manners and being obedient, sensible, and polite. Besides, she was also sweet and talkative, willing to take care of others.
Seeing that the Chu family was too busy, she volunteered to help take care of the guests and had no sense of distance from the servants.
Then at a certain corner, she heard the servants whispering small words as they left towards the official residence….
She knew that there was a small garden not far from the official residence, Lu Li would have to pass that small garden to reach the place.
Chance encounter!
These two words were bolded and enlarged in front of her almost immediately.
An unexpected big opportunity, did she want it?
In an instant, Xie Ru decided, Yes!
It was too rare. With her identity and Lu Li’s status, she had to take a lot of effort and preparation to arrange a chance encounter outside and it might not even be possible for her to succeed. Yet today, it happened by chance, only a fool wouldn’t want to take it.
Avoiding the crowd, Xie Ru quietly ran to the small garden with her skirt in hand. As she continued to move forward, she suddenly paused with a serious expression.
It seemed that something was wrong.
She heard the whispers but didn’t see anyone along the way. It was too smooth, as if someone had secretly helped her and opened the way for her.
Was it a help or was it a trap?
Xie Ru put down her skirt, stopped moving forward, and hid behind a patch of flowers and trees.
Wait a moment….
If she wanted to make it look like it was really a coincidence, it didn’t matter if she slowed down a little. Lu Li would definitely come over; if not, then there would soon be a crowd coming over here — ‘catching an illicit romance’.
Xie Ru’s heart was beating fast, and when there were suddenly many footsteps coming from afar, miraculously, she sneered and fell silent.
Sure enough, someone wanted to scheme against her.
Who was it? Why did they think of this method? Do they know what her intentions are?
Impossible.
She hadn’t told anyone about this idea, including her Mother, so no one could possibly know about it.
This was a deliberate labeling. At this Plum Banquet, whoever had the ability to scheme against her…could this person be tricked by that bastard Xie Tingyue? Others didn’t like Xie Tingyue, so naturally they don’t like his Younger Sister either.
As for choosing Lu Li, this person was probably the most convenient.
Xie Ru’s heart spun rapidly.
They really underestimate her. How could she be caught and eaten to death?
On both sides of the small garden, two groups of people arrived. On one side were petite young ladies, each of whom was of the right age, innocent and romantic, and had not yet left the court; On one side were women, mostly matrons of the family, shrewd features with sharp eyebrows and eyes.
Xie Ru’s lips curled up with high interest, her gaze sliding through the crowd on both sides, and finally landing on the young girls.
Let’s see, which one could she pull out to offer sacrifice to the heavens?
Great, it’s you!
Xie Ru’s final gaze was on a quiet young girl wearing a pea green dress, with her hands clasped together and her head hanging down, her hair covering most of her neck.
“The scenery here is really nice, and that plum blossom is surprisingly light green.”
“Isn’t that right? The Chu family’s small plum grove is quite famous outside.”
“Sister Liu, come and see, doesn’t that plum blossom look very pretty? Doesn’t it look like a bird?”
The little girls chattered and talked, creating a lively atmosphere.
Xie Ru came out from the side at this moment and immediately ran towards the young girl in the pea green dress, and drew aside the hair draped around her neck, “Are you feeling better? I saw you scratching constantly before and thought you were very itchy here, so I wanted to find some medicine for you, but I couldn’t find it… how do you feel? Is it uncomfortable? I’ll blow it for you.. Don’t be too fond of beauty ah, this kind of thing can’t be covered with powder and it will smell even weirder when applied with powder— ”
Following her words, the scene fell silent. The young girl in pea green dress tightly held her neck, blushing with embarrassment and tears at the corners of her eyes, looking like she was about to cry.
Xie Ru: “Oh, don’t cover it up. It’s even more uncomfortable to cover it up. Don’t be afraid, people won’t laugh at you.”
The crowd directly ignored which direction Xie Ru came from. It was not important at the moment, what was important was the injury between the neck of the young girl opposite them.
This young girl in a pea green dress was known by everyone present. Her surname was Yang and her given name was Chulan. She was fifteen years old and had not yet found a marriage alliance. The reason why the marriage could not be settled was because of the sore on her neck.
She had an unknown disease the year before last. She had a sore on the side of her neck, the size of a thumbnail. Although it had little impact on her health, it was unsightly, and no matter what medicine she applied, it kept getting worse and also had an unpleasant odor when the weather turned hot.
The crowd exchanged glances and smiled, “Yes, it’s not a big deal. Don’t be upset.”
Yang Chulan was so sad that she was almost in tears.
She felt that this sore was the most annoying thing and wanted to hide it the most, but it was so obvious that she couldn’t hide it no matter what. She thought, at least it was better to cover it up so that no one could see it. She didn’t want to be laughed at by others, she didn’t mind that it was known and only wished that others wouldn’t mention it in front of her.
She knew that everyone knew about it and would discuss it in private. She just wanted not to reveal it in person so that she could save some face…
This sore was a bit ugly, but it really didn’t smell bad. It only smelled a little bit when it was the hottest in summer, but only she could smell it, and no one else could… In order to avoid accidents, she also tried to communicate with others as little as possible, keeping her distance from others and never getting closer.
She was very insecure.
She really wanted to cry.
But she couldn’t cry or make trouble. Xie Ru cared about her and was kind enough to try to find medicine for her. She didn’t mean to embarrass her. If she behaved recklessly like this, what kind of person would she become? Having this disease was already disgusting and if it was going to become even more weird, making others feel even more disgusted?
“Thank you… thank you… but no need…”
Yang Chulan’s eyes were red, trying hard to prevent tears from falling.
Those who didn’t understand this scene felt pitiful, but those who understood it couldn’t help but sigh in their hearts.
This Xie Ru, her heart is so ruthless.
Picking honest people to bully, or this kind of honest people with physical issues.
Moreover, there were ten thousand ways to bully people, and the most disgusting one was this, making it impossible for others to curse you without reason.
On the other hand, the Matrons group had also arrived, Madam Sun taking the lead.
Of course, everyone did not see an ‘unsightly’ scene, but it was Xie Ru who performed well and was comforting Yang Chulan?
Xie Ruyi’s gaze shifted well, pretending to persuade the young girl to show her virtues. Everyone’s gaze followed Yang Chulan, so naturally no one paid attention to Lu Li anymore.
A thoughtful person may discover it, or perhaps make associations, but more often than not, praise Xie Ru for her kindness. Without concrete evidence, who would doubt a young girl who just wanted to help others?
Madam Sun’s eyes narrowed.
This Xie Ru, she wasn’t a fuel-efficient lamp, she could even figure this out?
What’s the point of her hard work in arranging this incident!
She couldn’t work for nothing!
If you want to divert your gaze, then you shift your gaze, and if you want to detach yourself, then you detach yourself? Thinking too beautifully!
Madam Sun turned slightly sideways, her gaze on the side, and she exclaimed in surprise, “Young Master Lu, it turns out you are also here.”
Young Master Lu, it turns out you are also here.
The accent was emphasized and highlighted to remind everyone that there was a male guest here.
The sudden appearance of a male guest in places with many young females was itself a hint.
The four words “private exchanges and secret meetings” instantly flashed in people’s minds.
Here… was there a young girl who didn’t fit in with others and walked around alone?
I’m gonna need my popcorn when karma gets this bitch
+1
Honestly, I’m just waiting for the cannon fodder to destroy themselves🫠
Thank you for the chapter 😍
Oooh its here, its here!
Scandalous schemes and face slapping!
Ngl, its my favourite part of historical settings
Thank You for the new chapter (´∩｡• ᵕ •｡∩`)❤️