(Sansukini: I’m so sorry for skipping a chapter. I didn’t notice I posted chapter 56 instead of chapter 55.)
All the anxiety and despair, were soothed tremblingly in that moment of embracing that person in his arms.
The wave of fear that he wouldn’t allow to run wild before now flooded over his whole being like a tidal wave.
The Li siblings (Zhongjue and Yunbi) ran all the way, only stopping at the street corner. Seeing Lu Chengzong and Babao standing still, they followed their gaze and also halted in their tracks—on the bustling street, a tall young man was tightly holding a girl in his arms.
Even such a well-mannered person disregarded etiquette and the occasion, or perhaps, forgot…
Li Zhongjue couldn’t help but glance at his sister. Li Yunbi bit her lip, her long eyelashes trembling. Then, very quickly, she lowered her eyelashes, just enough to cover the hint of moisture in her eyes. She couldn’t resist lifting her eyes to look at the figure in front, and in her heart, besides the pain, she also wanted to know what the woman held by him looked like.
Lu Chengxiao lost his composure, but Liu Yu remained clear-headed. This was the street of An Yi County, with people coming and going. The shopkeepers were busy with their stalls nearby. Since she heard Lu Chengxiao’s voice suddenly quiet down for that moment, only for that brief moment, Liu Yu’s cheeks blushed with heat, quickly feeling as if she had been roasted by fire. She pushed Lu Chengxiao with her hands.
“Lu Chengxiao, let go of me.”
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Tla hsknl oyp zso, nsxkdt qasx okvbkd bkp lxcaynl, xwqqzle, cwv kv xyel Nw Ubldtmkys’p wdplvvzle blyav nyzx esod y ckv. Xdzu yv vbkp xsxldv eke bl alyzkgl obyv bl bye esdl, yde bl iwknjzu alzlyple bla.
Jlqsal bl nswze yrszstkgl, y uswdt qktwal kd czwl awpble shla zkjl vbl okde. Tl rwzzle Nkw Zw, obs bye fwpv clld zlv ts cu bkx, yde eayttle bla clbkde bkx. G uswdt xyd sq pkxkzya ytl vs Nw Ubldtmkys rasvlnvle Nkw Zw kd y elqldpkhl rspvwal yde vbalo y rwdnb yv Nw Ubldtmkys.
Fllkdt vbyv y uswdt xyd pweeldzu yrrlyale vs rwzz Nkw Zw yoyu, Nw Ubldtmkys’p qynl nbydtle pweeldzu. Tl czsnjle vbl kdnsxkdt rwdnb, qasodle, yde ypjle, “Ebs yal usw!”
Nkw Zydyd oldv vs cwu psxl qsse qsa Nkw Zw, yde obld bl vwadle yaswde, bl pyo y uswdt awqqkyd cwzzukdt bkp pkpvla. Eswze bl cl rszkvl? Tl eked’v oypvl ydu osaep okvb Nw Ubldtmkys, rwdnblp yde jknjp nyxl iwknjzu, okvbswv blpkvyvksd. Jsvb olal raynvkvksdlap, yde dlkvbla oyp olyjla vbyd vbl svbla. Rd fwpv y pbsav xsxldv, vblu bye lmnbydtle xshlp plhld vkxlp. Fldpkdt psxlvbkdt oasdt, Nw Ubldtgsdt yde Jycys awpble shla qasx oblal vblu olal vukdt vbl bsapl.
Nkw Zw yzps bwaaklezu pbswvle, “Mbkae Jasvbla, Nw Ubldtmkys, pvsr qktbvkdt!”
Mbkae Jasvbla? Nw Ubldtmkys rywple qsa y xsxldv, alpvaykdkdt vbl rwdnb vbyv oyp ycswv vs bkv Nkw Zydyd. Xd vbl svbla pkel, Nkw Zydyd blyae Nkw Zw alnstdkgl vbkp rlapsd yde iwknjzu vssj y pvlr cynj vs pvyde kd qasdv sq Nkw Zw. Mwadkdt yaswde, bl ypjle Nkw Zw, “Nkvvzl Fkpvla, es usw jdso bkx?”
Nw Ubldtmkys oyp yzps pwarakple. “Tl kp uswa Mbkae Jasvbla?”
Nkw Zw zssjle yv vbl rlsrzl awpbkdt shla yde vbl nasoe oyvnbkdt qasx y ekpvydnl, bla qynl qzwpbkdt, qllzkdt lxcyaaypple. Fllkdt vbkp, Nkw Zydyd oyp qwakswp. Tl tyhl Nw Ubldtmkys y qklanl pvyal, vbld vwadle yaswde yde rwzzle Nkw Zw yoyu vs vbl Fywnl pbsr. Tl ypjle Nkw Zw, “Pslp zkvvzl pkpvla jdso bkx?”
Lu Chengxiao looked at the onlookers and felt guilty. He didn’t dare to pursue it further and dispersed the crowd. “It’s all a misunderstanding. Everyone, let’s disperse.”
Only when he heard the commotion did the Wei Shi notice it. Standing at the door of the shop, she saw this scene and asked in a low voice while holding Liu Yu, “What happened?”
Liu Yu’s face was burning, and she didn’t know how to speak. In fact, she didn’t know herself. Only she knew that Lu Chengxiao had always been a well-behaved person, and just now, his emotions seemed off. At this moment, he also lowered his head and whispered to Wei Shi, “It was agreed before to propose marriage to the young master of the Lu family. Perhaps there’s some misunderstanding.”
Wei Shi glanced at the young man dispersing the crowd outside the shop. He did look handsome, with clear eyebrows and eyes. He didn’t seem like a frivolous person. Wei Shi looked at Liu Yanan and said, “I’ll take your sister to the teahouse next door to get a private room. Invite that young master from the Lu family up here after a moment.”
Liu Yanan’s eyes widened, “Mother, didn’t you see what happened just now?”
Seeing Liu Yu’s face turning red, Wei Shi closed her mouth, nodded, and said, “Alright.”
Wei Shi smiled and said to Liu Yu, “Take a good look at the person. If there’s any misunderstanding, let me know. Since you’re not in a hurry to discuss marriage, it’s time to clarify things with him.”
Liu Yu nodded, “I’ll listen to you.”
Wei Shi paid for the things at the shop, and Liu Yanan held the sauce while Wei Shi led Liu Yu away.
Lu Chengxiao saw Liu Yu being led away by an older woman, and for a moment, he didn’t know who she was. He also didn’t dare to approach and could only watch. As Liu Yu walked past him, fearing that the person might be a so-called buyer, he couldn’t help but call out, “Miss Liu.”
Liu Yu turned her head to look at him, gave a reassuring look, and followed Wei Shi.
Lu Chengxiao, seeing Liu Yu showing no fear or anxiety, felt his heart settle down.
However, when Lu Chengzong, Li Zhongjue, and the Li siblings arrived and passed by Liu Yu, they all stared in astonishment.
Lu Chengzong was shocked. Wasn’t this the future third sister of the Lu family?
In his heart, he sighed several times in a row, no wonder, no wonder.
As for Li Yunbi, her gaze couldn’t be pulled back. She looked at Liu Yu and Wei Shi walking together, and when she couldn’t see them anymore, she continued to stare in the direction of the teahouse, her face pale.
Li Zhongjue comfortingly patted Li Yunbi’s shoulder.
Lu Chengzong, recovering from his surprise, walked towards Lu Chengxiao and, glancing at the direction of the teahouse, asked, “Was that Miss Liu just now?”
After a moment, Lu Chengxiao’s face finally showed a hint of a smile. He nodded.
Lu Chengzong also smiled, giving Lu Chengxiao a friendly punch on the shoulder, “Good job, little brother.”
Now that they had found her, there was no need to rush him to go rest. Lu Chengzong took the reins from Babao and said, “Whether she’s waiting or going into the teahouse, you should check. We can’t lose her again. I’ll go back first and report to father.”
In just four days, Lu Chengxiao finally revealed a smile on his face. He nodded in agreement.
Lu Chengzong also laughed, punching Lu Chengxiao’s shoulder, “Okay, kid.”
Now, there was no need to rush him back to rest. Lu Chengzong took the reins of the two horses from Babao and said, “Now that we’ve found her, see if she’s waiting or going into the teahouse. We can’t afford to lose her again. I’ll go back first and report to father.”
He instructed Babao, “Follow the Third Young Master.”
Babao smiled and agreed, also happy for Lu Chengxiao.
As Lu Chengzong was about to leave, he looked at the Li siblings. Considering that they were here to find the Third Young Master, it wasn’t appropriate for him to ask them to accompany him back to the cloth shop at this moment. Instead, he nodded at Li Zhongjue, “Brother Li, I’ll go back first and inform my father.”
Li Zhongjue understood and had also heard clearly the conversation between Lu Chengzong and Lu Chengxiao earlier. It wasn’t suitable for them to stay longer, so he smiled and replied, “Big Brother Lu, please go ahead. I think Chengxiao is not free now. We’ll head back to the inn first.”
He then gestured to Lu Chengxiao, “We’ll go back first. I’ll go to your shop later to find you.”
Lu Chengxiao nodded and said, “Good, See you later.”
“Goodbye.”
The siblings turned and walked about ten steps. Unable to resist, Li Yunbi turned back, and Li Zhongjue sighed.
Hearing this sigh, Li Yunbifelt even more uncomfortable. She turned back, took a few steps, and whispered, “Brother, compared to that girl, I have no chance at all, right?”
Li Zhongjue gently patted her head, saying, “Our Yunbi is also great.”
~
Holding a semi-large jar of sauce, Liu Yanan stared for a while, watching Lu Chengxiao. He was timing in his heart, not getting too close, nor initiating conversation. Lu Chengxiao, on the other hand, after sending off his brother and friend, turned around to face Yanan. Standing a few steps away, he half-bowed as a gesture of courtesy and said, “Brother, you have excellent skills. I misunderstood earlier, and I hope you can forgive me.”
Praise for his skills? Under normal circumstances, this would be a compliment, but considering that his sister was just held in the street by this guy, Yanan held a grudge. He snorted and said, “I won’t call you brother, but you can tell me, what misunderstanding made you act so disrespectfully to my little sister in public?”
Lu Chengxiao felt somewhat relieved after hearing him call Liu Yu “Little Sister. Still, he was puzzled, “I heard Miss Liu calling you ‘Third Brother1Liu Sanlang.’ Could it be that you’re the one who sent the message to our house a few days ago?”
He looked at Babao when he said this. Babao hurriedly explained, “It was Manager Yan who sent the employee to say that Miss Liu’s third brother had sent a message to Madam about her whereabouts. It said to go to the county yamen to ask the constables if you want to know Ms. Liu’s whereabouts.”
Babao didn’t recognize which one was Liu Sanlang, and he seemed genuinely unaware.
Hearing this, Liu Yanan’s eyes flickered. Thinking about the situation when she asked about her family in Liujiacun these past few days. It seemed like there were also three brothers there, so he asked, “What message was sent?”
Now, Lu Chengxiao was sure that this was not the Liu family from Changfeng Town. He asked back, “You’re not the third son of the Liu family in Changfeng Town, are you?”
Liu Yanan heard the name Liujiacun and couldn’t help but snort, “Of course not.”
Lu Chengxiao and Babao exchanged glances and both chuckled. “So, Miss Liu hasn’t been sold by the Liu family?”
Liu Yanan gradually understood the situation. His mother, fearing future entanglements with the Liu family in Changfeng Town, indeed made them claim that they had sold Yanan’s sister. So, this guy with the surname Lu treated him as the buyer?
“Do you think I’m the buyer?”
Lu Chengxiao laughed, “Now I know it’s not the case. I sincerely apologize for the misunderstanding earlier.”
Yanan sneered, “That doesn’t excuse your behavior towards my little sister.”
Even though he had just heard what was said inside the sauce shop, where Lu Chengxiao was almost going to marry his little sister, Yanan was still resentful.
Observing their interaction, Babao explained, “Master, it’s not my Young Master’s fault. You don’t know, three days ago, early in the morning, our madam sent a matchmaker to Liujiacun to propose. They said that Miss Yan had been abducted, and our Young Master chased all the way to the county town, mobilizing many people. After tracing it to Yuanzhou City and seeking the help of friends there, they investigated the local Ya Po thoroughly. It was only after the message from Miss Liu’s brother that they found out the buyer had gone to Liujiacun with the county constables. Young Master chased her to Yuanzhou City and did not find her. Our Young Master just returned from there. He spent four days and three nights, making a round trip to Yuanzhou and back. He didn’t close his eyes for a moment. Only when he saw Miss Liu did he become so emotional.”
Listening to this, Yanan was dumbfounded. Four days and three nights, a round trip to Yuanzhou to find his little sister. He even thoroughly investigated the matchmakers in Yuanzhou City… It was only now that he noticed Lu Chengxiao looked dusty and his eyes were genuinely bloodshot. For a moment, he couldn’t find the words, awkwardly saying, “I didn’t know, but my mother and sister are in the tea house next door. She asked me to bring you over in a quarter of an hour. It should be time. Let’s go together.”
Lu Chengxiao was delighted and said, “Thank you, brother.”
Yanan, irritated by being addressed as “brother,” said, “I won’t call you brother. But you can just use my name. My surname is Liu and my name is Yanan.”
Lu Chengxiao immediately introduced himself, “My surname is Lu, and my name is Chengxiao. So, it’s okay to call me Chengxiao.”
The “brother” tag couldn’t be easily discarded, and Yanan didn’t respond. Leading the way, he headed to the teahouse, occasionally stealing glances at Lu Chengxiao. After asking a waiter, they found out where Wei Shi’s private room was. The three went together, and Babao instinctively stood outside waiting.
Lu Chengxiao finally saw Liu Yu again, but this time he followed proper etiquette. He first paid his respects to Madam Wei before addressing Liu Yu, saying, “Miss Liu.”
Liu Yu also gave a polite bow and replied, “Master Lu.”
In the urgency of the situation, they had addressed each other by their names directly. Now, they were observing proper decorum.
Yanan, being a straightforward man, explained the situation as Lu Chengxiao had described it to Wei Shi. Both Wei Shi and Liu Yu were surprised. Liu Yu had informed Wei Shi about the message she had sent with Liu Yanqing to report to the Lufeng Cloth shop. Wei Shiasked curiously, “My son Yanqing, did he not go to your fabric store to deliver the message?”
Lu Chengxiao shook his head, saying, “I haven’t received any news.”
Yanan, being more perceptive, raised an eyebrow and said, “Could it be that elder brother had some urgent task and was called away?”
Suddenly realizing, Lu Chengxiao thought about the message brought by Liujiacun’s Liu Sanlang. He asked, “Is Yanqing, your elder brother, a constable at the county yamen?”
Both Liu Yu and Yanan nodded. Lu Chengxiao understood and said, “So, that’s the case. Today, I went to the county yamen and heard about a major case. The county constables have been mobilized these days, and that’s probably why I missed it.”
Feeling somewhat guilty, Wei Shi was initially prepared to say certain things to Lu Chengxiao. However, upon learning about the Lu family’s attitude towards Liu Yu, she changed her mind. She expressed her apologies to Lu Chengxiao, saying, “It was his fault for not arranging everything properly and causing your family to be busy for several days. Please convey my apologies to your father and mother. Also, accept my gratitude. If you are interested in Liu Yu, I will personally come and thank you another day.”
Hearing that Wei Shi planned to visit with Liu Yu in person, Lu Chengxiao couldn’t contain his joy. However, in Wei Shi’s presence, he dared not look at Liu Yu directly. He bowed his head and said, “It’s only natural, Auntie is being too polite.”
Wei Shi understood the meaning behind his “It’s only natural” and smiled, saying, “I heard from Yanan that you haven’t slept for four days and three nights. We will have plenty of opportunities to catch up in the future. Master Lu, please go back and rest. I will prepare a gift, and in three days, I will personally visit the Lu family in Changfeng Town.”
However, Lu Chengxiao was still concerned and didn’t want to leave just yet. He raised his head and asked Wei Shi, “Allow me to ask, the people in Liujiacun mentioned that Miss Liu had been sold, and I heard Miss Liu referring to Yanan as her third brother. May I ask about the relationship between your family and Miss Liu?”
Wei Shi chuckled and replied, “Master Lu, rest assured. We are the closest relatives of Miss Yu. I am Liu Yu’s direct eldest Aunt.”
With this clarification, Lu Chengxiao felt relieved. He knew the reputation of the girl was precious, and the fact that Wei Shi allowed him to meet her in the tea house’s private room was exceptionally generous. He stood up and bowed, “In that case, I’ll take my leave. Three days later, I’ll be waiting at the Lufeng fabric store in the early morning to accompany you to Changfeng Town.”
This was because he was afraid that the Liu family would not know where the Lu family lives. He had good intentions for offering.
Wei Shi smiled, “I appreciate your efforts.”
Only now did Lu Chengxiao dare to look at Liu Yu. He apologized, “I apologize for the offense on the street earlier. I hope Miss Liu won’t hold it against me.”
Wei Shi didn’t witness the scene where Lu Chengxiao hugged Liu Yu on the street. She only heard the apologies and glanced at her niece. Liu Yu blushed again, but knowing that he had searched for her for four days and nights, she couldn’t be angry. She lowered her head and softly replied, “No hard feelings.”
With that single response, Lu Chengxiao felt as if flowers were blooming in his heart. Suppressing his reluctance, he bid farewell and left the private room after saying goodbye to Yanan.
Yanan saw him taking a few steps, looking back at the door of the private room, and sighed. His face, which had brightened up earlier, now turned sour.
This guy covets his sister.
Sansukini: Consider the next chapter a bonus chapter because I posted the wrong chapter today.
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