Chapter 193: A Love-Obsessed Heart is a Man’s Best Dowry
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation.
Rong Che was flustered.
“You, you—what’s wrong? Don’t cry, I… I, I…”
Panic-stricken, he had no idea what to do. He wanted to embrace Madam Xu but feared offending her. Instead, he could only clumsily reach out to wipe away her tears, each drop striking his heart like a burning ember, leaving him restless and uneasy.
“It’s all fake. Dreams are fake. Look, we are both fine… Nothing will happen, I swear, it won’t!” Rong Che raised his hand to wipe her tears, but Madam Xu gently pressed his hand down.
Their hands overlapped. Rong Che froze.
Madam Xu said nothing, only gazed at him with tear-filled eyes, sobbing softly.
She had already overheard Lu Chao Chao’s thoughts and knew of Rong Che’s destined end.
That was why she allowed him to remain by her side.
She guided his palm against her cheek.
Her tears burned his skin, and Rong Che felt a scorching heat in his heart. Thump, thump, thump—he could almost hear his own heartbeat.
The carriage moved steadily under the moonlight, the atmosphere growing subtly ambiguous.
“I promise, none of it will happen.”
“Don’t be afraid, not while I’m here.” Rong Che gazed at her intently, as though making a solemn vow.
He cleared his throat, his ears and face already turning crimson.
“You… you said you were afraid of men getting too close. Don’t be afraid of me.”
“You can think of me as a sister,” Rong Che said earnestly.
“I even have a name ready—Rong Shuang Shuang, how about that?”
“Pfft…” Madam Xu burst into laughter despite herself.
Seeing Shi Yun smile, Rong Che secretly exhaled in relief.
If Shi Yun didn’t wish to marry, that was fine. He could stay by her side. As long as she lived well, that was enough.
The anguish from his dreams felt too real, as if he had actually experienced the pain.
“You stay by my side every day, aren’t you afraid the Stabilizing Duke will be furious?” Madam Xu asked with a smile.
Rong Che waved a hand dismissively. “My father kicked me out.”
“He even said that a love-obsessed heart is a man’s best dowry.”
After saying that, he cautiously glanced at Madam Xu.
Shi Yun had once been love-obsessed, too.
Fortunately, she had woken up.
Madam Xu covered her mouth, her eyes brimming with laughter.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Suddenly, someone pounded on the carriage door with great urgency.
Rong Che’s expression turned icy as he lifted the curtain. “Lord Lu, what is the meaning of this?” He had long noticed Lu Yuan Ze following them.
That was precisely why he had entered Shi Yun’s carriage on purpose.
As the primary general of Northern Zhao, he needed to remain composed at all times, yet in Madam Xu’s presence, he found it impossible!
Lu Yuan Ze’s gaze fell upon Madam Xu. Seeing the gentle warmth in her eyes as she looked at Rong Che, even softer than before, he felt a suffocating sense of loss.
The resistance in her gaze was fading, little by little.
“General Rong, Madam Xu has been my wife for eighteen years. She bore me three sons and a daughter. She cannot take my children and marry into the Rong family!”
“The Stabilizing Duke’s Manor will not allow it, and neither will I!” Lu Yuan Ze gritted his teeth.
Madam Xu had once loved him wholeheartedly, and he had long considered her his possession.
He could discard her, but she could never belong to another man!
Rong Che gazed at him impassively. “Why does your approval matter? At most, I’ll invite you to the wedding banquet.”
“As for the three sons and one daughter—Lu Yuan Ze, if you don’t wish to be their father, there are others who do!” Rong Che tilted his chin slightly. I do.
“Besides, if she won’t marry me, I can always marry into her household instead.” Rong Che spoke without a care.
Lu Yuan Ze was so enraged he nearly toppled over.
“You are the Empress’s younger brother, the Little Imperial Uncle of Northern Zhao, the only son of the Stabilizing Duke’s Manor! You—you would actually marry into another household?!” Lu Yuan Ze was so furious he could hardly form a coherent response.
In this era, for a sole heir to marry into another family was unthinkable.
Rong Che let out a scornful laugh.
“Why not? When you find a treasure, you hold onto it. I am not as foolish as you, Lord Lu.” Rong Che smirked smugly.
Lu Chao Chao stirred awake, rubbing her tiny fists against her sleepy eyes as she groggily surveyed the scene.
Lu Yuan Ze’s heart leaped.
“My child will never acknowledge you!” Lu Yuan Ze sneered.
“Chao Chao, come to your father…” He extended his arms toward her.
Lu Chao Chao stared at him, wide-eyed and wary.
Rong Che grew tense, watching the little one closely.
Lu Yuan Ze was her biological father. No child could completely resist the longing for parental affection. A hint of loneliness flickered in Rong Che’s eyes.
[Heavens, what nonsense is he thinking now?]
Lu Chao Chao stretched out her chubby little hands. “Papa, hug…”
Lu Yuan Ze froze.
Rong Che also froze.
Lu Chao Chao spread her tiny arms toward Rong Che, her voice soft and tender. “Papa, hug hug!” she called sweetly.
Rong Che’s eyes turned red with emotion, and he scooped her up in disbelief and joy. “Alright, alright, Chao Chao!”
Lu Yuan Ze stood frozen, watching the scene before him. It looked as though they were a family of three.
“Xu Shi, you can’t… you can’t take my children and remarry…” he muttered under his breath. Rong Che simply chuckled, dismissing him entirely, and urged the carriage forward.
[Feeling bitter, aren’t you?]
[There’s more where that came from.]
That day, the Stabilizing General was radiant, his steps light with happiness. He reluctantly sent Madam Xu back to her residence and returned Lu Chao Chao to her arms.
“Tomorrow, are you heading to the Beast Garden?” he asked.
In recent times, the elites had taken to raising wild beasts as a symbol of status, with annual beast fights held in the Beast Garden to showcase their prestige. Although Madam Xu’s household did not keep any beasts, they had received an invitation. She nodded gently.
Rong Che’s eyes sparkled as he looked at her. “Then I shall come to escort you tomorrow.”
Madam Xu gave a slight nod in agreement. After she and Lu Chao Chao entered the house, Rong Che lingered at the door for a moment before mounting his horse and riding back to the Stabilizing Duke’s Manor.
When he returned, the Stabilizing Duke and his wife had not yet retired for the night. Upon hearing that Rong Che had come back, the duke’s brows furrowed deeply.
“Home, home, home—does he think coming home every day will solve anything?!”
“Will coming home find you a wife? Are you still clinging to your mother’s milk? Running back here every day!” The duke’s reprimands filled the air before Rong Che even stepped through the door.
Rong Che wore an expression of helpless despair. [Who comes home every day? I only come once a month!]
“I’m just staying one night—just one night. Then I’ll leave,” he muttered, intending to retrieve a small stone statue.
“Leave, leave! You’re such an eyesore. You’re old enough to have your own family, yet you’re still alone! Be gone!”
“I fought tooth and nail in the imperial study to secure a bit of annual leave, and this is the thanks I get?” Rong Che sighed heavily.
The duke wasn’t done. “Son, remember this: being a crybaby and love-obsessed are a man’s greatest assets. With these, no one can outshine you!”
With that, the Stabilizing Duke slammed the door shut without mercy.
Rong Che let out a long, melancholic sigh and left with the stone statue in his arms.
As he approached the Lu residence, the scent of barbecue wafted through the snowy air. Before he could enter, a servant cried out, “Ah, General Rong has finally arrived! Come quickly! Tonight, the Old Madam suffered a stroke, and the family decided to celebrate a little. The Madam specially invited you to join for a late-night snack.”
Rong Che was speechless. [A stroke celebration?!]
Politely declining, he vaulted over the wall to enter discreetly. [Shi Yun and I are divorced now; using the front gate at midnight might stir gossip.]
Inside the courtyard, the rich aroma of roasted meat filled the air.
“Quick, we were waiting for you,” Madam Xu greeted him with a smile.
Lu Yuan Xiao, cheeks flushed from the heat, was diligently tending the barbecue. “Keep it down, or Chao Chao might hear,” Lu Yan Shu whispered, pouring wine and smiling at Rong Che.
In the snowy night, the group sipped wine and shared laughter, creating a warm, delightful atmosphere.
Suddenly, a soft, drowsy voice interrupted, “So yummy… so yummy… I smell roasted meat.”
At the doorway stood Lu Chao Chao, barefoot and with her hair loose, sniffing the air like a puppy. Her half-asleep face was adorable yet dazed.
The courtyard fell silent instantly, the kind of silence that made the heart race.
Madam Xu blinked and quickly said with a gentle laugh, “You’re dreaming, Chao Chao. It’s just a dream.”
Lu Chao Chao blinked, then let out a soft “Oh,” and shuffled back to bed.
The next morning, Lu Chao Chao woke up with a cheerful jump. “Mama, last night I dreamed of eating barbecue! It was so delicious, the whole dream smelled amazing!”
As she described her vivid dream, her mouth watered, and she could almost still smell the aroma.
[It felt so real!]
Madam Xu, feeling guilty, touched the corner of her lips and sighed inwardly. [I ate too much last night. Now I’ve got heartburn.]