Chapter 54: A Crafty Scheme Masquerading as Enchantment
Lu Zheng Yue had been lying down for thirty minutes before he finally sat up, rubbing his head as if to ease the discomfort. Su Zhi Qing sat silently by the window, her presence transforming the room into a picturesque scene.
“You’re awake, Brother Zheng Yue. Come, have some soup to help with the hangover,” Su Zhi Qing offered, assisting him to sit up, her expression filled with concern for his discomfort.
“Have you been waiting here for long? You’re so kind, Qing Qing,” Lu Zheng Yue remarked, noticing Su Zhi Qing as she crouched down to help him with his shoes, all the while hiding the sorrow in his eyes.
After consuming the hangover soup, they left the house together.
“Master Lu had some urgent matters to attend to and had to leave early. He specifically asked me to prepare this hangover soup for you,” she mentioned, making sure to portray Lu Jing Huai in a favorable light.
Lu Zheng Yue smiled and acknowledged, “Jing Huai and I share a close friendship.”
Upon their return to the mansion, Su Zhi Qing felt uncomfortable in her sticky clothes and took the opportunity to retire to her own courtyard for a rest.
Once she was gone, the smile on Lu Zheng Yue’s face vanished instantly. A deep chill overcame him. His hands clenched into fists, his knuckles turning white from the pressure.
[Love is a light, green to the point of panic… la la la]
Before he could even make his way into Sheng Feng Yard, he heard Lu Chao Chao humming a cheerful tune. As he entered, he was immediately embraced around the legs by the enthusiastic little bundle of joy.
“Second pot…” The child’s voice was filled with delight, her little face glowing as she waved her chubby hand at him.
“Did you miss your second brother?” Lu Zheng Yue asked, squatting down to her level.
Lu Yan Shu, seated in a wheelchair and holding a book between his fingers, commented, “She wanted to bring you some warmth.”
No sooner had he spoken than Lu Chao Chao placed a bright green hat on Lu Zheng Yue’s head. “Good…Good!”
[It suits my second brother perfectly!]
Lu Zheng Yue felt a choking sensation, nearly gagging on his frustration. Lu Yan Shu’s lips twitched into a smile, his eyes sparkling with mischief as he asked, “Did you see him?”
Holding his sister, Lu Zheng Yue nodded with a heavy heart. A deception. All of it was a deception. A scheme targeting their mother and their family.
Lu Yan Shu’s expression remained calm. “Since she desires your gratitude, you should thank her appropriately.” He had meticulously arranged for several officials to visit the tavern.
“Thank her? Big brother, I can’t take this anymore! They seem to be trying to tear us apart one by one!” Lu Zheng Yue clenched his teeth in fury. They were blatantly undermining each other right in front of his eyes!
“I didn’t suggest you had to thank her face-to-face,” Lu Yan Shu replied, opening his book again with a nonchalant look.
Lu Zheng Yue surmised that the schemes against the children of the Marquis Mansion executed by Lu Jing Huai and Pei Jiao Jiao were likely orchestrated without the knowledge of their father. Fathers typically hold their children in high esteem, and though he had great regard for Lu Jing Huai, he would not condone Pei Jiao Jiao’s harm towards his other sons. Therefore, Su Zhi Qing remained in the dark about these plans, unbeknownst to Lu Yuan Ze.
“Let’s not dwell on it too much; tomorrow, the mansion will host a thanksgiving banquet. She desires a family, does she? Then we shall present her with the very notion of family,” Lu Yan Shu declared, his eyes reflecting a chilling resolve.
Lu Chao Chao, puzzled by the situation, thought to herself, [Oh my, how does my big brother see everything so clearly? Truly, he is the mastermind behind the scenes! His intelligence and strength are unparalleled. It seems all the wisdom in our family resides with him… I’m so grateful I supported him first, securing his affection in the process. If not… My mother would face disgrace, my eldest brother would be subjected to indignity, my second brother would meet an untimely end, my third brother would face cruel mutilation for display, and our grandfather’s lineage would be decimated…]
Despite the tumultuous emotions within him upon hearing his sister’s internal remarks, Lu Zheng Yue managed to keep a composed exterior.
Lu Yan Shu looked at Chao Chao with a soft gaze, “It’s not because I am particularly clever.”
“Chao Chao, you are our beacon of hope.”
“Come on, let’s go eat some meat. What do you feel like eating? Mashed meat?” Lu Yan Shu said, lifting Chao Chao onto his lap and wheeling them out.
“Caca,” she mimicked the sound of a chicken before patting her thigh, indicating her desire.
Ah, Lu Yan Shu caught on immediately; she wanted chicken legs. After experiencing roasted duck, she had become obsessed with eating roasted chicken legs.
Fed up with the usual chicken soup prepared in the small kitchen, she once toddled into the kitchen, clinging to the chef’s legs and calling him “uncle” in her sweet, persuasive baby voice, her eyes full of hope and hands joined as if in prayer. Who could resist such a charming request from a child resembling a living doll?
In response, the small kitchen staff had gone out of their way to prepare honey-marinated chicken legs, roasted to perfection, juicy and flavorful.
Lu Chao Chao would sneak into the kitchen to snatch tastes of the delicious treat, refusing her milk in favor of the savory snack. It wasn’t long before Headmaid Deng Zhi noticed the unusual behavior. Consequently, the chief cook of the small kitchen was reassigned to the main kitchen, replaced by a strict elderly nanny. Yet, the mischievous little girl managed to charm her way to special treats within three days!
Following another staffing change aimed at curbing her antics, she persisted, and it took only half a month before she was indulged once again. Eventually, Madam Xu had no option but to capitulate, providing healthy snacks daily to satisfy her, in hopes of preventing the child from continually employing her cuteness to get her way with food.
Her cunning was not unnoticed; even the maids in her chamber secretly stashed away treats for her, unable to resist her endearing ways.
The small kitchen had taken to preparing a generous amount of jerky, stocking her pockets each day to aid with her teething and effectively curtailing her habit of asking for snacks everywhere she went. Thus, her pockets were always filled with a variety of treats: thumb-sized pieces of sweet potato, peanuts, and chestnuts were her constant companions.
She had developed a playful habit: wherever she found a fire, she would toss these snacks into it.
“You’d survive even if a famine struck,” Lu Yan Shu commented, feeling the contents of her bulging pockets. The left pocket contained small peanuts and pieces of sweet potato, while the right was stuffed with chestnuts. Additionally, she had a small bag dangling from her waist, packed with dim sums.
Lu Chao Chao, with a blink, retrieved a few silver coins from her grasp and waved them grandly: “Buy!” she exclaimed, her little hand making a sweeping gesture.
“Alright, alright, we’ll buy,” Lu Yan Shu agreed, his eyes brimming with amusement. While reading had once been his preferred leisure activity, he had discovered a new joy in raising a child — but only Chao Chao.
The following morning saw Madam Xu fully engrossed in the preparations for the banquet. Su Zhi Qing, noticing the elaborate arrangements, couldn’t help but blush. “Is… is this not too much?” she questioned, a hint of concern in her voice.
Madam Xu, with a warm smile, reassured her, “Miss Su, you’ve been a savior to our Zheng Yue. No amount of preparation is too much for that. I’ve even sent word for the lord to return home early, all in gratitude for your tremendous kindness towards us.”
Tears welled up in Su Zhi Qing’s eyes. “No one has ever shown me such kindness before,” she whispered, deeply moved by the gesture.
The elderly madam had taken a particular liking to her. Su Zhi Qing’s intelligence and cunning had quickly endeared her to the matriarch, even more so than Madam Xu.
“Consider the Marquis Mansion as your own home from now on,” the elderly madam declared. “Should anyone dare to bully you, I will definitely defend you!” she added, casting a meaningful glance at Madam Xu, who showed no sign of offense.
Su Zhi Qing smiled, her lips pursed shyly. She knew she had found favor in the old lady’s eyes, a strategic advantage she owed to the insights Pei Jiao Jiao had shared about the preferences and dynamics within the Marquis family, all intended to smooth her integration into the Marquis Mansion.
At that moment, a maid entered to announce, “The lord has arrived back at the mansion.”
“Quickly, bring the lord inside. We wouldn’t want him catching a chill,” the elderly madam responded with a smile, eager to welcome him warmly.
Lu Zheng Yue, seizing the opportunity, reassured Su Zhi Qing by tugging at her sleeve. “Don’t worry, once my father gives his blessing, no one can stand in the way of our marriage. In the Marquis Mansion, my father’s word is law,” he assured her, underlining the importance of his father’s approval.
Su Zhi Qing felt a flutter of anticipation at his words.
Having been content to live as a concubine for over a decade, standing by this man, content to be his shadow, she wondered about the man who commanded such loyalty. What kind of man was he, truly, to deserve such devotion?
Her curiosity piqued as the sound of footsteps approached from outside…
Thanks for chaps~~