Yu Xi’s voice was so sweet and cloying that not only Gao Zhengyu, but even Lu Zhi, who had been about to reach out, froze for a moment.
Lu Zhi silently supported Yu Xi’s waist, and seeing her eyes brimming with tears, asked, “Does it hurt a lot?”
Yu Xi wrapped her arms around Lu Zhi’s waist, glancing at Gao Zhengyu first before saying sweetly, “A little, but it’s fine, let’s go in quickly, cousin must be hungry, she came out especially to greet us.”
Seeing Yu Xi’s affected performance, Gao Zhengyu felt nothing but disgust, and instinctively looked at Lu Zhi’s expression, only to find his brow indeed faintly furrowed.
This woman, always resorting to such shameless tricks, her cousin must be utterly sick of her by now.
Gao Zhengyu spoke up. “Sister-in-law, you only twisted it slightly, how can you not walk at all? Do you need my maid to help support you?”
“No need,” Yu Xi said, holding onto Lu Zhi’s arm, not forgetting to quietly stroke that lean, firm arm as she spoke. “Husband can support me just fine. Cousin, you’re the frail one, better have your own maid look after you properly.”
Hearing herself described as frail, Gao Zhengyu swayed slightly. “That’s right, I’ve been weak since childhood. If cousin hadn’t spent so much effort over the years finding doctors and medicine for me, I’m afraid I would have already…”
As she spoke, she covered her face, looking pitifully at Lu Zhi.
Heh, surely Yu Xi had no idea her cousin cared for her this much.
Hearing this, Lu Zhi showed no reaction, but Yu Xi started dabbing at tears. “Heavens, husband, cousin is truly so pitiful, even though I’m healthy, full of vigor, rosy-cheeked, and could probably have two kids in three years, my heart still aches for cousin.”
Lu Zhi had been about to send someone to fetch a doctor to look at her ankle, but hearing this, tapped her arm. “…What nonsense are you spouting?”
Two kids in three years, where on earth had she picked up such ridiculous talk.
Gao Zhengyu, having recovered somewhat by now, laughed, laughed out of pure exasperation. This Yu Xi, how could she be so shameless.
Just then, Madam Lu, coming out from inside, happened to hear Yu Xi’s remark about two kids in three years, and her eyes crinkled with laughter at once. “Xi’er, you’re here, come quick, the dishes are about to be served, we’re just waiting on you two.”
Once inside, Madam Lu asked the servants, “Are the dishes all ready?”
“Reporting to my lady, there’s still a deer antler chicken soup simmering, it’ll be ready in another quarter hour.”
“Good, serve the dishes once the soup’s done.”
Lu Fan, who had been studying inside, couldn’t sit still any longer. Seeing everyone arrive, he greeted each of them in turn, meaning to talk to Gao Zhengyu, but seeing her eyes glued to his eldest brother, gave up on the idea.
He scooted over to Yu Xi instead. “Sister-in-law, did you twist your ankle?”
Yu Xi’s voice came out soft and delicate. “Thank you for your concern, Third Brother, sister-in-law will be fine in a moment.”
Hearing her gentle, soft voice, Lu Fan shivered violently, looking at Yu Xi in bewilderment, this woman, why was she suddenly talking in such a strange, affected tone? Wasn’t she always so hot-tempered?
“Ahem,” seeing everyone crowded around Yu Xi, Gao Zhengyu coughed twice, displeased. “Lu Fan, weren’t you always urging me to come to the capital to keep you company? Why are you ignoring me now that I’m here?”
Lu Fan glanced at her, then at Yu Xi, then sat down beside Gao Zhengyu instead.
When had he ever urged her to come? Never mind, if she said so, so be it.
Lu Zhi drank his tea, paying no attention to any of them. Seeing Yu Xi looking at him, he asked, “Thirsty?”
Yu Xi shook her head and said quietly, “Husband, I have something to tell you later, be prepared.”
Lu Zhi glanced at her. “All right.”
With so many people in the room, Gao Zhengyu couldn’t blatantly crowd close to Lu Zhi, but as the food was about to be served, she began sitting up straight.
Madam Lu took her seat first. Seeing Yu Xi being supported by Xique, Lu Zhi meant to wait for her, but heard Yu Xi say, “Husband, you sit first.”
Lu Zhi nodded.
Once Lu Zhi had taken his seat, Lu Fan, spotting the fried meatballs next to him, quickly claimed the seat beside Lu Zhi.
Only one seat remained next to Lu Zhi. Gao Zhengyu touched her hair and walked over, delicate as a willow in the wind. “Cousin, you don’t mind if I sit next to you, do you?”
Before she’d even finished speaking, her vision blurred, Yu Xi, whose ankle had supposedly hurt too much to stand on moments ago, darted swiftly to Lu Zhi’s side and sat down, not forgetting to stomp hard on Gao Zhengyu’s foot on her way past.
Gao Zhengyu, the top of her foot burning with pain, gripped her handkerchief tightly, staring at Yu Xi’s back, her chest aching with fury.
She just knew Yu Xi had been faking it, so calculating! And her foot really hurt now too!!
As if sensing this, Yu Xi turned her head with a clear, innocent look, calling out to Gao Zhengyu as though nothing had happened. “Cousin, why are you standing there like a fool, come eat.”
Gao Zhengyu took a deep breath and limped over to Lu Fan’s side instead, pushing at his back and coughing lightly. “Lu Fan, you’re too young for such greasy food, move over a bit, eat something plain.”
“I love fried meatballs,” Lu Fan refused to budge, and pointed out, “Cousin, why do you keep coughing today, you’re not coming down with a cold, are you? Better keep your distance then, don’t pass it to me, I have an exam at school tomorrow.”
Gao Zhengyu: “…”
In the end, Gao Zhengyu sat beside Madam Lu, directly across from Yu Xi.
Yu Xi wasn’t going to miss this good opportunity.
She started piling food into Lu Zhi’s bowl. “Husband, you like plain flavors, this tofu ball would suit you.”
“Husband, try this braised chicken.”
“Husband, try this stuffed eggplant.”
“Husband…”
Before the meal was even half over, Yu Xi had called “husband” more times than anyone could count.
Finally, just as Yu Xi was about to speak again, Lu Zhi couldn’t take it anymore. “I can serve myself.”
Yu Xi nodded obediently, then held out her own bowl. “Husband, can you get me a fried meatball?”
Lu Zhi said, “…Fine.”
Madam Lu watched the two of them with a beaming smile, feeling like she might soon be holding a grandchild after all.
Lu Fan, meanwhile, rubbed his arms, covered in goosebumps.
Gao Zhengyu, however, sneered inwardly, could Yu Xi not see that her cousin was already annoyed? She was only putting on this act because Auntie was present, banking on her cousin’s filial piety toward his mother.
Little did she know, the more Yu Xi did this, the more it only annoyed her cousin further.
Gao Zhengyu ate slowly and deliberately, sneering at Yu Xi again and again in her mind.
Yu Xi was doing it deliberately to irritate her, having turned “husband” into a verbal tic throughout the entire meal.
After the meal ended, Lu Zhi closed his eyes, hearing faint phantom echoes, it felt as though Yu Xi were constantly pressed against his ear, calling out to him.
Seeing Yu Xi about to speak again, Lu Zhi raised a hand to rub the space between his brows. “We’ll talk when we’re back.”
Yu Xi nodded obediently. “Okay.”
Lu Zhi still had matters to attend to. Before leaving, he glanced at Yu Xi once more, confirming she hadn’t called out to him again, and only then strode off, but as he left, he could still faintly hear “husband, husband” ringing in his ears.
After Lu Zhi left, only Gao Zhengyu, Madam Lu, and Yu Xi remained in the room.
Madam Lu, still fixated on Yu Xi’s promise to give her a grandchild, took Yu Xi’s hand. “Good child, if you give Mother a grandson, Mother will send you a generous gift to properly reward you.”
Yu Xi said sweetly, “As long as it makes Mother happy, this daughter-in-law doesn’t need anything.”
Seeing it was getting dark, Madam Lu didn’t keep her much longer, not wanting to delay the young couple’s time together. “All right, Mother knows you mean well. It’s getting late, you should head back.”
Yu Xi said, “Whatever you say, Mother.”
Yu Xi walked out with Xique and Mingzhu, and hadn’t gone more than a few steps before Gao Zhengyu caught up with her.
With no one else around now, Yu Xi couldn’t be bothered to pay her much mind, and strolled along at a leisurely pace.
Gao Zhengyu suddenly spoke up. “I don’t suppose you know, back then, there was a physician surnamed Fang who could treat my frail constitution. Cousin, in order to find that physician for me, ignored everyone’s advice and went up the mountain, only to get trapped there for half a month straight when heavy snow sealed off the mountain. He nearly lost his life over it.”
Seeing Yu Xi say nothing, a hint of smugness crossed Gao Zhengyu’s face. She covered her mouth with her handkerchief and smiled, saying arrogantly, “So, I’d advise you to spend less effort trying to win my cousin over. No matter how much you put on an act, my cousin will never like you…”
Before she could finish, Yu Xi suddenly turned her head. “You broken medicine jar, stay away from me.”
Gao Zhengyu froze. “What did you say?”
Yu Xi had actually been willing to give Gao Zhengyu a little courtesy, but for her to boast about Lu Zhi nearly losing his life, with not a shred of gratitude in her tone, that was simply too vile.
Yu Xi shot her a disdainful look. “I said you’re a broken medicine jar, a deaf old bat, tsk.”
With that, Yu Xi walked off quickly, as if even staying near her a moment longer was nauseating.
“You! You, you…”
Gao Zhengyu, already sensitive about her own frailty, swayed at Yu Xi’s insult, clutched her chest, her eyes rolling back, and fainted from fury.
Lanzhi’s shriek rang out. Xique glanced back with some concern. “Miss, that won’t cause any trouble, will it?”
Yu Xi didn’t even turn around. “A curse lives on for a thousand years, if I’ve angered her to death, I’ve done the common people a service.”
Her husband was such a good man, of course people would like him, and whoever he was kind to, it was simply because his character was noble to begin with.
But for Gao Zhengyu to boast so smugly about Lu Zhi nearly dying while searching for her medicine, that was simply disgusting.
Yu Xi patted her chest, feeling unwell, a bit queasy even.
Fine, let her be angered to death, then… hmph.
·
Word that Yu Xi had angered Gao Zhengyu into fainting spread through the entire Lu household in no time.
Lu Fan was the first to arrive, saying kindly, “I’d advise you to go stay at your family’s house for a while to avoid the storm, otherwise my big brother is sure to scold you.”
“Not going,” Yu Xi said, embroidering while leaning on the daybed. “Worst case, he scolds me to death.”
Lu Fan was curious. “But how did you manage to anger my cousin into fainting?”
Yu Xi embroidered absentmindedly. “Don’t know, don’t ask me.”
Seeing Yu Xi’s mood was bad, Lu Fan didn’t know what to say either, and sat a while longer, but seeing she still wouldn’t talk, and worried Lu Zhi might show up, he ran off first.
Xique couldn’t help speaking up. “Miss, should we go back to the marquis’s residence first…”
“I didn’t do anything wrong,” Yu Xi had a stubborn streak. “If husband scolds me, then I just won’t stay married to him.”
Xique wanted to say more, but hearing footsteps outside, held her tongue.
Lu Zhi arrived, cloaked in the night. His brow was faintly heavy, and he sat down in the outer room without a word, saying nothing through the swaying beaded curtain.
The window suddenly banged open, a wild wind sweeping through the room, the beaded curtain clinking and tangling together with a crisp clatter.
Yu Xi’s heart pounded erratically, she was scared too, actually, but she was even less willing to let Gao Zhengyu win.
Slowly, she saw a pair of satin boots embroidered with cloud patterns come to a stop before her, and then Lu Zhi’s cold voice. “Don’t you have something to say to me?”