Seeing the greedy look in Lu Yunxi’s eyes, Lu Jingxuan felt somewhat annoyed. How had his mother raised his sister to be like this?
He was spending money to buy things for his own wife—how could his younger sister be so fixated on them?
“No, I haven’t given your sister-in-law Qingran anything before. This is the perfect opportunity to give her something.”
“Mom, look at Brother!” Lu Yunxi pouted, inwardly blaming Su Qingran. If she hadn’t thrown a tantrum, the clothes would have been hers.
Grandpa Lu spoke up, “Enough. Isn’t it only right for Jingxuan to buy clothes for Qingran? Why are you, a young girl, making a fuss?”
“Jingxuan, since Qingran has reconciled with you, you must treat her well from now on. As for that Comrade Qiao, you’d better settle things with her sooner rather than later. If something like this happens again, I’ll break your legs!”
“Understood, Grandpa.” Lu Jingxuan couldn’t quite describe what he was feeling—a bit proud, a bit relieved, but mostly excited.
He was proud that Su Qingran still couldn’t let him go, relieved that he could finally shake off the reputation of two-timing, and excited… though he couldn’t quite explain why he was excited.
He only knew that when Su Qingran repeatedly tried to cut ties with him, he felt deeply frustrated, as if things shouldn’t have unfolded that way.
Now that things were back on track, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief. Once he returned to the military base, he wouldn’t have to worry about his family anymore because Su Qingran would undoubtedly take good care of them.
As for Xiaoxue…
He genuinely liked her and had even considered marrying her, but Grandpa was right—marrying her would mean the end of his prospects. So, he could only marry Su Qingran. Besides, he felt that he wasn’t completely devoid of feelings for Su Qingran either…
…
Night fell.
With a dark expression, Lu Jingxuan followed Qiao Manxue into the small grove. “Didn’t I tell you not to come looking for me during this period? What are you doing here again?”
Qiao Manxue’s eyes reddened. “So now I can’t even see you anymore, is that it?”
Lu Jingxuan grew irritable. “Isn’t this a sensitive time? Do you have any idea how many people are watching us? If we’re discovered, we’re both finished!”
“Sensitive time? What sensitive time? The time when you’re dating Su Qingran?”
“Haven’t you always known that I was going to marry Su Qingran? What are you making a scene about now?”
“Me, making a scene?” Qiao Manxue felt a chill run through her. “Search your conscience and ask yourself what you’ve done. Didn’t you tell me you didn’t like Su Qingran? Then why have you been trying so hard to please her lately? Tell me the truth—have you fallen for her?”
Lu Jingxuan was speechless. From his attitude, Qiao Manxue could guess his thoughts. Resentment surged within her, but she showed none of it on her face. Instead, she softened her voice. “Jingxuan… how could you treat me like this? You know you’re all I have now…”
Looking at the delicate and charming Qiao Manxue before him, Lu Jingxuan couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt. “Xiaoxue, you have to believe me. I’m only trying to coax Su Qingran into marrying me. In my heart, there’s only you.”
For reasons unknown, the vow he had once made to remain chaste for Qiao Manxue lingered on his lips before being swallowed back down. Su Qingran was his wife—sleeping with her was only natural. Xiaoxue would understand him.
Qiao Manxue sneered inwardly but maintained a fragile, helpless facade.
“Jingxuan, these past days have been so difficult for me. I won’t even mention how the Zhiqing Point and villagers have bullied me, but what hurts most is you and Su Qingran. I’m terrified—what if you abandon me after marrying her?”
As she spoke, a few tears trickled down. Qiao Manxue had an innocent appearance, and her crying made her even more pitiable—her eyes red-rimmed, the tip of her nose flushed—making one want to pull her into an embrace and comfort her.
Lu Jingxuan’s heart ached instantly. He wrapped his arms around her and reassured, “Xiaoxue, trust me. I’m only marrying her so she can take care of my family. In my heart, she isn’t worth half a finger of yours.”
“Really?”
“Really,” Lu Jingxuan vowed solemnly. “After I marry Su Qingran, I’ll have her stay in Su Family Village to look after my grandfather, mother, and younger sister. Once I’m promoted to Battalion Commander, I’ll arrange for you to join the Cultural Troupe. But you must get along with Su Qingran—after all, she’s my wife. Her approval will be needed to send you to the military unit.”
Qiao Manxue dug her nails into her palm. Lu Jingxuan actually expected her to curry favor with Su Qingran?!
Recalling the humiliation the Su family had subjected her to, her hatred burned fiercer. What unsettled her even more was Lu Jingxuan’s attitude toward Su Qingran.
No—she couldn’t just sit back and do nothing!
She couldn’t endure another day of her current life!
“Jingxuan, you’re so good to me.” Qiao Manxue returned his embrace, stood on her toes, and offered her cherry-red lips.
Having been deprived of intimacy with Qiao Manxue for so long, Lu Jingxuan was momentarily swept away by passion and kissed her back. To his surprise, the usually shy Qiao Manxue boldly slipped her hand under his clothes and unfastened his trousers directly.
“Mmm…” He groaned, his hot breath washing over Qiao Manxue’s neck as his hands began to wander.
They embraced passionately for a while, their upper garments already discarded, when Lu Jingxuan suddenly frowned and stopped. No—this was too risky.
Qiao Manxue clung to his clothes, her eyes seductive. “Jingxuan, don’t you want me…?”
Her voice was a hook that ensnared Lu Jingxuan’s very soul.
They fumbled and tangled, and just as Lu Jingxuan was about to thrust forward—
“What are you doing?”
The sudden voice startled them out of their wits, and Lu Jingxuan’s arousal instantly wilted from fear.
They instinctively turned toward the source of the voice and saw that the narrow, dim grove was now crowded with people, blocking them in completely.
“Ah!” Only then did Qiao Manxue realize she was fully exposed. She shrieked and hid behind Lu Jingxuan.
Lu Jingxuan stared at Su Qingran standing among the crowd, his throat dry. He wanted to speak but couldn’t utter a single word.
“Shameless! Isn’t this adultery?” Zhang Ping stood at the forefront, her expression full of contempt.
Most of the group were Educated Youth, with a few villagers whom Zhang Ping and Su Qingran had encountered on the way and brought along. When catching adulterers in the act, the more witnesses, the better.
Su Junze and Huang Cuicui also came over to watch the commotion, the two of them playing off each other as they sarcastically mocked Lu Jingxuan and Qiao Manxue.
“Oh my, isn’t this Educated Youth Qiao and Lu Jingxuan? What are you two doing here in the grove? What’s going on?”
“In broad daylight, you’re not even wearing clothes! I’m too embarrassed to look!”
“You two are really… At the very least, you should do this kind of thing at home—”
“Lu Jingxuan, I knew it! You’ve been carrying on with this Qiao Manxue all along! That’s why you saved her instead of my younger sister before! You’re such a two-timing scoundrel!”
“If you like Qiao Manxue so much, why don’t you just marry her? Why do you keep following my younger sister around like a lost puppy? Are you some leftover from the Qing dynasty, wanting to take two wives?”
“Pah! Look at yourself! How dare you covet my sister-in-law? My sister-in-law is the great beauty of the entire region—how could someone like you dare to make her a concubine?”
The others also began pointing and commenting, “Isn’t the Lu Family’s boy supposed to marry Ranran? How could he do something like this? Isn’t this promiscuous behavior?”
“Really too shameful to watch!”