Lanting

Kapitel 127

"Lord Lu, what are you doing?"

"Your child comes to apologize to Mother. I was wrong, please punish me."

Madam Lu sneered, "Apologize? Punish? How dare I? Lord Lu, you'd better get up quickly, I can't accept such a grand gesture from you."

Lu Qingcheng kept kowtowing, "Your child knows he was wrong. Mother, your child was wrong. Your child has been disrespectful to you, please punish your child."

"Do you think I don't know what you're thinking? Do you really think I don't know anything about your private affairs with Bai Yiting and his apprentice, and Lin Feng? I've been in charge of Lu Family Fort for so many years. If I couldn't even see your little tricks, I would have been replaced long ago. There wouldn't be a mother and son like us today." Perhaps she was too angry, Madam Lu swayed slightly. "I went to White Stone Manor to give you this opportunity. Firstly, I have long intended to pass the leadership to you, and secondly, I am also very dissatisfied with the actions of Liu Jianhua, Sun Yue, and your uncle in private. So I used you to get rid of them. But that's secondary. The most important thing is to give you a good opportunity to establish your reputation."

Lu Qingcheng's expression appeared somewhat dazed.

"You don't believe me?" Madam Lu smiled bitterly. "Do you think I'm lying to you?"

Lu Qingcheng hurriedly replied, "Your child wouldn't dare."

Madam Lu shook her head. "You don't believe your mother."

Lu Qingcheng said urgently, "I believe my mother's words. I believe her."

"What apology and admitting wrongdoing? It's all nonsense," Madam Lu scolded. "You're scared. You're in the wrong. You're afraid I'll pursue the matter, afraid I'll use your young master Qing Jianyue as a scapegoat, so you've rushed here in a panic, trying to reconcile with me, trying to protect your beloved in this way. Am I right? Lord Lu, with your little bit of cleverness, you're far from being able to play games with me. I've said it before, I will not forgive this, absolutely not. Unless you drive Qing Jianyue out of Lu Family Fortress to show your sincerity."

Lu Qingcheng said angrily, "Jian Yue did nothing. Why is Mother always picking on him? If anyone is wrong, it's my fault. You can punish me however you want, I'll accept it."

"Because I hate him. When he was having a good time in Yunnan, did he ever think of me? When he was embracing other women, did he ever think of us, mother and son?" Madam Lu was overcome with grief and cried, "I'm a woman too. What woman would want to have her virginity defiled for no reason? I love him. He didn't give me a single chance, not a single chance. He abandoned me and ran off to Yunnan. So many nights I went to sleep in tears; so many mornings I woke up in tears. Who knows the bitterness in my heart? Even my son can't understand, he treats me like his enemy, and actually said such things. You little beast, I truly wish I had never given birth to you."

His mother's tears and sobs tore at Lu Qingcheng's heart. He kowtowed again, saying, "Your son is filled with shame. Your son deserves to die, for he failed to understand his mother's feelings."

The more she talked, the more heartbroken she became. Unbearable memories of the past flooded her mind, and her emotions, like a river bursting its banks, could no longer be controlled. Madam Lu broke down in tears.

Lu Qingcheng anxiously crawled to the bedside and reached out her hand, saying, "Mother, Mother..."

"Get away from me, don't touch me."

Tears flowed freely like a river, and Madam Lu cried harder and harder...

Lu Qingcheng was extremely anxious, unsure whether to offer advice or not.

Xu Yun rushed over after receiving a message from her maid. Seeing the scene, she hurriedly sat on the couch and embraced Madam Lu, taking out a handkerchief to wipe away her tears. However, the tears kept wetting her face, and she couldn't dry them any longer. Xu Yun, also overcome with sorrow, scolded, "Master, how could you make Madam so sad again?"

Lu Qingcheng said with shame, "Yes, it's all my fault. Please help me, Miss, and persuade my mother."

Xu Yun glanced at him resentfully, then turned and gently coaxed, "Madam, please don't be sad anymore. Doing this will only ruin your health and make those smug people happy."

Lu Qingcheng's body trembled violently upon hearing this.

Sure enough, as if reminded, Madam Lu gradually stopped crying and asked, "How is Qing Jianyue?"

Lu Qingcheng glared at Xu Yun, who pretended not to see her. Lu Qingcheng cautiously said, "Because I was worried about Mother, I didn't go to the study to visit her and rushed here."

Madam Lu snorted, "Whether Qing Jianyue is alive or dead, I don't care. In short, you must immediately drive him out of the fortress. If you want my forgiveness, then get rid of him right now."

Lu Qingcheng said urgently, "Mother, this is all my fault, it has nothing to do with Jian Yue."

"You still want to protect him. If it weren't for him, why would you say such things to me?" Madam Lu was furious and scolded, "He was sent by that dead bastard. That dead bastard, even in death, still wants revenge on me. I won't let him succeed."

“No. Mother, Jianyue didn’t come here for revenge.” Lu Qingcheng said loudly, “He always advised me to let go of the hatred in my heart. He said, Father…”

"Shut up. How despicable! You even called him 'father,' which shows how deeply you've been poisoned." Madam Lu gritted her teeth and said, "Let go of the hatred in your heart. Easier said than done. If hatred and anger could be so easily let go, there would be no hatred or suffering in this world."

“That’s why Jianyue advised me to let go of the hatred in my heart. He wants me to be happy, and that’s the real reason Jianyue came here.” Lu Qingcheng advised, “Please let go of your resentment towards Father as well. Besides, Father is already dead, what’s the point of you still resenting him?”

"Pah!" Madam Lu cursed. "I can't let go, and I can't let go. Without hatred, what can I rely on? Lu Ji, don't even think about it. As long as I live, I will hate you every day."

“Mother,” Lu Qingcheng cried out sadly.

“Listen to me clearly, it’s either me or him, it’s either me or him.” Madam Lu glared at her son with her swollen red eyes, her whole body shrouded in anger. “From now on, I will not eat until Qing Jianyue leaves.”

Lu Qingcheng was shocked. Xu Yun lowered her head, her eyes flashing with resentment and sorrow.

Chapter Forty-Eight: Confession

"Give me my salary. Lord, please." Qing Jianyue closed her eyes, rubbed her hands together slightly, and muttered, "Please, Lord, please, give me my salary. I don't want to be a poor ghost in the underworld."

After asking for his prayers, he let his hand fall limply and went back to sleep. A little while later, he started muttering to himself again.

"Handsome brother, you're not lying to me? If I don't die, will you take me to eat my way through Fengcheng, Hangzhou, and Yangzhou?" He couldn't help but lick his lips. "There are so many delicious things to eat. If I die, I won't be able to eat them all. Let me think. If I can't eat them, I'll be at a loss." Then, as if he had figured it out, he shouted, "I don't want to die! I want to eat! I don't want to die! Get out of my way, you demons and monsters! Don't try to stop me! I'm going to eat them all!"

Kiyomi Tsuki waved his hands as if he were fighting against some demon or monster that had come to steal his soul.

"Open your eyes. Yes, if you open your eyes you won't die. Quick..." Suddenly, Qing Jianyue woke up from his dream in a cold sweat, shouting with joy, "I opened my eyes! I didn't die! I can eat my way through Fengcheng, Hangzhou, and Yangzhou!" After shouting, he blinked, as if waking from a dream, "Strange, where is the Lord? Where is the handsome brother? I opened my eyes, but they're gone. Where am I?"

He lay on a magnificent and comfortable carved bed, with a thick, soft tiger skin beneath him, which Lu Qingcheng had hunted a month ago. He was covered with a soft silk quilt, and on top of the quilt was a large, open mink coat.

The spacious and bright room was divided into two sections by a large screen embroidered with flowers of the four seasons. Three pots of vibrant green jasmine stood beneath the window, and blooming daffodils graced the table, filling the room with their fragrance. A bookshelf against the wall held thread-bound books, while the desk displayed fine writing implements and a delicate bonsai rockery—all personally selected for him by Lu Qingcheng. There were also some trinkets that Qingfeng, Cai Zhonghe, Lei Yongxiang, and Su Haibo had collected from various places.

This was his room, a small courtyard right next to the Academy of Scholars, specially arranged for him by Lu Qingcheng. Lu Qingcheng had gone to great lengths to furnish this courtyard. Initially, it was intended for the guards and servants on duty, but after Lu Qingcheng had it opened up and renovated inside and out, it caused quite a stir among the servants. Later, Steward Du clarified that all expenses were paid by Lu Qingcheng himself, without using a single penny from the Lu Family Fortress, and everyone stopped talking about it.

"I didn't die, I'm still alive." Qing Jianyue lowered her head, looking at her hands in surprise, then touched her face. "I ate the cordyceps and whole duck soup, and suddenly collapsed on the ground. Wasn't I dead? If I was dead, why can I still feel anything?" She slapped her forehead. "That's right, I was supposed to die, but my handsome brother promised me that as long as I didn't die, he would take me to eat my way through Fengcheng, Hangzhou, and Yangzhou. So I suddenly didn't want to die anymore. And so, I came back to life."

Suddenly, the carved door outside creaked open, followed by the sound of a little crow arguing with someone. Before Kiyoshi could hear clearly, a white light flashed, and in an instant, a white fox leaped onto the bed, wagging its tail excitedly at him.

Master, you're awake! I thought you were dead! I was so sad I wanted to eat cordyceps and duck soup and die too. Waaah… I was so scared! Master, please hug me.

It's so good at being affectionate, snuggling into its owner's arms and babbling away.

Kiyomi hugged it with a mixture of joy and sorrow.