"So that's because you have a naturally youthful face?" Luo Cuiwei sighed enviously for a while, then realized what he meant and poked his face with her finger with a smile. "Don't be so sour. I don't care how handsome other people are. I have a dog at home, and that's enough for me."
It's really outrageous to call someone an "old monster" behind their back.
Once comforted, the "dog" suddenly straightened its head and puffed out its chest, becoming much more energetic.
****
Before dawn on October 15th, Yun Lie tiptoed out of bed, stole a quick kiss from his sleeping wife like a thief, and then, suppressing his reluctance, set off for the front-line defense zone as promised.
Only when the sound of horses' hooves faded completely did Luo Cuiwei open her eyes, slowly sit up, and cover her face with her hands.
From the night she accepted Yun Lie's marriage proposal, she knew very well that her beloved man bore the responsibility for the safety of the border. Since she had agreed to walk hand in hand with him for the rest of her life, she would also have to share some of his responsibilities.
She was neither particularly talented in academics nor martial arts, and couldn't offer him any real help in other matters, but at least she could put his mind at ease, allowing him to focus wholeheartedly on what he needed to do, no matter what.
After fully waking up, Luo Cuiwei rubbed her face, yawned, smiled, lowered her head, and gently stroked her still flat stomach.
I got up, dressed, and went out to wash up, but soon after, I suddenly started gagging again.
Hearing the commotion, Tao Yin rushed over to support her, patting her back while anxiously murmuring, "She was fine yesterday, how could she suddenly..."
After vomiting for a long time, Luo Cuiwei finally recovered. She took the water Tao Yin handed her, rinsed her mouth, and then smiled weakly, lowered her head, and gently patted her lower abdomen as if to reward herself.
"You're quite sensible, little dumpling. You knew you couldn't make a fuss yesterday, and it must have been difficult for you to hold back until today, huh?"
Tao Yin supported her, watching her talk to the baby in her belly with a mix of amusement and exasperation. "You're so stubborn, why don't you let His Highness know?"
“Although it’s not a real fight, there’s no small matter in the front-line defense zone. Xiong Xiaoyi has to personally take charge and oversee things. It must be a situation that can’t be taken lightly. There’s no need to make him worry any longer. Don’t we have you all here to look after me?”
There are priorities in everything, and Luo Cuiwei has always been a person of discretion.
“You’ve grown up at home, so when something really happens, you’d rather suffer a loss yourself than let others worry,” Tao Yin sighed, with a touch of regret. “It’s a pity I only know how to take care of your daily needs; I can’t help with anything else. If only Miss Xiahou were here right now.”
In the past, when they were in the capital, Xiahou Ling had accompanied Luo Cuiwei to and from the Prince Zhao's residence many times. Tao Yin knew that Xiahou Ling was Luo Cuiwei's most capable assistant when she was in the Luo family.
After coughing a few times, Luo Cuiwei chuckled, pressing her stomach, "If A-Ling came here, that would be a real disaster."
Tao Yin was unaware of the situation, and she didn't offer any further explanation, simply making a casual remark that was then forgotten.
But some people and some things just can't stand being talked about.
On October 21st, when Xiahou Ling appeared before Luo Cuiwei with a convoy, Luo Cuiwei immediately wanted to find some glue to seal her mouth shut.
Outsiders only know that Xiahou Ling is an orphan who grew up in the Luo family, but they don't know that she is a death squad that the Luo family of Jingxi has devoted all its efforts to training for the next head of the family.
Luo Cuiwei had already returned the family head's order, and Luo Fengming was now in charge of the Luo family affairs. Logically, Xiahou Ling should have stayed by Luo Fengming's side and would never have left the capital without a reason.
Xiahou Ling approached gracefully and, noticing Luo Cuiwei's pale face, quickly reached out to support her.
Luo Cuiwei's heart leaped into her throat, her face turning deathly pale: "Something happened at home?"
----2018/4/5 23:14:07|53765000----
Chapter 69
When Xiahou Ling supported Luo Cuiwei's arm, it was obvious that Luo Cuiwei was trembling all over.
Xiahou Ling grew up in the Luo family and served as Luo Cuiwei's assistant for several years. In her memory, even when the head of the family, Luo Huai, was suddenly seriously injured and the Luo family fell into chaos without a leader, Luo Cuiwei, who was appointed to the position in a time of crisis, never showed such a panicked and helpless appearance.
"Everything's fine at home, what could be wrong?" Knowing something must be amiss, she quickly swallowed her words and reassured her, "Don't startle yourself. Why do you look so pale..."
She had been ordered to come, but seeing that Luo Cuiwei's mood seemed different from usual, she quickly weighed the priorities and suppressed the reason why she had been sent.
"Then why are you here?" Luo Cuiwei interrupted her softly, her gaze sweeping over her with suspicion. "Isn't Luo Fengming busy enough for you?"
“After abandoning the northern trade route, the family business naturally decreased significantly; the burden that Young Master Fengming took over is much lighter than when you took over back then, it's really not enough to fill my teeth.” Xiahou Ling smiled calmly, her eyes exuding a convincing confidence.
Having been successfully calmed down by her composed demeanor, Luo Cuiwei pressed her palm against her abdomen, closed her eyes, and steadied herself for a long while before finally letting out a long sigh.
"Now that you're gone, who will be left with Luo Fengming?"
"Luo Rui."
The Luo family is training assassins for the next patriarch, so they won't put all their eggs in one basket with Xiahou Ling. Luo Rui is one of the other hidden agents.
However, Luo Rui is younger and his qualifications are not as outstanding as Xiahou Ling's, so he has not been used before.
Upon learning that Luo Rui had been appointed to Luo Fengming's side, Luo Cuiwei finally felt relieved and completely believed that Xiahou Ling's arrival had no other hidden meaning. She figured it was just that her father was biased and couldn't bear to see her suffer.
Sure enough, Xiahou Ling then explained, "The patriarch couldn't bear to see you working so hard here alone, so he arranged for me to take Luo Rui with me to stay by Young Master Fengming's side. After half a year, I've finally gotten rid of everything, so the patriarch told me to come over and take care of you."
The most outstanding Xiahou Ling was given to Luo Cuiwei, who was already married. Now, Luo Fengming, who was in charge of the household, could only settle for second best and use Luo Rui. If this happened to another family, it would probably cause a lot of trouble.
However, Luo Huai's preference for his eldest daughter was no secret in the Luo family; moreover, Luo Fengming and Luo Cuizhen both respected and loved their eldest sister, and had enjoyed her protection for several years, so they were naturally happy to give her the best of everything in the family.
Although the mistress, Zhuo Yu, was slightly dissatisfied, she was by nature gentle and the whole family sided with Luo Cuiwei, so she couldn't say anything strong.
Xiahou Ling, supporting Luo Cuiwei's arm, turned around and pointed to the convoy, "Young Master Fengming and the Third Miss both brought you things. The head of the family even reluctantly gave up two chefs for you. Oh, right, there's also that batch of cardamom from before. It was all shipped out at the end of last month. Young Master Fengming only kept 20% of the profit and brought the rest for you."
Several large boxes of real gold and silver were not something anyone would trust if Xiahou Ling hadn't personally escorted them.
"This Luo Fengming is becoming more and more like a young master in charge, quite opinionated," Luo Cuiwei said, unsure whether to be angry or amused. "I promised him 40% of the profits in the letter, but he went against my word?"
In fact, Luo Cuiwei never complained to her family about the financial difficulties of the Zhao Prince's Mansion. However, the matter of borrowing a route through Linchuan was something she and Luo Fengming had "conspired" together, so Luo Fengming naturally knew that the Zhao Prince's Mansion was dirt poor.
Presumably, they didn't want their older sister to live a frugal life after getting married, so they tried every means to stuff money into her hands.