Kiyomi Tsuki and His Fox

Chapter 117

Upon hearing this, Lu Qingcheng immediately understood the reasoning and smiled, "Making such a big meal must have exhausted you, Miss. Come, sit down and eat with us."

Xu Yun felt extremely uncomfortable, but she still appeared very generous on the surface. "I would be honored to accept your invitation. Please, Lord of the Fortress. Please, Young Master Jian Yue." After they were seated, without needing any maids to serve them, Xu Yun personally served them two bowls of Cordyceps and Duck Soup, saying, "Please enjoy them slowly, Lord of the Fortress and Young Master Jian Yue."

Qing Jianyue said with a smile, "The Lord was very dissatisfied this morning, blaming me for not feeding him enough. Now that there's a whole table of delicious food, he's finally satisfied. Lord, you should eat more."

Lu Qingcheng picked up a spoon and ladled soup with a smile, but her eyes were fixed on him. They were exchanging glances, while Xu Yun was seething with jealousy. She gritted her teeth and clenched her fists.

Suddenly, there was a rapid knocking at the door. Wang Jie reported, "Lord, something has happened. Chief Enforcer Cai was just attacked by assassins in his study."

The spoon in Lu Qingcheng's hand fell into the silver-rimmed porcelain bowl with a clinking sound.

Wang Jie then reported: "Fortunately, the Third Lord and the Fourth Lord were present, which is why Enforcer Cai is safe and sound. Enforcer Cai, the Third Lord, and the Fourth Lord have all come over and are now in the living room. Please come over there no matter what."

Qing Jianyue quickly jumped up, fetched a cloak and a precious sword, and helped Lu Qingcheng put them on before seeing him out. Lu Qingcheng said, "You don't need to come with me. Stay with Miss Xu for a while." Qing Jianyue smiled and said, "I'll wait for you to return before we eat." Lu Qingcheng shook his head and said, "No need to wait for me. By the time I get back, the food will be cold, and it won't taste good." Suddenly, he leaned close to his ear and said, "I want to eat a feast you've prepared yourself."

For some inexplicable reason, a sweet smile bloomed on Kiyomi Tsuki's face, as if it were filled with honey. He nodded vigorously and said with a smile, "Your subordinate will be waiting for your return."

Lu Qingcheng couldn't help but feel a flutter in her heart, and couldn't resist reaching out to pinch his cheek before smiling and leaving.

Qing Jianyue rubbed her cheeks, strangely finding herself completely unangry. Her eyes were fixed on Lu Qingcheng's retreating figure until it disappeared from sight, before she reluctantly returned to her room. Inside, Xu Yun sat silently staring at the table laden with dishes. Seeing this, Qing Jianyue felt quite guilty.

"The lord of the fortress has urgent business and may not be able to come for a while. Why don't we eat instead?"

“I really hate it,” Xu Yun suddenly said.

Kiyomi Tsuki was taken aback. "Huh?"

“If I had been by his side from the beginning, like you, no, even as a maid, I would have loved him from the very beginning.” Xu Yun slowly raised her face, crystal tears sliding down her cheeks, “Perhaps he loved me, not you.”

It was so sudden that Qing Jian Yue wasn't prepared at all. He stared at her blankly, his mouth slightly agape, unable to utter a single word.

"What's so good about you? Besides your cute smile, what else do you have?"

Qing Jianyue blinked, finally snapping out of her daze. Her mind was buzzing and racing, a jumbled mess. The Lord of the Fortress loves me? How could that be? I'm a boy! How could the Lord of the Fortress love me?

"You're too cunning, just like the fox you keep. On the surface, you pretend to be innocent and cute, and docile and likable, but in fact, you have ulterior motives."

When did this happen? Lord, he loves me. When did this happen? Why don't I know anything about it? Kiyomi Tsuki's hands trembled slightly, a thousand thoughts surging and crashing against his heart like the rising and falling tides.

"From now on, you'll only cook for me. Only for me."

“You won’t die. With me here, I will never allow that to happen. Jian Yue, you have to promise me that no matter when or what happens, you will never leave me. Remember, you are mine. Jian Yue, you are mine.”

"You made the Lord fall in love with you, and then you put on airs, acting all innocent. It's disgusting. I've finally seen through your hypocrisy. No wonder even Yun Ya said you're a terrifying person." Xu Yun vented all the resentment she had been holding in. "You're always on guard against me, forbidding me from getting close to the Lord, which is already despicable. You even tried to sow discord between the Madam and the Lord and his son. What are you really up to?"

What were I thinking? Kiyomi Tsuki smiled bitterly. I've been confused by your scolding.

In the living room.

After listening to Cai Bo'an's report, Lu Qingcheng frowned and asked, "Are you sure the person you saw was Xu Lan?"

Cai Bo'an shook his head and said, "I can't be completely sure either, but I feel that the figure looks a lot like Xu Lan."

Lu Qingcheng looked at Cai Zhonghe, "Zhonghe?"

Cai Zhonghe slowly said, "Although I was there at the time, I always felt that something was amiss."

"Where is Brother Bo'an?" Lu Qingcheng then looked at Lei Yongxiang.

“I share the same feeling as Zhonghe,” Lei Yongxiang said.

After a moment of contemplation, Lu Qingcheng asked, "Have you found Qingfeng?"

Lei Yongxiang said, "No news has been sent yet."

Lu Qingcheng stood up and paced restlessly around the room. What was going on? Was it really her mother's conspiracy? Thinking this, Lu Qingcheng felt as if a cold knife had sliced into her heart.

In the study.

“I’ve known the Lord of the Manor since I was very young. When I was twelve, the Lord of the Manor visited White Stone Manor, and that’s when I secretly fell in love with him. Later, when I learned that the Lord of the Manor had married, I cried several times.”

Xu Yun took out her embroidered handkerchief and wiped away the tears on her face.

"Actually, my brother warned me long ago. The lady and the lord are only superficially friendly. If I try to get close to the lord by using the lady, I won't gain his favor at all. My brother is right. The lord would rather like someone like you than give me a second glance, simply because I am someone close to the lady."

For a moment, Kiyomi Tsuki didn't know what to say.

Tears welled up again, and Xu Yun hurriedly turned her face away to wipe them away. After calming herself down slightly, she sighed softly and forced a smile, "How embarrassing. Why did I tell you all this? The food is getting cold. Please, for the sake of my sincere efforts in cooking, please have some, Lord Dai."

Kiyoshi's mind was in a mess, so she picked up the duck soup and took a sip.

Xu Yun looked at him and asked, "How does it taste?"

"Huh?" Kiyomizuki stared blankly.

Xu Yun said angrily, "How annoying! You didn't taste it properly."

Qingjian Yue hurriedly said, "Don't be angry, I will savor it properly. I will drink this whole bowl of duck soup." In two or three bites, Qingjian Yue finished the bowl of duck soup clean, licking her lips like a child, and said with a smile, "Delicious, delicious, have another bowl."

Xu Yun took the empty bowl he handed her. "If the Lord of the Fortress had said that, I would have been very happy."

Qing Jianyue felt embarrassed. Xu Yun placed a bowl of duck soup in front of him. Qing Jianyue picked up the spoon, and at that moment, the expression on his face suddenly changed, and he stared at Xu Yun with an extremely strange look.

Perhaps his gaze was too terrifying, for Xu Yun shuddered and snapped back to reality. She asked, both frightened and wary, "You, you, what do you want to do?"

What happened next became a nightmare that Xu Yun could never forget for the rest of her life. Qing Jianyue staggered backward, knocking over a chair with a loud crash. She covered her mouth in pain with one hand and twisted her clothes at her chest with the other before collapsing to the ground.

Xu Yun screamed, the carved door burst open, and Zhang Zhichun rushed in first, followed by Wang Jie, Huang Chong, Zhang Lang, Guo Guo, Mao Ying, Little Sparrow, Little Crow...