Kiyomi Tsuki and His Fox

Chapter 132

"Say you like me. Hurry up and say it, Jian Yue, say you like me."

"Lord, please release your subordinate! Please don't do this! What's wrong? What happened?"

"Don't run away. I told you not to run away. This time, no matter what, you won't escape like before. Answer me, Miyuki, I need you."

"I can't."

“You can do it. You like me, just like I like you. You like me too, don’t you? You just need to say yes. Jianyue, say it.”

“I am a boy. You are a man, you cannot marry a boy, it would make you a laughingstock.”

Lu Qingcheng suddenly stopped and sighed heavily. When he reached him, Qing Jianyue glanced at him somewhat helplessly, then quickly lowered her head. And so, the two stood facing each other, one looking at his toes on the ground, the other at the top of his head. Neither spoke, neither knew what to say.

“I like Mizuki. I like her very much, no, I should say I love her. The first time I saw you, the way you smiled at me, I fell in love with you.”

Lu Qingcheng's confession echoed in Qing Jianyue's heart once again.

Is this love? You gave me your protective armor, disregarding your own injuries; when I collapsed from poison, you begged me so sorrowfully not to die; you knelt before me for a day and a night in the dead of winter, disregarding your own status. Is this love? Why would you fall in love with someone like me? Someone who doesn't even dare to reciprocate your feelings—does that deserve it?

Do you think there's something wrong with my eyes? That I can't even tell if you're a man or a woman?

Qing Jianyue's mind was in complete turmoil, her brain a jumbled mess. What should I do? He Yunya asked me what to do. I didn't know. I knew nothing.

Xu Yun came out from inside. "Madam instructed Qing Jianyue to go in."

Qing Jianyue looked up abruptly, his gaze meeting Lu Qingcheng's eyes, and he froze. Lu Qingcheng was looking at him intently, her gaze filled with deep affection, a passionate and surging love.

Xu Yun angrily said, "Qing Jianyue, the madam ordered you to go in, what are you standing there daydreaming about?"

As if waking from a dream, Qing Jianyue's face flushed crimson. He hurriedly left Lu Qingcheng and stepped onto the stairs, but was blocked by Xu Yun at the entrance of the painting hall.

"This is all your fault. You're the one who put the Lord of the Fortress in such a terrible situation."

Xu Yun's once beautiful face now looked haggard, as if ravaged by wind and rain. She glared at Qing Jianyue, the resentment flashing in her eyes and the words uttered from her red lips were completely out of character for her refined manners.

Faced with her accusations, Kiyoshi could only smile wryly and say, "Please lead the way, Miss Xu."

Xu Yunxing's eyes widened as if they could breathe fire, and her hands trembled slightly as she turned around.

Inside the painted hall, Madam Lu leaned against the warm couch. Qing Jianyue bowed respectfully before raising her face to examine her. Because she had refused to eat, her face was somewhat pale and haggard, but compared to Lu Qingcheng kneeling at the steps outside, she looked much better. Qing Jianyue felt slightly relieved.

Madam Lu said sternly, "You still dare to come to see me? If you have any conscience, you should pack your bags and get out of Lu Family Manor right now."

Those inside and outside the door immediately perked up their ears to listen. But to their surprise, Kiyomi Tsuki didn't utter a single word.

Madam Lu angrily said, "How dare you! I'm asking you a question, why are you keeping your mouth shut?"

"Your subordinate wouldn't dare," Qing Jianyue quickly replied. "Your subordinate simply didn't know what to say."

"Don't know what to say?" Madam Lu shouted, "Because of you, this fortress has been in such a mess, and you think you can just get away with it by saying you don't know what to say?"

The old woman's voice was so powerful when she cursed; was she really on a hunger strike? Qing Jian Yue couldn't help but think maliciously. Maybe she'd hidden food under her blankets. If she let the fox suddenly jump up and crawl under her blankets, perhaps it could find something. Thinking this, Qing Jian Yue searched for the white fox, but it wasn't at her feet. She then remembered that the little fellow was so engrossed in Xiao Qian's warm and fragrant embrace that it had completely forgotten about its master.

Madam Lu's sharp, cold gaze was fixed on him as she coldly asked, "What are you thinking?"

Qing Jianyue was startled and hurriedly said, "I am ashamed. I have thought about it and I still don't know what serious crime I have committed to make the old lady refuse to eat. If I have committed a crime, please punish me according to the rules of this fort. I beg you not to harm her body any further, so that the fort master will be in constant fear and unable to concentrate on official business."

"Hmph, what a sharp tongue you have," Madam Lu said angrily. "You've thrown a huge accusation at me, making it seem like I'm just being unreasonable."

Kiyoshi Tsuki bowed deeply and said, "This subordinate dares not."

"You're faking it, Qing Jianyue, you're such a good actor." Madam Lu's anger rose higher and higher. "My son, whom I raised with such care, would dare to be so disobedient if it weren't for your instigation?"

Upon hearing this, Qing Jianyue was so frightened that she knelt down on the ground. "Madam, you have wronged me to death. Even if I had a hundred lives, I would not dare to instigate discord between the old lady and the fortress master and his son. This is all Li Zhen's conspiracy."

Madam Cai nodded and said, "Yes, Li Zhen used every means to frame Xu Lan in order to get revenge, which led to all these misunderstandings. Fortunately, heaven has eyes and Xu Lan exposed Li Zhen's mask. Although Li Zhen is currently on the run, I believe he will be caught and brought to justice soon."

"Innocent? You dare to cry innocence in front of me? You despicable thing, you disguised yourself like that androgynous figure, trying every means to please my son and make him fall in love with you." Madam Lu became more and more hateful as she spoke, "You have achieved your goal. You, you and that stinking man, you have gotten your revenge on me."

Qing Jianyue exclaimed in surprise, "No, Madam, you've misunderstood. I came here initially only for a bet. Master Lu cares about the Lord of the Fortress, so he asked me to help him. If I can help the Lord of the Fortress overcome his difficulties, successfully take over the position, and marry a wife he truly loves, then my mission will be complete, and I will receive the reward I desire."

"What is your reward?" Madam Lu's eyes gleamed with a sinister light.

"My reward is... is..." A sense of unease flashed through Qingjian Yue's heart, but she forced herself to say, "Master Lu agrees that if I help the Lord of the Fortress succeed, Master Lu is willing to bestow his land and houses upon me."

"Qing Jian Yue, who are you trying to fool with those words?" Madam Lu mocked.

Kiyoshi said urgently, "Madam, it's absolutely true, I wouldn't dare lie."

"If you marry Qingcheng, you will become Madam Lu of the Lu Family Manor. Wouldn't everything in the Lu Family Manor belong to you?" Madam Lu questioned, "What are you thinking?"

Kiyoshi was speechless.

Madam Lu sneered, "You keep calling me 'Old Madam,' so it seems you're already determined to get this Madam Lu's throne."

"Calling you 'Old Madam' is a sign of my respect for you. Can that really be an excuse for me to covet Madam Lu's throne? If I were to call Madam Cai 'Old Madam,' would that also be interpreted as me coveting the throne of the Second Madam of the Cai family?" Qing Jianyue suddenly felt a surge of anger and blurted out, "This is simply a case of fabricating charges; the possibilities are endless."

Madam Cai blinked, almost saying, "Jianyue, I welcome your coveting of Madam Cai's throne."

Kiyoshi said angrily, "I only wanted to be greedy for a little money. I never thought of using my beauty to seduce the Lord of the Fortress. Besides, I'm not good enough for that."

"Your looks are certainly not enough," Madam Lu scolded, "but your vixen-like methods are extremely clever."

Qing Jian Yue's mouth gaped open, her face flushed with anger. "Madam, I accept being called neither man nor woman. But I absolutely refuse to accept being called a vixen. Speaking of vixen tactics, the one in this fortress is none other than Young Madam Lei; she has Brother Lei completely bewitched."

Upon hearing this, everyone outside turned their gaze to Lei Yongxiang.

Lei Yongxiang's eyes were as big as copper bells with rage, and he believed that if he could, he would definitely use his two strong hands to snap Qingjian Yue's thin neck.