В Цзянху есть Сяо Чань

Глава 19

Most importantly, it is this magnanimity and breadth of mind that is rare among ordinary people.

With a husband like that, she should be happy, right?

Lu Ziqi, I hope that we will never be enemies.

I hope you won't give me any chance to take her away...

I glanced one last time in the direction the figure had gone, then reached out and closed the window.

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Lu Ziqi looked at the calligraphy and painting in front of him, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

The painting is beautiful, and the calligraphy is excellent, but they are far from being as valuable as that 'unique copy'!

Yuan Hao......

He is clearly an upright and unrestrained man, yet he always manages to do things that, while harmless, make people grit their teeth in anger.

Previously, I deliberately omitted one ingredient from the herbal tea recipe I gave him, causing him to suffer so much pain that it felt like his internal organs were twisted together.

Now, they've tricked and deceived him into giving away the priceless, unique copy he had painstakingly acquired.

This guy must have planned to leave this afternoon long ago, ever since I saw him yesterday...

Everyone knew the truth behind that "chance encounter" at the teahouse.

I thought that meeting him in such a rush would at least make him show some surprise, guilt, embarrassment, or panic, but to my surprise, he didn't feel uncomfortable at all.

He rose to greet him with an open and honest manner, as if he had known he would come all along. In comparison, his petty thoughts seemed rather small-minded.

So they opened their hearts and had a thorough talk, realizing they understood each other perfectly and felt like they had known each other for a long time.

This person has unique insight, sharp understanding, and profound knowledge.

Moreover, he was highly skilled in calligraphy and painting, and wrote with great ease. He could even change his handwriting at will, leaving almost no flaws.

He knew most of the scions of prominent families, high-ranking officials, and famous scholars, even if he didn't know them personally. But why had he never heard of such people?

I originally planned to investigate further later, but who would have thought they would just leave without a word...

He sighed deeply and rolled up the calligraphy and painting.

Forget it, now that things have come to this, all I can do is believe the promise that person made to Yaoyao, and settle things with them when we pass by on the way back...

But why were this person's travel documents not seen beforehand? Was the trip to Liaodong truly just for the purpose of writing another travelogue? ...

And, far, far away...

He couldn't possibly have offended Yuan Hao without realizing it, so could the two instances of slight punishment have been because...?

He got up, pushed open the door, and looked at the sliver of light shining through the window, a smile gradually spreading across his lips.

In any case, this matter is temporarily put to rest.

Life with her has truly been wonderful...

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At this moment, Song Xiaohua was truly feeling extremely depressed and frustrated.

She was fooled; those two stinky men treated her like an idiot!

How could there be such a coincidence in this world that one's husband and one's 'lover' suddenly become friends?

Ugh, that metaphor is absolutely awful.

When she handed the scroll to Lu Ziqi, she knew she was a pig, a complete and utter idiot.

The excuses I had prepared beforehand, such as running into Yuan Hao on the street while I was getting medicine, or Yuan Hao making a special trip to say goodbye in the afternoon, were completely useless.

Lu Ziqi's calm and composed demeanor, as if Mount Tai were collapsing before him, clearly indicated that he knew the whole story! He knew all along! Perhaps, he knew from the moment she and Yuan Hao first met at the clothing shop!

Yes, yes, this is his territory, he must have countless spies and informants.

A sprawling information network, like a spiderweb, spanning the entire county; underground agents; surveillance cameras; eavesdropping devices; the FBI? ...

Stop, stop, the more I think about it, the less reliable it seems.

In short, at least today's events, that scene that humiliated her so badly, were definitely, absolutely, and unequivocally a performance put on by those two men! They were truly a master of acting, choreography, and stage presence; they could easily win an Oscar!

She was the only one who was kept in the dark.

He angrily slammed his fist on the book lying on the table to vent his grief and indignation.

Startled, Song Wuque opened his two big, dark eyes and stared at her for a long while. Seeing that she was sitting there without moving, he sneezed, changed his position, and continued to sleep.

Song Xiaohua stared at the flame in the oil lamp until tears streamed down her face, and finally made up her mind.

I put on my clothes and came out, then froze.

The moonlight was cool and clear, and a figure in black stood in the courtyard.

"How could you..."

"How could you..."

in unison.

"I……"

"I……"

It sounded like a duet, and Song Xiaohua burst out laughing.

Lu Ziqi smiled and said, "It's so late, aren't you going to sleep?"

"You weren't asleep either, were you?"

"I'm used to it."

"Actually, I used to go to bed very late too."

"To read books?"

“Sometimes it is…” Song Xiaohua scratched her head, “Actually, it’s not really reading books, I just… barely recognize a few words.” This wasn’t modesty, it was the truth. At her current level, she could only be considered to have just barely escaped the lowest level of 'illiterate'.

"That's already quite an achievement. Who taught you?" Women were not allowed to attend private schools, so unless a wealthy family hired a tutor to teach them individually, it was generally impossible for ordinary women to become literate.

"I... I eavesdropped. I listened in from outside our school. You know, I'm smart and a quick learner, so even just listening in doesn't teach me as much as those guys sitting inside all day shaking their heads! Hehehe..." Song Xiaohua laughed smugly. Sometimes, those melodramatic scenes from TV dramas are surprisingly useful...

Upon hearing this, Lu Ziqi couldn't help but smile: "So that's how it is..." It does indeed seem like something she would do.

After thinking for a moment, he said, "I have some books here. If you are interested, you can browse through them at will. If you encounter anything you don't understand, just come and ask me."

Song Xiaohua nodded with a beaming smile, but her expression froze in the blink of an eye.

"What's wrong? Is there something troubling you?"

"No..." He took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, and said, "It was wrong of me to secretly meet with another man... I apologize. But you have to believe me, we were just chatting. He's traveled all over the country and knows a lot. I wanted to know more about what was going on outside... But, in my opinion, you should know very well what we actually did. Maybe you even know every single word we said..."

"How could that be?" Lu Ziqi chuckled. "The reason I found out was purely by chance. Anyway... I knew but didn't let you know, and that was indeed my fault. I apologize to you."

His tongue-twisting words finally made Song Xiaohua laugh: "So, we're even again?"

"It seems so."

"That……"

Lu Ziqi smiled slightly: "Then, in order to stop us from apologizing to each other, let's be honest with each other from now on and not hide anything, okay?"

"good!"

No need for 'it's a deal,' no need for a high five. Okay, that's good.

Chapter Twenty-Two: Brain Teasers

Song Xiaohua knew her handwriting was ugly, but she never expected it to be this ugly.

Actually, you really can't blame her. Asking someone who has never written a word except for signing forms to grab a brush, dip it in ink, and play with traditional Chinese calligraphy with its countless strokes on rice paper would only result in a dark mess, wouldn't it?

"Mother, your writing... um... is better than Ling'er's!"

In short, Song Xiaohua's hard-won sense of comfort was shattered once again.

Looking at Lu Ling's earnest little expression, his delicate little hand holding the special calligraphy brush, his little body sitting on the high stool, his meticulous posture like a little calligrapher, and his crooked but clearly legible handwriting, Song Xiaohua couldn't help but feel a surge of sadness.

She shouldn't have done that, absolutely shouldn't have, encouraged Lu Ziqi to agree to let Lu Ling practice calligraphy with paper and pen, and even more so, shouldn't have impulsively asked to practice with Lu Ling. Otherwise, how could Song Xiaohua have ended up in this situation, needing to be pitied and comforted by a three-year-old? How could she possibly save face? How could she bear this?!

We absolutely must win this game...

"Ling'er, shall we play a riddle game?"

"good!"