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Chapter Thirty-One: At the Banquet

Lu Qingcheng remained relatively calm.

This was the conclusion Qing Jianyue had drawn from his observations. He meticulously selected the banquet attire and accessories, carefully attending to Lu Qingcheng's hair and changing clothes, seemingly determined to make him the most eye-catching focus of the banquet. Of course, he would have been the focus of attention even without dressing up. His attentiveness stemmed from his fear that Lu Qingcheng would hold a grudge against him for what happened during the day. However, Lu Qingcheng remained calm, so far. Qing Jianyue was uneasy; the calmer Lu Qingcheng appeared on the surface, the greater and more terrifying the danger lurking beneath.

"My lord, it's done. Are you satisfied?"

Lu Qingcheng didn't look in the mirror, but looked at him.

"Seeing the moon?"

"Please give your orders, Lord."

"You've been buzzing around me like a fly tonight."

"Fly? That's too harsh. You should describe your subordinates as hardworking little bees. Think about it, if I'm a hardworking little bee, then you're a peony of unparalleled beauty."

"If I say you're a fly, then you're a fly. Don't give me that crap. Besides, I'm a man, not some flower or weed." Lu Qingcheng grew angrier with each word. "You're such a scoundrel!"

Kiyoshi kept her mouth shut, thinking to herself: She's throwing a tantrum.

"What are you thinking with your mouth shut?" Lu Qingcheng looked at him, suddenly feeling both angry and amused.

"Your subordinate is reflecting on your actions. The Lord of the Fortress is a true man, a majestic and awe-inspiring hero. Yet I described you as a flower, which is utterly outrageous." Qing Jianyue was a master of deception.

Lu Qingcheng snorted, "A cunning big liar."

He's not quite a big liar, but he's definitely a small-time liar. Kiyomi Tsuki thought to herself.

“I know what you’re thinking. That’s precisely what makes it hateful.” Lu Qingcheng stroked the jade thumb ring on her thumb. “What do you plan to do?”

Kiyomi Tsuki was taken aback. "Huh?"

"I asked you how you plan to handle Miss Zhao's matter?" Lu Qingcheng mocked. "Or do you really intend to marry her?"

"Don't mention it," Qing Jianyue exclaimed. "I had no choice. No matter what, we can't let Tong Lei marry Miss Zhao. If that's the case, I'd rather Miss Zhao marry the Lord of the Fortress than that arrogant brat."

Lu Qingcheng was taken aback.

“Although the Lord of the Fortress doesn’t love Miss Zhao, he’s a good man.” Qing Jianyue said angrily, “What is that brat? Humph, he’s obviously a beast worse than a pig or a dog.”

His praise pleased Lu Qingcheng greatly. She chuckled and said, "You've been investigating for so long, haven't you found out who Miss Zhao's sweetheart is yet?"

Kiyoshi asked in surprise, "Could it be that the Lord of the Fortress already knew?"

"I guessed it when Zhao Yu refused the marriage proposal. Three years ago, Lei Yongqing was ordered to go to Caozhou on business, and He Zhiqiang, as his subordinate, went with him. Mrs. Su's family was in Caozhou, and her parents passed away one after another within half a year, leaving Zhao Yu unmarried. Mrs. Su was too saddened by the death of her parents, and then she fell seriously ill after giving birth. Su Haibo was busy with the affairs of the fort and taking care of his wife, so he had to ask Lei Yongqing to bring Miss Zhao back when he returned. Later, Lei Yongqing had an accident, and it was He Zhiqiang who protected Miss Zhao. After going through all kinds of hardships, he returned to the fort safely with serious injuries, living up to the beauty's expectations."

"So, Miss Zhao's sweetheart is Miss He's brother, He Zhiqiang, without a doubt. It turns out the lord of the fortress already knew, but kept it from his subordinates."

"It's not that I don't want to tell you, but you're having so much fun jumping around like that, how could I possibly spoil your fun?"

Qingjian Yue blushed, grinned foolishly, and then asked suspiciously, "What I don't understand is, why is the fortress lord so sure it's He Zhiqiang? Why didn't you suspect Liu Xicheng, Wang Nan, or Tong Lei?"

"Judging from Liu Xicheng's attitude, it's not him. At the banquet, the song Miss Zhao sang was full of the anguish of missing a lover, not the sadness of remembrance. Therefore, I don't think it's the deceased Wang Nan, but it's not Tong Lei either."

"Why?"

"According to the law enforcement, Wang Nan was already injured before the Kang Boying incident. It happened when Tong Lei was harassing Ms. Zhao and attempting to rape her, and Wang Nan happened to be there."

A flash of anger appeared in Kiyoshi's eyes. "I understand. Wang Nan was injured by Tong Lei when she tried to stop him from committing the crime. She was seriously injured a second time and died from her injuries."

Lu Qingcheng said coldly, "That night, Tong Lei attempted to rape Miss Zhao, but was saved by Wang Nan. To protect Miss Zhao's reputation, Wang Nan would rather die than tell anyone. Tong Lei, for the sake of his reputation, naturally wouldn't tell anyone either. However, Wang Nan's death made Miss Zhao feel extremely guilty, so after arriving at Baishi Manor, she told the Chief Enforcer. The reason she did this was that she hoped the Chief Enforcer could avenge Wang Nan, but the Chief Enforcer dissuaded her. In that situation, there was no way to verify the truth, and there was a high possibility that that scoundrel would turn around and accuse her, defaming Miss Zhao's reputation. No matter what she did, it wouldn't be worth it."

"Damn it. It's already unforgivable that he dared to lay a hand on my fox, and now he even dares to bully my wife. If I had known it would turn out like this, I wouldn't have let him off so easily." Qing Jianyue said angrily, "Why did the Grand Enforcer only tell me half of what happened and keep the other half to himself? I'm going to settle accounts with him."

“I instructed him to only tell you half,” Lu Qingcheng said.

Kiyomi Tsuki exclaimed in surprise, "Huh?"

"Because watching you run around and jump, guessing what's going on, is just too much fun." Lu Qingcheng had a mischievous grin on her face.

Kiyoshi's mouth gaped open. "So it was the Lord of the Fortress who tricked me."

Lu Qingcheng snorted, "Likewise."

Kiyomi Tsuki certainly understood what he meant by "each other as one," and immediately shut her mouth, unable to say a word.

A hurt glint flashed in Lu Qingcheng's eyes. "Am I really that untrustworthy to you?"

"No, no. I, I..." Kiyomizuki was sweating profusely, thinking: What should I do? Should I tell you, or not? But I swore an oath, if I tell you... No, absolutely not. I don't want to die.

"It's okay. If you don't want to talk about it, then don't. I'll wait."

Lu Qingcheng's gentle words were like a warm breeze brushing against Qing Jianyue's ear and neck. Qing Jianyue trembled, her heart pounding. But in an instant, Lu Qingcheng's voice became as resolute and terrifying as a vow being made.

"But you are not allowed to betray me. Otherwise, I will never forgive you."

Kiyomi Tsuki was so frightened that her face turned as white as ice.

“I’ve said it before, you are my precious darling. Everything about you, from head to toe, is mine. Whatever happened in the past is in the past, I can ignore it, but things are different now. So, from now on, your eyes and your heart can only have me, and you are absolutely not allowed to have anyone else.” Lu Qingcheng stared intently at him, her eyes burning like a fire, so fierce, so unwavering. “What is Long Fengming? One day, I will surpass him. I will make you live a life even more glorious than you have now.”

Kiyomi Tsuki wished she could stomp a hole and crawl inside, then use her mouse-digging skills to dig a tunnel and escape. Good heavens! Did he even know what he was saying? Was he joking again like last time? But it didn't seem like it at all. Please don't, this is no joke.

"Fortress Master, are you... are you joking?"

When Qing Jianyue saw the complex light of melancholy and disappointment flash in Lu Qingcheng's eyes, she felt a sharp pain in her heart. Suddenly, Lu Qingcheng burst into laughter, and the laughter grew louder and louder until tears streamed down her face.