Chapter 2403: Chapter 2403: Sworn Brothers
"Brother Rui, Lingling wants you to eat with me, just like before."
"Alright!"
Thinking of how she had come from so far away, Long Rui agreed in one breath.
All of a sudden, Gu Lingqiao just stared at his mask, not saying a word.
Long Rui reached out and touched the mask, asking, "What’s wrong with you?"
"Brother Rui, I heard that after you were disfigured, you’ve been wearing this mask. When Lingling heard that, my heart hurt so much. Brother Rui must have been mocked by a lot of people when you were first disfigured, that’s why you put on this ferocious mask.
"It’s alright, it’s all in the past." Long Rui’s voice was a bit low, as if some sad memories had been stirred up.
Gu Lingqiao pulled up Long Rui’s large hand and said, "Brother Rui, don’t be sad, from now on you’ll have Lingling with you."
Long Rui: "Thank you, Lingling."
Lingling: "What’s our relationship, no need to thank me."
Rain Listening Courtyard.
"Master, master, this is bad, there’s a vixen spirit, a vixen spirit." Xiao Jiu flapped its wings and fluttered back.
Xuexue sat to the side looking over the account books; these were ledgers retrieved from outside, and she had to go through them once every month.
"What nonsense are you spouting?" Xuexue put down the ledger and looked up.
Xiao Jiu chattered as it flew in, "Master, master, the big bad guy cheated, he cheated."
Xuexue was indifferent. She was well aware of how many women Long Rui had in the War Prince’s Mansion; they were all women in name only, used to fool The Emperor. Long Rui, cheat? She really didn’t believe that.
"Master, be serious, everything I’m saying is true." Master had picked the ledger back up again, clearly not taking its words to heart. Xiao Jiu chirped noisily as it shouted, then landed on Xuexue’s shoulder.
Xuexue lowered her head, reading the ledger while absent-mindedly asking, "Then tell me, who did the Prince cheat with?"
Xiao Jiu: "A beauty, she’s really pretty, her face all different colors."
Xuexue almost burst out laughing. This Birdy was smart, but at the end of the day it was still a bird, and some things were less than satisfactory: "What do you mean all different colors, that’s makeup."
Xiao Jiu: "Right, right, that woman is quite pretty, and the Prince really likes her. Master, you never wear makeup, no wonder the big bad guy went to look at other women."
Xuexue: "What nonsense are you talking? The Prince is not that kind of person."
Xiao Jiu: "How is he not? If you don’t believe me, go take a look. That woman and the Prince are childhood sweethearts, they knew each other when they were very little. Right now the two of them are hugging each other and crying their eyes out. Master, if you don’t believe me, go see for yourself, I guarantee you’ll catch them in the act on the bed."
"Childhood sweethearts?"
This one sentence finally caught Xuexue’s attention. She lifted her head and asked.
Xiao Jiu: "Yeah, that vixen spirit and the big bad guy are childhood sweethearts. From the looks of it, their relationship is really good. Master, hurry and go take a look. If you’re late, the big bad guy will be snatched away."
Xuexue pondered for a moment and said, "No. If they really are childhood sweethearts and haven’t seen each other for so long, they must have a lot to talk about. It wouldn’t be very appropriate for me to go."
Xiao Jiu immediately started chirping sharply, "Master, you’re just going to willingly hand the big bad guy over to someone else?"
Xuexue said lightly, "If he’s mine, he won’t run. If he’s not, I couldn’t snatch him even if I tried."
Living a second life, even if she loved again, she was no longer as obsessed as in her previous life, insisting on tying her whole life to one person. In this life, she only wanted to protect her family and live well.
A man’s love—if she could have it, that would be best. If she couldn’t, she wouldn’t force it.
That night, Long Rui did not go to dine with Xuexue, but instead stayed with Gu Lingqiao the entire time. The two of them talked about what had happened since they parted, the more they talked the more engrossed they became. It wasn’t until late at night that he staggered drunkenly back to his room.
It turned out that Nong Rui’s parents had only been ordinary merchants, and Nong Rui’s father was sworn brothers with Gu Lingqiao’s father. Just when their two families were preparing to arrange a child-betrothal for them, Nong Rui’s parents were killed by bandits on their way home, their bodies discarded in the wilderness.
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