Here we go again…
Five days ago, she gave her a pouch. Today, it's a handkerchief?
When she was free, she would serve her tea and water. When she was asleep, she would cover her with a blanket secretly. Whenever she's eating delicious snacks, she would share them with her with a smile.
Qiao Jingru shivered and glared at Lu Xiang. "What do you want?"
Lu Xiang blinked innocently. "Sister-in-law, I've already made it so obvious. Can't you tell?"
Qiao Jingru: "…"
"Am I the worm in your stomach? How would I know what you're trying to do?" Qiao Jingru thought.
Lu Xiang smiled and said, "If my Sister-in-law doesn't understand, it must be because I haven't done enough. It's okay, I'll tell you directly."
The corners of Qiao Jingru's mouth twitched. Look, look, look, look at her flattering tone and fawning eyes. She suddenly missed the arrogant Lu Xiang. At least she didn't have to guess endlessly as to what's wrong with her.
"Sister-in-law, let's reconcile. I was insensible, had a bad temper, and hated people in the past, so I had angered you countless times. You're a magnanimous person. Can you forgive me?" Lu Xiang held the handkerchief and looked at Qiao Jingru with sparkling eyes.
Qiao Jingru was dumbfounded, as if she had seen a ghost.
"Lu Xiang, what are you trying to do? Do you think I'm easy to fool?" Qiao Jingru glared at Lu Xiang and left.
However, just as she took a step forward, she suddenly turned around and snatched the handkerchief from Lu Xiang's hand. Then, she hurriedly ran away.
Putting everything else aside, Lu Xiang's embroidery skills were really good. It would be a waste not to take what was given to her.
Lu Xiang looked at Qiao Jingru, who was running faster than a rabbit, and rubbed her nose in embarrassment. Was her character in the past that horrendous? She had already expressed her goodwill in such a clear manner, but her sister-in-law remained guarded against her?
"I've almost recovered from the cold. You don't have to accompany me anymore. Xiangxiang must have been bored to death for the past half month." The old lady sat diagonally on the couch with a blanket covering her body. She smiled at Lu Xiang and Qiao Jingru.
Lu Xiang sat close to Old Madam. When she heard this, she rubbed against the Old Madam and said coquettishly, "Grandmother, what are you talking about? How can I be bored when I'm being filial to Grandmother? Nanny Wen's good culinary skills have spoiled me too. I can't wait to stay at Grandmother's place every day." She had missed out on too much in her previous life. If she could do it again, her wish was that Grandmother would live a long life. Even if she had to risk her life, she would not let Madam Liu have the chance to harm Grandmother again.
The old lady was overjoyed when she heard this, but she said disdainfully, "Indeed you have been spoiled. You eat meat for every meal every day, and Grandmother is going broke because of you. You'd better leave quickly."
"Grandmother, please give me some face in front of my Sister-in-law," Lu Xiang pouted and muttered.
Qiao Jingru was peeling an apple for the old lady and almost cut her hand off several times.
Damn it, why was Lu Xiang like this now?
The old lady noticed Qiao Jingru's absent-minded expression and thought that she was worried about Lu Chao. She could not help but sigh and ask gently, "How long has it been since Chao'er returned?"
Upon hearing the Old Madam mention Lu Chao, Qiao Jingru felt aggrieved. She wished she could slap Lu Chao onto the wall. However, her expression changed a few times. She replied obediently, "It's been more than a month. Perhaps it's because of the heavy workload at the academy that my husband didn't rush back and forth."
The old lady knew her grandson's stubborn nature very well. Hearing Qiao Jingru defend him, she couldn't help but blush at the irony of it.
What heavy workload? He was clearly playing with a group of scoundrels and did not even want his family.
Initially, she thought that he would be able to control his temper after he got married. Now, it seemed that he had become even more mischievous.
Before he got married, he would come back to stay every other day. And now, she has not seen him for more than half a month. Those who did not know better would think that he had married a tigress and therefore, was staying away from home.
However, to Lu Chao, Qiao Jing was always in charge of him and he was very annoyed by Qiao Jing telling him what to do. She was more troublesome than a tigress.
"It's been hard on you. If he makes you suffer, tell Grandmother. Grandmother will stand up for you for sure," Old Madam said.
Qiao Jingru nodded gratefully. "I understand. Thank you, Grandmother."
On the way back, Lu Xiang recalled the short marriage between Qiao Jingru and Lu Chao in her previous life and remained silent.
"Miss, what's wrong? You've been looking very serious ever since you left Old Madam's place," Yun Zhe asked with concern.
Lu Xiang said, "I'm thinking about how to make Sister-in-law believe that I want to reconcile with her."
She couldn't possibly tell Yun Zhe that she knew that the news that Lu Chao has a mistress would soon be exposed, which would cause Qiao Jingru to cause a scene.
Wouldn't this girl faint from fright?
In this aspect, it had to be said that the adage "like father, like son" was so true. The father kept a mistress, and so did the son. Indeed, they were a family.
Lu Xiang thought of her mother's lifelong desire for her father's love, but it was all for naught. She immediately hated Lu Youping for it.
Even though he respected her mother, for a woman to receive only respect and not love from her husband. How sad was that?
Yun Zhe scratched her head, indicating that this question was a little difficult for her.
"Miss, I have something interesting to tell you. I heard that the night before, the Master took a liking to Concubine Liu's maid, Qiu Huan, and went to her room yesterday."
When Madam Liu was the mistress, there were many people serving her. Qiu Huan was one of them. After that, she followed Madam Liu back to the Lu Manor.
Lu Xiang was shocked.
What surprised her was not that her father had taken a liking to Madam Liu's maidservant, but that such a thing had happened much earlier in comparison to her previous life. Moreover, the maidservant that her father had taken in in her previous life did not seem to be called Qiu Huan.
"Father is in his prime. He should have a few more people to serve him." Lu Xiang was happy when she thought of Madam Liu's angry expression.
Indeed, one's greed was endless. According to what she knew, before she returned to the Lu family, Madam Liu had added a few new maidservants for herself and Lu Mingzhu. She originally wanted to pretend that she holds a high status in the family and thought that she could keep the servants in check by holding on to their indenture contract. She had raised an ingrate unexpectedly.
"I heard that Qiu Huan has just won the favor of the Master, but she has become complacent in the Lotus Hall. If she is lucky enough to get pregnant, won't she become even more complacent?" Yun Zhe said, "Didn't the Master dote on Concubine Liu? Why is he favoring someone else now?"
What happened to true love?
Lu Xiang looked at Yun Zhe in amusement and said, "Father's liking of Concubine Liu doesn't conflict with him doting on others. Otherwise, how do you think the Fifth Miss, the Sixth Miss, and the Seventh Young Master came about?"
In her previous life, when she found out that Madam Liu's maidservant had climbed in bed with the Master, she was so angry that she gritted her teeth and helped Madam Liu to deal with her.
However, in this life, she would only watch from the sidelines. When necessary, she would even add insult to injury, let alone help Qiu Huan deal with Madam Liu.
Qiu Huan's act of betraying her mistress and getting into bed with the Master overlapped with Lu Mingzhu's act of betraying her in her previous life by bedding Xiao Muheng. Lu Xiang hated traitors.
Now, Qiu Huan thought that she was favored and did not know how to restrain herself. If this continued, she would only die faster.