CHAPTER 183: 179 SHY UNTIL LATE NIGHT

Li Xianglu cooked meals, her body smelling of cooking fumes, then she picked up her clothes and went behind the folding screen to change. Lu Anna and Iro looked around Li Xianglu’s room, noticing the antique-style furniture, the screen, the kang table, the tall looms, a clothes rack all intricately carved, even more exquisite than the living room decor. It seemed the family had an interesting approach, presenting simplicity to outsiders while ensuring quality for their own use.

Li Xianglu changed into long-sleeve velvet clothes and came out, greeting, "Have a seat. How was your trip to Shandong?"

Lu Anna shook her head, "Just so-so, just took a casual look. My mom’s hometown is Shandong, so we visited my grandma while we were there."

Li Xianglu nodded and said, "Well, traveling is good. Staying at home all the time is boring."

Seeing the sincerity in Li Xianglu’s words, Lu Anna smiled and asked, "Really now? Does being married really make you feel different? Have you started becoming sentimental?"

Li Xianglu took off her shoes, sat cross-legged on the bed, and replied unamused, "What married woman? I’m still a maiden!"

They all laughed heartily at this. Iro drank some tea and then remembered something, "Ma Lingling didn’t go home for vacation."

Li Xianglu raised her eyebrows, "She didn’t? How do you know?"

"We saw her while shopping, and then asked around a bit, she indeed didn’t go back home," Iro said while playing with the tea leaves.

Li Xianglu nodded and said, "Remember how she left our dorm? That hateful look in her eyes, Anna, you and Iro need to be careful around her. Ma Lingling is not right."

Anna scoffed, "What can she do, fight me? She wouldn’t dare."

However, Li Xianglu shook her head, the recent incident with Qin Zhen had deeply affected her. Sometimes you don’t need to act personally; just leveraging others can work. If the plot was more sophisticated, just like grandpa suggested, adding only the detail of drugging Yu Wei, the situation would be totally different. Perhaps Qin Zhen wouldn’t be at home now.

Seeing how casual Lu Anna was taking it, Li Xianglu felt worried and simply explained what had happened with Qin Zhen.

After explaining, seeing the change in their expressions, she summarized, "This was a family matter, I shouldn’t have brought it up, but seeing how unconcerned you both appeared, utterly unalert, didn’t you sense anything from this incident?" adding another hypothetical scenario set by her grandfather, which made them shiver.

Iro hesitated and then asked, "Was that boy we met at the door that buff guy?"

Li Xianglu nodded, "Yes, he was totally shocked at that time. His classmate was laying on the ground covered in blood, you would have thought he was dead."

Both their faces went pale, and Li Xianglu concluded, "Do not underestimate Ma Lingling. You should have investigated her already; she’s unscrupulous in achieving her goals."

Both blushed slightly, Iro whispered, "You knew?"

Li Xianglu’s expression also turned awkward, "Qin Xi warned me to be careful around Ma Lingling. When I asked why, he told me a little."

Lu Anna said irritably, "You knew or not? Just a little? Are you kidding?"

Hehe, Li Xianglu gave a forced laugh, maybe she felt a bit embarrassed openly discussing such matters.

Curiously, Iro asked, "Don’t you guys live together?"

Li Xianglu shook her head, "We haven’t had the wedding yet; grandpa suggested waiting for two years."

Iro nodded and suddenly said, "So you really are a maiden?" then screamed, and Li Xianglu threw a pillow at her.

Before two in the afternoon, the girls left, a car came to pick them up. Before they left, Li Xianglu steamed the remaining dough skins, cutting them nicely and packing them with seasonings in jars. Anna and Iro even tried making one, though unevenly done, they were still edible.

After sending her friends off, Li Xianglu returned to the living room and saw Qin Xi reading a book and curiously asked, "What’s with Qin Zhen? Is he unwell?"

Qin Xi shook his head, "No, I checked his temperature, he’s not feverish. Maybe he felt shy seeing the girls?"

Li Xianglu scoffed, as if Qin Zhen, who even hits girls, would feel shy!

Li Xianglu shared with Qin Xi about the talk regarding Ma Lingling and also recounted the incident involving Qin Zhen.

Qin Xi nodded and said, "It’s okay to talk about it, let them be more alert." Last time, Lu Anna had an accident, and since moving abroad never returned. A reminder couldn’t hurt.

Li Xianglu was about to say she would make some red bean porridge when the telephone in the living room rang. Qin Xi answered it, after a lengthy "Hmm" he said, "Okay, we’ll meet at Old Mo’s by the train station for some good food."

He then said to Li Xianglu, "I’m heading out, will be back later. Tell Qin Zhen to lock the door properly, I’ll knock when I come back."

Li Xianglu nodded, "Is it about Qin Zhen?"

Qin Xi nodded without concealment, "Yes, going to meet Lao Ba."

After sending him off and locking the door, Li Xianglu came back only to see Qin Zhen peeking around the living room windows. Unable to resist, she stealthily approached and sharply slapped his shoulder, "Hey!"

With a yelp, Qin Zhen nearly fell, only to see Li Xianglu standing alone, he stood up irritatedly, "My dad said getting married means you’re grown up, why are you still so naughty!"

"Hey, you even know the word ’naughty’? What were you peeking at just now?" Li Xianglu said as she pinched Qin Zhen’s ear.

Caught off-guard, Qin Zhen couldn’t evade as Li Xianglu pinched harder, he yelled, "Hey, let go! Quick, it’s falling off!"

Li Xianglu let go, clapping her hands, "Hmm, that serves you right for being disrespectful!"

Rubbing his ear, Qin Zhen looked aggrieved, "Why are you so fierce, how does my brother even like someone like you?"

Li Xianglu, shaking her head smugly, "You wouldn’t understand. Does liking someone need a reason?"

Qin Zhen, puzzled, "Doesn’t it?"

Li Xianglu affirmed, "Of course it does! I’m beautiful, gentle, a lady in the living room, a chef in the kitchen" just as she was about to continue praising herself, Qin Zhen had already run off. Li Xianglu paused, sighing. She hadn’t even asked what he was peeking at earlier, and he had already run off.