Chapter 157: The Fake Young Lady Wants to Marry Her Brother?

Li Qingzhu raised her own pale little face, forcing out a faint smile.

She had grown much thinner, the chin of her small face sharpened.

Seeing her like this, Li Kechuan suddenly recalled how Li Qingluo looked when she first returned.

Back then she was also so thin she looked awful.

Moreover, she was dark-skinned and ugly-looking; Li Kechuan had loathed her intensely back then.

He despised her appearance—how could she be worthy of being his sister?

Especially compared to Zhu'er, bright-eyed as the full moon, it was clear who deserved to be the true young lady of the Jiangjun Fu.

But now Zhu'er has grown just as thin, and his heart aches in waves.

Only now did he realize that he had indeed been unfair to Li Qingluo back then.

Seeing Li Kechuan's cold demeanor, Li Qingzhu's heart sank.

She quickly put on a remorseful expression: "That day I said many hurtful words to my older brother; it's only natural that he now hates me."

Li Kechuan said coldly: "You don't need to keep deceiving me; I won't fall for your tricks again!"

"The fact that I can still speak calmly with you today, even come to see you for the last time, is merely my wish to sever all ties of kindness and duty from now on!"

Hearing this, Li Qingzhu shed tears of sorrow.

"When I was eleven, an aunt from the Liu family secretly found me and told me my true identity. It turned out I was not the Li family's noble young lady, not the daughter of my parents, nor the sister cradled in my brother's palm…"

"I suffered sleepless nights, washing my face with tears every day. Do you remember, older brother, how I once locked myself in my room all day for a period of time?"

"Later, it was you, older brother, who daily coaxed me, buying me kites, candied haws, all the fresh novelties from the market, hoping to make me happy."

"When my older brother asked what was wrong, how could I tell him I was heartbroken, I hated the truth, I feared that one day I would be forced to leave you?"

"Older brother, whether you call me vile and shameless, lowly and lascivious, or even shameless… everything Zhu'er has done has been just to stay by your side!"

Li Qingzhu sobbed while secretly gauging Li Kechuan's expression.

From that year on, she intentionally or unintentionally grew closer to this older brother, Li Kechuan.

Though men and women should keep apart, and siblings should avoid each other, she deliberately did the opposite.

She often laughed as she rolled into Li Kechuan's embrace.

Sometimes she deliberately sat on his lap.

When their horseplay got fiercest, she would even end up lying on Li Kechuan's bed.

She also forced Li Kechuan to swear that, even if he married later, she would remain his most important sister.

Alas, men's oaths are often disregarded.

Nowadays, isn't he no longer paying her any heed?

Only formerly, Li Kechuan truly doted on her—at first he was just an ordinary older brother who pampered his sister, but later, under Li Qingzhu's intentional or unintentional seduction, his possessiveness grew stronger and stronger.

Later he even became reluctant to see her getting close to Zhuang Sanlang.

Li Kechuan also warned Zhuang Sanlang: "Even if you and Zhu'er are engaged, you're not yet married—keep to the proper bounds, don't cross that line! Otherwise, don't blame me for turning hostile, Jiangjun Fu!"

Zhuang Sanlang's face would darken each time he was angered.

Li Qingzhu, however, secretly rejoiced in her heart.

Because she felt it showed they cared about her performance.

Sanlang loves her.

The older brother also obsesses over her, unaware of it himself.

But now, they no longer want her……

She feels so wronged she wishes to die, unable to bear letting go.

Let's not speak of Sanlang for now—after all, she herself chose to let go and chose Prince Yun.

But what about the older brother?

How could he possibly abandon her so utterly!!

Li Qingzhu lifted her hand to wipe away the tears on her face.

She sobbed in hiccups, like a rain‑soaked kitten no one wants.

She gazed pleadingly at Li Kechuan, word by word: "No matter how I explain it now, older brother, you no longer believe me, right?"

Li Kechuan still ignored her, merely gazing at her.

Li Qingzhu lowered her head; her tears fell like pearls, pattering onto the back of her hand.

"Alright, then today we two siblings will make things clear!"

"Yes, when older brother broke his leg, I was indeed inside that residence. But older brother, I was then tightly held by Your Highness; if I had gone out, you would have lost more than just a leg!!"

"Older brother says he saw me that day. But I am truly innocent. Older brother, think for yourself—I was clearly with Your Highness; how could I have run off wildly, then returned to the Jiangjun Fu just to sway before your eyes?"

"I don't even know how this happened, but Zhu'er will admit to what she's done and will not accept false blame for what she hasn't done!"

Li Qingluo nodded silently from the corner of the wall outside the door.

As for the matter of using a double to lure someone, it truly has nothing to do with her, Li Qingzhu.

Because, in fact, it was she who had arranged for Liu Sui'er to do it.

Of course, even if they racked their brains, they probably still wouldn't figure it out.

Upon hearing this, Li Kechuan finally spoke: "Zhu'er, setting aside other matters—was your affair with Prince Yun true?"

"That day, I, my parents, and even Li Qingluo all saw clearly, truly! On that wooden bed, you actually gave yourself to him!"

"How can you be so shameless? And yet you claim to care about me, trying to push the blame for your broken leg onto me so cleanly—is that even possible?"

Li Qingzhu sobbed, "Older brother, if I hadn't chosen to devote myself to Your Highness… could I possibly… marry you instead?"

As soon as she said that, Li Kechuan's whole body stiffened and he froze.

Li Qingzhu glanced at him secretly, saw his reaction, and hurriedly cried on: "After the Princess's Mansion incident, my reputation was ruined. The Zhongyi Hou Fu also decided to have Li Qingluo marry Sanlang. My earlier self‑immolation, too, was born of many unavoidable circumstances…"

Li Kechuan heard this, and his heart stirred slightly.

After all, she too was implicated by her own actions.

That day at the Princess's Manor, if I hadn't mistakenly given her the poisoned blanket, she perhaps wouldn't have taken such a risky path!

"What you say is unavoidable……"

Li Qingzhu hurriedly said: "Older brother, with just me alone, even if I were bold to the heavens, how could I possibly burn down the Jiangjun Fu without leaving a trace, yet only burn a dozen rooms—such a coincidence?"

Li Kechuan shuddered all over: "Is it Prince Yun who is manipulating everything?"

Li Qingzhu said nothing.

She dared not say it, for the fact is that she and Prince Yun did this together.

At that time, Prince Yun was deeply infatuated with her, his interest running high, so Li Qingzhu merely made a plea, and he agreed to this.

Li Kechuan, however, suddenly sobered: "No! Li Qingluo clearly investigated and found that these matters were plotted by you and Li Yunchu together! Even if Prince Yun had a hand in it, he would surely only be the one helping you carry this out!"

"Zhu'er, I almost got fooled by you again!"

Li Kechuan instantly flew into a rage, glaring angrily at Li Qingzhu.

Li Qingzhu was panicking deep inside.

Li Yunchu!!?

What happened to her?

Could she also have been arrested?

Li Qingzhu had been locked in the Ancestral Hall for several days; what exactly happened after she was knocked unconscious that day, she truly had no idea.

Only now did she learn that Li Yunchu had also been interrogated, and her heart clenched sharply.

It's over; wouldn't all the things she did be even more exposed, made public?

But what exactly Li Yunchu confessed, she herself could not determine.

Li Qingzhu gritted her teeth, and simply crawled on the ground toward Li Kechuan.

"Older brother, I truly know I was wrong…… Zhu'er originally was truly forced by circumstances; how could a girl like her resist a prince?"

"Zhu'er has no backing, she is not the direct bloodline of the Jiangjun Fu; Zhu'er knows that one day the truth will come to light, and she merely wanted to plan for herself."

"Even if Zhu'er did that vile deed that day, it was only because she truly had no way out, her voice ruined by her brother's poison, and in her panic she did that foolish thing."

She crawled to Li Kechuan's leg, grabbed his empty trouser leg, still weeping with tears like pear blossoms: "Older brother, even if you hate me, Zhu'er will still regard you as the most important lover in my heart!"

"I only regret that in this life we have already become siblings..."

"From now on after today, I may never see the light of day again… at least I beg older brother not to hate me anymore, forever..."

Li Kechuan felt as if his chest were being tightly gripped, almost unable to breathe.

He roughly lifted Li Qingzhu, turned himself, and fled in his wheelchair in a sorry state.

Li Qingzhu's sobs in the Ancestral Hall gradually faded away.

Only then did Li Qingluo slowly walk out from the corner where she had been eavesdropping.

Que'er spat a "Pah!"

"These two are truly shameless to the extreme! I see the eldest son, yet he still has a soft spot for her."

Li Qingluo smiled faintly: "Li Qingzhu has Li Kechuan wrapped around her finger. I must say, the effort she has put into Li Kechuan over these years was not in vain."

Even in such dire straits, Li Kechuan could still be influenced by her and become soft-hearted.

However, this development did not disappoint Li Qingluo.

She precisely wanted them to remain entangled endlessly.

The more entangled they are, the more she likes it.

After two hours, the Liu family's donkey cart finally arrived outside the Jiangjun Fu's gate; then, everyone—big and small, men and women, old and young—rushed to the front of the Jiangjun Fu, a scene of wailing and shouting.

Since the day Li Qingzhu's scandal at the Bright Tower was discovered by everyone, the Jiangjun Fu has kept its gates closed for several days.

Li Chao Jing repeatedly took sick leave for several days, not daring to go to court.

The entire Jiangjun Fu's gate was tightly shut; no one was seen, and no one dared to go out.

Li Chao Jing further issued a strict order forbidding all branches; even within the manor these days, no visiting, no idle chatter, and no wandering about in the garden.

The second and third households, because of Elder Aunt Deng and Li Yunchu's affair, are now each fearing for themselves, afraid that stirring up trouble would burn them and drag them in, so they also dare not oppose Li Chao Jing's head-of-household decree that is almost inhumane.

Only Hongfenguan and Jingci Tang remained unrestricted; Li Qingluo continued doing whatever she was supposed to do.

At this moment, having just finished her sword practice half an hour ago, she was idly feeding fish by the garden lake.

Hearing Deng Mama say that the Liu family had come calling, Li Qingluo scattered all the fish feed: "Let's go, I'll go see them too."

After being apart for months, she really has been missing them!

Outside the Jiangjun Fu's gate, the Liu family's wailing cries have already drawn a large crowd of onlookers.

The townsfolk pointed and gossiped, watching the excitement, while the Liu family paid no heed, each plopping down on the ground to wail.

"My granddaughter! My granddaughter ah——"

"Although these years I have enjoyed blessings in their Jiangjun Fu, now, for the sake of their Jiangjun Fu's reputation, they intend to kill my dear granddaughter!!"

"Such a grand Jiangjun Fu, are they still doing human affairs?"

"A single life cannot even compare to that illusory reputation and fame!"

"My obedient eldest granddaughter——"

"i your dear grandparents, parents, siblings, uncles—come bring you home——"