Chapter 81: I

Li Qingluo: "You are wrong, Mother. The one who said something that shouldn't have been said today is you."

"If others hear it and it reaches ***'s ears, it will offend the Princess, even cause the entire Jiangjun Fu to bear a grudge, and that is also because of you!"

"It was originally a good thing; why, Mother, must you be so unable to see it? It's probably because I'm not Li Qingzhu. But I was never her!"

She stared expressionlessly at Qu Shi, and after speaking turned and left the theater with Que'er and Cui Er.

Listening to the opera, who has any mood for anything else?

Not far away, Zhuang Wei, who happened to see the scene, quietly followed.

Li Qingluo had planned to look for Pei Lao Furen, but after circling twice she still didn't see the old lady.

She was about to simply return to the side hall to stay, even if just to read idly, but someone blocked her path in the corridor.

"Second Miss Li, please stay!"

Li Qingluo looked at the Zhuang Wei who appeared before her and felt disgust.

This Zhongyi Hou Fu operates with far too little propriety!

In the previous life, didn't he even invite the nurturing granny to teach her propriety?

She thought, the ones who should learn propriety first are the mother and son of that Zhongyi Hou Fu!

They all like to block people halfway; is that a total disregard for her reputation?

Li Qingluo showed no pleasant expression, turned aside, and let Que'er scold: "How daring! This is a side hall where the girls rest; how can your young master run here?"

The little servant following Zhuang Wei immediately said: "You are the daring one! This is our Third Master; this place is Zhongyi Hou Fu, why can't our master come here?"

Upon hearing it was the Third Young Master of Zhongyi Hou Fu, Que'er could only look at Li Qingluo.

Zhuang Wei: "At this time and place, there is no one else. Second Miss Li, stop pretending to be a noble lady in front of me!"

Zhuang Wei's words were mocking.

Li Qingluo looked up at him.

This counts as their first official meeting in this life, and indeed, like the Li family members, he regarded her from the start as the chief culprit behind Li Qingzhu's death.

Li Qingluo's heart boiled with anger, and a cold sneer remained on her face: "So, because this is Zhongyi Hou Fu, the Third Young Master can do as he pleases?"

"Then, I wonder, what instruction does the Third Young Master have for blocking my way?"

Zhuang Wei, seeing her sharp and fierce tone, instantly recalled the Mid-Autumn day when he had seen her outside her courtyard handling the senior granny beside the matriarch inside the yard!

Just now, she had also been so ferocious and defiant toward her own biological mother!

Zhuang Wei couldn't help but frown deeply.

Indeed, she was a world apart from the gentle, filial, considerate Qingzhu.

Qingzhu is a bright pearl; she is a thorny bramble.

Zhuang Wei's hatred and prejudice toward Li Qingluo deepened instantly; with a cold face he spoke unceremoniously: "Second Miss Li truly is that uncultured, vulgar woman who has never been taught propriety! Today you have gained some fame by infiltrating the camp, yet you trample Qingzhu's reputation and lineage, and you consider yourself so lofty that you disregard everything!"

"You poisonous woman who forces people to death, I, Zhuang San, will not marry in this life, and I will never take you as a wife!"

Li Qingluo was dazed for a moment.

The same words as in the previous life!

At this moment, she seemed to have returned to the previous life, at the instant he pointed at her nose in humiliation.

In her previous life, she was as weak as a lingxiao flower, which could be crushed and wither with a single pinch.

Therefore in this life, her fate would absolutely no longer be manipulated by anyone else; it could only be held in her own hands!

Li Qingluo: "Third Young Master Zhuang, rest assured, I know there is a goddess in your heart; I, Li Qingluo, this life will shave my hair to become a nun, and I will never marry a foolish, blind‑eyed young master like you!"

Being deceived here by Li Qingzhu, yet still a simpleton with a single‑hearted, deep affection—if not a blind person, then what?

Li Qingluo curled the corner of her mouth coldly, and with the two maidservants turned and strode away.

Zhuang Wei, in this life, had never been insulted like that before.

He immediately stood there like a fool, his face blank and stunned.

"She—she actually insulted me!? What did she say? I—I'm a foolish blind person? She is the vicious, fierce woman!"

Zhuang Wei, after regaining his senses, was so angry he kicked his feet.

He was held tightly by the little servant, so he didn't rush up to argue further with Li Qingluo.

Zhuang Wei grew more angry as he thought, "She still doesn't want to marry him!?"

Does she know who he is?

Will she, a woman, get to pick and choose him?

All the women in Jinling City who want to marry him could line up from the palace gate to the city gate!

In Zhuang Wei's mind, a vague dark figure suddenly flashed, and in his hazy memory it seemed another person had once treated him so cruelly...

Beside them, Pei Lao Furen and the matriarch of Zhongyi Hou Fu fully witnessed the scene, both saying: "..."

"These two kids have both gone mad, haven't they?"

On the way back, Pei Lao Furen kept a composed face.

Looking at Li Qingluo, she repeatedly wanted to speak but ultimately said nothing.

She only let out a deep sigh, then shook her head and left.

Li Qingluo: "Grandmother, you seem to have a knot in your heart; where does it feel uncomfortable?"

Pei Lao Furen clutched her chest: "I truly am not feeling well. Zhang Mama, quickly fetch me two doses of medicine; I'm about to suffocate!!"

Li Qingluo followed anxiously for a while, and in the end was directly sent back to Hongfenguan by Pei Lao Furen.

Li Qingluo: "..."

The visit to Zhongyi Hou Fu, although gave Li Qingluo a small gain, also left her irritated by Qu Shi and Zhuang Wei.

Two days later, she finally came to terms.

These people all cherish Li Qingzhu; let them keep cherishing!

In that case, she would have their dear ones come back to life quickly, so they would bother her less!

Just then, someone sent her a letter.

Li Qingluo found it strange, "Who is the messenger?"

Deng Mama: "I sent someone to follow the messenger and found they came from a residence called Osmanthus Garden."

Osmanthus Garden?

Li Qingluo's heart skipped a beat for no reason.

As for the master of Osmanthus Garden, she had never thought to investigate who they were.

The less one knows about certain things, the safer they are.

So even if she was taken to cook a few dishes in the middle of the night, she never had the idea to look into that person's identity.

But this person had the letter delivered to her courtyard so blatantly; are they afraid others won't know she has dealings with that Osmanthus Garden?

Li Qingluo did not know what that young man was thinking.

She hastily opened the letter and saw at once several splendid characters drawn with iron strokes and silver hooks!

The force penetrates the back of the paper, the brush moves like dragons and snakes, vigorous and powerful!

Li Qingluo instantly thought of that tall figure; she never expected that young man's handwriting to be so beautiful!

She stared at those characters, admiring them, almost becoming entranced.

After looking for a while, she noticed the paper read: "Outside the city, Li Family Manor."

Outside the city, Li Family Manor?

Li Qingzhu was puzzled, looking toward Deng Mama beside her and asking.

"Li Family Manor? If I recall correctly, it should be the estate of the Jiangjun Fu outside Jinling City, with a thousand mu of the Li family's sacrificial fields on the estate, which is the private property of the Jiangjun Fu."

Li Qingluo: "Has there been anything suspicious lately about the Li Family Manor?"