RATMOFANF: Chapter 97

 Glossary

·Li Ling (李陵): The Male Lead, Shen Jingxiu's husband.

·Shen Jingxiu (沈静姝): The Female Lead.

·Jiao Xing (娇杏): A former maid, now sent to a manor estate.

·Qingfeng Yuan (清风苑): Li Ling and Shen Jingxiu's residence.

·Li Xiang (李翔): Li Ling's younger brother, the Third Master.

·Zhenguo Duke Manor (镇国公府): The estate of the Duke of Zhenguo.

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Chapter 97: It Has to Be You

Jingxiu was still preoccupied with her worries when Li Ling returned. His face was ashen, the veins on his forehead faintly throbbing.

Jingxiu stood up and went to him. "What's wrong?"

Li Ling took off his cloak by himself and said flatly, "It's nothing." Seeing the concern on his wife's face, he added, "I'm just a bit tired. I'll go take a bath first." With that, he headed to the bathing chamber.

Once inside, Li Ling splashed cold water on his face, feeling the raging fire in his heart gradually subside.

Qingluan was a princess. Even members of their Zhenguo Duke Manor couldn't see her just anytime. Before her recent visit, Li Ling hadn't seen his imperial cousin for three or four years. In his memory, that young cousin had always been a delicate, frail little girl, gentle and meek.

He never imagined she would be so lacking in self-respect and so stubbornly willful. While disappointed in her, Li Ling also felt a resentful sense that the protection and support the Zhenguo Duke Manor and he himself had always provided her were utterly undeserved.

They had strived with all their hearts to ensure her safety and well-being, yet she herself showed not the slightest appreciation or care.

Seeing that Li Ling had been inside for a long time without coming out, Jingxiu, still worried, entered the bathing chamber. She found Li Ling leaning in the bathtub, his brows locked, as if in deep meditation.

She walked over, dipped her hand into the water to test it. "The water's gone cold, and you didn't add hot water. Soaking in cold water like this will make you ill." As she spoke, she lifted the nearby bucket of hot water and ladled it into the bathtub.

The chilled water grew warm again. Moist, warm steam rose in wisps, feeling particularly soothing against the skin.

Li Ling took his wife's hand and pressed it against his own cheek.

Jingxiu looked at her husband and asked softly with concern, "Are you feeling unwell somewhere?"

Li Ling replied woodenly, "My head aches."

"Let me massage it for you." With that, Jingxiu moved behind him, raised her slender hands, and began gently massaging the pressure points on his head.

Leaning back in the bathtub, Li Ling closed his eyes. Under his wife's gentle, comforting touch, his agitated heart gradually calmed.

The water in the tub grew cool once more. Jingxiu fetched a bath towel. "Come out now. Soaking too long isn't good either."

Li Ling obediently stood up and stepped out of the tub. Standing on the floor, he let his wife dry him off and help him into clean sleeping robes.

He followed his wife meekly out of the bathing chamber. Once outside, Li Ling noticed the letter on the table and asked casually, "Whose is that?"

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Jingxiu thought for a moment, picked up the letter, and said, "If I tell you, you mustn't get upset again."

Li Ling took the letter from his wife's hand, saw the signature, and said, "Third Brother's?" He gave a slight nod. "His handwriting has improved somewhat."

Jingxiu glanced at Li Ling. "I've encountered a difficult situation now."

His wife turning to him for help with a problem felt very satisfying to Li Ling. He promptly asked, "What's troubling you? Tell me, and I'll help you think of a solution."

Jingxiu said, "I'm just afraid you'll get angry when I say it. In that case, I'd rather not tell you."

Li Ling drew his wife closer. "Go ahead. I promise I won't be angry."

Jingxiu pointed at the letter. "This letter is from Third Brother to Jiao Xing."

"Jiao Xing?" Li Ling was puzzled, not recognizing who his wife was referring to.

"That little maid who used to be in Third Brother's chamber," Jingxiu reminded him.

Jingxiu watched Li Ling's expression, fearing he would be angered by this. Unexpectedly, after hearing it, Li Ling not only didn't get angry but even smiled slightly. "So Third Brother still hasn't forgotten that girl."

He glanced up at his wife and continued, "He's quite a devoted person."

Seeing Li Ling wasn't angered by this, Jingxiu also felt relieved. She pulled him along. "Come to bed now. You just bathed and are dressed so lightly. Be careful not to catch a chill."

Once in bed, Jingxiu arranged the quilts and said, "I never imagined Third Brother would remain so attached to that girl. I settled her on the manor estate, originally thinking that once Third Brother forgot about this episode, I'd find a suitable match for the girl in the future, provide a sum of silver, and marry her off."

She looked at Li Ling and asked, "Given the current situation, what do you think I should do?"

Li Ling replied, "Since Third Brother is willing to take responsibility, just keep the girl properly cared for. Let him decide for himself when he comes of age."

Jingxiu responded, "You make it sound simple. But what about the girl after Third Brother marries in the future? According to family rules, she could be taken in as a concubine, but his future wife might not tolerate her. If she learned the details, she'd probably blame me, her sister-in-law, for keeping her around in the first place."

Jingxiu sighed softly. "I pity both Third Brother and that girl, but it seems I'm destined to be the villain in this."

Li Ling replied, "How can everything be perfectly arranged? As long as your own conscience is clear, that's enough."

Jingxiu pondered Li Ling's words.

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Back then, she truly couldn't bear to watch the girl, helpless and without support, drift outside to fend for herself. Now, she equally couldn't bear to forcibly separate two people who cared for each other.

Seeing his wife silent, Li Ling continued, "Even if in the future, after Third Brother marries, his wife cannot tolerate the girl, that will be Third Brother's own doing. By then he'll be an adult. Let him handle it himself. We can't make decisions for him his whole life."

Li Ling paused. "If he holds that girl in his heart and cannot bear to let her suffer, even if he chooses not to marry at all, I won't force him."

Jingxiu hadn't expected Li Ling to be so open-minded. For a nobleman's son, how could not marrying be understood? Especially for someone like Li Ling, who valued rules and propriety so much. He shouldn't approve of such a thing.

Jingxiu looked at her husband and said, "What's come over you? To be so understanding about this matter—it doesn't seem like your usual way."

If it were before, Li Ling certainly would never have had such thoughts. But now that he was married, had someone he loved, he could deeply understand that feeling of "It has to be you."

That's how he felt about Jingxiu. Perhaps that's how his brother felt about that girl.

He was judging others by himself.

Li Ling replied, "It's not that I've become more understanding. It's that matters of the heart cannot be forced. Even if we pressured him into marrying, if his heart remained fixed on a concubine, it would be better not to marry at all. To devote himself solely to that girl would still be better than favoring a concubine over a wife and creating endless turmoil."

Jingxiu was kind-hearted by nature. How could she not wish to see lovers united? She sighed softly. "It's just a pity that girl is of lowborn status. She can never be a proper wife."

Those of lowborn status had no official household registration and could not be entered into family genealogies, thus they could never become a properly wedded wife.

While marrying a maid as a wife was certainly unworkable—the gossip spreading outside would be a loss of face a great family like the Zhenguo Duke Manor couldn't afford—if he simply chose not to marry at all, no one could really say anything.

Li Ling drew his wife closer, advising, "Don't worry about Third Brother anymore. You've already done right by them. Let Third Brother make his own decisions from now on. In short, as long as he doesn't cross the line, whatever choice he makes—even if he truly decides not to marry for that girl's sake—I, as his elder brother, will definitely not force him in this matter."

(End of Chapter)

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