Chapter 200 - 145: The Gamble
"How about it, shall we bet?"
Lu Ziyuan said, "If he really brings people here, you’ll separate from him and have nothing more to do with him. Otherwise, I’ll let you go."
Xie Wanqing pressed her lips together, saying nothing.
"Afraid to bet?" Lu Ziyuan laughed, "Don’t believe that sickly man?"
Since awakening memories of his past life, he hadn’t been truly happy, but this smile carried a hint of mockery that Xie Wanqing couldn’t miss. She immediately nodded, "I’ll bet with you!"
If Pei Yuqing really brought people to catch her in the act, it would mean he’d used her to the fullest, and still tried to control her. There was truly no need to continue this marriage.
Seeing her agree, Lu Ziyuan’s eyes brightened.
"Good!"
He reined in his smile, bowed and placed a kiss on the back of her hand, saying, "You don’t need to worry about anything else. Even if he brings people, no matter what happens, no matter the consequences, I’ll bear it all."
He spoke solemnly: "Everyone will know it’s because I love you deeply, can’t let you go. It’s me shamelessly clinging to you, trying to win back your heart."
These words, to Lu Ziyuan, were the most heartfelt love words he could muster, but Xie Wanqing remained unmoved, her heart not even stirring a ripple.
Pei Yuqing was eleven years her senior, with deep thoughts and near-demonic intelligence, having deceived and manipulated her several times. Xie Wanqing could no longer distinguish between truth and lies...
But even after being deceived several times, she had grown somewhat.
At least, she no longer foolishly believed everything she was told as she did before.
She couldn’t outplay these political tacticians in their games.
But she could choose to trust no one, and could take back the trust she had given.
The two sat in silence, hands clasped together. Xie Wanqing attempted to pull her hand away, but he held it firmly, and so she stopped struggling.
After all, it was no use; he had always been headstrong, only caring about his own feelings, never hers.
But as she stopped struggling, Lu Ziyuan’s wide palm tightened briefly, then loosened.
"If you don’t want me to hold it, then I won’t," he said gloomily, and then asked her, "Was there anything I did wrong in the past that you would be willing to tell me?"
He had trained in the military from a young age, surrounded by rough, brawny men, never knowing how to please a girl.
In his youth, it was fine, but as they grew up, especially after turning fourteen, he began to understand many things naturally.
In the real world, he adhered to rules, not daring to touch her with even a finger.
But in those splendid dreams, she would appear as expected, and he would do and say everything he dared not in reality.
After several such occurrences, he grew unsure of how to face her...
Yet she was oblivious, unaware of how sordid his thoughts were, how much he wanted to profane and bully her, unaware of how dangerous he truly was, always loving to lean her delicate body close to him, looking at him with bright eyes.
Even though she was his fiancée, Lu Ziyuan dared not act impulsively and maintained a distance, becoming remote in his demeanor.
Gradually, their relationship turned into her being fervent and passionate, while he became accustomed to being admired and pursued.
Looking back now, he couldn’t remember what had hurt her.
After waiting for a long time without hearing a word from the girl opposite him, Lu Ziyuan smiled and said, "After you separate from him, will you marry me? If you don’t want to marry into the Lu Family, I’ll change my surname. How does Qi Ziyan sound?"
He was certain he would win, and she would separate from Pei Yuqing.
"It’s not that I don’t want to marry into the Lu Family, I just don’t want to marry you." Xie Wanqing couldn’t help but say, "Even if I separate from Pei Yuqing, I won’t marry you."
Having heard such heartless words many times, he had grown somewhat immune.
Lu Ziyuan listened with an unchanged expression, and even murmured, "I could marry you instead. You establish the household, and I’ll marry you."
Xie Wanqing: "..."
She remained silent for a few moments, choosing to stay quiet.
When it came to shamelessness, she really couldn’t compare to him.
She didn’t speak, and Lu Ziyuan wasn’t angry, just stared at her without blinking.
After months apart, finally seeing her again, sitting obediently across from him, his whole heart was tied to her. How could he resist not looking at her?
Xie Wanqing felt a shiver under his gaze and couldn’t help but lift her head to glare at him.
Catching her gaze, Lu Ziyuan was first slightly startled, then pinched his nose, and after a moment, sighed, "Wanwan, with just one look from you, I start to doubt if there’s any antidote to yesterday’s aphrodisiac powder."