Chapter 325 - 323: Ping’an Admits His Fault
"Sis, I was wrong. I’ll listen to you, I swear I’ll never do it again!" Ping’an apologized meekly, huddled on the sofa with his head down. ’His sister really knew how to twist the knife, and right where it hurt the most, too!’
Zhou Lian shot Ping’an an exasperated look and snapped, "Wrong? What did you do wrong? Just look at how capable you are! A whole day and night without sleep, traveling north all by yourself... Just look at the young master of our Ping Family, so impressive!"
"Sis, please don’t be mad. I really won’t do it again. Please, calm down. I’ll listen to you. I’ll do whatever you say, just please don’t be angry anymore." Seeing that Zhou Lian’s fury hadn’t subsided, Ping’an was practically groveling. ’He really didn’t dare make her angry now. Li Xiu had already told him she couldn’t handle any major shocks, fits of rage, or deep sorrow!’
Seeing Ping’an’s miserable expression, Li Xiu shot him a glare before turning to Zhou Lian and saying gently, "Alright, Bao’er, let him off the hook this time. I’m sure he’s learned his lesson. There won’t be a next time."
"Is that so?" Zhou Lian challenged. "So, do we assign men to protect you, or do I quit my job and go with Jin Chen to watch over you?"
Her deceptively light tone made Ping’an, who already knew he was in the wrong, feel his scalp tingle. He gritted his teeth and said, "Sis, just have people follow me. How could the Capital City possibly manage without you and my brother-in-law? Don’t worry, I’ll be good!"
Ping Jing and the Eldest Young Madam watched, stunned, as Ping’an surrendered unconditionally after just a few rounds with Zhou Lian. They had known him since he was a child; his stubborn and spoiled nature was legendary. ’For him to give in so easily... it really isn’t like him at all!’
"Ping’an, you can’t just pretend to agree while these men are following you!" the Eldest Young Madam said worriedly. She felt that such an obedient Ping’an was too good to be true. ’This kid isn’t planning to pull a fast one, is he? Pretend to go along with it while secretly doing his own thing?’
Ping’an gave the Eldest Young Madam a helpless look and said with a wry smile, "Sister-in-law, with my sister’s temper, do you really think I’d dare?" ’Pretend to agree? If I dared to make Sis angry again, I’m afraid Li Jincheng would deal with me himself. The very thought of that is terrifying!’
"Don’t worry, Sister-in-law," Li Xiu said calmly to the Eldest Young Madam, shooting a glance at Ping’an. "Since he’s given his word, he won’t dare to go back on it." ’Besides the fact that Ping’an always keeps his promises, he wouldn’t dare truly provoke Zhou Lian, not with her delicate condition.’
Ping Jing gently patted the Eldest Young Madam’s hand and said softly, "My dear, Ping’an is a man of his word. He promised his sister, so I’m sure he’ll listen. Besides, Jin Chen is here."
The Eldest Young Madam glanced at Ping’an, who was still smiling wryly on the sofa, then at Zhou Lian, whose expression had finally softened. She nodded lightly. ’It looks like Li Xiu and his wife can really keep Ping’an in line. That’s good.’ ’When she first heard what he’d done, it didn’t sink in. But the more she thought about it, the more it terrified her, breaking her out in a cold sweat. Never mind the brewing storm in the Capital City; everywhere else was on high alert too.’
’If something were to happen to Ping’an, forget about her and Ping Jing—Li Xiu and Zhou Lian would go on a rampage. Given that couple’s capabilities and influence, their retaliation wouldn’t be confined to the Capital City; it would likely engulf half the country. The aftermath would be too horrific to imagine.’
Li Xiu glanced at the time and said to Ping’an, "We’ll consider this matter closed. You’ll leave after dark. I’ll arrange for two men to escort you back. They will return once you’ve arrived. Don’t worry, you just need to keep one useful person with you. And don’t go back to the Imperial Palace. For one, there isn’t enough time, and for another, it’s best you don’t show your face in the Capital City at all."
Seeing Ping’an nod obediently, Li Xiu glanced at Ping Jing. His tone softened as he said, "Just focus on your own responsibilities; you don’t need to worry about anything else. Now that you’re working with me, you can just do your job. We’ll handle the rest. We will also keep an eye on the Imperial Palace. You can rest easy about Ping’an and your wife."
"I’ll follow your lead, Brother," Ping Jing said. "I’ll be very careful and keep my personal guard close. You can all rest assured."
Glancing at Liu Shengnan, Zhou Lian spoke softly to Ping’an. "The Eldest Young Madam and I are here for Shengnan, so don’t you worry. We promise to take good care of her. The overall situation isn’t going to be good for the next couple of years, so you need to understand what’s most important. Ping’an, you are a son, a husband, and soon you’ll be a father. You have to be the one to shelter your parents, your wife, and your child from the storm. You are so lucky to have a brother who would risk his life for you, and a sister-in-law who treats you like her own. You know what you should and shouldn’t do. Don’t disappoint the people who truly love and protect you."
Discreetly wiping a tear from his face, Ping’an finally looked up. He smiled at the family who loved and protected him so dearly and said, "I know, Sis. It won’t happen again."
Glancing at the time again, Li Xiu stood up. "I’ll go make the arrangements. If any of you have more to say to him, do it now. He came back in secret, so we need to get him on his way as soon as possible."
Watching Li Xiu stride out of the room, the Eldest Young Madam turned to Ping’an and said softly, "Oh, you... What are we going to do with you?"
"It’s not all my fault! It was because of Big Brother!" Ping’an said defensively. ’If Big Brother hadn’t been so suspicious and almost driven Li Xiu and Zhou Lian away, would I have needed to rush back to the Capital City without any sleep?!’
Ping Jing shot Ping’an a helpless look and said awkwardly, "Couldn’t you have just said so over the phone? Did you really have to sneak back to the Capital City all by yourself?"
"I wanted to say it over the phone, but with your personality, Big Brother, would you even have listened?" Ping’an shot a look at Ping Jing and scoffed. ’If I hadn’t suddenly shown up and caused this scene, would my dear older brother have let go of his suspicions and trusted Li Xiu so quickly? Not a chance in hell!’
Ping Jing was left speechless by Ping’an’s comeback. ’He was right. If Ping’an had said all that over the phone, it probably would have made him even more suspicious. He wouldn’t have let go of his prejudices and doubts so easily.’
"You have the nerve to blame Big Brother?" Zhou Lian glared at Ping’an, seeing Ping Jing’s embarrassed expression. "If you had just talked to him properly beforehand and let him know about the rapport you have with Jin Chen, would he have acted like that? And now you’re talking back to him? Who do you think he’s doing all this for? Use your head for once!"
Ping’an opened his mouth, but seeing the look of utter disappointment on Zhou Lian’s face, he didn’t dare talk back to his brother again. ’Looks like she hasn’t completely cooled down yet. I’d better just behave. If I fan these flames again, it won’t be so easy to put them out.’
Seeing Ping’an cowering, Liu Shengnan couldn’t help but let out a laugh. When four pairs of eyes turned to stare at her, she quickly wiped the smile off her face, though her eyes were still crinkled in amusement. "Well, well, Ping’an, look at you now! Weren’t you the one who was always calling me dumb? Saying things like, ’When are you ever going to get a clue?’ and ’You’re lucky I even put up with you.’ Go on, call me stupid again. I’d love to see just how much smarter than me you really are!"
Being watched with amusement by his brother, sister-in-law, and sister, Ping’an could only stare speechlessly at his silly wife. ’That was just pillow talk! How could she say that out loud?’