Lu Shu and Lu Qi moved things reluctantly. Lu Qi was completely unable to hide his emotions, grumbling and complaining, "Young Master, we finally managed to get out of here, so why did we have to come back?"
"Forget about coming back, you even brought your beloved books and zither. Are you actually planning to make this place your home from now on?"
The two had previously been punished with the cane by Xiao Li; Lu Qi, in particular, had been struck in the mouth, losing two teeth. Now, his feeling toward Xiao Li was not mere resentment, but genuine hatred.
Yet, having to follow his master back here while harboring such hatred was truly stifling.
Lu Yanzhi did not answer Lu Qi's words, nor did he scold or stop him; clearly, he was also unwilling at this moment.
Last night, he had a long talk with his grandfather. His grandfather told him that the key to breaking this deadlock lay with the Princess.
The Princess was already infatuated with him; the more she targeted him now, the more it proved she could not let him go.
The Lu family was a great and prestigious clan, whereas the Princess was merely a pawn fostered under the Empress Dowager's name, capable of being discarded at any time. If he continued this entanglement, it was the Lu family that would truly suffer the loss.
Divorce was not an option, and ignoring her would not work either, so he had to return.
He had to lower the Princess's guard and make her believe he had changed his mind. If he could get the Princess pregnant, everything would be resolved.
The Princess's love for him and her child were both weights he could use to manipulate her.
Lu Yanzhi could sense the calculations in his grandfather's heart and eyes, but his grandfather remained silent.
However, he had his own plans. He indeed needed to control the Princess to ensure she could no longer harm Xueyin.
The reputation he had destroyed, the pain of being beaten by her, and Xueyin's child—he would make her pay the price for all of it.
And so, Lu Yanzhi proactively appeared at Xiao Li's dining table.
Xiao Li raised an eyebrow and continued drinking her soup.
There was only one set of tableware on the table for Xiao Li. When Lu Yanzhi sat down, no one served him.
In the end, it was Lu Shu who hurriedly set the tableware for Lu Yanzhi.
Lu Yanzhi kept his eyes lowered, his expression indifferent, maintaining a very submissive attitude. He took his chopsticks and first placed a morsel of food into Xiao Li's bowl before he began to eat himself.
Xiao Li lifted her eyelids. Was this an attempt at goodwill?
The sun must have risen in the west.
Xiao Li's gaze stared at Lu Yanzhi without any concealment, her eyes fixed straight on him, her features carrying an ambiguous smile. Anyone watching would think she was madly in love with him.
Xiao Li set down her bowl, ending the meal. Lu Yanzhi had barely eaten a few bites, but he also put down his chopsticks; he hadn't come here to eat at all.
His gaze swept over the side dish; she hadn't eaten the food he had placed in her bowl.
"Princess, since you refuse to agree to a divorce, let the past stay in the past. In the future, I will learn to treat you well."
"Heh!" Xiao Li let out a mocking laugh. "How interesting those words are."
If the original owner of this body had heard this, wouldn't she have been moved to death?
"So, the times I beat you are also forgiven?"
Lu Yanzhi wore an expression of magnanimity. "It is all in the past."
Xiao Li asked again, "Then what if I beat you in the future?"
Lu Yanzhi: "..."
See? Stuttering, aren't we?
"Hahahaha!" The hypocritical facade didn't last even fifteen minutes before it shattered. Xiao Li mocked him without restraint. "Don't make things difficult for yourself, and don't make things difficult for my eyes. It's much more interesting to see you looking like your usual aloof and unyielding self."
Lu Qi truly could not hold back and stepped forward, shouting angrily, "The Young Master was beaten so miserably by you, and now he is seeking reconciliation without holding a grudge. Do not go too far!"
Before Xiao Li could even speak, Nanny Qian immediately stepped forward, reprimanding him with a serious face, "The Master is speaking; how dare a servant like you interject?"
Xiao Li's emotionless gaze swept over them, her slender, snow-white fingertips tapping lazantly on the tabletop. "A mere attendant dares to shout at this Princess? Is this the sincerity of the Consort seeking reconciliation? Do you still take me for a soft persimmon like before?"
Lu Yanzhi clenched his sleeves and scolded in a low voice, "Lu Qi, do not be impolite."
Xiao Li clapped her hands, and Yang Jun immediately stepped forward. "What are your orders, Princess?"
Xiao Li pointed at Lu Qi. "Drag him down and teach him some manners."
Just as Lu Yanzhi was about to say something, Xiao Li's expression changed, becoming cold and ruthless. "This is the Princess's Manor. To step onto my territory and dare to clamor at me—it is an act of mercy that I do not kill him. If the Consort cannot manage the people around him, this Princess will manage them for him."
Lu Yanzhi finally could not help but look directly at Xiao Li. Looking into those cold, ruthless eyes, the stone in his heart sank deeper and deeper.
He could not see a single trace of former admiration or love within them. Even if love had turned to hate, he saw no hate in Xiao Li's eyes, only endless coldness.
Was this move to return truly the right one?
Xiao Li wanted to kill Lu Yanzhi, but Lu Yanzhi could not die in the Princess's Manor.
Otherwise, the Lu family would not let her off, and the Emperor would not protect her.
She didn't care about the attitudes of these ancients, but she couldn't allow herself to become a social pariah; she didn't want to suffer.
Therefore, Lu Yanzhi had to die outside, preferably in a way that was honorable and left no suspicion on her.
Her mind turned round and round. It wasn't that there were no methods, but she had no accomplices.
However, a small matter like this wouldn't stump her.
"Go, tell the Consort to accompany me out for a stroll."
At least on the surface, she had tamed this Consort; shouldn't she hurry out and show him off?
Lu Yanzhi felt aggrieved, but he still followed reluctantly.
"Where does the Princess wish to go?"
"Strolling. Where else would we go but to the streets?" Xiao Li turned to glance at him nonchalantly.
Lu Yanzhi was wearing a plain, grey-green silk robe with a front-opening design today. This color was rare, and plain clothing was the ultimate test of a person's looks, yet on him, it was eye-catching.
His hair was tied with a jade crown, and he stood tall like a stalk of fine bamboo. Though his features were subtle, he possessed the elegance of autumn frost or jade bamboo—not competing, yet possessing a unique charm.
To be able to serve as the second male lead and the female lead's "white moonlight," he indeed possessed quite a bit of beauty.
Lu Yanzhi raised his eyes, meeting Xiao Li's smiling gaze. That smile—was it affection?
What was the purpose of strolling? To buy, buy, and buy, of course.
Ancient goods held little attraction for Xiao Li. Even if they were antiques, she couldn't take them away; they were all hollow.
So: "This one, this one, this one... wrap them all up for this Princess. Consort, you pay."
"This one, this one, and that one. These three are too ugly, I don't want them. Consort, you pay."
"Wow, this is nice, I'll take it. That one is nice, wrap it up!"
"Consort, why haven't you paid yet?"
Lu Yanzhi: "..."
Today, Lu Shu was following with men, so the silver he carried was not much; it was gone in two rounds. The rest was recorded under the Consort's name and paid for after delivery.
Lu Shu did the math; in just this short while, it had already reached twenty thousand taels of silver.
With the Princess shopping like this, it was going to be the death of them.
"Young Master, you must stop her quickly."
Even if the Lu family was wealthy and powerful, they did not squander money like this.
Lu Yanzhi stepped forward. "The Princess has been strolling for so long, she must be tired. There is a teahouse ahead; let us go there to rest our feet."