Chapter 127 I don't want others to gossip about you

Lu Rui was so depressed after being scolded that he had no mood to drink anymore. He just sat there thinking about something.

How did I become the target of public criticism out of the blue?

"Forget it, it's New Year's Day, don't scold the child."

It was not until the Duke's wife spoke that everyone let the matter go. Lu Rui raised his sleeve to wipe the sweat from his forehead and dared not say anything more.

The Madam did not attend the New Year's Eve banquet because she was still ill with the epidemic, so the Duke's wife has the most seniority here today.

She looked at her son Lu Ji, then at Qin Xiaoning, who was being held tightly by her son's side with her head half lowered and behaved well, and said, "This epidemic has caused your grandmother, the fifth lady, and the two sisters to be unable to have a family reunion dinner. Ning is a concubine, and according to etiquette, she cannot attend such a family dinner. It's just that the situation is special this year, and it will be more lively with more people. Besides, Ning has been raised in the mansion since she was a child, so she can be considered half a daughter of our family."

As she spoke, the Duke's wife looked at the Second Lady beside her and tried to get her approval in a negotiating tone: "Let Ning stay and celebrate the New Year together."

The Second Madam has always been a good person. Qin Xiaoning is from the First House. Since the Duke's wife has nodded, she naturally has no objection.

"There were several people missing from the New Year's Eve party this year. I was just complaining that it wasn't lively enough, and then Ah Ning came, just in time."

Since the two mistresses had spoken, it was not appropriate for others to comment. Seeing this, the fourth young master, who had been hanging his head, muttered in a low voice, "If I had known that I could make an exception, I would have done the same."

This inaudible complaint still fell into the ears of the Second Madam. She turned her head and rolled her eyes at her son: "If you can have a good reputation and bring honor to the family, we will make an exception for you. Humph! You are so disappointing that you can't even pass the provincial examination, and you still have the nerve to complain here."

Lu Rui was afraid that he would be attacked by the crowd again. Seeing his mother blaming him again, he quickly shrank his neck and said, "I was just talking nonsense, I was just talking nonsense."

Lu Ji glanced at Lu Rui with a gloating smile on his face.

When the banquet began, maids with high buns and red ribbons came in one after another, holding fine wine in their hands and serving the banquet. Dancers in festive costumes began to dance to the elegant music. Then, young female actors took turns to sing on stage to liven up the atmosphere.

There was fine wine and delicious food in the hall, and the atmosphere was very lively.

Qin Xiaoning was only focused on listening to the opera and watching the dance, while Lu Ji would occasionally put her favorite dishes into her bowl.

Ever since she fell seriously ill, Lu Ji treated her even more attentively, taking care of the little girl like a child.

Qin Xiaoning winked at him and said, "Just go and eat with your brothers. You don't have to stay here with me."

Lu Ji said: "I don't want to drink today."

As he spoke, he picked up another piece of food for her with chopsticks, as if she had a bitter taste in her mouth and came here specifically to enjoy a feast.

Qin Xiaoning frowned and said, "I really can't eat anymore."

She has had no appetite since she recovered from a serious illness.

Hearing this, Lu Ji finally put down his chopsticks and asked her again: "Just tell me what opera you like, and I'll have them sing it for you."

It was against the rules for her to come here today. Qin Xiaoning was not the kind of person who could not tell right from wrong. Hearing this, she said hurriedly, "I like all these little plays. You don't have to order them specially."

The New Year's Eve banquet at the mansion was very lively. When the banquet was just halfway through, Lu Ji took Qin Xiaoning and left early.

The little girl had just recovered from a serious illness, and he was worried that she was weak and would get tired if she sat for a long time.

Before leaving, Lu Ji explained that his colleagues would be visiting each other during the first month of the year, so he should go back and prepare the holiday gifts in advance.

After leaving the banquet hall, snowflakes began to fall outside again. Qin Xiaoning was wearing a white fox fur coat made from a fox hunted by Lu Ji himself. Lu Ji looked up at the sky and said to himself, "It snows a lot this year." He turned around and tightened the fox fur coat for her, and asked her, "Are you cold?"

"It's not cold. This fox fur is very warm." Qin Xiaoning looked at Lu Ji and smiled contentedly: "Thank you for bringing me to the family dinner. This is the first time I've spent New Year's Eve with my family since I was a child. I'm very happy."

In the past, when her mother was still alive, the two of them would simply eat two dishes. Even during the Chinese New Year, it was far from being as lively and popular as this.

Every time she said this, Lu Ji felt uncomfortable in his heart.

"You are mine now. From now on, I will spend the New Year with you every year and never let you be alone again."

The snow was falling, he was wearing a black cloak, standing tall between the vast sky and earth, his eyes filled with love and care as he looked at her.

She moved closer to his side, almost sticking to him, and said sincerely: "Lu Ji, you have done enough for me, but you are the Lu family's heir after all. In the future, don't always break the rules for me like this."

She raised her eyes to look at him and sniffed slightly: "I know you do this to make me happy, but I don't want to always put you in an embarrassing situation. You just need to be nice to me in private. If you do this so blatantly, people will scold you for doting on your concubine too much. This is not good for you."

Having just recovered from a serious illness, her face was still a little pale and her body was very weak. She looked even thinner and frailer in the fluffy fox fur.

He did not respond to her words, but leaned down and said to her: "It's hard to walk in the snow, I'll carry you back."

Qin Xiaoning subconsciously took two steps back: "How can we do this in public?"

"Everyone is busy celebrating the New Year in the house, there is no one here."

Having said that, he carried her on his back without further ado, stepped on the snow on the ground, and walked forward slowly.

The little girl lay on his back and didn't make a sound for a long time. As Lu Ji walked away, he asked her, "Are you crying again?"

The little woman was startled: "How do you know?"

Lu Ji was amused: "Nothing can be hidden from me."

Recently, she always shed tears silently for no reason.

The little woman wiped her tears and whispered, "Maybe it's because I'm weak after recovering from a serious illness. I always feel sad for no reason."

"It's like this when a person isn't feeling well." His voice was clear and his words were soothing.

She asked him, "Am I too fragile?"

"Yes and no." Lu Ji said with a smile: "You are only so fragile in front of me. In front of outsiders, you are always very strong."

Lu Ji is truly the person who understands her best in this world.

The little woman leaned on his back, unable to hold back her tears, but she smiled and murmured to herself: "Lu Ji, if one day you really leave me, do you think I will become very strong? Without you, there will be no one in this world who can protect me like you do, I can't help being strong."

"You are talking nonsense." Lu Ji said, "Why would I leave you?"

As he spoke, he deliberately raised his arm to weigh the little person behind him, and teased her, "Why do you always want to leave me? Have you grown wings? Huh?"

(End of this chapter)