Chapter 44 Would rather break than bend
The next day, the Sixth Miss asked for leave when she went to the private school, because she heard that the Duke's wife had a toothache.

Although the Duke's wife is nearly fifty years old, she has always been in good health, with only a tooth problem.

Whenever I get anxious or angry with someone, I get a toothache.

Obviously, he was mad at Lu Ji yesterday.

As expected, as soon as Lu Ji came back from his shift, the Sixth Miss came looking for him. When she saw Lu Ji, she angrily said, "Yesterday at the Villa, you walked out in a huff without giving mother any face. Mother got a toothache when she came back."

Lu Ji has never been the kind of person who would give in to others. Even to his father and mother, he would never bow his head as long as he had made up his mind.

After hearing what the Sixth Miss said, Lu Ji recalled the unhappiness of yesterday and replied with a cold face: "My mother lied to me and went on a blind date with that Jiang family girl. Is that right?"

The Sixth Girl retorted: "Mother is doing this for your own good."

Lu Ji asked back, "Do you want to deceive me for my own good? I'm already in my twenties, and you're still treating me like a child."

The Sixth Miss knew her brother's temper very well. Upon hearing this, she said angrily, "Mother is not only my own mother, but also yours. If you make her angry to the point of causing harm, I don't think you will regret it later."

"Just go find a doctor for your toothache, what do you want from me?" Lu Ji retorted.

The Sixth Miss said, "You know your mother's temper very well. If you go see her and say something soft to her, will you die?"

"No." Lu Ji replied bluntly.

Seeing that Lu Ji was not moved, the Sixth Miss cried angrily, "Is there any son like you?"

Lu Ji said coldly: "Don't interfere with me."

Both the brother and sister were stubborn and neither was willing to give in. They were about to start a quarrel, so Qin Xiaoning pulled the sixth girl out of the door.

The Sixth Miss felt wronged and complained to Qin Xiaoning: "The old lady of the Jiang family wanted to marry her granddaughter to the second brother, and she even begged the saint. Mother had no choice but to agree to let the Marquis see him. I told the second brother in person a while ago, but he refused to see her no matter what."

As she spoke, the Sixth Miss rolled her eyes in the direction of the main house: "Mother is worried that the Jiang family is eager to marry off their daughter, and the saint has granted the marriage, and is afraid that the second brother will be wronged by the blind marriage, so she took great pains to trick him into coming to see her. If he is willing, he is willing, if he is not willing, he is not willing. Why does she have to embarrass her in public?"

After listening to what the Sixth Miss said, Qin Xiaoning finally understood the whole story.

We really can't blame the Duchess's wife, because every mother would do what's best for her children.

Qin Xiaoning replied, "The prince didn't mean to embarrass Madam. He really blamed Madam for deceiving him. You don't understand your second brother's temper. He can't stand being deceived. When he came back yesterday, I saw that he regretted it. But he is too embarrassed to apologize."

Although it was Lu Ji's fault, Qin Xiaoning still had to cover up for him in front of outsiders.

The Sixth Miss said, "I know he is stubborn, but his mother is so angry, shouldn't he feel bad? What's the harm in admitting his fault?"

Qin Xiaoning patted the Sixth Miss's hand and said, "It's not that the prince doesn't have filial piety. I'll try to persuade him later."

The Sixth Miss looked at Qin Xiaoning and said, "Sister Qin, then you should persuade my second brother. It's useless to see a doctor for Mother's illness. If she doesn't calm down, even if she takes the painkillers prescribed by the doctor, it will only treat the symptoms and not the root cause."

Both mother and son had tempers, and they were stubborn together. After sending the Sixth Miss away, Qin Xiaoning walked into the house and saw Lu Ji sitting on a chair sulking. She walked over and poured him a cup of tea, handed it to him, and said, "Don't be angry with the Madam. I heard from the Sixth Miss that the Madam was very angry this time. She had a severe toothache and didn't sleep all night last night. She hasn't eaten anything until now."

Although Lu Ji was disobedient, he was not unfilial. After hearing what Qin Xiaoning said, he showed pity on his face and asked, "Have you found a doctor?"

Qin Xiaoning said: "You know Madam's tooth disease. Just relieving the pain won't cure the root cause."

Seeing that Lu Ji remained silent, she gently advised: "Go see the lady."

Lu Ji frowned and said nothing.

After a long silence, he said awkwardly, "If my mother hadn't lied to me, I wouldn't have embarrassed her in front of Madam Jiang yesterday."

Qin Xiaoning relayed to Lu Ji what the Sixth Miss had just said. Although he still had a sullen face, Qin Xiaoning could see that he already felt regretful.

But a proud man like Lu Ji could not do things like carrying a thorn stick on his back to ask for forgiveness or kneeling down to apologize. When Qin Xiaoning first came to the mansion, Lu Ji was still a teenager. Every time he made a mistake, the Duke's wife would break the cane, but he never gave in.

I would rather break than bend. This is my stubborn temper that I cannot change.

Qin Xiaoning understood Lu Ji's difficulty, which was that he couldn't open his mouth to say soft words to others. She said to him softly, "Madam has been unable to eat. I will go to the kitchen to make some soup and you can bring it over. There is no need to say anything else. Madam will know what you are thinking when she sees you. As long as Madam calms down, the tooth disease will naturally heal."

In Anju Hall in the front yard.

The Duchess's wife was lying on the couch with half of her face covered and her eyes closed.

As the saying goes, "A toothache is not a disease, but it is really painful when it happens." Although the Duke's wife did not complain like ordinary women when she felt a little pain, her face was extremely pale and her forehead was covered with sweat.

Aunt Zhou, who was serving beside her, felt distressed and wiped her sweat with a handkerchief, muttering, "I took painkillers, but why can't the pain be stopped?"

The Sixth Miss was also attending to the Duke's wife. Seeing her mother in pain, she stood on tiptoe and looked out anxiously: "Sister-in-law went to ask for the doctor again. Why hasn't she come back yet?"

The wife of the Duke has always been strong-willed. Yesterday, she was humiliated by her own son in front of outsiders. She was so angry that her teeth were bitten and the pain was worse than before.

Seeing her daughter and the nanny getting anxious, the Duke's wife waved her hands and gritted her teeth, saying, "It's okay. This little pain is nothing. When I was young, I went to the battlefield with my father. I have seen all kinds of scenes. It's just a toothache. Just bear with it for two more days and it will be over."

"But you can't eat anything, how can this be possible?" The Sixth Girl rubbed her hands anxiously.

While people were talking in the room, Grandma Li Lanchun came in hurriedly from outside with a doctor. When they were about to reach Anju Hall, they saw Lu Ji coming towards them.

Li Lanchun's subconscious reaction was to hide from him.

Li Lanchun is the niece of the Duke's wife and Lu Ji's cousin. She knows her cousin's temper. Yesterday, she and the Duke's wife tricked him into a blind date and angered him. Lu Ji has always been cold-hearted and cold-mouthed, so he must be blaming her in his heart. When they meet, who knows how he will scold her.

Even though Li Lanchun is her cousin, this cold and solemn cousin never cares about these things.

She wanted to hide, but it was too late. Lu Ji had already seen her. He quickened his pace and headed straight towards Li Lanchun.

(End of this chapter)