Chapter 144: Encountering Jiang Ruxue

Xia Yun glanced at Lu Qi'an, reluctantly seeking her son's opinion, though it was merely a perfunctory question. Seeing that he had very little actual say in the matter, Lu Qi'an smiled helplessly.

Just then, Lu Fuling beckoned his son over and whispered about how Old Master Lu had been helping the Li family.

"Dad, could it be that the second son of the Li family is actually Grandpa's..."

Lu Fuling patted Lu Qi'an on the shoulder. "No, don't let your mind wander down that path; I can be certain of that much."

"Then why does Grandpa help the Li family's second son so much?" Lu Qi'an found it incomprehensible.

Lu Fuling replied, "It likely has something to do with Madam Li. I don't know the specifics, and I haven't bothered to investigate." For Lu Fuling, those old stories held no significance; he was content as long as his mother was doing well.

Lu Qi'an listened thoughtfully. He was tempted to dig into the truth of the matter. He had already shown the Li family leniency, but if they insisted on clinging to his grandfather to stir up trouble, he would no longer be so polite.

Meanwhile, Qin Miaoyu was having a pleasant conversation with Mrs. Lu. Although she had realized Mrs. Lu was a kind person during their first meeting, sitting down for a proper face-to-face chat made that impression even more vivid. Qin Miaoyu didn't know exactly what Mrs. Lu thought of her, but she was certain of one thing: Mrs. Lu loved her son deeply, which was why she was being so friendly to her.

"Miaoyu, would you like to go shopping with me later? Your father and I just flew back from our trip, and I haven't bought any clothes for the changing season yet. Are you free?"

It was just shopping, so Qin Miaoyu naturally had the time and agreed. Xia Yun also wanted to invite her mother-in-law, Cao Xiuhua, but Cao Xiuhua had no interest in shopping. "I'm old and don't care for these things. You two go and enjoy yourselves, and let Qi'an carry your bags."

That afternoon, Lu Fuling left to attend to some business, and Qin Miaoyu went to the nearby Mefu Mall with Xia Yun and Lu Qi'an. Qin Miaoyu had only been to the mall a few times, usually sticking to the food court on the first floor; she had never ventured above the second floor, which was reserved for luxury boutiques. In the past, she would have only peeked into those stores from the outside, but now that she had a little money of her own, she didn't feel so intimidated following Xia Yun inside. Besides, her primary role was just to provide company.

Seeing Qin Miaoyu busy picking out clothes for her, Xia Yun said, "Miaoyu, go take a look for yourself. Don't just focus on me."

Qin Miaoyu smiled. "It's alright, Mom. I'll just stay here and keep you company."

Xia Yun wouldn't hear of it and intended to go pick something out for her personally, but Qin Miaoyu quickly stopped her. "Mom, I'll go look myself; you keep choosing."

As Qin Miaoyu walked toward another section, she gave Lu Qi'an a meaningful look. Lu Qi'an followed her and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Tell your mother not to pick clothes for me. I don't intend to buy anything." Setting aside the price, if she were to buy something here, given Mrs. Lu's attitude, she would certainly insist on paying for it. These clothes were not cheap, and it would just be another debt to account for.

Lu Qi'an saw the unease on her face and understood her concerns. However, he didn't address the issue directly. Instead, he picked up a dress that looked perfect for her and handed it over. "Go try it on. If you don't pick something, Mom will eventually come over and do it herself, and if she does, it won't just be one or two pieces."

Qin Miaoyu glanced helplessly at Mrs. Lu, then took the dress and headed into the fitting room.

Mrs. Lu walked over and pointed out a few more items for Lu Qi'an to have Qin Miaoyu try on later. Lu Qi'an steered his mother toward another aisle. "Alright, Mom, go pick your own things. I have this under control. If you interfere, there will be so many clothes that she won't want to try any of them!"

Xia Yun sighed. "Lu Qi'an, look at you. Being married makes no difference to you. You've been married for so long, and you still can't manage to spend money on your wife—can't you be a bit more capable?"

Lu Qi'an's smile faded; he clearly didn't want to dwell on this topic. Xia Yun shook her head and turned back to shopping.

"Mrs. Lu, it's been a long time! I didn't expect to run into you while shopping. What a coincidence!"

Hearing a familiar voice, Xia Yun turned to see Mrs. Qi and her daughter, Jiang Ruxue. The Lu and Qi families had known each other for decades, so they were naturally close.

Xia Yun replied, "Mrs. Qi, it has been a while. Out shopping with your daughter?"

Mrs. Qi nodded, then turned her gaze toward Lu Qi'an. "It's so nice that your Qi'an is with you. My Rufeng refuses to accompany me, so Ruxue and I have to shop by ourselves."

Xia Yun said, "Rufeng is busy exploring new industries, so it's understandable. My Qi'an is just managing the Lu family's existing foundation, so he has a little free time to accompany me."

As they exchanged pleasantries, Jiang Ruxue walked up to Lu Qi'an. "Brother Qi'an, long time no see!"

Lu Qi'an kept his eyes on the fitting room, offering only a polite "Hello" in response. Even that was enough to make Jiang Ruxue beam. "Brother Qi'an, I never expected you to be out shopping with Mrs. Lu. My brother is so lazy; he thinks shopping is a nuisance and refuses to come with us."

Lu Qi'an just gave a noncommittal hum, not really listening to what she was saying.

When Qin Miaoyu stepped out of the fitting room, she saw Jiang Ruxue standing next to Lu Qi'an. She recognized her—it was Jiang Ruxue who had revealed to her that Lu Qi'an had known her long ago. One tall and handsome, the other spoiled and cute—they looked like quite a match. For some reason, Qin Miaoyu felt a pang of bitterness in her chest. She quickly looked away toward the mirror.

Lu Qi'an noticed her turn and followed her, standing behind her. "This outfit looks great on you. It really suits you!"

Qin Miaoyu looked at him and saw the sincerity in his eyes. She looked in the mirror; indeed, the dress was very much to her liking. Suddenly, an angry face appeared in the reflection.

"Why are you still pestering Brother Qi'an?"

Qin Miaoyu looked at Jiang Ruxue with amusement. "Why shouldn't I be with Lu Qi'an? Who are you to him that you get to decide such things?"

Jiang Ruxue stamped her foot. "You just shouldn't! I grew up with Brother Qi'an, so of course, I have to vet his choices!"

"So, your 'vetting' means that no one else is good enough for him, only you?"

"Of cou—"

Lu Qi'an looked at Jiang Ruxue, his voice cold and measured. "Watch your tone! Apart from playing together when we were children, we have no other relationship. Whether someone is 'good enough' for me is for me to decide!"

"Brother Qi'an, you..."

Xia Yun, who had finished changing, walked over with Mrs. Qi. Seeing Qin Miaoyu and Lu Qi'an standing together with Jiang Ruxue, the atmosphere was palpably tense. She quickly approached and asked, "What's going on?"

Jiang Ruxue immediately stepped up to Xia Yun. "Mrs. Lu, this woman has been pestering Brother Qi'an with ill intent, and now she's trying to latch onto him!"

Xia Yun looked at the person Jiang Ruxue was pointing at—it was Qin Miaoyu. "Ruxue, is there some kind of misunderstanding here?"

Jiang Ruxue insisted, "There's no misunderstanding, Mrs. Lu. I saw this last year, and I can't believe she's still doing it!"

Xia Yun asked, "Doing what?"

"Pestering Brother Qi'an to buy her things and keeping him from talking to me!"

Xia Yun didn't change her expression. "Isn't that quite normal? Don't married couples need a little spark to strengthen their affection?"

Jiang Ruxue froze in place. "Mrs. Lu, what are you saying? Married? Since when is Brother Qi'an married?"

Lu Qi'an took Qin Miaoyu's hand. "We've been married for over a year, we just haven't made a formal announcement yet."

Jiang Ruxue couldn't believe it. "I never heard anything about a wedding."

"I'm afraid I'm not a very flashy husband. Miaoyu didn't want to make a big fuss, so we've only registered our marriage. Do I need to report to you every time I get married or whether I am married at all?"

Jiang Ruxue wanted to retort, but Mrs. Qi pulled her back. "This child just speaks without thinking. Please don't take it to heart; I will discipline her when we get home!"

Mrs. Qi gripped Jiang Ruxue tightly, feeling a sense of disappointment. The Lu and Qi families were well-acquainted, and they had high hopes for an exceptional man like Lu Qi'an. The Qi family had suggested a marriage alliance several times, and Old Master Lu had been quite receptive, but Lu Qi'an had refused every time. She had thought they could take their time, but it turned out the opportunity had long passed. Since there was no hope, there was no point in making a scene. "You two go on with your shopping. I'm taking Ruxue home."

Xia Yun nodded. After they left, she immediately began to inspect Qin Miaoyu. After a full circle, she nodded in approval. "Miaoyu, you have great taste. This piece really suits you!"

Qin Miaoyu smiled. "Mom, it's not my taste—Qi'an picked this out for me!"

Xia Yun looked surprised. "I see, he really is a married man now! His aesthetic sense has improved quite a bit; it's no longer that old 'straight-man' taste he used to have!"

She then began to recount a story about Lu Qi'an's past fashion blunders. Qin Miaoyu glanced at Lu Qi'an; she was thankful his taste had changed, otherwise, she would never have dared to wear anything he picked out! Lu Qi'an felt helpless; his mother seemed to take great joy in exposing his shortcomings in front of Miaoyu. Didn't she worry about damaging the image he had worked so hard to maintain?