Chapter 63: The Struggle Between Xiaoliu and Xixi

  The servants under him saw that the boss was unhappy and quickly ran to Xiao Liu's side, "Young Madam, please follow me." Xiao Liu had originally wanted to go out with Liu Qingqing to the welcoming pavilion, but Liu Qingqing's movements were too fast. It seemed that her sister didn't want to reveal her identity yet, so she could only continue pretending to be Liu Qingqing. Seeing Hu Shaoyin's gloomy face, it seemed like he was unhappy, and thinking about it, maybe he was angry at Liu Qingqing for not paying attention to him. However, the person in question had already slipped away, and it wasn't related to herself anyway. Don't vent your anger on others.

  Thinking this way, Hu Zhongren's attitude earlier was just trying to make Liu Qingqing jealous, wanting to see her position in Liu Qingqing's heart. She would just show him then. So, she also darkened her face and looked at Chen Xixi, "When speaking and acting, one must pay attention to the degree of propriety. How can someone be so shameless as to flirt with my husband right in front of me? Even if it's a tiger, I'll still pluck out its teeth."

  Turning to Hu Shaoyin, she said, "Hu Shao, your good fortune is not shallow! You didn't want me to follow you to the capital, originally thinking of Xixi. However, I remember receiving a certain someone's divorce papers, so I don't have the right to stop you from flirting with this woman, nor do I have the leisure to care about which cheap person is seducing you!" The tone was full of acidity, showing her attitude and waiting to see Hu Shaoyin's reaction.

  This series of actions and words made Hu Shaoyin very surprised. It was no different from Liu Qingqing's usual behavior. Could it be that the two people had rehearsed their lines? Impossible! He had always been with them, and they hadn't had this opportunity. But Liu Qingqing used to deal with Chen Xixi like this in her hometown, using her status as the legitimate wife.

  Now, without the status of a legitimate wife, Xiao Liu could still hold back her weaknesses. That meant if Hu Shaoyin's performance wasn't good enough, she would tell Qingqing about it. After some thought, Hu Shaoyin decided to keep silent and bear with it.

  He sat on the mountain to watch the tiger fight, and he wanted to see how far this sister Qingqing could go for her sister. Chen Xixi was no longer afraid of Liu Qingqing at all. Because, according to the secret investigation by the Hu family, Mrs. Hu had already forced Liu Qingqing to sign a divorce agreement, although Hu Shaoyan had sealed off the news tightly, but this was already a fact, believing that with time, she would definitely be able to take the position of legitimate wife. At the moment, seeing Hu Shaoyan without words, it was equivalent to tacitly permitting her actions, and she felt very proud and superior in her heart, feeling very relaxed at the moment. She didn't leave Hu Shaoyan's arms either, and replied with a sour tone: "Hey, I said some people shouldn't pretend to be stupid when they understand things clearly. Everyone knows that you're not Mrs. Hu anymore, Hu Shaoyan has already written the divorce agreement, so anyone can compete for the position of Hu Shaoyan's legitimate wife. I'm quite confident, Hu Shaoyan, am I right?"

  Hu Zhongren remained silent. Xiao Liu also understood Hu Shao's meaning, wanting to see her own strength, right? As the older sister of Liu Qingqing, she naturally wanted to defend her younger sister's love and wouldn't back down, so she said: "The position of wife isn't something that can be earned, but rather it depends on Hu Shao's heart, who he likes. Think about it, in the past, Hong Fu's older sister liked Hu Shao, she used fine wine to get him drunk, used clever plans to seduce him, and even gave birth to a son, allowing the Hu family's lineage to continue, but Hu Shao still wrote her a divorce letter, and even agreed for the child to be returned to the Hong family. Hu Shao liked Xiulian, Xiulian also liked Hu Shao, but Xiulian died in a fire, leaving Hu Shao with only memories. Now, both you and I like Hu Shao, and he traveled far and wide to save me from the vast ocean, bringing me back home. Tell me, does he like you or me more?"

  Chen Xixi's face turned red with anger and she couldn't stick to Hu Shao anymore. "Given time, I will definitely make Hu Shao like me."

  "Are you kidding me? If I'm not mistaken, you've been living with the Hu family since you were a kid. You're just now developing feelings for him? Sister, listen to my advice: give up! The sea of bitterness has no bounds; turning back is the shore. You're still young and don't know the pain of unrequited love. Let me tell you, liking someone and not being liked in return is like two sides of a coin - it's unchangeable. We can't say who's right or wrong, but when one person likes another and that person doesn't like them back, it's painful. Only when both people feel the same way is it good, just like two coins stuck together, with one side being liked and the other side also being liked. So, I advise you to calm down sooner rather than later."

  Koyanagi's feelings run deep. She herself is a prime example. In the past, Yuki Chiaki liked her and every year would pursue her when he came to Kyoto, but she knew the destructive power of love, which had caused her and her brother to lose their parents, so she locked up her emotions and refused to accept Yuki's advances.

  It wasn't until five years later that her heart knot was finally opened, and it was because of her brother's romance with Qing Luan. Her brother and Qing Luan loved each other deeply, and her brother was always in a good mood after receiving love. Although he knew that Mr. Liu allowed his daughter to interact with him also because of the "Royal Chef's Menu", and also because of their siblings' culinary skills, but what her brother said was that as long as Qing Luan loved him, he would give up everything. Her brother was a generous person. It was her brother's comfort and performance that awakened herself. Yue Qianshan having money wasn't his fault, did he have to beg on the streets to not change his heart? Whether or not someone changes their heart depends on their character, and has nothing to do with appearance or wealth. So she agreed to Yue Qianshan's pursuit and started enjoying the beauty of love. Mutual affection is the best. When two people like each other, it's like two copper coins stuck together, both sides are fond of each other.

  Xiao Liu's words really moved the people present, and even Hu Zhongren, who was usually expressionless, seemed to be deep in thought. He and Xiulian were so well-matched, but later she...

  He furrowed his brow in pain, trying to pull himself out of the agony. He fixed his gaze on Chen Xixi, who was also deep in thought. This serious Chen Xixi was lovable, and he couldn't help but feel a few strands of affection for her. He wanted to comfort her with a word, but thinking twice, he feared she might misunderstand him. After all, he had only been enjoying Chen Xixi's body, without considering spiritual union. Now that he had met Liu Qingqing, he had forgotten the pain of missing Hua Lian. His eyes and heart were filled with Qingqing. Thinking that Liu Qingqing must have gone to the welcoming hall at the Liu residence, he felt a pang in his heart. He got up and said to Xiao Liu, "You're tired from traveling, go rest. I'll be right back." The few words were spoken with deep emotion, leaving the servants shocked. Hu Shao's gentle demeanor was clearly deeply moved, although everyone had also heard rumors that Madame had already received the divorce papers, but seeing this scene, reconciliation was not far off.

  Xiaoliu was also electrified by Hu Shao, and in her heart she said, "How passionate!" If she were an innocent little girl, she would have been enchanted by him long ago. However, she had already given her heart to Yue Qianshan, who was once a sea that could not be crossed, and now he was the only mountain that could not be climbed. Even if she were a great goddess, she could not change her loyalty. At this moment, while performing, Xiaoliu's current identity was Qingqing, so Little Willow made a delightful gesture and followed her companions down.

  Hu Shao secretly thought it was strange, thinking that Little Willow was like Liu Qingqing, clever and adaptable, not as quiet and virtuous as she seemed on the surface. He wondered if Yue Qianshan knew this side of her. Next time they met, he would definitely tell him about Little Willow's many talents. Although he thought so in his heart, he didn't say much at the moment and strode towards the front hall.

  Chen Xixi stayed on, watching Liu Qingqing's triumphant expression, and then looked at Hu Zhongren's nonchalant attitude towards herself. She carefully thought over Liu Qingqing's words from earlier, and how she had been infatuated with Hu Shao since childhood, always waiting by his side. She felt that since Hu Shao had a physical relationship with her, he should have treated her better, but instead he didn't even glance at her before leaving, making her lose face. The more she thought about it, the more painful it became, and she couldn't help but burst into tears.

  Everyone was shocked by Xixi's loud wailing, and no one dared to comfort her, so they quickly slipped away. When Xixi finally stopped crying, she looked around and saw that only her old father was standing in the back hall, looking at her with concern. Her heart ached again, and she buried her face in her father's shoulder, sobbing. Mr. Chen gently patted his daughter's shoulder and comforted her, "Good child, don't worry, I will definitely help you achieve your wish."

  Chen Xixi lifted her misty eyes with tears, "Really? Is Father really willing to help me?"

  Chen's father nodded solemnly, and Chen Xixi burst into tears of joy, excitedly saying: "Then, Father, you stay in the back hall to rest, I'll go to the front to help." After finishing speaking, she happily went to the front hall. Since Father agreed, things would be easier from now on. Father's position in the Hu family was crucial, and Hu Shao would definitely give face to Father, so her own beautiful dream could really come true.

  Chen's father looked at his daughter's back, a tinge of sadness in his heart. Memories flooded his mind like the passage of a thousand years. Who didn't have their youth? Hadn't he himself once passionately pursued love? Love was like a rose with thorns, though it drew blood, its beauty was irresistible.

  He also heard about the relationship between his daughter and Hu Shao. He didn't say anything, believing that Hu Shao would eventually give Xi Xi an explanation. However, judging from today's situation, Hu Shao's mind was not on his daughter, so he should help his daughter out.

  Chen Fu was Chen Shi, the steward of the Hu family. He had been in this household for nearly twenty years.

  Chen Shi also did it for the sake of the Hu family staying in the Hu house.

  This is Hu Lijiang, the aunt of Hu Zhongren. Hu Lijiang lives up to her name, with a pair of attractive eyebrows and eyes that can make one's heart skip a beat with just one glance. She exudes charm and elegance without even intentionally looking at you. Her overall impression on people is that she is a stunning beauty, approachable and amiable.