RWWAI 5

Chapter 5: What on Earth is He Doing Here Now?!

Upon learning that Qi Lu had slept in the study the previous night, I got dressed and made up with a mind full of bewilderment.

Before long, Qin Miaomiao arrived to pay her respects once again, putting on her usual flawless, unassailable facade.

Following that came breakfast time at the commandant's estate.

Before Qin Miaomiao had officially entered the household, she always ate her meals over at the Jiaoyue Pavilion. Naturally, Qi Lu would join her there to eat.

Now that she possessed official status, however, such casual freedom was no longer allowed. Unless there were exceptional circumstances, our "family of three" was expected by convention to eat all three daily meals together.

Feeling somewhat dazed, I opened my mouth to say, "According to the rules of the estate, we should properly dine together as a household. However, since you are currently with child, you should naturally pay extra attention to your diet and daily routines. If there are any foods you must avoid or if you feel unwell, there is no need to bind yourself too strictly to these rules. From now on, you may simply remain at Jiaoyue Pavilion for your meals, and I will instruct the kitchens to make separate provisions."

Qin Miaomiao lowered her head and replied with gentle docility, "Replying to Madam, this concubine comes from humble origins and has never been accustomed to such special considerations. Since I have stepped through the doors of the Qi family, I ought to conduct myself according to the estate's rules. Madam need not accommodate me at every turn just because I am pregnant; this concubine truly does not dare accept such favor."

I blinked, genuinely failing to make sense of the situation.

No wait, what is she even playing at? Just to flex her affection in front of me and make me sick to my stomach?

I shifted my gaze toward Qi Lu, who practically looked like a frightened bird. He wasn't paying her much attention either! He just kept his head down, devouring his food as if he were trying to chew up and swallow the bowl along with it.

At that moment, Qin Miaomiao considerately picked up some tender bamboo shoots and placed them into Qi Lu's bowl.

Qi Lu visibly froze for a moment.

Hold on—this wasn't even a question of whether they loved each other anymore; were they even acquainted?

Seeing that the situation had long since spiraled far beyond my comprehension, I—a firm believer in avoiding all internal mental exhaustion—decided to stop stressing over it.

Whatever they wanted to do was their business; I was done caring!

Grabbing a sesame flatbread from the table, I dipped it into the bowl of meat soup and took a bite. I knew ancient people rarely ate like this—flatbread was usually used to stuff meat inside—but I liked it, so who cares!

Since Qi Lu had been scolded by me to the point where even his wedding night required my approval, I was certain that even if I ate upside down, he wouldn't dare say a word.

Sure enough, Qi Lu's expression shifted slightly, yet he still didn't dare utter a peep. He merely rolled his eyes around as if plotting something in his head.

Fantastic!

To be completely honest, whether Qin Miaomiao was pregnant or not didn't matter to me in the slightest. I simply didn't want to eat meals facing this pair of scumbags.

Since Qi Lu found my table manners offensive, it would be even better if we never ate together again!

So, licking the remnants of the meat soup from my lips, I stated, "This matter should ultimately be decided by my husband. If husband feels that since Qin Niangzi is now with child, dining separately is the more appropriate course of action, then let it be arranged that way from now on. This concubine naturally has no objections."

Little did I know, Qi Lu acted as though he hadn't heard a single word I said.

A few seconds later, he suddenly snapped his head up to look at me, saying with a hint of elation, "What did you say? So in your heart... you actually despise me this much?"

Startled by his reaction, I momentarily forgot to keep up my act and actually nodded directly.

"Splendid!" he cheered out of nowhere.

With that, he happily lowered his head and resumed eating with a skip in his step.

I sat there completely dumbfounded. Wasn't he supposed to be the classic, hypocritical scumbag who wanted to have his cake and eat it too? What on earth was he celebrating?

At that time, I had no idea that even more bizarre things were waiting for me down the road.

That very evening, Qi Lu actually showed up in my bedchamber!

What kind of ghost story is this?!

According to the prior context from the bullet comments, Qi Lu in the previous life had been summoned off to guard the Xiazi Pass on his very wedding night! From then on, he treated Liang Jingjing with absolute coldness, and the original owner remained a virgin until her dying day.

What on earth is he doing here now?!

I stared at him in stunned disbelief, entirely at a loss for how to open my mouth and demand why he had come.

Meanwhile, Qi Lu—who had been acting somewhat submissive and timid ever since I chewed him out—actually straightened his posture right then and there, a trace of an uncontrollable smile curling the corners of his lips. "I know you thoroughly despise me right now. Rest assured, I have no intention of trying anything. The bed is yours; I'll just sleep on the floor, making do in your quarters for a single night."

"M-making do...?" I stammered in absolute disbelief.

Qi Lu nodded. Looking absurdly excited for some inexplicable reason, he trotted over to the wardrobe on his own, pulling out a mattress quilt and a pillow.

Then, looking like a man whose greatest wish had finally been fulfilled, he dumped his bedding near the doorway and lay right down on it.

"Is it... because Qin Niangzi is pregnant...?" I began, only to realize halfway through that even that didn't make any sense.

If Qin Miaomiao was pregnant and off-limits, there was still no reason for him to come sleep on my bedroom floor, was there? Did the Jiaoyue Pavilion not have a floor?

Or couldn't he just sleep on a bed without doing anything weird? Why were ancient men so completely incapable of controlling themselves?

Perhaps sensing my confusion, Qi Lu replied with his eyes closed, "I originally intended to spend the night in the study, but Qin Miaomiao kept wandering over there, either delivering tea or bringing snacks. It was utterly impossible to find any peace. If I stay here in your room, no matter what other schemes she might cook up, she won't dare barge into the Madam's bedchamber."

I stared fixedly at his calm, sleeping posture for roughly two full seconds.

And then, sudden enlightenment hit me.

Why stress over it? Who cares why he came? The real question was: Did I want him staying here?

The answer was a resounding no.

Regardless of whatever drama had erupted between him and Qin Miaomiao—even if they had turned on each other as irreconcilable mortal enemies—I had zero intention of taking this trash heap back.

Since that was the case, the solution was simple: let loose and start cursing him out.

"Did you already forget what I told husband earlier? The only reason I'm still lingering in this estate today is because husband explicitly begged me to stay—it's not like I refused to leave of my own accord," I snapped, leaping to my feet and pointing right at him as I let loose a furious tirade. "Don't tell me you still think this bedchamber is some sort of inn where you can waltz in and crash whenever you please? Never mind sleeping on the floor—even if you tried hanging yourself from the ceiling rafters tonight, this concubine still wouldn't allow it!"

This time, my scolding was far more vicious than before. I genuinely expected that even if Qi Lu wasn't scared off instantly, he would at least give some sort of defensive reaction, right?

Instead, looking completely unbothered, he calmly spoke up: "You aren't Liang Jingjing at all, are you?"

I froze.

Then, keeping his eyes shut as if drifting off into a deep slumber, he added:

"And I'm not Qi Lu, either."

What the hell?!

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