Chapter 52: Gan Qiongying Chose Him.

Gan Qiongying heard Lihua’s voice and turned to see that he had actually come out.

He had originally been inside the carriage, but as Gan Qiongying turned around, Lihua stepped directly down from the carriage.

The attendants were all gathered around Gan Qiongying, and no one had placed a footstool for Lihua, so he jumped down from the carriage.

His left leg was slightly lame, and he usually controlled his gait and posture, so it wasn’t very noticeable as long as he didn’t walk too hastily.

But today, at this very moment, Lihua couldn’t even care about the fact that hurrying like this would expose his flaw in front of others.

Therefore, without waiting for Gan Qiongying to turn back, he stumbled down from the carriage and rushed toward her, his steps uneven.

In Lihua’s life, he had faced many choices and moments of being chosen, but only this time did he truly not want to lose.

He didn’t want to be utterly defeated at the very moment when he had foolishly—even ridiculing himself—dreamed of becoming Gan Qiongying’s real husband.

He quickly took a few steps forward, pushed through the crowd, and grabbed Gan Qiongying’s arm.

Lihua was breathing heavily. After steadying himself, he looked past Gan Qiongying’s shoulder and met the gaze of Zhongli Zhengzhen, who was seated high on his horse.

Lihua’s expression and actions surprised Zhongli Zhengzhen, especially as he sensed Lihua’s hostility toward him.

He tightened the reins, his horse pacing in place, and looked at Lihua with confusion.

He gazed at this older brother who was not close to him—who had been lost among the common people since childhood, painstakingly found by their father and mother, and who had followed him to Nánzhào, assisting him along the way—with complex emotions.

The turbulent undercurrent in Lihua’s eyes was quickly concealed. He looked at Gan Qiongying and said, “Let’s go. We’ve wasted a lot of time. I’m… a little hungry.”

This was, of course, an excuse. Lihua’s face couldn’t betray the flush of shame and embarrassment, but the redness at the base of his ears exposed his lack of confidence.

Yet, holding onto Gan Qiongying, Lihua truly wanted to gamble on this moment.

If his wife still chose to run toward another man at this time, then Lihua could finally resign himself to fate. He would admonish himself to stop daydreaming and indulging in meaningless fantasies.

He had never looked at Gan Qiongying so deeply before, nor had he ever held her so tightly.

But Gan Qiongying had no idea that, in the blink of an eye, she and Lihua were already standing on a scale that would determine whether they could live harmoniously in the future.

She asked Lihua in surprise, “Why did you come down?”

At her words, Lihua’s face stiffened, and his heart trembled violently.

His first thought was that Gan Qiongying was blaming him for coming down at this moment, for interrupting her conversation with Zhongli Zhengzhen.

The way he had rushed over must have looked utterly pathetic, reminding Lihua of a lame dog he had once fed.

Lihua had fed many stray dogs. Some grew familiar after a few feedings and could be taken away, even acting affectionate.

But only that lame dog, whose leg had been broken by someone, refused to trust people again. Lihua fed it many times, and though it eventually stopped biting him, it never left that filthy alley.

Back then, looking at that dog, Lihua thought, “How much like me—self-aware, knowing that coming out to act cute and obedient would only make things worse, perhaps even annoying others, and risking losing even this last bit of charity.”

In that moment, Lihua’s heart was filled with desolation.

But soon, before Lihua’s pitiful and laughable self-respect could fall to the ground and shatter, Gan Qiongying firmly caught it, carefully cradled it, and tucked it back into his chest.

“Why didn’t you have the attendants set up the mounting stool for you? You almost fell, didn’t you?” Gan Qiongying supported Lihua’s hand from behind, following his lead. “We really are running late now, no more delays. Let’s go.”

She linked her arm with Lihua’s, walking on his left side, using some force to bear nearly half of his body weight.

This way, Lihua hardly needed to put any weight on his left foot to walk freely.

She walked slowly, matching his pace. From behind, they looked like an exceptionally loving, fairy-tale couple.

After just a few steps, Lihua noticed. His nose stung so much he dared not move his eyes, afraid they might redden without warning.

Her tenderness always came at just the right moment, making it impossible for Lihua to escape the gentle swamp she had created, to pull his legs out and move forward.

And Gan Qiongying naturally understood the relationship between Lihua and Zhongli Zhengzhen—twins, with Lihua being the abandoned one, and physically disabled.

His hurried approach just now had indeed looked somewhat awkward; she had to save his dignity.

Gan Qiongying absolutely would not allow him to lose face in front of Zhongli Zhengzhen!

Her God of Wealth was the best!

Therefore, before they even reached the carriage, Gan Qiongying put on a serious act and scolded the maidservants, “What are you all doing! The Consort gets off the carriage and you don’t set up the stool? Don’t think any of you will escape punishment when we return!”

She personally helped Lihua to the carriage. The mounting stool was set up, but she didn’t get on. Instead, like an attentive maid, she helped Lihua up, her eyes gentle.

Lihua boarded the carriage and was about to step inside when Gan Qiongying pulled him back. She deliberately hooked her arm around his neck, making him lower his head as if in an intimate gesture, and leaned close to his ear to ask, “Did you rush out because you needed to relieve yourself? Don’t worry, this isn’t the right place. Let’s go a bit further, have the attendants find a spot with dense trees, and then we’ll stop, alright?”

One above, one below, Lihua felt the warm breath by his ear, and his own breathing grew tight.

He had been too impulsive today. Fortunately… fortunately, she had chosen him.

Lihua’s mind was like boiling water, bubbling with the thought: She chose me, she chose me, she chose me…

She even helped me back personally, from start to finish, never glancing at Zhongli Zhengzhen again.

Now she’s smiling at me, speaking so gently.

Zhongli Zhengzhen is watching. He must have seen it all.

He must have seen everything.

Gan Qiongying chose him.

Lihua’s mind was filled with this silent competition and the joy of a complete victory. He had no idea what Gan Qiongying was saying and responded with a dazed murmur.

Gan Qiongying took out a handkerchief and, as if putting on a show, wiped his sweatless forehead.

Then she turned slightly, leaving the best viewing angle for Zhongli Zhengzhen, and said with a smile, “It’s crooked.”

She untied the jade pendant that had been dangling from Lihua’s leaning posture and, as if taking off pants to fart, retied it properly.

She hadn’t intended to drag Lihua into showing affection so urgently—she needed to find the right opportunity. She knew Lihua’s sore spots, understood his relationship with Zhongli Zhengzhen, and at the very least, she wouldn’t force him to step out of the carriage and cooperate under such circumstances.

But Lihua had gotten out of the carriage on his own, rushing right into it. An opportunity like this was simply too good to waste.

And Zhongli Zhengzhen was indeed watching Gan Qiongying and Lihua intently, even clearly spotting the jade pendant Gan Qiongying had reclaimed from him earlier. His expression darkened slightly.

What had she said back then?

She claimed the Consort adored jade pendants, that she had scoured the storerooms but couldn’t find a satisfactory one, so she asked him to return the pendant to her as a gesture of goodwill.

At the time, Zhongli Zhengzhen had dismissed it as mere nonsense. He understood the state of her relationship with the Consort better than anyone!

But today, he truly saw the jade pendant on the Consort.

An indescribable sense of unease settled in Zhongli Zhengzhen’s heart. What had once been an insignificant matter had snowballed over time, and now, with the jade pendant appearing on the Consort, it felt as though it had lodged itself in his throat.

Zhongli Zhengzhen kept his gaze fixed on Gan Qiongying. She had clearly intended to speak with him earlier, but from the moment she entered the carriage, her full attention was on the Consort.

She didn’t glance in his direction again.

This subtle display of affection ended as Gan Qiongying boarded the carriage, and Zhongli Zhengzhen rode off with his guards.

When they reached a dense forest, Gan Qiongying ordered the carriage to stop. Turning to Lihua, who had remained motionless since sitting inside, she said, “Weren’t you in a hurry? Go ahead.”

She pointed to a cluster of low bushes nearby. “The leaves there are thick.”

“What?” Lihua was still lost in the memory of the glance Zhongli Zhengzhen had exchanged with him through the carriage window before riding away.

As the horse and carriage passed each other, Song Ci, one of Zhongli Zhengzhen’s guards, had stealthily tossed a crumpled paper ball through the carriage window.

At this very moment, it was clutched in Lihua’s hand.

The paper ball felt like a hot potato—he didn’t want to open it, yet he couldn’t bring himself to discard it.