Chapter 88

Chapter 88: He nodded, "Fine, fine!" After Gan Qiongying came to her senses, she thought to herself, "This is bad!" She had already agreed to hand over the people in the backyard to Lihua to deal with, and now she was going back on her word and planning to meet with them privately. Lihua was definitely going to be angry. But after struggling internally for a moment, Gan Qiongying ultimately decided she had to meet the twins, as well as the others in her backyard. If any of them were useful, she had to filter them out and find a place to settle them. After all, she had too few people she could use right now. Gan Qiongying paused briefly, then immediately started putting food on Lihua's plate again. Unsurprisingly, he dodged it again, so she had no choice but to put the food into her own bowl. The God of Wealth was angry, and the consequences were serious. She began racking her brains, thinking of other ways to coax him back into a good mood. Gan Qiongying was also a bit helpless. If those two were just ordinary male consorts, she would avoid them at all costs. But this time, because they were people left behind by Princess Duanrong, and Gan Qiongying was currently desperate for talent, she couldn't afford to miss a single one. Thinking of her grand escape plan, even the God of Wealth's moods had to take a back seat. After all, her life was more important. Gan Qiongying moved her chair closer to Lihua. Seeing that he refused to eat the food she had served him, she brought over the dishes he usually liked and placed them all in front of him. "Eat more, you're too thin," Gan Qiongying said as she set down the dishes, then ate all the food she had just served him from her bowl. "This sliced meat is delicious, well-made." Eat more? Lihua was shocked. How could he possibly eat now! They had clearly agreed that the backyard matters would be left to him to handle. He hadn't even had time to deal with them yet—he couldn't just kick all those people out of the mansion without a word, without even considering their future, could he? Lihua had wanted to handle things properly, which was why he had delayed until now. Who would have thought trouble would arise? Now that a pair of twins had shown up, Gan Qiongying had changed her mind again. Was she really that reluctant to part with those two? Lihua held his bowl, unsure how he should react. Should he confront her directly? Was it the first day he had learned that Princess Duanrong had countless male consorts and was fickle in her affections? Before he even spoke, Lihua had already concluded that he definitely wouldn't hear the answer he wanted to hear. He was deeply moved by Gan Qiongying, but Lihua wasn't a fool. He naturally knew that Gan Qiongying's attitude toward him wasn't like that of someone truly in love. Otherwise, after sharing a bed with him for so many days, how could she resist the urge to be intimate with him? Lihua knew how to solve problems in the business world; he even knew the price of rice in towns thousands of miles away. But he still hadn't figured out why Princess Duanrong's attitude toward him had changed so drastically overnight. Because he simply couldn't understand, he hesitated, not daring to take a single step forward, afraid that his feelings would become a pathetic joke. Before this gamble had even begun, Lihua had already concluded that he would lose completely. He never did business he wasn't sure about. Until he was certain of Gan Qiongying's feelings for him, Lihua would never risk tearing down the facade and destroying everything they had now. Just like how he didn't dare to kiss her when she was awake. Lihua hung his head, his emotions tangled into a cocoon. In the end, he chose to swallow his anger and pretend, like her, that nothing had happened. But he really couldn't eat anymore. The food in his mouth tasted utterly sour and bitter. Lihua simply put down his bowl and chopsticks, stood up, and left directly. This was likely his one and final act of defiance—at least he could still retreat. Seeing that he had left without finishing his meal, Gan Qiongying quickly swallowed the food in her mouth, put down her bowl and chopsticks, and hurried after him. Just as she was about to grab Lihua's hand, he suddenly turned around at the doorway, looking down at her from his height. Lihua's face was expressionless, but at that moment, the resentment and coldness in his eyes solidified into a blade sharp enough to pierce through anyone, as sharp as a silent yet overwhelmingly oppressive interrogation that would make anyone hesitate and retreat. He hadn't said a word, yet Gan Qiongying felt so guilty under his gaze that she held her breath. The God of Wealth was indeed the God of Wealth. When a deity unleashed their might, even a minor spirit like Gan Qiongying felt a bit breathless. However, after giving her a glance, Lihua shifted his gaze elsewhere, concealing his sharpness and intensity. His face tightened, and his breathing grew heavier. "I am overwhelmed by the merchant guild's affairs every day, with no time to spare." He spoke quickly, and though he didn't look directly at Gan Qiongying, he stole glances at her reaction out of the corner of his eye. Yet, Gan Qiongying showed no response. She was simply too frightened by him. It was strange. Gan Qiongying wasn’t even afraid of the Regent, that old witch’s son, the little demon king, yet she had felt a bit intimidated by Lihua’s gaze just now! Her guilt over going back on her word was one thing, but Lihua had indeed been somewhat terrifying earlier. Seeing Gan Qiongying’s guilty expression, Lihua narrowed his eyes, even wanting to let out a cold laugh. He said petulantly, "As for the matters originally entrusted to me in the rear courtyard, since the Princess is so reluctant to part with them, please handle them yourself." He paused briefly, his Adam's apple bobbing a few times, then added, "And it seems the Princess has no intention of trusting me to handle them properly." "That’s not it..." Gan Qiongying wanted to explain but found she had no way to do so. She had to meet those people, but she couldn’t tell Lihua why. Gan Qiongying wouldn’t reveal her escape plan to anyone except Gan Lin, who would flee with her. Gan Qiongying had always been clear about separating matters. She could flatter and show gentle affection to the God of Wealth for money, even kneel to tie his shoes—she was exceptionally adaptable. But she wouldn’t lose her head and delay important matters, for she carried not just her own life. It was two lives—hers and Gan Lin’s—and the regretful death of Princess Duanrong. Caught in a dilemma, Gan Qiongying couldn’t help but frown. Yet, she couldn’t confide any of this to Lihua. After all, Lihua was Zhongli Zhengzhen’s brother, and what stood between them wasn’t even personal feelings but matters of state. Gan Qiongying understood Lihua, believed he wasn’t a bad person, and was willing to strive to change his tragic fate. But she couldn’t fully trust him with everything about herself—she wouldn’t let him know even the slightest detail. Unable to be honest, she stepped forward, took Lihua’s hand, and said gently, "Then rest well and don’t overwork yourself." Already filled with anger, Lihua’s pupils contracted at her words. He hadn’t expected Gan Qiongying to truly go back on her word. He nodded, "Fine, fine!" With each nod, he uttered a "fine," then yanked his hand free from Gan Qiongying’s grasp and retreated several steps out of the hall. "Then I won’t disturb the Princess’s enjoyment of the song and dance." With that, he left without waiting for Gan Qiongying’s reply. Gan Qiongying remained silent, though a thousand cries of "Don’t go!" flashed through her mind. All she could do was cling to the doorframe, watching Lihua’s back disappear through the moon gate. Lihua's retreating figure was resolute, as if even nine oxen pulling together could not drag him back. Gan Qiongying leaned against the doorway, anxiously scratching at the doorframe until her nails hurt, then withdrew her hand. There was no other way—things had come to this. She might as well meet that pair of twins first.