Chapter 61

Xia Qingning felt embarrassed. She quickly walked to Lu Jingzhe and was about to say something, but she saw Lu Jingzhe looking at her calmly. He handed her the wad of money in his hand and said:

“Give this to Mom.” Then he turned around and walked back to the room.

Xia Qingning stood there dumbfounded. She knew he must have heard what she had just said. He just didn’t say it directly out of consideration for their feelings.

He had kindly come to give her money, but he heard the mother and daughter scheming about how to use a child to tie him down. If it were anyone else, they would have flipped out on the spot, or at least called them ungrateful white-eyed wolves! They wouldn’t have continued to give her the money.

Holding a thick wad of bills, at least a few hundred yuan, Xia Qingning felt both guilty and ashamed. He felt responsible for the original owner, but not for her entire family. She couldn’t accept the money on behalf of her family.

Besides, the four hundred yuan she had was enough for them to live on for a while. Once she could earn money, she would help them improve their lives.

Xia Qingning took the money and went into the room. She looked at Lu Jingzhe awkwardly and asked:

“You heard those things… right?”

Lu Jingzhe didn’t look up, nor did he deny it. His voice was emotionless as he replied:

“Yeah.”

Xia Qingning felt so embarrassed she wanted to find a hole to crawl into. But there was no hole for her to crawl into. She could only grit her teeth and say:

“Those things weren’t true. I just said them to make my mother feel better.” To show her sincerity, she immediately raised her right hand:

“I swear, I will never have a child with you, and I will never use a child to tie you down. If I ever have such thoughts, may I…”

“Stop it!”

Before Xia Qingning could finish, Lu Jingzhe suddenly interrupted her with a reprimand. He frowned, his eyes filled with coldness.

Xia Qingning was taken aback by his demeanor. When he heard her say those things in Guo Yumei’s room, he hadn’t been so angry. Now that she was swearing to show her sincerity, why was he upset?

Xia Qingning stood there, not saying anything, looking at him with a puzzled expression.

Lu Jingzhe realized that his reaction was a bit excessive. He lowered his deep brown eyes, still with a hint of anger, and asked coldly:

“Why are you making random oaths? Do you think oaths are a joke?”

Xia Qingning thought he was angry because she swore to gain his trust. She quickly said:

“No, no. I know oaths are important, so I…”

“Then why are you talking nonsense?” Lu Jingzhe stopped her from continuing, his tone not so much angry as it was like he was scolding an unruly child.

Xia Qingning was confused. It was because she knew that oaths were promises that she dared to say that she wouldn’t have children with him and wouldn’t use children to tie him down. Wasn’t that the best thing for him?

Why was he angry?

“You don’t need to swear. I don’t disbelieve you.” Lu Jingzhe said in a deep voice.

Although Xia Qingning was very confused, she felt relieved when she heard him say this. She stopped dwelling on it and said to him:

“Don’t blame my mother. She’s just worried that I won’t have anyone to rely on if I don’t have children, so she said those things.”

Lu Jingzhe didn’t look up. He seemed to not care. He said in a deep voice:

“It’s nothing.” He was silent for a moment, then looked up at Xia Qingning and asked calmly:

“So, do you want a child to rely on?”

This question truly shocked Xia Qingning. She never expected him to ask that.

But he asked so calmly. Xia Qingning couldn’t see any joy or anger on his face. She quickly understood why he asked that.

He always valued responsibility and keeping his promises. Just like before, he knew he was being manipulated, but he still married the original owner. So now, he felt that they were married, and it was only natural for the woman to want a child to rely on.

What a noble sense of responsibility!

“No, no, no…” Xia Qingning quickly waved her hand.

Having a child wasn’t about tying him down. It was about tying herself down. She didn’t even know how long she would stay in this world. What if she woke up and went back? What if she retained her memories of this world? What would she do if she missed her child?

The truth was, she hadn’t fallen in love with this man yet. If she didn’t love him, why would she want a child?

Seeing that she had rejected him so resolutely without even thinking, Lu Jingzhe’s brow furrowed slightly. He was about to speak when he heard Xia Qingning continue:

“I just said, I will never use a child to tie you down. So I don’t need any reliance.”

His furrowed brow gradually relaxed after hearing her words. His expression even showed a hint of surprise and approval.

“Oh, and you don’t need to give my family money.” Xia Qingning said as she handed him the wad of money.

Lu Jingzhe didn’t take the money Xia Qingning offered. He said in a deep voice: “Keep it.”

Xia Qingning wanted to say something, but Lu Jingzhe had already turned and walked out.

Holding the thick wad of money, Xia Qingning hesitated for a moment. She didn’t insist on returning it.

Perhaps he gave her this money not because he was her son-in-law, but because he remembered Guo Yumei’s help when his family was in trouble.

This family was practically destitute. They really needed this money. Xia Qingning put the money away, thinking that she would just keep track of it and pay him back later.

Lu Jingzhe walked into the courtyard. Xia Qing Shu was just adding grass to the rabbits. They met each other and sat down on the steps in tacit understanding, looking into the distance.

The stars in the mountains were really bright. They illuminated the night, making it not so dark. Xia Qing Shu found a blade of grass on his clothes. It must have fallen on him while he was feeding the rabbits. He didn’t throw it away, but unconsciously started to draw with it on the steps.

Suddenly, a “Cluck… cluck…” sound came from the mountains. Xia Qing Shu recognized the sound of a pheasant. He suddenly smiled and asked Lu Jingzhe, who was beside him:

“Do you remember when we were kids, every time this happened, Dad would take us to the mountains to catch pheasants?”

Lu Jingzhe looked at the night sky in the distance, as if reminiscing: “And rabbits, badgers… you always caught the most.”

“Yeah, I was older.” Xia Qing Shu laughed. “Of course, I could run faster than you.”

Hearing the word “run,” Lu Jingzhe’s expression froze for a moment. He was about to say something else, but he heard Xia Qing Shu say softly:

“My leg… I can’t run faster than you now.”

His voice still held a smile, as if he didn’t mind. He was just stating a fact.

But it made it even more uncomfortable!

Lu Jingzhe wasn’t very good at comforting people. Besides, at this moment, any comfort would be meaningless.

They were silent for a while. Xia Qing Shu looked at Lu Jingzhe and said seriously:

“Jingzhe, Xiaoning is my only sister…” He paused, his voice filled with a cautious plea. He asked:

“Can you please take care of her more in the future?”

The moonlight shone on Lu Jingzhe’s cold, indifferent face, casting a layer of brilliance, making him look softer. He raised his hand and patted Xia Qing Shu’s shoulder. He replied in a deep voice:

“Okay.”

Xia Qingning, who was originally going to deliver the money, happened to hear their conversation as she passed through the main room. Her eyes suddenly became watery.

Xia Qing Shu, not afraid of revealing his scars in front of people, humbly sought sympathy, just to make Lu Jingzhe treat his sister better. How could she not be touched by such devotion and affection?

To have such a brother, she was incredibly fortunate!