FID – Chapter 599

Chapter 599 I want to be a child bride!

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(in this context, child bride is translated into little daughter-in-law/ a girl adopted into a family as future daughter-in-law)

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Noticing that Li Junyue’s expression had changed, Liu Yusheng quickly realized that she had become overly sensitive to Qian Wanjin’s words.

Considering how much she cared about her second brother, it was no wonder she would overthink things.

Patting Li Junyue’s hand, Liu Yusheng was about to speak to comfort her when they suddenly heard the voice of her second brother from behind. “Being registered under the same household doesn’t necessarily mean you have to be siblings. Isn’t there also the tradition of child brides?”

“I want to be a child bride!”

The space suddenly went silent.

Liu Yusheng and the others looked at Li Junyue.

Then, in perfect unison, they slowly covered their faces with their hands, desperately trying to hold back their laughter.

Truly, no matter how shrewd they usually were or how many different types of people they had encountered, they never imagined that someone like Li Junyue would say something like that.

And after the words slipped out, Li Junyue quickly realized what she had said. Her face flushed red with embarrassment, and she wished she could bury herself in the ground.

The moment she heard Liu Zhiqiu’s voice, she had instinctively spoken her true feelings.

“If you want to laugh, just laugh. Why hold it in?” Liu Zhiqiu had already walked over and sat down casually on a chair, clearly irritated by their restrained expressions.

Almost as soon as he finished speaking, a burst of laughter echoed throughout the small courtyard.

“Junyue, you can’t be like this! You’re going to be completely controlled by my Second Brother!”

“Being controlled? She’s practically obsessed with Zhiqiu!”

“Xiao Junyue, you’re just too cute! Why’d you have to say the truth? You could’ve kept it to yourself, no one would have known!”

The three of them were leaning on the table, laughing so hard that tears were spilling out.

Li Junyue was too embarrassed to even lift her head. She felt like her whole body was on fire, burning with heat and ready to combust.

But the emotions swelling in her chest were oddly complex.

Despite the fact that the three of them were laughing at her, she didn’t feel the usual sting of humiliation, aside from the embarrassment.

Because the laughter and words surrounding her were filled with kindness.

It felt like the playful teasing between true friends.

It was different.

Unlike the mocking laughter she used to hear from her family’s sisters, which always felt harsh and painful.

With her head lowered, she inexplicably felt her eyes grow moist.

The bitterness rising in her nose was impossible to suppress.

Liu Zhiqiu, sitting beside her, turned his head and immediately noticed the redness at the corners of her eyes. He frowned and spat at the three still bent over with laughter, “Alright, enough, is it really necessary to laugh like that?”

He then turned back to Li Junyue, and said gently, “They’re just jealous.”

Seeing the girl still with her head down, silent, and the redness at the corners of her eyes growing more pronounced, Liu Zhiqiu couldn’t help but speak.

“What’s wrong with being a child bride? I actually like the idea.”

The three who were laughing paused for a moment.

Then, they burst into even more intense laughter.

Meanwhile, the woman beside him had already started trembling from her thin shoulders.

Liu Zhiqiu rubbed his face in exasperation, “Stop crying. Do you want me to go get revenge for you?”

There was no way to resolve this peacefully.

He pushed himself up from the table and immediately rushed toward Qian Wanjin.

He was the main culprit and wouldn’t get away with it!

Seeing this, Qian Wanjin realized the situation was bad and immediately ran toward the door, no longer hiding behind Shi Xianrou. While running, he yelled, “Liu Zhiqiu, you’re putting women above friends, you’re betraying your friends for personal gain. You’re going to break your back on your wedding night!”

“I’ll throw you son of an idle uncle out!”

One chased, the other fled, and within moments, they had both run out of the small courtyard.

Behind them, Liu Yusheng and Shi Xianrou were laughing so hard they nearly fell off their stools. They barely managed to steady themselves by holding onto the table. 

When they finally looked up, they saw that the girl who had seemed like she was crying just moments ago was now gazing toward the courtyard gate, her eyes curved into a smile.

Except for the slight redness in her eyes, where was there any sign of tears?

That trembling of her shoulders earlier—she had clearly been holding back laughter!

The two of them simultaneously pointed at Li Junyue. “Oh! You were pretending to be pitiful again!”

Li Junyue stiffened, her gaze flickering evasively. “I wasn’t pretending. Zhiqiu misunderstood.”

“White lotus!” the two women said in unison.

The three of them exchanged glances, then burst into laughter together.

At that moment, Li Junyue felt as if some invisible shackle on her body had suddenly shattered, leaving her completely free.

Her gaze drifted once more toward the courtyard gate, but the figures of the men had already disappeared.

Still, the smile in her eyes remained, carrying a trace of sweetness.

She really had been on the verge of tears earlier, but when she heard him say, ‘I actually like the idea,’ the urge to cry had vanished in an instant.

At that moment, it felt like her heart had been filled with honey.

Hearing him say he would avenge her again, she was reminded of that time when they went to see the new distillery, and she was bullied by the Wang family’s second son—he had said the exact same thing back then.

Zhiqiu had always been that kind of soft-hearted person.

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Kind, yet firm in his own principles.

Even when he didn’t have any feelings for her at the time, he still chose to stand up for her instead of leaving her to fend for herself.

Just like now.

Everything about him had an irresistible pull on her.

Across from her, Liu Yusheng and Shi Xianrou noticed the infatuation in her eyes. They simultaneously looked up at the sky and let out a long sigh.

Just as Qian Wanjin had said—Li Junyue was completely obsessed with their second brother.

An unwavering devotion.

That night, laughter filled every corner of the Liu family courtyard, inside and out, bringing back the lively atmosphere of the past.

With the village chief’s help and the local authorities recognizing it as a matter concerning the Liu family household, no one even questioned it. Without hesitation, they added Liu Muqiu’s name to the Liu family’s household registry.

From that moment on, Li Junyue ceased to exist. The Liu family gained a new member—Liu Muqiu.

On the day everything was officially settled, Li Junyue—no, she should now be called Liu Muqiu—had a smile on her face the entire day.

Unlike the practiced, mask-like smiles of the past, this one came from the heart, radiating an energy of newfound vitality.

“Nannan, I’m part of the Liu family now.” In the courtyard, as she helped the young woman dry medicinal herbs, Liu Muqiu repeated once again.

“Yes, yes, you’re a Liu family member now, Muqiu. You’ve said it nearly a hundred times.” Liu Yusheng chuckled, teasing her, though there was no trace of impatience in her voice.

Ever since her name was officially changed, Liu Muqiu had also started addressing the family members differently—calling Yusheng ‘Nannan’ like the others and affectionately referring to the elders as Grandpa and Grandma.

She wasn’t particularly talkative throughout the day, but she never missed an opportunity to call out to her family—especially when she called Grandpa and Grandma, her voice was particularly sweet.

Sitting on a stone bench, Shi Xianrou lounged in a bold and carefree posture. “Muqiu, my ears are getting calluses from hearing this over and over again. Really. You’re a Liu now—no doubt about it!”

She was utterly helpless, but the moment Liu Muqiu heard her words, her face lit up like a blooming flower—so sweet it was almost unbearable.

“Ah! A child starved of love…” Shi Xianrou groaned dramatically, collapsing onto the table.

Liu Muqiu wasn’t the least bit bothered by her teasing. Her brows arched in delight—she was now a Liu, with a new name, a new identity, a new family, and friends she could truly open her heart to.

To her, this was a rebirth.

Her eyes flickered mischievously before she suggested, “Nannan, Xianrou, let’s go up the mountain this afternoon! Staying home all the time is getting boring…”

Liu Yusheng tilted her head back, sighed, then fixed Liu Muqiu with a knowing look. “The moment your eyes start darting around, I know you’re scheming something. Don’t even try to act innocent. You just want an excuse to follow my second brother up the mountain, don’t you?”

Caught red-handed, Liu Muqiu averted her gaze. “Zhiqiu said I’m too weak, that I’d probably faint halfway and they’d have to carry me back, so he won’t let me go.”

“So you’re using us as your stepping stones?” Shi Xianrou accused. “Liu Muqiu, you’re pulling the white lotus act again!”

“Zhiqiu said that’s what friends are for—to have each other’s backs.”

“Oh? And that’s all we are to you?”

“Zhiqiu said—”

“Somebody save me!”