FID – Chapter 787

Chapter 787 — I’ll Buy It for You

Caught off guard and pinned against the wall, the ache from her back hitting the wall couldn’t compare to the tingling sensation that shot through her from the man’s words.

She stared blankly into the man’s dark, intensely deep eyes, watching the turbulent storm roiling inside them — something she couldn’t quite understand but that still made her heart race in panic.

She didn’t understand much else, but she did understand the dominating, invasive force in his gaze.

A heartbeat late, she finally processed what he had just said.

A flush as red as blood quickly spread from her cheeks over her entire body. She was so embarrassed that her toes kept curling uncontrollably, for a moment she even thought she might catch fire.

She felt as if her entire body had lost the strength to stand upright.

Her legs went weak.

When she finally came to her senses, she let out a startled cry, shoved the man away, and bolted.

At the fastest speed of her life, she disappeared in an instant.

Only then did Liu Zhiqiu close his eyes and take a low, shaky breath, flipping around to lean back against the wall. His gaze swept downward over a part of his body that very much should not be standing at attention.

Suddenly, he laughed. “…Ran faster than a rabbit. Tsk.”

Tap-tap-tap — the sound of hurried, scampering footsteps.

Liu Zhiqiu lifted his eyes. The girl who had dashed away had run back.

Her little face was so red it was practically smoking, her gaze flickering everywhere, not daring to meet his eyes — and yet she still had the courage to fling herself straight into his arms.

“…I’m not afraid!” she mumbled softly, and then whoosh — she darted off again.

Watching the girl’s figure scurry off into the distance, Liu Zhiqiu lowered his head to glance at the part of him that he had only just managed to calm down — now stirred back to full attention — and muttered weakly, “Hey, Little White Lotus, if you’ve got the guts to tease me, have the guts not to run, alright? Come back, huh?”

The girl ran even faster, stumbling a bit as she went.

Letting out a long sigh, Liu Zhiqiu leaned back against the wall once more.

Damn it… now he had to calm himself back down again.

It wasn’t until the family had started eating breakfast that the man finally strolled out of the back courtyard at a slow, unhurried pace.

At that moment, Liu Muqiu was helping Grandma Liu serve porridge. The instant her eyes met his, she immediately looked away, her face flushing bright red once again.

The elders glanced at the little girl, then at the troublemaker boy approaching from the other side. In perfect unison, they all lifted their bowls and focused intently on eating their porridge and gnawing on their steamed buns.

Something was going on, but none of them were going to say it.

The little girl looked like she was about to catch fire. What else could it be? Clearly she’d been teased by that rascal.

They were all seasoned veterans. They understood!

After breakfast, Wei Lan enthusiastically grabbed a hoe, hoisted it onto his shoulder, and dragged Wei Hong out the door with him. “Elders, Dahong and I are heading up Xinghua Ridge today. Unless it’s important, you don’t need to come up!”

Liu Erlin’s mouth twitched. That comment was clearly directed at him. “Abusing public errands for personal business.”

Still, he didn’t have time today anyway. Let the two of them fool around on the ridge.

“Big brother, sister-in-law, you two handle the work in the fields today first.”

“Alright, off you go,” Liu Dalin spat, waving his hand. “Take Du Juan out for a stroll, and don’t come back too early if there’s nothing urgent.”

“Got it!” Erlin clasped his hands behind his back and strolled off cheerfully. Lately, being around this group of youngsters had stirred up his own restless spirit. He figured he’d take the chance to have a little fun with Du Juan too.

Still vigorous despite his age — he could still enjoy life.

Grandpa and Grandma Liu both wore smiles, clearly in excellent moods. They let the younger folks banter freely without scolding anyone.

Liu Muqiu glanced left and right, unable to hold back her curiosity anymore. She edged closer to Liu Zhiqiu. “Brother Zhiqiu, what’s going on with uncle and aunt today? Has something good happened?”

The man looked at her, his gaze unreadable. “Mm, something good.”

“What is it?”

“You teased me and ran away. I’m not telling you.”

“……”

After helping the elderly couple tidy up the kitchen, Liu Zhiqiu went out and brought the cart around. “Dad, Mom, Little White Lotus — hurry up, time to set out!”

“We’re coming, we’re coming, stop rushing us!” Liu Erlin called from inside the house, soon emerging together with Du Juan.

Only then did Liu Muqiu realize that the two of them had gone back to their room earlier to change clothes. Both had put on the fine cotton robes they usually reserved for New Year or festive occasions. They looked well-dressed and radiant.

This scene only made her even more confused.

Everyone in the family was acting strangely today. What on earth was going on?

It seemed like something had happened that everyone knew about… except her.

“Little White Lotus, get in the cart, quick!” The shout from the gate came again, brushing away the trace of disappointment that had just risen in Liu Muqiu’s heart.

“Coming.” She quickly lifted her skirt and stepped out, not forgetting to bid farewell to the two elders.

The carriage slowly set off. The two elders sitting beside her wore broad smiles, joy practically radiating from their faces.

Liu Muqiu wanted to ask but didn’t dare. Twisting her fingers, she agonized all the way there.

From Xinghua Village to town was only a quarter of an hour’s ride by carriage.

By now it was already the end of April, and the south had begun stepping into early summer. Women who loved beauty had already swapped into light, airy dresses, draped in brightly colored jackets — the streets were filled with vibrant sights.

Liu Muqiu loved beautiful things too, but unlike those women, she hadn’t yet shed her thin padded jacket for pretty dresses. After being injured twice, her body had become sensitive to the cold.

If she ever prioritized looking pretty, Zhiqiu would frown and personally drape her in a thick, bulky jacket.

As a result, compared to other women, she always wore more layers, making her figure look a bit cumbersome, lacking the graceful lightness typical of young women.

She reached out and touched her own face. Thankfully, she had lightly applied some powder that morning. At least her complexion wasn’t inferior to the pretty girls on the street.

Besides, her Brother Zhiqiu wasn’t someone who could be easily swayed by others anyway.

Thinking of this, Liu Muqiu lifted the small curtain by her side and coldly swept her gaze over all the women glancing toward the carriage — their eyes falling on the man driving it.

Shameless vixens, all of them — their eyes lit up the moment they saw the carriage and the handsome man!

This little action went completely unnoticed by Liu Zhiqiu, who was sitting at the front of the carriage.

But Liu Erlin and his wife caught it all and chuckled to themselves.

When the carriage stopped in front of a jewelry store, Liu Zhiqiu jumped down first and helped everyone else down one by one.

“Brother Zhiqiu, are we here to buy jewelry today?” Liu Muqiu asked as she followed him inside.

“Not only are we buying jewelry, we’re also going to order two full sets of bridal hair ornaments,” Du Juan said with a smile from ahead.

Ordering bridal hair ornaments — those were typically used for weddings. Liu Muqiu suddenly understood. “Ah, so we’re here to buy the wedding jewelry for Aunt Hong.”

The family laughed without saying anything, and Liu Muqiu felt that she was right in her guess, but also felt like there was something she had overlooked.

As soon as they entered the store, the shopkeeper came forward to greet them. While he might not recognize others, Second Young Master Liu, who often frequented the town, was definitely a familiar face.

Even though the things Liu Zhiqiu had bought in the past were not of the highest quality, the family was wealthy and well-established, so they could not afford to treat him poorly.

At any moment, he might decide to buy something of high quality, after all.

Du Juan was quick and efficient, and soon had two sets of hairpieces ordered from the shopkeeper—one in gold, one in silver. Afterward, she pulled Liu Erlin away to buy other things, leaving Liu Zhiqiu and Liu Muqiu to continue looking at individual pieces of jewelry.

“Do you need me to help you choose?”

Liu Zhiqiu’s gaze swept across the various pieces of jewelry on the counter, leading Liu Muqiu over to the section with the higher-end pieces. “Choose what you like, I’ll buy it for you.”

Liu Muqiu paused for a moment. “I don’t need to wear these. I’m at home all the time, buying them would be a waste.”

“A woman adorns herself for the one she loves, how could that be a waste?” He picked up a golden hairpin, held it up to her hair, didn’t like it, then swapped it for a jade hairpin.

Liu Muqiu was now completely confused.