FID – Chapter 915

Chapter 915: Brother, This Time You’ll Have to Bear the Burden 

There was a brief silence in the room.

Although quiet, Liu Zhiqiu’s face showed little emotion—calm, composed, and steady.

“Second Brother?” Liu Yusheng frowned, unable to read what her brother was thinking.

“If she doesn’t get treatment, she’ll never be able to have children?” Liu Zhiqiu asked.

“Not forever. Her body hasn’t fully recovered yet. If she’s completely restored, there’s a chance she could conceive. But when that might happen, I can’t say. Maybe one or two years, maybe eight or ten, or maybe she’ll never fully recover in her lifetime.”

“I understand,” Liu Zhiqiu nodded in response.

“That’s it?” Liu Yusheng looked a bit stunned. She thought even if Second Brother wasn’t overly emotional, he’d at least show some sadness.

He usually seemed carefree and casual, but he was actually quite thoughtful.

Seeing her silly expression, Liu Zhiqiu reached out to ruffle her hair with a smile. “Why the face? Your Second Brother is perfectly normal, no problem.”

“Second Brother, do you love Muqiu?” Liu Yusheng suddenly asked.

If he did, she didn’t understand why he was so calm.

Putting herself in her shoes, if she couldn’t get pregnant and was troubled by it, then Feng Qingbai would be even more pained—because he cared deeply.

Liu Zhiqiu smiled and ruffled her hair once more before leaving.

Watching the man’s retreating back, Liu Yusheng suddenly felt a headache. She found herself unable to understand her Second Brother.

If he didn’t love Muqiu, he wouldn’t have married her.

But if he did love her, how could such a big matter evoke no reaction from him at all?

After leaving Liu Yusheng’s room, Liu Zhiqiu stood in the courtyard for a long while before heading back to his own room.

He stopped at the door.

Inside came muffled cries, the fragmented sobs carrying a weight of pain that could crush one’s very spine.

She cried for nearly half an hour, and he stood there listening for just as long.

He didn’t go in to comfort her, just listened. Only when the old lady’s call to eat breakfast echoed from outside the courtyard did he quietly leave.

The front hall was lively.

They say three women make a street; here there were four women. The noise inside surpassed even that of a whole street.

“Your Majesty, Grandmother, First Aunt, Mother, what are you all talking about? From outside, it sounds like you’re arguing,” Liu Zhiqiu said as he entered, his usual carefree expression intact.

Du Juan shot him a sharp glance. “What else can we talk about? Look at our family. Among the younger generation, your eldest brother and sister both have kids already. You’re the second oldest, got married the latest, and had kids the latest. When will you let Mom hold her eldest grandson? Every day I’m just jealous of your eldest brother’s wife!”

“What’s there to be jealous of? If you want the eldest grandchild, just bring over Maodou, Badou, and Hongdou. Aren’t they your grandchildren too?”

“You little brat! You’re playing with words with your mother! Even if you bring all three kids over, you still have to produce an heir yourself, right? It’s one thing if you’re at the end of your line, but you can’t let your dad’s lineage die out!”

“How could my dad’s line ever die out? Mom, you’re not that old yet. Have one or two more kids with Dad, like flowers blooming on an old tree. My dad definitely won’t be the end of the line.”

Du Juan got furious, her hair flaring. “Hey, you little brat, talk all you want, but you don’t want to have kids, do you? I waited so long, hoping you’d get married just to hold that eldest grandson. If not, I don’t care what happens to you! You’re seriously going to drive your mother crazy!”

Liu Zhiqiu rubbed his nose and quietly backed away. On the other side, Grandma Liu and Chen Xiulan each handed Du Juan some ‘weapons,’ fully supporting her tough love approach.

Feeling the situation turning sour, Liu Zhiqiu tried to sneak away, but then another old woman shouted, “Qin Xiao, grab him! Talking back to your own mother. What kind of behavior is that? He needs to be taught a lesson!”

Liu Zhiqiu, “…” Is today my unlucky day or what?

At that, fans and shoe soles came flying at him all at once, making the hall’s noise rival that of two busy streets.

After getting scolded, Liu Zhiqiu lost his appetite and couldn’t enjoy his breakfast. When Liu Miuqiu came out last at the table and saw her man’s swollen and bruised face, her eyes reddened with worry.

Leaning his head on the woman’s thin, slender shoulder, Liu Zhiqiu acted out of sorts. “Little White Lotus, you’re the only one who really cares about me.”

Liu Miuqiu smiled softly, but there was a trace of bitterness hidden in her smile. The man noticed it but said nothing.

In the afternoon, when it was time to go out and have some fun, Liu Zhiqiu excitedly pulled out a horse, patting its neck. “That day Feng Qingbai, General Qin, and Xue Qinglian all came riding horses. I was so jealous! Men riding horses are really full of spirit!”

Then he challenged Feng Qingbai and Xue Qinglian, “You two, bring your horses out too. Let’s have a horse race!”

Xue Qinglian immediately snorted. “With your riding skills? Don’t embarrass yourself. Racing you would be no challenge. No thanks.”

Feng Qingbai also said, “You go ahead and play by yourself. I’m a father now; that’s too childish for me.”

“All right, all right, you’re all experts and look down on these things. Can’t I just play by myself?” With that, Liu Zhiqiu swung himself onto the horse. “I’ll just go for a quick ride around and come back, then find you later.”

“Brother Zhiqiu, racehorses have a fiery temperament, be careful!” Liu Miuqiu called after him anxiously.

Back at home, Liu Zhiqiu had ridden the family horses before, but those were tame ones. Today’s horse was a warhorse brought by General Qin—fiery and spirited.

The man winked at her from the saddle. “Don’t you know your man’s skills? Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. I’ll be back soon.”

Then he squeezed his legs against the horse’s belly. “Giddy-up!”

The steed neighed sharply and galloped off.

For some reason, Liu Miuqiu felt heavy and anxious inside, the worry lingering without fading.

Nearby, Du Juan saw her expression and smiled. “That guy knows his limits; nothing will happen. No need to worry. Come on, let’s go with Mom to the back mountain to see the warm spring.”

Behind the villa was a warm spring where people could bathe, said to be very good for health. Since the first day, Du Juan and the others had wanted to check it out.

The women, along with the Empress Dowager, decided to go and firmly pulled Liu Miuqiu along.

Little did they know, the man they said ‘nothing will happen to’ was out there causing trouble for himself.

The steed galloped swiftly all the way to a hillside near the villa before finally stopping. On the horse’s back, Liu Zhiqiu patted its neck and said, “Brother, this time I’m going to trouble you. There’s no choice. Since you can’t talk, you just have to bear this grievance. Later, I’ll feed you some extra fresh grass and have Feng Qingbai fatten you up a bit.”

He glanced toward the slope beside him, searching for a suitable spot.

After some calculation, Liu Zhiqiu let out a long sigh, then dismounted directly from the horse and rolled down the slope.

The descent was like sparks and lightning, rocks and tree roots on the hill banged into him, making stars flash before his eyes and his blood surge.

He swore that after this, for the rest of his life, he would never put himself through such pain again!