Chapter 170: Chapter 170: Jealousy

Lu Xiao looked at Vice Admiral Fred, who had finally spoken. She could sense the seriousness in his tone—or rather, the man confessing to her at this moment was exceptionally serious.

He even carried a certain resolve.

She knew a few words from her wouldn’t be enough to sway him.

Moreover, Lu Xiao was well aware that Fred was different from all the other males who had confessed to her in the past. He had his own mind, his own principles and boundaries. He knew exactly what he wanted and what he was willing to reject. He was already one of the Empire’s most elite males, a man in control of his own destiny. He wasn’t someone she could simply dismiss with a few words of refusal.

Lu Xiao’s feelings were complicated. It would be a lie to say Fred’s confession didn’t affect her, but her overwhelming emotion was helplessness. After all, she had never thought of him in a romantic way.

Although she had foreseen what would happen today, it did nothing to shake her conviction.

She smiled. “I think you already know my answer.”

Fred gave a slight nod. “I figured as much, but I still wanted you to know how I feel. I hope that if you ever change your mind, you’ll consider me first.”

Lu Xiao sighed. “Perhaps to you, or to many people, my conviction seems strange and unrealistic. You might think I’ll change my mind one day, but that’s just not going to happen. ’One partner for a lifetime’—that’s my absolute rule. Even if the day comes when Ares and I are no longer in love, the bonds of family and a sense of responsibility will still be there. As long as our marriage exists, I won’t consider anyone else.

“Vice Admiral Fred, I’m telling you this because I don’t want you to waste your time on me. You should go and find your own happiness. I believe that one day, you’ll meet someone who wants to spend their entire life with just one person. That is my wish for you. Because you’re a wonderful person—I’ll admit that. And I’m grateful for your feelings. It’s an honor for me, truly. But that’s as far as this can go.”

’To Fred, even her rejection was gentle.’

“I’ve received your well wishes. But I’m still going to persist. I hope you can understand.”

Lu Xiao shrugged. ’It’s obvious that for Fred to come and confess, he must have thought everything through. If he was the type to be swayed by a few words of rejection, he wouldn’t have come at all.’ She wasn’t surprised, just resigned. “Then do as you wish. Just don’t interfere in my life, Vice Admiral Fred.”

“I won’t. Shall I take you home?”

“No need. See that? That’s my new car. It’s beautiful, isn’t it? All sparkly and gold.” Lu Xiao pointed to her prized vehicle, showing it off because she truly adored her new car. “Anyway, I should go. Ares is probably getting anxious waiting for me at home. Goodbye, Fred. I won’t be meeting with you privately anymore. It’s better for both of us if we keep our distance. Time changes everything.”

With that, Lu Xiao got into her car without looking back.

She was gentle, but also incredibly direct.

’She had laid everything out so plainly that it would be his fault if he continued to pursue her.’

’But this was Lu Xiao.’ After meeting such a wonderful female, Fred felt that not expressing his feelings would be the biggest regret of his life.

He wouldn’t regret anything he’d done today, even if Lu Xiao truly never saw him again.

He turned his head to look nearby. “Major General Ares, how much longer are you going to hide? Shouldn’t you be at home waiting for Lu Xiao to get back?”

Called out suddenly, Ares stepped out from a dense thicket of trees. His expression was neutral, showing no embarrassment at being discovered by Fred. “Don’t let your feelings bring Lu Xiao grief and trouble, Vice Admiral Fred. Keep your own heart in check.”

Fred nodded. “I will. Thank you for the reminder, Major General Ares. But you’re not angry?”

’The fact that Ares was here at all proved he wasn’t indifferent to his presence.’

“When Admiral Clan first introduced you to Lu Xiao, I didn’t object. I even encouraged her to accept you, but you’ve already seen how that turned out.” Ares paused for a moment. “Truthfully, I am a little angry, and I do mind your presence a great deal. But this is an emotion any male with a female master has. I’m no exception.”

’These feelings had nothing to do with his trust in Lu Xiao. It was his own deep-seated possessiveness rearing its head. He’d been on edge ever since he got her message. He knew that no matter how restrained Fred tried to be, the signs were still there. Besides, what male could possibly resist someone as wonderful as Lu Xiao?’

’He knew this was bound to happen sooner or later, but his possessiveness still flared up. Even though he was certain Lu Xiao would say no, he had to see it for himself. He had to watch her reject Fred, as if that was the only way to quiet the dark, ugly part of his soul.’

As a fellow male, Fred found this easy to understand, so he didn’t press the issue. He just asked, “When Lu Xiao gets home and doesn’t see you, won’t she realize what you’ve done?”

A faint smile touched Ares’s lips. “Then she’ll just have to comfort me, won’t she?”

The light in Fred’s eyes dimmed. “Damn you.”

On her way home, Lu Xiao made a point of buying a bouquet of flowers. She wasn’t sure if Ares was at home worrying, but she felt she needed to make a gesture of reassurance, even though she had already rejected Vice Admiral Fred’s confession.

But thinking of Ares, she couldn’t help but feel a little guilty.

When she opened the door, however, he wasn’t there. Lu Xiao’s eyes widened in surprise. Just as she was about to message Ares and ask where he was, the door swung open from the outside. Ares walked in, also holding a bouquet of flowers. By some unspoken agreement, they had both even chosen lilies.

Their eyes met, and they both looked at each other in surprise.

Then, their surprise melted into laughter. “Where did you go? How did you get home later than I did?”

Lu Xiao walked over and took the lilies from him. As she was about to place them in the vase with her own, Ares wrapped his arms around her from behind. “I’m sorry, Xiao Xiao. I have to confess something. I eavesdropped on your conversation with Vice Admiral Fred. I know it was wrong, but after I got your message, I couldn’t stop worrying. I’m not as understanding as I pretended to be. The truth is… I really, really mind.”

Surprise flashed in Lu Xiao’s eyes. ’She really hadn’t expected Ares to do something like this.’ She looked up, meeting his shame-filled gaze, and reached out to cup his face. “Ares, are you jealous?”

The word “jealous” seemed to pierce right through him. The tips of his ears flushed red, but he nodded. “Yes, Xiao Xiao. I’m so, so jealous!”

Lu Xiao looked at Ares pouting playfully at her, her eyes filled with a mix of amusement and satisfaction. Unable to resist, she gave him a quick kiss. “I’m so happy, Ares. You’ve finally learned to express your possessiveness. I’m so pleased. Tomorrow, let’s go to the registration center and change your status to main husband!”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep