Chapter 47: Chapter 47: Apology

Although Lu Huan said that, she was truly helpless when Ares ignored her. She wouldn’t dare actually report Ares to the Female Protection Association.

For one, Lu Xiao hadn’t helped solve her problem yet. Even if she had, the most Lu Huan could do was complain to Earl Lu Ge Wei. If she actually took it to the Female Protection Association, Lu Ge Wei would punish her and teach her the meaning of not airing one’s dirty laundry in public.

Females like them were incredibly vain. Even if their family was in complete turmoil, they had to present a front of perfect harmony to the outside world.

If word about Ares got out and Earl Lu Ge Wei felt disgraced, the consequences for Lu Huan would be dire.

Her mother had no sense of familial affection to speak of. If she was displeased, she would punish them without a second thought.

They had known this since they were children.

Ares paid Lu Huan’s words no mind. As long as Lu Xiao didn’t despise him, the opinions of other females were irrelevant.

He changed his clothes and came out of his room. Just as Lu Huan had thought, he was indeed going to cook a meal before Lu Xiao woke up. He couldn’t possibly let Lu Xiao, who was so exhausted, wake up and have to cook for herself.

When Lu Huan suddenly saw him emerge, she jumped in fright, simply because Ares was so tall.

Even when he did nothing, his mere presence was imposing. And that was without even considering that he had been to war.

Lu Huan subconsciously took a step back. “What are you doing?”

But Ares completely ignored her, heading straight downstairs into the kitchen without even sparing her a glance.

Lu Huan watched him until he was inside the kitchen, a smirk unconsciously forming on her lips. ’See? There isn’t a single male who isn’t afraid of the Female Protection Association.’

’No matter how tough Ares acts, all I had to do was say the word, and didn’t he obediently go off to cook?’

With this in mind, Lu Huan deliberately took a stroll past the kitchen doorway to serve as a warning to Ares.

Lu Xiao slept until the afternoon. When she woke, her entire body felt like it was about to fall apart. ’Looks like I need to schedule in some exercise,’ she thought. ’Otherwise, this body won’t be able to take much of a beating.’

With that thought, Lu Xiao threw back the covers to get out of bed and wash up. She was hungry.

The food from the shelter’s kitchen had been so awful that she hadn’t eaten her fill at all.

In all the time she’d been here, she had yet to have a satisfying meal outside; the flavors were always strange.

After washing up and changing her clothes, Lu Xiao opened her door and headed downstairs, only to hear Lu Huan saying to Ares, “What right do you have to stop me from eating? Believe me, if you keep this up, I’ll really go to the Female Protection Association and report you for disrespect!”

Lu Xiao’s brow furrowed. “What do you think you’re doing?”

The sudden voice startled Lu Huan, who had been acting high and mighty in front of Ares. She quickly turned to Lu Xiao. “Y-you’re awake? Why didn’t you sleep in a little longer?”

Lu Xiao was already downstairs, her gaze sweeping over Lu Huan. “Did you make this food?”

Before she could answer, Ares spoke up. “I did. Would you like to eat?”

Lu Xiao wasn’t surprised that Ares had prepared a meal for her. He had always been so thoughtful.

“Yes, I’m starving.” With that, Lu Xiao went straight to the dining table.

Lu Huan followed behind her. “Lu Xiao, I want to eat too! I’m hungry!”

“You’re hungry?” Lu Xiao glanced at her after sitting down. “Haven’t I told you to do things for yourself? If you’re hungry, you cook for yourself. Didn’t I already teach you yesterday?”

“I haven’t learned how,” Lu Huan mumbled, looking down. “Can I just wait until I’ve learned it properly?”

“So if you never manage to learn, does that mean someone else has to cook for you for the rest of your life? ’Not knowing how’ isn’t an excuse, and I don’t accept it.” Lu Xiao gave her a chilling smile. “Did you think that just because I wasn’t home, you could bully Ares whenever you pleased? Have I or have I not told you that he is your brother-in-law and that you need to show him a basic level of respect? You want to eat the food he made, yet you threaten him? Who taught you to behave like that?”

At this, Lu Xiao slammed her hand on the table with a loud BANG, startling Lu Huan. Her eyes immediately reddened. “I… I was just so hungry, and he wouldn’t let me eat, so I got desperate! I was just talking! I never intended to actually report him!”

“Hmph. ’Just talking.’ You’re an adult now. Do I still need to teach you what you should and shouldn’t say? Lu Huan, I’m not our mother. I have no obligation to you. If you can promise me that you will never come to me for help again, no matter what happens, you can leave right now.” Lu Xiao pointed toward the entryway, her meaning perfectly clear.

Throughout this exchange, Ares acted as if he didn’t sense the tension between the two sisters at all, calmly placing the dishes one by one in front of Lu Xiao.

He even thoughtfully poured her a glass of sparkling water.

Lu Huan was speechless.

’Could they be any more infuriating?!’

“Go on, leave,” Lu Xiao said. “Once you walk out that door, no one will be there to boss you around. You’ll be free. You won’t have to put up with this kind of treatment from me anymore.”

Lu Huan wanted to leave, but she knew perfectly well that if she really walked out that door, Lu Xiao wouldn’t help her with her problem.

’I’ve already wasted so much time here. If I leave now, all my suffering will have been for nothing!’

’I’m not leaving!’

“I was wrong, Sis. I won’t do it again. Please, just give me one more chance.”

Lu Xiao looked at Lu Huan, who was bowing her head and putting on a pitiful act. “I’m not the one you should be apologizing to.”

Unwilling as she was, what choice did she have but to bow her head?

Lu Xiao was growing truly annoyed that Lu Huan still couldn’t grasp the situation.

Lu Huan understood what Lu Xiao meant. After all, she wasn’t a complete idiot.

Gritting her teeth, she looked up at Ares. “Brother-in-law, I was wrong. I shouldn’t have spoken to you like that. It won’t happen again.”

Ares knew that Lu Xiao was doing this to crush Lu Huan’s arrogance and, at the same time, make Lu Huan acknowledge his status.

He was deeply moved by Lu Xiao’s actions.

He couldn’t care less whether Lu Huan’s apology was sincere.

So he didn’t say a word to her, simply turning to Lu Xiao and asking, “Is the food alright today?”

“It’s delicious. Ares, your cooking is getting better and better.” Ares had learned just by cooking with her a few times, making him countless times better than Lu Huan, whom she had tried so hard to teach. “Alright, don’t just stand there. If you want to eat, cook it yourself. The kitchen is stocked with ingredients. I taught you so many dishes yesterday. Don’t tell me you didn’t remember a single one?”

Lu Huan couldn’t believe she still had to cook for herself even after apologizing, but she didn’t dare argue. “I know.”

With that, she turned and walked silently toward the kitchen, hoping that Lu Xiao might have a pang of conscience and call her back.

“Wait,” Lu Xiao said suddenly.

Lu Huan stopped in her tracks. Suppressing her delight, she turned, shot Lu Xiao a pitiful glance, but couldn’t stop the corners of her lips from curling up. She was fully prepared to be called back to eat.

But instead, she heard Lu Xiao say, “When you’re done cooking, clean the kitchen. Don’t leave a huge mess everywhere for someone else to clean up. Got it?”

“…Got it,” she sniffled.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep