Chapter 69: A love with holes.

The conversation soon pivoted from Xixi’s crimes and the charges her mother had already read to her. It moved to Liwu’s marriage.

“I still can’t believe that you are married to Shen Weifeng.” She giggled. “The man may not be able to keep his zipper closed around beautiful women but he is divine. In a wicked way of course.”

Liwu took the last Moo Shu pork pancake before Xifeng could snatch it. Her eyes drifted to the man her sister was calling divine and wicked, two words that did not go together.

He and his men were gathering around a stone table in the courtyard, a big distance away from where she and her sisters were. It seemed like they were going to have their dinner outside as well.

“Has he given you a rose?” Xixi asked, after careful consideration.

Liwu was yet to respond when Xifeng cut in authoritatively, “They say if he intends to pursue a woman, he gives her a rose. It is like saying ’woman you are marked.’” She deepened her voice to say this, tipping her chin and making her eyes sultry.

Liwu almost choked on the pancake. Her sister had been watching the wrong dominant CEO dramas, or was it Mafias? It was hard to keep up with Xifeng’s romantic obsessions in the entertainment world. “Marked! Like a dog marking its territory?”

Xifeng brushed the disgust in Liwu’s voice away. “Big sis, Sister Bai said you two were perfect for each other. If he is to mark a woman, who better than you? Thank God silly Xixi over here did not take away your only chance to find a good husband.”

Liwu thought of all the meddling her husband had been doing in her career. The man was good, but only to the city. He seemed to be obsessed with it more than the city master himself. “Yeah…good,” she muttered.

“And he is generous to all his girlfriends when he is dating them.” Xifeng continued. “I heard he spent twenty five million to buy a restaurant in the Flame district for a chef he was dating. Something to do with a wager on her skills.”

“So he is a gambler.” Liwu said sarcastically.

Xifeng sighed. “You really don’t like him. Is this because of the so-called feud between our families? It does not exist by the way, Shen Biao is the one that is causing the friction. Just focus on enjoying your freedom and life with your drop dead gorgeous husband.”

Liwu sighed. “Can we not talk about this? I skipped the ’talk about boys at night with torches under the blanket phase.’ Why don’t we discuss why you are here Xifeng? How did the cranky Elder Zhang take his eyes off his prize great great granddaughter?”

Xifeng snorted. “I am over eighteen, he does not control me anymore. But, I am not here for a vacation. I have a performance in the Lotus Quarter district next week so I figured that I might as well tour the city we were once forbidden from stepping foot into.”

Xixi leaned forward suddenly and asked, “Do you remember when we were five and mom and dad took us to a circus and the lion leaped through a ring of fire to come after Liwu.”

The sisters laughed.

At Weijun’s table, he was sipping his third glass of rice wine, watching Liwu secretly. Every time he heard laughter coming from her direction, his heart thumped nervously.

“What do you think they are talking about?” Mo Xia asked.

Cross replied lazily, “Definitely Sweet Rose.”

The rest laughed.

Weijun snorted and downed another glass of rice wine. “Don’t call me that.”

“Yes, call him doll,” Reed sniggered.

Weijun glared at him too. “Do not call me that either.”

“We should go over there.” Cross suggested.

Firmly, Hale replied, “No.”

Zhao Lang disagreed, “Cross is right Hale, we should go over there. First we had Tai Liwu in the city. Then it was Old Tai and his wife and Zhang Alix. Now, we have Zhang Xifeng. Next week, it will be the second batch of the Zhang quintuplets and that scheming elder Zhang. The Bureau is already opening two more branches in the city, one in the Flame district and one in Lotus quarters.

Tai Liwu continues to pretend that she not interested in all the traps that we have set for her but somehow, she is getting her way everywhere. Only by interacting more with them can we learn their true motives.”

Before Weijun could even stop them, Cross was on his fist, bellowing ’sister-in-law,’ at the top of his voice.

Zhao Lang captured one of Weijun’s arms and Reed captured the other one. They dragged him to follow a very loud Cross that was still shouting ’sister-in-law’ as if it was a song.

When they reached the women’s table, Reed and Lang practically shoved Weijun towards Liwu. They were laughing too loudly as they did this He stumbled, arms flailing, and landed squarely in his wife’s lap.

Luckily she had quick reflexes and she wrapped her hands around his waist, to keep him from falling to the ground. Everyone else around them laughed, but Weijun’s ears turned red and hot.

In the chaos, as the table was being cleared by Weijun’s men, a cup of tea toppled and splashed Liwu’s sleeve. She pushed Weijun away and rose quickly.

“I’ll change, or shower and sleep.” she murmured, retreating to the house. Weijun followed, stammering apologies. “Sorry about them. I didn’t mean–They pushed me—I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

Liwu increased her speed, vanishing into the bathroom totally. Inside, she locked the door and paused to catch her breath. Outside suspects and family, she had never been so close to a man like the way she was with Weijun. Even something as simple as putting her arms around his waist caused her to embarrassed!

She splashed cold water on her face, and decided to shower. When she left the bathroom, Weijun was in the bedroom, standing at the window.

The faint sound of Xixi and Xifeng’s laughter drifted through the courtyard. It was accompanied by his men’s shouts and the clatter of playful games.

“I won’t be returning to the courtyard.” She said quietly. “I have to get up early tomorrow.”

“Me too.” he replied sincerely.

After bathing, he joined her in bed. They laid down, staring at the ceiling, listening to the others. Liwu’s toes danced nervously. Weijun thought back to the question she had asked in the car.

“I don’t love her.” He blurted out. “Manman. I used to love her, now I am not sure anymore. I don’t know what I feel for her currently–maybe I am confused. Or maybe I am just tired of competing for her heart with my brother. It doesn’t help that you called her a shared wife.”

Liwu laughed. “It was just a cheap shot.”

He moved his head slightly. “I know that and so does she, but, it stung. Her affections are shared between him and I. I don’t know if I will ever truly own her heart completely. I will always have that doubt in the back of my mind, even if she chooses me.

Lately, I have been wondering if she is the right choice for me. And, I have been thinking that my brother sacrificed too much for me. Happiness is a debt I owe him. Maybe it is time I give her up completely.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep