I Got Rich in Period Fiction-Chapter 87: Gentle Chivalry

These prior causes were never going to occur for her, thus, so-called disastrous consequences were naturally avoided.

But Su Yunyao was annoyingly lively.

She needed to think of a way to deal with her.

Qiao Qingyu stood at the door, glancing at the busy front yard of the Li family.

Brother Li had returned. This was the first time Qiao Qingyu had seen him in person. Li Zhiqiang was tall and burly, with thick eyebrows and big eyes, emanating an aura of erudition.

He came to help Sister-in-law Li tidy up. Moreover, it had been a long time since he last came home after completing work tasks, and his bosses had given him three days off.

Hence, all the sounds heard in the front yard were from Xiao Hu talking noisily.

According to Sister-in-law Li, her husband used to frequently mention a newly graduated female college student, describing her as exceptionally intelligent and quick to learn, and a Southerner with a pleasant voice.

At that time, the speaker might have been without intention, and the listener, too, without any purpose. However, ever since Qiao Qingyu reminded Sister-in-law Li with those words, that night, Sister-in-law Li shared this matter with Qiao Qingyu.

Of course, Qiao Qingyu advised her to be on guard, not for others but for her and Xiao Hu.

She only hoped that He Xiuyu would quickly root out all the spies at the base.

...

That evening, He Xiuyu brought He Xuerong back home.

Qiao Qingyu had already prepared the meal. Having returned from Yushu County the day before and bought three pounds of meat from the grocery store because the weather was getting warmer and there was no refrigerator, Qiao Qingyu minced the meat. She fried half of it with yellow bean paste to make meat sauce. Then she uprooted the small bok choy from the wooden crate, blanched, and chopped it, mixing it with the other half of the meat and fresh green onion to wrap wontons.

He Xuerong loved eating them, and while eating, she occasionally looked up at Qiao Qingyu quietly.

Qiao Qingyu naturally noticed such changes. Although the young girl was still silent, her eyes were no longer as vacant as before. For instance, when she looked at you, it wasn’t like before—as if looking through you at someone else—giving a rather eerie feeling.

Now, her gaze was focused, adding more expression to her eyes.

Qiao Qingyu then looked at He Xiuyu questioningly.

He Xiuyu put down his chopsticks. Qiao Qingyu was a skilled cook, and he felt this was the most delicious wonton he had eaten over the years.

People often described delicious food as "so good you could swallow your tongue," and at that moment, He Xiuyu felt it wasn’t an exaggeration.

He knew what Qiao Qingyu’s look meant and began speaking slowly, "This morning Rongrong woke up very early. I took her to our new house, and told her that you were planning to plant snowdrops and Rainbow Flowers for her. Rongrong can understand words from the outside world, even if she doesn’t respond. But after I told her these words, she actually hugged my neck..."

Although his voice was soft and unhurried, Qiao Qingyu caught a hint of a choke in it, causing her to look up seriously at He Xiuyu.

In truth, he didn’t need to bother with He Xuerong at all. He Xuerong was not his responsibility; she had grandparents and parents who could take care of her, so it shouldn’t be his place to do so. Moreover, honestly, having a child with autism around was a real hassle.

But he unhesitatingly brought the child to the Northwest.

Despite his busy work schedule, he took care of her meticulously and never thought it was his duty just because she was his wife’s child.

Unless there was a special circumstance, he always kept He Xuerong by his side.

Perhaps it stemmed from a kind of distrust, but more so, it proved that the man possessed a sense of responsibility and a very warm heart.

If described using words from martial arts novels, this was a man with a chivalrous heart and tender feelings.

Such a man was truly charming in every sense of the word.

No wonder Su Yunyao behaved like a mad dog every day.

So, Qiao Qingyu began to complain.

"This morning, Su Yunyao came to our house, and she told me that there are many letters in your locked study, written between you and a girl named Anna. Some of them were even delivered back and forth by her..."

He Xiuyu’s brows slightly furrowed as his gaze fell on Qiao Qingyu’s face, trying to discern her mental state as she spoke these words.

She was calm, simply stating the facts.

When He Xiuyu was sure that Qiao Qingyu wouldn’t get angry, a tinge of disappointment lingered in his heart.

It seemed Qiao Qingyu truly didn’t like him anymore.

After he disagreed to a divorce, she quickly adjusted their way of interacting, and indeed, Qiao Qingyu was smart. Their current relationship was that of harmonious friends.

Actually, it was for the best, for now.

Until she truly came of age.

Yet, He Xiuyu still felt somewhat uneasy, attributing this feeling to a man’s inexplicable pride.

So, he calmed his emotions and smiled, "Anna is the daughter of the An family in our compound; her grandmother is from Country S. Three years ago, she was taken away."

He Xiuyu stood up as he spoke, feeling that demonstrating his point with facts would be most convincing.

Otherwise, any explanation here would be feeble.

He stood up, saying to Qiao Qingyu, "Clean up later, come with me first."

Qiao Qingyu knew He Xiuyu wanted to show her something as proof that he wasn’t involved in anything shameful with Anna—after all, He Xiuyu was still trustworthy.

But currently, Qiao Qingyu truly didn’t want to delve into his past.

This was the truth; she had no interest in knowing about his past relationships.

Qiao Qingyu quickly smiled, "Actually, Su Yunyao’s intent was to make me so angry and jealous that I’d smash your door lock, but being the clever person I am, I wouldn’t fall for her trick. I trust you, so there’s no need to look, right?"

He Xiuyu stood at the door, his gaze turning somewhat somber.

He didn’t want to stop here with Qiao Qingyu.

This was his wife, with whom he would have children, who would be their children’s mother—he even had their children’s names picked out.

So, he hoped Qiao Qingyu would get closer to him.

He Xiuyu slightly curled the corner of his mouth, his voice gentle, "Taking a look wouldn’t hurt. When you see Su Yunyao, you can tell her that I’ve shown you all the correspondence with Anna..."

"Su Yunyao said they’re all written in a foreign language, and I don’t understand it. Even if I read them, it’d be pointless."

"I can translate for you..."

He Xiuyu stated as a matter of course.

Qiao Qingyu fell silent, "Then I’ll look after I finish tidying up."

"It won’t take much time, just two letters."

"Alright." Qiao Qingyu reluctantly agreed.