Volume 3, Chapter 250 – Choice?

Weighing benefits and calculating gains and losses, then making the choice most advantageous to oneself.

This was Chi Xiyan’s approach.

Even Chi Xiyan’s own marriage could be used as a bargaining chip for exchanging benefits.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have agreed back then to establish a marriage contract with a man she had never met.

That man called Song Shixuan was both the legitimate son of the Nanhe Song Clan and the final disciple of Lingxiao Sword Sect’s Sect Master Jiang Hongliang.

Either identity could bring Chi Xiyan enormous assistance.

For Chi Xiyan, this was a business deal that guaranteed profit without loss.

So what about Yu Lizhi?

She was no longer chaste. How should she be treated in the future?

She had no cultivation and no particular skills. The only things she had going for her were the identity of the Chi family’s second young lady and a pretty face.

A marriage alliance should have been her greatest use.

Never mind other Chi family members, even Chi Jingwen would make the same choice.

But now…

Chi Xiyan unconsciously clenched her palm.

From the perspective of gains and losses, Yu Lizhi had lost her virginity and couldn’t marry. Chi Xiyan had lost a bargaining chip for transactions.

For Chi Xiyan, this wasn’t good news.

She should be angry about this. Yu Lizhi had actually concealed such an important matter from her.

Then she would need to recalculate Yu Lizhi’s value.

Everything should have been like this.

After all, for these past ten-plus years, Chi Xiyan had always acted this way.

But… why were the emotions in her heart not like this?

A raging fire did indeed ignite in her chest, but the target of her anger wasn’t Yu Lizhi.

Aside from anger, Chi Xiyan also felt a trace of an emotion that was utterly unfamiliar to her.

This wasn’t an emotion she should have. It made her uncomfortable.

Chi Xiyan’s tightly clenched fist grew even tighter.

“Sister… is this truly impossible?”

The girl’s soft voice interrupted Chi Xiyan’s contemplation.

She raised her head and saw the girl’s black eyes, dim and lackluster.

Seeing her pitiful appearance, Chi Xiyan felt that inexplicable emotion surge up again in her heart.

She didn’t understand this feeling.

However, her face still displayed a gentle smile. She comforted Lu Zhuxin, “Don’t worry… there will be a way.”

“In this world, not all men are as antiquated as Chi Zhong.”

“I’ll find someone willing to accept you. I’ll have him keep your secret…”

Chi Xiyan lightly pressed her lips together. “Believe me, this matter isn’t as difficult as you think.”

“Give me some time. I’ll handle everything properly and won’t let you experience such things again.”

“The Chi family, and I, will always be your support.”

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Lu Zhuxin looked at Chi Xiyan, her face smiling sweetly. “I believe you, Sister.”

“I believe Sister can do it.”

Without even thinking, Lu Zhuxin could guess Chi Xiyan’s thoughts.

Merchants valued profit and liked to measure goods by their benefit and value.

Was the most valuable thing about Chi Muxue her chaste body?

No. The most valuable thing was actually the title of the Chi family’s second young lady.

It was the name “Chi Muxue” that had been written into the Chi family genealogy.

As long as Chi Xiyan offered sufficient benefits, finding someone to take Chi Muxue wouldn’t be difficult.

Who told the Chi family to be so wealthy?

But using this method to deal with ancient prestigious families that valued family tradition and rules wouldn’t work.

Moreover, would someone who accepted Chi Muxue for the sake of profit truly treat her sincerely?

Ha.

Chi Xiyan, don’t you understand this point?

Sending your sister into the hands of a man who would take her on for profit, can you truly bear to do that?

Chi Xiyan!

“Xiyan!”

Someone outside was calling Chi Xiyan’s name.

Lu Zhuxin’s elegant brows drew together slightly. She looked toward the sound.

The person who came was actually Qin Qingfen.

She hadn’t seen her for a while. Unexpectedly, she was still at the Chi residence.

Qin Qingfen entered the room. She saw Lu Zhuxin, her gaze complex.

However, toward Lu Zhuxin, she only glanced once.

Qin Qingfen said to Chi Xiyan, “Xiyan, Young Master Song is waiting for you outside.”

“Young Master Song?” Chi Xiyan looked surprised.

She hadn’t expected that Young Master Song would come looking for her at this time.

“Xiyan, will you go see him?” Qin Qingfen said. “He is your fiancé, after all.”

Chi Xiyan’s fiancé?

Lu Zhuxin frowned.

That fake Song Shixuan?

What was his purpose in coming to find Chi Xiyan?

Regardless of what the Song family was plotting, Lu Zhuxin didn’t want Chi Xiyan to have excessive contact with the Song family.

The Song family was still too dangerous for Chi Xiyan.

“Sister.” Lu Zhuxin tugged on Chi Xiyan’s sleeve. “You two aren’t yet married. Meeting privately isn’t proper!”

“If word gets out, I’m afraid it will be detrimental to Sister’s reputation.”

Qin Qingfen glanced at Lu Zhuxin, then said, “Xiyan, your marriage engagement with Young Master Song is extremely important to us. We’ve been cultivating this relationship for a long time. We mustn’t neglect it!”

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“Moreover,” Qin Qingfen’s gaze flickered slightly, “this is our territory. With no outsiders present, no one will speak of your private meeting!”

“Sister!” Lu Zhuxin said urgently. “You told me that prestigious families value family tradition the most. If Sister meets Young Master Song so casually in private, I’m afraid you’ll be looked down upon!”

Qin Qingfen’s gaze toward Lu Zhuxin gradually became unfriendly. “Xiyan, don’t listen to this girl. That Young Master Song is a fine figure of a man. At a glance, he couldn’t possibly be that kind of person.”

“You’re his fiancée. It’s only right that he likes you and treats you well.”

“I’ll keep watch for you. No one will know about this.”

Ha! Song Shixuan was a fine figure of a man who couldn’t possibly be that kind of person?

Qin Qingfen really knew how to talk.

How could Lu Zhuxin not know what kind of person that turtle of a Song Shixuan was?

As the male lead of an erotic novel, calling him fickle and a womanizer was practically a compliment.

But the problem was, that man outside wasn’t Song Shixuan at all.

However, Lu Zhuxin couldn’t directly tell Chi Xiyan about this matter.

“Sister, you can’t go see that person.”

Chi Xiyan looked helplessly at Lu Zhuxin before her.

“Alright, Zhizhi, stop making a fuss.”

The black-haired girl froze slightly.

Chi Xiyan continued, “I’ve been maintaining the relationship with the Song family for a long time. Every month, Young Master Song and I exchange letters. Young Master Song isn’t that kind of person.”

“You don’t need to worry.”

“Besides, for Young Master Song to come looking for me at this time, there must be something important.”

“Wait here for me. I’ll be back soon.”

Chi Xiyan ruffled Lu Zhuxin’s hair.

“Be good.”

After saying this, she turned and walked toward the courtyard outside.

Lu Zhuxin watched Chi Xiyan’s departing figure, her gaze darkening slightly.

Another disobedient child.

Chi Xiyan, is that fiancé truly that important to you?

You’ve been exchanging letters all along?

Hehe.

The one exchanging letters with you, is it really Song Shixuan?

Lu Zhuxin didn’t remember writing about Song Shixuan and Chi Xiyan exchanging letters.

The person exchanging letters with Chi Xiyan could be anyone except Song Shixuan!

However, compared to this, what concerned Lu Zhuxin more was Chi Xiyan’s attitude.

Lu Zhuxin had been wrong all along.

She thought that as long as she got close to Chi Xiyan and slowly spent time with her, she could naturally cultivate feelings and gradually conquer her.

But Lu Zhuxin had overlooked one point: Chi Xiyan wasn’t Song Shiyuan.

Chi Xiyan was a merchant. Weighing pros and cons and calculating gains and losses was her instinct.

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No matter how good Lu Zhuxin’s relationship with Chi Xiyan became,

She would still remember her fiancé.

Even if she had no romantic feelings for that man, she would still play the role of a wife who adored her husband.

Because that man could bring her sufficient benefits.

After these past few days together, Lu Zhuxin could confirm that Chi Xiyan wasn’t completely indifferent to her as a sister.

But Chi Xiyan’s feelings for Yu Lizhi weren’t enough to change her thoughts and goals.

“Looks like I need to find a way to change her thinking first,” Lu Zhuxin muttered to herself as she watched Chi Xiyan’s departing figure.

Earlier, Lu Zhuxin had considered making moves against the Song family and Lingxiao Sword Sect to sabotage her marriage engagement with Chi Xiyan.

But at that time, Lu Zhuxin felt the operation was too difficult, so she had temporarily abandoned that idea.

Now, aside from making moves on Chi Xiyan herself, she couldn’t let the Song family and Lingxiao Sword Sect off either.

Previously, it had been difficult to find opportunities, but now that the Song family’s young master and people from Lingxiao Sword Sect were at the Chi residence, perhaps she could find a breakthrough.

Outside the courtyard, the faint sounds of a young man and woman conversing could be heard.

Chi Xiyan’s laughter rang like bells.

It seemed they were getting along quite well.

Lu Zhuxin only found it grating.

She raised her head, only to see Qin Qingfen staring at her coldly, her gaze full of hostility.

“Heh…” Lu Zhuxin chuckled softly and spoke to Qin Qingfen. “Oh, you’re still here? Nanny Qin.”

Qin Qingfen first froze. She hadn’t expected this girl who had always acted timid and submissive to suddenly speak to her in this tone.

Her expression immediately darkened. “I knew it! You’ve been pretending all along!”

“You lowly servant! Shameless vixen!”

“With Xiyan gone, you’re showing your true colors!”

Lu Zhuxin wasn’t worried about being discovered by Chi Xiyan. She had already checked with her spiritual consciousness that no one around was paying attention to them.

Lu Zhuxin curved her lips, looking at Qin Qingfen with eyes full of contempt. “You’re not the only one who’s seen through my true face. But Xiyan has never wavered in her trust of me. Do you know why?”

“Why?” Qin Qingfen frowned and asked.

This was also something she could never understand. Xiyan was such a clever child, so why could she never see through this lowly servant’s true face?

“Hehe.” Lu Zhuxin chuckled lightly. “Because I’m different from you.”

“Coming here, from the very beginning, was for her sake.”

“The Chi family’s wealth, the power of being a Chi family young lady, are worthless to me.”

“I’m wholeheartedly devoted to Chi Xiyan, but you…” Lu Zhuxin raised her hand and pointed at Qin Qingfen. “You aren’t doing this for her. You’re only doing it for yourself.”

Qin Qingfen’s expression grew several degrees colder. “Lowly servant, are you joking?”

Lu Zhuxin continued, “You think I’m joking?”

“But if we exchange sincerity for sincerity, I’ve already done it. Xiyan has me in her heart.”

“Compared to you, who’s useless, dull, stupid, and only causes trouble, she’ll definitely choose me!”

“Xiyan isn’t that kind of person!” Qin Qingfen retorted. “I’m Xiyan’s wet nurse. I raised her with my own hands. I understand her!”

“Oh? Is that so?” Lu Zhuxin said. “Then how about we make a bet?”

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Qin Qingfen frowned. “What kind of bet?”

Lu Zhuxin didn’t directly answer Qin Qingfen’s question. Instead, she pointed to the side. “Look, what’s that?”

Qin Qingfen looked over and said, “A shelf.”

What Lu Zhuxin pointed to was just an ordinary curio shelf, about the size of a wall, with many porcelain and jade ornaments placed on it.

Such things were very common in the Chi residence and unremarkable.

Lu Zhuxin then said, “Century-old purple fragrant wood. Rare in quantity but with no value for refining into magical treasures or spiritual artifacts. It’s commonly used by the wealthy as furniture material.”

“The texture is extremely hard. One must use spiritual energy of the Second Realm or above to infuse metal and iron to break it open.”

Qin Qingfen didn’t understand what Lu Zhuxin meant. “Why are you saying all this?”

“I want to use this thing to verify something,” Lu Zhuxin said with a light smile as she walked beside the curio shelf. “Between you and me, who will Chi Xiyan choose?”

After saying this, Lu Zhuxin, in front of Qin Qingfen’s face, raised her foot with a smile plastered across her features.

Then she lightly kicked toward the leg of the curio shelf.

Where no one could notice, subtle demonic power dispersed, and a dark light flashed.

Qin Qingfen heard a soft crack. One leg of the curio shelf was actually kicked off by this seemingly frail girl who appeared to have no cultivation.

With creaking and groaning sounds, the curio shelf toppled toward the two of them.

A trace of shock flashed through Qin Qingfen’s eyes. Having stayed at the Chi family for so long, she knew best the weight of this purple fragrant wood.

Though not as exaggerated as weighing a thousand pounds, it still wasn’t a weight ordinary people could bear.

Qin Qingfen instinctively wanted to dodge, but her feet inexplicably felt as heavy as lead.

She looked down to see that smiling girl had somehow grabbed hold of her clothes. “Don’t rush to leave. Wait a bit longer.”

Shock and anger flashed in Qin Qingfen’s eyes.

Lu Zhuxin beat her to it, crying out loudly, “Nanny Qin! Please, don’t!”

Her voice was very loud, loud enough for the two people conversing outside to hear.

Chi Xiyan heard Lu Zhuxin’s voice.

She immediately turned to look inside the room.

At that moment, the heavy curio shelf had already pressed down toward the two of them.

Both shocked and angry, Qin Qingfen extended her hand and violently pushed the girl before her away. “Get lost!”

With a ripping sound, Lu Zhuxin tore two strips of cloth from Qin Qingfen’s body. She was pushed back staggering, completely covered by the shadow cast by the curio shelf.

And this scene was witnessed perfectly by Chi Xiyan as she turned around.

A trace of shock flashed through her eyes. “Zhizhi!”

A magical sword instantly appeared in her hand.

At this critical moment, she hurled it toward the falling curio shelf.

With a crack, the curio shelf shattered into pieces.

Porcelain and jade scattered across the floor.

Lu Zhuxin’s delicate body fell among the shattered wooden frame, crying out in pain.