Wine-scented Beauty

Chapter Thirty-Four: The Cold War

"Almost. Do you know anyone else? I might be busy lately. Right now, you two are the only ones I have." She looked at them, and seeing them looking at each other blankly, she sighed and said, "Since you don't know anyone else, then forget it. I'll find another way."

Seeing that she was about to leave, Widow Li became anxious and hurriedly stopped her, saying, "I know some people here. If Madam Ji doesn't mind, I'll bring her to see you tomorrow."

"Okay." She readily agreed, said nothing more, lit the lantern again, and left.

She came here for this very reason, and since things were almost half done, Ji Meiqing stopped thinking about it and went straight back to her room.

Lu Yu had already prepared the meal and brought it up. Looking at the delicious-looking food, Ji Meiqing immediately lost her appetite. After just one glance, she went straight back to her room.

"Brother Lu, I'm a little tired. I won't eat dinner, you go ahead and eat." Out of politeness, she said this and went back to her room.

Sitting on her own bed, she finally calmed down. Taking off her shoes, socks, and clothes, Ji Meiqing sat in the wooden tub, feeling as if every pore on her body was opening up, each one screaming – so comfortable!

With the day's burdens lifted, Ji Meiqing completely relaxed, her fingers gently tracing the grain of the wooden bucket.

For some reason, I suddenly thought of his disbelieving look earlier today, and my heart felt heavy and I felt a little uncomfortable.

Although she had no direct evidence to prove that Tian Cuiwei was behind this, why did the wine malfunction as soon as she arrived? If it was a coincidence, it was a truly coincidental one.

She understood Tian Cuiwei's personality, but Lu Yu didn't, which left her feeling like she'd punched a cotton ball and didn't know what to do.

"Meiqing, are you resting?" Lu Yu suddenly asked her through the door.

"Wait a minute." She quickly dried herself off, then got dressed and went to open the door for him.

"Is there anything else, Brother Lu?" She looked at the plate in his hand and said, "I'm not hungry right now, Brother Lu, you can eat by yourself."

He stood in front of the door, blocking her way. Ji Meiqing stood there awkwardly for a moment, then finally made way for him.

"Come in first."

He placed the food on her table, then turned around, "About today..."

"You don't need to say anything, I know. Let it go this time." She smiled. "I'll be more careful next time."

“No,” he suddenly retorted. “Xiao Cui has been with me for so many years, I know her temperament. She…”

"Are you saying she couldn't possibly have done such a thing?" Ji Meiqing raised an eyebrow and glanced at him. "Actually, it's not your fault. Let's just pretend this never happened, okay? Let's avoid it and not talk about it."

Lu Yu gave her a deep look, his voice weak: "Then you should eat first, and get some rest after you finish eating."

He left, and Ji Meiqing stood there, rubbing her forehead. She felt weak and didn't know what to do. The food on the table gradually got cold. Ji Meiqing ate a little, then took it to the kitchen to throw away before returning to her room to rest.

Since that day, Ji Meiqing has rarely met with him. Even though they live under the same roof, every time they meet, Ji Meiqing will find an excuse to go out.

Lu Yu also felt powerless about this, and several times he tried to talk to her but was turned away.

The people Widow Li brought were also approved directly. Ji Meiqing would spend her time in the wine room brewing wine with them and chatting, whether she had something to do or not.

Usually, Lu Yu would walk in while we were chatting, and the whole room would suddenly feel cold.

Seeing this, Widow Li understood the situation, but she knew it was their business and she couldn't interfere. She could only watch them bicker openly and secretly.

With the shipping date drawing ever closer, Ji Meiqing worked through the night to prepare the remaining wine, then carefully checked it before sending it to the wine cellar.

A few days later, Lu Yu went with her to deliver some wine. The two sat in the car, with a large pile of wine in the back. Lu Yu tried to talk to her several times, but seeing her sullen face, he didn't know what to say.

Before leaving home, Widow Li suddenly approached him and secretly spoke a few words to him, the meaning of which was nothing more than wanting them to reconcile.

But seeing that she didn't look well, he could only hold back.

When they arrived at Mrs. Hu's place, Ji Meiqing had them inspect the goods and take the money. This time, Mrs. Hu was satisfied and invited them to stay for lunch before seeing them off.

On the way back, Ji Meiqing went to buy some daily necessities as usual. Lu Yu saw that she was picking out things, so he left for a while.

After Ji Meiqing paid the money, she didn't see him again. She was a little confused and looked around but couldn't find him anywhere.

She stood at the door for a while before Lu Yu suddenly appeared, carrying two packages in his hands.

"Brother Lu, is there anything else? If not, may we go back now?"

"Go back." He smiled and reached out to take the things from her hands, but Ji Meiqing dodged him. She smiled distantly and said, "I can manage on my own."

Her sudden change made Lu Yu feel a little depressed. The two of them didn't exchange a word until they returned. Ji Meiqing went straight back into the house.

"Wait a moment."

Lu Yu suddenly called out to her.

"Is there anything else, Brother Lu?" She turned around and looked at her calmly.

Lu Yu handed her the two packages he was carrying. "This is for you."

Ji Meiqing glanced at it, and was about to refuse when he stopped her, saying, "I specially picked it out for you."

She hesitated for a moment before taking it, and said blankly, "Thank you."

Back in my room, I opened the two packages. One contained a light blue gauze dress, which looked quite pretty, and the other contained a hairpin.

The hairpin was decorated with patterns and rhinestones, and looked quite expensive. Ji Meiqing didn't even hesitate before taking these things to him.

"These things are too valuable, I can't accept them." These were her first words to Lu Yu. She tried to return the things in her hand, but Lu Yu didn't take them.

"Keep it; it was originally intended as a gift for you."

“Then these are more suitable for Xiao Cui than for me. Besides, my outfit is already enough.” Ji Meiqing finally expressed her dissatisfaction and said it directly, which stunned both of them. Ji Meiqing, in particular, stared blankly down at her toes.

Lu Yu looked at her, then smiled and said, "Xiao Cui is no longer here, so you can keep it."

"But she'll come back. You can give it to her when she returns. Besides, it's so valuable, I wouldn't dare accept it."

The two women were refusing, and Lu Yu was getting anxious. "These aren't suitable for Xiao Cui, so I picked them out especially for you."

"Oh." She said awkwardly, then asked fearlessly, "What about Xiao Cui? She'll be jealous."