Big brother Chu and I haven't even entered a relationship yet, so why am I already calling her second sister?
She had never expected Madam Chu to come, so she was caught completely unprepared and felt the fear associated with meeting the parents-in-law so suddenly.
Qin Wanru noticed Murong Qinghe and walked over, remarking, “So this is little Qinghe, right? Youzhao often mentions you in his letters. You’re quite the cool beauty, aren’t you?”
She was very satisfied from the very first meeting.
Youzhao has quite good taste.
The only thing that she was worried about was that Youzhao wasn’t actually a man, so what would she do if they ended up getting married?
“I greet Madam Chu,” Murong Qinghe said. She was normally quite tough in the barracks, but when she met her future mother-in-law, she still couldn't help but feel a bit bashful, scared of leaving her with a bad impression.
“It’s our first meeting, but I didn’t prepare any gifts. How about I give you this bracelet? It's already accompanied me for many years, and it’s something I have to pass down from generation to generation,” Qin Wanru said while removing a green jade bracelet to give her.
“This is too precious! I wouldn’t dare to accept it!” Murong Qinghe exclaimed, waving her hands with a reddened face. The price was one thing, but the main reason was the implied meaning behind it.
This seems like something only the womenfolk of the Chu clan can wear, which means she's already giving it to her daughter-in-law! Big brother Chu and I may be each other’s sunshine, but…
“Just take it. What do you mean, precious? In the end, this jade bracelet is just a dead object, so how can it be as precious as a living person?” Qin Wanru replied; she didn’t give Murong Qinghe time to refuse and put it around her hand.
Murong Qinghe could no longer refuse it and said, “Then I’ll have to thank the madam.”
Her little face became red.
Does this mean the Chu clan has already approved of our relationship?
Big brother Chu always said his mother didn’t have a very good temper, but doesn’t it seem pretty good right now?
When she thought about how the Murong clan was now ruined and she was even a fugitive, and yet the other side didn’t seem to mind it at all, even passing down the bracelet representing her daughter-in-law, she was almost moved to tears. Her big brother Chu had taken a such a huge risk to shelter her, and Madam Chu didn’t look down on her status at all. There was also big brother Zu, who had even killed King Jin for her sake! In that instant, she made up her mind. No matter what happened in the future, she had to marry into the Chu clan! She would never leave her big brother Chu.
“Everyone’s here already, so let’s visit the imperial prison together,” Jiang Luofu said.
Murong Qinghe pursed her lips when she heard where they were going and said, “I… I want to see my dad and grandpa too.”
The Murong clan was also locked up in the imperial prison. She wondered how they were doing, and if they had suffered any hardships.
Jiang Luofu was a bit troubled, saying, “Your current status is still that of a court criminal. If we take you to the imperial prison…”
Murong Qinghe’s expression grew dim. She knew she probably wouldn’t be able to go down there. Not only would she end up in danger, she would even end up involving all of them.
Zu An said just then, “No problem. We'll just dress her up and disguise ourselves a bit.” He took out a paper-thin mask and handed it to her, explaining, “Put this on and change your clothes. Pretend to be our servant, and no one will recognize you.”
Murong Qinghe was shocked and overjoyed, exclaiming, “Thank you, big brother Zu!”
Big brother Chu’s brother-in-law really is awesome! If it weren’t because I met big brother Chu first, I might have ended up liking…
Pah pah pah, Murong Qinghe, do you know no sense of shame? That’s big brother Chu’s brother-in-law, so how can you have those kinds of thoughts?
She returned to her room and changed her outfit, then quickly came back out. Sure enough, that valiant, lively, and pretty young lady now looked just like an ordinary passer-by.
Jiang Luofu couldn't help but sigh in amazement, saying, “Ah Zu, this mask of yours really is quite incredible. If you used it while philandering, I reckon no one would even know it was you.”
Qin Wanru and the two sisters immediately perked up their ears.
Could it be that he really used this mask to do those bad things?
Zu An said with a scowl, “This is something that I inadvertently found and decided was useful for traveling through the world of warriors. How can it be something as despicable as you described?”
Jiang Luofu said with a smile, “Apologies; it must be a habit of my trade. I just happened to be investigating a case regarding a certain scoundrel and it ended up coming out here. Please don’t mind it too much.”
“Do you need help? Those scoundrels use all kinds of drugs, so you have to be careful,” Zu An immediately warned her. He had just come into contact with that Worries Be Gone Rosemary a few days before, which still made him feel some lingering fear even now.
Jiang Luofu twirled the pencil in her hands and said with a proud expression, “Don’t worry; for better or for worse, I am teacher’s personal disciple, the eighth student of the academy’s rear mountain. If even a trifling scoundrel could take me down, I might as well quit completely.”