Chapter 315 - 313: The Couple’s In-depth Talk

Chapter 315: Chapter 313: The Couple’s In-depth Talk

"It’s nothing serious." After a glance at Li Xiu, Doctor Wang said slowly, "You’ve been overthinking things. You need some brain food, or you’ll go bald!"

Li Xiu didn’t know whether to laugh or cry as he looked at the mischievous old Doctor Wang. Under Zhou Lian’s hawk-like stare, he helplessly touched his nose and asked, "So how do I do that?"

"Eat more brain-boosting foods and think less. Young people who think too much all end up like this!" Doctor Wang retorted grumpily at Li Xiu. Zhou Lian was one thing—with Li Xiu looking after her, she’d be fine. But this Li Xiu... his intelligence was almost unnatural, his mind sharper than anyone’s, but he was completely exhausting himself, draining all his mental energy. There was one more thing the doctor couldn’t bring himself to say: ’Those of supreme wisdom are destined to burn out.’

Glancing at the large bag of Chinese medicine in the passenger seat, Zhou Lian pulled a long face and leaned into Li Xiu’s embrace. ’Still,’ she thought, ’since Li Xiu will be drinking it with me this time, suffering together, it doesn’t seem so hard to accept. He should get a taste of just how bitter that medicine, as bitter as gall, truly is!’

Remembering Doctor Wang’s words—"exhausting himself, draining all his mental energy"—Zhou Lian’s gaze darkened. She reached out and wrapped her arms around Li Xiu’s lean waist. ’Why does everything have to be so hard?’

As if understanding the thoughts of the woman in his arms, Li Xiu gently stroked her back to soothe her, a silent, bitter smile on his face. ’I may have lived two lives,’ he thought, ’but in my past life, I was just an ordinary person. No matter how well my master taught me, I never had to struggle in an environment like this. It was all just theory. And this life? I was thrown straight into this dog-eat-dog world of vanity and deception!’

’What else could I do?’ he continued to himself. ’To protect the one I hold dear, I can only grit my teeth and stumble forward. If I didn’t use my wits and my schemes, I would’ve been eaten alive the moment I stepped into the ring. Thank god for a good master, and thank god for the memories of my past life. Otherwise... ha, it’s not even funny.’

Everyone saw him handling things with effortless ease, but who could know how much homework he did behind the scenes, how many scenarios he ran, just to ensure things didn’t go off the rails? Perhaps only the woman in his arms had noticed a thing or two, which led to this recent incident of her fiercely protecting her own. ’Well,’ he thought, ’what’s done is done. I can’t let her feelings go to waste.’

Watching her two children put down their bowls and leave with their teacher and his master, then glancing toward Sister Fang bustling in the kitchen, Zhou Lian looked at Li Xiu with a hint of melancholy. ’When did I become someone people couldn’t wait to get away from?’ she wondered. ’Just yesterday, the children were saying how much they missed me!’

Li Xiu smiled dotingly at Zhou Lian, then took her hand and led her to the study. He handed her a freshly brewed cup of tea, smoothed the hair back from her forehead, and said gently, "Bao’er, let’s talk."

Cradling the cup, Zhou Lian leaned back against the sofa and raised an eyebrow at Li Xiu. ’It is time we talked,’ she thought. ’This man has hidden everything, shouldering the burden all by himself for so many years. Is he finally going to come clean? Knowing him, that’s probably impossible. So, what is there to talk about?’

"What are your thoughts on our current situation, Bao’er?" Li Xiu asked softly, lowering his gaze to hide the look in his eyes.

Blowing on the hot tea in her cup, Zhou Lian said nonchalantly, "What I think? Shouldn’t I be asking what you think, Jin Chen? After working so hard and going through so much to get where we are, are you still trying to figure out how to hide things from me? You said you would give me a life of peace and stability. I believed you, and you delivered. But did you ever stop to think that I would be heartbroken by the price you’ve had to pay?"

"Bao’er!"

She raised a hand to stop Li Xiu from speaking further. She didn’t want to hear it. Seeing his anxious expression, Zhou Lian said softly, "Li Jincheng, we’ve been husband and wife for two lifetimes. You know my temper better than anyone. I trust you, but I don’t want you to be trapped by these thorns. We both know that once you’re caught, it’s not easy to break free, especially in this treacherous world of vanity and power. Who can really tell the saints from the sinners?"

"Forget this life. Even in our last one, you were an ordinary man. At worst, people might have called you mediocre or foolishly filial, but you were still you—noble and open-hearted. But now? Your master is still alive; how his heart must ache for you. I know you. I know the price you’re willing to pay to avoid sinking to their level. But is it all worth it?"

"Before, I was blinded by the glittering facade of it all. The Ping Family, Elder Ping, Mrs. Ping, Ping’an... all those untouchable figures from our past life are now like our close friends and family. It must have been so hard for you all these years, terrified that I would be wronged, terrified that I would see the truth and get hurt."

"Bao’er!"

"Jin Chen, let me finish. I thought I was so smart, but I forgot that sincerity isn’t always met with sincerity. The young masters and ladies steeped in this world of vanity, with all their conscious and unconscious scheming... how could someone like me, who’d never seen the world, possibly compare? It’s laughable, really. I knew all of this, yet I couldn’t help but offer my genuine feelings, hoping for the same in return. Wasn’t that foolish? And because of it, you were dragged down and had to pay a price as well."

He took the cup from her hands, set it on the table, and gently pulled her into his embrace. Li Xiu looked at Zhou Lian, his heart aching, and said, "Bao’er, the human heart is the most unpredictable thing in the world. You don’t need to dwell on these things. You are wonderful. A pure heart like yours is the rarest treasure. Look at Teacher Xiao and his master, Sister Fang, Wang Dongfang, Wei Guo, and Liu Qiang—didn’t your sincerity win you their true friendship? Some people just aren’t worthy of your sincerity, so you don’t have to force yourself with them."

Taking Zhou Lian’s hand in his, Li Xiu sighed and continued, "Bao’er, I know your heart aches for me, but who has it easy in this life? Everyone struggles. Bao’er, I’m a man. Being the pillar of my family, protecting my wife and children—that’s my most fundamental duty. You have no reason to blame yourself. You know, for people like them, true sincerity is the rarest commodity. Part of the reason I was able to enter their circle so easily these past few years is because of you."

"Jin Chen, is that really true?" Zhou Lian looked up at Li Xiu’s earnest face and asked uncertainly.

Gently stroking her hair, Li Xiu said softly, "Bao’er, you know I would never lie to you. Things aren’t as bad as you imagine. Besides, with you and the children supporting me, how could I not leave myself an escape route? The human heart is the trickiest puzzle of all, after all. Don’t worry, Bao’er. Everything will be fine."

"Really? I used to wonder just how depraved the human heart could be, but in this treacherous world of power, a person’s heart seems to be the least valuable thing of all," Zhou Lian sighed, relaxing a little at his words.

"Bao’er, when it comes to the people in this circle, just be yourself. None of them are monsters with three heads and six arms. I can handle them. You don’t need to worry about any of this. If you start walking on eggshells or getting anxious over every little thing, it will break my heart. Isn’t the whole reason I’ve done all this so that you could live freely, just as you wish?" Li Xiu said gently, kissing the crown of her head with aching tenderness.

And it was true. The entire fruit of Li Xiu’s struggle in this life was to gain enough power to have a say, all so he could protect Zhou Lian. To keep her from fear, to keep her from sorrow, to keep her from being cast adrift, to keep her from being left with nothing to cling to. To treasure her, to cherish her, and to keep her safe.