Flower Stealing Master

Chapter 1083: A Lover’s Promise

Lu Guanying was deeply moved and hurriedly stood up as if to bow, “Then…then Guanying thanks Young Master Song in advance.”

“Young Master, there’s no need to be so polite. Focus on recovering from your injuries. Once you’re healed, I’ll teach you the Evil Exterminating Sword Manual.” Song Qingshu quickly reached out to help him up.

“Yes!” Lu Guanying nodded heavily, tears welling in his eyes. He was filled with gratitude towards Song Qingshu, and secretly compared him to Tang Kuo Bian—the difference was like heaven and earth.

“I’ll go out now. Young Master, please recover well.” Song Qingshu said, standing up when it was almost time.

“I’ll see him off.” Cheng Yaojia also stood up. For some reason, being in the same room with her husband now felt incredibly oppressive; she preferred being with Song Qingshu.

“Yes, see the young master off properly.” Lu Guanying didn’t think anything of it; instead, he eagerly urged his wife to see him off.

Upon reaching the courtyard, Song Qingshu suddenly stopped and turned back to look at Cheng Yaojia with a half-smile.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Cheng Yaojia blushed slightly and awkwardly turned her head away.

“I want to know what Madam is thinking,” Song Qingshu walked to her side and chuckled. “After what happened last time, Madam’s relationship with Young Master Lu is now merely a name, and with Young Master Lu’s letter of divorce, Madam is practically free now. Why do you still stay by his side?”

“I don’t know,” Cheng Yaojia said blankly, her lips moving slightly. “We were husband and wife, and now that he’s in this situation, he needs my help. How can I leave him at this time?”

Song Qingshu nodded. “Madam is indeed kind-hearted. That’s fine. You can take care of him for a while longer, and make other plans after he gets used to it.”

“Mm.” Cheng Yaojia nodded, but a hint of sadness flashed deep in her eyes. Since he hadn’t made any promises to her, she naturally couldn’t say anything more. The thought of her previous marriage, a history that destined their relationship to be doomed, overwhelmed her with self-pity.

Song Qingshu keenly sensed her emotional shift and, after a moment’s thought, roughly guessed her feelings. He stepped forward and embraced her, saying, “If the madam agrees, I will one day bring you home in a grand procession.”

Cheng Yaojia felt a warmth in her heart, but retorted playfully, “You already have a wife. Even if you were to take a concubine, how could you possibly use a grand procession?”

Song Qingshu was touched. Cheng Yaojia clearly didn’t mind being a concubine: “Madam can rest assured. In the Song family, whether it’s a wife or a concubine, we always use a grand procession. Moreover, all wives and concubines are treated equally; there is absolutely no distinction of rank.”

Hearing his words… Her heart pounded, and Cheng Yaojia suddenly burst into tears, unsure whether it was from gratitude or relief. Wiping her tears, she pushed him away, a faint smile playing on her lips despite her tears: “You might be good at fooling young girls with that kind of talk. How can there be no distinction between wives and concubines? Humph, I’m not stupid. Why would I give up being the young mistress of the Lu family to become your concubine?”

Song Qingshu sighed deeply: “It seems I was just being presumptuous.”

Seeing the undisguised desolation on his face, and as he was about to turn and leave, Cheng Yaojia panicked and grabbed him.

Song Qingshu stared at her in astonishment. Cheng Yaojia’s face flushed instantly. “If I really abandoned Guanying for you, it wouldn’t be good for either of our reputations. Besides, the Lu and Cheng families have been on good terms for generations, and my family wouldn’t agree to me leaving the Lu family…”

Song Qingshu’s lips curled slightly, and he deliberately sighed again. “It seems you still prefer to be Mrs. Lu.”

Cheng Yaojia stamped her little foot in frustration, her breathing becoming rapid, her full breasts trembling beautifully. “You, do you have to make me explain so clearly! Now…in Guan Ying’s situation, I…we were only husband and wife in name, not in reality. If…if you…if you want to…want…I can…can secretly…do as you please.”

Song Qingshu saw her earlobes were completely red, knowing she was extremely shy. But he loved her shyness and couldn’t resist teasing her, leaning close to her ear, “What does Madam wish to do for me?”

“You’re so annoying!” Cheng Yaojia couldn’t hold back any longer, letting out a coquettish cry before turning and fleeing, causing Song Qingshu to burst into laughter behind her.

Song Qingshu returned to his room. 

A message from a member of the Golden Dragon Gang arrived: Li Kexiu wanted to see him.

“Strange, why does he want to see me again so soon?”

Song Qingshu fell into deep thought. He couldn’t help but be curious. After all, they had parted on bad terms not long ago. There was no reason for her to come knocking so quickly. Could it be that he was willing to compromise and stop obsessing over his daughter’s Empress position? Driven by this curiosity, Song Qingshu met Li Kexiu again. 

This time, they met on a painted boat on the river. 

Song Qingshu, skilled and daring, wasn’t afraid of any ambush and calmly sat down opposite Li Kexiu.

“Nephew, you certainly have a good bearing,” Li Kexiu said, a hint of surprise in his eyes.

Song Qingshu smiled slightly: “Uncle Li, you too have an extraordinary bearing.”

They exchanged a glance, then burst into laughter. Both understood the other’s meaning. 

Li Kexiu admired Song Qingshu’s solo journey, while Song Qingshu admired Li Kexiu’s audacity in approaching him so closely. After all, with Song’s current cultivation level, even a hundred thousand elite soldiers under Li Kexiu’s command couldn’t save his life at such a close distance.

“I was indeed a bit angry during the day, but after thinking it over carefully after returning, I realized that what you said wasn’t entirely unreasonable,” Li Kexiu poured Song Qingshu a cup of tea before saying, “I specifically called you here this time to avoid any unforeseen complications. I wanted to tell you, my dear nephew, that I’ve come to a change of heart and am willing to cooperate with you. The position of Imperial Concubine wouldn’t be a disservice to Yuanzhi.”

“Really?” Song Qingshu’s eyes widened in disbelief. He had searched high and low, only to have it come to him so easily—but happiness had come too quickly, almost unreal. “Of course it’s true.” Li Kexiu then changed the subject, “However, there’s one thing I need to trouble you with, my dear nephew.”

Song Qingshu smiled, “Uncle Li, please don’t hesitate. Whether it’s one thing or ten or a hundred, I won’t hesitate.”

Li Kexiu shook her head, giving him a meaningful look, “Nephew, don’t make promises too easily. This matter isn’t so simple.”

Song Qingshu said calmly, “If it were easy, why would Uncle Li need to ask me?”

“My dear nephew, you certainly have a good heart!” Li Kexiu gave him a thumbs up. Then he continued, “As you know, Yangzhou is currently in a precarious position, with various forces eyeing this lucrative territory. If I choose the Golden Serpent Camp, I will inevitably offend several other powers. The Jin and Qing dynasties are another matter; you said you could help deal with them, and I trust your abilities. The Mongols are strong, but they are too far away to be of immediate concern, so I’m not worried. However, I’ve always maintained close ties with the Southern Song Dynasty, and they’ve always considered me their prize. If they discover their prize has slipped away, they will surely be furious.”

Song Qingshu nodded; this was also a problem he had been pondering.

Li Kexiu continued, “As the saying goes, to defend the Yangtze River, one must defend the Huai River. The Southern Song, from top to bottom, has always coveted the Jianghuai region for the sake of its stability. Previously, they were wary of the Qing and Jin dynasties, so they remained inactive. If they find out I’ve allied with the Golden Serpent Camp, they will definitely send troops north. How should we deal with that situation?”