His Rui

"I also didn't have lunch."

A few moments later, Xi Ying spat out awkwardly.

Only he knew how many efforts he had to do to let this kind of shameless words from his mouth. By saying these words, he was basically invited himself to eat with Li Rui and Xi Ling when he had not been invited.

Sure enough, Li Rui was startled when she heard Xi Ying.

She stared at Xi Ying silently for a moment trying to understand what he really meant.

If he was hungry then he can also order the servants to bring him some food. However, seeing his gaze fixed on her, she could sense that he wanted something from her.

However, what was it?

Standing at the other end of the living room, Li Hua sighed seeing her mistress' ignorant self. 

In the end, it was she who stepped forward and said to her mistress.

"Shouldn't Young Miss invite My Lord to Lunch in her courtyard?"

She hinted at Li Rui however, Li Rui looked more confused.

What was the need for an invitation when the man was living in her courtyard without any invitation from her?

However, when she saw Xi Ying's face becoming less taut at Li Hua's words, she was surprised to realize that Xi Ying really wanted this.

And the most surprising thing was that Li Hua understood Xi Ying's hidden meaning so easily. And even if she understood them, she also came forward to tell her about them.

Not only Li Rui but Xi Ying was also surprised when he saw Li Rui's maid helping him.

However, he didn't ponder on this for long as his whole attention was on Li Rui who was staring at him silently.

Why didn't she say anything?

Does she not want to eat with him?

The thought filled Xi Ying's heart with pain and bitterness.

Here he thought that everything was fine between them now. Actually …he deserved this.

How dare he even think that Li Rui would allow him close to herself after whatever happened!   

Xi Ying's self-loathing was interrupted by Li Rui's soft voice.

"Lord doesn't need any invitation to step in Rui's courtyard or to have three times of meals."

The few polite words made Xi Ying's sinking heart instantly happy. He raised his head and looked at Li Rui only to see a very small but beautiful smile on her face.

A smile made its way on its own on his lips.

He doesn't need any invitation. So could he see Li Rui now whenever he wants to?

Xi Ying didn't ask Li Rui this question at this moment. For now, he wanted to stay happy like this even if it was him who had misunderstood her words. 

He nodded his head and then followed his wife and son to the dining room.

.

.

.

Xi Ling's body was too thin after he had been poisoned. Although his face now looked ruddy, he didn't have any chubbiness that the children of age have usually.

So Li Rui made him eat something after every few hours and since he was in his growing age, he never opposed as long as the food was delicious.     

"Mother, where were you last night? Xi Ling had to have dinner alone. Mother had promised Xi Ling that she will have dinner with Xi Ling."

Xi Ling said with a small pout as he put down the chopsticks in his hands.

Li Rui also felt guilty as she had really promised Xi Ling that she will have dinner with him. However, she had thought that Xi Ling must have forgotten after a night's sleep. But it seemed that she was wrong.

As she tried to think of a way to coax her son, Xi Ying looked at his son with a frown.

'He was becoming too spoiled.'

Actually, in front of him, Xi Ling has never acted like that.

Xi Ling was the first child Xi Ying had to raise in his life. He had actually never talked with children and had never managed them.

Although he was there as his son grew up, he always acted with him as if he was an adult. Those moments were rare where Xi Ying would suddenly start to realize that he needed to treat his son especially as he was very young and didn't know anything.

So Xi Ying was more surprised when he saw Xi Ling acting like this. It was not the first time. He had actually seen him behaving like this before also but only once and that too when he had lunch with his wife and son.

At that time, Xi Ling had wanted to eat from Li Rui's mind.

Again something that he had never dared to ask him.

Xi Ying was brought of his trance when he heard Li Rui saying to Xi Ling

"Since Mother could not complete her promise, Xi Ling can ask Mother for anything else."

Xi Ling's eyes brightened and Xi Ying's narrowed seeing his son's eagerness. 

He knew his son very well. This brightness …he could only have it when he had already planned something inside his mind.

It seemed that he already had something he wanted but was using Li Rui's guilt to get it. He looked at Li Rui and saw her looking at Xi Ling with amused eyes.

It was clear that she also knew it and perhaps she wanted to know what Xi Ling wanted.

And sure enough, the brat spoke

"Then Xi Ling wants to go and visit the city with mother and father."

Xi Ling's eyes were full of pleading as he made this request.

The child remembered very clearly what had happened when he had gone out of the manor last time. However, he still could not stop his heart from wishing to go outside and see the world he had seen very rarely.

He saw his father's face going emotionless…something that he had already expected.

After all, his father had clearly made him understand that going out of the manor was not safe for his mother. And that's why Xi Ling made this request in front of his father only.     

Now it was in his hands whether he wanted to complete his wish or not.

Although he will be sad if his father refused, he would at least think that he made an attempt to express his wish.