The Lady's Sickly Husband

Chapter 218: A Battle for the Box

Mo Qianxue didn’t look to Junzhu Susu but gave a direct reply, “Not necessary. Junzhu Susu is my close friend. Go and tell Su Qi that I’ll be there at once. Don’t let him be impatient and go.” The training suit she was wearing did all to the good and saved her from getting changed.

After giving Chuyi the order, she turned to look at Junzhu Susu, “Susu, if you feel tired, you could take a rest in my room first. You don’t know that Su Qi has a really tight schedule and seldom has time to teach me. I happen to have a lot of questions to ask him, so would you please excuse me?”

“No. I’d like to see how you play the sword. How can I miss this opportunity?”

“That’s great. Yuxuan, take the sword. Let’s go!”

Mo Qianxue intended to take Susu to the training field but had found it improper to mention with the presence of nanny Zhang. Therefore, it was best when Susu proposed herself.

Mo Qianxue was curious whether there were stories happening during the trip when Su Qi had escorted Junzhu Susu back home. Yet, if Susu didn’t raise the subject, she shouldn’t be too gossipy.

At the moment, Mo Qianxue, without excessive courtesy, took Junzhu Susu out straightforwardly.

When they just walked out of the door, she on a sudden remembered that the pictures she had promised to give Su Qi were already finished and, her step pausing, turned over to nanny Mo, following close to them, and ordered her to fetch the box on the shelf and take it to the training field.

Nanny Mo, showing no change in her expression, lowered her voice and replied, “Yes.” Then she turned back to the room.

The earlier the box was sent out, the earlier she would be relieved.

Nanny Mo remembered vividly what had happened last time. Although lady managed to get out of it safe and sound, such things shouldn’t take place again. If there was a second time, she wouldn’t know the things turning into pieces would be the pictures or the house or…them maidservants or…lady.

Mr. Ning’s wrath was no joke! The scum of pieces all over the floor had been cleaned by nanny Mo personally and she knew how finely they had been crushed.

Maybe others wouldn’t pay much attention to these words, but Ghost, who guarded outside Snow, had a gleam of light in his eyes on hearing them.

When nobody noticed, he flicked a finger to the dark.

When the signal was received, the trees in the distance stirred, and there were already hidden guards sneaking out of the bamboo grove.

Su Qi had a little sulky look when he saw Junzhu Susu following behind Mo Qianxue, and there were impenetrable things in his eyes.

However, as soon as Mo Qianxue met Su Qi, she pulled Susu to come forward, “Su Qi. It’s great you come today. Later when you leave, do me a favor and walk Susu home.”

There was a small change in Su Qi’s expression, but he was still smiling, “Later after the lesson, I’ll need to go straight back to my office. Why don’t you let the guards escort Junzhu Susu back?”

Saying that, Su Qi gave Mo Qianxue a challenging look, his eyes shouting: This woman had a carriage and guards. Why should I always be her escort?

At this time, nanny Mo arrived with the box. Mo Qianxue reached out, and nanny Mo got it and handed her the box.

She held the box and gave Su Qi a you-know-what look, and her mouth moved silently, saying: do you still want this?

In the box were naturally the cute pictures of Su Qi in eighteen martial gestures.

“I’ll do it.” Su Qi helplessly conceded, but there was all joy in his eyes.

Junzhu Susu stood behind Mo Qianxue and couldn’t see her expression, but she had seen clearly Su Qi of face from being unwilling to walk her home to the compromise because of the box.

She was curious what kind of priceless paintings were in the box, but she was more curious about the relationship between Mo Qianxue and Su Qi. Nevertheless, she made up her mind that after going home, she would coax some prestigious paintings out of father and give to Su Qi.

Without further ado, Su Qi began to teach Mo Qianxue. He taught in details with patience while Mo Qianxue learned carefully, altogether making a harmonious scene and giving others no room to interrupt.

There wouldn’t many verbal communications between Mo Qianxue and Su Qi, but Junzhu Susu caught the familiar way of their subtle interaction. Judging from the casual and easy way they interacted, they wouldn’t have just known each other recently.

As expected, the Su family and the Founder Mansion were old friends. They must have known each other since childhood. However, she had never heard before the ties between the Founder Mansion and the Su family… Anyway, next time she would ask Qianxue what kind of woman Su Qi liked.

Junzhu Susu admired the way how they interacted and even felt a little jealous. Luckily, Qianxue had engaged. Otherwise, she would really believe there was something between them.

On the other side, Mo Birui and Mo Birong were taken to courtyard Jade and Amber. When they arrived there, their mouth almost turned sideways from anger. These were the courtyards they prepared for them?

Not to mention they were far from Snow, the courtyards were broken and shabby, looking having been unrepaired so many years. Standing at the gate, they smelled the bad odor…

The usher nanny left immediately after taking them here and only gave them a casual curtsy before she went.

Right away, Mo Birong pulled a long face, not wanting to get into the yard at all. Yet, the servant girl following her couldn’t read the air and showed disgust, “Is this a place for people to live? Lady, let’s go home.”

“Sixth sister, this is an obvious bully. Why don’t we go to find ninth brother, eleventh brother and fifteenth brother and let them do us justice? They’ve been living here for a long time. I don’t believe a butler could ride on their heads.”

Mo Birui was one year elder and calmer at the situation. She pulled Mo Birong back. In fact, they didn’t get along back in the Mo family, but they both understood that they could only count on each other now, “Eighth sister, are you silly? All this is on Mo Qianxue’s order. Just now the nanny mentioned the names of the courtyards, but Mo Qianxue didn’t show any objection. Doesn’t she know which courtyards are bad in the Founder Mansion?”

Mo Birong remained sullen but silent.

Mo Birui persuaded, “Don’t worry. As long as we stand for each other and gain the affection of Master Ning, there wouldn’t be a position for her.”

“You’re right. I’ll listen to you, sixth sister.” Mo Birong thought it through. As long as they were able to stay here, there would be opportunities for them to climb up and give Mo Qianxue a good lesson.

**

When they finished the lesson, it was quite late.

Su Qi escorted Junzhu Susu to her mansion and turned his horse around to head for the Su Mansion and his own study. Now he only wanted to stay in a quiet place, not disturbed, and carefully appreciated the pictures that Mo Qianxue had drawn for him.

The horse entered an alley, when stones flew over, startling the horse to rise up and neigh. Su Qi became on his defense, raising himself up to the air.

People came out to attack from the sideway, one aiming at his face, the other man turning his palm into claw seeking to seize the box in his pocket.

The goal was the box! His guess was right.

These people trying to take away his pictures must have been sent over by Ning Shaoqing.

However, Su Qi hadn’t opened the box to see the pictures. How could him let Ning Shaoqing take them away and have them destroyed?

A fan shot out from his sleeve. Different from the jade fan he always held to play cute, it was a murderous iron fan.

With a slash, the fan was unfolded to block the palm coming at his face and then flicked around to hit at the attack’s head. The man fell and died immediately.

Taking the fan back, its edge cut off the claw reaching to the box.

The enemies were taken down in one single sharp and ruthless move.

Su Qi gently shook the fan and smiled to the dark, “Come out.” The leisurely manner suggested nothing of a moment of life and death but a mere game.

Two men walked out of the darkness, one of them wearing dark blue clothes with bamboo-like vines embroidery on his collar. He had a gentle face and a smile at the corners of his eyes which took a glimpse at the dead body on the ground. When his glance swept over, the man in black losing one hand bowed and left. The other man held the saber in his arms and pulled a grim cold face.

“I didn’t expect a mere box is worthy of Master Ning showing up in person.”

“I’m determined to get it. Keep that in mind.”

Saber took a step forward, but Ning Shaoqing raised a hand to stop him. This was a matter between him and Su Qi.

It would be a battle between two men.

Both of them sprang to the air, their hands clashing against each other. Then, Ning Shaoqing pulled out Sword Chill.

After the exchange of a few moves, Ning Shaoqing took the upper hand, yet Su Qi maintained his playful manner, which slightly shocked Ning Shaoqing.

He had never thought that Su Qi actually turned his fame-making exclusive moves into swordsmanship, simplified it and taught Mo Qianxue. This required mental strength, wisdom and more importantly time. It shall never be done over a moment.

It seemed that he had decided to teach Mo Qianxue on an elaborate plan instead of a whim.

Ning Shaoqing’s inexplicable rage was fueled further!

If he hadn’t seen Mo Qianxue played several times, he wouldn’t have taken the upper hand so soon, or at least so easily.

Su Qi’s iron fan was very powerful, yet Ning Shaoqing took advantage of the timing and picked the box out with his sword. The box rose in the air. Su Qi intended to grip it back, when Ning Shaoqing stuck out his sword. Despite the probability of getting injured, Su Qi tried to protect the box with his body.

Sword Chill pierced inches into Su Qi’s body. He was injured. Although the iron fan flapped the sword away, it was too late. The box was already in the firm clutch of Ning Shaoqing’s hand.

Ning Shaoqing exerted internal strength, and the box was undoubtedly shattered into pieces which slowly floated down.

Su Qi’s eyes turned red and couldn’t stop his saddened smile.

A curve touched Ning Shaoqing’s lips, and he left. He wouldn’t never be soft-hearted against a man who tried to take away Qianxue.

In that night, Ning Shaoqing was in an especially good mood, wrote down many poems of love and had them sent to Mo Qianxue. Of course, this was another story.

However, no one knew that at the same time, Su Qi was appreciating the cute pictures that Mo Qianxue had drawn for him by light. There was a slight curve on his lips and a melting look on his face which contained not the smallest trace of the anguish of being wounded or the disappointment of losing his pictures.