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Chapter 187
Chapter 187
Lu XuanNing was indeed attentive to Li Xia in every way, ensuring she was never uncomfortable.0
"Let's not talk about him. Did you and your husband go to see Xiao Changyou?" Li Xia was more concerned about Li Xin's situation at this moment.0
Li Xin gave a soft "Mm" and said, "We went to see him."0
"What was the result?" Li Xia moved closer to Li Xin.0
"There's nothing wrong with either of us. Dr. Xiao said we shouldn't rush things," Li Xin said, her face reddening as she thought of the books and intimate aids Xiao Changyou had provided them.3
"What else did Xiao Changyou say?" Noticing Li Xin's odd expression, Li Xia asked curiously.0
"That's not something you should be asking about," Li Xin couldn't bring herself to say it and cut Li Xia off. Seeing this, Li Xia didn't press further. She looked up to see Li Hui walking in. "Big brother," she greeted.0
Li Xin and Li Xia stood up as Li Hui approached them and handed Li Xia a box. "A wedding gift," he said.0
Li Xia accepted the box and opened it. Inside was the deed to the shop Li Hui had previously opened to sell her carvings. Originally, Li Hui had planned to close the shop.0
The shop manager had persuaded him otherwise by presenting the store's revenue ledger. The shop sold Li Xia's carvings as premium items, not in bulk. To keep the shop from being empty, the manager had collaborated with several skilled carvers.0
After Li Xia's carvings attracted customers to the store, the works of other carvers also began to sell. This brought in quite a few clients. Even without selling Li Xia's works and only selling pieces from other carvers, the shop's monthly revenue was considerable.0
Li Hui had been convinced to keep the shop open. Now that Li Xia was getting married, he thought of giving it to her as a gift.0
"Big brother, this gift really hits the spot," Li Xia was very pleased with Li Hui's present.0
"So you don't like mine then?" Li Xin teased from the side.0
"How could that be? I love your gift too, sister," Li Xia said, reaching out to hold Li Xin's arm.0
Zi Yi entered the room. "Young Miss, the Madam is calling for you at the Wild Goose Pavilion."0
"You two chat, I'll go see Mother first," Li Xin said as she left.0
Li Xia and Li Hui entered the study to talk.0
"Big brother, tell me the truth. Are you in contact with Zhou Heng?" Li Xia suspected there was communication between Zhou Heng and Li Hui.0
"Don't worry about Zhou Heng's affairs," Li Hui said only this, refusing to elaborate. But how could Li Xia not worry? Zhou Heng could be considered her first close friend.0
"Alright, big brother. Please pass a message to Zhou Heng for me. Next time we meet, I won't hold back," Li Xia said in a calm tone.0
Li Hui said nothing, and Li Xia didn't mention Zhou Heng again.0
Meanwhile, Li Xin was looking at Mrs. Lu in disbelief. "Mother, you want me to go and tell Xia Xia about... about..." Li Xin couldn't continue.0
"Wang Hong is sick, so Xinyue can't come. Tomorrow will be busy, and I need to oversee things tonight, so I won't have time. It's not appropriate for anyone else to do this, so as her older sister, you should guide your younger sister." As she spoke, Mrs. Lu thrust a book of intimate illustrations into Li Xin's hands.0
Outside, a steward came in to report on some matters.0
Li Xin could only hurriedly conceal the book with her sleeve as she left.0
Assigned such an important task on short notice, Li Xin felt both solemn and shy. She held the book, intending to read it to Li Xia.0
Li Xia looked at the erotic illustrations. This book was actually one she had commissioned herself. She had been the first to see the finished product, and though she lacked experience, she understood it better than Li Xin. After listening for a while, Li Xia closed her eyes and fell asleep.3
The sound of soft snoring made Li Xin turn around to see Li Xia asleep. The past few days of wedding preparations had exhausted Li Xia. It was rare to hear the usually energetic Li Xia snoring softly.0
Li Xin couldn't help but smile. She reached out to wake Li Xia to continue discussing the wedding night, but thinking of the busy day ahead, she withdrew her hand. She wrapped up the book and called Qiu Shui, instructing her to make sure to find time to give it to Li Xia after they arrived at the Marquis Mansion tomorrow.0
Qiu Shui took the package, hugging it to her chest as she withdrew.0
Li Xin didn't return to her own Fuqing Courtyard, but slept alongside Li Xia. This was the first time the sisters had shared a bed.0
The night passed dreamlessly, and at dawn, Mrs. Lu arrived with her entourage. She woke the sleeping sisters, instructing Li Xia to get up, wash, dress, and put on her bridal makeup to await the groom's arrival.0
Xu Xinyue had also arrived early, as it was her daughter's wedding day. She had come early, hoping to offer some final guidance to Li Xia before she left for her new home. But upon seeing Li Xia, she remembered that she should have been the one to offer intimate advice last night, not someone else. Feeling a bit unsettled, she silently watched Li Xia.0
Noticing Xu Xinyue's silent stare, Li Xia sighed. She pulled a package of dried fruits from her sleeve. "I was just afraid I wouldn't have time to eat, so I hid some snacks. Why are you looking at me like that?"3
Li Xia's words instantly dispelled Xu Xinyue's unease, leaving her only speechless. She sat down beside Li Xia. "Put away your dried fruits."0
Li Xia opened the package, popped a piece into Xu Xinyue's mouth, and ate one herself. "How's my little brother doing?"0
A couple of days ago, Wang Hong had climbed into a water vat when no one was looking. If not for Qiu Ju's quick thinking, he might not have survived. However, he had caught a cold and had been sick for several days, which was why Xu Xinyue, worried sick, couldn't come to the Li household.0
"His fever has broken, but we were worried he might be contagious, so we didn't bring him," Xu Xinyue said as she opened the package she had brought. She took out a box from inside.0
Li Xia accepted it and opened it to find a stack of banknotes. These were likely the ones she had given to Xu Xinyue before. Li Xia tried to refuse, pushing them back to Xu Xinyue.0
"Take them. You're marrying into the Marquis Mansion, where expenses will be high. How can you manage without money? Don't worry about me and Hong'er. I've kept enough for us." Before having a child, Xu Xinyue had devoted all her energy to Li Xia.0
After Wang Hong was born, Xu Xinyue split her attention, with half going to Wang Hong, but the other half always concerned about Li Xia. She worried that Li Xia might not be living well. All she could do was try to give Li Xia money.0
"Alright, I'll keep it," seeing Xu Xinyue's insistence, Li Xia stopped refusing and accepted the money.0
She would keep it now, and return it later when Wang Hong needed money. Li Xia understood Xu Xinyue's concerns. Having Wang Hong unexpectedly, she always worried that Li Xia might be unhappy. For instance, yesterday she was supposed to teach Li Xia about marital intimacy, but couldn't come because of Wang Hong.0
Xu Xinyue looked around to make sure no one was nearby. "Who taught you last night?"0
"It was Sister."0
"Why was it the Young Miss?" Xu Xinyue was worried that Li Xin's explanation might not have been adequate. She turned and took out an elegantly wrapped book from her own package.0
"What book is this?" Li Xia asked as she opened it, confirming her suspicions.0
Li Xia boldly opened it, but Xu Xinyue quickly wrapped it up and tucked it away. "How can you just take it out like that?"0
Seeing Xu Xinyue's nervous reaction, Li Xia leaned in and whispered in Auntie Mei's ear, "Mother, let me tell you a secret. This book? It's actually sold in my shop. I had it commissioned."4
Xu Xinyue froze, unable to believe her eyes as she looked at the smiling Li Xia. She glanced again at the wrapped package, then opened it hesitantly. Inside was a drawing, strikingly lifelike and realistic. Xu Xinyue's face flushed red then pale in quick succession as she hurriedly closed the book. She pointed her finger at Li Xia, at a loss for words.0
"Mother, it's alright. Don't worry, everything's fine. Just relax," Li Xia said soothingly, patting Xu Xinyue's back to calm her.0
"How can I possibly relax?" Xu Xinyue exclaimed, her hand gesturing wildly as she struggled to express herself. "You're a young lady, how could you possibly..."3