His Rui

Lu Jianye licked his lips and confessed the thoughts deep hidden inside his heart.

"I saw Li Na during the banquet. On the first day, I found her …very beautiful."

Lu Jianye said with so much hesitation as he looked at Li Qiang trying to check if he made him only more furious or cold with his words but Li Qiang's face still didn't have any expression.

With a sigh, Lu Jianye lowered his head and continued

"But since she was a maiden, I knew that it was wrong of me to have impure thoughts for her. But on the second day of the banquet, I fell for her again."

Lu Jianye's eyes had a dazed looked as he remembered the scene of Li Na dancing beautifully on the huge stage amidst those flying ribbons.

A sound broke his trance and he raised his head only to see Li Qiang's narrowed eye fixed on himself.

He realized that all this while, Li Qiang had been looking at him and his face went red because of shame and embarrassment.

At this moment, his head was only a bit lowered so Li Qiang could see his red face.

As he looked at the redness on the young man's ears, Li Qiang suddenly thought that Lu Jianye was really didn't have any malice in his heart. He really did wish to marry Li Na even after so much has happened to his daughter.

Although he felt angered when Lu Jianye started, at the end of his confession, he could feel his love towards his daughter so there was a slight relief and happiness inside his heart.

If it had been before, he would have never thought of marrying Li Na to Lu Jianye but in the situation, Li Na was in right now, Lu Jianye was the best man she could marry.

Still, he just could not accept this proposal just like this.

"Do you know what happened with Li Na during the banquet?"

The red hue because of shame faded away from Lu Jainye's ears instantly and a kind of depressed atmosphere lingered between Li Qiang and Lu Jianye.

Lu Jianye raised his head and looked into Li Qiang's eyes and said without any hesitation.

"Uncle Qiang, I believe that Li Na was framed."

He suddenly continued after a pause

"Even if she wasn't… as long as she will remain loyal to me in the future, I will never disappoint her."

Lu Jianye said and Li Qiang was very satisfied with his response. The last words only meant that Lu Jianye was ready to forget that shameful incident completely and it will never affect his relationship with his daughter, Li Na.

"What about your parent and other family members?"

Li Qiang asked Lu Jianye and he noticed that Lu Jianye face instantly had a disappointed expression.

The young man looked at him apologetically and said

"Uncle Qiang, I talked to family members before talking to you. They refused in the beginning…but I insisted. It was after a lot of efforts that they agreed."

Li Qiang's eyes narrowed as he thought that if he married Li Na in the Lu family then there are chances that his daughter would have to suffer there.

But Lu Jianye was not still finished.

"But they only allowed me to marry her as a concubine."

All the happiness washed away and Li Qiang looked emotionless again.

--------

Li Rong was woken up by the large banging on the door of her room.

She opened her eyes abruptly on the first knock only but it took her a few moments to get down from her bed. After sitting on her bed, she looked around herself in confusion.

Slowly and slowly, things started to set in her mind and the frown on her forehead relaxed.

The worries inside her mind also started to seem very less as Li Rong realized that now her husband Li Qiang was also there for her and her children.

She got down from the bed to open the door as she thought inside her mind where her husband could be.

However, the little bit of peace that Li Rong had restored in her heart disappeared when she saw the person standing at the door.

"Mother…"

Li Na whispered softly and Li Rong's face hardened instantly.

"Didn't I order you to stay inside your courtyard?"

said Li Rong to her daughter.

Li Na's face fell slightly when she saw her mother's cold face. A moment later, she compose herself and looked inside the room.

"Is Father here, Mother?"

She asked Li Rong who told her

"He is not."

Li Na sighed in relief and instantly pushed her mother gently inside the room as she stepped inside.

"What are you doing?"

Li Rong asked Li Na when she saw her putting the latch on the door.

Li Na didn't answer her mother's question. After putting the latch she turned around and held her mother's hands.

Li Rong tried to free her hands but Li Na forcefully held her mother's hands and said

"Mother, I want to talk to you about something."

Li Rong didn't say anything. She was not even looking at Li Na which made Li Na suddenly feel very helpless. With a heavy sigh, she said

"Mother, I really didn't do any such thing. Why do you have so little trust in me?"

Li Na's voice came choked in the end and Li Rong finally looked at her elder daughter.

Li Na's teary eyes made Li Rong's heartache.

"I know."

She whispered

"I know that you didn't do that. But …Li Na …you could have told me when you were going outside of the banquet hall. All of this would have never happened. I would have never let anything happen to you until my last breath."

A tear fell out of her eyes as she said these words and continued

"Caihong's face would not have been disfigured. You also…"

"But Mother, it has happened already."

Li Na interrupted her mother and said

Her words only made Li Rong cry more.? Li Na sighed and made her mother sit on the bed. She sat beside Li Rong and held her hands.

"Mother, I know that what happened with me was very shameful. I would never be seen as a normal maiden in Xin now. I also know that no one would marry me in the future."

Li Na said with teary eyes and Li Rong cried more and more with her each and every word.

Li Na continued

"But Mother…I don't wish to live my life like this. I have a way…to save myself from the utter humiliation that would come if I wouldn't get married, Mother."

Li Rong stopped crying and looked at her daughter in confusion.

"But I need your help, Mother."

Li Rong instantly nodded her hand and Li Na told her mother about her 'ways.'