TSWPF -Chapter 159 Foolish

Li Qingling never expected that Liu Zhihao would come here. Looking at the man before her—who now seemed even more imposing than before—her heart was full of questions.

“General Liu, what brings you here?”

This was truly unusual.

Liu Zhihao, mounted on his horse, looked down at Li Qingling from above. Hearing her question, he remained silent.

He had learned that his cousin was about to get married, and since he was returning to the capital to report on his duties, he decided to pass by and see for himself.

His gaze swept over Li Qingling critically. Although she looked much better than when he had seen her in Song Mountain, deep down he still felt that she was unworthy of his cousin.

Eventually, he would bring his cousin back to the Liu family. Li Qingling’s background offered no advantage to his cousin; she was simply not good enough for him.

Li Qingling was sensitive and could immediately sense Liu Zhihao’s dislike for her.

Her expression cooled. She could not feign a smile for someone who did not like her, even if he was a general. She would not press her warmth against a cold shoulder.

“General Liu, will you be coming in?” she asked lightly.

Liu Zhihao withdrew his gaze from her, dismounted cleanly from his horse, and strode into the house without acknowledging her.

“…“ Li Qingling’s lips twitched. She couldn’t believe how rude he was. She had been blinded before, thinking this man was decent.

After witnessing this behavior, her impression of him was significantly lowered.

Annoyed, she shut the courtyard gate behind her, ignoring the horse outside. Since Liu Zhihao had not asked her to tie it up, she would just pretend she didn’t know.

When she entered the main hall, Liu Zhihao was already talking with the old man.

Seeing how gentle he was with the old man, she realized that his harsh attitude was directed solely at her.

Had she done anything to offend him? Nothing at all, yet he was dissatisfied with her?

Li Qingling’s mind raced, but she couldn’t figure it out. She decided to stop thinking about it, turned on her heel, and prepared to attend to her own matters.

Before she could leave, the old man called out to her, asking her to fetch Liu Zhimou.

She responded and went out.

Not long after, Liu Zhimou returned.

The moment Liu Zhihao saw him, a faint smile appeared at the corners of his mouth. When Liu Zhimou greeted him, he nodded with a smile.

He had kept an eye on his cousin, knowing that he was performing well in his studies and would soon take an exam. With his abilities, passing to become a Xiucai should not be difficult.

Once he achieved his degree, he would inform him about the Liu family affairs and have him return home to reclaim his lineage.

With a proper status and achievements, his stepmother would no longer be able to bully him easily.

Thinking of the stepmother who had always wanted to get rid of his cousin, he sneered inwardly. If Liu Zhimou returned to the Liu family and continued to excel, the stepmother would be extremely displeased.

Her displeasure was his satisfaction.

“General Liu, what brings you here?” Liu Zhimou was surprised by this rare visit. He had thought he might never see Liu Zhihao in his lifetime, yet here he was. When Li Qingling had just gone to inform him, he had been equally astonished.

He could not fathom the purpose of Liu Zhihao’s visit.

Liu Zhihao glanced at Liu Zhimou and raised an eyebrow. “What? Zhimou doesn’t welcome me?”

Liu Zhimou shook his head. “Of course not. I was just surprised to see General Liu suddenly.”

After all, Liu Zhihao was a general, and he was just a commoner. Their lives hardly intersected, so why would he come to see him?

In any case, he found it very strange.

“I’m returning to the capital to report on my duties. I happened to pass by, so I thought I’d stop in.”

“I see…”

Liu Zhimou nodded but did not know what else to say.

The atmosphere in the hall became quiet. Even the old man remained silent, sipping his tea slowly.

When Li Qingling had entered the hall, he had sensed Liu Zhihao’s dissatisfaction with her.

Perhaps he felt that Li Qingling’s status was too low and that she was unworthy of Liu Zhimou.

If it weren’t for Liu Zhihao being unbeatable, he would have jumped up to give him a good beating.

And if they hadn’t kindly taken her in all those years ago, she might already be dead. How could he sit here leisurely drinking tea?

How could he possibly disdain Li Qingling?

But, constrained by Liu Zhihao’s position as a general, the old man kept his thoughts to himself, feeling a bit dissatisfied and reluctant to speak further.

Liu Zhihao, as a general, was unbothered by such tension. He sipped his tea gracefully, finishing a full cup before setting it down. Slowly, he spoke: “Zhimou, may I have a word with you in private?”

Liu Zhimou did not know what Liu Zhihao had in mind. Hearing this, he nodded.

“General Liu, right this way,” he said, standing and leading him to the study.

They waited in the chair for a while without hearing a word, and Liu Zhimou could no longer hold back. “General Liu, if you have something to say, please speak directly.”

Liu Zhihao looked up straight at him and asked seriously, “Are you really going to marry Li Qingling?”

Seeing his solemn expression, Liu Zhimou also became serious, nodding firmly.

She was already his fiancée, and marrying her was only natural. Besides, he had long understood his feelings for her—he loved her sincerely.

“She is unworthy of you,” Liu Zhihao said bluntly.

In his mind, Li Qingling was not a suitable match for his cousin. Had she had a good family background to aid him, it would have been different.

Hearing this, Liu Zhimou’s expression darkened. He looked back at Liu Zhihao and said, “If she is unworthy of me, then no one is. I will never allow anyone to belittle Li Qingling. She is the one I love, and I cannot bear to hear anyone think otherwise.”

Seeing Liu Zhimou’s displeasure, Liu Zhihao ignored it and continued. “You intend to be an official. You need a wife with a strong background. Only then can your career progress more quickly and securely.”

Politics was a treacherous field. Without powerful backing, it would be difficult to advance.

Had Li Qingling’s family been influential, he would not have objected. His intention was to look out for Liu Zhimou’s best interest.

But Liu Zhimou clearly did not accept this goodwill. If he needed a wife for career advancement, he would rather abandon the officialdom entirely.

“I don’t need that,” Liu Zhimou said straightforwardly. To him, career ambitions paled in comparison to Li Qingling.

If forced to choose between officialdom and Li Qingling, he would choose her without hesitation.

Liu Zhihao frowned upon hearing such unwavering refusal. He hadn’t expected his cousin to be so stubborn.

After a long, silent look, he pressed on: “If you feel you owe her, then give her more silver so she can live without want.”

“General Liu, if that is what you came to say, I’m afraid you may leave now,” Liu Zhimou said, frowning, increasingly displeased.

Had he known that Liu Zhihao came just to say this, he would never have agreed to meet.

The one he longed to marry was being belittled, and he could hardly be at ease.

Seeing Liu Zhimou so unhappy, Liu Zhihao paused, frowning even deeper. “Zhimou, do not focus only on the present. You must plan for the future.”

If Liu Zhimou were not his cousin, he would not have spoken so much.

He truly wanted the best for him.

Yet Liu Zhimou rejected all of it.

“You haven’t married yet, right?” Liu Zhimou asked.

Liu Zhihao paused at the question and replied that he hadn’t.

Liu Zhimou nodded knowingly. “Good. Anyone who becomes your wife would likely suffer greatly.”

From Liu Zhihao’s earlier words, it was clear that he viewed marriage as a transaction: he would only marry someone beneficial to him. Otherwise, he would not care.

How could such a cold-hearted man possibly treat a wife well?

Liu Zhihao pressed his lips together, silent. He hadn’t expected Liu Zhimou to speak in this way—it was a cold-blooded reply.

He admitted that if he married, he would choose a wife who would aid him. But he would also give her the respect she deserved. He would not be a man who ruined his household with concubines. That he could achieve.

“I can give her wealth and honor. How could she possibly be pitiful?”

Just when Liu Zhimou thought Liu Zhihao had nothing more to say, he added this.

It was truly his honest thought. He believed that wealth, honor, and respect for one’s wife were the best things one could offer.

Liu Zhimou shook his head helplessly. Liu Zhihao had likely never been in love, which explained his perspective.

“General Liu, there’s no need to say more. You and I are different. My views are the exact opposite of yours,” Liu Zhimou said calmly, pulling at the corner of his mouth. “In your mind, a good wife is one who brings advantages. But my view is different.”

He simply wanted to marry Li Qingling and spend a happy life with her. He did not have Liu Zhihao’s grand ambitions.

Liu Zhihao’s mouth pressed into a thin line. He looked at Liu Zhimou with frustration—thinking it foolish that his cousin would forgo ambition for a woman.