Chapter 199 Living Together (Part-2)
"What the hell is going on here? Didn't you tell me the other day that you are house arrested? Did your father allow you to come out? No, that's not possible. Don't tell me Owner Lu helped you escape? But, how come there's no news and…"
As Lin Xue was shocked by the sudden appearance of her best friend, she started asking questions nonstop, contrary to her cold and quiet behavior. It forced the heiress of the Song Clan to interrupt her in hurry. "Calm down, Xue Xue. Now, take a deep breath, will ya…"
"But, how did this happen?" Lin Xue grabbed Song Yue's shoulder. It looked as if she was happier than the victim who got free.
"All thanks to Owner Lu and Ms. Alina. Without even harming a single guard, she managed to bring me out." As Song Yue explained how she escaped in detail, Mark exited the kitchen but didn't go out and disturb them. He just slanted his left, taking the support of the door, and watched them while folding his arms to the chest.
Perhaps Lin Xue was too involved in listening that she didn't pay attention to the surroundings and she didn't know that Mark was there.
And so, after hearing everything, she commented while nodding, "It looked like my gamble worked. When he didn't give me a proper answer, I thought that a lot of things like whether I offered too less or maybe, he was afraid of making an enemy out of Song Clan and Ji…"
Before her words finished, Song Yue hurriedly closed her mouth, "Stop. He's here. And it isn't as you imagined."
Lin Xue's eyes widened as she turned her head. Meanwhile, Song Yue apologized to him in her place.
Mark's expression didn't change a bit. He simply waved his hand, "it's alright. I can afford not to mind if it is a guest that I invited. By the way, there's something else I need to inform you but it'll make it awkward if I say it now. So, I'll talk about it later. You girls can resume your talk. I'll go and check on the dishes."
It would be a lie if Mark wasn't displeased by Lin Xue's words as he never thought of this as a business deal but considering that she's a guest, he needs to mind his manners as the host and put aside the matter.
As he left the place so as not to make Song Yue feel awkward, she scolded her friend in displeasure. "Can't you sense the surroundings before running off your mouth like that? Does he already hate the nobles? What would he think of me now? And you are wrong about him too. He wasn't doing this for money. He doesn't want the major noble clans to do as they wish without even considering the woman's rights."
"It's his fault for listening to the others' conversation in secret. Moreover, you didn't even let me finish my sentence, causing the misunderstanding." Lin Xue replied slowly as if she was the victim here. Suddenly something clicked in her mind and she let out a mischievous smile, "By the way, you seem to be worried about what he is thinking about you, now? Did you progress that much in 12 hours?"
As Lin Xue tried to tease her friend, Song Yue playfully slapped her shoulder, "stop talking nonsense." Shang Jiao tilted her head in confusion. She didn't understand what they were talking about. When asked them, Lin Xue pinched her cheek, "you are still too young for that."
Shang Jiao puffed her cheeks, "I'm 15, you know."
"Exactly." "Exactly." Both of them spoke at the same time and laughed out together.
After a while, Mark returned and informed everyone that the dishes were ready. He put back the sleeping kitten in its room and followed them to the dining room.
Soon, Alina, Allen, and a butler robot arranged the table with 36 varieties of dishes. However, there were no western-style dishes from Mark's past life as he doesn't want to share with them. Only Song Yue is privileged to taste those exotic dishes.
Instead of normal meat, Alina used the meat of low-grade spirit beasts to improve the taste but then again, it is only of restaurant quality.
The food quality might not be compared to what the Imperial family or the major noble clan members eat on their formal occasions but nonetheless, everyone was impressed with the taste.
Feeling a little bit embarrassed by the earlier incident, Lin Xue ate silently for a while before Mark opened up the topic, "So, what is your next plan, Lady Lin? Send the letter to the Song Clan's ancestor?"
"Ah, actually, we planned to visit him tomorrow and tell him in person." Shang Jiao replied to him instead of Lin Xue.
As Mark turned towards his sister, she further said, "I planned to tell you, I mean take the permission of leave, in the evening."
"Well, if you mess it and the war comes to my store, then, along with the death of individuals, the extinction of major clans will also be on your heads. If escalated to the situation where I had to leave my homeland, then, you two will be partly responsible for the consequences too. Just saying…" Mark casually informed her as he calmly picked up a piece of shredded rainbow chicken (2-circle) and chewed it.
For a moment, Lin Xue shivered and stared at Mark's calm look before glancing at Alina and Allen who are behaving as if the words didn't disturb them a bit.
Was he too overconfident or was he too bloodthirsty? She wondered.
Meanwhile, Shang Jiao was only amazed that her brother is strong enough to utter those words. She believed him. On the other hand, Song Yue was starting to get worried for her father.
She knew that Song Yun won't hesitate to go all out if he learns that she was with his enemy. Judging by how her father was defeated two times in a row, she had no doubt that he will lose again. But, she was more worried that he might die as a result.
He might be hurting her by taking such a decision but he is still her beloved father. She can't let such a thing befall him or her relatives.
Then, should she go back to her clan and marry the Ji clan's eldest heir?
That's not possible. She had already accepted her father's decision once and accepted the engagement with Zhang Kong.
She devoted herself to him and after spending with him for three years, she was ready to spend the rest of her whole life with her fiancée but in the end, what happened? He had broken her heart. She wasn't ready to give her heart to someone again even if she gets forcefully married.
That's why she didn't hesitate to leave her house when the opportunity arrived.
Then, what are her other options? She had to convince Mark to show restraint if he had to battle her family members. If she can't, then, only committing suicide is available.
Unfortunately, she doesn't have the courage to do that, or else, she would have used it to threaten her father to cancel the marriage.
Then, should she just leave this place? That way, Mark wouldn't also have to harm her father.
"Ah, yes." She looked at her friend.
"Where do you lost in thoughts?" She pointed at Mark with the chopsticks, "Owner Lu is calling you for a while."
"Nothing," She shook her head with a smile. "I was wondering whether I should come with you."
"Eh?" The three of them looked at her in surprise.
Looking at everyone's expressions, Song Yue realized that her statement was quite shocking to them, well, except for Alina and Allen who are just silent and not reacting to anything.
She thought of a quick explanation and said, "I mean I'm thankful to Owner Lu that he helped me out of this situation but I don't want to trouble him more. That's why I'm thinking of tagging along with you two and hiding in some remote town until the things get solved."
Mark frowned at first, but then, he realized that he cannot take responsibility for her life. She is an adult and she will do what she wants to do with her life and face the consequences too.
Lin Xue, on the other hand, refused it right away, "No, I can't leave you in a place where you will be vulnerable. It's best if you live here until the things get solved."