TFDC Chapter 17.2

Chapter 17.2 - Kicking her whilst she’s down





Not long later, following the servants and maidservants, Dong Mei held the only bundle that Lou Qingwu had brought into the residence.

From inside, she took out a fine wooden case, decorated with delicate carvings that made it look even more exquisite.

The sunlight hit it and it shone beautifully.

Everyone stopped distractedly as they stared at it.

The most Lu Qufeng looked, the worse his expression got.

Just looking at this wooden box showed how expensive it was. How could Lou Qingwu have anything so expensive?

So she did steal that bracelet.

Lou Lianxin saw it and unable to restrain herself, called out, “It’s this jewellery box! Daddy, it’s your daughters! The bracelet is inside!”

But inside, she felt strange.

Why did Dong Mei grab such a pretty wooden box to put the bodhi bracelet inside?

But right now, she didn’t care.

As long as she could get that sl*t Lou Qingwu kicked out, then all was well.

Lou Qufeng’s face darkened as he grabbed the dark wooden box.

He gripped it tightly, “What is this?! And you said you didn’t steal it?!”

Lou Qingwu indifferently looked at him but didn’t look as flustered as someone who had been caught in a crime should’ve been.

She only looked at him calmly in the eye, “Father, you haven’t even seen what’s inside. How would you know?”

“You’d die before admitting, right?” Lou Qufeng wanted nothing more than to kick her out right now.

He didn’t even have to look before confirming.

A brat like her that had been in the countryside for three years, how could she have anything so expensive and nice?

Viciously, he pried open the gold plated lock to open the wooden box. But when he opened it, he froze.

Inside wasn’t a bodhi bracelet, but a high grade, red deep-sea pearl the size of a goose egg.

The bright red of the pearl shone as the box opened, causing him to be unable to move his eyes from it.

Everyone saw Lou Qufeng freeze and unable to resist, all moved forward and just seeing it for a moment, made them freeze on the spot too.

Even though they had all seen all different types of treasures, they hadn’t seen a pearl this big before.

And especially because this pearl’s colour was the absolute best of an incredibly rare type.

Everyone’s heart beat a little faster and looked at Lou Qingwu strangely.

This was undeniably much more expensive than that bodhi bracelet and if she had such an exquisite high grade pearl, there was no reason why she’d want to steal some bodhi bracelet.

After all, even if it was imperially bestowed, it was just a bracelet.

Lou Qingwu acted like she didn’t see everyone’s stares and from Lou Qufeng’s hands, elegantly took back the wooden box.

Underneath everyone’s dumbstruck stares, closed the lock of the box and the sound was as if it knocked on everyone’s heart, making them unable to resist looking at the box a few more times.

Lou Qingwu coldly swept her gaze at all of them before laughing and holding the box upright, letting the gold plated lock fall onto Lou Qufeng’s eyes.

“For the sake of dispelling your suspicions, father and step-mothers have all looked at the box’s contents clearly. Here, this is the number one Jinsi building’s jewellery box. Every piece is carved with their owner’s name and each piece is unique.

Lou Qingwu, I’m sure everyone recognises these three words. If there are still any questions, you can all go to the number one Jinsi building to ask because they have records of purchases.”

After she finished speaking, Lou Qingwu didn’t look at their constipated faces any more and slowly put the wooden box back into the cloth bundle.

Looking at Lou Qufeng who was still frozen, she was unable to restrain from laughing, “Isn’t father about to turn forty?"

"Originally, there was nothing to give as a gift but this was something that I had found at the bottom of hot spring, near a hunting family’s lodge. I had found some red pearls and traded them in for the jewellery box and planned to give the best one for father as a birthday gift. But it seems like father doesn’t like vulgar countryside things so it’s alright, your daughter will just gift you something else.”

“Qingwu, I …” Lou Qufeng opened his mouth to say he didn’t not like it, really!

He really didn’t mind this!

But under so many people’s eyes, he couldn’t lose so much face.

It was him who had to be suspicious of her stealing that imperially bestowed item and now …

Just thinking about how that red rare pearl was supposed to be his made him regret so much that he wanted to smash his head against a wall!

How could he not believe Lou Qingwu’s word?

If he offered that pearl to the emperor tonight, the emperor would definitely be pleased.

But now this happened so how could he ask for it?

And hearing Lou Qingwu’s words, this was supposed to be his birthday gift but now ….

The more he thought about it, the more frustrated and angry he got.

These feelings were extremely complicated and his complicated and ugly face reflected it.

Suddenly, he thought of something and turned around to narrow his eyes at Lou Lianxin, “Lian’er, didn’t you say that jewellery box was yours?”


**


TL note:

Number one Jinsi building - a little awkward translating but it's a jewellery store. I'll leave it like that until I find a better way to translate it.

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