Chapter 210

Chapter 210: The Frustrated Lin Xin

Lin Xin’s account left Lin Xi utterly shocked.

She hadn’t anticipated so many complicated circumstances behind the scenes.

For a moment, her expression grew complicated as she gazed at her Third Sister, much of her fear dissipating.

"I know what you’re worried about. Rest assured, after marriage I’ll begin Closed-Door Training immediately and won’t disturb you," Lin Xin stated lightly.

She cared little for others’ opinions anyway. Since her marriage with Zhou Luo was merely a facade, clarity was necessary.

Lin Xi’s eyes reddened as she pursed her lips and shook her head. "Third Sister, I was wrong."

"No need. This arrangement works fine," Lin Xin waved dismissively.

She disliked this atmosphere—it made her explanation seem like a complaint of grievance.

Truthfully, she felt no grievance at all. She simply wished to clarify matters now to coexist peacefully with Zhou Luo’s women in the future.

This younger sister’s apology was wholly unnecessary.

Knowing her temperament, Lin Xi dropped the apologies but suggested, "Third Sister, you may stay at Zhou Garden."

"Unnecessary. Zhou Luo and I have agreed upon this," Lin Xin replied impassively.

Her trip to Jiang City reinforced the vital importance of strength.

This marriage provided an opportunity for her to have some peace, bury herself in cultivation, and strive for an early breakthrough.

Lin Xi didn’t insist further.

The two sisters continued talking in the room awhile longer.

Lin Xi did most of the speaking, with Lin Xin only occasionally offering brief responses.

Night fell.

Guests departed. Xu Changsheng instructed servants to clean up while the wives and concubines attended to putting the children to bed.

Zhou Luo arrived at the bridal chamber and pushed the door open.

Having learned his lesson, he’d brewed Sobering Pills beforehand; his mind was still clear.

Inside, Lin Xin sat rigidly on the bed in her phoenix crown and red bridal veil, her beautiful eyes fixed unblinkingly on him.

Zhou Luo sat on a round stool, poured himself a cup of spirit tea, and drained it in one gulp.

"I sleep on the bed!"

"I sleep on the bed!"

Simultaneously they voiced their demand a heartbeat apart.

Zhou Luo’s eyebrow arched as he turned to her. "Third Young Lady, I’m the victim here."

Lin Xin glared back. "Victim? I’m the one marrying into this household. Fake or not, I’m still a guest."

"True. Guests deserve the bed," Zhou Luo mused thoughtfully.

Lin Xin exhaled heavily in relief.

Throughout the return journey, she’d always slept on the narrow jade platform—a grievance harbored long within her.

Now naturally, it was necessary to seize this chance to regain the upper hand.

However, to her surprise, Zhou Luo suddenly said, "But this is my room, and I want to sleep on the bed too."

As he spoke, he had already approached; his tall, lithe figure casting a huge shadow against the backlight that engulfed Lin Xin’s small body.

Lin Xin looked up, gazing at that handsome, refined face and those deep, starry eyes, feeling a stir in her heart.

She instinctively shrank back: "What are you doing?"

"Sleeping."

Zhou Luo calmly smiled; turning sideways, he pressed against her and swaggered onto the bed, not forgetting to stretch himself comfortably.

"Tired."

Before Lin Xin could speak, Zhou Luo lifted his legs and lunged straight at her.

Lin Xin quickly stood up, forced to yield her favorite large bed.

She glared resentfully at the fellow lounging leisurely on the bed: "How dare you be so insolent to me?"

"Hey, as the saying goes, under another’s roof, you must lower your head. Third Young Lady, you need to consider your predicament," Zhou Luo, holding leverage over her, chuckled lightly.

Lin Xin gritted her teeth and turned to walk aside.

She had to leave; she must escape.

Tomorrow, she would go cultivate at the spiritual vein; out of sight, out of mind.

Sitting cross-legged on the jade platform for cultivation, Lin Xin closed her eyes and thought to herself.

On the bed, Zhou Luo squinted his eyes, saying little more, just removing his outer garment and lying down comfortably.

He still needed to blunt the Third Young Lady’s edge.

Otherwise, he feared she might aim that haughtiness at his wife and children in the future.

The first night of marriage was peaceful and uneventful.

Lin Xin got up early in the morning, left the room directly without breakfast, and headed straight for the spiritual vein.

But unexpectedly, just as she arrived at her private room to cultivate, her father Lin Ze personally came to find her.

"Look at you, running away from home on your wedding day. Do you want to become a laughingstock?" Lin Ze said angrily.

"Father, I just wished to cultivate, and I informed Zhou… my husband," Lin Xin replied, pursing her lips.

These words were half-truths; at least the first part was factual, but the second half…

When she departed, that fellow was still sound asleep; how could she have notified him?

Lin Ze’s expression was filled with displeasure: "When can’t you cultivate? Your job now is to integrate into Zhou Garden quickly; don’t be headstrong."

Lin Xin pouted, wanting to argue back, but seeing her father’s firm look, she knew it was pointless.

Reluctantly, she had to return to Zhou Garden.

At Zhou Garden, Zhou Luo had just woken up and was playing with little Chang Le.

"Oh, Third Young Lady, out for a stroll?" Zhou Luo teased.

Lin Xin shot him a glare and walked straight upstairs without another word.

As expected, the Third Young Lady remained confined to her room every day in the following period, never stepping out.

Concerned, Lin Xi sent spiritual cuisine to her and asked Zhou Luo to offer some comfort.

Zhou Luo chuckled. "Doesn’t this serve your purpose perfectly?"

"She truly isn’t ill-natured at heart," Lin Xi replied, then recounted the previous day’s events to him.

A flicker of understanding passed through Zhou Luo’s eyes after hearing it.

He hadn’t anticipated that this Third Young Lady carried such a past.

Yet knowing didn’t mean Zhou Luo intended to lower himself by coaxing her—it was irrelevant to him. At most, he’d simply let her have the bed in the future.

That night, he slept in Bai Zhi Yan’s quarters.

This "little crybaby" had been thoroughly tormented by Zhou Luo ever since promising to bear him ten children last time.

And so it went, half a month passed.

Still having failed to impregnate his other women and sensing a breakthrough brewing within himself, Zhou Luo decided to bring Lin Xi to the Spiritual Vein for dual cultivation.

Just as they prepared to leave Zhou Garden, Lin Xin, who’d scarcely emerged from her room, suddenly barred their path.

"I’m going too."

Lin Xi was momentarily stunned. Zhou Luo grinned. "Do you even know our purpose?"

"To cultivate within the Spiritual Vein, naturally. I intend to join." Lin Xin lifted her chin defiantly.

Ever since being harshly reprimanded by her father, she’d lost all access to the Spiritual Vein.

Now presented with an opportunity, she refused to miss it.

"Third Sister, we…" Lin Xi attempted to explain.

But Lin Xin cut her off sharply. "No excuses. You will take me."

"Suit yourself." Zhou Luo couldn’t be bothered to argue and strode past her.

Unwilling to concede, Lin Xin hurried after them.

Thus, the three arrived at the core region of the Spiritual Vein.

The chambers here differed little from the outer ones—merely more spacious and brightly illuminated by greater reserves of Spiritual Energy.

Due to their sisterhood, Lin Xi and Lin Xin’s assigned cultivation chambers were adjacent.

Watching the pair enter a single chamber together, Lin Xin frowned in confusion. "You plan to cultivate together?"

Cultivating excessively close always risks disrupting one’s absorption rate of Spiritual Energy.

Thus, sharing a single cultivation chamber was practically unheard of.

Yet their actions clearly indicated joint cultivation.

"Yes, Third Sister, precisely," Lin Xi responded, her cheeks flushing crimson.

The words were barely out when Zhou Luo pulled her inside and shut the door firmly.

Lin Xin eyed the closed entrance, skepticism sharpening her features.

If that’s truly all, then why the blush?

Is there something up his sleeve?