Chapter 177 - Little Chu And Li Moyun
Little Chu felt somewhat uncomfortable. It had not been long since the time he was merely another guard in the Eternal Shadow Palace. Due to his strong sense of responsibility, and some strange combination of encounters, he had been tasked with protecting the Madam.
When he initially began the task, he had to admit that he too looked down on the woman that their master had married. Even when he found out that she was not the dumb woman of the rumors, he was still not optimistic about the two and their relationship.
But as he slowly began spending time with her, he noticed that her personality was not at all detestable.
He found that she brought happiness to those around her, and he, who had always longed for a family, finally felt as if he had someone who cared for him.
The more time they spent together, the more confident he became of this woman being special. He had noticed the changes she brought to his Lord, and he had to admit that he enjoyed seeing this old block of ice slowly melt and become more human.
However, he had never thought that he, too, would change, to a point where he did not recognize himself.
The changes had been done so unconsciously that he did not even know when they had happened. If this were before Bai Rouyun had entered their lives, Little Chu would never have even considered being in the same restaurant as Li Moyun, unless he was a shadow guard tasked with protecting him.
Now he was asked to take a seat next to his Lord, and while he found it somewhat awkward, he did not feel the same discomfort as he thought he would have initially.
When he joined the Eternal Shadow Palace, he had sworn an oath that Li Moyun would always be his Lord, and that he would never violate his orders, nor betray him.
This was something he had never regretted, and also something he had no intention of breaking, but their relationship had changed subtly. Now Li Moyun treated him more like one of Bai Rouyun's friends, as her family.
They had been speaking together more than before. Back then, Li Moyun would only give him orders, and his only answers would be to accept the order, or if he had to announce or report something.
However, things were now different. The two of them could hold a comfortable conversation. It was as if Li Moyun was no longer his Lord, but instead, a friend, and this thought scared Little Chu.
Bai Rouyun looked at the alternating expression on Little Chu's face, and she easily guessed his emotions. In fact, Li Moyun and Qin Huiling also sensed his fluctuating feelings, and while Bai Rouyun was waiting patiently with a smile on her face, Qin Huiling felt distressed.
"Or, we can go somewhere else?" she muttered with a low voice, but Bai Rouyun shook her head. "Don't do that," she responded.
"Little Chu is indeed a subordinate to Li Moyun, but he is also my recognized brother. Since Li Moyun already told him to take a seat, it means that he will respect my wishes, and he too considers Little Chu as someone equal."
Bai Rouyun said this intentionally. She had waited for Qin Huiling to speak up before she replied.
Her words were straightforward, and while these words were not news to any of them, they still helped Little Chu feel as if he understood their stance.
He knew that one of the factors which had decided that he had become Bai Rouyun's recognized brother was luck. He had been lucky to be at the right place at the right time to be given the task, but luck was also a part of one's strength.
If it had been someone else, they might be the one who wanted to climb on this relationship, and abuse the friendliness of Bai Rouyun and Li Moyun, but Little Chu had never wanted to get anything in return.
He had always done his job, and even when Bai Rouyun wanted to share her gains with him, she almost had to threaten him to take it.
She knew that he was trustworthy, that he had a good personality, and she also felt fortunate to have come across him.
Li Moyun, who was usually a master at jealousy, did not feel jealous when he saw the interactions between the two of them. He could feel that both of them longed for a family, and that their affection did not have an ounce of romantic feelings.
"Little Chu, you do not have to be so uptight," Li Moyun also spoke at this time. "It is a fact that initially, you were one amongst many, you had the luck to be given the task of protecting my lady, but now it is not the case.
"While you are still a member of the Eternal Shadow Palace, you are also part of my wife's family. That makes you my brother-in-law, and I will treat you with the respect that this position deserves.
"Therefore, you do not need to hesitate to eat alongside us. You are now one of our dear ones."
Little Chu could hear that these words were heartfelt. He had feared that Li Moyun would be angry with him for overstepping his boundaries, but now he understood that while his Lord was indeed cold and ruthless to others, he had such gentleness and patience with his family.
Holding back the emotions that were crashing in his heart like waves, he slowly pulled out a chair for Qin Huiling first, before he too sat down by her side.
His eyes were a little red along the corners, and his Adam's apple was trembling while his jaw was clenched tightly. It was clear that he was trying very hard to hold back his emotions from erupting.