After the lunch, Li Rui took Xi Ling to his room as the little bun said that he wanted to sleep for some time.
Xi Ying was more than happy on hearing these words.
So he generously let his wife tell his son some story to make the brat sleep.
He followed his wife like a tail to Xi Ling's room. When Li Rui told some story to Xi Ling, he just sat on the couch inside the room while looking through the words and sentences that he had given to Xi Ling to practice.
A few minutes later, Xi Ling was soundly asleep. So Li Rui put two pillows on both of his sides and then climbed down from the bed carefully.
Seeing this, Xi Ying also put down everything and then got up from the couch. After that, he walked towards Li Rui and forwarded his hand in front of her.
Li Rui raised her eyebrows questioningly but nonetheless put her hand in his hand and with that Xi Ying took her out of their son's room.
"Rui, I am going to discuss something with my shadow guards today. I want you to be there…of course, if you too want it."
Outside the room, Xi Ying told his wife.
A moment later, he suddenly continued
"In fact, I would be very happy if you will accompany me every time I meet with my shadow guards in the future."
Li Rui's eyes flickered for a moment on hearing these words. She then stared at Xi Ying's face as if she wanted to understand the reason behind this sudden change.
As if he understood the questions behind those silent eyes, Xi Ying smiled and raised his hand to caress Rui's cheek gently.
"Hadn't I said that I will no longer hide anything from you?"
Realization dawned on to Li Rui and she shook her head lightly while saying
"Ying, You don't need to do that. It was a misunderstanding…or Rui should say a mistake fr…"
"Ssssshhh"
Xi Ying's finger immediately shut Li Rui's mouth.
He took a step forward completely invading Li Rui's personal space. His hands held both of her hands as he told her with a serious face.
"You were not at fault. It was me. It was my mistake to let you remain unknown to so many things …and in the end, all this created misunderstandings between us. So I don't want to leave any chance of happening this again."
He paused for a moment before he continued
"And it is something that you should know. It is related to Li family."
Hearing this, Li Rui didn't refuse any longer. If it was anything related to Li Clan then she would no doubt want to know.
The reason behind her refusal was that she knew how hard it was to confide everything about yourself to someone.
At least she couldn't do the same with Xi Ying…not yet.
She couldn't tell him what all business she and Yi Junjie had in the whole Empire and many other things that only a few people closer to her knew.
Li Rui thought that if Xi Ying was sharing his secrets with her without any wariness then she would have to do the same something she was not ready for.
However, after knowing that it was something related to Li Clan, she didn't feel any hesitation. So without any other question, Li Rui and Xi Ying walked out of the Plum Courtyard to go to Xi Ying's study room.
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Xi Ying lived in a separate courtyard before unlike now.
So his study room was also there. Although after coming back to the Imperial City since last time, his permanent residence has been Plum Courtyard, his study room was still at the same place.
The reason behind this was that although Plum Courtyard was large, it was not as spacious as Xi Ying's courtyard.
Even his study room was so huge and well furnished.
However, Plum courtyard has not been take care of by the servants of the Xi Manor until Xi Ying changed the butler.
On their way to the study room, Xi Ying intentionally showed the courtyard where he lived before to Li Rui very nicely. Since the past few months, he had actually asked Li Rui if she wanted to move out of Plum Courtyard. However, she would always refuse him.
While walking through the spacious courtyard, he observed her each and every expression.
For once, he wanted to see any admiration for anything in this courtyard in her eyes… something that could make him believe that it was possible to make Li Rui move here from Plum Courtyard.
However, he saw nothing like that. But Xi Ying was not going to give up.
If nothing worked then he took Li Rui to his own room.
His room was decorated with very beautiful decorative objects that were given to him or sent to Xi Manor by the Imperial Palace.
It was only then Xi Ying finally noticed Li Rui's eyes stopping on a painting inside his room. Xi Ying's eyes brightened up immediately and he asked
"Do you like it?"
The painting was actually given to him by the Emperor himself when he had solved the border problems four years ago. It was a beautiful painting representing the beautiful scenery of the Imperial garden in the Imperial Palace.
The specialty of this painting was that it presented the Imperial Garden during the Autumn season just in the way Li Rui had seen when she had entered the Palace last time.
The ginkgo trees were spreading a golden sheet on the green ground of the Imperial Garden with their flowers. Although it was a mere painting, she still couldn't help but find this scene very comforting and peaceful to her eyes.
"It is beautiful."
Li Rui answered Xi Ying's question softly.
Xi Ying was very satisfied when he heard this and said instantly
"I have many other paintings placed in the store room. All of them are very beautiful and rare. I will order Shui Cao to hang them here if you like them."
Li Rui's black eyes suddenly moved to look at the man standing beside her. Seeing how eagerly he was speaking without any stop, she raised her eyebrows and smiled mildly.
How could she not see his mild attempts of tempting her to move to this courtyard!
However, the smile soon on her lips disappeared when Xi Ying turned to look at her back as until then he was also looking at the painting.
"What do you say?"
A small smile again graced Li Rui's lips but it was too polite as she looked at Xi Ying and said
"Are you thinking of moving back to this Courtyard?"
And those words completely shut the excited self of Xi Ying.
"No!"
Just this one word he let out that too after quite a few moments of staring blankly at his wife. The next moment, he held Li Rui's wrist and then pulled her out of that room.
Once outside the room, he ordered Shui Cao to hang the painting of ginkgo trees in Li Rui's room in Plum Courtyard and after that, he again pulled Li Rui with her to the study room with a sulking face.
On the other hand, Li Rui who was being pulled by Xi Ying looked at his back and covered her mouth to smile mischievously.