Chapter 220 - Arbitration

As Doctor Lou tried to control his laughter, he jabbed Tung Mei with his elbow trying to get her to join his fun as he informed, "She has learned some very interesting things~" 

Tung Mei frowned and then looked at Lei Xing, whose face was getting increasingly red with anger and embarrassment as Doctor Lou continued to howl in laughter. Tung Mei immediately raised her hands up and said, "I had nothing to do with this. I'm completely innocent in all this, this is all him!" She said motioning to Doctor Lou. 

Lei Xing turned her attention to Tung Mei and glared at her, Tung Mei jumped and quickly backtracked, "I only abandoned the bracelet because he was bothering me. I didn't think you would pick it up. I just didn't want him to come to find me...And later, as you know he didn't let me take it off. I admit that I was short-sighted and should have buried it under a mountain or dumped it in the ocean -"

"Hey!" Doctor Lou suddenly barked at Tung Mei, "How dare you even think to treat my precious baby like that?! If you ever do anything like this again, I will bury you under the ocean!"

"Since you gave it to me, it's mine! Therefore I can do whatever I want with it!" Tung Mei indignantly responded, "And stop laughing it's not funny!"

"Ah, what happened to your great sense of humor? It's that Yong, isn't it? Tch, I always knew he was no good..." Doctor Lou responded with a frown.

"Don't talk about my Yong ge like that!" Tung Mei barked with a frown.

"He's a brat and so I can talk about him how-e-ver I want." Doctor Lou responded haughtily raising his head up and squinting at Bi Lu, reminding him that someone at the table still remembered he existed.

Lei Xing put her face in her hands as Doctor Lou and Tung Mei were bickering. She was feeling incredibly foolish at the moment.

{...Stupid, stupid, stupid! How could I be so stupid?! The freaking old man even talked about having a meal ready for me, it's not like I sent an RSVP...The stupid bracelet also got angry when I called him a quack, which he is! I don't even know what he is T_T)...Not to mention the obsession with "its" gems, how could I not have seen this?...No, no, no I was being rational. It was rational to think that a human - He's obviously not a regular human being! So how could I access his irrational with a rational mind?! I'm so stupid! >_

"Why didn't you tell me?!" Lei Xing bangs her fisted hands on the table as she glared daggers at Doctor Lou.

Doctor Lou blinked at her and then matter of factly said, "You never asked."

"I asked several times!" Lei Xing swiftly responded.

Doctor Lou knit his brows in thought and then responded, "Hmm, true, you did...But at that time, you were the stranger who kidnapped my precious bracelet so I didn't like you. You were the enemy...And then after I found out who you were, you just never asked."

Lei Xing blinked at him in confusion. Then she knit and unknit her eyebrows as she took deep breaths. She raised her hands up and fisted and unfisted them in front of her, holding herself back jumping over the table to strangle the old man, "I never asked...?" Lei Xing quietly said through gritted teeth.

"En, you never did." Doctor Lou cooly responded with a happy smile.

Lei Xing fisted her hands as she glared at the smiling Doctor Lou as she searched her memory but she could honestly not remember if she actually ever did ask then. At that time, she was too concerned with getting rid of the bracelet to inquire about its origins or identity. Especially not with all the 'Mind your own business' and 'None of your business' she received from it. It was a natural response for her not to want to bother with pointless inquiries.

It was not her fault. A normal person would have given an introduction with their "apology". Lei Xing let out a shaky breath and then asked, "And you never thought to tell me?"

{...Like a normal person would -_-)'...}

Doctor Lou knit his brows and looked at her as if she said something completely absurd, "And ruin the fun? Of course, I didn't...Don't lie, you were enjoying the mystery of it all, weren't you?" Doctor Lou asked with a chuckle.

Lei Xing could feel her veins popping, the fact that he was taking this all as a joke was even more infuriating.

Tung Mei glared at Doctor Lou and then carefully said to Lei Xing, "Xing jie, you should calm do-"

"You shut up!" Lei Xing shouted at Tung Mei and she immediately closed her mouth. Lei Xing then turned back to Doctor Lou, "Do you know this is a serious breach of privacy?!" 

Doctor Lou blinked at her, then snorted and then laughed, "She wants to sue me -"  Then he turned to Tung Mei, "Oh, did I mention she was a lawyer in her other life?... Actually she never quite made it there, she was only an aspiring lawyer..." Then he started laughing again, Tung Mei jabbed him, trying to tell him to stop as she sheepishly looked at Lei Xing.

Lei Xing banged the table and got to her feet to leave, the embarrassment was too much. But before that, there was something that needed to be done. She stretched out her wrist to Doctor Lou, "Take your bracelet and make sure it stays the hell away from me or I swear I will burn this place and 'it' down." 

Doctor Lou looked at her wrist and raised an eyebrow at her, "Are you sure you want that?"

"I'm asking, aren't I?" Lei Xing irritatedly retorted.

{...I never asked. I never asked - This freaking as***le, I don't care if he's an old man! He's a freaking as***le for turning me into a joke! >_

Doctor Lou nodded, "Okay, I'll take it back if still want, but first, sit down." Lei Xing frowned and remained standing before she could speak, Doctor Lou folded his arms and then said, "If you don't sit, then I'm not taking it. Don't think that your little guard there can do anything to me or the tens of men outside. Not even your Emperor can force me. No one in this world - No, no one in the entire universe can force me to do something I don't want to do, so you best sit down."

Lei Xing glared at his stubborn face and he glared back at her, he was not going to be moved. After a bit, she let out a breath and then begrudgingly sat down and frowned off to the side. She could be stubborn too, but she was not someone to be pointlessly stubborn.

This whole thing had clearly confirmed her initial suspicion that this old man was not ordinary. It would even be worse if he disappeared again and just decided to terrorize her remotely forever. Being stubborn here would get her nothing. Still, cooperating did not lessen the infuriation she felt for being fooled. And being at his mercy, was even more infuriating and demeaning. He had played with her and played with her intelligence and she wanted nothing more to do with him.

Doctor Lou observed Lei Xing's angry face for a bit and then sighed, "I am not your enemy and will never be. I am on your side, always."

Lei Xing scoffed.

{...My side?...Bullshit ( ≖_≖)...}

Doctor Lou narrowed his eyes at her, "I mean it. Aren't you a lot happier these days?" 

Lei Xing glared at him with a raised eyebrow, "And you think that's thanks to you?"

"Not at all...But I am happy to have been part of the process." Doctor Lou responded with a little smile.

Lei Xing rolled her eyes, completely unamused and then her eyes landed on Tung Mei and then she asked, "And what's your role in this?"

"Nothing at all, I randomly got pulled into it in the middle." Tung Mei immediately explained, shaking her hands to show her innocence. Lei Xing's eyes moved to Doctor Lou and he smiled and confirmed, "It's true, her only interest these days is Yong. Tsk, tsk no good..." Doctor Lou finished shaking his head in disappointment.

Lei Xing turned back to Tung Mei, "So you knew about who I really was from the beginning? So your whole story was a lie, wasn't it?" She could not dare deny it now, Doctor Lou pretty much just confirmed that he had been feeding Tung Mei information about her with that lawyer bit.

Tung Mei hesitated for a bit and then awkwardly explained, "Not entirely...When I approached you at the lantern festival I did know who you were - really are...I did get to know you through him." She said pointing at Doctor Lou, then she knit her brows and quickly added, "But we had met before, briefly, when Ah Jin said." She paused again and then timidly added, "But the whole traveling together bit was a lie, I just wanted-" Tung Mei then pouted.

"You just wanted to get close to me. You had used me as an excuse to get close to the Lei family and so you needed to consolidate your story by showing we were close. So you approached me with some made-up story because you knew I wouldn't be able to confirm or deny anything." Lei Xing flatly finished for her.

Tung Mei lowered her head and then sheepishly mumbled, "I'm sorry...I shouldn't have."

"Hey! Don't bully my baby!" Doctor Lou barked frowning at Lei Xing as he pat Tung Mei's head. Lei Xing glared at him and then he smiled and said, "She's young and so she is allowed to be impulsive."

Lei Xing rolled her eyes and sarcastically said, "I'm glad we had this heart to heart...Now take off the bracelet."

Doctor Lou stared at her and then said, "Your mother-in-law is coming back...She should arrive by nightfall. She traveled all night to get back here...After hearing your happy news."

Lei Xing immediately froze.

{...O_O) Tonight? Traveled all night?... I can't imagine she's eager to congratulate me...Ah, f**k! I knew this whole thing was not a great idea-...}

"It's too late to change your mind!" Doctor Lou immediately barked out. Lei Xing frowned at him and then he folded his arms, puffed out his chest and chuckled, "But don't worry, I am here to ensure you have your happily ever after~ hehe~"

Lei Xing rolled her eyes, Doctor Lou frowned and added, "Think about it. You now know the ring, precious as it is, has its limits. Without that bracelet, I would not have been able to help you during that flower poison incident. I was not even here then and you would not have been able to find me even if you tried. There's also the second incident, I was able to find you in time before anything bad happened to you. I even braved the dangers of you attacking me. I am obviously a friend, not foe...With this ring, I can always enlighten you and help you without you even lifting a finger, isn't it great?"

Lei Xing knit her brows as she considered things. It was true, the bracelet as annoying as it has been, it has proven itself incredibly helpful and useful when she needed it most. But still, to find out it was all just for a joke was still grating to her senses.

"It was not a joke." Doctor Lou defended squinting at her, "Just because it was fun does not mean it was a joke. One should find joy in the activities of living, otherwise, what is the point in living life?"

Lei Xing narrowed her eyes at Doctor Lou and then he sighed, "Tch, always so difficult. Fine, since you can't just take things in stride. I once sad your life experience was good enough payment for the ring...Since you have failed to come to visit me to share, then consider this the method of repayment." He said with a pout.

Lei Xing frowned and then asked, "And the whole wedding ceremony thing?"

"All part of the life experience." Doctor Lou responded with a smile and then his smile dimmed, "As an old man, so many luxuries have been denied to me and so I enjoy living life through the lives of others. The universe is filled with so many stories, each with its own nuances. Each tale is unique. Some end sadly, others happy and some just exist..." Then he chuckled, "I like the happy endings~"