Ink Burns

Chapter 173 The Drunken Fist's Assault

She should have been angry, but after trying to muster up some anger, she couldn't muster any real fury.

It seems that subconsciously, they have already decided that Xue Xiao is reliable and would never risk doing something that cannot be resolved well.

This subconscious thought is a bit dangerous.

When Shan Yue looked up again, she blinked, forcing herself to pull herself out of her thoughts, and continued, "Well, it's understandable that you came to see me. You're a respectable young lady sent by Liu Huan, and I'm 'Qingfeng' sent by Liu Huan to marry. Even if others know you're here, they'll think it's just a clique from Songjiang Prefecture. From now on, you must think thrice before acting. The capital is not like the mountains; everyone has eight hundred schemes in their hearts. You have to interpret every word in three different ways. Even those other three fools, oh no, those other three female officials, must be careful to maintain a balance, be a gentleman and keep your distance. Don't speak your mind completely; be careful with your food, your words, and your relationships with others."

Children who grow up in the mountains come to Beijing; they are simple and honest, which makes people very uneasy.

Shan Yue wanted to say something, but when she looked up, she saw Shui Guang staring straight at her. Her eyes were still there, but her thoughts had clearly wandered off.

They flew away to who knows where.

Shan Yue stopped, raised an eyebrow, and quickly asked, "What are you thinking about?"

"Braised lamb leg!" Shui Guang answered quickly.

Shanyue: "."

Let's eat then.
Before Shan Yue could ask Luo Feng for help, Luo Feng came in carrying several fragrant food boxes. Shan Yue and Shui Guang chatted about some trivial things, while Shui Guang lay on the soft couch teasing Xue Tuan, poking Xue Tuan's little paws with a long reed from the lakeside.

Wherever the snowballs hide, the water sparkles and glints in their eyes.

The plump but helpless snowball flapped its wings and cried out in a shrill voice, "Mountain Moon! Mountain Moon!"

Shan Yue frowned while laughing, and pressed down on her sister's forehead: "Why do you want to mess with him?"

Shui Guang laughed heartily: "You know what, this fat bird does look a bit like Lord Xue!"

Shan Yue glanced at the juicy flesh practically spilling out from under Xue Tuan's wings: "."

Lord Xue was dressed in clothes that concealed his muscular build, making him appear lean and capable. When you lean against him, you can feel his strong and sturdy chest.

In comparison, the snowball was a bit plumper.

Shui Guang smiled radiantly, laughing heartily, her eyes reflecting the clear, sparkling water of a mountain spring.

Shan Yue couldn't help but laugh, gently embracing Shui Guang with her arms outstretched: "On one hand, I hope you regain your memory—so you can remember that I am your older sister, and that I finally have a relative in this world; on the other hand, I'm afraid you'll remember everything, afraid you'll cry, afraid you'll break down, afraid you'll despair, afraid you'll be blinded by hatred."

He Shui Guang was held tightly in his arms, her voice muffled: "I'm not in despair! I, He Shui Guang, have broken in! The one who should despair is someone else!"

Shan Yue smiled again, with a hint of relief: Shui Guang recovered her memories faster and better than she had expected, was better able to let go, more frank and straightforward, and better able to break free from the shackles of hatred—she had become a shell completely manipulated by hatred, while Shui Guang had the ability to detach herself and retreat unscathed.

Is it because of Doctor Wei and Lady Chen?
These two simple and cheerful village doctors, through their nurturing and care, inadvertently taught Shuiguang the ability to be happy, giving her the strongest shield in her arduous life.

As the water clock ticked down, the gatekeeper rushed in to announce, "Chen Erlang, Chen Erlang of the Northern Mansion, has come to pay his respects to the Madam."

Xue Chen?

Xue Chen came to see her? What did he want?
Was it sent by "Qingfeng"?
Is it related to water light?

Shan Yue immediately turned her gaze to the water, and was about to speak to make arrangements when she heard a low voice.

"I'll take the clerk out through the side gate." Xue Xiao strode over from the nearby covered walkway: "Bring Xue Chen in."

Shan Yue nodded decisively.

As soon as Xue Xiao stepped out of the inner courtyard, he saw Xue Chen running towards him in a hurried and haphazard manner. He looked up abruptly and saw his elder brother Xue Xiao in the inner courtyard as well. His knees immediately buckled, and he was so frightened that he almost choked. He then shifted his gaze to his elder sister-in-law standing on the steps, and his eyes involuntarily fell on the girl behind her.

The young woman's skin wasn't fair, but it radiated a robust and vigorous energy, like wheat in an autumn field. Dressed in a female official's uniform, her eyes sparkled. She turned to the side, chin raised, her gaze fixed intently on him. Xue Chen suddenly seemed speechless.

"What are you doing in the inner courtyard of the Southern Mansion?" Xue Xiao narrowed his eyes slightly, his voice gloomy and unreadable, yet his anger was palpable.

"I, I..." Xue Chen hurriedly looked away, his throat trembling with fear. "Mother, Mother is being buried tomorrow, and the Zhu family... the Zhu family wants to take all of Mother's dowry away. I, I... my elder sister-in-law spoke up for Mother, I, I've come to beg my elder sister-in-law to help me."

Xue Xiao let out a mocking snort: "Your eldest sister-in-law is pregnant and is not a particularly aggressive person. Her righteous words at the funeral last time were simply a testament to her kindness and gentleness. On the other hand, you, a grown man, do not speak up for your birth mother, nor dare to stand up for the inheritance. You always push your eldest sister-in-law to handle things. What are you if not a good-for-nothing?"

Xue Chen's face flushed red instantly, and her gaze involuntarily turned to the seventh-rank female official. She didn't know where the courage came from, but she exclaimed, "I...I'm not! I can stand up for her!"

"Then go ahead," Xue Xiao said casually.

The flush on Xue Chen's face faded, her fists clenched, but she still didn't dare to lift her foot and leave.

Shan Yue's gaze had softened into a peaceful, gentle, and timid look. She sighed softly, "Alright. Let him stay in the outer hall to discuss this further. Let's help him to the end—what if Brother Chen has something even more important to do?"

After saying that, Shan Yue curtsied to Xue Xiao again: "Then I will trouble you, sir, to have someone send Wei Sibu out."

I was naturally worried about sending someone to see me off.

If anything happens to Shuiguang, Shanyue will tear him to pieces.

Xue Xiao, standing three zhang away, personally escorted his usually unruly sister-in-law to the porch.

The carriage was right at the door.

As expected, the sister-in-law started practicing drunken boxing.

Her eyes darted around before she turned to him and asked, "Lord Xue, why does my sister insist on marrying into the Xue family?"

Xue Xiao pursed his lips and remained silent.

"It can't be that I'm deeply in love with you, that we're soulmates, and that I can't live without you, can it?"

Xue Xiao: "." Although it's drunken boxing, this sister-in-law really knows where it hurts and hits it.

Her watery eyes darted around again: "Is it because the Xue family also harbors sins? Just like her purpose when she entered the Cheng family?"

Xue Xiao finally glanced at the water out of the corner of his eye.

Not bad, it has some of the style of Shan Yue.

"Is it Xue Chen?" Her large, round, almond-shaped eyes, like a cat's, shone brightly. "Is it because of Xue Chen?"

Xue Chenshanyue
He still did not know the reason for Shan Yue's hatred.

But he had already noticed that Xue Chen and Shan Yue had something in common.

"Xue Chen is also afraid of fire," Xue Xiao said succinctly.

Shuiguang's pupils contracted sharply.

Xue Xiao raised his chin and asked succinctly, "Why did you guess Xue Chen?"

Instead of the infamous Xue Changfeng and the Zhu couple whose true colors have already been exposed?
"Eye."

Her large, almond-shaped eyes were round and cold: "The way you look at Xue Chen is exactly the same way you look at Cheng Xingju."

Shuiguang: Please don't call me drunken boxer, I am the most popular feeling of being slightly tipsy.