Parsed with an automated reader. The content accuracy is not guranteed.
: TWOF Chapter 32\n
: TWOF Chapter 34\n
I hope you can support me, many thanks! My Kofi\n
Seeing that Little Guan was feeding Fu Rong the orange, Qiao Shi cried and laughed at the same time. She was hailing Little Guan as if he was a life-saving bodhisattva. Qiao Xing brought the porridge over. Qiao Shi held her son’s hand that couldn’t completely hold the spoon and continued to feed Fu Rong.\n
Fu Rong ate half a bowl, felt a little uncomfortable, and hurriedly stopped her. She pressed her chest and turned away to stabilize herself.\n
Qiao Shi and Fu Wan, and Qiao Xing who was serving them, all looked at her anxiously.\n
After a while, Fu Rong raised her head, and smiled at her mother and older sister, “If I eat too much right now, I’ll be full and have no appetite for lunch.”\n
This smile was like the first ray of sunlight after a rain, dispelling the dark clouds that had been hiding in the hearts of the Fu family for several days. Qiao Shi cried with joy and passed the bowl to Qiao Xing. She held Little Guan’s face and kissed him continuously, “Little Guan is so awesome, your older sister loves the food you give her the most. You’ll have to feed your sister during lunch.”\n
Little Guan was kissed many times by his mother and turned his chubby body over to his older sister. Fu Rong picked up her brother and also started to kiss him.\n
Her brother was here, so she didn’t need to think about any negative events. She’ll just eat and sleep well. Their family was together and complete, and these were the days she had wanted.\n
Fu Pinyan and his son hurried back after receiving the letter. At lunch, the family of seven ate lunch together at the table again. It started with Little Guan feeding Fu Rong. Fu Rong was better, and she was very hungry in front of a table of her favorite dishes. Little Guan was too slow and couldn’t satisfy her, so she grabbed her chopsticks and started to pick up the food.\n
Everyone else looked at her.\n
Fu Rong smiled sweetly, saying with thick skin, “You guys are all looking at me. Am I this beautiful?”\n
Fu Chen laughed, picked up a bean sprout, and waved it in front of her, “Yes, very beautiful. You’re as skinny as a bean sprout.”\n
“If I’m a bean sprout, then you’re a yellow bean!” Fu Rong immediately argued back. Her brother was much tanner after practicing martial arts, but he was also a light-skinned student.\n
Fu Chen wanted to talk again, but Fu Pinyan glared at him.\n
~\n
After a few days of recuperation, Fu Rong looked much better.\n
On the thirteenth, the sky was clear without wind, and the sun was warm and bright. Fu Rong and her sisters took Little Guan to go admire the plum blossoms.\n
During the first lunar month, besides the plants and flowers grown in the greenhouse, the red plum forest in the garden was also worth visiting.\n
“Let’s sit here.” Fu Wan was worried that Fu Rong’s body was too weak, and said thoughtfully.\n
Fu Rong and Fu Xuan nodded their heads.\n
The young maids walked forward and spread the mats they had prepared over the sunny spot among the plum trees.\n
The three sisters sat in a circle. Fu Rong held Little Guan, lowering her head to ask him, “Little Guan, tell me, which sister is the prettiest?”\n
Little Guan was smart. The first time he was asked this question, he pointed at his Second Sister honestly but was tickled by his Third Sister. He understood this after being asked this multiple times. He squinted at his three older sisters, and said as he leaned against Fu Rong’s chest, “All pretty.”\n
Fu Rong insisted that he choose.\n
But Little Guan refused to say it. Fu Rong threatened that she would tickle him, which scared Little Guan. He quickly gave the plum blossom in his hand to his Third Sister, “Sister, wear this, pretty!” [Fu Rong is Third Sister]\n
This little guy was very sly. Fu Rong pinched his little face, lowering her head and saying, “Little Guan shoulder help me wear it.”\n
Little Guan inserted the plum blossom into his sister’s hair very seriously.\n
Fu Rong set her younger brother on the ground and took two plum blossoms from Lan Xiang’s hand for her brother to put into his two other sisters’ hair.\n
“All pretty!” Returning to the middle of his sisters, without being asked, Little Guan laughed.\n
Fu Rong couldn’t help but tease him with a flower, “Little Guan should also wear one. Little Guan is also good-looking.”\n
Little Guan looked at Fu Wan and Fu Xuan. Seeing that both his sisters were smiling, he leaned over happily.\n
Little children weren’t just smart. He smiled handsomely with a flower in his hair, making his three sisters laugh with delight.\n
After sitting for a while, Fu Rong passed her younger brother to Fu Wan. She stood up and said, “I’m going to use the restroom. I’ll return soon. Do you guys want to eat anything?”\n
Fu Wan looked at Fu Xuan. Fu Xuan shook her head to show that there wasn’t really anything that she wanted to eat. Fu Wan then said, “Bring a pot of scented tea, I’m a little thirsty.”\n
Fu Rong agreed and went back to her Fuqu Room with Lan Xiang.\n
After using the restroom, Fu Rong took a look in the room while applying her hand cream. Seeing that the plum blossom her brother was put on for her was a little crooked, she couldn’t help but want to adjust it. She quickly put down her arm after almost touching it. They were family members, after all, so just let it be crooked.\n
“I’ll go first. Walk over slowly later, don’t spill it.” She ordered Lan Xiang. Fu Rong walked towards the garden by herself.\n
But she didn’t think that in front of the Moon Door stood a figure. They locked eyes, and both people were shocked.\n
Fu Rong returned to her senses first and backed up two steps. She asked quite cautiously, “Who are you? Why are you here?”\n
Xu Yan did not hear what she said at all. He just stared blankly at the little girl wearing a pink jacket in front of her, feeling strangely heartbroken for her.\n
The last time he saw her, she was wearing a white dress, with snow jade skin and bright eyes like water. She was taller, slenderer, and more beautiful, but she had lost too much weight. Her slightly plump cheeks had been reduced, and her watery eyes carried caution, like a deer that had been injured. It made him very uncomfortable.\n
“I heard that you fell ill. Are you well now?” He couldn’t help but care for her.\n
The familiar face, familiar gentleness. The tears came without warning, and Fu Rong hurriedly turned to cover up.\n
Why was she crying?\n
The Xu Yan in front of her was not the husband that carried her on his back while he strolled in the garden when they were newly married, the husband that washed her feet and stroked her eyebrows in the morning, or the husband that had thoughtfully massaged her shoulders and knees after she had knelt in the temple for the entire day. He was only a stranger, not the man that spoiled her, not the man that couldn’t protect her but loved her even more than her father and older brother. No matter how big a grievance she had, she shouldn’t show it in front of him.\n
She had decided to abandon him. She shouldn’t be nostalgic for his goodness towards her anymore.\n
“Who are you exactly?” She took off the plum blossom in her hair and wiped her tears along the way. Fu Rong said this with her back towards Xu Yan with a cold tone.\n
In front of Xu Yan was still her crying pitiful state. At that moment when she looked at him, there seemed to be countless grievances that she wanted to let out as if she was going to leap into his arms the next moment. But when he couldn’t control himself and wanted to step forward and hug her, she quickly turned away.\n
Xu Yan smiled bitterly. Besides the grievances, everyone else must be his wrong instincts. She wasn’t able to recognize him, so why would she leap into his arms?\n
“Third Younger Sister, my surname is Xu, birth name Yun Sheng. I am best friends with Ling. [Fu Chen’s birth name] I was tired of reading books in the study just now and came out for some fresh air. I was about to go back.” Xu Yan said gently. In reality, he had sneaked out when Fu Chen had gone out. He originally wanted to go to the garden to try out his luck and walked a few steps before deciding that it was unruly. Fortunately, the heavens pitied his worries and finally allowed him to see her.\n
Fu Rong said suspiciously, “Why isn’t my older brother with you?” Did this guy come out here without permission?\n
Xu Yan was faced with awkwardness. He said uncomfortably, “I have something and had to leave early…Third Younger Sister, I, before, we met in the lecture hall of Bamboo Forest Temple. We meet again today, and I am surprised to say that Third Sister has become much thinner. As a considerable older brother, I really can’t bear this. Please, Third Sister, take good care of yourself. May you get well soon.”\n
Fu Rong knew Xu Yan’s ability to coax people very well. This person was also thick-skinned. He had only met her once and was now calling her his younger sister. In the previous life when she heard such an obvious eagerness to please, she was delighted, but now, for Xu Yan’s good, she had to be cruel this one time.\n
“So it is Your Highness. You and I are not familiar. I really can’t accept this younger sister title that Your Highness calls me. I don’t need Your Highness’s care either. This might cause misunderstandings if this spread out. My brother’s study is over there. Your Highness can follow this road to go back. I have something to do, please forgive me for not accompanying you.”\n
She turned around as she said this, and walked forward with a cold face.\n
“Third, Third Lady!” After a moment of pause, Xu Yan speed-walked towards her to stop her. He lowered his head to look into her eyes, his breathing a little messy, “You are right, I was being too sudden. I’ll apologize to you right now. Please don’t be angry, alright?” He was too anxious. She didn’t know that he had been in love for a long time. He was being so warm for their second encounter, so would she think that he was a playboy?\n
Xu Yan was very regretful, took a few steps back, and bowed to her sincerely, “Yun Sheng made a mistake. I hope that Third Lady will forgive me.”\n
Fu Rong looked at the jade hairpin on the top of the young man’s head, feeling very messy inside.\n
They were like this before. As long as she showed a tiny bit of unhappiness, Xu Yan would immediately apologize, no matter who was right or wrong.\n
“You…”\n
“Nong Nong, what’s happening!”\n
Without waiting for her to talk, Fu Chen yelled unpleasantly behind her. Fu Rong bit her lip. She couldn’t bear to embarrass Xu Yan in front of her older brother and hurriedly ran into the garden.\n
Listening to the little girl’s hurried footsteps, Xu Yan silently sighed.\n
This was fortunate. If she complained about him to her brother, he was afraid that it would be difficult to enter the Fu family in the future.\n
With the person on his heart gone, his steadiness and calmness returned. Before Fu Chen could open his mouth, Xu Yan used the excuse he had prepared, saying apologetically, “I suddenly had an inspiration just then and wanted to come out for some fresh air. I don’t know how I strolled over here and accidentally bumped into Third Lady. I feel very regretful,\n
He was a guest, and also a prince. Even if Fu Chen was clear about what was going on, he couldn’t be direct. And he couldn’t help but admit that as of now, Xu Yan was the most suitable for Nong Nong. Before he knew what his sister was thinking, no matter how much he didn’t want to let go of her, he couldn’t waste Xu Yan’s care. What if his younger sister liked him?\n
“Yun Sheng, don’t say that. I’m wrong as a host and should’ve accompanied you here. Did my younger sister bully you? She is the most sensitive. Whoever offends her will definitely be complained about.” Fu Chen stretched out his hand to direct Xu Yan back and smiled as he said this.\n
Xu Yan was a little distracted, and he said absent-mindedly, “Zheng Tang, you have thought too much. Third Lady is generous and polite, and also pointed out the path for me.”\n
Complained? Was that considered complaining?\n
His mind was still filled with her stopping and crying. It was the scene of her biting her lip with hesitance before leaving. Xu Yan was both upset and happy. She didn’t report on him, so she really was soft-hearted.\n
He couldn’t help but say, “Third Lady just suffered from a terrible illness. Both Madam and her are very tired. Our manor has medicine from the palace. I’ll send someone over later, and I hope that she can recover quickly.”\n
How could Fu Chen accept his things? So he politely declined.\n
But in the afternoon, Xu Yan sent someone over to deliver the things. The ginseng and blood swallow products were the best and could only be used in the palace.\n
Afraid that Fu Rong would think too much, Xu Yan’s reason for sending the gifts was to respect Qiao Shi.\n
But his intention for the big gift was clear.\n
Qiao Shi discussed with Fu Pinyan, “Let’s keep this from Nong Nong. It won’t be too late to ask Nong Nong when the Duke’s Mansion proposes. It’ll just make her think too much if we mention it.”\n
Fu Pinyan nodded, “It should be this way…You have been waking up early and sleeping late to take care of Nong Nong, and really need to keep healthy. You should also use some. They’re good items. Nong Nong can’t eat all of them by herself. In the future when something happens in the Duke’s Mansion, we should also send over the same-sized gift.”\n
Qiao Shi understood that her husband didn’t want the Duke’s Mansion to think that their family had the intention of using their daughter to get advantages.\n
After finishing, Fu Pinyan went to his study to finish his matters. He just left when Fu Rong came, “Mother, have you sent out all the invitations?”\n
There were so many that had come to visit her when she was sick. Now that she had recovered, she had to host a party to thank everyone.\n
Qiao Shi called for her fourteen-year-old daughter to her side, saying meaningfully and authentically, “I’ve sent them all. Your good friends will probably all come tomorrow. If she invites you to enjoy the lanterns, just accept.”\n
Fu Rong hugged her younger brother who had come over and smiled without speaking.\n
Of course, she had to accept. Seeing Qi Zhu fall out of luck would be much more interesting than enjoying the lanterns.\n