75: The Su sisters
Walking in front was a girl wearing a lime-green, waist-high ruqun.
She was about seventeen or eighteen years old, with a neat ponytail and a brisk gait. She walked with her hands on her hips, carrying an Aura that seemed to say, "Just you wait and see how I deal with you later."
The one behind was more composed.
She wore a light blue long dress, her hair pinned up with a jade hairpin, walking at a leisurely and dignified pace.
The two looked about seventy to eighty percent alike.
Both had oval faces, willow-leaf eyebrows, fair skin, almond eyes, and cherry lips, like two hibiscus flowers about to bloom.
Both were the type that could be spotted in a crowd at a single glance.
As soon as Su Tianyu saw the two of them, her eyes lit up. She put down the bowl in her hand and trotted over to meet them.
"Auntie! Auntie!"
The girl in front opened her arms, caught the rushing Su Tianyu, and picked her up, spinning her around.
"Little Yu'er! Did you miss your auntie?"
"I did!"
Su Tianyu giggled, wrapping her arms around her neck.
The girl in the ruqun carried Su Tianyu over to Su Changfeng.
She didn't say a word, simply raising her foot and giving Su Changfeng's shin a heavy kick.
"Ouch!"
Su Changfeng clutched his leg, grimacing. "What are you doing, Su Qinghe!"
"What do you think I'm doing?"
Su Qinghe curled her lip. "It's all because of you, abandoning your cute little sister and running off on your own!"
She and her sister had spotted Su Changfeng in the market town below, and she had greeted him enthusiastically.
Who would have thought that Su Changfeng would actually run away the moment he saw them.
It had made Su Qinghe quite angry.
In her arms, Su Tianyu laughed even louder.
Su Changfeng didn't explain; he had been in a hurry to deliver things and had no time for them. Moreover, he didn't want his two younger sisters to see the injury on Jiang Xun's face, so he had run fast.
Only then did Su Qinghe notice Jiang Xun standing nearby.
She froze for a moment, her small face turning red in an instant.
Her grip on Su Tianyu tightened, and her voice lowered:
"Brother, this is..."
Su Changfeng said crossly:
"Don't you go getting any ideas about my friend. He's staying here with me temporarily."
"Brother!"
Su Qinghe glared at him. "Am I that kind of person?"
She made a move to kick him again, and Su Changfeng quickly dodged.
Seeing this, Jiang Xun smiled and cupped his hands in greeting:
"Hello, Young Miss Su."
Su Qinghe's face grew even redder as she whispered:
"Hello..."
This young man was simply too handsome, with sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes; the mask he wore only added a touch of mystery.
Although only half of his face was visible, one could guess just by imagining it that the other half was just as good-looking.
Just then, the girl in blue behind her also walked over.
She was taller than Su Qinghe, and her temperament was more serene.
Coming closer, she first gave Su Changfeng a slight nod:
"Big Brother."
Then she looked at Jiang Xun, her gaze natural.
Su Changfeng introduced both sides:
"Daoist Friend Jiang, these are my two younger sisters, Su Qinghe and Su Jinhe."
He then turned to his sisters:
"This is my friend, Jiang Xun."
Jiang Xun nodded and cupped his hands toward Su Jinhe again:
"Hello, Miss Jinhe."
Su Jinhe returned the gesture, her voice soft:
"Greetings, Young Master Jiang."
Su Qinghe, standing to the side, became displeased.
"How come I'm just Young Miss Su," she muttered, "but she's Miss Jinhe?"
Jiang Xun explained with a smile:
"If I used the same form of address, wouldn't it be easy to get confused?"
Su Changfeng reached out and lightly tapped Su Qinghe's head:
"Always making a fuss."
Su Qinghe huffed and carried Su Tianyu into the house:
"Little Yu'er, Auntie brought you something delicious..."
Su Jinhe watched her back and shook her head helplessly, then gave Jiang Xun an apologetic smile:
"My younger sister has a flighty personality; please excuse her, Young Master Jiang."
"It's no matter," Jiang Xun said. "She's very lively."
Su Jinhe spoke a few more words with Su Changfeng before following her sister inside.
The courtyard fell silent once more.
Su Changfeng looked at his sisters' departing figures, sighed, and sat down on a bamboo chair.
"So annoying..." he murmured. "But even though they're annoying, I also feel... it's actually quite nice."
Jiang Xun didn't respond.
He raised his hand and touched the bronze mask on his face.
It was cold and solid.
It covered his scars and his past.
He liked this mask very much.
After the two Su sisters had put away the things they brought, they came back out.
"Who did you just call annoying!?"
As soon as she emerged, Su Qinghe demanded with her hands on her hips.
"I didn't say anything!" Su Changfeng acted like a rogue.
"I heard it all."
Su Qinghe was Life Qi, acting as if she were about to cry. "Sister and I were kind enough to visit you, and yet you find me annoying."
After speaking, Su Qinghe threw herself into Su Jinhe's arms. "Sister, Big Brother is the worst."
Su Jinhe stroked her sister's head. "Stop pretending, or you'll make a fool of yourself in front of our guest."
"Sister!"
Su Qinghe returned to normal. "You don't protect me at all."
Su Changfeng said, "You didn't come here to try and persuade me to go back again, did you? I'm telling you, I won't leave this place."
Su Jinhe brought over a bamboo chair and sat down as well. She said:
"If I could persuade you to go back, I would have succeeded long ago."
"Exactly!" Su Qinghe couldn't find another bamboo chair, so she had to sit on her sister's lap.
"Unless we move Sister-in-law Su Niang's tombstone to our house, how could you ever leave?"
Su Changfeng fell silent, not wanting to discuss the topic further.
Jiang Xun could guess that this Su Niang was likely Tianyu's mother.
Su Jinhe couldn't push her sister off, so she could only put her arm around her waist and shift her to the side.
"Big Brother, it's fine if you don't want to leave, but Tianyu has reached the age to attend School. Staying here might not be appropriate, right?" Su Jinhe said.
"That right. Poor little Tianyu spends all day running around the mountains and can barely recognize a few characters. You can't teach her yourself, Big Brother," Su Qinghe chimed in.
"So, Brother, just come back!"
Su Changfeng said, "When the time comes, I'll send Tianyu home to let the Old Master look after her."
Just then, Su Tianyu ran out of the house, holding a piece of Maltose in her hand.
She had heard inside that she was to be sent away and immediately became anxious.
She ran into her father's arms, mirroring Su Qinghe's posture.
"I don't want to leave Daddy."
Su Changfeng stroked his daughter's head, saying nothing to comfort her.
Jiang Xun stood up, knowing it wasn't appropriate for him to be involved in their family matters.
He moved the bamboo chair toward Su Qinghe.
"Brother Su, I think I'll take a walk in this Yellow Shirt Forest. I won't disturb you siblings any longer."
Su Changfeng nodded and didn't stop him.
Su Qinghe also hurriedly stood up and said to Jiang Xun:
"Young Master Jiang, I'll go with you. I know many fun places in this Yellow Shirt Forest."
"There's no need, Miss Qinghe. I'll be fine on my own."
Jiang Xun declined with a smile and then turned to walk into the woods.
"Hey!"
Su Qinghe wanted to chase after him, but her sister caught her by the wrist and pulled her back.
"Sister, what are you doing?"
"Have you forgotten why we came here?" Su Jinhe reminded her.
"But you're here for that!"
Su Qinghe was somewhat unwilling.
But Su Jinhe still pulled her sister along, making her sit down properly in the spot where Jiang Xun had just been sitting.
"Sister..."
Su Qinghe, who wanted to say more, suddenly went silent the moment she sat down.
She suddenly felt a bit awkward.
Her legs pressed together, she sat perfectly upright.
Because Jiang Xun had just left the seat, his warmth still lingered on it.
She suddenly felt as if she were sitting on Jiang Xun's lap, causing a faint blush to rise on her small face.
Seeing Su Qinghe's unusual expression, Su Changfeng said sternly, "Don't you go getting any ideas about my friend."
Su Qinghe simply waved him off. "Mind your own business."
Su Changfeng sighed. He knew Su Qinghe's personality; she acted without regard for the consequences.
If she really got entangled with Jiang Xun, there was no telling how much trouble she would cause.