71 Chapter Seventy-One

I have long been smitten with Miss Lin; could you, brother, put in a good word for me?

Chapter Seventy-One

The next day, Liu Qingqing woke up.

Sure enough, it was that strange feeling again. I slept all night, so why do I still feel so heavy?

When she got up, Lin Mei was no longer there; she must have gotten up early.

As she opened the door to go wash up, she glanced to the side and saw that the door there was still closed. She went over and peeked through the crack in the door; Xie Lang was still asleep on the bed.

After she finished washing up, Lin Mei came back carrying breakfast.

The two bumped into each other. Lin Mei's eyes flickered as if she wanted to say something, but Fu Xiuzhu suddenly appeared at that moment, so she had to swallow the words that were on the tip of her tongue.

Fu Xiuzhu smiled and said, "The clinic isn't busy today. Miss Lin, would you like to go for a ride with me?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Qingqing's eyes lit up, and she repeatedly said "good."

Although she didn't go to the Northwest, her desire to ride a horse freely remained unfulfilled. Since settling in Yingcheng, she often went to practice. Fu Xiuzhu learned of this by chance and, in his spare time, he would give her some pointers.

Her riding skills have improved a lot!

No sooner had he said that than Fu Xiuzhu changed the subject, "Have you had guests at home?"

As he said this, his gaze swept lightly over the closed door behind him.

Caught off guard, Liu Qingqing had no choice but to reveal the reason she had fabricated.

"The person who came is my elder brother. I have a bad relationship with my family, so I don't want to have much contact with him. But he is injured now, and I can't just stand by and watch him die, so I can only lend a hand for now."

That day, Xie Lang's face was covered in blood, and his eyes were closed. With most of his face obscured by the guards, Liu Qingqing could only gamble that Fu Xiuzhu hadn't seen his face clearly. However, once Xie Lang woke up, she let him leave, so they probably wouldn't run into each other.

Fortunately, Fu Xiuzhu did not press the matter, but simply smiled and nodded, "I see."

After having breakfast, and seeing that the clinic wasn't too busy, Liu Qingqing and Fu Xiuzhu led their horses out of the city.

When Xie Lang woke up again, he was unusually clear-headed.

He hadn't had such a good night's sleep in a very, very long time.

After calming down, he went to find Liu Qingqing.

Open the door and look around; the small backyard is too quiet.

She's not here.

With her gone, the little courtyard became ordinary and unremarkable again.

Xie Lang paid no more attention and prepared to go look for her.

He hadn't lied to her about the Gu worms. It's just that the Gu worms have only recently quieted down a bit.

Doctor Zhang appeared like a ghost, holding a bowl of medicine, and stopped Xie Lang. "Young master, you haven't taken your medicine today. You can only go out after you've taken it. Miss Lin instructed me beforehand. You are Miss Lin's brother, so I will naturally take good care of you."

Xie Lang paused upon hearing his words, glanced at the dark medicine, and took it. "Brother?"

Dr. Zhang nodded emphatically: "Miss Lin said that you are her biological brother, born of the same mother."

Xie Lang froze for a moment, then laughed, "My own brother?"

Before Dr. Zhang could react, she asked again, "Where is she?"

Dr. Zhang hurriedly replied, "Miss Lin and Mr. Fu went off on horseback."

In this city of Ying, it wouldn't be difficult for Xie Lang to find someone, not to mention that he has Gu worms inside his body.

She was found very easily.

She and a man were standing not far away, surrounded by a group of people, who seemed to have just rescued a toddler who had choked on his food.

She held the child in her arms and examined her closely, her soft hands gently stroking the child's chest and cheeks, as if a golden light were enveloping her. Xie Lang squinted, his gaze slowly sliding over her, finally settling on the hand that was touching someone else.

“Miss Lin is truly a kind person. If this child hadn’t met Miss Lin, he might not have survived.”

"That's right. I heard that Miss Lin rented the land and even paid half a year's rent in advance! That's enough to ensure the villagers had a good winter."

"Mr. Fu is also very handsome."

Those around him praised it highly.

"They are such a perfect match, like fairies and goddesses."

"What kind of child would a person as outstanding as her have?"

"I've heard that Mr. Fu has long been interested in Miss Lin, and Miss Lin didn't stop him and even went on a trip with him. It seems that they are mutually attracted! We'll soon be able to enjoy wedding candy."

Although they were far apart, Xie Lang had excellent hearing and could hear everything clearly.

Xie Lang listened expressionlessly, his light words cutting into him like knives.

Why did she call him her biological brother? Why not her cousin?

Does she think that if she gives him the title of her brother in public, he will back down?

Xie Lang chuckled softly.

She's dreaming!

Xie Lang still doesn't know who his love is, but he knows he can't live without her. He needs to see her every moment to make sure she's safe and sound.

Suddenly, he grabbed a weeping willow tree beside him, coughed lightly, and a trace of blood oozed from the corner of his lips.

Xie Lang wiped it away, his eyes lowered as he stared at the bright red blood on his knuckles.

Even in death, he would be her ghost, guarding her day and night! Otherwise, he would never find peace, not even in death!

What does a brother count for?

He could no longer bear the torment of those nightmares every night...

"grown ups!"

After much trouble, Xie Wu finally found his lord and knelt down on one knee behind Xie Lang, reporting, "My lord, there's news from over there!"

"Recently, strange signs have been discovered around Madam's Clinic. It's a middle-aged woman disguised as a beggar, who looks... like the missing Ying family member!"

As Xie Lang listened to his report, his gaze never left her, circling around her.

Suddenly, he raised his hand and said, "I understand."

After saying that, he walked straight toward her, his chest feeling as if it had been split open.

He wanted to hear how she was going to introduce her brother to others.

Liu Qingqing was squatting down, holding the toddler and rubbing her chest. The little girl, who had been frightened, opened her mouth and cried after she calmed down.

She knew that the fragrant older sister in front of her was a good person, so she hugged her sister's neck tightly and cried.

Seeing this, Fu Xiuzhu smiled gently, his gaze lingering on Liu Qingqing for a moment before he lifted his robe and squatted down beside her.

That gentle gaze was like the warm sunshine of spring.

They seem like a family.

Hearing that Doctor Fu was interested in Miss Lin, he chased away all the people who came to the clinic to curry favor with him.

The people standing around watched, looking at each other.

Especially the married woman, who covered her mouth and laughed, pushing the other person away.

Just as things were starting to feel peaceful and serene here, trouble broke out on the other side.

A young woman came running from a distance. She looked closely and overheard the conversation. After understanding what was happening, she took off her cloth shoes and chased after the man, viciously whipping him. The rough man was the girl's father.

Knowing he had done wrong, he didn't dare to dodge and let his wife hit him while he shrank back. He muttered an apology, "I won't give the child candied hawthorns next time. I saw she really wanted them, so I bought them for her."

Even in Yingcheng, at this time of year, when it's almost scorching hot, candied hawthorns are a rare treat. This family doesn't look wealthy, yet they're willing to spend a lot of money to sweeten the little girl's mouth.

"Is it about the candied hawthorns? How big is your mouth, girl? Can't you even bite into such a big fruit? Don't you know better!"

The woman was so angry that tears welled up in her eyes. She wiped her face, threw her cloth shoes on the ground, and ignored him.

The man was so anxious that his face turned red, and he followed behind his wife without daring to speak.

Liu Qingqing stared at him, lost in thought, her eyes filled with envy.

What a wonderful family!

Though not wealthy, they have each other in their hearts.

The man was a bit too carefree, but he immediately realized that he was trying to pry his fingers out, but he just couldn't get the hang of it.

Luckily, the little baby had a small mouth and only took a small bite.

Just then, she felt someone watching her. She frowned and looked over, and saw Xie Lang standing not far away, his handsome face as cold as frost.

She was afraid he would be recognized, so she hurriedly glanced around.

As Xie Lang walked towards her, Liu Qingqing's heart tightened, and she stared intently at Fu Xiuzhu, afraid that he would notice something. In her movement, she accidentally brushed against Fu Xiuzhu's sleeve.

However, Xie Lang saw it differently. She was being affectionate with others in front of him, which made his heart ache unbearably.

His gaze settled on her fingers that had just touched Fu Xiuzhu's clothes, and a chill ran through him.

Therefore, his complexion looked rather unpleasant.

However, Xie Lang arrived shortly afterward. His shadow enveloped the three of them.

Fu Xiuzhu sensed something was wrong and looked up. Even though the person was backlit, it was clear that they were extremely handsome. Fu Xiuzhu's heart skipped a beat, and he stood up, thinking he had subtly positioned himself in front of Miss Lin.

Xie Lang watched coldly, his expression initially a half-smile, but it grew increasingly unpleasant.

Blood surged in his chest, rising to his throat, where he swallowed it down.

"Aren't you going to introduce me to this gentleman?"

With a critical and judgmental look sweeping over Fu Xiuzhu, Xie Lang looked directly at Liu Qingqing.

The tense atmosphere was palpable, and everyone sensed something was amiss. Rumors began to circulate, perhaps because rivals were particularly hostile towards each other!

Fu Xiuzhu also sensed something was amiss. The man before him was incomparably handsome, his imposing presence undeniable; he was no ordinary person. If Yingcheng had such an outstanding individual, how could he not remember him?

He turned to look at Miss Lin, his eyes asking a question.

But in Xie Lang's eyes, this was like him flirting with his wife right in front of him!

Xie Lang clenched his fists, his arm trembling and spasming as he restrained himself from striking the man. In the past, he would have been fearless, but now… he feared that Liu Qingqing would become angry and resentful towards him, and what if she ran away again?

Xie Lang has always been fearless, even if it means charging into the enemy camp alone to behead them!

Now I can't do anything about her... I can only pretend to be deaf and dumb in front of her!

In an instant, Xie Lang felt as if a thunderbolt had split him in two, one half bitter, the other half also bitter.

He lowered his eyes and suddenly smiled.

Liu Qingqing's hair stood on end. Others might not know, but how could she not know about Xie Lang's recent unusual behavior!

She quickly picked up the doll, stood up, and shoved it into Xie Lang's arms.

Xie Lang was taken aback, the corners of his lips still maintaining a strange curve.

This sudden turn of events left Fu Xiuzhu stunned. His suspicious gaze darted back and forth, and the faint smile on his lips froze.

Liu Qingqing hurriedly said, "Brother, please help me hold the child; my arm hurts."

Before Xie Lang could answer, she turned around and blocked most of Xie Lang's view, smiling at Fu Xiuzhu and saying, "This is my elder brother."

Fu Xiuzhu snapped out of his daze and looked again. Miss Lin did look somewhat similar to this person, especially their eyebrows and eyes.

He immediately bowed to Xie Lang and said, "Greetings, elder brother."

Xie Lang: "..."

He glanced at Liu Qingqing, who was frowning at him, and Xie Lang could only look away and mumble a soft "hmm".

Just then, the woman, having finished beating the man, bought a basket of fruit from somewhere to express her gratitude for saving their lives.

He was about to kneel down and kowtow when Liu Qingqing stopped him.

Liu Qingqing took the child from Xie Lang's arms and returned her to her parents.

As she held the child, her fingertips brushed against Xie Lang's chest, and he suddenly trembled, raising his hand to grasp hers. Liu Qingqing glared at him, and when no one was looking, she lightly pressed a spot on his chest that was unharmed, warning him not to "act recklessly."

Xie Lang's anger subsided just like that. In that instant, he was overjoyed, but then felt saddened by his own loss of composure.

Liu Qingqing went to the side to talk to the child's parents, instructing them on how to take care of the baby in the future.

Fu Xiuzhu, with a probing gaze, also started chatting with Miss Lin's brother, getting straight to the point.

“Brother, ever since Miss Lin rescued me from my prison, I have fallen in love with her. But Miss Lin has been avoiding me and pretending not to know. Brother, could you... put in a good word for me?”

[Author's Note]

Next chapter preview:

More like... the way she loved before her dream was shattered than the Xie Lang of today.