Su Jin thought for a moment and shook his head: "Don't worry, Brother Lin isn't a three-year-old child. He will come back when the time is right."
Su Jin never believed Lin Xiangzhi's excuse about going to recuperate.
At such a young age, and in good health, how could he suddenly fall ill?
He would go to the Su residence for meals every few days, and his appetite was equivalent to that of two of him.
They have such a good relationship; if someone were to fall ill, they would be the first to be notified.
Both his sister and Dr. Lin are renowned doctors, so why did he choose to go to such a distant place instead of staying closer? Su Jin felt this was the biggest flaw in his reasoning.
The Emperor even granted him sick leave in front of all the officials. Su Jin simply couldn't believe that the Emperor hadn't been involved.
Bai Zhou suggested, "Let's go ask Brother Zhen tomorrow; perhaps he knows where Brother Lin is."
"Impossible. He's busier than any of us. Brother Lin lives closer to Brother Su, so he should be the first person you think of if something happens."
Su Jin changed the subject and said, "Let's put Brother Lin's matter aside for now and relax during our break."
Under the eaves outside the warm pavilion, Sui Sui played by herself for a while but found it all boring.
My second uncle was playing chess with a young master from the Bai family in the small hall. The two were locked in a fierce and evenly matched battle.
The pastries prepared by the Bai family today were especially delicious. Sui Sui ate several pieces and now feels very full.
I suddenly remembered that I seemed to have seen Xie Ke'er when I passed by the garden earlier.
Did she also come to the Bai residence with her brother to freeload a meal?
There's a rockery in the garden. Yes, I'm going to see the rockery. It's so beautiful.
Sui Sui found a perfect excuse for herself and ran off into the garden on her short legs.
The artificial mountain in Bai Mansion has a unique design, with flowing water cascading down its surface.
Below the artificial hill is a clear fishpond. The fishpond is not large, and the water flowing down from the artificial hill falls right into the fishpond.
The flowing water creates splashes of water, and with the oxygen it brings, the fish swim happily in the pond.
Come here!
"I'm just looking at you, I'm not eating from you."
Xie Ke'er lay on the edge of the pool, using a dry twig to paddle across the water.
The more fiercely she paddled, the farther the fish swam away. Xie Ke'er angrily withdrew her hand and moved to a different spot to continue paddling.
"You silly fish, can't you just come here and let me take a look?"
The fish seemed to be playing hide-and-seek with her; she changed positions, and the fish quickly swam back to the spot she had just swum to.
Xie Ke'er turned around and ran back.
Sui Sui stood behind her for quite a while without noticing that someone had come up behind her.
Seeing her huff and puff as she ran back and forth several times, Sui Sui walked over and looked at Xie Ke'er as if she were a fool.
"Do you think this fish belongs to you? You think it comes just because you call it? You're such a silly girl."
Xie Ke'er turned around and saw that it was Sui Sui. Her big, bright eyes curved into a smile.
A smile had just appeared on his face when he suddenly remembered something and glared at Sui Sui again.
"You're the big idiot! Do you think your fish obey your commands?"
"I was just shouting for fun. It doesn't matter if it comes or not. I'll have my older brother catch them all and stew them later."
After Xie Ke'er finished speaking, she didn't even give Sui Sui a second glance, and ran to a tree not far away to get a longer, withered branch to continue scratching.
"Xie Ke'er, you're such a fool! This place is full of beautiful koi. You want your brother to come and catch them and stew them? Do you believe that Lord Bai would stew your brother?"
“My brother is on duty as the Prefect of the Capital. Arresting people without the Emperor’s order is against the law. Lord Bai isn’t stupid. I’m not going to listen to your nonsense.”
Xie Ke'er was so engrossed in arguing with Sui Sui that she lost her aim with the dry branch in her hand and it got tangled in the water plants.
She dared not use too much force, fearing that the dry branch would snap again. There had been precedents before; this was already the fourth one.
Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned; the withered branch broke without much effort.
Watching the broken half of the withered branch drift away with the water, Xie Ke'er pursed her lips, and her eyes instantly welled up with tears.
She blinked her long eyelashes, and a crystal-clear tear rolled down her rosy cheek.
Sui Sui was a step away from her, so it wasn't his fault.
If he doesn't talk to me, I won't get distracted.
Xie Ke'er was hesitating whether to blame Sui Sui when she heard Sui Sui's voice in her ear.
"Don't move, wait here, I'll call all the koi over to you in a bit."
By the time Xie Ke'er came to her senses, Sui Sui had already run off into the distance.
Xie Ke'er wiped her face with her sleeve and pouted, "Bragging."
She said she didn't trust him, but deep down she was inexplicably looking forward to it.
A moment later, Sui Sui came running back again.
"Don't just stand there, come and take a look."
As Sui Sui spoke, she put down the handkerchief in her hand, unfolded it, and inside were several pieces of corn and lotus seed cake.
Xie Ke'er hid her hands behind her back. "I don't want to eat it. Corn and lotus seed cake isn't as good as walnut and sesame shortbread."
"You also like walnut and sesame brittle?" Sui Sui asked in surprise.
"Of course, the walnut and sesame brittle is sweet, and the corn and lotus seed cake has a sweet corn flavor at first bite, but a slightly bitter taste towards the end."
Looking at Xie Ke'er's soft and cute appearance and hearing her speak so eloquently, Sui Sui momentarily forgot why she had come there.
Seeing Sui Sui staring at her blankly, Xie Ke'er forgot her earlier unpleasantness, glanced at the pastries in her handkerchief, and shook her head, "I really won't eat them."
Before Xie Ke'er could finish being moved, Sui Sui picked up a piece of pastry and crushed it, saying, "Who said it was for you? Look carefully, or you'll start crying again later."
As the pastries were scattered, the fish swam over eagerly.
Instantly, a group of koi fish surrounded Xie Ke'er. Watching the koi fish happily snatching the food, Xie Ke'er clapped her hands and cheered.
"Sui Sui, you're amazing! I see the red koi! Get closer, I want to touch it."
Xie Ke'er rolled up her sleeves, ready to strike.
Sui Sui quickly dropped the pastries in her hand and reached out to grab the back of her collar.
"Xie Ke'er, don't go. If you fall in, you'll drown."
After years of training, he became much stronger than the average child. With a slight effort, he pulled Xie Ke'er back.
Xie Ke'er, who was pulled back, wasn't angry. She clapped her hands and said, "With Sui Sui here, I won't die."
"I……"
Sui Sui looked up at the sky without saying a word, took a deep breath, and said in a serious tone, "Xie Ke'er, I'm about your age. If you really fall into the water, with my short arms and legs, I won't be able to save you even if I want to."
Xie Ke'er looked completely bewildered; she didn't seem to have thought about this question before.
Sui Sui can play the piano and lure fish to her. She thinks Sui Sui is omnipotent and the most amazing among her friends.
Looking at Sui Sui's exquisitely beautiful face, Xie Ke'er couldn't help but reach out her chubby little hand.
"Xie Ke'er, stop! My second uncle said that I can't let girls pinch my face. Men and women shouldn't touch each other."
"Just a pinch, Sui Sui, you're so pretty." Xie Ke'er smiled brightly.
Year after year, things recede into the past; Xie Ke'er chases forward.
Before long, the two of them were chasing each other around the artificial hill.
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