"Ah Jin, are all those things you just said true? Why have you never said them before?" Su's father looked at her with heartache and held Su Jin's hand tightly.
Su Jin smiled gently, "It's alright. With the Gu Mother here, those injuries will heal quickly. You mustn't tell my mother."
Mr. Su nodded deeply, his lips pursed. He knew that Su Jinxia was undertaking something important and fraught with danger. As her father, he couldn't offer her much help, but he could reassure her.
"Don't worry, we won't tell your mother. We're all fine, so you don't need to worry."
Su Jin nodded obediently. Her father was a reasonable man, and everything was understood without being said.
After a night of commotion, Su's father was exhausted. Su Jin comforted him with a few words and helped him fall back asleep.
Zhou Chen quietly stayed by Su's parents' side until Su's father fell asleep before leaving the room.
He looked around and saw Su Jin sitting in the courtyard.
The bright moonlight shone on Su Jinxia, giving her an inexplicable sense of loneliness that made one feel a slight tightness and discomfort in their chest.
Zhou Chen knew that Su Jin had raised an army, and that her army was very powerful.
In the two years since arriving in Liuli Village, Zhou Chen has heard many rumors about Su Jinxia. In his mind, Su Jinxia is a majestic and omnipotent female knight-errant.
But now, looking at her carefully, I realize she's just an older sister.
"Sister." Zhou Chen walked to Su Jin's side and called out softly.
Su Jin's lower eyelashes trembled slightly, and her thin lips parted slightly, carrying a cold tone, "Don't call me that so intimately."
Zhou Chen blinked and said stubbornly, "My father and mother recognized me as their adopted son and went to the village to worship our ancestors. You are my older sister."
Su Jinxia was too lazy to argue. She stared at the darkness outside the courtyard, remaining silent, exuding an arrogant and domineering aura.
Zhou Chen took a deep breath, feeling somewhat frightened.
He was wrong. Su Jinxia wasn't an older sister; her aura was truly frightening.
“Father said that he gave you the letter of divorce, and you agreed to it,” Zhou Chen explained softly.
"Hmm." Su Jin gave a faint "hmm." She knew about the matter, but she had never spent time with Zhou Chen, so being called "sister" suddenly felt a little strange.
Zhou Chen took a small stool from the side and sat down, secretly observing Su Jin by the moonlight.
She's so beautiful! A hundred times more beautiful than those self-proclaimed beauties in the palace!
"I……"
Zhou Chen had a lot to say, but looking at Su Jinxia's cold face, he choked up and couldn't utter a word.
Su Jin ignored him, her eyes cold, her thoughts unknown.
Zhou Chen took several deep breaths before finally speaking, "I want to say thank you."
"Thank you for rescuing me from the Southern Kingdom Palace, thank you for taking me home, thank you for letting me experience the feeling of being cared for and protected by my parents."
"I thought I would spend my life in pain and then calmly face my destiny. You made me feel warmth and hope. You made me find the meaning of life."
"So, thank you..."
Su Jinxia finally withdrew her gaze and looked at Zhou Chen. The boy had grown much taller, even taller than Su Jinxia, but his eyes were still as cautious as ever, not like a responsible or reliable person.
Su Jin was somewhat disappointed, and her brows furrowed in distress.
In his letters, his father often praised Zhou Chen, saying that he was sensible, filial, diligent, studious, and meticulous.
According to Su Jin, Zhou Chen's childhood had a profound impact on him; the deep-seated inferiority complex, timidity, fear, and caution always surrounded him.
For Zhou Chen, the peaceful life he enjoys now is hard-won, so he cherishes it carefully, fearing that his beautiful dream will be shattered.
If Su Jinxia only sees him as a younger brother, that's fine too. It would be much more lively and comfortable for her parents to have such a sensible child by their side.
However, Su Jinxia didn't take Zhou Chen away from the Southern Kingdom's palace because she lacked a younger brother.
"How did you get through your childhood? What exactly did you experience?" Su Jin asked Zhou Chen, scrutinizing him.
Zhou Chen shuddered slightly, as if he had been pricked by a needle.
He lowered his head slightly, hiding his expression and eyes so that Su Jin could not see them.
He didn't speak, not wanting to recall those past events at all.
Su Jin sighed, not pressuring Zhou Chen, knowing full well how difficult it was to recount her past misery.
"Go back to sleep."
Zhou Chen raised his head, his eyes filled with struggle. He could sense Su Jinxia's disappointment in him.
His fists clenched tightly as he mustered his courage and asked, "Could I join the Liuli Society and become its disciple?"
"Why do you want to become a disciple of the Liuli Society?" Su Jin asked.
"I want to have power so I can protect my father and mother." Zhou Chen's eyes shone brightly in the moonlight, filled with utmost sincerity.
What happened today made Zhou Chen feel a sense of crisis.
If Su Jinxia hadn't appeared, they would all have died.
He didn't want to be as cowardly as he was today next time, unable to protect the people he wanted to protect.
Su Jin looked at Zhou Chen, staring into his eyes, and gently said, "A person who cannot face the past, who cannot face their inner fears, is incapable of protecting others."
Confronting the past?
Confront your inner fears?
Zhou Chen felt a tightness in his chest, unable to breathe properly for a long time.
By the time Zhou Chen came to his senses, Su Jin was already gone.
Su Jin spent half the night taking a stroll around Liuli Mountain.
There was one thing she overlooked.
If Nie Qingyi becomes a traitor and escapes from the Liuli Society, then the entire Liuli Mountain's defenses may be compromised, and they should have been replaced long ago.
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