Sizhou Twelve
I want to eat a hamburger, drink a Coke, and buy a plane ticket to go home. I’m going crazy thinking about it!
[Su Feng, if I die, will anyone be sad...]
With a bang, Aruo slammed his head on the table, too ashamed to face the people of Jiangdong again. "Why did I say such nonsense? It's all because of that miasma!"
It's so embarrassing... The only time she showed weakness in the past four years was in front of Su Feng, and she even threw a tantrum and talked nonsense... Well... Don't save her, just destroy her, let her say goodbye to this world like this.
"Aruo, what are you doing?" Cai Xin walked in with the medicinal food and saw Aruo slamming her head on the table. She was so scared that she almost screamed, "Doesn't your head hurt?"
"My face hurts..." Aruo rubbed his forehead and muttered. Seeing the big black chicken drumstick floating in the thick soup, he instantly came back to his senses. "Xiao Caixin, have you made a fortune? You can eat so well for two days in a row?"
Because of the murder, they couldn't get their troupe pay, and now their travel expenses were a concern. And yet, Xiao Caixin was still being so extravagant? Just by looking at the chicken drumstick, Aruo knew this bowl of soup must be incredibly expensive, and her already depressed mood became even worse.
"What? The doctor said that the miasma poison has been cured, but your body has caught a cold. You need to take good care of yourself, otherwise you will develop a chronic illness." Cai Xin was still frightened when she spoke. "But it's the middle of summer, and you still caught a severe cold. I really don't know where you were caught."
She was cold because...
A Ruo felt a chill down his spine and waved his hand, "We can't make black chicken and ginseng soup every day, that's too expensive. Even if Granny Mute has a good relationship with us, we can't use her power for personal gain, right?"
"Actually... this was made specially for you by order of Lord Su." Cai Xin folded her hands, rested her chin on the back of her hands, and smiled meaningfully.
"He...had a change of heart after eating our breakfast for free for a few days?" Aruo was stunned for a moment, more frightened than flattered.
"They said that you suffered because of the case... But, Aruo, don't you think that Lord Su has been paying attention to you recently?" Cai Xin looked gossipy.
"I don't think so." Aruo said vaguely while gnawing on a chicken leg.
After that day, Xiao Man searched all of Sizhou but couldn't find the people Zhang, the actor, had provided the clues to. Everyone could only assume that it was the opera troupe case that put Aruo in danger. After all, Yanhong had almost hit her. The two men in black who were captured only confessed to accepting bribes, and they couldn't even identify the parties involved. For the past two days, Su Zirui and Qin Zhi were both too busy to attend to her, leaving Cai Xin to care for her as devotedly as ever.
"Look, apart from his junior sister, which woman can talk to him often? His attitude towards you is also different from others. I have been in the official post for so long, and apart from the four words 'Miss Cai Xin', I have basically never heard him say anything to me." Cai Xin counted with interest, as if she had discovered something.
"But besides scolding me, he always blames me for being restless and causing trouble. Do you like this kind of attention and hurt?" Aruo glanced at her doubtfully, shaking his index finger. "You said I'm not an exception. Look, isn't he very good to Miss Yurong? He even accompanied her to Sizhou to visit relatives. These days, senior brothers and junior sisters are a perfect match."
Cai Xin raised her eyebrows and smiled, then reached out to lift A'ruo's chin, which was slick with food. "Xiao Ruoruo, are you envious?"
"Don't call me that. Besides," blinking, Aruo curled his lips and smiled, pouting and kissing her hand, "How can you sound envious? It's not that you treat her well. I have Xiao Caixin at home, why do I need Su Yanluo? I only care about you~"
"You bastard, you rubbed oil on my hands!" Cai Xin said with disgust.
Aruo simply grabbed her sleeve and rubbed her head. Cai Xin couldn't dodge and laughed weakly. After laughing and joking, she resigned herself to her fate and took out a handkerchief to wipe her mouth.
"Cai Xin, I was wrong. I still want you in this world." Aruo, who was enjoying her tenderness, suddenly said something without any reason. Cai Xin looked back at her in confusion.
"Miss Qi." A soft voice came from the door. Aruo and the others looked over and saw Liu Yurong in a pink and white dress bowing gently, with gentle eyebrows and a hint of sadness in her eyes.
"Miss Yurong." The two stood up and returned the greeting. Cai Xin smiled and invited her in. "Why are you here?"
"I heard something happened to Miss Aruo. I wanted to come visit her yesterday, but my aunt said she was going to worship Buddha, so I couldn't come in time." Liu Yurong saw that Aruo looked good and felt a little relieved. "I'm glad you're okay."
"Thank you for your concern, young lady." Aruo smiled. Aruo was always kind and considerate to beauties, especially those who were raised in seclusion and had no bad intentions.
Although the three girls came from different backgrounds, Aruo and the other two had been out and about a lot, so they had their own unique way of interacting with people. After just a few conversations, Liu Yurong was relieved and began to treat them like sisters. The girls' topics of conversation were inseparable from decoration and dressing, poetry and songs, and they were all very good at talking about these topics, and their conversation was full of laughter.
After agreeing to meet again another day, Aruo sent Liu Yurong out.
The two walked along the corridor, neither of them speaking. For a moment, there was a strange harmony. Aruo looked at the woman beside him inconspicuously. Seeing that she was a little embarrassed, he smiled and broke the silence first, "By the way, why don't you see Chun'er with you today?"
As if frightened, Liu Yurong's pretty face froze. She suddenly stopped and said to Aruo seriously, "Yurong came here today to apologize to Sister Aruo."
"Apologize?" Shit, could she be the murderer?
Aruo was embarrassed by his own first reaction and couldn't help but burst out laughing, "What do you have to apologize for?"
"Chun'er... I said some bad things to Miss Aruo a few days ago... I have been feeling uneasy since I found out. It's ultimately my fault for not disciplining her well. I'm sorry." Liu Yurong had shame on her face and knelt down to salute.
Her seriousness made Aruo feel embarrassed. In fact, she later felt that she was inexplicably sensitive that day, and it seemed strange that she refuted Chun'er's words when she thought about it.
Aruo quickly helped her up, holding her hands and saying, "It's okay. I was so eager to investigate the case that I didn't pay attention to the distinction between men and women. Maybe you've been away from home for so long that you don't consider yourself a woman anymore. Chun'er said you were engaged to Lord Su, so it's natural for me to be concerned..."
"No." Liu Yurong's face flushed instantly, and she said hurriedly, "I didn't know Chun'er was talking nonsense. I, I, I'm not like that with my senior brother."
Aruo was startled by her excitement. Well, she didn't believe Chun'er's words. Su Zirui didn't look like someone who could get a wife. She was just saying it casually to remind Liu Yurong. In this dynasty, the reputation of women could drive innocent people to death. Chun'er said it to her, but if she told others and Su Zirui denied it, the only one who would suffer was this fragile man in front of her.
"In short, Senior Brother and I are not engaged." Liu Yurong lowered her eyes and whispered, "I have been orphaned since childhood, and two years ago my father... My father entrusted me with his care before his death. Senior Brother simply promised to take care of me."
"This... sounds like the beginning of a marriage." Aruo tilted her head. She had read many scripts with this kind of beginning and had even seen it sung in plays.
Liu Yurong paused, forcing a wry smile onto her beautiful face. She shook her head, "I know. Senior Brother's talk of taking care of me for the rest of my life has nothing to do with marriage. To be honest... Madam Su has already found someone for me... Senior Brother's talk of taking care of me is just his supervision. Choose a good family for me... and then I can get married."
These days, she's been visiting the Bai family, and the women in her aunt's family are always letting slip some of their meanings. Her cousin has even accompanied them personally many times, but she's just trying to remain calm. She's also at a loss as to the future.
"Is there anything wrong with this?" Aruo expressed her envy. "Lord Su is a master at solving cases in the Ministry of Justice. He's extremely well-informed and has a knack for judging people. The people he chooses must be top-notch in character, talent, appearance, and ability."
This is simply a national-level quality assurance in personnel selection!
If Aruo had this opportunity, she would immediately list a bunch of conditions for choosing a spouse and let Su Zirui choose according to them and verify them at the same time. How wonderful! A husband carefully selected by the head of the Ministry of Justice must be good.
Liu Yurong didn't expect her to react like this. She was stunned for a moment, her eyes flickering, and her ears flushed. "I'm too embarrassed to say it... I'm not good to my senior brother..."
"Sister Yurong, I understand." Unable to bear the sight of her about to burst into tears, Aruo held her hands and said seriously, "You've probably met and dated only a few men in your life. Lord Su's appearance, family background, abilities... well, his character can barely be considered decent, all of which are top-notch. It's normal for an ordinary woman with little experience to be attracted to him. But marriage is a major event in a woman's life. For me, marrying someone I love is of course the best. But this love can't be one-sided. He must return more affection in order for it to be worth my lifelong bet."
"Return with more affection?" Liu Yurong had never thought about this question. She always believed that marrying her senior brother one day would be a blessing in her life.
The Liu family's strict upbringing was a source of intense concern. Liu Yurong, whose mother died young, had rarely seen men outside her family. Her father praised her senior brother constantly, and he was the object of her first love, her only dream of marriage. As a woman, how could she not want to find love with her husband? So, she longed to know how to become the wife he wanted. Could it be, as Chun'er had claimed, that she was asking for her father's dying wish? But would her senior brother marry her for this?
Liu Yurong had never dared to think about what would happen after marrying her senior. No one had ever told her how to choose a partner, and no one had ever told her that she could demand the same response from the person she liked.
Aruo paused, then leaped forward two steps, avoiding her confused gaze. Whether before or now, Aruo's upbringing was deeply ingrained, inconsistent with the values of women in this dynasty. However, Aruo was also afraid that she would subconsciously impose her ideas on others.
No one's life should be controlled by others. She is not a god, and she has no right or need to instill her own ideas into others.
Ah Ru changed the subject abruptly. "I wonder if Lord Su still needs a younger sister. My requirements are not high. Just a pretty face, a decent family background, a good man who loves his wife, and who loves me wholeheartedly is enough."
Liu Yurong was stunned for a moment, and after a while she reacted, she couldn't help but cover her mouth and laughed. The slight worry faded from her face, and she said to Aruo seriously, "Thank you, sister Aruo."
Aruo's smile remained unchanged. Although she didn't quite understand why she was thanking herself, she didn't care about these details. "Why thank me? I think you are so kind. If you are bored, you can come and talk to me often during this period."
This way, Su Zirui wouldn’t always accuse her of being restless and running around.
The sunlight danced on the woman's body. Though her face was dull, her eyes shone like stars. Liu Yurong's mind was slightly dazed. She had always thought her senior brother was cold and reserved towards everyone else, but when that cold gaze met the woman before him, it revealed other emotions... leaving her inexplicably uneasy.
Even though the moonlight is gentle, how can it compete with the scorching sun? However, it is not the moon's fault that it is pale.
Although they were only a few steps apart, Liu Yurong hesitated and was unable to move to where she was, her mind in a mess.
After jumping down two steps, Aruo turned around and looked at her standing there and smiled, "Come, I'll take you out."
Suddenly coming back to her senses, Liu Yurong's pretty face flushed, but her brows and eyes became firm, "Sister Aruo, regarding Senior Brother, I...ah!"
Walking a little too fast, not noticing the steps beneath her feet, Liu Yurong threw herself forward, and Aruo quickly opened her arms to embrace her. Unexpectedly, the delicate beauty also possessed such weight, Aruo lost his balance and fell backwards, hitting his elbow that was protecting her with the ground, causing a sharp pain.
"Miss!" The shrill cry scared the little sparrow jumping on the wall so much that it almost fell down. He came over like a spring breeze, knelt on the ground, hugged his young lady with red eyes, and said, "Miss, how are you? Are you hurt?"
Aruo's elbow was numb and painful, and she couldn't speak for a moment. She waited silently for the numbness to pass. She looked up and saw that Liu Yurong's face was even paler than hers. Aruo felt embarrassed. "Sister Yurong, are you okay?"
Before Liu Yurong could say anything, Chun'er had already glared at Aruo fiercely, "Don't cry wolf, it's obvious that you were the one who pulled the young lady down!"
"Chun'er!" Liu Yurong scolded hurriedly, "Don't talk nonsense, it was Sister Aruo who protected me!"
"Miss!" Chun'er shouted indignantly, "Who knows if she did it on purpose? Maybe she just wanted everyone to think she's a good person!"
"What happened?" Su Zirui and Beili stepped into the inner courtyard and saw three people sitting or squatting together.
"Brother, it's nothing. I just accidentally fell. Fortunately, sister Aruo protected me." Liu Yurong was afraid that Aruo would be misunderstood, so she hurriedly explained.
Upon hearing this, Chun'er stamped her feet in anger, but she also knew that she had no right to speak in this situation.
Aruo looked up and saw a man in a sky-blue round-necked brocade robe coming forward to help Liu Yurong up. His eyes fell on Liu Yurong's hand holding his sleeve, and he suddenly felt numbness and pain in his elbow.
"Why are you still sitting there?" Su Zirui handed Liu Yurong to Chun'er, looked back at her, and said expressionlessly.
With a casual curl of her lips, Aruo stood up and patted the dirt off her skirt, "Sister Yurong, since Lord Su is here, let him take you there. I'll go back first. Lord Su, thank you for your trouble." After bowing, Aruo turned around and left.
"Master Su, she..." Chun'er supported her young lady and wanted to say something with an aggrieved look on her face, but when she met those indifferent eyes that seemed to see through everything, she felt like something was stuck in her throat and she couldn't say anything.
"Chun'er, if you continue to be so unruly, you don't have to follow me from today on." Seeing her maid being so rude, Liu Yurong's face turned cold and she scolded in a low voice.
Chun'er's face turned pale and she quickly lowered her head and said she didn't dare.
Patting Liu Yurong on the shoulder, Su Zirui said calmly, "You go back first. Be careful when you walk next time. Beili, you take them out."
Liu Yurong looked up at him, bowed slightly in disappointment, and clasped her fingers tightly together under her silk sleeves, "Yurong knows." Chun'er glanced at her and wanted to speak anxiously but was stopped by her own lady's eyes. Her mouth was pouting so much that a bottle of oil could be hung on it, but she didn't dare to say anything else.
"Ms. Liu, please." Beili nodded and let the two women go first.
Liu Yurong took a few steps and suddenly turned around. A tall man as tall as jade was standing with his hands behind his back, and his gaze was clearly directed towards the inner courtyard.
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