0120 The Sorrowful Lord (Part 5)
Shu Fu was talking to Zhan Yinyuan when suddenly the door was pushed open.
"It must be Brother Thirteen back." Zhan Yinyuan's eyes lit up, and he jumped up and ran towards the door.
"Thirteenth Brother—"
Hearing his call, Zhan Yaoguang glanced down at him, hastily called out "Little Fifteen," and then turned and headed into the courtyard.
Zhan Yinyuan stood there, momentarily stunned by his reaction, feeling like a tender sprout by the water, otherwise why would he be so ignored!
The young man's outstretched hand froze in mid-air before another young man entering the room grasped it, thus saving him from missing his target.
The young man holding his hand gloated, "Little Fifteen, you should be content. At least Thirteen responded to you just now. We brought him back, and he ignored us the whole way."
"Who's like you!" The young man exclaimed, tears welling in his eyes. "No, I have to go settle accounts with Brother Thirteen!"
Zhan Yaoguang walked around the ivy trellis, brushed aside the lush green vines, and saw the girl standing prettily behind the dense shade, looking at him intently with her hands behind her back.
When Shu Fu saw him arrive, her eyes crinkled into a smile, and she was about to say, "You've come," when he suddenly pulled her into his arms.
The boy buried his head in the crook of her neck, his breath trembling and his chest pounding: "I thought they were just coming for me, I didn't expect them to try and stop you..."
The clouds drifted by, and the golden sunlight shone through the green vines onto my body. It was a little cool, but still couldn't dispel the slight heat rising between my skin and muscles.
Shu Fu blushed slightly and patted him gently: "I'm not that angry. Sister Zhan Qing asked me, and I came with her voluntarily."
When Zhan Yinyuan suddenly knelt down before her, she was indeed startled for a moment, but she did not soften her heart because of it. Instead, she looked coldly at Zhan Qing and said, "Sister, please help him up. There is really no need for you to kneel before me. Anyway, I don't know any martial arts and I am no match for you. If you want to take me back, just do it."
Zhan Qing looked at her apologetically: "Whether you believe it or not, Second Miss, I really don't want to force you. Not to mention that if Thirteen Lang knew that we were coercing you, he would be even less willing to go back with us in a fit of anger, even we ourselves don't want to do anything to upset you, Second Miss."
"Besides, this is Thirteen's own business. We never intended to involve others. We came to you only to ask you to act as our intermediary. We Miao people are all honest and straightforward, unlike you Central Plains people who have so many malicious intentions..."
When Zhan Qing finished speaking, his voice weakened noticeably, but Shu Fu still heard it clearly.
She furrowed her delicate brows and immediately retorted, "We people from the Central Plains are generous and open-minded."
After several rounds of back-and-forth, Shufu finally reluctantly agreed to come back with her first.
After learning the whole story, Zhan Yaoguang's expression didn't soften at all. He gripped her hand tightly and said, "Don't believe them. Let's leave now!"
At this moment, the inner room was pushed open with a "creak," and Zhan Qing came out from inside. Upon seeing Zhan Yaoguang standing in the courtyard, he called out, "Thirteen Lang."
Zhan Yaoguang didn't even turn his head, his voice cold and direct: "I'm not going back."
"Come here first, I have something to say to you," Zhan Qing said after a moment of restraint. "If you still don't want to go back after hearing this, I will take them away from Chang'an and never care about you again."
After saying that, they waited for a long time, but still didn't get a reply from Zhan Yaoguang.
She gritted her teeth and added, "Besides, we can't beat you. After you've heard what I have to say, if you still want to leave, just take Miss Shu and go. We can't stop you even if we want to."
After a long stalemate, Zhan Yaoguang finally reacted, but looked down at Shu Fu.
"Afu, would you like me to go with her?"
Shu Fu was surprised: "If I don't ask you to go, you won't go?"
Zhan Yaoguang nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
She was momentarily at a loss.
She then learned that he had been left to grow up like a gust of wind, with no one ever paying much attention to him, but she had no idea why he was so dependent on her.
Shu Fu pondered for a long time, then suddenly looked up and said to him earnestly, "Zhan Yaoguang, this is your own business, and you should handle it yourself. Others have their own opinions and their own words, but none of them are you, including me."
Zhan Yaoguang paused for a moment, her eyelashes drooping slightly as she blinked slowly, seemingly lost in thought.
After a long while, he finally spoke, saying firmly to her, "I understand. Then wait for me here for a while, I'll be back soon."
The young man took her hand and led her to the main room: "There are two cousins outside who came back with me. They will probably come to talk to you later. If you don't like them, just ignore them. Don't give them any face."
Shu Fu nodded, and Zhan Yaoguang gently let go of her hand. After taking only two steps, she still felt uneasy and turned back to remind her, "By the way, there's also that kid Zhan Yinyuan. He always pretends to be pitiful, so don't be soft-hearted towards him."
Zhan Qing leaned against the door with her arms crossed, and seeing his reluctant look, she couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"Miss Shu is not a three-year-old child anymore, and Xiao Shiwu and the others will not eat her. There is no need for you to give her so many instructions."
Zhan Yaoguang remained unmoved, continuing to stare only at Shu Fu.
Zhan Qing, unable to contain himself any longer, suddenly spoke up: "By the way, have I ever told you that young ladies dislike clingy, wishy-washy young men the most?"
Zhan Yaoguang paused for a moment, and finally hesitated before putting his hand down.
Just as Zhan Yaoguang and Zhan Qing walked away, Zhan Yinyuan and two young men stepped in together.
When Zhan Yinyuan saw her sitting inside drinking tea, her eyes were bright, so he quickly ran over and sat down next to her.
"Second sister, where is my thirteenth brother?"
"You were taken to a room by your sister to talk."
Zhan Yinyuan said "Oh," then turned and called out to the two men lingering outside the door, "Brothers, why don't you come in?"
The two people outside the door pushed and pulled for a while, and finally only one person was pushed in.
The man was suddenly pushed in, completely unprepared. He looked up and saw Shu Fu sitting in a chair, sizing him up.
His face flushed red instantly, and he quickly looked away, not daring to utter another word.
Zhan Yinyuan exclaimed "Ah!" and stood up angrily, pointing at him and saying, "You're not allowed to blush! My thirteenth brother is Second Sister's man, and you're not even allowed to think about it!"
"I didn't—" The man panicked and covered Zhan Yinyuan's mouth. "I wasn't thinking anything. Keep your voice down, don't let Shisanlang hear!"
After struggling for a moment, the young man finally opened his mouth, panting, and asked again, "Where is that brother? Why isn't he coming in?"
"He and Ah Qing are about to become a couple, so he feels he should behave himself and stay outside."
"..."
Just then, a crisp, youthful voice rang out from the gate outside the courtyard.
"Sister and brother, I'm back! I bought persimmon cakes, candied pastries, and some cherry dumplings. Did you invite the young lady that Thirteenth Brother likes back? I really want to see her, and all these snacks are for her!"
Now that everyone had arrived, the small courtyard immediately became lively.
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