The young woman said, “Helping me? I’d be grateful if you don’t get yourself into trouble. Even in the capital, you were constantly causing chaos. If not for the Third Young Master’s reputation, do you think you’d still be alive right now?”
The boy grinned mischievously. “Sister, your words are so heavy. I’m small, with narrow shoulders—I can’t bear such weight. You’ll crush me.”
The young woman said, “You’re clever beyond measure—what can’t you bear? There isn’t anyone born yet who can say something heavy enough to crush you. Every day, when the Third Young Master returns home, the first thing he asks is, ‘Where is he?’”
At this point, her tone grew serious.
“Sister,” the boy said, his expression gradually growing serious as he lowered his head, “you…”
The young woman interrupted him, saying, “Zhuer, we owe the Third Young Master our lives for rescuing and taking us in. We carry a debt to him that we can never fully repay. So why do you keep making him worry about you?”
The boy’s demeanor turned more subdued. He dropped his head and murmured, “Sister, you’re right.”
The young woman continued, “I know you’re clever and that people in the capital have spoiled you endlessly. But no matter how much they indulged you, we are still servants. Even though the Third Young Master has never treated us as such, we must remember our place. If we cannot help him, at the very least, we must not cause him any more trouble.”
The boy stammered, “Sister, I know I was wrong. Truly, I do. But I just can’t seem to change my temper. Whenever I see someone bullying the poor, I just can’t help myself, and…”
The young woman sighed softly before replying, “I understand that you admire the Third Young Master’s heroic spirit and want to emulate him, acting with righteousness and chivalry. You’re still young, and it’s natural to be impulsive. But every time you act, you need to think about the consequences for the Third Young Master. Xiang Yang is not like the capital. If you keep acting recklessly and bring trouble upon him, I will be the first to punish you.”
Though her voice remained gentle, there was a note of sternness in her tone that made it clear she was serious.
Huo Xiao Di, listening to their conversation, felt a pang of surprise.
Though these siblings lacked any martial skills, their demeanor and speech set them apart. The boy, sharp and mischievous, had a cunning intelligence. The young woman, for all her gentleness and beauty, possessed remarkable insight. She saw through the boy’s tricks with ease, and with just a few words, she could make this otherwise unruly child fall in line.
– If not for her words, he would never have guessed that these two were servants.
– If their servants were this extraordinary, then what kind of remarkable person must their master be?
As his thoughts wandered, a sudden idea struck him.
– In the capital, aside from Xiao Zhao of Nanqing Palace, only one person could be worthy of such exceptional retainers.
The moment this figure entered his mind, he saw that strikingly handsome face, that calm and carefree smile, those deep, knowing eyes, and that composed, steady presence. The memory brought warmth to his chest but also a piercing pain to his heart—so sharp it stole his breath.
Looking down at the food on the table before him, his appetite soured completely.
But he forced himself to eat. He had to eat to keep his strength up. He needed to get to the capital as soon as possible.
– Yet, for some reason, his throat felt constricted, as if something were stuck there. No matter how exquisite the dishes before him were, he couldn’t swallow.
His gaze lingered on the food, and his thoughts wandered again. The faint whispers of the sibling pair in the distance became distant and indistinct, as though carried away into the clouds and beyond.
He didn’t know how much time had passed before he suddenly realized the light around him had dimmed.
A shadow slowly stretched across his table from the door.
Outside, there was the faint sound of a horse neighing.
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