Chapter 16: Hua House
The Hua Family had lived in Fan Hua Town for a long time. The first wives of the past two generations were renowned for their proficiency. Whatever the current madam and the current first wife would find to be profitable, was definitely going to be such. This included the current family's house and their two acres of fertile land.
The original house of the Hua Family was located in the north-western part of Fan Hua Town. It was a small abode that consisted of a small yard, two main rooms, and one side room. During that time, Hua Xiangyin was head of the House. He had two sons and two daughters. His wife had died when giving birth to the youngest son, Hua Kang. Hua Xiangyin had to act as the mother and father figure for the children since then. Relying on his woodworking skills, he raised his radishes (kids) all by himself. He had saved up a lot of money for the bride prices of his sons' future wives.
The daughters were only two years apart in age. The two had married early when they were fifteen and thirteen years old. They had wed at the same time to a pair of twins from Luoshui Town. Even now, they were living in bliss.
And so it had happened that Hua Xiangyin had found his eldest son a match. The girl, Liu-shi* was from Luoshui Town. Her father was in the same woodworking trade. Not too long after Lui-shi* was wed into the Hua House, she decided that the residence was too small for her taste. Taking advantage of the fact that she was about to give birth, she had gone to the family head and asked to be allowed to move out.
(XX-shi, 氏; XX=maiden name)
At first, Hua Xiangyin wasn't happy. The second son had yet to marry, and here she was trying to split the family! If that were to happen, he would be ridiculed as an old man that couldn't accommodate other people's wives! However, Liu-shi had not listened and kept insisting on moving out. Hua Xiangyin was a very honest man who didn't like to argue with women. In the end, he could only slap his thigh and say that he would give the couple some money to allow them to buy land and settle down on their own.
Liu-shi was very shrewd. She had taken the small amount of money given and bought a plot of land and a house with the best view in town for their new homestead. She had also, after a lot of persuasion, traded the old Hua Family's parched acres of land for two acres of paddy fields on the south side.
The current head of town estate, Sun Youmao, from then on had kept a keen eye on the young Madam Hua. Whenever she came to inquire about anything, he would act dumb and deaf regardless of what she said or asked. Then, after she would leave, he would carefully analyze everything until her intentions became clear, so once she returned, he would be prepared. He was determined to absolutely not fall for her traps again, like that time years ago when she had nagged and fussed him until he fell into her trap.
To this point, Sun Youmao fully embodied the proverb: "bitten by a snake, ten years afraid of a rope."
After Liu-shi had moved out with Hua An, the eldest son, their life had been very prosperous in the following years. Liu-shi's fertility matched her luck and she would give birth to a child every two years, ending up with three of them. That streak had been broken when Hua An's younger brother, Hua Kang, had caught the eye of a wealthy lady and was adopted into her family while he was an apprentice in Fan Lou City. Hua Xiangyin had become so infuriated that he had fallen ill. In less than half a year, he had passed away. To show respect and filial piety, the children (including in-laws) had to undergo a period of mourning. (This meant no wearing red; nothing celebrative for a certain amount of time; i.e. childbirth) Therefore, Liu-shi too no longer gave birth to any more children.
Liu-shi had sold off the old Hua family's house, passing it off as a filial act since her brother-in-law's surname was no longer Hua and was instead Lu Kang. Naturally, that money was not given to him, and it was kept for her three sons to help in finding their future wives.
When her eldest son had finally found a wife, Liu-shi had not known that this woman was even more calculative than herself. This time, Liu-shi was forced to taste her own medicine – she was "a mute forced to swallow coptis chinensis" (哑巴吃黄连 to suffer in silence). Even though this daughter-in-law had not tried to persuade her son to move out like she had with her husband, her mind was sharp, and so was her sister's. Within two years, those girls had found a nice residence located in Fan Lou City and, using this opportunity, had attempted to persuade the whole Hua family to move. Their words of persuasion were nice to the ear, saying that mother and father had worked too hard tilling the lands, so why not move to the city and enjoy the rest of life there?
Liu-shi, of course, had been aware of their intentions. Her eldest son had rented a small shop in Fan Luo City, and every morning, before the roosters would crow, he would leave for work only to come back at dusk. If the weather was bad, raining heavily, for example, he would have to use several copper coins to spend the night at an inn. Because of this, he and his wife had been privately making plans to move the whole family to Fan Lou City. Once that happened, they could buy a small shop and abandon their past peasant roots to become real city people.
To live in the city, that idea was very tempting. Sadly, such a life would cost a lot of money. And even though her eldest son and daughter-in-law did not lack funds, they had been claiming the money was put aside to buy a shop with. However, they knew that Liu-shi still had some silver left from selling the old Hua house and had even convinced her two other sons to nag her every day about moving to the city.
Liu-shi had been put in a difficult situation. Although the amount of silver she had was not insignificant, it was only considered plentiful in this town. It was not enough to live in the city ah. And yet, her stupid son actually listened to his wife's idea of selling their current house.
Oh mother of mine! This girl was truly a genius! She did not learn from her father's simple life and wanted to enjoy a luxurious lifestyle! Liu-shi had reprimanded her daughter-in-law very harshly but could not stop her younger sons from begging incessantly. In the end, because Liu-shi had enough money to do so, her mindset slowly changed under their continuous pestering. Seeing that Lui-shi was reluctantly starting to accede, the daughter-in-law made a deal with the seller's estate in Fan Lou City. The house would be theirs if they got the money ready in two months. If they could not manage that, then it would be sold to another person.
To get fifty-six tael in two months, ai! Heavens! In this whole life of hers, she had only managed to save up thirty-six taels, and that included the money from the sale of the old Hua's house and the two acres of rice paddy, ah! With these thirty-six taels, she could call herself the richest in Fan Hua Town. But now, that amount of money was not even enough to afford a small house in the city ah!
Although the house they were living in now could be considered a bit old, it included three main rooms, two side rooms and even two outhouses. Not only the front, but even the back of the house had its own spacious and orthodox courtyard.
Thus Liu-shi gritted her teeth and set a high price for her house - a whole forty taels. She had calculated that if she could sell it for this much, then not only would it be enough for the small residence in the city but she could save the rest for her young sons' future wives too. After all, those wives would likely be city ladies. The bride price should always be of more value than less.
But the villagers of this town already had their own homes. And even if some local newlyweds needed to find a new house, they would not spend so much money to buy this aged one. Any wealthy people living outside of the area that might have been interested in purchasing a place in this town were likely not to know about her house due to insufficient spread of information.
So when Madam Lao came in asking for news, Liu-shi knew she had caught the fleeting interest of the people in Lou House. Catching this rare opportunity, she praised her house to no end. She hoped that they would be swayed. After all, forty taels was not a small amount.
"In other words, Hua Family was serious about selling their house?!" When Madam Lao finished her report, Shuilian exclaimed happily. She could finally have her own home! She must do her best!
"But hearing from Madam Hua that it would cost forty taels, no more and no less... That's not not a small amount ah." Madam Lao let out a sigh. Her own family, after a year of work and frugal life, could only save about five to six taels ah. That Madam Hua was ruthless, ah! For such a shabby house to not budge below forty taels, it was no different from daylight robbery, ah! Even if that land location was good, even if it was close to farmland, it was still not worth that much!
For a moment, Madam Lao wanted to say "how about buying our house?" But she reconsidered, since after receiving that twenty tael, where would their family go? They would still need to find a new house; therefore she quickly buried that thought.
"Aunty Lao, sorry to trouble you, but can you lead us to the Hua house? We can think about small details after we see the place." Su Shuilian knew in her heart that forty taels was a large amount. After all, some of the houses in Fan Lou City were sold for around fifty to sixty taels. But this purchase would also include two acres of fertile farmland. If the house was as good as what Aunty Lao said it to be, then maybe it was worth buying. So she gently prompted Madam Lao to take her to see the owner.
Lin Si Yao did not hesitate as he followed Su Shuilian out of Lao's home. When the two bored wolves sitting in the front yard saw their owner come out, they quickly got up to follow. The two caught up fast, fully ready to explore their future territory.
Chapter 17: Buying a House
Hua House was east of Lao House and the path led them through half of Fan Hua Town. With their steady pace, it only took them about fifteen minutes to make the trip.
Ever since she had drunk the <Heart of Jade Fairy Essence>, Su Shuilian had a stronger body. If it weren't for that, she would have already been long out of breath.
"You, girl, look so frail that I never would have expected you to be faster than our house's daughter. You surely will be able to birth many healthy babies in the future." Madam Lao looked in befuddlement at Su Shuilian who had been quietly following behind her. The girl did not seem to be out of breath, nor did she ask for a break. Madam Lao gave her a thumbs up and praised her from her heart.
At those words, Su Shuilian immediately turned red; she was speechless. Even the usually expressionless Lin Si Yao had stiffened. He awkwardly turned his head to the side and pretended to cover his mouth to cough.
Madam Lao did not pay any attention to their embarrassed reactions as she continued on talking. She told them about her daughter, Lao Xicui, who had been very busy at home embroidering before going to Fan Lou City with Lao Yongqiang (the second son). They had rented a small booth in the city to sell their wares for the Seventh of the Seventh Month. The two had planned to return this afternoon and should be home soon. While she didn't know how well they did or how much of the embroidery they had sold, Madam Lao had already started to calculate their profits.
When Su Shuilian heard Aunt Lao talk about her daughter selling embroidery, her eyes lit up and the corners of her lips curved into a smile. So her skills were not a waste! With her talent in embroidery, at the very least, feeding themselves would not be a problem.
Lin Si Yao swept a puzzled glance at Su Shuilian. He was confused about her sudden change in mood. Just a second ago she had been staring in embarrassment at the ground, but now he could feel her joy and relief. Did the woman say something that made her happy? He carefully recalled the previous words of Madam Lao...
---
"Speaking of our yard, if you sit facing the south, there is bright light If you walk out the door and turn left, our paddy fields are no more than a hundred meters away. Turn right and you'll find Fan Hua Town's ancestral hall. During the festive season, it is quite lively! There is even a river at the back of the house, convenient for laundry! You don't have to go that far to get to the publicly shared river.
When the Madam of Hua House, Liu Shi, saw the couple standing behind Madam Lao, she finally realized that the people interested in buying her house were this good-looking couple. The girl didn't seem any older than sixteen, but with those noble ladylike manners and gestures, Madam Hua was sure that she was not some random peasant.
And so Madam Hua's wrinkled face smiled brightly as she pulled Su Shuilian along to enthusiastically show them around the house.
As Madam Lao listened to Madam Hua praise her house to no end, she rolled her eyes in response.
Su Shuilian followed behind Liu Shi. As she walked through the Hua residence, she rejoiced quietly in her heart. Other than the fact that the main building was a little bit worn-down, the overall condition was actually quite good. The front and back yards of the house were also quite sizable, and when the time came, she would have the space to grow the plants she liked, install a reclining chair under the shade of the big tree, and relaxedly embroider. It would almost be as if she could travel back to those quiet days she spent in the Su Household.
Thinking about it, Su Shuilian interrupted Liu Shi, who had been espousing the house's merits in a continuous stream. With a smile, she softly asked, "Madam Hua, do the forty taels cover the furniture as well?"
Liu Shi started at the comment. She hadn't actually thought about it, but as she was about to open her mouth, she heard her eldest daughter-in-law respond. "Miss, we intend to bring the majority of the furniture with us. After all, the residence in the city is twice this size, and we need to place much of the furniture into it. You know as well that the price of furniture has been inflating terribly." The Hua daughter-in-law stole a glance at Lin Si Yao while saying all this. She somewhat wistfully thought: Dang, this man is handsome. If my own man was only eight-tenths as handsome, I'd be so happy.
Su Shuilian frowned a little at those words. If the furniture in this residence were all left behind, then forty taels was reasonable. But after listening to the Hua daughter-in-law's comments, she knew that the forty taels would only be buying an empty house. At that point, she'd need to buy all the necessary furniture, and she was unsure if the remaining ten taels would be enough. If that were the case, then before those embroidery days, how were they going to live?
"Aiya, my daughter-in-law doesn't know what she's talking about. Tell you what, Miss, I, Madam Hua, won't treat you like an outsider anymore. I'll leave a portion of the furniture here to you. I know that for a first-timer like Miss, you wouldn't have made the necessary preparations. Relax, we won't move everything --we'll definitely leave some of the essential furniture for you. I still have that much consideration, at least."
Liu Shi had seen Su Shuilian's eyebrows crinkled in a frown and knew that her own daughter-in-law's words had raised doubts in the buyer's mind. In fear of losing this golden goose, she immediately tugged on the hem of her daughter-in-law's clothes, signaling for her to be quiet, and moved hastily to Su Shuilian's side. She spoke quickly, hoping to reassure Su Shuilian in order to get the deed signed and the silver exchanged as soon as possible.
Su Shuilian listened to her reassurances, but didn't feel comfortable haggling anymore. Instead, she turned back to look at Lin Si Yao and walked to his side to ask for his opinion. "Do you think this is alright?"
Lin Si Yao lowered his head, and his gentle gaze swept across her hopeful little face. To him, anywhere was fine. The only things that mattered were that he could see her graceful figure; that he could hear her soft and warm voice.
Lin Si Yao nodded his head. Forty taels? In that case, her purse would be left with ten taels. Even with that amount, it shouldn't be a problem dealing with a few days' worth of housing needs.
Lin Si Yao's heart was filled with a wave of white. He had been a highly-sought after assassin for many years, and yet he had never felt as stretched. As it was, he had already left Feng Yao Court and had promised that he'd never take up his old profession. Since he had discarded his old identity, it was also better to avoid using the savings he had hidden away for several years. But, other than lifting his sword to kill and seal the throats of witnesses, what else was he good for?
"This is forty teals. Aunt Hua, please receive it." Su Shuilian took out four silver ingots from her purse and handed it to the happily grinning Lui Shi. In exchange, she received the house deed and the paddy deed from Hua Liu Shi. After she had signed her name on the transfer deeds that had long since been prepared by Liu Shi and her daughter-in-law, each party took a copy.
"Tsk tsk, look at this girl's manners, so ladylike ah." Holding the transfer deeds, Liu Shi praised Su Shuilian's handwriting profusely. When she looked at the left column that held her son's crooked, earth-worm-like scribbles, her face could not help but heat up. Looking towards Madam Lao who was staring in envy at her fast-earned forty taels, Liu Shi quickly recovered some face and loosened her shoulders. Speaking of literacy, her sons were much more adept than the sons of Lao House!
"It's settled then! Let us start packing up. We'll move now." Liu Shi said coolly as she carefully put away her contract and forty taels. She turned around and instructed her daughter-in-law to go to their paddy fields to find her husband. He would be tasked with rushing to the city to notify their eldest son of the sale. Their son should still be at his stall selling their goods. It would be best to organize and prepare the new house as quickly as possible. This way, their whole family could all move to the city tomorrow and enjoy the city life.
Chapter 18: A Fuse
"Miss, if you'd like, you can eat lunch at our house. This saves you some time, since you won't have to make your way back to the city. It's just a small meal from our humble house though, so it might be different from your usual meals." As they walked out of Hua House, Madam Lao spoke enthusiastically.
Madam Lao had thought that the Madam of Hua House would at least have the courtesy to offer them lunch. However, she and her daughter-in-law were instead immersed in discussing moving details and did not even have an ounce of consideration, no longer paying any attention to them. Really ah! Madam Lao's heart felt sorry for Su Shuilian.
"No need, Aunt Lao. We still need to return to the inn in the city and settle the room fees. Moreover, we also need to purchase some necessities tomorrow. But I will remember your kindness in my heart. Here's silver. It's only worth a few coppers, but I hope you can take it. If not for you and Mister Lao, we still would still be wandering cluelessly around this town like a headless fly." As Su Shuilian said her thanks, she naturally pulled out a small piece of silver and placed it into Madam Lao's hands. She had deliberately put this silver piece in her sleeve for this purpose.
In the beginning, Su Shuilian had eleven small silver pieces in total. Of the two smallest pieces of silver, one had been given to the driver and the other had been spent on the lantern and small snacks during the festival. The three bigger pieces had been used as a deposit for the inn. Instead of putting these six remaining silver pieces with the silver ingots in her purse, she had put them in the pocket of her sleeve purse for situations such as these.
"No no no, girl what are you saying? For us to have helped, it was fate. I cannot take this money. If I did, even my husband would not have the face to look at me." Aunt Lao quickly returned Su Shuilian's silver piece. If word got out that she had been given a piece of silver just for leading the way, wouldn't her family be gossiped about as being greedy?
"If you insist, then how about you accompany us towards the exit? When I get back to the city, I'll purchase some things for you as gifts." Madam Lao was so insistent on not taking the silver, she didn't dare to take it. In any event, Su Shuilian did not force it on her and returned the silver back into her sleeves and offered the alternative with a smile.
"This girl is too generous." Madam Lao turned red, but quickly accepted. Internally, she was very happy with Su Shuilian's persistent attitude. Thinking of the offer to purchase some items, Madam Lao quickly calculated what she'd like for her house. If she could get herself a few ceramic dishes, that would be great! Even a few cotton towels or a new basin would also be good.
With this thought, the three people and two wolves made their way to the entrance to Fan Luo Town near the pond.
"Aunt Lao, you can go back. You have already gone through a lot of trouble today." Su Shuilian said a few words to Madam Lao before parting ways to head to Fan Luo City with Lin Si Yao and the two wolves.
Midway, Lin Si Yao naturally picked her up and with a few jumps, quickly returned to their inn.
They made it in time for the last seating for the afternoon meal. After they had finished, they made their way to their own rooms to take a rest. Since it was a hot summer afternoon, rather than tire oneself out in the heat, why not rest till evening. This way, they can take a refreshing stroll outside during the cooler temperatures.
"In the end, the money was just spent like that." As Su Shuilian gently pinched her empty sleeve pockets, she turned to Lin Si Yao – who was carrying multiple pieces of luggage of various sizes. With an apologetic look, she sighed and added, "I actually wanted to buy ourselves two additional sets of clothing each, but I didn't think that just the furniture and such would already cost us the rest of the six silver pieces."
Lin Si Yao lifted his brow; his lips curved up into a slight smile. His heart was filled with a warmth that he hadn't felt in a long time. She said that she was going to buy him clothes... Other than his old lord (of Feng Yao Court), no one else had cared for his life, let alone picked out clothing for him.
"Are you tired? How about I carry two?" Looking at Lin Si Yao carrying so much and then at herself who had nothing, Su Shuilian felt very embarrassed.
"No need." Lin Si Yao naturally denied her. However, he couldn't bear to see her dejected and remorseful face, so he voiced a request that even he himself found to be vaguely ambiguous. "Help me fold up my sleeves."
"Oh, ok." When Su Shuilian heard his words, she quickly cast aside her guilty thoughts and quickly went up to him. His long sleeves made it difficult for him to hold the bags, so she helped fold them to his elbows. This way, it was not as hot and should feel more refreshing.
Just by tilting his head down, Lin Si Yao could smell the sweet and pleasant scent of Su Shuilian. Restraining himself, Lin Si Yao tightly suppressed his heart's inexplicably growing desire. After Su Shuilian finished rolling up his sleeves, she was just about to step back when she heard an extremely sweet voice greeting Lin Si Yao from behind. "Gongzi, do you still recognize this humble girl?"
Su Shuilian looked curiously at the glamorously dressed woman in front of her. The girl eagerly took the initiative to greet the now cold-faced Lin Si Yao. She continued on, "This humble girl's name is Lu Wan'er from the Lu House of North Street. During the seventh day of the seventh month, this humble girl wanted to give you a flower, but did not expect Gongzi to leave early. Today... although this humble girl rarely goes out... was lucky enough to have met Gongzi. Would it be possible to invite Gongzi to Xinhua (Apricot Blossom) Pavilion for a get-together?"
Lu Wan'er raised her charmingly seductive voice as she boldly insisted on inviting Lin Si Yao out.
This was this man she had already set her heart on at first glance. When she had been walking on the tall stilts, she had picked out his extraordinarily handsome yet indifferent face from the crowd despite the distance. It was at that moment that her heart had throbbed like never before. Because she had failed to give him a flower, Lu Wan'er had been depressed for days. Even though rich suitors constantly flocked to her side, Lu Wan'er couldn't help but constantly long for the man she had only seen once.
Lu Wan'er had thought that she'd never see him again and had spent her days locked inside. After a few days, she had finally decided to go out for a walk, but did not expect to be so lucky as to meet him again. 'This must have been destined, right?' Lu Wan'er excitedly thought. She could not wait to jump into his embrace and dominate this man who had caused her mind to go crazy for him.
Lin Si Yao's body suddenly seemed to exude cold air as he suppressed the urge to wave his hand and shake off this lunatic who had come out of nowhere. Displeased, he ignored her as he brushed by and said to Su Shuilian, "Go back," as he led the way back to the inn.
Su Shuilian blinked a few times before she turned to look back at Lu Wan'er. Lu Wan'er was shocked by Lin Si Yao's unhesitantly cold response to her. When she came to her senses, Lu Wan'er quickly turned and glared at Su Shuilian. Su Shuilian returned her glare with a smile and, turning around, no longer paid her any mind as she quickly ran to catch up with Lin Si Yao to return to the inn.
Chapter 19: Inquiries
"That... uh... Lin... Si Yao..." Su Shuilian had thought for a long time. She spoke up to Lin Si Yao after he accompanied her back to her room after dinner.
Lin Si Yao turned at her voice, his eyebrow raised as he waited for the rest of her sentence.
"That, about today......I'm sorry, I was brash. I forgot that you would also meet a girl that you would fancy, and that you would have liked to start a family with...... I...... shouldn't have been so selfish, dragging you to settle down in Fan Hua Town..." Su Shuilian apologized stammeringly, her words were confusing and didn't even make sense to her.
She was sure that she had a good impression of him. Moreover, they had lived alone in the forest for two months, so of course the idea of being together with him naturally came to her mind. But the reason for that kind of desire... She was unsure of why that kind of idea started to develop.
But when she had blurted out to Aunt Lao that she was engaged to Lin Si Yao, she suddenly realized that he had already occupied a portion of her heart. Unconsciously, her gaze would always follow his tall and sturdy back. If anything were to happen, she would look into his cool eyes that somehow always seemed to calm her down.
It's just that... She was unsure of his reasons. Why did he decide to follow and stay with her? Su Shuilian was afraid that his reasons were simply because of his debt of gratitude, his fear of leaving a girl to wander on her own, and his inability to refuse her requests.
If those were the reasons, then her decisions were all very selfish. Su Shuilian slumped her shoulders as she subconsciously looked down. She was afraid to look at him; afraid he would let out a sigh of relief and decide to go their separate ways to pursue the woman that he liked.
Her mind began to wander as it continued to guess what Lin Si Yao's answer would be. She just wouldn't look up at his face.
"This is what you wanted?" She heard his voice, but this time it had a bit more frost in it.
Su Shuilian looked up. What? What was 'This is what you wanted?' All she wanted was him...
Ah! Su Shuilian covered her mouth as she almost exclaimed out loud. Her eyes displayed extreme astonishment. She... She actually wanted him! Not the kind of platonic relationship, but beyond the feelings of friends. She... She liked him. She had subconsciously wanted to be closer to him... for example... their wedding after settling in...
Su Shuilian's face heated up; she quickly moved her hands to cover her blushing cheeks.
"What is it? Is it uncomfortable anywhere?"
Seeing that she hadn't said anything in awhile, Lin Si Yao walked closer to examine her. When he got close enough to see her flushed face, he thought that she had strained herself outside and had developed a fever. He gently felt her forehead and was relieved it was not hot. But looking at her heated cheeks, Lin Si Yao's eyes flashed with worry. He knelt down and quietly asked.
"No... No, it's nothing." Su Shuilian held onto her face, which was rising in heat as she shyly replied.
When Lin Si Yao heard this, he didn't change his expression as he thought for a bit. He reached with his left hand to tightly grasp onto Su Shuilian's hands that were covering her cheeks. With his other hand, he gently lifted her chin and met her misty eyes with his. "Tell me, what is going on."
"I... I....There's nothing..." She turned her face and did not dare to look into his cold eyes.
"Does it have anything to do with me?" Lin Si Yao did not want to make it hard for her, just those small, soft hands in his... He knew this kind of thing was inappropriate, but he refused to let go. Even if she had realized his feelings and was trying to evade him, it was better than to keep these feelings in hopes of her reciprocating.
Su Shuilian did not know how to answer. As a girl, she could not just boldly say that she liked him and wanted to be with him. She couldn't say that she did not want him to leave her to have a family with another woman.
"The words you said previously..." Lin Si Yao opened his mouth and paused before adding, "About the girl I fancy..."
When Su Shuilian heard this, she suddenly tilted her head up, but then hit her head on Lin Si Yao's hard chin. "Ouch!" She cried in pain as tears almost came out of her eyes.
Lin Si Yao was stunned for a bit before he gently rubbed her swollen forehead. He could not help but sigh; this kind of girl, how could he bear to let her go alone if they were to go their separate ways in the future.
"You just sai..." Su Shuilian helplessly opened her mouth. He... Did he already have a girl that he fancied? Was it that Lu Wan'er from before?
Su Shuilian bit her lips as she pushed away her thoughts that had gone bitter. Of course, men would like those kinds of lively, cheerful, and glamorous women. Just like brother Xin Yi... Does he also prefer the lively and beautiful Shuiyan over the quiet her?
"First tell me, what did you previously think of?" Lin Si Yao pulled up a stool and sat next to her. He had intended to make sense of this matter today. Even if his feelings were discovered, he could only admit to it. This way, in the future, he can stop his wishful thinking.
"..." When Su Shuilian heard him say this, her previously shameful thoughts rose again. She was unsure of where to place her hands and legs, and her face started to flush again.
"Shuilian," Lin Si Yao said out the name that he had called out countless times in his heart. He asked in a low voice, "Can I call you that?"
Su Shuilian's heart shook, but she nodded back in response. When he had said her name, it was like sorcery, causing her heart to quiver.
"I have never given anyone any sort of gifts, let alone jewelry."
Lin Si Yao looked straight at her face as he said every word of the sentence. This could be a very long explanation, but for her, he was willing to be patient, as long as she was willing to listen.
"You..." Su Shuilian did not dare to return his gaze. His cold stare was gone, and his eyes now had emotions that she did not recognize. However, what was the meaning of his words... Unless it is what she thinks, it means that – he also liked her.
"You... You just said.... The girl that you fancy... is....." She did not want to rely on her assumptions and wanted him to clearly say it out loud.
"It's you." After Lin Si Yao said these two words, he turned his head away in embarrassment. He feared that he would see ridicule in her eyes, and he feared her words of rejection. But, of course, for a ruthless killer like him, how could such an honest and beautiful girl such as her like him?
With this thought, Lin Si Yao got up, staggering as he hesitantly made his way out of her room. Shouldn't her silent reply already convey that she had turned down his feelings?
Just... What is this? Lin Si Yao looked down at the small hand that had tightly grasped the hem of his clothing. Looking up, he saw Su Shuilian's blushing red face and her shy eyes.
"Me...me too" Su Shuilian gathered up her courage as she said out loud the words that had stayed in her heart.
When he heard this, Lin Si Yao's body stiffened. She... what she said before, was it what he thinks it means? Lin Si Yao was afraid to move. He was scared that those words he had just heard were just his hallucinations.
"You don't believe..." When Su Shuilian did not hear Lin Si Yao's response, her heart grew anxious. She waved her hands in a hurry and grabbed onto his hand, "I really meant what I said, I..."
"I believe." After a while, Lin Si Yao finally found his voice. His low voice was a bit flustered, although that was hard to detect.
Chapter 20: Stirring Emotions
The next morning, Su Shuilian went downstairs to check out.
"Miss, did you want to check out?" One of the employees asked with a shy smile when he saw Su Shuilian come downstairs with her luggage.
"Yes, I'll be troubling you." Su Shuilian replied with a small happy smile that reached her eyes. Yes, since last night, when she found out that her feelings were reciprocated by Lin Si Yao, Su Shuilian couldn't contain her joy. This kind of happiness, she had never felt before in her life.
"Tha-that..." The employee said in a stutter. He scratched his scalp as he bashfully took the room keys from Su Shuilian. His mind was contemplating whether or not to ask this girl if she was willing to marry him.
"Ready?" When Lin Si Yao came into the counter with the two wolves, he walked to Su Shuilian and took her luggage as he looked at her with gentle/warm eyes. Ever since he found out about Su Shuilian's feelings, he was immersed in happiness and did not sleep at all last night.
At the break of dawn, he left Su Shuilian a note before he took the two wolves on a practice. In a mountain-less area, he took in happy breaths of air as he continued to train the wolves.
Only afterward did he come back refreshed with the two exhausted wolves, looking for her -his future, one and only wife.
"Mmhm" Su Shuilian smiled and nodded at him.
"Then let's go." Lin Si Yao picked up the luggage just bought yesterday and tied it to the wolves' backs. The two wolves were obediently lying on the ground as they helplessly allowed Lin Si Yao to tie it on. Their sad expressions and eyes that almost seem to say: You had us run until we were this tired, and now you want us to carry such a heavy task? Wu wu wu, owner, can we not?
"Miss, here is your change." When the employee saw the intimate interactions between Su Shuilian and Lin Si Yao, his originally excited heart suddenly cooled down. So this cold man that was by her side all the time was her fiance. He lowered his head in frustration as he came to her table to return her change.
"Thank you. We are going then, bye-bye!" Su Shuilian said with a smile as she received the thirty-six pieces of bronze. After thinking for a bit, she decided to give the rest of the wild fruit basket to the boy. "This is for you, thank you for taking care of Xiao Chun and Xiao Xue."
"It is just my duty." The employee said as he waved his hand in embarrassment. He truly liked these large, snow white dogs. He had never seen any other family's dog to be so well trained; no one else's dog would help carry luggage and such either.
"Then I have to thank this miss." The employee rubbed his palms together as he took the basket from Su Shuilian. Just when he was about to turn around and talk back to the counter, he was stopped by Lin Si Yao.
"Ai?" The employee stared wide eyed at Lin Si Yao. He didn't move as he watched Lin Si Yao take the fruit basket and empty the fruits into his hands and then tie the cute, but now empty basket onto the dog's back.
Su Shuilian also watched Lin Si Yao's series of moves until he tied the basket to Xiao Chun's back. She gave the employee a smile before she followed Lin Si Yao out the door of the inn.
Su Shuilian looked at Lin Si Yao, who had once again turned cold. She blinked a few times, wasn't he just fine before? What happened?
Lin Si Yao knew that she had been glancing at him, but he was extremely disturbed. He should not feel unhappy that she was smiling gleefully at the waiter. He should not be disturbed that she gave the fruit basket she had made herself and the fruits to the waiter. He should not be...
"Are you angry at something?" Su Shuilian tugged at his sleeves as she asked him the question that she could not get out of her mind. She was afraid that if she didn't clear this up now, the budding feelings of love that the both of them have towards each other would be completely crushed by the fact that the both of them have a habit of not talking about their feelings directly.
Lin Si Yao stopped in his tracks and turned around. He took her in his arms and left the busy streets of Fan Luo city. He only stopped running after he reached the unending field of green (grass) outside the city.
"Lin...A Yao." Su Shuilian was going to yell out his full name. But she realized that since they had already confessed to each other, it would be weird for her to call him that as if he was a stranger, so she picked a name that she would not mind calling him with. She raised her head, wanting to continue on with the unanswered question, only to find him staring at her with his unfathomable eyes. From his eyes, she could pick out that he was suppressing his deep emotions.
"You..." Su Shuilian broke the silence between them, but realized that she did not know where to start. Just when she was about to continue, Lin Si Yao stopped her by covering her lips with his finger.
"I am annoyed." He explained, but at the same time it seemed he was also talking to himself, "I don't like other men seeing you smiling, and I also do not want you to give your own weaved items to them either."
"Pfft!" Su Shuilian could not help but laugh out loud. When her eyes met with Lin Si Yao's cold gaze, did she realize that her laughter was inappropriate. She smiled and apologetically said, "I didn't mean to laugh at you, I just thought.... Cough...it's funny that the longest phrase you said would be you complaining. So I couldn't help...." She grew more quiet as she continued, and finally silently looked down; under his eyes, held indescribable emotions.
"Shuilian...." Lin Si Yao said softly as he leaned over and placed a light kiss on her smooth forehead.
Su Shuilian looked at him, stunned; her cheeks suddenly flushed red. Looking at this, Lin Si Yao could not help but kiss her once again.
"If you continue to look at me like that, I will want to do even more..." Lin Si Yao softly smiled, his eyes reflecting her shy expression.
"You...you can't just kiss me like that!" When Su Shuilian finally found her voice again, she lightly exclaimed.
"Do not like?" Lin Si Yao lightly caressed Su Shuilian's peach blossom cheeks. This slight warmth reminded him that she was being bashful.
"It's not that, it's just.... It's just that..." Su Shuilian's mind had gone blank in his gaze, as she could not find a reason to justify.
"This is not appropriate, is it not?" She thought that these interactions between opposite genders could only be done after marriage. Was she old-fashioned? No wonder, Shuiyan had once pointed at her nose and said the same thing. Guess it was really true...
"Woman, you are not allowed to just go in a daze like that." Lin Si Yao pulled her face closer. He played with a delicate nose as he wrinkled his brows and warned. He then wrapped his hand around her waist. Just as Su Shuilian came back she yelped as with a leap, Lin Si Yao jumped towards Fan Hua Town.
From behind, the two wolves who had finally caught up saw that the man had once again taken their owner and left. Panting heavily, they could only helplessly start to run again, following them across the green field.