Chapter 250

258. Green Plum or Love at First Sight?

"What? How come two young ladies are in my disciple Liang Han's room? Where is Master Venerable Shan Dao?" Chenjun Xie Xun asked in shock.

"Hmph." Xue Xue Zhongzhu refused to answer.

Zhao Zhao Qingxiu looked up, widened her eyes, and softly gasped.

No one replied.

Chenjun Xie Xun slightly furrowed his brow—the two women before the sickbed wore simple yet elegant Wu-style long skirts and carried long swords; they hardly looked like servants or maids from a wealthy household.

Aside from the gentle, delicate girl who had been attending to Liang Han tirelessly like a personal maid, the other— a tall, golden-haired mixed-blood foreign woman—towered with an intimidating aura, her blue eyes glancing sideways with unmistakable menace.

Especially, Chenjun Xie Xun faintly sensed that the bitter cold in the room was slowly radiating from this woman.

Her aura was like winter wind blades slicing through snow on the eighth day of the twelfth month.

It was sword qi.

Yet the young man on the sickbed, though enveloped in this freezing chill, breathed more deeply, his previously paper-white face now flushed with color.

When Chenjun Xie Xun entered, the delicate girl was kneeling at the foot of the bed, her slender hands clasped, gently warming Magistrate Ouyang Rong's feet—as if pressing specific acupoints.

Beside her, the golden-haired foreign woman watched her companion's actions, her face plainly filled with displeasure.

"You—"

Chenjun Xie Xun was about to speak when he felt his sleeve tugged from behind.

"Father," Chenjun Xie Chenjun Xie Lingjiang whispered, stopping him, then lowered her head and volunteered:

"This… this delicate girl is Master Da's hometown relative. She's deeply worried about his injuries. These past days, she's been helping me care for Master Da."

After hearing her daughter's explanation, Chenjun Xie Xun felt something was off—and the atmosphere inside the room confirmed it:

"Oh? Then who is this one…?"

"She's her senior sister."

"I see."

Chenjun Xie Xun nodded, thoughtful, his gaze shifting to Xue Xue Zhongzhu—who didn't even glance at him, nor offered a single kind expression.

Meanwhile, Zhao Zhao Qingxiu, upon seeing Chenjun Xie Xun and Chenjun Xie Chenjun Xie Lingjiang enter, hastily rose to her feet.

"Ah." She stood frozen, flustered, rubbing her apron front and back, forcing a smile toward the middle-aged scholar.

Zhao Zhao Qingxiu opened her small mouth, pointed at her lips, waved her hands, then gently set aside the tranquil "tán láng," her face brightening as she rushed off to serve tea and water for her "tán láng's" master.

Was this relative of Liang Han's a mute girl? Why had he never mentioned her?

Chenjun Xie Xun turned back in shock, staring at Chenjun Xie Chenjun Xie Lingjiang.

"I… I'll go help too." Chenjun Xie Chenjun Xie Lingjiang didn't look at her father, nor gave him a chance to ask questions; she lowered her head and hurried after them, "Miss Zhao Qingxiu, wait—"

Hua Xuanji after, Zhao Zhao Qingxiu and Chenjun Xie Chenjun Xie Lingjiang returned carrying tea and pastries.

Zhao Zhao Qingxiu made soft, unintelligible sounds, then used clear, easy-to-understand gestures to invite Chenjun Xie Xun's group to sit and drink tea.

Within the Buddhist grounds of Sanhui Courtyard, furniture was plain and sparse; yet this delicate mute girl, apron tied at her waist, moved with practiced ease—fetching stools, wiping tables and chairs, her diligence surpassing even the most attentive maid from a noble household,

endearing her to all the visitors.

Chenjun Xie Chenjun Xie Lingjiang helped too, but all she could manage was pouring tea, then, like an obsessive-compulsive, repeatedly adjusting the position of cups and saucers…

Clearly, she was trying hard to learn, but she was simply born inept at such clumsy, manual tasks.

Compared to the cheerful, diligent Zhao Qingxiu, her clumsiness was glaring—she could only trail behind, awkwardly assisting.

Zhao Zhao Qingxiu patiently taught her, but cramming at the last minute was useless. Chenjun Xie Chenjun Xie Lingjiang had a cleanliness obsession, and moreover, she was tall, elegant, and refined—standing beside the slender, frail Zhao Qingxiu, she looked even more awkward.

Extremely awkward.

In short, after serving tea and welcoming guests, any observant person could see:

This sickroom where Magistrate Ouyang Magistrate Ouyang Lianghan was recovering was Zhao Qingxiu's domain.

Who managed the household, who was cherished, who was natural, who was embarrassed—it was all obvious.

"Thank you, young lady."

Chenjun Xie Xun accepted the mute girl's tea cup with both hands, smiling warmly, then turned to Chenjun Xie Chenjun Xie Lingjiang:

"Wanwan, you've worked hard too."

"Yes, yes, thank you, little sister!" the other guests echoed.

Chenjun Xie Chenjun Xie Lingjiang forced a smile, then turned her face away.

No one would mock Chenjun Xie Chenjun Xie Lingjiang—in fact, Chenjun Xie Xun thought her offering tea to her old father was astonishingly diligent, and he was deeply moved.

But sometimes, it's not about doing poorly—it's about being compared side by side…

As Chenjun Xie Xun lowered his head to sip tea, his peripheral vision caught the mute girl's right hand beneath her sleeve—the missing fingers. His gaze softened with pity.

Instantly, he noticed his daughter's two hands, hidden beneath the table, eight slender fingers tightly twisted together.

Chenjun Xie Xun set down his teacup and sighed, hidden behind the steam.

"Forgive me, young lady—what relation are you to Liang Han?"

Ignoring the hostile glare from the bloodthirsty foreign woman inside the room, Chenjun Xie Xun turned kindly toward Zhao Zhao Qingxiu.

Zhao Zhao Qingxiu's cheeks flushed faintly, her eyes flickered, then she lowered her head and shook it.

Hua Xuanji after, she poured more tea, warmly urging Chenjun Xie Xun and the others to drink, then turned away briefly to soothe her senior sister inside.

Chenjun Xie Xun's probing gaze shifted from Zhao Qingxiu's retreating back to his daughter, whose movements had grown stiff.

Only now did he realize—since entering the room, Chenjun Xie Chenjun Xie Lingjiang had kept her white gauze veil hat on, even sipping tea through the gauze, hiding her expression entirely…

At that moment, the group noticed the mute girl inside the inner room, gently wiping the sweat from Magistrate Ouyang Rong's unconscious face. Chenjun Xie Chenjun Xie Lingjiang immediately set down her teacup and hurried inside to fetch a copper basin, pour water, and lend a hand.

"Sigh."

After the little sister left, the disciples noticed their usually stern and proper master had set down his teacup and sighed again, empty-handed.

Maybe… the tea was too hot?

Half an incense stick later, Chenjun Xie Xun's group finished their tea and rest, then entered the inner room to check on the still-unconscious Magistrate Ouyang Rong. Chenjun Xie Xun offered a few words of comfort to Zhao Zhao Qingxiu, left some precious healing pills, and prepared to depart.

Before leaving, Chenjun Xie Xun bowed deeply to Xue Xue Zhongzhu, offering a respectful salute, his eyes filled with gratitude.

Xue Xue Zhongzhu ignored him entirely, her face cold throughout.

Chenjun Xie Chenjun Xie Lingjiang rose silently, murmured something, then turned to escort Chenjun Xie Xun's group out the door.

The inner room fell quiet again; footsteps in the courtyard gradually faded into distance.

Only three remained inside: one lying, two standing.

"Seventh sister, they have no right to make you serve tea, pour water, or smile to please them!"

Xue Xue Zhongzhu's voice was icy, each word deliberate:

"You are the Yue Yue Chizi of the Nüjun Palace, the supreme swordmaster of the realm—you will inherit the title of 'Yunmeng Yuanjun' of Lady Yunmeng Sword Marsh. They don't even deserve to lay eyes on you!"

Zhao Zhao Qingxiu reached into her sleeve and fumbled.

"Are you even listening to me?" Xue Xue Zhongzhu snapped coldly.

"Yi ya." Suddenly, Zhao Zhao Qingxiu pulled out a large peach from her sleeve, cupping it in both hands and offering it to Xue Xue Zhongzhu.

"..."

The peach was large and round, plump and juicy, its pale pink skin glistening with clear droplets of water.

Clearly, the mute girl had plucked it while serving tea to the guests, washed it clean in the icy well water, and brought it back on purpose…

"I won't eat it. Don't change the subject." Xue Xue Zhongzhu turned her head away, snorted, refusing to look at the mute girl's radiant smile.

Zhao Zhao Qingxiu lowered her head again, pulled out a small knife, gripped it with four fingers of her right hand, and "swish-swish-swish"—the fuzzy peach skin fell away in strips.

With focused expression, she finished peeling, then offered the exposed, tender pink flesh back to her senior sister:

"Yi ya ya."

The cold-faced Xue Xue Zhongzhu knew this tone meant "call me."

"Yi ya ya~"

She felt her white sleeve tugged gently by her little sister's small hand, swaying softly, timidly.

Xue Xue Zhongzhu's eyelid twitched.

Moments later, she couldn't help snapping: "Go wash your hands! You just touched a stinking man's feet!"

"Mm-mm!"

Scolded by her senior sister, the little mute girl happily dashed off to wash the peach, beaming with joy.

Xue Xue Zhongzhu's eyelid twitched harder.

This girl is hopeless.

Frustrating and amusing at once.

She sat alone, silent for a moment.

The great female sovereign of Lady Yunmeng suddenly whirled around, glaring at the handsome youth behind her, tightly clutching his quilt, one bare foot exposed.

She wanted to knock out her little sister, drag her away, draw her sword, and end this man's life in one stroke.

Such a pure, innocent little sister—cherished by every master and senior in Lady Yunmeng, treated like a priceless treasure—why did she have to be saddled with this useless, sickly man?

…

Hah! Didn't see that coming! Extra chapter! Two days ago, when I got the recommendation slot, I promised my brothers—I held back one day of complaining, and worked hard to add an extra chapter. Also, at month's end, I'm begging for those expiring votes—fill me up, or2

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