Chapter 3: Feng Xuanrui

Sui Sui blinked hard, and after her vision cleared, she saw that there was indeed a person there.

The one who fell was a young boy.

Although this slope isn't high, falling from it still hurts enough.

After the boy fell, he cried out in pain a few times, then started cursing: "What a lousy mountain path! It's blocking my way—I'll flatten it when I get back!"

"What a lousy stone! It's hurting my foot—I'll crush it when I get back!"

……

The boy, swearing, tried to get up, but as soon as he moved, a piercing pain knocked him down.

The young boy had tears in his eyes, foul words on the tip of his tongue, when he noticed not far away Sui Sui staring at him with her big, watery eyes.

He swallowed the curse, the boy forced a straight face, trying to look like nothing was wrong.

Feng Xuanrui thought: He's a man—how could a little wound possibly knock him down?

His eyes widened, brimming with tears.

Feng Xuanrui thought, the pain couldn't knock him down, but it could make him cry!

Wah!

Is his leg broken?

Feng Xuanrui glanced at Sui Sui, then turned his gaze back to his own foot.

Looking at it, there seemed no change, yet why did it hurt so much?

Feng Xuanrui didn't understand; he sat there, casually kicked off his shoe, pulled off his sock, and stared at the now purplish-red skin around his ankle, lost in thought.

Is this what a broken leg looks like?

After Sui Sui saw clearly that it was a person, she was delighted.

The system was also delighted!

Heaven knows how worried it had just been!

It was about to poke a hole in the main system's complaint email.

Give it some protection already—its offspring is still so tiny!

Feng Xuanrui's smooth movements startled Sui Sui, but she was young and no one had taught her about gender propriety, so it wasn't right to keep staring at a man.

After seeing Feng Xuanrui's foot wound, Sui Sui's eyes widened a bit; she wanted to speak, but her mouth was gagged tightly, so she could only let out a sigh and droop her head.

The distance between them was no more than three meters; Feng Xuanrui's eyesight was sharp, and he could notice every move Sui Sui made with his peripheral vision.

He hadn't originally intended to pay attention.

But…

He had gotten separated from his servant, and now he didn't even know where he was.

Feng Xuanrui thought he needed to find a local to help show the way.

After figuring it out, Feng Xuanrui slightly arrogantly lifted his chin: "You, are you a local?"

Local?

What does that mean?

Sui Sui didn't understand, looking at Feng Xuanrui with a blank expression.

That reaction made Feng Xuanrui quite impatient.

He habitually lifted his foot to kick, but ended up kicking his injured foot.

The pain made Feng Xuanrui instantly curl up like a shrimp, and because of that movement, he ended up a step closer to Sui Sui.

Then Feng Xuanrui smelled the scent on Sui Sui's body.

Sui Sui had lain in a chicken coop all morning, and the smell on her was indescribable.

Sui Sui usually slept either in a woodshed or a dog kennel; she was used to it, so she didn't think it was that bad.

But for a noble little lord from the manor, this smell was practically challenging his limits.

Feng Xuanrui instinctively shrank back a little; after seeing the rope binding Sui Sui, the old cloth stuffed in her mouth, and her blood‑stained face, he furrowed his brows and felt a pang of pity.

At this moment, Sui Sui still gazed at him blankly; her eyes were bright and clear, like a tranquil, pure lake capable of washing away all the world's filth.

Such a gaze seemed to bewitch Feng Xuanrui; he instinctively reached out and pulled the old cloth that had been gagging Sui Sui's mouth.

Realizing what he had done, Feng Xuanrui flung his hand away and shouted, "Ahhhh, what filthy thing, why is it so stinky? Are you a little beggar?"

A young master who had never seen worldly suffering thought it must be a beggar that smelled this bad.

Hearing his question, Sui Sui thought: Her uncle's family had already abandoned her; from now on she'd have to wander alone, which was pretty much like being a beggar.

Then Sui Sui obediently nodded: "I am, big brother."

The two words "big brother" carried a soft, sweet ending.

Like a sweet‑scented cloud drifting lightly over the heartland.

Feng Xuanrui's mocking words rose to his lips, then were swallowed back.

He sat there awkwardly, wanting to say something but unable to find the right words—especially when meeting Sui Sui's clean eyes, many things remained unsaid, so he could only stiffen his neck and mutter indistinctly, "No wonder it smells so bad."

After Feng Xuanrui finished speaking, he noticed Sui Sui still tied with rope; he dragged his injured foot, did a two‑and‑a‑half turn on level ground, and managed to reach her side.

Under Sui Sui's astonished gaze, he untied the hemp rope; because he wasn't familiar with it, he also got pricked by its tiny thorns, making Feng Xuanrui roll his eyes and think mutteringly, "What kind of adult would be so cruel as to bind a child like a pig and dump him here without a care?"

They don't want him, but he does!

Heaven knows, the Qi Wangfu have been longing for a daughter so much their eyes have turned green.

Especially his father, the King—whenever he hears of a family with a pretty, soft‑spoken little girl, his eyes glow green.

Even the Grand Empress Dowager was frightened enough to want to summon a shaman to look at him.

After untying the hemp rope, he also saw the intersecting scars on Sui Sui's exposed skin.

Some were fresh—you could tell they had been inflicted just in the past two days.

Watching this scene, Feng Xuanrui's eyes turned red with anger, and he shouted angrily: "Who hit?"

Although this little beggar smells bad, she calls "brother" in a soft, sticky way—how is she not a cute little sister?

So, who would be so cruel to such a cute little girl?

Feng Xuanrui's appearance was somewhat frightening; Sui Sui instinctively shrank back a little, her voice small and trembling with fear: "Uncle and them?"

Uncle?

This little beggar's parents are dead, and you let her be beaten like this by her uncle?

After hearing this, Feng Xuanrui became even angrier: "You have no parents? Don't they care about you?"

Hearing this, Sui Sui shrank her head: "No, I have no parents."

Feng Xuanrui had the scolding words on the tip of his tongue, but after hearing clearly what Sui Sui said, he couldn't bring himself to scold her.

He was like an enraged rooster, full of anger with nowhere to vent, so he could only lift his foot and kick hard.

"Ow—!"

His injured foot kicked the stone again, adding injury to injury, causing Feng Xuanrui to cry out in pain.

Sui Sui's pupils shrank in fright; after a moment's reaction, she crawled two steps over to Feng Xuanrui's side and anxiously asked: "Brother, what's wrong?"

"Are you hurt, brother?"

"Sui Sui will blow on it for you, brother—don't cry."

……

One after another, the cries of "brother" were like heavenly music, instantly healing all of Feng Xuanrui's wounds.

At this moment, Feng Xuanrui seemed to somewhat understand his father's obsession.

Soft and sticky, and a sister who will blow on him—who wouldn't want that?

That's right…

Feng Xuanrui raised his hand and gently touched it; Sui Sui's hair was dry, brittle, yellow, uneven in length, as if gnawed by a dog, and he said in a heavy tone: "Sui Sui, if only you smelled a bit better."