DIDKNWGEWAFEM

Chapter 22: Five Years

Watching their backs gradually going farther away, the one who had previously heard a commotion and ran out to see what the excitement was only to see his older sister, Rong Jiaze, was promptly struck dumb. He gulped, asking those at his side, “That…Dong Zhi, Xia Zhi, I actually haven’t woken up yet, right?”

Dong Zhi and Xia Zhi were also scared stupid, and one cautiously asked, “Young Master, the Young Mistress is… what should we do? Do we report to the Lord and Lady?”

Rong Jiaze stiffly shook his head. “No, no. Let’s act like we didn’t see anything and let them find it out themselves, okay?”

His sister and Zhongli Luo were just being a little intimate. If they’re really having some kind of love affair, having their parents know straightaway that their brotherly-sisterly feelings are shown in a bit more of a flashy way makes him somewhat afraid that they would break his sister’s leg. As for big brother Zhongli, he definitely wouldn’t be left out, or have it any better.

His parents have always loved Brother Zhongli quite dearly. That, he knows, but the weight of that dear love is something he knows more. How is that bit of faux-brotherly friendship between his dad and Zhongli Qing twenty years ago important compared to his own precious 10-something year old biological daughter? In order to temporarily protect his sister’s leg and Zhongli Luo’s little life, he’s going to keep his lips sealed for now. He can keep it quiet for a while.

When the time came to eat lunch, the pleased-as-a-spring-breeze Rong Jiahui was seated between Zhongli Luo and her little brother, eyes curved in a smile. She was even feeling that her little brother that was getting increasingly uncute as he grew was mysteriously pleasing to the eye. Seeing a dish that her brother’d always loved to eat, she wanted to have him eat a bit more of it, only to end up discovering that the kid was somewhat preoccupied for some reason.

“Ah-Ze, what’s up with you?” Jiahui asked with deep concern.

Hearing his sister’s voice, Jiaze, who’d gone off on a mental journey, suddenly jolted with fright. He looked at the gentle smile of his sister next to him and quickly shook his head. “It’s nothing.”

Seeing his sister simply nod and turn back around to keep eating, Jiaze let out a sigh of relief. The feeling of knowing a hugely terrifying secret is really hard to take. It hasn’t even been a day of keeping it in the dark yet; he really doesn’t know how he’s going to pull it off later.

Whatever. He’ll take this step-by-step. He sighed soundlessly, having no choice but to keep eating while absorbed in his thoughts.

Just as he shoveled a big bite of food into his mouth, he saw his beloved sister pull Zhongli Luo up to stand with her.

“Dad, mom, I have something to talk to you about.”

He heard how giddily his sister was talking.

“What is it that you simply must say while we’re eating?” Their parents reply.

“This is important. Dad, mom, I wanted to talk to you about… me marrying him.”

His big sis’s voice is very pleasing to the ears, similar to a bubbling mountain stream, a vast, calm aura from afar, but why do these words feel kind of off?

Jiaze turned around in horror to look at his sister’s unfettered, smooth smile, then looked at that somewhat surprised yet somewhat shy-looking one at her side, and immediately felt bad all over. All he was aware of was the world and sky spinning around him and that the mouthful of food he hadn’t yet been able to chew was now spraying out of him and onto the table.

The misfortune also affected Rong Jiahui, who happened to be closest to him, her face darkening. After taking the handkerchief handed over by a maid, she wiped off a few bits of saliva-soaked food from it.