Chapter 8 Sworn Sister Zhong Yao froze.

Chapter 8: Adopted Sister

Zhong Yao froze.

When she first learned of the trouble her two older brothers had caused, Zhong Yao couldn't believe it.

Her parents didn't believe it either, but her eldest brother's handwritten letter was undeniable proof.

Her second brother's situation was even more absurd. The bandits on the Xu River were never a significant force. The reason the court specifically sent people to suppress them was actually to pave the way for someone.

That someone was naturally the nephew of the Empress and the only grandson of Xu Guozhu.

Zhong Yao's second brother was merely a foil, having been chosen as a companion precisely because they entered officialdom in the same year and were of similar age.

Originally, he was supposed to share in the credit, but unexpectedly, he got entangled in a death.

How could such a simple matter blow up into such a huge mess?

Zhong Yao had heard her parents say that their family was either caught in the crossfire, targeted by someone, or perhaps her second brother truly made a mistake. After all, he was young and hot-headed, prone to rash acts.

If there had been enough time, perhaps they could have uncovered the truth. Unfortunately, these two incidents collided, leaving their family defenseless and forcing them to make a bold choice in haste.

To protect their daughter from this crisis, Zhong Yao was sent out of the capital. But man proposes, God disposes. Barely a day after leaving the capital, she encountered mountain bandits and almost got killed.

"Can we reach the capital from here in one day?" Zhong Yao asked the maid.

The maid replied, "If by carriage, it would take a day and a night. If traveling light on horseback, we could arrive before noon tomorrow."

"Your young master went out on horseback, so he'll arrive quickly. But what about Heir Xie?" Zhong Yao asked worriedly. "Where is Heir Xie? Can he arrive before noon tomorrow?"

The maid was feeding her and gave her a strange look upon hearing this. After a moment's thought, she said, "Miss, you should ask my master when he returns."

Zhong Yao understood. This stern man had many rules in his household, and servants weren't allowed to speak freely.

She thought Heir Xie's identity was indeed special and shouldn't be casually disclosed, so she didn't press the maid. Instead, she asked a simpler question: "What is your master's name?"

The maid glanced at her again and said, "I'm not allowed to say."

Zhong Yao had grown up in the capital, but because her family's status wasn't high, she knew of high officials and nobles only by reputation or from a distance. She also hadn't heard that the old Marquis of Yong'an had any life-saving benefactors, so she couldn't guess the identity of that fierce man who had shared hardships with her.

This man was tough on the outside but soft on the inside. He had already agreed to help her solve her problem, yet he insisted on scaring her and being mysterious about it.

Zhong Yao said with a serious face, "Oh, so your master's name is 'Cannot Say'?"

The maid: "..."

Zhong Yao looked at her expression and giggled.

Laughing made her body shake, which hurt her back. Her expression immediately fell.

The maid quickly put down the soup bowl and helped her lie back down, saying, "Miss, you are injured. It's best to talk less and move less these next few days."

Zhong Yao didn't want to endure the pain, so she fell silent with a troubled face.

But her parents were in imminent danger, and her two older brothers were missing without a trace. Once she quieted down, her mind was filled with these worries.

Could that fierce man find Heir Xie?

Would Heir Xie agree to help?

How would he help?

Zhong Yao couldn't figure it out. She agonized until midnight, unable to sleep. Finally, the maid gave her a bowl of calming soup, which made her close her eyes.

Because Zhong Yao was injured and needed proper rest, the maid had specifically instructed them to brew the calming soup stronger. Perhaps because Zhong Yao had been frightened and hadn't rested well in the past few days, the calming soup was exceptionally effective. The next day, Zhong Yao woke up from a dreamless sleep. Seeing the bright sunlight filtering through the gauze curtains, she was disoriented for a while before remembering where she was.

After waking up, she washed up, ate, and then had her bandages changed.

The wound hadn't scabbed over yet. Every step—cleaning, applying medicine, and bandaging—was painful. Zhong Yao bit the pillow and cried from the pain, temporarily unable to spare any energy to worry about her family's affairs.

By the time it was all over, the sun was already hanging on the treetops in the west.

Zhong Yao looked out the window at the evening glow and knew that her family's fate depended on tonight.

Her mood was heavy, and she couldn't eat. As she sat listlessly in a daze, the maid came in and said, "Miss, the Second Young Master would like to see you."

Zhong Yao was taken aback. She both wanted to see him and didn't.

She wanted to see him because she was currently staying in someone else's manor and should meet the host. Moreover, she wanted to know who that fierce man who had shared hardships with her really was and how he and Heir Xie planned to help resolve her family's crisis.

She didn't want to see him because she didn't know him at all. She was injured, dressed so lightly, and lying on the couch. Meeting a man in such a state was improper.

Zhong Yao hesitated and asked, "Why does your Second Young Master want to see me?"

"He said the Eldest Young Master asked him to come and get acquainted with you."

Then she had to see him.

Before the meeting, Zhong Yao asked again, "How many siblings does your master have?"

The maid smiled and said, "In our family, only the Eldest Young Master is the blood child of the master and mistress. The Second Young Master is an adopted sworn son. There are no others."

"He's adopted?"

"That's right."

Zhong Yao thought for a moment and had the maid help her sit up. Even though she was careful, the simple movement still hurt so much she nearly cried.

After sitting up, she draped a garment over herself and lowered the gauze curtain before nodding for the person to enter.

After all, an adopted child wasn't a biological one. And since that Eldest Young Master had such a terrible temper, his sworn younger brother must have had to endure a lot. Zhong Yao had thought he would be a gentle man. Unexpectedly, the person who entered had a sour expression. His first glance at Zhong Yao through the gauze curtain was a roll of the eyes—extremely rude.

That fierce man at least knew how to pretend a little at first!

This sworn younger brother had an even worse temperament than him.

But what surprised Zhong Yao the most was that this was a youth. His frame was slender and slight, and his face was somewhat round, likely because he hadn't fully grown yet. Zhong Yao thought he was at most thirteen or fourteen years old.

"Xue Fang," he said. After speaking, he sat down by the table, neither looking at Zhong Yao nor acknowledging her.

Zhong Yao waited for a while. Seeing that he still didn't speak, she couldn't understand his intention. Considering he was the host and younger than her, she took the initiative to speak kindly: "Is that your name?"

The other party replied in a nasty tone, "It's a dog's name."

"..."

Zhong Yao was a bit confused. She felt that "Xue Fang" should be this youth's name, but judging by his tone, it seemed like he was insulting himself. Could it be that the name "Xue Fang" was a false identity arranged for her by these two brothers?

She turned to look at the maid. The maid coughed lightly and said, "This is our Second Young Master, named Xue Fang." Zhong Yao really wanted to say, "What a unique name. It sounds like a dog."

She was certain this youth could berate himself mercilessly, but if she dared say it aloud, he would surely explode in anger.

Zhong Yao weighed her situation and held back, asking gently, "Why did your elder brother send you to see me?"

Xue Fang said, "To see if you're dead yet!"

Zhong Yao could tell this Second Young Master Xue was really hostile toward her.

She felt bewildered and a little hurt, but upon further thought, he wouldn't hate her for no reason unless she had offended him or his household. That meant the fierce-faced man had truly gone all out to help her.

Thinking this, Zhong Yao's spirits lifted instantly.

Her gaze toward Xue Fang even became fond, and she patiently replied, "I'm fine, I won't die. There's no need to worry."

Her gentle words earned her a fierce glare from Xue Fang, who looked as if he wanted to devour her whole.

Being dragged into a disaster that could lead to her family being wiped out for no reason—it was understandable to be a bit harsh.

Zhong Yao was very sympathetic to how he felt and continued asking, "How old are you?"

Xue Fang ignored her.

This took Zhong Yao back to the time alone with the fierce man in the cave. He began to seem familiar. She smiled, leaned against the headboard, parted the gauze curtain, and said softly, "You're like your elder brother—you look fierce, but you're actually very kind... Can you tell me what your elder brother plans to do?"

"If you don't like talking about your elder brother, can you tell me about Heir Xie? Have you met him?"

"I haven't, but I've heard that although Heir Xie is a military man, he is refined and gentle, and treats people with great kindness..."

Zhong Yao thought to herself that it would have been better if Heir Xie had gone through that ordeal with her. That would have spared her from this fierce Xue man forcing his way into repaying a favor while also using it as leverage. Things would have been much simpler.

But she knew that was absolutely impossible.

Zhong Yao had never met Heir Xie, but her close friend had. She said Heir Xie was unbelievably handsome, always with a smile in his eyes, and when he spoke to people, it was like a spring breeze brushing against their faces, making them blush and their hearts race, too shy to look him in the eye.

It was said that everyone who met him liked him. If he weren't so rarely in the capital, the threshold of his mansion would likely have been worn down by matchmakers.

Because of him, even though Old Lady Xie of Yong'an Marquis Manor was fierce and spoke harshly, the ladies and young misses of the capital still flocked to flatter her, all hoping to form a marriage alliance with his household.

Zhong Yao didn't want that. Like her mother, she disliked the mean-spirited Old Lady Xie.

She only wanted to witness Heir Xie's elegance for herself, so that once her family's troubles were resolved, she could brag about it to her friends.

"You don't like talking about Heir Xie either? Then tell me what your elder brother likes. Once everything is settled and I return to the capital, I can send gifts to thank him."

"Silver? Paintings and calligraphy? Or jade and precious artifacts?"

"What about you? Do you prefer studying or martial arts?"

"Your elder brother is so skilled; he must love it. Are you like him?"

"It's normal to be different. In my family, my eldest brother loves studying, while my second brother loves martial arts..."

"..."

"Can you shut up!" Xue Fang finally couldn't take it anymore and shouted, "You're so annoying!"

The sudden scolding made Zhong Yao freeze. She slowly lowered her head, clutching the bedcovers over her legs, looking somewhat hurt.

The maid attending her couldn't bear to see this and was about to comfort her when she heard Zhong Yao whisper, "I'm not annoying at all."

The maid paused, then saw her lift her face with a suppressed smile, saying, "You're so young, yet you speak so harshly. In the future, no young lady will ever like you..."

The young man, who had been sitting quietly with a stern face, slammed the table and stood up, glared at her angrily, then turned and stormed out, clearly fed up with her chatter.

No one could stop him from leaving, nor could they even try.

Only Zhong Yao was puzzled and asked, "What exactly did he come to see me for?"

The maid didn't know either.

After Xue Fang left, Zhong Yao was confused for a while, exchanged a few more words with the maid, and then, as daylight faded, her thoughts gradually returned to her parents, and she grew more and more anxious.

Anxiety was useless, and this place was at least half a day's journey away. Even if something major happened in the capital, she couldn't possibly know about it immediately.

But how could emotions be controlled by reason?

Zhong Yao was restless, her mind alternating between the horrifying scene of her parents' blood splattering three feet in a dream she had a few days ago, the gruesome image of her two elder brothers being skinned and dismembered, and occasionally, the wretched sight of herself being hunted and wandering in the wilderness.

No, no, Young Master Xue is a good man. He promised to help me.

Heir Xie is also a good man. He is obliged to repay Young Master Xue's kindness.

Zhong Yao repeated this to herself in her mind, over and over, for who knows how long. Just as the maid urged her for the fifth time to drink the soothing decoction and rest, a sudden racket broke out outside, as if someone had barged in.

Zhong Yao's face turned pale instantly, and she trembled, saying, "He couldn't resolve it. The soldiers have come to arrest me..."

The maid said something, but Zhong Yao didn't hear it. She was filled with terror, and amidst her fear, she thought despairingly that this might be for the best—at least she could die with her parents and wouldn't be bullied on the road to the underworld...

In her confusion, the door was abruptly pushed open. Hasty, chaotic footsteps approached, and as the gauze curtain was rudely pulled aside, a heart-wrenching cry rang out—

"My child!"

The voice was all too familiar. Zhong Yao looked up from her pillow in a daze and saw a woman's face full of heartache.

She froze for a moment, tears involuntarily streaming down her face as she wailed, "Mother—"

Madam Zhong rushed to the bed, wanting to embrace her. Zhong Yao also wanted to throw herself into her mother's arms, but the wound on her back wouldn't allow it. She moved slightly and cried out in pain, collapsing back onto the bed. Madam Zhong immediately dared not touch her anymore, leaning over the bedside and repeatedly telling her not to move.

"Don't be afraid, my dear. Tomorrow we'll go home, back to recuperate properly. You'll be fine after a while, and we'll never let you go out again..."

Madam Zhong's words were filled with lingering fear and shock, clearly aware of what Zhong Yao had been through. But Zhong Yao still didn't know what had happened to her mother in the capital.

Zhong Yao wanted to ask, but Madam Zhong gave her no chance to speak at the moment, holding her gently and comforting her with heartache, telling her to focus on recovering and not to worry about anything.

After tearfully speaking only a few sentences, the maid led someone into the outer room. Hearing the commotion, Madam Zhong finally released Zhong Yao, wiped the tears from her face, and said, "Lie down for now. Mother needs to speak with Miss Xue for a few words. I'll come back to stay with you in a little while..."

Seeing her mother, Zhong Yao felt all her worries vanish. Crying until her vision blurred, she vaguely caught a name she had never heard before and asked hazily, "Who is Miss Xue?"

"Miss Xue Fang, who was with you in danger. Didn't you know? She's the second young lady of Yong'an Marquis Manor, Heir Xie's sworn sister."

Madam Zhong lovingly stroked Zhong Yao's tear-streaked cheek, glanced outside, and whispered in her ear, "Although she's a sworn sister, she truly shared hardships with you. You're still in Heir Xie's manor, not to mention Heir Xie holds evidence against our family... Out of both sentiment and reason, Mother must go thank her."

After saying this, she pressed Zhong Yao's hand down, tidied her appearance slightly, and stepped out from behind the gauze curtain, leaving Zhong Yao with tears in her eyes and her mind in a daze.

Xue Fang?

Sworn sister?

Zhong Yao turned her face sideways, straining to look outside, and vaguely saw a slender "young lady's" figure beside the maid.

She listened to Madam Zhong’s polite thanks and the rather cool reply from outside, and in a daze, it dawned on her why Xue Fang had come to see her that evening—and why he resented her.

Oh, so it wasn’t just his bad temper!

The penny dropped for Zhong Yao, only for another question to strike her.

His sworn sister?

His estate?

…

Her mother’s words echoed in her mind, and a bold, absurd guess popped into Zhong Yao’s head.

The guess was so terrifying it stunned her, freezing even the tears in her eyes.