A Morning’s Revelation and a Sister’s Sweetness

Su Xiaoxiao returned to the room to fetch Ruoli’s shoes. As she emerged, her gaze fell upon the object clutched in Ruoli’s hand.

Seeing her little fish cub so joyful, Su Xiaoxiao’s spirits lifted considerably. She turned to Xiyue.

“Niansi, have you ever married?” she asked.

Caught off guard by the unexpected question, Xiyue had been braced for something else entirely. Her usually calm demeanor and quiet nature vanished as her voice rose, betraying a sudden, intense agitation.

“Never!” she exclaimed, her tone brimming with emotion.

“What?! Has Gu Yan been spouting nonsense to you?! I’ve always been alone!”

Her outburst left both Su Xiaoxiao and Ruoli stunned into silence.

Su Xiaoxiao had not anticipated such a drastic reaction. After a moment of surprise, she offered a gentle, reassuring smile.

“No, Gu Yan didn’t say anything to me,” she clarified. “It’s just that I saw how gentle and considerate you are with Ruoli, and I simply assumed you were married, with a husband and children.”

Xiyue gazed at Su Xiaoxiao’s smile, then at Ruoli, who was perched on a small stool nearby. A hollow feeling settled in her chest, making her hesitant to respond.

‘How could I not have them? My husband and daughter are right before my eyes. But I made too many mistakes back then, leaving her utterly heartbroken, unwilling to ever see me again.’

That evening, Su Xiaoxiao, with Xiyue’s assistance, prepared dinner once more.

It had been a rather busy day. After bathing Ruoli and herself that night, Su Xiaoxiao noticed an irritating itch on her cheeks. She decided to seek out Gu Yan.

Upon seeing Su Xiaoxiao remove her disguise, Gu Yan frowned slightly.

“This is an allergic reaction,” Gu Yan stated. “The symptoms aren’t severe yet, but you must stop using that disguise ointment your Elder gave you.”

“Allergic?” Su Xiaoxiao murmured, repeating the word softly.

Gu Yan naturally understood her worries and offered reassurance.

“There’s no need to fret,” she said. “While you’re here with me, you’ll be safe. No one would dare scheme against you. After all, your beloved is right by your side – such a formidable dragon. Who would be bold enough to cause trouble? They’d likely not survive the attempt.”

Su Xiaoxiao nodded slowly. “It seems this is the only way.”

Gu Yan’s medical skills were extraordinary, yet her sole reason for opening this clinic was to escape the world.

As the saying goes, ‘A minor recluse hides in the forest, a great recluse hides in the city.’ With people constantly coming and going in Three Gorges Bay, this location was perfectly suited for her.

Initially, she had no intention of opening a clinic. However, one day, the owner of the shop across the street, who knew she often tinkered with herbs, suddenly fell ill. His wife and daughter, frantic with worry, saw her as knowledgeable in medicine and came banging on her door, tears streaming down their faces.

Gu Yan happened to be in a good mood that day, so she went over to take a look. In no time at all, she had the man completely cured.

One day, the couple returned with their daughter and gifts to express their gratitude. They spared no effort in spreading word of Gu Yan’s life-saving grace among their neighbors.

Consequently, neighbors began seeking Gu Yan for their ailments. Gu Yan, already bored and looking for ways to pass the time, found that after curing one patient, that patient would tell others.

Word spread rapidly, from ten to a hundred.

With more and more people arriving daily for consultations, Gu Yan had no choice but to set a rule: she would only see twenty patients a day, ceasing all examinations by the afternoon.

Her clinic, surprisingly, became increasingly professional. Every day, before dawn, a line would form at her door.

After Su Xiaoxiao stayed, she had to rise early to help out.

Her little fish cub needed to eat every day, and over the years, Su Xiaoxiao had developed the habit of rising at the first hint of dawn.

She never expected that each morning, upon opening the door, she would find someone already in the courtyard.

“Niansi, you’re up so early too,” Su Xiaoxiao called out. The other woman, who was holding something, glanced at her and froze.

“Xiaoxiao…”

Following Gu Yan’s advice from the previous night, Su Xiaoxiao had refrained from using the disguise ointment. Today, she wore no pretense, revealing her original, captivating beauty, though her hair remained the ink-black shade of her former disguise.

Seeing that Xiyue had recognized her name, she offered a sweet smile.

“I was worried you wouldn’t recognize me, Niansi,” she said.

‘In the past few days, although Shayue had seen through Su Xiaoxiao’s disguise immediately, she had never truly seen Su Xiaoxiao’s real face during their interactions.’

This morning marked the first time she had truly seen Su Xiaoxiao since their reunion years ago.

Su Xiaoxiao smiled gently at her, her voice clear and her smile radiant.

This appearance was something Shayue had never witnessed during their previous time together.

In the past, her inner demons often manifested as Su Xiaoxiao to disturb Shayue’s mind. Yet, these were merely fleeting illusions, like a drunken stupor. Shayue had always known they were heart demons, mere hallucinations, unreal.

She had never imagined that years later, she would truly see such a gentle smile on Su Xiaoxiao’s face, or hear her clear, melodious laughter, like the chime of wind bells.

She watched Su Xiaoxiao with extreme caution, feeling like a lowly insect exposed to light after dwelling in a dark gutter.

The address “Niansi” reminded Shayue that she had merely changed identities, and now, she could receive Su Xiaoxiao’s tenderness without deceit.

Shayue swallowed hard, then consciously resumed the breathing she had forgotten in her shock. She tried to make her voice sound normal.

“Your voice hasn’t changed,” she managed.

It was a perfectly reasonable explanation, and Su Xiaoxiao didn’t think much of it. She nodded at Xiyue.

“I had no choice but to conceal it these past few days,” she said. “I hope you don’t mind, Niansi.”

Shayue shook her head. As Su Xiaoxiao, still smiling, drew closer, Shayue felt as if her blood had ceased to flow, her body stiffening.

Unaware, Su Xiaoxiao walked up to her and looked down at the object in her hands.

“What’s this?” she asked.

Su Xiaoxiao’s height only reached Shayue’s chest. With her head bowed, Shayue could see the pale nape of her neck and the strands of hair gently lifted by the morning breeze.

Shayue’s throat felt dry, and her voice deepened slightly.

“It’s chilled lotus seed and white fungus soup, made to relieve heat and quench thirst,” she explained. “I just finished making it.”

As if fearing Su Xiaoxiao might refuse, she added, “It’s sweet. Would you like to try some?”

She hadn’t forgotten Su Xiaoxiao’s fondness for sweet things, but she wondered if her tastes had changed after more than three years.

Hearing this, Su Xiaoxiao looked up at her.

“Of course, I’d love to,” she replied. “Thank you, Niansi.”

Shayue’s mind reeled from Su Xiaoxiao’s continuous smiles, her thoughts drifting to the idle chatter of patients waiting at the clinic.

‘No one dislikes hearing sweet nothings.’

‘Sweet words are like honey; a few pleasant phrases are more important than anything.’

‘Whenever my wife gets angry, I just need to speak a few gentle words of endearment to her. Even such a fierce woman will calm down, and her good temper will last for days, allowing me a few peaceful days…’

Shayue hadn’t fully grasped the meaning of these conversations, merely pondering to herself: ‘Su Xiaoxiao’s nature is already gentle, so wouldn’t this be twice as effective?!’

‘But what exactly constitutes a sweet nothing?’

Xiyue didn’t understand at all. She only felt that it would be a true waste if she didn’t say something in this moment.

Unfortunately, demons were inherently aloof. Xiyue could only manage, “If you like it, I’ll make it for you again tomorrow.” This earned her an even sweeter smile from Su Xiaoxiao. Xiyue breathed a sigh of relief, grateful she hadn’t said the wrong thing.

The next moment, however, Su Xiaoxiao asked a little shyly, “My Ruoli has similar tastes to me. I wonder if Niansi made extra? I was thinking…”

Xiyue’s expression immediately shifted. Su Xiaoxiao, thinking she had overstepped, believed she had displeased the other woman.

‘There’s more in the kitchen, specially made for Su Xiaoxiao. I only tasted a bit to check the sweetness myself. Why should that little cub get any?’

Xiyue’s sudden cold expression flustered Su Xiaoxiao. After dutifully thanking her, she intended to leave quickly, but Xiyue grabbed her arm.

“Where are you going?!”

Su Xiaoxiao was a little bewildered. “To the kitchen,” she murmured.

“To get some for her?”

Su Xiaoxiao nodded, noticing Xiyue’s face darken further.

‘What does this mean? Does she think I’m asking for too much?’ Su Xiaoxiao felt a pang of panic. Upon reflection, she realized she had only known Niansi for a few days; how could she be so impertinent as to take advantage of her repeatedly?

Su Xiaoxiao spoke timidly. “If you don’t want to, I…”

Before she could finish her sentence, her hand was seized by Xiyue. Immediately afterward, the bowl containing the sweet, chilled lotus seed soup was placed into her palm.

Xiyue’s thoughts were so focused on Su Xiaoxiao’s delicate nature that she hadn’t even noticed her own barely-controlled expression, which had made the ‘little fish’ (Su Xiaoxiao) feel anxious.

She was quite careless, placing the bowl into Su Xiaoxiao’s palm. The moment her hand brushed against Su Xiaoxiao’s smooth, delicate skin, she yearned to pull her into a tight embrace.

But Xiyue resisted. She quickly turned away, merely dropping a single sentence: “You taste it first. I’ll go get some for her.”

Su Xiaoxiao stared at her retreating back, uttering a dazed “Oh.” As she carried the bowl back into the room, a radiant smile bloomed on her face.

“Niansi is truly such a good older sister,” she mused. “I wonder which man will be lucky enough to have her in the future.”

The chilled, sweet lotus seed soup was a delight to Su Xiaoxiao, and her little fish cub (Ruoli) loved it just as much, clinging to Su Xiaoxiao and asking for more tomorrow.

But Su Xiaoxiao gently told her, “Mommy didn’t make this. It’s not right to keep bothering others for things, understand?”

Ruoli was obedient. After Su Xiaoxiao’s words, she stopped pouting and playfully insisting on more.

****

Meanwhile, Gu Yan was the most pitiable. Seeing the chilled soup, she yearned for a bowl to cool herself, but Xiyue glared fiercely at her, uttering a sarcastic remark.

“Ghost Physician Yan has lived for thousands of years; you won’t starve to death if you don’t eat, right?”

“Stingy! Utterly stingy!” Gu Yan couldn’t help but exclaim. “But Xiyue, if it weren’t for me, would you have been able to reshape your physical body so quickly?!”

Xiyue still refused to budge. “I haven’t forgotten your kindness, and I will repay it,” she said. “But this was made for Su Xiaoxiao. You are not to touch it.”

For a moment, Gu Yan didn’t know whether to praise Xiyue for finally understanding how to love someone, or to scold her for being such an ungrateful ingrate.

‘No, a white-eyed wolf.’