Su Yu woke up during the night.
Duke Su had paid the money, and the peasant woman who had been serving her had not left, dozing off at the table.
Su Yu had lain for too long, her back was sowhat sore and numb. She wanted to change her position, but moving just a bit pulled at the wound on her chest, causing her to shed tears from the pain.
The scene of the assassination at the foot of the mountain that day still lingered in her mory. The people arranged by her mother ca with such force, as if they wouldn’t stop until she was dead, especially the final sword strike that stabbed her, showing no rcy.
In order not to arouse the Duke’s suspicion, Su Yu had thought of injuring herself severely, but she hadn’t anticipated it would be this serious.
If it weren’t for Little Four finding his fellow disciples in ti to send her up the mountain, she would have already t her end by now.
But she rembered the words Aunt Qiu advised before they departed: destruction breeds creation.
To completely change the Duke’s view of her, no matter how painful, she must endure this ordeal.
Closing her eyes, Su Yu let all her emotions turn to calmness.
After being unconscious for a day and a night, she was both hungry and thirsty, but couldn’t make a sound, and had no strength in her hands, not even the energy to wake the peasant woman; she could only sigh and drift back to sleep.
The next morning, while Su Yu was still in a daze, the voice of an old doctor ca to her ears, "The young lady has passed the critical period, the Duke can be at ease."
Following that was Su Yaoqi’s voice full of surprise, "Big Sister is really alright now?"
"Her life is no longer in danger." The household doctor reported, "But for the next half month, the young lady must stay bedridden and rest until the wound scabs before she can start walking."
"Alright, I understand."
After the household doctor left, Duke Su glanced indifferently at the still-unconscious Su Yu, then looked at the relieved Su Yaoqi beside him. This rascal had abandoned his parents to beco a monk at Fahua Temple and now was so worried over a non-essential illegitimate daughter, that he probably wouldn’t even react this way if his own father were ill.
Thinking this, Duke Su felt a twinge of jealousy in his heart.
If it weren’t for Little Four’s firm protection, he absolutely wouldn’t tolerate Su Yu’s existence!
Hearing Duke Su’s voice, Su Yu pretended to continue sleeping, only opening her eyes slowly after he left. Seeing Su Yaoqi still in the room, she tried to prop herself up, but her injuries were too severe and her body too weak, causing her to fall back down.
Su Yaoqi hurriedly said, "Big Sister is seriously injured, the doctor said you shouldn’t move carelessly. If you need anything, just tell ."
Su Yu’s lips were too dry to the point of cracking; she seized the mont, full of guilt, "I haven’t completed the task Father assigned before collapsing, must go back to beg his forgiveness."
Su Yaoqi frowned directly, "Task?"
Su Yu lowered her eyelashes, appearing as if she had sothing difficult to explain.
"What did Father ask you to do?" Su Yaoqi persistently asked.
Su Yu looked as though she regretted having spoken too much, her eyes evasive, "Nothing, nothing."
"He’s in the temple." Su Yaoqi said, "You tell what he asked you to do, I’ll go plead with him to cancel the task."
"Little Four, I want to drink water." Su Yu tily changed the subject.
Su Yaoqi turned around, poured her a cup of warm water, handed it to Su Yu, then stepped out of the room, going to another chamber to see Duke Su.
Duke Su was having breakfast; seeing his son arrive, he asked if he was hungry.
Su Yaoqi stood at the door, showing no intention of coming in.
Duke Su put down the vegetable bun, wiped his hands, and stood up, walking towards Su Yaoqi, "She just woke up and you’re here to see , did she say sothing?"
From one sentence he could tell that his father still harbored doubts about Big Sister, preventing Su Yaoqi from saying any of the words he had prepared, he shook his head, "There are plenty of good herbs at ho, could Father have so brought here for Big Sister’s use?"
Upon hearing this, Duke Su’s expression was ambiguous, "You are very concerned about her?"
"After all, Big Sister was injured because of ."
Duke Su asked, "Since you have such attachnt, how can you claim to be free of all worldly ties?"
Su Yaoqi retorted, "This is not an attachnt. Acknowledging kindness and repaying it is Buddhist teaching. People are not plants or trees, moreover, the severely injured one is not an outsider, but your very own flesh and blood. If you won’t save her, I will think of another way."
Feeling his son gradually slipping out of his control, Duke Su grew inexplicably anxious and began reflecting on whether he should not have sent him to the Buddhist path, "I will save her, if you co back ho with ."
Su Yaoqi replied calmly, "I am already an ordained disciple of the Buddhist order and will not return to secular life."
"If you continue to stay here, what will happen next ti you encounter an assassination attempt?"
Su Yaoqi remained expressionless, "If it is my fate, then even back ho, I will still be targeted."
This statent left Duke Su at a loss for words.
When he was at ho, didn’t he just cause trouble every few days?
Duke Su stood there for a while. Maybe he suddenly had a change of heart and sent his attendant back to the city to fetch dicine.
...
After waking up and with the aid of superior dicinal materials, Su Yu recovered quite quickly, her complexion improving day by day.
Not accustod to the plain porridge and vegetarian food of the monastery, Duke Su went back after staying for less than two days. Before leaving, he instructed Su Yu to recuperate well and return to the mansion only after she had fully recovered, leaving the tasks aside for now.
Once Duke Su left, Su Yu finally breathed a deep sigh of relief.
If she had known this thod worked so well, she wouldn’t have wasted so much effort initially.
Speaking of which, she had to thank her mother for the advice.
...
It was more than ten days later that Su Yu was able to move around; she went outside to soak up the sun.
Su Yaoqi, worried, followed her closely.
Upon hearing the subtle footfalls, Su Yu turned her head.
In the late spring, when the flowers in the city had faded, the peach blossoms on Mile Mountain were just beginning to bloom, with their double petals and light stans, painting the garden pink.
Little Four, still showing a touch of youthful innocence, stood by the moon gate, his feet on pebbles that had a few petals scattered on them. The sunlight was warm, adding a cozy glow to his modest monk robe.
Su Yu found a spot to sit and waved at him with a smile, "Little Four, co here."
Upon hearing her, Su Yaoqi took a few steps forward.
Su Yu asked him, "How have you been doing here at Fahua Temple?"
Su Yaoqi nodded, "Master treats well."
"I heard from Amber that Father wants you to return?"
Amber was Su Yu’s maid; after Duke Su left, he had instructed her to replace the farr’s wife in taking care of Su Yu.
Su Yaoqi looked at her, "Do you also think I should go back ho, Big Sister?"
"No." Su Yu smiled gently, "Most people in this world live lives not of their choosing; doing what you truly want is rare. You being able to leave the Su Family to co here actually makes glad."
Hearing Su Yu’s words, a faint blush of a smile appeared on Su Yaoqi’s lips, "I refused Father, and I don’t plan to go back."
"Then don’t go back." Su Yu said, "How you live isn’t important. What matters is that you find it worthwhile, and that’s enough."
Su Yaoqi sat on the stone bench opposite her and said softly, "I feel that since coming to the Su Family, Big Sister hasn’t been happy."
Su Yu smiled, "How could you tell I wasn’t happy?"
"When you first arrived, your eyes were especially bright, as if full of expectation for everything. I don’t know when, but I never saw that look in you again."
Su Yu’s smile didn’t fade, but her words were tinged with irony, "After being let down many tis, you stop expecting."
"I know Father didn’t treat you well." Su Yaoqi felt powerless about this.
Not to ntion Su Yu, who was a late-acknowledged illegitimate daughter; even the legitimate sons and daughters of the household didn’t see much warmth from Father.
Thinking of this, Su Yaoqi carefully looked at Su Yu, "Do you... resent him?"
Of course she resented, how could she not?
For the sake of fleeting pleasures, he ruined a bride-to-be, abandoned her, destroyed her life, and left behind a child scorned by society.
How could such a man be fit to be a father?
Su Yu didn’t know her origins until her biological mother told her. After learning, she deeply resented Duke Su, wishing she could cut him into pieces herself.
Bringing her thoughts back, Su Yu t Little Four’s gaze, "I wouldn’t say resentnt, since there’s no more expectation."
"Father will treat you well in the future." Su Yaoqi said with determined eyes, as if making a solemn promise to the person opposite him, "He promised before he left."
Looking at her half-brother in front of her, Su Yu suddenly felt a pang of unease, "The fire in your courtyard that ti was all caused by Hao Yun. Don’t you resent him, or ?"
"It has nothing to do with you, Big Sister." Su Yaoqi spoke with trust in her, "Big Sister shielded from the blade at the ti, you would never harm . As for Brother-in-law, he has already paid the price, and since I’ve entered the Buddhist order, I won’t dwell on past worldly issues."
For the first ti in her life, experiencing unconditional trust from soone other than her birth mother, Su Yu’s eyes lowered slightly, shimring with tears.
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