Chapter 443: Three Days to the Capital
“Xiangxiang.”
Yu Luo stood there for a long time. Yu Xiangxiang was so lost in her emotions that she didn’t even notice. Worried that the bird’s nest soup on the stove might overcook, Yu Luo finally spoke up.
Sure enough, Yu Xiangxiang had been crying too hard to notice anything. The moment Yu Luo’s voice rang out, she wiped her tears away in a panic. In her flustered state, she jumped up from the ground but didn’t dare turn around to face Yu Luo directly.
Instead, she hurried over to the stove, quickly lifting the lid and reaching out as if to grab the scalding-hot bowl of bird’s nest soup with her bare hands.
Watching her act so recklessly, Yu Luo sighed in exasperation and quickly stepped forward, grabbing her arm.
“What are you doing, Xiangxiang? Use a cloth to hold it, or you’ll burn yourself!”
“Right! How could I forget?”
Even now, Yu Xiangxiang was too flustered to meet Yu Luo’s gaze. She hurriedly turned away, searching for a cloth to use.
Yu Luo simply stood to the side, watching her scurry around, her face flushed from the steam—and from crying.
Only after placing the bowls of bird’s nest soup onto a tray did Yu Xiangxiang finally dare to look at Yu Luo.
“Xiao Luo, why are you here? Did Aunt send you?”
“No, there’s no rush.”
As she spoke, Yu Luo stepped closer, gently pulling Yu Xiangxiang’s hands away from the tray. Yu Xiangxiang looked at her in confusion, her expression guilty as she stammered, “Just now, my… my legs suddenly hurt, so I squatted down for a bit. That’s why I didn’t notice you coming in.”
“Xiangxiang, even if we hadn’t met before, we’re still family by blood. And after spending so much time together, going through hardships side by side, there’s nothing you can’t tell me.”
Yu Luo wasn’t one for beating around the bush. She got straight to the point.
Yu Xiangxiang, already feeling guilty, looked even more startled. Realizing what Yu Luo was referring to, she quickly forced a serious expression and rushed to clarify.
“Xiao Luo, I told you—I’m not going back. Even though I love my father, my brother, and my sister-in-law, I won’t return. If I do, I’ll just be married off anyway, separated from them. I’d rather stay here and take care of Aunt. She’ll need someone by her side when the baby comes.”
“Xiangxiang, that’s not what I meant. I believe in your decision. What I meant was—cherish those who care about you.”
Yu Xiangxiang froze.
Yu Luo took her rough hands into her own. Despite her time in the city, Yu Xiangxiang’s hands were still calloused, proof of years of hard labor.
“Xiangxiang, don’t be nervous. I happened to see everything. I just want to know—why did you reject Tao Ming when you clearly have feelings for him?”
“I—I don’t! Xiao Luo, why would you think that?”
Panicked, Yu Xiangxiang immediately denied it, looking utterly flustered. Yu Luo sighed internally.
If it were someone else, she wouldn’t have bothered getting involved.
“Xiangxiang, your face will heal. Don’t let that hold you back. And even if you never want to marry, my mother won’t let you grow old alone. Would you rather let her choose a match for you, forcing you to marry someone you don’t love? Wouldn’t that be even more regrettable?”
Yu Luo was deliberately provoking her.
But Yu Xiangxiang didn’t want a pity-driven romance. She didn’t want Tao Ming to be with her just because there were few women in the region. What if, one day, he found her face unbearable? She’d rather end it now than suffer later.
“Xiao Luo, I… never mind. Even with your medicine, I doubt my face will fully recover. It’s better not to hope for too much. If I don’t start anything, there won’t be any heartbreak. I’d rather stay by Aunt’s side.”
Yu Luo sighed.
“Xiangxiang, you have to be brave. If it were me, I’d rather cherish the good times, even if there was no happy ending. Not everyone is meant to stay together for life—people change, things happen. You should at least give yourself a chance.”
Yu Xiangxiang was stunned.
Hearing such bold words from another woman shook her.
Yu Luo saw her reaction and knew that women in this era rarely heard such progressive ideas. But she was determined to keep pushing.
“Don’t be so shocked. Why should men be allowed to be fickle while women can’t take a chance on love? I’m not saying you should immediately accept him. Just… get to know him better. You might find that you’re not as compatible as you think.”
“Ah? But… but if we spend time together, wouldn’t that mean we’re engaged? If we’re not compatible, wouldn’t breaking the engagement be shameful?”
Yu Luo: …
“Xiangxiang, do you think all arranged marriages are happy? Look at your parents.”
Thinking of her parents’ relationship, Yu Xiangxiang couldn’t argue.
“Fine. Just observe for now. You don’t have to agree right away—just see if Tao Ming is truly sincere. And even if you do marry him, you’d still be in the city. You could still live at the manor, still be with my mother.”
While Luo City remained peaceful, elsewhere, in a jolting carriage, Yu Zhengqing finally woke up after being unconscious for days.
“Father, you’re finally awake!”
Yu Xiaoxuan was overjoyed.
His voice startled the coachman, who immediately halted the carriage. Soon, Chen Shi and the others gathered outside.
“What… what’s going on? Where… where are we?”
Yu Zhengqing looked around in confusion, his mind blank.
“Zhengqing, we’re just three days from the capital. You finally woke up.”
“The capital?!”
Struggling to sit up, Yu Zhengqing was quickly supported by his sons, Yu Xiaoran and Yu Xiaoxuan.
“Yes, thanks to Qiu Yun and the Crown Prince. If not for them, we might have never left that wasteland. Soon, we’ll never have to suffer again.”
Hearing this, tears welled up in Chang Huilan’s eyes.
“Yes, you were severely injured when we returned to the cave. Luckily, the Crown Prince sent people to fetch us—and they brought a doctor. You were feverish the whole way, drifting in and out of consciousness. We were terrified!”
“We… we’re really going back to the capital? What about my younger brother, my sister-in-law… and Uncle and the others? Did you bring them with you?”
Yu Zhengqing’s thoughts immediately turned to his extended family.
(End of Chapter 443)
