Chapter 41: Good Little Brother

Xie Yi led Xie Miaorong back home and settled him in his own room, telling him to eat the fruits on the table while he went to boil water for a bath and cook a few dishes.

Xie Miaorong peeled a loquat and eagerly stuffed it into his mouth, his eyes constantly surveying Xie Yi’s room. Looking at the tidy house and the unfinished clothes hanging on the rack, Xie Miaorong touched them, feeling the cool and smooth texture of silk. His heart seemed to be pricked by something.

Suddenly, the door of the main hall opened, and Xie Yi’s footsteps gradually approached. Xie Miaorong hurriedly withdrew his hand.

“I’ve stewed some meat for you, but it’ll take a while. Here are some leftover steamed buns from this morning, you can fill your stomach first.” Xie Yi placed a plate of steamed buns in front of him.

“Thank you, brother.” Xie Miaorong was indeed very hungry, having not eaten for several days, and he swallowed hastily.

As a man, surviving among refugees was already difficult, and he had to be constantly on guard against other women’s improper intentions. One night, it seemed that human traffickers had their eye on him and wanted to drug and kidnap him. Fortunately, he reacted quickly and escaped overnight, otherwise, he didn’t know where he would have been sold to. He had been surviving on wild fruits and vegetables along the way.

After arriving in Juen City, he originally wanted to find a household to serve as a servant, but before he had the chance to look, he met Xie Yi.

Xie Yi just watched him devour a steamed bun ravenously.

Seemingly having regained some strength, Xie Miaorong asked, “Brother, how did you escape back then?”

Although he was his own brother, Xie Yi was tight-lipped about his inglorious past: “I was kidnapped by human traffickers, taken to Juen City and sold as a slave to a family, then later bought back by Sister Mu.”

“Sister Mu?” Xie Miaorong quickly grasped the key point and hurriedly asked, “Is that the very beautiful young lady from earlier?”

“Yes, it’s her.” Mentioning Su Mu, Xie Yi’s eyes filled with undisguised tenderness.

Xie Miaorong’s expression became dejected: “It’s fortunate that you’re doing better than me, brother. Unlike me, who has suffered hardships and, although not a beggar, is almost no different from one.”

You only see how I am now, how could you know what I’ve been through.

Xie Yi lowered his eyes and said faintly, “It’s all in the past now, let’s live well from now on.”

Xie Miaorong wiped away his tears: “Yes, brother is right. From now on, it’s just us two brothers depending on each other.”

Xie Yi was silent for a moment, then said, “The water is almost ready, I’ll go bring you the bath water.”

Su Mu’s residence wasn’t large and didn’t have a dedicated bathroom. To take a hot bath, they usually moved a wooden tub into their own bedroom, and after washing, they would carry the water out bucket by bucket.

When Su Mu returned home, Xie Miaorong had not yet finished washing.

“Sister Mu, you’re back.”

Seeing Su Mu return, Xie Yi happily welcomed her. His features were already vivid and bright, and when he smiled, it was like the moment the most beautiful flower blooms.

“I went to the medical hall, but the doctor on duty was out on a house call. I could only buy a bottle of bruise medicine and come back. I don’t know if it will be effective.” Su Mu shook the small medicine bottle in her hand.

“It will be effective. I’ve looked at his injury, it’s just a common sprain, nothing serious.” Xie Yi held her arm and pulled her into the room.

They sat in the living room, with Xie Yi’s room door tightly closed, occasionally transmitting the sound of splashing water.

Su Mu felt a bit awkward and smiled, pursing her lips: “Still bathing?”

Xie Yi looked at the closed door, his eyes darkening, then smiled and said, “Miaorong has been through a lot on his journey, his body must be dirty, so he’s washing for longer.”

Su Mu nodded: “That’s true, it’s not easy for a man to wander outside.”

Xie Yi pursed his lips, his hand fidgeting with a snow-white handkerchief, uncontrollably feeling sour and jealous in his heart. He too had wandered and drifted alone outside, why did Sister Mu only pity him? Is it because his brother appeared more pitiful?

Just as Xie Yi was immersed in his own jealousy, he suddenly felt his hand being gently lifted and carefully placed in her palm. Su Mu held his hand and said, “It wasn’t easy for you either, struggling to survive in the hands of human traffickers, and still having to endure mistreatment from the Li scholar’s family.”

“Sister Mu.” Xie Yi looked at Su Mu and involuntarily murmured, his ear tips turning an oddly intense red. Just moments ago, he was feeling sour and jealous because she sympathized with his brother, but now his heart swelled with joy.

Sister Mu still remembered his past, she still had him in her heart.

“Brother, does this outfit look good on me?” Just as Xie Yi was basking in the glow of Su Mu’s simple words of comfort, Xie Miaorong opened the door wearing Xie Yi’s clothes.

He was wearing a tea-red colored outfit. The red was as vibrant as fire in full bloom, accentuating his skin which was as white as fresh snow and as delicate as jade. His long hair, half-dry and half-wet after being wiped, hung behind him like undulating seaweed, with a strand falling on his shoulder, dampening his snow-white, slender neck.

Xie Miaorong’s features were already extraordinary, his appearance seven parts similar to Xie Yi’s. Now, wearing the bright red clothes, with the waist belt loosely tied, thick eyelashes still hanging with transparent water droplets, his delicate skin flushed white and red, emanating the moist air of having just bathed, he looked as alluring as a beautiful person emerging from the bath.

“I thought you would wear those clothes hanging in my wardrobe, I didn’t expect it to be this one.” Xie Yi lightly tapped the armrest with his fingers, his brow full of disgust.

This outfit was made from the tea-red fabric that Sister Mu had brought back for him from Yun City. He hadn’t even worn it himself yet, having just finished making it recently. He had treasured it greatly, placing it in the innermost part of his wardrobe, waiting for the day when Sister Mu had time, so he could wear it for her to see. He didn’t expect Xie Miaorong to steal the show.

Thinking of this, Xie Yi’s brow furrowed even more, the handkerchief in his hand almost torn to shreds.

Xie Miaorong lowered his head awkwardly: “I didn’t realize brother hadn’t worn this outfit yet. I… I’ll go back and change immediately.”

“Why bother changing now, since you’ve already put it on.” Xie Yi said flatly, but more importantly, he was afraid Su Mu would think he was petty, fussing over just wearing an outfit.

Xie Miaorong smiled sweetly: “That’s good then, thank you, brother. Is this Sister Mu? Greetings, Sister Mu.” Xie Miaorong took a few steps forward and curtseyed slightly to Su Mu.

He was a year younger than Xie Yi, and although not as beautiful, being younger and having been married before, his youthful features were tinged with a hint of a husband’s charm, creating a strong contrast.

Su Mu lightly supported him and said gently: “No need for formalities. Your Central Plains dialect is quite good.”

Xie Miaorong smiled gracefully, gentle and charming: “I followed those refugees all the way to the Central Plains. On the road, I couldn’t understand a word the Central Plains people were saying, and was inevitably bullied. So I secretly learned to speak like the Central Plains people as I walked, and gradually learned to speak it.”

“You’re quite clever,” Su Mu smiled.

Xie Yi listened from the side, feeling as if his chest was stuffed with cotton, making it hard to breathe.

“This is the bruise medicine I bought from the medical hall. Take it back and apply it yourself, the injury on your foot should heal faster,” Su Mu said, picking up the bottle of bruise medicine from the table.

Xie Miaorong happily accepted it, cradling it in his hands like a treasure: “Thank you, Sister Mu. I’ll definitely use it well when I get back… Sister Mu, you’re so kind. Brother is really lucky to have met you, unlike me…”

Xie Miaorong’s delicate brows furrowed, his eyes filled with sorrow: “Unlike me, whose wife-master was heartless, abandoning me like a burden at a critical moment, leaving me homeless. Fortunately, I met brother and Sister Mu, otherwise I really wouldn’t know where to go.”

“So you ended up on the streets because you were abandoned by your wife-master?” Su Mu sighed deeply: “It’s alright, since you’re Xiao Yi’s brother-”

“Tang Ta abandoning you was your misfortune. Now her life and death are unknown, she’s probably dead. Don’t worry, I will certainly find you a good family. However, since you’re remarrying, your wife’s family background probably won’t be as good as Tang Ta’s. But having gone through this, you must have realized that these merchant families are fickle and faithless. It’s better to find an ordinary family who will at least cherish you,” Xie Yi said, his lips curling coldly.

After all, they were brothers who had lived together for over ten years. Xie Yi could see at a glance what Xie Miaorong’s true intentions were behind his recent words.

Seeing that Su Mu was about to agree to his words and allow him to continue living here, Xie Yi suddenly felt like a thorn was pricking his heart, as if something was about to be snatched away. So even if it meant interrupting Su Mu, he had to rebut Xie Miaorong’s words.

Xie Miaorong’s expression froze for a moment, then he lowered his eyes, looking pitiable: “Then I’ll do as brother says. But before brother finds me a wife’s family, could I stay here for now? I really have nowhere else to go.”

Su Mu smiled and said, “Of course you can.”

Xie Miaorong’s eyes lit up, and he immediately smiled happily: “Thank you, Sister Mu. Sister is the best.”

Only Xie Yi pressed his lips together, his face dark enough to drip water.

“How come you’re not happy now that your brother has come?” That night, as Xie Yi brought Su Mu water to wash her feet, Su Mu lifted his chin and asked.

Xie Yi lowered his long lashes and said, “Sister Mu’s willingness to take me in is already a great kindness. Now you’ve taken in my brother as well. I don’t want you to be burdened with supporting both of us alone.”

Su Mu smiled and said, “I’m now a Juren. Even an ordinary Juren can support more than a dozen servants at home without problem, let alone just adding one Xie Miaorong.”

In fact, at the moment Xie Yi and Xie Miaorong recognized each other in Shen Yuxue’s ice jelly shop, Su Mu had already made the decision to temporarily support him.

After all, he was Xie Yi’s own brother. Having finally reunited, how could she not support him and let him wander outside? It was just a matter of adding another pair of chopsticks, which she could afford.

“But… but Sister Mu is so good to me, I really don’t know how to repay you,” Xie Yi said, his concealed eyes clouding over with coldness.

If Xie Miaorong had changed his nasty habit of always competing with him after going through the war, he might have allowed him to stay.

But seeing his frequent small actions today, when Su Mu wasn’t back yet, the noise of his bathing wasn’t loud at all. Yet as soon as Su Mu returned and sat in the main hall, he deliberately made the water sound very loud, as if afraid others wouldn’t know he was bathing, making people imagine things.

He even wore the most eye-catching red clothes, parading and flirting in front of Su Mu.

If he had known it would be like this, he wouldn’t have recognized him. A cruel thought flashed through Xie Yi’s mind.