Chapter 43 Invitation

“…Who wants to be her dog!” Xie Miaorong was left speechless by his words, not knowing how to refute.

But what shocked Xie Miaorong even more was that the once proud Xie Yi would willingly bow and scrape for a woman, and even take pride in serving her.

This was so unlike him. What kind of love potion had Su Mu given him?

Xie Yi’s thin lips curled slightly: “It’s best this way. As long as you don’t try any tricks in front of Sister Mu, I’ve said before, I’ll find you an honest and decent family in the future.”

He even knew his brother’s habit of trying to snatch things he liked, whether it was clothes, objects, or people, Xie Miaorong always wanted to grab them away.

Father and Mother would always persuade him, saying that as the elder brother, it was right for him to give in to his younger brother, that all elder brothers in the world were like this.

But Xie Yi didn’t believe in such nonsense. Why should he give up the things he liked? So over the years, the two often fought bitterly over objects, and every time Xie Miaorong would end up defeated.

However, those clothes and accessories from before were dispensable to Xie Yi, and he didn’t mind giving them to Xie Miaorong when he got bored of them.

But Su Mu was absolutely off-limits, and he would never allow Xie Miaorong to set his sights on her.

Xie Miaorong pouted and said, “What honest and decent? You just mean poor people, don’t you? You make it sound so nice. You’re doing well for yourself, hooked up with a good woman, but you don’t want to see your own brother do well.”

Jealousy flashed in Xie Miaorong’s eyes. Just now, when facing Su Mu, Xie Miaorong had been secretly observing her. Unlike most rough and arrogant women, Su Mu was young, gentle, and beautiful. When she spoke, she was composed and kind, making people feel as if bathed in spring breeze.

A quick glance into her bedroom revealed piles of books on the desk, indicating that she was at least a scholar. Although life might be a bit poor, at least her status was respectable.

No wonder Xie Yi valued her so much.

If it were Xie Miaorong himself, he would also hold onto her tightly. Even without mentioning anything else, just her temperament and beauty surpassed other women by a large margin. Compared to Tang Ta, it was like heaven and earth, not even comparable.

Xie Yi laughed coldly: “What’s wrong with being poor? Look at your current status. You’re married, with your wife-master missing. It would be difficult for you to even consider remarriage.”

“But Tang Ta abandoned me first,” Xie Miaorong said, exasperated.

“So what?” A contemptuous smile appeared on Xie Yi’s lips. “She’s your wife-master. Even if she abandons you, you just have to accept it. Who told you to choose such a person as your wife-master?”

“You— It was because of you—” Xie Miaorong said angrily.

If it weren’t for him, how would he have ended up married to Tang Ta?

“Don’t forget who’s taking you in now. If you continue to make trouble like this, I can take you in, and I can also throw you out,” Xie Yi’s eyes flashed with coldness.

Xie Miaorong, at the peak of his anger, was abruptly stopped by Xie Yi’s words.

This was now Xie Yi’s territory. There were no longer parents to protect him. If he really caused trouble, Su Mu would definitely side with Xie Yi, not him.

After all, he was dependent on others. He didn’t dare to truly anger Xie Yi. If Xie Yi really got angry and disregarded their brotherly relationship to drive him out, he would have to return to his former lonely and drifting days.

Forget it, forget it. Xie Miaorong lowered his head in compromise: “…I understand.”

Xie Yi’s eyes curved upwards as he chuckled lightly: “Good that you understand.”

Because Su Mu’s house was small, the two brothers shared a room. Xie Miaorong, harboring resentment and jealousy, reluctantly slept on the inner side of the bed.

Early the next morning, while Xie Miaorong was still in a daze, he was mercilessly pulled awake.

“Get up, clean the house, make breakfast.”

Xie Miaorong opened his bleary eyes to see Xie Yi’s upturned eyes staring at him. Before Xie Miaorong could speak, Xie Yi continued: “You’re now staying at Sister Mu’s house. It’s Sister Mu’s kindness that she took pity on you and took you in. Do you want to sleep until the sun is high, like some young master?”

Xie Miaorong was furious but dared not speak out. He hated Xie Yi to the bone in his heart but could only silently put on his clothes.

Xie Yi went to the kitchen to cook, assigning him to clean the backyard.

Cleaning the backyard, how cunning. Deliberately arranging for him to work in a remote corner.

The first thing Su Mu would see when she got up was the front yard, then the kitchen. She rarely came to the backyard. He would work hard, but Su Mu probably wouldn’t even know. She would only see Xie Yi busy from early morning.

Xie Miaorong leaned on his broom, hesitated for a moment, then walked into the kitchen and said, “Brother, my cooking skills are decent. Let me help you. This way, the cooking will be faster.”

As he spoke, Xie Miaorong was about to add firewood to the stove.

Xie Yi pulled him up abruptly and said, “How many Central Plains dishes can you make? Sister Mu is used to eating my cooking. There’s no need for your help. There’s still a pile of work waiting in the backyard, and firewood to be chopped. Go do it!”

Xie Miaorong gritted his teeth: “Yes.”

Su Mu had slept sweetly through the night and was awakened by a fragrant aroma in the morning.

Just as she finished dressing, Xie Yi knocked on the door. Su Mu sometimes wondered if Xie Yi was standing guard outside the door, listening to the sounds of her dressing, estimating when she would be ready, and then knocking with perfect timing.

“Sister Mu, you’re up. Let’s have breakfast,” Xie Yi said as he placed the washbasin on the wooden rack nearby.

While washing her face and brushing her teeth, Su Mu asked, “What’s for breakfast today? It smells so good.”

Xie Yi smiled as he took the face towel from her: “Usually, we have porridge with a small dish of pickles every morning. Seeing that Sister Mu wasn’t in high spirits, I took the liberty of making scallion oil noodles today.”

“Scallion oil noodles?” Su Mu excitedly looked towards the table in the main room, her freshly washed face still dripping with water from her eyelashes and chin.

On the table was a bowl of scallion oil noodles, still steaming hot. The noodles were a soy sauce color, topped with fried scallion leaves. Even from this distance, one could almost smell the scallion fragrance.

Xie Yi smiled as he thoughtfully wiped her face: “This is my first time making it. Please try it, Sister Mu.”

Su Mu nodded, picked up her chopsticks, and after glancing around, asked, “Xiao Yi, where’s Miaorong?”

Miaorong?

Just one night, and she’s already calling him so intimately?

The smile on Xie Yi’s face faded slightly as he said, “Miaorong is working in the backyard. Sister Mu, you kindly took him in, so naturally, he wants to find something to do to repay your kindness.”

Su Mu put down her chopsticks: “His foot is injured. He should be resting, not working. Tell him he doesn’t need to work, and ask him to come eat with us.”

After all, he was her brother-in-law. With an injured foot, he should be resting, not working. It made her feel like a cruel taskmaster.

“…Yes, I’ll go call him right away.” Xie Yi turned, his heart filled with sourness.

Why are you so kind to him, Sister Mu? Now that he’s here, is there no room for me in your heart?

When Xie Yi arrived at the backyard, Xie Miaorong was chopping firewood with a resentful face, as if the wood before him was Xie Yi, just right for venting his anger.

“Come on, let’s eat,” Xie Yi said in a flat voice, suppressing his displeased emotions.

Xie Miaorong immediately put down the axe and walked towards Xie Yi: “Did Sister Mu, Su Jie, ask brother to come get me?”

Xie Yi clenched his fists, remembering the concern Su Mu had shown when mentioning Xie Miaorong’s foot injury. Jealousy bubbled up inside him, like acid corroding his intestines, stomach, and throat, as if his internal organs were burning.

But not now. Xie Yi tried his best to suppress it. He couldn’t lose control in front of Su Mu. He couldn’t let Su Mu see him mad with jealousy.

“Let’s go,” Xie Yi took a deep breath and said to Xie Miaorong.

Hearing that Xie Yi didn’t directly answer his question, Xie Miaorong already knew the answer.

It must have been Su Mu who asked him to come.

Xie Miaorong couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride. He and Xie Yi were brothers, sharing 80% similarity. If Su Mu liked Xie Yi, she should also have some affection for him, right?

Thinking of this, Xie Miaorong’s mood brightened, and he became very happy.

Just as the two reached the front courtyard, there was a knock at the door outside.

Xie Yi opened the door to see a woman dressed as a servant. Although dressed as a servant, the fabric of her clothes was not like that worn by ordinary commoners.

“Who are you?” Xie Yi asked with suspicion.

“This lowly one is a servant from Magistrate Xu’s household. On the orders of my master, I’ve come to deliver this invitation,” the servant said.

Magistrate?!

Xie Miaorong was greatly shocked. He had thought Su Mu was just an ordinary scholar. How did she have such prestige that a magistrate would send someone to invite her?

Hearing it was someone from the magistrate’s household, Xie Yi didn’t dare to respond on his own and quickly said, “Please wait a moment. I’ll inform Scholar Su.”

Scholar?!

Xie Miaorong was so shocked his eyes widened. Su Mu was actually a scholar with an official title? Xie Miaorong could hardly believe it. To become a scholar, one must be well-read. Many people become scholars in their thirties or forties. How old was Su Mu? Just in her teens, right? To become a scholar at such a young age, her future was limitless.

Xie Miaorong suddenly understood the deeper meaning behind Xie Yi’s words last night about “willingly being Su Mu’s dog.” Attaching oneself to a scholar meant a future of comfort and respect, able to maintain dignity in a small place.

Xie Yi walked into the house: “Sister Mu, there’s a visitor outside delivering an invitation. They say they’re from Magistrate Xu’s household.”

Su Mu smiled slightly, not surprised: “She finally couldn’t hold back.”

Xie Yi furrowed his brow slightly, not understanding what Su Mu meant.

But Su Mu had already stood up and was walking towards the door. Seeing Su Mu, the servant first respectfully performed a kneeling bow, then presented the invitation in her hands: “Miss Su, my master has recently acquired a rare and precious peony that’s hard to find this season. Tomorrow, she will be holding a flower appreciation gathering at home, inviting all the famous and noble ladies and gentlemen of the city to appreciate and evaluate the flower. My master specifically instructed that you must honor us with your presence.”

Su Mu smiled faintly as she accepted it: “I accept. Tell the Magistrate that I will certainly attend tomorrow.”

The servant thanked her with a smile and left.

Watching the servant walk away, the smile faded from Su Mu’s face. Looking at the signature on the invitation, she muttered to herself: “Old fox.”