Chapter 165: Is Xiao Fu Bao Disliked? The Whole City Loves Me With Their Lives
### Chapter 165: He Shuruan
Tang Youqing's scream was so piercing that even though Qi Wangfei and Suisui were quite far from Tang's residence, they still heard it clearly.
Seeing that Suisui was frightened, Qi Wangfei quickly picked her up, gently patting her back and pressing her forehead against Suisui's, softly soothing, "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, your mother is here."
Aunt Qiu had already sent Haitang out to inquire about the situation. With such a terrible scream, something must have happened. If the situation was dire, they might even need to send someone to signal or check in.
Although the earlier events had left a bit of a sour taste, they still needed to maintain their social engagements afterward.
In the world of children, there is no grudges. One moment they might not want to play together, but in a little while, they could be hand-in-hand as friends again.
In contrast, the adult world is filled with grudges. Yet, adults have to pretend they hold no grudges, sometimes even acting as if nothing happened.
It can be exhausting, but that’s just how the world works—it's not always black and white; it can be whimsical as well. Some things happen that are beyond one’s control.
Madam He and her daughter Shuruan were staying in an outer room of the square courtyard, a bit away from Suisui and the others. After they returned and quickly tidied themselves up, they were just about to have some snacks and see what dinner would be that evening when they heard the terrible scream. Shuruan 's face turned pale with fright, and Madam He was startled too.
The two comforted each other for a moment before sending someone to check the situation. Not feeling at ease, Madam He calmed Shuruan down and then took her daughter’s hand, intending to check on Qi Wangfei and the others.
When Madam He arrived with Shuruan , Suisui had already been calmed down and was sitting, sipping on a drink. Today, Aunt Qiu had brewed ginger, jujube, and dried tangerine peel tea, garnished with mint for fragrance. The tea had a bright color, infused from the tangerine peel, and then ginger and jujubes were added.
Since it wasn't the season for fresh mint, they had to make do with what they had. If fresh mint were available, they could have added a few leaves after brewing for an extra flavor and freshness.
If today’s tea seemed too light, they could also add crushed peanuts and dried longan. Considering Suisui's health, Aunt Qiu had added two pieces of dried longan in her teacup, not for flavor but so Suisui could chew them later.
The snacks prepared were five-spice cakes. Aunt Qiu had reminded that there was glutinous rice inside, so Suisui should only eat a little to satisfy her craving, not too much.
Suisui was a well-behaved child. Though she had been frightened earlier, once comforted by her mother, she obediently pushed a cup of tea towards her mother.
Just as they were about to have their tea, Madam He arrived with Shuruan .
Qi Wangfei, holding Suisui's hand, gestured for her not to move and stood to welcome Madam He and Shuruan inside, saying, “You’ve come at the right time; the snacks are just ready and still warm. Come in and sit.”
Qi Wangfei had a good impression of Madam He, so she smiled and invited them in.
Madam He felt a bit embarrassed and tried to decline, but Qi Wangfei enthusiastically ushered them in.
Reluctantly, Madam He took Shuruan 's hand and entered, not forgetting to show concern: “Is everything alright? We heard that scream; it sounded terrible. I hope nothing serious happened.”
Since Shuruan was frail, Madam He brought her to Lanjue Temple every spring for a short stay. It could be as short as three to five days or even as long as half a month.
If something were to happen, it would be inconvenient to stay here with her daughter. However, without sincere devotion when praying, Madam He felt uneasy.
She came to check on Qi Wangfei, partly out of concern and partly to seek reassurance.
As Qi Wangfei walked them in, she smiled and replied, “I don’t think it’s anything serious; it’s probably just some children playing around. I’ve sent someone to find out, and we should know soon. Don’t worry; let’s go inside and sit.”
The zhai room was small, and it could be cramped with too many people.
Qi Wangfei exchanged glances with Aunt Qiu and then stepped back to leave.
At this moment, only Aunt Qiu remained nearby to attend to them.
Seeing the pretty aunt and sister come in, Suisui jumped off her chair and stretched out her hand towards Shuruan , calling out, “Sister Shuruan .”
Shuruan blushed and shyly smiled, hesitantly extending her hand. When Suisui grabbed her hand, Shuruan ’s ears turned completely red, and she felt bashful and didn't know how to move forward.
Seeing her daughter’s fondness for Suisui, Madam He gently encouraged her: “If you like your sister, you should express it bravely; otherwise, how will she know you like her?”
After separating from Qi Wangfei and the others, Shuruan had softly said to her mother, “Mother, I like Suisui.”
Suisui wasn’t like other children who would see her as a burden because of her frail body; she accepted her without reservations.
Although they hadn't spent much time together, who can say for certain about fate?
Shuruan rarely expressed her feelings, and Madam He was excited and delighted to hear her daughter’s feelings.
Seeing her daughter’s shyness in expressing herself made Madam He want to encourage her even more.
After hearing her mother’s words, Shuruan took a soft breath and lifted her head to give Suisui a shy smile.
After smiling, before Suisui could respond, Shuruan ’s face turned red again.
Suisui noticed her sister smiling and, with her eyes sparkling like a crescent moon, couldn’t help but smile back, “Sister Shuruan , you look so beautiful when you smile!”
To Suisui, Shuruan was entirely different from Liu Hemeng
Liu Hemeng was the kind of brave sister who could lead her to the skies.
Shuruan , on the other hand, was a sister who needed care, soft and delicate, yet beautiful.
Recently, Suisui felt she was a greedy child because she wanted both sisters.
Qiaoqiao was nice too, but she always liked to scratch her chin.
Although Suisui liked her, it always felt a bit strange.
After Suisui’s compliment, Shuruan ’s cheeks turned crimson once more.
She felt at a loss for words, her feet seemingly tangled, unable to move.
She wanted to say, “Suisui, you look beautiful too,” but the words felt trapped, her tongue refusing to cooperate.
Shuruan ’s eyes turned red from frustration.
Suisui, however, remained patient, tilting her head in confusion and watching Shuruan , waiting quietly without urging her.
Although Shuruan was frail, she was still two years older than Suisui, so she was a bit taller.
Looking down, Shuruan could see Suisui staring at her, which made her feel both anxious and sweet inside.
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