An Yu Yong who had only put all his attention to An Bing Qing and no one else, raised his eyes and looked behind her with puzzlement. 'Who are they talking about?'
Before he could give a good appraisal of the white-haired young man clad in purple, he saw his little sister turning back and stretching her hand to take his; his heart sank, 'He can't be good', he thought as he pulled her back from her sash.
"Ah!" An Bing Qing exclaimed, she turned her head back and asked, "Eldest brother, what are you doing?"
"That's my question".
"Huh?! I was about to introduce my friend to all of you. Why?" She asked without getting his point; her only thought now was to present Xue Zi Hui to them, after all. In the past, she didn't know why, but she never was able to introduce him to her family. Besides her, only her husband and counted people had met him; thus, she was very much anticipating this introduction.
'Friend?' Not only An Yu Yong and her clansmen questioned this, but also Xue Zi Hui himself. He had switched his regarding about the weird feeling he felt when he saw two people with the same face and different gender to evaluate her courage one more time.
All of them were pondering.
An Yu Yong was the first to break apart from his thoughts. He looked at the purple-robed young man's expressionless face, and as smart as he was, he noted he was also unaware of her little sister declaration. 'Is it a self-proclamation?' he thought.
A mid this silence, a girly voice rose, "Eldest brother, aren't you going to free me? You are making my sash loose".
"Oh!" An Yu Yong took back his hand, saying, "Cough, I'm sorry".
"Hmph", she harrumphed as she tidied her clothes a little.
When she was patting her skirt, the Great Elder said, "So, this young master is the little miss' friend. May this old man know, how can we address him? And, how did the little miss met him?"
She pouted her lips and stepped by Xue Zi Hui's side, saying, "He is Xue Zi Hui and is my saviour. I asked him to come with us as he is going to the same place as us". She had thought about this beforehand, she knew she needed something heavy for them to not ask much.
The Great Elder slightly nodded but was An Yu Yong who spoke first, "Oh! Is that so?"
An Bing Qing enthusiastically nodded but her heart cried 'Bad'; her eldest brother tone wasn't good. Still, she remained calm as she didn't thought it will be that easy. But what she thought didn't come.
"All right, then". An Yu Yong agreed after giving Xue Zi Hui a second glimpse.
'Just like that?' She couldn't believe it.
Seeing his little sister undisguised disbelief, An Yu Yong felt funny. 'Oh, well. Though that man isn't a good thing, a life saving grace is a life saving grace. It's better to have it paid off as soon as possible. He doesn't seem that simple but...' In fact, he strangely felt that this man was dragging his feet as though he was being forced into this by his little sister. When this thought invaded his head, he looked at her.
An Bing Qing saw her eldest brother's weird gaze, she frowned, "What?"
He shook his head, throwing aside such a thought.
"Nothing, let's go to the meeting point to wait for the others". He flapped his long sleeves and led the way.
The Great Elder swiftly went to him and whispered, "Eldest young master, isn't this a little..."
An Yu Yong made a dismissing signal with his hand, cutting the Great Elder's sentence.
The Great Elder opened his mouth again but no word was uttered. Even though he had nodded before, it wasn't of approval but because he understood the situation and was pondering about how to deal with it. But now, "Sigh", he shook his head dejected. He can only pray for things to work out and to not bite back.
Because it was still fairly early, they were going back at a low pace. Taking notice of this, An Bing Qing stopped to pick up herbs from time to time. She knew her eldest brother wouldn't tell her anything; she was glad she could at least increase a little her stock of herbs.
Xue Zi Hui finally understood why this little girl was so daring and weird, her family didn't put her any rules and let her have her way; she wasn't afraid of anything. He felt bad in his heart for them; having such a girl in their family could only be bad news. He also was curious, 'Though they didn't seem to belong to a big clan, they were still a cultivation family, why they look so harmonious and lax?' He paused his thoughts and frowned, 'Eh! What am I thinking? It isn't my business at all'. He buried the absurdity of his mind and focused solely on keeping watch over the medical effect of the liquid he had swallowed before; although nothing bad had happened yet, he still had his doubts.
They continued their travel with this pleasurable rhythm that they reached the place before knowing it.
As time passed, team after team arrived and when the last came. They were ready to set off.
"I'm glad that none of you faced something dangerous in your searching. We will depart immediately and won't be eating here. Then…"
"Eldest brother, wait".
"Hmh?" An Yu Yong turned back and saw his little sister coming.
An Bing Qing scratched her head and with an apologetic gesture said, "I just… Bing Qing is sorry for causing you all trouble and Bing Qing gives her thanks; thanks for looking for Bing Qing. Bing Qing will try her best for this to not happen again".
"No, no. It wasn't troublesome at all". The Elders didn't say anything and just received her apology, but the youths were the ones saying she didn't have to worry about it while the guards didn't dare to receive her apology; not knowing where to look at.
"All right, enough of it. Great Elder, please".
The Great Elder took out the spacecraft at An Yu Yong's beckon. All of them boarded the ship, and they noted the white-haired young man also did it. Since they arrived, they had spotted him, making questions pop up within their hearts which were much more now; but the Great Elder and eldest young master didn't mention it, so they didn't ask. Therefore, they could only act normal, not caring about it.
An Yu Yong and Xue Zi Hui followed An Bing Qing to her room, before she opened the door, she heard, "Little sister, you did good apologizing but don't think I will lift you punishment. I was being serious when I said it and I won't change my mind".
She turned back with pitiful eyes, but An Yu Yong serious semblance didn't change.
At the end, she smirked, "Well, let's see if you can hold me back". She turned around and opened her door.
An Yu Yong knew her little sister was angry. He said, "You wait a little".
"What?"
"Raise your palms".
She extended her hands unconsciously at his call. Soon, three jade bottles were placed on them, "Eh? Are you giving them to me?"
"Sigh, I don't know why; but I have the feeling you will found a way to slip away again, making your words become true". He tapped her forehead and added, "Just be careful and not so impetuous".
'Then, Am I punished or not?' She wondered with incomprehension. 'Eldest brother is practically giving me leeway, isn't it?'
She grinned in her heart and went back to wear her angry face. "Hmph! You won't buy me. From now on you can't enter my room". She drifter her gaze towards Xue Zi Hui and said, "Zi Hui, you guard my door from this guy. I know he will shamelessly enter", and she strongly closed the door.
'My title has changed to –this guy, is she that angry?'
'This little girl is really looking to die' Xue Zi Hui extended his arm to open the door but before he could touch the pommel, it opened, bringing along An Bing Qing's voice, "Right, I'm not joking. And I'm going to bathe; therefore, no one is allowed to disturb me further".
Xue Zi Hui who was left with his hand in the air, heard the heavy smash of the door. An Yu Yong also snapped awake at this moment and couldn't help but look towards Xue Zi Hui. Seeing his standing, he frowned and sat by the door.
"Are you going to stay there? You can go to your room now. Just follow this corridor and then turn left and stop mid-way. That place is good".
Xue Zi Hui looked down and saw an An Yu Yong who wasn't hiding his displeasure. 'It seems that the face isn't the only thing they share', he thought. He turned around to give the closed door another look and finally flapped his sleeves and took seat at the other side of the door.
An Yu Yong furrowed his brows tightly but didn't say more.
And a frosty silence quickly encompassed both of them.