After finishing their meal, Chajin industriously cleaned up the bowls and chopsticks, keeping herself busy.
"Sister Lingxue, how did someone as beautiful as Chajin become your maid?" Wen Lingxue curiously asked.
"She chose to stay by her own will," Su Yi casually replied. "Besides, most people wouldn't qualify to be my maid even if they wanted to."
Wen Lingxue burst into laughter, her smile as fresh as a blooming flower after the rain. "Brother-in-law, now you're even boasting about yourself."
Shaking his head helplessly, Su Yi said, "Why is it that no one believes me when I speak the truth?"
"Brother-in-law, can you please stop making such serious jokes?" Wen Lingxue laughed even more joyfully, her laughter clear and melodious like the sound of springwater.
Watching the girl's delightful and charming smile, Su Yi couldn't help but be infected and joined in the laughter. "So, in your eyes, everything I say is so funny?"
Wen Lingxue quickly shook her head, sat up straight, and said crisply, "I just feel that you are much more cheerful than before. You have no idea, when you were at our Wen family before, you always had a gloomy face, which made us really worried."
Su Yi also felt emotional and said, "The past is already behind us."
"Brother-in-law, have you met my sister?" Wen Lingxue suddenly asked.
The previously cheerful atmosphere became somewhat quiet.
Su Yi paused for a moment and then said, "Yesterday, I went to the Tianyuan Academy and met your sister."
"Then... you two didn't get angry at each other, right?" Wen Lingxue stared at Su Yi with her watery and soulful eyes, as if trying to discern his true thoughts.
Su Yi's expression remained calm and unruffled as he replied, "Your sister was quite emotional and irrational at the time. However, things have been resolved, and it's beneficial for both of us."
A tremor inexplicably ran through Wen Lingxue's heart as she stood there, realizing that something was amiss.
Observing the silent girl, Su Yi spoke softly, "Don't overthink it. I just distanced myself from your sister. I didn't harm her."
"Di... Distance yourself?" Wen Lingxue's pretty face slightly changed, her starry eyes widened, and her fair and delicate hands clenched involuntarily.
"Lingxue, I know you've been trying to reconcile my relationship with your sister, but you understand better than anyone else what kind of person she is. Her obsession with this marriage is unchangeable."
Su Yi let out a soft sigh and continued, "In any case, distancing myself is a good thing for both her and me."
Wen Lingxue's slender eyelashes trembled slightly, and her jade-like face alternated between brightness and dimness.
After a long while, she sighed in distress and said, "Actually, I had expected this day to come, but I never thought it would come so soon..."
The girl's expression was full of melancholy and a strong sense of loss.
"You don't blame me for being heartless, do you?" Su Yi asked softly.
Wen Lingxue shook her head and whispered, "Both you and my sister are victims of this arranged marriage. Sometimes, I think that if it weren't for this marriage, I wouldn't have been able to meet my brother-in-law. It's... it's really difficult to know what to do..."
Su Yi's gaze drifted towards the distant sky as he said, "That's fate. Even the most powerful immortals and gods can't fully understand these things..."
Pausing for a moment, his eyes filled with compassion as he continued, "And being caught between me and your sister, hearing this kind of news, must be difficult for you, right?"
Wen Lingxue's body trembled slightly, she made a sound of agreement, her nose inexplicably felt sour, her eyes reddened, and she said, "Brother-in-law, is there really no chance to salvage or make amends?"
Su Yi shook his head slightly. Even though he cherished Wen Lingxue dearly, there was no room for turning back in this matter.
Wen Lingxue stood still for a moment, and tears suddenly gushed out like a fountain. She stood up and said, "Brother-in-law, I... I need some time alone."
Su Yi nodded. "Alright."
He also felt a slight sense of annoyance within himself.
Whether it was in his previous life or in this life, he had always disliked seeing women he cared about shed tears in front of him.
If it were anyone else, he would have scolded them long ago.
But when facing Wen Lingxue, he couldn't bring himself to get angry.
"My heart seems to be getting softer and softer..." Su Yi sighed inwardly.
"Brother-in-law," Wen Lingxue suddenly turned her head while standing at the entrance of the pavilion, her voice choked with sobs.
Su Yi looked over.
He saw the delicate and graceful girl wiping away the tears from her face and, with red-rimmed eyes, asked, "Can I... can I still call you 'brother-in-law' like before?"
She tried to maintain her composure, but her voice trembled uncontrollably.
At that moment, Su Yi's heart softened. He said, "It's just a form of address. You can call me whatever you like."
Wen Lingxue pursed her lips and turned around, walking into the pavilion.
Not far away, Chajin witnessed everything and couldn't help but sigh. How could this guy bear to make a girl so heartbroken? He just kept sitting there, why couldn't he take the initiative to comfort her?
Forget it, I'll go instead.
Chajin turned around and hurriedly entered the pavilion.
Su Yi sat alone, gazing at a group of birds playing in the distant lake, his expression as calm as ever.
However, there was a tinge of self-mockery in his heart. The entanglement of emotions was truly the most exhausting.
Even with the experience of a hundred thousand years in his previous life, he couldn't truly remain unmoved and unbreakable like an indestructible diamond.
After all, who can truly be heartless?
Time continued to flow steadily.
After a long while, Chajin walked out of the pavilion, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Master, Miss Lingxue wants to visit her sister at Tianyuan Academy. She doesn't know how to face you right now, so... so I came to tell you."
Su Yi made a sound of acknowledgment and said, "Escort her to Tianyuan Academy yourself, I'll go out for a walk."
With that, he stood up tall and left Shushi Residence.
As Chajin watched his tall figure disappear through the courtyard gate, she vaguely felt that this man, who was arrogant to the core, would probably never take the initiative to reconcile with any woman in his lifetime...
Unexplainably, Chajin sighed.
Immediately, she couldn't help but self-mock, Why am I worrying about these things? Miss Lingxue is still cherished by this guy, and I... I'm just a maid by his side...
...
Walking out of Shushi Residence, the bustling and noisy sounds of the streets and alleys in the distance reached Su Yi's ears. The myriad aspects of human life and the world were unfolding within.
Just as Su Yi was about to leave the alley, a group of people on horseback approached.
Leading them was none other than Prince Zhou Zhili, a frequent visitor.
Upon seeing Su Yi, Zhou Zhili and the others dismounted one after another and walked up to him.
Zhou Zhili smiled and clasped his hands in greeting, saying, "Young Master Su, today I have brought the head of the Xue family..."
Before he could finish speaking, Su Yi interrupted, "Whatever your business is, come another day."
With that, he took a step forward and continued on his way.
Zhou Zhili and the others were all stunned and confused.
It wasn't until they watched Su Yi's figure disappear that Zhou Zhili seemed to come to his senses and sighed lightly, saying, "It seems like we came at an inappropriate time today."
Speaking, he looked at a middle-aged man in a blue shirt next to him apologetically and said, "Lord Xue, please don't mind. It's my fault for not preparing in advance for this visit to Young Master Su, which resulted in..."
The middle-aged man in the blue shirt smiled slightly and said, "Your Highness need not explain. How could Xue be concerned about such trivial matters?"
He had a pale complexion, broad shoulders, and a slim waist, exuding an air of scholarly refinement. His smile was as refreshing as a spring breeze.
Xue Ningyuan.
The head of the Xue family, one of the top five prestigious clans in Gunzhou!
Within the boundaries of Gunzhou, there was even a saying, "Don't provoke the King of Hell, don't provoke Xue Ningyuan."
The reason was that the ruler of the Xue family seemed elegant and refined on the surface, but in reality, he was ruthless and had a fierce temperament.
When dealing with enemies, he would rather kill by mistake than let them go.
After a pause, Xue Ningyuan smiled and said, "I must say, this Young Master Su is indeed as full of arrogance as His Highness described."
At his words, Zhou Zhili also sighed as if feeling emotional. "The arrogance of ordinary people is mostly due to their overestimation and ignorance, but Young Master Su is different. He has the foundation to be proud."
"Hearing His Highness say that, I'm even more eager to witness the brilliance of this Young Master Su," Xue Ningyuan lightly stroked his smooth chin with his right hand and smiled.
Soon, the group of people turned and left.
...
On the bustling streets, Su Yi walked alone amidst the flowing crowd, his jade-like robe setting him apart.
However, despite witnessing the noise and liveliness along the way, it all seemed unrelated to him. He felt a faint sense of desolation and boredom, as the joys and sorrows of the world were beyond his reach.
The entanglement of emotions in this world, if only it could be severed with a single sword, that would be wonderful, Su Yi sighed inwardly. He was always open-minded when it came to love and affairs, without any moral scruples.
Whether it was indulging in pleasure or playing games, he enjoyed himself to the fullest.
But when it involved someone he cared about, it was different.
Because of that care, he couldn't truly be heartless.
Of course, if he became fed up and stopped caring, he could be as ruthless as his sword, capable of cutting down any enemy, including those who had stolen his heart.
Hm?
While aimlessly strolling, Su Yi's gaze inadvertently fell upon a three-story building with a sign hanging above that read: "Taiping Inn."
"How coincidental..." Su Yi paused for a moment, then walked into the Taiping Inn.
"Would the young master like to stay at the inn?"
Behind the counter stood a middle-aged man in a fat brocade robe, with a square face, garlic-shaped nose, and a smiling expression, exuding a merchant-like aura.
Su Yi turned his palm and produced a broken copper coin, handing it over, and said, "Do you recognize this item?"
The middle-aged man in the brocade robe's pupils suddenly constricted. He examined the broken coin for a moment, his smile vanished, replaced by a cautious and wary look. He whispered, "Who gave this to you, young master?"
Su Yi replied, "Weng Yunqi."
The man in the brocade robe stared at Su Yi intently. "Who are you to Weng Protector, and why did he give you this item?"
Su Yi raised an eyebrow and said, "Weng Yunqi didn't inform me that presenting this item would lead to such interrogation."
The man in the brocade robe paused for a moment, then squeezed out a friendly smile and said in a low voice, "Please don't misunderstand, young master. Let me show you the way. This is not a suitable place for conversation."
With that, he gestured for Su Yi to follow him and took the lead.
"A grandmaster willingly serving as an innkeeper? How interesting," Su Yi silently chuckled and followed along.