Chapter 77.1: Decision, Pretend, Familial Love

After all the irrelevant people have left, Jing Wan also couldn't bother with worrying about comforting Sun Yi Jia anymore, "Big sister Jia, quickly let me see your wound."

Sun Yi Jia rather obediently allowed Jing Wan to press her down onto the stool.

Jing Wan lifted up her head, using her handkerchief to carefully dab away the tears on her face. Then she untied white strings, lightly lifting open the white cloth. Seeing that deep cut, and the blood once again seeping out, it was truly somewhat terrifying. Jing Wan frowned, "Endure a bit. —-what are you all standing around for, quickly bring the medicine over."

The wet nurse and servant girls to the side finally returned to their senses from the shock just now, and quickly had the medicine, white cloth, scissors, and such all delivered to Jing Wan's hand.

Jing Wan's movements were light, stead, and quick. By the time the wound was once again wrapped using the white cloth, not much time had passed for the entire process. "Done, you must be careful. By all means, don't be that worked up again like earlier. Otherwise, don't know when this wound will finally be able to heal." While smoothing out some of the small creases in the white cloth, Jing Wan finally noticed that Sun Yi Jia had been staring up at her the whole time, her gaze abnormally focused. Jing Wan scraped the tip of her nose with her finger, "What are you staring at me for, could it be that you admire me?" She joked.

"Yes, little sister Wan is this good, this gentle, making one easily fall for. It's a shame little sister Wan isn't a man, else even if my appearance is ruined, I would definitely still shamelessly cling to you, and think of every possible way to marry you."

"Just a joke, yet you still took the bait? If I was a man, how can I even get this close with you? You naturally won't even know a single thing about me, and admiring would certainly be a big joke. Alright, don't talk anymore. This face is still bleeding."

"It's fine, I'll just speak softer and quieter. I won't tear the wound. Right now, I just want to talk with little sister Wan." Sun Yi Jia reached out and hugged her waist, using the uninjured side of her face to coquettishly rub against Jing Wan's bosom.

Jing Wan was very helpless. Never heard that injuring the face can even make the IQ also degrade along with it too? However, regardless whether it was an illness or some other reason causing the body to be unwell, one would always act a bit spoiled when sick. Jing Wan wasn't really a real fourteen year old maiden. Sun Yi Jia although was older than her, Jing Wan actually regarded her as a younger sister. Coaxing one's own younger sister, wasn't that reasonably expected? Letting her hug herself, while occasionally stroking her hair, the peak of patience and gentleness.

The servant girls serving at the side perhaps didn't feel anything, but Sun Yi Jia's wet nurse was extremely moved. Miss Luo at the moment wasn't just playing the role of a good friend, but also an older sister, or even a mother's role. In that moment, she suddenly understood what their Miss was lacking. Then thinking back to those words Miss previously said to madam again, she couldn't help but feel extremely sorry for their Miss. Perhaps Miss's heart has always been this bitter, just she herself never noticed. At present, she was very grateful to the Luo family third miss like never before.

"We've always thought that younger sister's personality was cold, and disliked being close with others, but looking at it now, we were actually all wrong. Clearly it was us that didn't do enough. Our indifference made her freeze her heart." Outside in the courtyard, under the sophora flower tree, Sun Yi Ling stood beside the Ding Duchess. Through the window, he saw his own younger sister being so fondly attached to an outsider. At the same time, while feeling slightly unsettled inside, he also somewhat greedily yearned for that bit of warmth between them. "Miss Luo and younger sister have only been acquainted for a few days, a few days only, what does this mean? That Luo third miss's methods are too skillful and knows too well how to fawn over someone that even someone like younger sister can be easily won over? Or maybe younger sister is just an untamable white-eyed wolf[1]? Mother, your first reaction is thoughts similar to these, right?"

"No." Ding Duchess both quickly and anxiously denied.

Sun Yi Lin lightly smiled. He was already a highly distinguished figure in the entire capital, so his smile naturally had maximum destructive power. Several servant girls in the surrounding all blushed. However, Ding Duchess, who was standing next to him, instead felt it was a mocking smile that strangely also carried a trace of helplessness and sorrow, making one feel heartache. She wanted to say a little more, but she couldn't open her mouth, and didn't know what to say either. She has always been a strict and unyielding mother, only knowing how to tell you what you should do, and not a mother that patiently listens to her child's inner thoughts and then softly explain to them.

"Mother, do you know why younger sister suggested coming to White Dragon Temple earlier? It's because of me, because I wanted to come. Today, I will have to rush back and return to his Majesty's side for work tomorrow."

Ding Duchess stared at him. She wasn't someone that was easy to fooled. If he really just wanted to come to White Dragon Temple, he can just invite his own friends, and not tag along under the guise of protecting his younger sister. And he further wouldn't borrow his own younger sister's mouth to shift the date to travel along with a bunch of young ladies. "Why?" She thought of a certain possibility.

"Mother, according to fourth sister-in-law's reasoning, whoever caused yesterday's incident is the main culprit. Then saying it like that, wouldn't I be the one with the luckiest and sturdiest life? Actually, I also feel this is the most reasonable. After all, I blocked eldest brother's path, and furthermore covered up all the other brothers' radiance, causing them to be pearls covered in dirt. See, I'm precisely that root of trouble, cursing all my siblings." Sun Yi Lin extremely calmly answered.

"Nonsense, whether or not you blocked your eldest brother's path, how would I not know? As for the others, what pearls covered in dirt, clearly just a bunch of obstinate rocks, what do they have anything to do with you?"

"Nonsense? When fourth sister-in-law said this, mother, you didn't say she was saying nonsense. Rather, you seemed to have also very much acknowledged her words. You can't, just because now that it's your son, have a completely different attitude. Helping one's kin instead of reason, you don't need to be this obvious."

Ding Duchess looked to her most beloved son with trembling lips, "Yi Ling, mother knows, because of your younger sister's matter, you are also blaming your father and I. But don't tell me that because of this, you're just going to talk to your mother like this? Aren't you just cutting my heart with a knife?"

Sun Yi Lin still carried a shallow smile, "Mother, what's wrong, saying it this seriously? Look, aren't I the same as usual?"

—-If not the same as the one in your heart, then naturally it's all no good. Ding Duchess suddenly recalled her daughters words just now. Then hearing her son's words, she practically need to use her hand to cover her chest. At some point unbeknownst to her, she and her own daughter's heart have already reach this far apart?

"Mother, don't be like that, the few sister-in-laws are all still watching over there. Perhaps, they might even think that I've done something disgraceful, afterwards add oil and vinegar to the story, and spread it everywhere. That good name of mine will then be ruthlessly tarnished. Being unfilial, this kind of accusation, is truly too damaging."

Ding Duchess subconsciously restrained the expression on her face. Sun Yi Lin's smile grew even more gentle. For some reason, Ding Duchess felt her own son was somewhat scary.

"Mother, just now, you asked me 'why'. I'll tell you right now, it's because I've fallen for the Luo family's third miss. While I still had a bit of time, I wanted to get close with her as much as possible. Let me guess, are you saying to yourself again that Luo third miss, as expect, isn't something good, clearly just using Yi Jia as a springboard, and wanting to seduce me is actually her real motive, right?" Seeing her unpredictable expression changing, Sun Yi Lin smiled very helplessly, "And only you treat your son like a treasure, perhaps in other people's hearts, I'm just a blade of grass."

"My son is this outstanding, no matter which family's daughter fancies, isn't it all very normal?"

"Yes, that's why even if Luo third miss fancies me, it's also very normal. Even if she wants to approach me through younger sister, it is also within reason. Unfortunately, the only impression I've given her is probably just her good friend's older brother. Is mother perhaps thinking again, 'Who does she think she is, for what reason would she not fancy my son'?"

Having her thoughts seen through again and again, Ding Duchess's face went pale.

[1] White-eyed wolf - Describes someone who is an ingrate or ungrateful; an example would be like a thief stealing from someone that had helped him

T/N: Sometimes when I read the comments I can't tell if some people are just bad at guessing the plot, or too poisoned by cliche cnovel troupes that this novel's fairly realistic logic is just throwing people off lol.