Chapter 88 - 41: Picture Scroll, Part 2

Chapter 88: Chapter 41: Picture Scroll, Part 2

Not far away, beams of light cast shifting patterns before the window. They danced in the warm breeze like a leaf falling onto a placid lake, sending ripples spreading across its mirrored surface.

The wind whispered and the summer heat rose. Time itself seemed to dissolve in these moments, like a drop of ink spreading through clear water. It was as fleeting as a shooting star, yet it left behind a bold and vibrant mark.

’This is exactly what I want to protect,’ Fang Rui thought, his gaze softening as he took it all in.

"Brother Rui, it’s time to eat!"

"Alright, coming!"

Fang Rui called back with a smile and headed out.

...

Fang Rui helped Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family and Third Lady serve the food. Fang Ling grabbed the chopsticks, and Nannan went to arrange the stools.

One dish after another was brought to the table.

Stir-fried mushrooms with cured meat, fried bean sprouts, a large bowl of steamed egg custard with chicken, a large basin of cornbread buns, and several bowls of cornmeal porridge...

On the dark, old table, steam billowed and mingled from the bowls and platters of food—some fresh from the wok, others that had been covered to keep warm. The hot, white vapor carried a rich, mouth-watering aroma that filled the entire little room.

"Wow, another feast! Mother, are Nannan and Third Sister eating with us?" Fang Ling asked Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family.

"We’ll all eat together from now on. We’re one family now. Nannan is your little sister, so you have to take care of her, alright?" asked Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family.

"Yay!"

Fang Ling clapped her hands, thrilled that her playmate Nannan was now her sister. She pulled Nannan by the hand, and they sat down happily side by side.

"It’s easy to be happy when you’re playing well together now, but if you two argue in the future, you are not allowed to say things like ’Nannan should go back to her own home.’ Do you understand?"

Fang Rui gently tapped the little girl on the forehead, adding, "We are a real family."

’Third Lady didn’t want an official title, and he couldn’t give her one anyway. But he would never wrong her in any other way. He would keep his promises.’

’Having lived two lives, Fang Rui was no reckless youth who only sought a moment’s pleasure, one to pull on his pants and forget every word he’d said. He would honor his vows through his everyday actions.’

’For Fang Rui, it was simple: if you don’t do it, you don’t do it. But if you do, you take responsibility. That was the code of a mature man.’

"I’ll remember," Fang Ling said, nodding seriously.

Seeing this, Third Lady was touched by Fang Rui’s thoughtfulness. He even considered the psychological effect on a child. It showed he truly took his promises to her to heart.

’Brother Rui doesn’t act like a boy of fifteen or sixteen at all,’ she thought.

Third Lady had guessed right.

Fang Rui looked sixteen or seventeen, but including his past life, his mental age was actually a bit older than hers. He possessed a complete worldview and philosophy on life, which was why they were so comfortable with each other.

Of course, if he hadn’t been this way, he never would have been able to move Third Lady, to make her fall for him so quietly and completely, entrusting her entire future to him in an all-or-nothing gamble.

"Third Sister, it’s what I ought to do."

Fang Rui met Third Lady’s affectionate gaze with a smile and gently patted her hand under the table.

Third Lady trembled, and a blush like a soft cloud drifting from a mountain peak colored her fair cheeks. She quickly tried to hide her reaction by turning to Nannan. "Nannan, from now on, Brother Ah Rui and Ling’er are your older brother and sister. You must listen to them just as you listen to me. Do you understand?"

"Mhm, Nannan will be very good."

Nannan didn’t quite understand how they had suddenly become a family, but she wasn’t opposed to having a new brother and sister. In fact, she quite liked them.

Besides...

She knew her mother had been very happy last night and today, smiling far more than she used to. She also knew her mother wanted her to get along with Fang Ling.

Nannan would naturally do what her mother wished; if her mother was happy, then she was happy too.

Fang Rui had keenly picked up on these details last night when the three of them—he, Fang Ling, and Nannan—had shared a room.

’It’s not that Nannan is deliberately trying to suck up to Fang Ling,’ he mused. ’It’s more that she’s aware of Third Sister’s hopes, and feels the subtle pressure of being a guest in someone else’s home. It makes her give in to Fang Ling a little...’

’The girl inherited Third Sister’s cleverness. Growing up in her previous environment made her mature early. Compared to Fang Ling, she’s definitely more thoughtful.’

Fang Rui hadn’t forgotten how this little girl had once tried to bribe him with a meal to get him to treat Third Lady’s illness.

’But the little girl has a good heart. And no matter what, she’s still just a child, about the same age as Fang Ling!’

His gaze softened with affection as he gently stroked Nannan’s head. "Good girl, Nannan."

"Alright, let’s all eat."

Fang Rui served everyone, putting food on their plates. First Nannan and Fang Ling, then Third Lady and Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family. He went from youngest to oldest, serving the guests before the hosts.

’Even though they were one family now, he knew Third Lady and Nannan wouldn’t be able to change their mindset overnight. They were still half-guests, in a way, and naturally needed to be looked after with extra care.’

Just as he had promised, barring any unavoidable circumstances, he would treat Third Lady and Nannan just as he treated Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family and Fang Ling.

"Wow! This is delicious! And this is delicious, too!" Fang Ling’s little face was a picture of contentment.

Nannan was quieter, but her big eyes curved into crescent moons. The food was indeed wonderful and fragrant, even better than what she used to eat at home.

Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family and Third Lady said nothing, but Fang Rui could sense their quiet pleasure and enjoyment.

After all, a yearning for delicious food is only human.

And so, lunch passed by in a lighthearted atmosphere of laughter and cheerful chatter.

...

「In the afternoon.」

Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family was sewing clothes under the eaves of the corridor.

Fang Rui asked, puzzled, "Mother, didn’t you already finish sewing clothes for me and Fang Ling? Is this... Oh!"

He figured it out before he could finish his sentence. "Is it for Third Sister and Nannan?!"

"Mhm."

Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family bit the thread off with her teeth and grunted in confirmation, shooting Fang Rui a look. "Isn’t this all your doing? That girl is following you without any official status. How could I play favorites and not make something for her and Nannan?"

COUGH, COUGH.

Fang Rui coughed awkwardly. "Thank you, Mother."

"Auntie, let me help!"

Third Lady called out as she came from the kitchen, still wearing an apron.

Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family had wanted to wash the dishes, but Third Lady had been faster and taken care of them herself.

Third Lady was extremely clever. She understood people and the ways of the world, and she was diligent and deft with her hands. After spending just half a day together, there was no longer any awkwardness between her and Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family.

It gave Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family the feeling that she was already getting along with her daughter-in-law. More than once, she found herself thinking with a sigh of regret: ’If only Third Lady were a bit younger, an unmarried maiden with no child of her own, she would be a perfect match for Fang Rui.’

"Mother, you stay seated. I’ll take Third Sister to get some needle and thread!"

Once inside, Fang Rui came up behind Third Lady and untied her apron. He pulled her into an embrace, wrapping his arms around her slender waist and inhaling her light, orchid-like scent.

"Brother Rui, not here... Auntie is waiting!" Third Lady whispered, her fair earlobes turning a brilliant, jewel-like red.

"Third Sister, how could I be so improper?"

Fang Rui still had that much self-control.

"It’s just... Third Sister, tell me the truth. Do you want to...?"

"I... I..."

Third Lady was too shy to speak, but the thought of Fang Rui’s thoughtfulness and affection moved her. Her heart filled with adoration, she mustered her courage and answered in a voice as faint as the buzzing of a fly, "I do..."

Those two simple words stirred his heart more than the most eloquent declaration of love, and a fire ignited within him.

If this weren’t the wrong place and time, he would have...

HUFF.

Fang Rui drew closer to Third Lady, burying his face in the cascade of her dark hair and taking a long, deep breath. He then planted a quick kiss on her cheek before finally helping her find the needle and thread.

The two of them went back outside.

A faint blush, like the afterglow of a sunset, still lingered on Third Lady’s face.

Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family’s expression didn’t change, but the moment she turned her head, she shot Fang Rui a sharp, knowing look.

COUGH, COUGH... "Ling’er, Nannan, come here. I’ll tell you a story."

"Brother, you’re the best!"

"We’re coming!"

...

Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family and Third Lady did their needlework, making small talk about everyday matters.

Fang Rui told stories to the two little girls, Fang Ling and Nannan.

At some point, Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family and Third Lady stopped their own conversation, both listening intently to the story.

Oh, the afternoon hours. Like the rings of an old tree, they seemed to spread out, one by one, through the years. The dappled, shifting motes of light by the window were like the faded, yellowed background of an ancient scroll slowly being unfurled.

Time flowed on, like a river.

...