Suiyan is waiting for your return - Chapter 5

Pushing open the courtyard gate, the small boy she had seen yesterday was still kneeling in the same spot.

Yunxi’s heart tightened. She waved her hand and signaled for the maid to call the little fellow over.

“Are you Shen Fang?” She looked down at the boy, who appeared frail and thin, with reddened eyes.

The boy nodded vigorously. Looking at Yunxi in her bright red festive attire, tears welled up in his eyes as he realized that if Yunxi left the National Defense Mansion, he would lose all hope of being adopted; he wasn’t naive.

“Find a reason to persuade me.” Since the memorial hall was set up, various relatives had brought their chosen heirs to kneel, but in the end, only this child remained. She doubted this persistence would be enough to move Yunxi.

“Without me, my brother is the real legitimate child.” The boy lowered his head in some frustration. His stepmother didn’t treat him poorly, but not well either. Although his father was busy, he would occasionally take the time to ask about his studies. Even his deceased mother had an altar for offerings; he liked the idea of having a family.

Similar to what Yunxi had learned about his situation, she nodded, “Is there anything else?”

The boy bit his lip and looked at her bravely. “Money. I need a lot of money. My grandmother is ill, and our family owes too much. My mother’s dowry has already been spent.” Life was indeed hard; after hearing the news of the National Defense Mansion’s demise, his stepmother secretly saved a little money from her family and brought him to the capital through great difficulty.

Shen Yunxi believed him a little. In this boy, she saw a stubbornness that felt strangely familiar.

The autumn sun shone on her face; it was warm, yet it inexplicably made Yunxi feel a chill creeping in. She remembered Cheng Haojin’s determined eyes when he left; her time was indeed running short.

“Do you hate it?” She bent down and touched the head of the child named Shen Fang.

He was a bit surprised but shook his head firmly, tears rolling down his cheeks.

“Why not?” What could such a young boy understand about their impoverished circumstances? As for his father wanting to stop this, nearly three months of time was enough to come to Kyoto several times.

“Because…” the

Shen Yunxi rarely softened her heart. Between people, there is generally some connection or fate, and she couldn’t refuse those eyes.

“If you call me ‘Eldest Sister,’ then you and them won’t be a family anymore. Is that okay?” Being sentimental is a heavy burden, but sometimes it can also become a person’s soft spot.

The little boy calmly took off his backpack and pulled out a wooden plaque from inside. “Can I honor my mother at the temple?”

Yunxi noticed that the plaque was old and worn, but this family still cherished it.

Seeing her nod, Shen Fang didn’t hesitate to call her, “Eldest Sister.”

Yunxi teased him intentionally, “When I get married today, you will live alone in the Protectorate Mansion, won’t you be scared?”

“I’m not scared!” Shen Fang straightened up, holding Yunxi as they walked outside. “Eldest Sister, don’t worry! As long as the Protectorate Mansion stands, Shen Fang will stand! If the Protectorate Mansion falls, Shen Fang will fall!”

The words spoken by a nine-year-old child sounded like a joke to Yunxi, but she was pleased with his spirit; he truly had the blood of the Shen family flowing in him.

“Do you know who I’m marrying?” Along a long path, Yunxi engaged Shen Fang in conversation, “He’s really impressive. As soon as he stepped into the Protectorate Mansion, he had all the servants tied up and sent to prison. No one can come in; the music and laughter have stopped. Listen, how quiet it is around us.”

Shen Fang didn’t know who the groom was, but he could sense the disdain behind Yunxi’s words. He looked up seriously and said, “Eldest Sister, even though today you are forced to lower yourself, our days are long ahead. The key to the Protectorate Mansion will always be in your hands.”

Yunxi was particularly pleased with his cleverness. She smiled and said, “Good boy, grow up quickly. In the days to come, Eldest Sister will be relying on you!”

Shen Fang stared at her, feeling an indescribable closeness. “Eldest Sister, don’t be afraid, I will grow up soon.”

Yunxi couldn’t help but chuckle as she reached out to pinch his cheek. “Good boy, Eldest Sister trusts you.”

His little tearful eyes turned watery once