Cousin, You’re So Kind

A strand of black hair that hung by her cheek was sliced off by the sword. Yu Youyao thought that she was dead meat for sure. But to her surprise, she was still standing fine after waiting a few moments. The pain and death she had expected did not happen.

Yu Youyao was petrified. She carefully opened her eyes a crack, but saw that there was no one in front of her, as if everything that had happened was just her imagination.

…

She felt unsure, but slowly opened her eyes more. Still, she did not see anyone.

‘Did the man in black leave?’

Earlier, she had clearly sensed that the man had wanted to silence her.

‘Why did he end up not killing her?’

Or was it because she had shouted too loudly earlier, and he was worried that it would alarm the others in the temple, so he chose not to kill her and to flee instead?

She heard the rattle of wheels. It was her cousin approaching.

Yu Youyao panicked and her half-opened eyes quickly closed shut again. “C-cousin, I just got here…”

In other words, she had seen and heard nothing.

Zhou Linghuai’s eyes looked menacing as he looked at her. Her small body was trembling like a flower, and her eyes were tightly shut, with her thick and long eyelashes fluttering lightly.

She felt fear and anxiety coursing through her entire body, but she tried her best to look innocent and clueless, as if she really didn’t know anything.

Survival instincts were really amazing.

When she did not hear a reply from her cousin, Yu Youyao felt so flustered that she was about to cry. “C-cousin…”

Her voice was sweet and pitiful, like a small animal that was weak, helpless, and posed no threat. Zhou Linghuai suddenly thought of the day that he entered the Yu Residence. This little girl was just like a ball of pink fluffiness, calling him, “Cousin,” with a smile. Her eyes were clear as crystal, but were filled with curiosity towards him. Her chubby little hand gently tugged on his sleeve, wanting to get close to him. Furthermore, she redid the entire courtyard because she had accidentally pushed him against the gate and made him fall from his wheelchair.

She even sent him a stack of supplements daily.

At first, he had thought that they were just some common supplements, not thinking too much of it. However, after a few tries, he vaguely noticed that every time he finished the supplement, his entire body felt comfortable, while his numbed legs felt slightly hot. Although the effect was slight and would not be noticed easily, he was always sharp and cautious. Naturally, he noticed the difference.

Uncle Sun said that this was a medicinal cuisine that was extremely beneficial to him, but unfortunately, he couldn’t manage to find out what the secret medicinal ingredient in it was.

Thinking of this, Zhou Linghuai chuckled without realizing. “Cousin, there’s only you and me here. You can open your eyes now.”

“C-cousin, you…” Yu Youyou stammered. She could not even speak properly. She carefully opened her eyes. “Y-you’re not angry with me? I just…” She suddenly covered her mouth and looked at Zhou Linghuai anxiously. Her big eyes started welling up. They were black and bright, and looked pitiful.

Zhou Linghuai looked puzzled. “Didn’t you say that you just reached a moment ago?”

Yu Youyao’s eyes lit up and she nodded. “Yes, yes, yes. I was just passing by and saw that the apricot flowers here were blooming beautifully. I wanted to break off a branch and return to the residence to make a sachet for you to carry around.” She did not know about anything else.

Her eyes were clean and bright. Even though she was afraid, she did not show it. When she said that she wanted to collect some apricot flowers to make a sachet for him, she was speaking the truth.

Seeing that she didn’t forget about bringing him a gift even when she was out, the remaining coldness in Zhou Linghuai’s eyes melted away.

Yu Youyao, who was carefully stealing glances at her cousin, saw that the coldness on her cousin’s face was melting like snow, revealing a thin and sallow appearance, just like how he usually looked in the mansion previously.

Yu Youyao heaved a sigh of relief and ran over. She squatted beside her cousin and looked up at him. “Cousin, apricot flowers are my favorite. Do you like them too?!”

Zhou Linghuai’s gaze landed on the crown of her head. He raised his hand and placed it on her hair.

Yu Youyao blinked at her cousin and tilted her head in confusion.

“There are petals in your hair.” Zhou Linghuai took a faded, snow-white petal from the top of her head and kept it into his palm.

She had seen through her cousin’s secret, yet he hadn’t hurt her. Yu Youyao’s eyes curved into crescents as she smiled widely. “Cousin, you’re so kind.”

Kind? She probably wasn’t aware that she had just walked through the gates of hell a moment ago. Zhou Linghuai was stunned for a moment. “Why are you walking around the temple alone? Where are your maidservants?”

Yu Youyao pointed at the other side of the area. “I wanted to pick the flowers myself, so I asked Chun Xiao and Dong Mei to keep watch for me.”

Zhou Linghuai said calmly, “There are many people entering the Precious Peace Temple to offer incense today. It’s full of strangers, so don’t wander about. Keep the servant girls by your side.”

Yu Youyao’s eyes sparkled as she nodded. “Got it, Cousin.”

Zhou Linghuai raised his head. A spring apricot branch extended above him and has bloomed beautifully. He reached out and broke the branch, handing it to her. “Go back!”

“Thank you, Cousin.” Yu Youyao held the flowers in her hand and turned to run. As if she had thought of something, she turned back and ran to Zhou Linghuai. She whispered, “Cousin, I won’t tell anyone that I saw you at here at Precious Peace Temple.”

With that, she turned and ran off once again.

There was a hint of a smile on Zhou Linghuai’s lips as he watched her take the flowers and leave with her two maidservants until they were out of sight.

At this moment, the man in black who had been hiding himself reappeared and said disapprovingly, “Lord, are you letting her off just like that? There are many kinds of people coming and going in the Precious Peace Temple today, and this place is quiet and deserted. Even if we had pushed her into the lake…”

“Do my words need to be questioned?” Without looking up, Zhou Linghuai picked up Guiguzi, which had been resting on his lap, and flipped to the page he had been at earlier.

His clear, direct reply was intimidating. The man in black lowered his head and shut his mouth, not daring to say anything else.

After a while, as Zhou Linghuai turned another page of the book, he warned, “Don’t touch her. I think you understand what I mean.”

The man in black was shocked and looked at Zhou Linghuai hesitantly. After a while, he said reluctantly, “Understood!”

What Lord meant was that he was not allowed to attack Yu Youyao, nor was he allowed to let others attack her secretly. Master had only stayed in the Yu Residence for a few days. Why was he already so protective of Yu Youyao?

He simply could not understand.

“Young Lord, you rushed for a sudden visit into the capital, so should we…” The man in black grabbed the sword hilt at his waist, his tone revealing a strong surge of emotions.

“There’s no hurry!” Zhou Linghuai stopped him before he could even finish his question.

The man in black looked disappointed and said anxiously, “Young Lord, we’ve been waiting for three years. You can finally be king.” Perhaps realizing that he had misspoken, the man in black suddenly paused, before he continued speaking normally. “To avenge Old Master and Madam, now is the best time. Why are we still waiting?”

“I know best about what to do for revenge.” Zhou Linghuai stared at the man in black coldly.