activa-t Chapter 11: My sister is 3 years older than you, but she's very caring.
Chapter 11: My sister is 3 years older than you, but she's very caring.
Dengzhou, the residence of the Prince of Kaoshan.
Yang Yu'er disguised herself as a man and went to the military camp yesterday, and rushed back to the city early this morning.
She had just received news that Lü Xiao had won the martial arts competition and was returning to the palace with his adoptive father and his entourage.
Before long, a steady but slightly hesitant sound of footsteps came from outside the mansion gate.
Yang Lin, his face glowing, entered the main hall in a procession, surrounded by his adopted sons, exuding an imposing aura.
"Yu'er." Yang Lin's smile deepened when he saw his daughter, and he pointed to the exceptionally tall young man beside him.
"This is your fourteenth brother. From now on, he will also be your future husband."
He was truly happy today; the last time he was this joyful was when he accepted Qin Qiong as his adopted son.
"Hello, Sister Yu'er."
When Lü Xiao saw this princess again, who possessed both heroic spirit and beauty, he couldn't help but become more reserved in his words and actions.
How to put it? A marriage that falls from the sky is never as natural as a childhood sweetheart.
"Greetings, Fourteenth Brother."
Yang Yu'er looked up and sized up Lü Xiao.
Although he was a few years younger than her, he was tall and straight, with a hint of heroism between his brows.
Moreover, her slightly flustered appearance at this moment made her seem even more obedient.
I couldn't help but feel a little fondness for it.
They're still a bit young, but they'll grow up eventually.
"Godfather," Second Protector Xue Liang interjected with a smile.
"Now that you have such an outstanding fourteenth brother as Zilie, you won't be thinking about Qin Qiong every day anymore, will you?"
Upon hearing this, Yang Lin's smile faded slightly, and he raised his hand to wave, indicating that he didn't need to say anything more.
Today should be a joyous occasion, but this second son just had to bring up the very thing he didn't want to talk about.
"Speaking of Qin Qiong, his attitude suddenly changed that day, and he left resolutely. Was there really some misunderstanding that we don't know about?"
Huang Kun, the Ninth Protector, pondered for a moment before speaking.
These words piqued Yang Lin's interest.
Perhaps... there really is a misunderstanding?
Yes, it must be Qin Qiong's friends in the bandit world who dragged him into it.
Qin Qiong was a man of great loyalty and righteousness, and he only went to Wagang because he had no other choice.
Thinking about it this way, the thorn in my heart seemed to loosen a little.
"There was indeed a misunderstanding."
When Lü Xiao thought of Qin Qiong's background, he hesitated, unsure whether he should tell the story.
"So there really was a misunderstanding?" Yang Lin's eyes lit up, and he leaned forward excitedly.
"Quick! Zi Lie, tell me about it!"
He immediately felt that his backache and leg pain had disappeared, and even his heartbeat quickened.
"Your Majesty," Lü Xiao said slowly, choosing his words carefully, "did you...did you kill Qin Yi, the great general of Northern Qi, on the battlefield back then?"
Yang Lin was taken aback, then nodded: "That's right, Qin Yi was a fierce general of Northern Qi, and I did indeed kill him."
Lu Xiao paused for a moment, then said in a low voice.
"That Qin Qiong is Qin Yi's biological son."
His previous acknowledgment of you as his godfather was probably a genuine misunderstanding.
Now that the misunderstanding has been cleared up, all he wants is revenge on you.
"Um?"
"what?"
"What?!"
These words shocked everyone in the room.
The group of gangsters looked at each other, almost unable to believe their ears.
real or fake?
Qin Qiong was actually the son of Qin Yi?
Qin Yi died at the hands of his adoptive father, Yang Lin!
The adoptive father also wants to adopt the son of his enemy as his own?
This is more than absurd; it's downright... anti-heaven!
Yang Lin was struck dumb, frozen on the spot, unable to recover for a long time.
At that moment, countless images flashed through his mind.
The complex and indescribable look in Qin Qiong's eyes when he first met him did not conceal awe, but rather a deep-seated hatred!
He even secretly admired himself at the time, believing that this was the kind of killing intent a military general should have.
Looking back now, I wish I could slap myself!
"If what Fourteenth Brother said is true," Xue Liang said, seeing everyone speechless, trying to say something to ease the dead silence.
"Wouldn't Qin Qiong's previous recognition of his adoptive father be tantamount to... recognizing a thief as his father?"
"Pfft!" Yang Lin suddenly exhaled a breath of turbid air, his face instantly turned red, his body swayed, and he fell straight backward.
"Second brother! What nonsense are you spouting!"
With quick reflexes, Grandma Paul Fang caught Yang Lin and turned to glare angrily at Xue Liang.
"It's my fault, it's all my fault for being so talkative..." Lu Xiao hadn't expected Yang Lin to react so strongly.
His original intention was simply to let Yang Lin recognize Qin Qiong's true stance as soon as possible, so as to avoid making unnecessary concerns.
After all, being a simp... never ends well.
"No, it's not your fault." Yang Lin leaned back in his chair, looking as if he had aged considerably in an instant.
If word gets out that he adopted the son of his enemy, his reputation as the Prince of Kao Shan will be ruined!
"Godfather, please don't worry," Xue Liang said, turning his eyes around and offering a different kind of comfort.
"At least... at least our fourteenth brother isn't the son of your enemy, right, fourteenth brother?"
He looked at Lü Xiao, desperately trying to signal him with his eyes.
"Ah, yes, yes, yes," Lü Xiao nodded quickly, "My ancestors were from the Lü family during the late Eastern Han Dynasty. We had no family feud with the Sui Dynasty royal family or Your Majesty."
"The Lü family?" Xue Liang feigned sudden realization. "Could they be descendants of Lü Bu, Lü Fengxian?"
"To be honest," Lü Xiao said frankly, "my branch of the family traces back to Lü Tan, the son of our ancestor Lü Bu."
Hearing this, everyone felt somewhat relieved.
As long as he's not the son of an enemy, that's fine.
"Godfather, look!" Xue Liang stepped forward and gently patted Yang Lin's back. "Now you can rest assured."
"Although the fourteenth son's ancestors were known for their treachery towards our adoptive father, they had no grudge against our Yang family!"
"Shut up! If you can't speak properly, then shut up!"
Yang Lin caught his breath and glared at Xue Liang with annoyance.
He then turned to Lü Xiao, his tone softening.
"Zilie, your second brother has always been outspoken and likes to joke, so don't take it to heart."
"Hehe, Fourteenth Brother, Second Brother's mouth just won't stay shut, he deserves a beating!"
As Xue Liang spoke, he actually raised his hand and slapped himself hard across the face.
"This... Second Brother, I'm so sorry." Lu Xiao felt a little bad seeing how hard he had hit him.
Yang Lin ignored them and turned to give his daughter a solemn instruction.
"Yu'er, you should also go and make proper preparations for the wedding."
"You older brothers, get moving! Hurry up and arrange this grand wedding! Within three days, you must get Zilie... into the bridal chamber as quickly as possible!"
Qin Qiong's betrayal and the truth left Yang Lin deeply troubled, even to the point of being overly suspicious.
He was afraid that if he wasn't careful, this outstanding fourteenth son might also undergo some change and leave him.
Only by completing the marriage as soon as possible, and creating an unbreakable bond between Lü Xiao and the Prince's Mansion, and between him and Yu'er, could he truly feel at ease.
"Godfather! You really are..."
Upon hearing such a straightforward and urgent arrangement, Yang Yu'er blushed instantly, even her ears turning crimson.
She glanced at the tall but somewhat bewildered Lü Xiao beside her, took the initiative to reach out and gently grasp his wrist, then turned and walked behind the screen on the side of the hall.
"Sister Yu'er..." Lu Xiao knew that the marriage was already arranged.
But the sudden acceleration and Yang Yu'er's bold actions still caught him off guard for a moment.
The light behind the screen was slightly dimmer, adding to the sense of privacy.
Yang Yu'er stopped, turned around, and looked up at Lü Xiao. Her shyness had faded, replaced by a sense of composure and determination.
"Zilie," her voice was soft yet incredibly clear, "your godfather... truly values you, so please stay here with peace of mind."
She paused, her cheeks slightly flushed, but her words continued:
"I am three years older than you, but I am a caring older sister and I will never let you suffer any injustice."
The gentleness and sense of responsibility in those words gave Lü Xiao a slight jolt.