Lan Yuxi’s hand, holding the chopsticks, paused slightly, then she smiled faintly, “If he didn’t protect his mother, he wouldn’t be himself.”
A sharp glint flashed in Lan Mushang’s eyes, “Tigers also have their slumbering moments. I don’t believe he can stay by that old woman’s side every single day!”
Lan Yuxi grabbed his hand, “Brother, absolutely do not do anything foolish! This is Hua Guo, not Nokas.”
Lan Mushang stared at her intently, “So, we just let that old woman off the hook? You just cured her son, and she’s backstabbing you. If she finds out you want to open a traditional Chinese medicine college, who knows what obstacles she’ll put in your way!”
Lan Yuxi looked at the bright red soup base in her bowl, her eyes stinging from the steam.
“What can we do if we don’t pursue it? She is the person Nan Xiao cares about the most. If I hurt her, Nan Xiao will never forgive me in this lifetime.”
Lan Mushang appraised her from head to toe with a probing gaze, “You care a lot about Nan Xiao?”
Lan Yuxi exhaled softly. More than just caring!
But she absolutely couldn’t say this to her elder brother.
Her family always spoke of the Nan family with gritted teeth, and her relationship with Nan Xiao was too awkward. Before things were clear between them, she wouldn’t dare reveal her hidden feelings, not even if she were beaten to death.
“Without him, I wouldn’t be alive today.”
“What you owed him was already repaid when you cured him.”
“What I owe him is far more than just a life.”
Lan Mushang looked at her with great concern, “Xi’er, Nan Xiao is a dangerous person. Stay away from him in the future… Although he has protected you quite a bit these past two times, if he had to choose between you and his family, he would definitely choose his family.”
Lan Yuxi nodded, “I know. That’s why I only smashed his car, instead of directly beating up his mother.”
“Speaking of the car, I need to contact the manufacturer and order him the same model.”
“No need. If you give him the car, he’ll be even angrier.”
“That’s precisely the point! My sister is in a bad mood, how can I let him have a good time?”
Lan Mushang thought of Nan Xiao’s dark expression when he was being showered with money, and with a wicked smile, he made the call.
Knowing she couldn’t stop him, Lan Yuxi stopped trying and went to the kitchen to get another bowl of spicy hot pot.
Whenever she was in a bad mood, she would eat several bowls. She liked that feeling of her pores bursting open.
She had only taken two bites of this bowl when she heard the butler talking to someone.
“Huh? Sir, how did you get in?”
“Of course, I climbed over the wall. My senior sister… oh, that is, is Lan Yuxi home?”
Lan Yuxi’s mouth twitched. This Luo Shi Yi, he’s always been like this since childhood, never using a door when he could just climb walls.
She looked up at the person who had walked in, “Why are you here?”
“Master sent me to bring people to protect you.” Luo Shi Yi glanced warily at Lan Mushang, who was smiling at him, then took the chopsticks from Lan Yuxi’s hand, “Who is this person…”
Lan Yuxi pushed the bowl towards him, “My elder brother.”
Luo Shi Yi withdrew his suspicion and smiled, nodding at Lan Mushang, “Greetings, Elder Brother. I am Luo Shi Yi. It’s been four years since my senior sister found her family, and I didn’t expect we’d meet in person today.”
Lan Mushang chuckled helplessly, “We found Xi’er, but she still refuses to acknowledge her ancestors and return to the family. Not only that, but she also doesn’t want us to interfere with her life, especially not to bother Master Hong and you all. So, for so many years, we haven’t dared to trouble you in Hua Guo.”
As he spoke, Lan Mushang gestured for him to sit.
Luo Shi Yi made himself comfortable, and as he ate, he said, “My senior sister must have her reasons for acting this way. We just need to support her.”
Looking at her junior brother who unconditionally supported her, Lan Yuxi smiled and patted his shoulder.
“Senior Sister, tomorrow or the day after, the other senior brothers will return successively. Master told me to inform you that with us around, you can walk sideways in the capital from now on. Otherwise, you might as well not be our senior sister and just become our junior sister!”
Lan Yuxi’s heart warmed, and she curved her lips into a smile, “I thought he, the elder, wanted to expel me from the sect. Turns out, he just wants to demote me to junior sister.”
Luo Shi Yi pouted, “If you become a junior sister, can you bear the shame?”
“As long as I’m still in Hongmen, there’s no shame,” Lan Yuxi saw him sticking out his tongue, red from the spice, and poured him a glass of water,
“When they return, we’ll have a good gathering, and then we’ll disperse. And you, go back after you finish your spicy hot pot. I’m not a child, I don’t need protection.”
Luo Shi Yi grumpily put down his chopsticks, “I’m not leaving anyway! You can’t possibly defeat that old woman alone.”
Lan Yuxi narrowed her eyes, “It’s not that I can’t defeat her, but that I cannot touch her. However, I can deal with her pawns. If she comes once, I’ll break one of her claws, and the pain will kill her!”
“But…”
“No buts. I am your senior sister, and you must listen to what I say!” Lan Yuxi glanced at the porcelain bowl, which was now only filled with broth, “Do you want more? There’s still some in the kitchen.”
“Hmph!” Luo Shi Yi huffed and went into the kitchen.
Lan Mushang smiled as he watched his retreating back, “I remember you said Shi Yi is a year older than you, but he seems more childish than you.”
“Master dotes on him!” After saying that, Lan Yuxi herself started to laugh.
In Hongmen, if anyone was considered doted upon, she would be second to none. Yet, she always liked to act spoiled, always pestering Master, accusing him of favoritism towards Shi Yi.
“Ding dong…”
The doorbell rang at the entrance. The butler looked at Lan Yuxi, and upon receiving her nod, he quickly went to open the door.
A moment later, ten Hongmen disciples, all dressed uniformly, entered the hall with the butler.
“Senior Aunt,” the ten disciples clasped their fists and called out to Lan Yuxi in unison.
Lan Yuxi merely glanced at them and immediately saw something amiss, “Did you get into a fight?”
One disciple replied, “It was messy outside. Uncle Shi Yi told us to clear them out.”
Lan Mushang raised his eyebrows and looked at Lan Yuxi.
Lan Yuxi pursed her lips, “Nan Xiao’s people.”
She had known for a while that there were people outside, but she hadn’t known if they were there to protect her or to monitor her.
“Not entirely. There are also An family bodyguards,” the disciple added, “When we arrived, those two groups were already fighting.”
A mischievous glint flashed in Lan Mushang’s eyes, “If I recall correctly, the An family is that old woman’s maternal family, right?”
Lan Yuxi furrowed her brow and gave a soft “Mm.”
Nan Xiao’s people fighting with the old woman’s people… This didn’t quite seem like him.
In the evening, Nan Xiao had just signed the last document when Nan Xiangdong rushed in.
“Boss, Madam has called. She said the Old Madam fainted on the mountain.”
Nan Xiao suddenly stood up, then sat back down a moment later.
“Call Huo Ding and have him bring an ambulance to take a look.”
Nan Xiangdong hesitated for a moment but still made the call.
Nan Xiao tapped the desk with his pen, and only after Nan Xiangdong hung up did he speak, “You go along and see as well.”
“…Boss, I think it would be better if you went in person.”