Chapter 440: 440. The only sister

Translator: 549690339

Qiao Jing decided to stay by the sea to search for the missing person from Xingluo Island, arranging for Lian Shun and Ying Ying to escort the three children who had been taken hostage back home.

Lian Shun knew Qiao Jing was deliberately setting him up with Ying Ying, so when he left, he made a gesture to Qiao Jing behind Ying Ying’s back: Thanks, bro!

Qiao Jing gave a faint smile, watching Lian Shun and Ying Ying leaving. He turned his gaze back to the boundless ocean. Thanks to Lian Shun’s quick thinking today, otherwise, the situation would have reverted to the state before he and Gu Ling went to Xingluo Island to rescue people–a total mess. Whatever the case, he and Lian Shun had been good friends for many years, so the mutual understanding was still there.

They tightened their defenses along the coastline, expanding the search area, ready to terminate the person as soon as they reappeared. Despite them being very strong, they were still human. In the endless sea with no boat or even drifting wood to rest, and the nearest island far out of their reach, they would soon exhaust their strength. Either they would drown, or they would come ashore before their strength ran out.

Qiao Jing hoped the person was afraid of dying and would return to the shore. At that time, in order to survive, perhaps they could reveal some useful information.

But they waited until the setting sun stained the sea red, and there were still no signs of the person.

Qiao Jing dispatched ships to search and salvage in the nearby sea area. As he anticipated, a body floated to the surface by dusk.

Meanwhile, Lian Shun and Ying Ying took the three children home.

The children had been given sedatives earlier, and although they didn’t know how perilous the escapade had been, they were still terrified. One was holding Ying Ying and crying for mom, one dived into Lian Shun’s arms calling for dad, and one just sat blankly, with one hand held by each Lian Shun and Ying Ying.

Lian Shun and Ying Ying exchanged a look, both seeing the awkwardness in each other’s eyes, inexplicably feeling like they were an old couple with three kids…

Ying Ying felt lost dealing with small children. Although her younger brother Ying Ye was a child in her eyes, he was not as small as the one she was currently holding due to his immaturity.

Lian Shun, on the other hand, was very good at handling this situation, and with his affable personality, he quickly pacified the child in his arms, before proceeding to comfort the other two.

Once all three children had calmed down and stopped crying, Lian Shun began performing magic tricks for the children.

The space in the carriage wasn’t very large, Ying Ying was sitting on one side, holding the three children, and Lian Shun was on the other side, cheerfully saying, “Now, is the moment to witness a miracle.”

Ying Ying chuckled and then immediately regained her serious expression, “I am looking forward to it.”

Then, Lian Shun reached out a hand to Ying Ying. There was nothing in his hand.

All three children stared wide-eyed as Lian Shun’s hand moved closer and closer to Ying Ying’s face, one of them innocently asked, “Uncle Lian, are you going to touch aunty Ying?”

Seeing Ying Ying frown, Lian Shun maintained his smile, “Don’t move.”

Then, Lian Shun waved his hand behind Ying Ying’s ear, and when he brought it back out, a copper coin had appeared between his index and middle finger.

Ying Ying was stunned, as were the children. They were all completely clueless as to where the copper coin had come from. One of the children even leaned closer to Ying Ying’s ear to see if there were more copper coins hidden in her hair.

Ying Ying found nothing, but she knew that the copper coin must have been Lian Shun’s own, always in his hand, just a little trick as a blindfold. Similar to the time by the sea where everyone saw Lian Shun take the enemy’s sedatives, but he had secretly replaced the medicine where no one could see. Waiting till Ying Ying had fainted from the sedatives, only then did he imitate her reaction, without showing any flaws, breaking their scheme.

If Lian Shun had suddenly performed this little magic trick in front of Ying Ying for no reason, she might have found it boring and wanted to hit him. But today, this little trick had saved them, and so, Ying Ying found this skill of Lian Shun’s quite practical and adorable.

The children loved it, all praising Uncle Lian for being amazing!

Seeing Ying Ying laugh, Lian Shun thanked Gu Xiaoling in his heart again.

Of course, Gu Ling didn’t actively teach Lian Shun. It was after Gu Ling casually demonstrated a trick, Lian Shun became interested and learned after much persuasion. That phrase, “Next, is the moment to witness a miracle,” was learned from Su Liang.

“Very impressive.” Ying Ying gave a thumbs-up, “Teach me next time.”

Lian Shun readily agreed, “No problem!”

The carriage arrived at the first child’s house. Lian Shun got off the carriage and personally handed the child over to the parents. He also gave them a sum of money as consolation, telling them to buy some good food for the child to calm their nerves.

Soon, the second child was safely returned to home as well.

When delivering the third child, the father anxiously asked, “Such incidents won’t occur in the future, will they?”

Lian Shun replied firmly, “Until those troublemakers hiding in the shadows are dealt with, I will not leave Jiaye City. I will do my best to protect our home.” As a descendant of the Lin Family living in Jiaye City, Lian Shun had an irreplaceable credibility.

Once back in the carriage, only Lian Shun and Ying Ying were left, heading towards Lian Mansion.

“You’re much more outgoing than Qiao Jing,” Ying Ying assessed Lian Shun. She had lost her memory, and since Qiao Jing didn’t know what kind of relationship she had had with Lian Shun, he didn’t mention him much. Therefore, she didn’t know much about Lian Shun.

Taking it as a compliment, Lian Shun began to recount his relationship with Qiao Jing, from their acquaintance to friendship, their fallout, and eventual reconciliation.

“I see.” Ying Ying nodded.

Lian Shun joked, “In fact, you and I were the closest previously. I used to call you Ying Xiaoying, and we travelled together to the capital city to find Su Liang.”

Ying Ying was surprised, “Is that so? Tell me about it. Qiao Jing told me I was Su Liang’s close friend, but he had little to do with me before that.”

Lian Shun began to reminisce about the past. But at that time, Ying Ying was injured and her brother Ying Ye was captured. She was in low spirits and only wanted to find her brother. Fortunately, Lian Shun had the opportunity to stay by her side, though nothing particularly interesting happened.

The plans he had made over the past three days weren’t needed after all. He simply expressed everything in a few sentences, showing the utmost sincerity.

Knowing that Lian Shun had greatly helped her in the past, Ying Ying extended her hand and patted his shoulder, “Thank you!”

This gesture reminded Lian Shun of his “good brother” Su Liang, and suddenly realized that if Ying Ying’s personality were straightforward, she might consider him a brother, which he found unacceptable.

Having an idea, Lian Shun shook his head, “It’s not a big deal, we aren’t strangers. My mother wrote before asking when I would return to the capital city to reunite, but now it seems to be indefinitely postponed.” He laughed, “My mom often goes to Su Xiaoliang’s house to see little Nuannuan, she loves him so much. Plus, many of our friends in the capital city have started families and have children, which make my parents envious. They always nag me for not being able to find a wife at this age.”

Ying Ying was somewhat surprised, “You look good, come from a good family, and have a nice temperament. How can it be that you can’t find a wife?”

Hearing Ying Ying’s praise, Lian Shun was overjoyed, but he sighed, “The girl I love, lost her memory and forgot about me.”

“You can tell her everything if she lost her memory.” Ying Ying tried to comfort Lian Shun, “I think it’s not a problem.”

Lian Shun gazed deeply at Ying Ying. Ying Ying was taken aback for a moment, then pointed at herself, “I? The person you’re in love with is me?”

Lian Shun nodded, “Yes.” Although they didn’t have a romantic history, the period they were apart made Lian Shun miss Ying Ying terribly. The longing and worry confirmed his feelings for her. He had decided that as soon as he saw Ying Ying, he would confess his feelings. The incidents of the day provided the perfect atmosphere for him to confess.

This was not the reaction Lian Shun expected from Ying Ying. She showed no sign of embarrassment, but pondered for a moment and asked Lian Shun, “Before I lost my memory, I didn’t have any marriage arrangements or feelings for any man, did I?”

Lian Shun replied seriously, “I can affirm that you didn’t.”

Ying Ying frowned, “Oh? Really?”

Lian Shun blinked, “As far as I know, you didn’t.”

“Oh.” Ying Ying laughed, “I thought I liked you before I lost my memory.”

Lian Shun was stunned, “Ah….this…maybe, perhaps…”

At that moment, seeing Ying Ying’s beautiful smile, Lian Shun realized that he might not have been the only one in love. Back then, it was not convenient to court each other and both sides didn’t voice their feelings. He was unaware, and she had forgotten, but it seemed she hadn’t completely forgotten. Feelings are mysterious sometimes. Just like Lian Shan, she ended up with Yuan Pei again after losing her memory and stated how doing certain things with him felt familiar.

“What you just said, you weren’t joking, right?” Lian Shun couldn’t help but confirm once again.

Ying Ying nodded, “It was a joke. Don’t take it seriously.”

Lian Shun: …

Then Ying Ying reached out, tousled Lian Shun’s hair, and greeted him with a radiant smile, “I’m just teasing you. Let’s give it a try and see how we get along!”

Lian Shun’s joy knew no bounds, yet at the same time, he understood something: that’s why Su Liang had so many female friends, yet only Ying Ying was her only sister…Lian Shun also wanted to call her sister, and to be loved by her…

The three who came from Xingluo Island, including the one seriously injured, had died. Qiao Jing carried three corpses back to Lian Mansion; it was already midnight, and both Lian Shun and Ying Ying were still awake.

Upon entering the door, Qiao Jing said to Lian Shun, “Send another message to the capital city to tell them that the problem has been resolved, so as not to worry Gu Ling and Su Liang.”

“Do we need to tell them anything else?” Lian Shun asked.

Qiao Jing shook his head, “No, they will inform us about their situation and make arrangements accordingly.”

After Lian Shun sent the latest news, they all went to rest.

Just as Qiao Jing was about to blow out the lamp and go to sleep after lying down, he heard Lian Shun knocking on the door, calling out, “Qiao Xiaojing!”

Assuming something had happened, Qiao Jing quickly got up and opened the door, letting Lian Shun burst in.

“What’s wrong?” Qiao Jing asked with a stern expression.

Lian Shun closed the door behind him, grinned and said, “I have good news to tell you.”

Qiao Jing was startled, “Did they send a message from the capital, saying that Gu Ling and Su Liang caught Sheng Yue?” To him, this was the best news at the moment. Of course, it would be even better if Xingluo Island was struck by lightning and turned into scorched earth, but that was impractical; capturing Sheng Yue was indeed possible.

“Oh, there’s no message from the capital.” Lian Shun shook his head, his face beaming. “I confessed my feelings to Ying Xiaoying!”

Qiao Jing had the urge to slap Lian Shun away…

“You know what? Ying Xiaoying actually likes me too!” Lian Shun hugged Qiao Jing in jubilance.

Qiao Jing kicked Lian directly and then waved his hand dismissively, “Congratulations, now get lost.”

“Qiao Xiaojing, are you jealous of me?” Lian Shun asked.

Qiao Jing nodded, “Yes, I’m envious, bitter, and irritated by your presence. Go away before I throw you out!”

“Then I’m off to see if Ying Xiaoying has gone to bed!” And with that said, Lian Shun disappeared from sight.

Qiao Jing sat at the bedside, chuckling softly. He was genuinely happy for Lian Shun, and his envy was real too; the rest was merely joking. Lian Shun was his first real friend, and he felt Lian Shun and Ying Ying were perfect for each other, a match made in heaven, so it was fantastic that they ended up together.

As Qiao Jing thought about it, it seemed he was the only one left alone. If he returned to the capital only to find that Min Rou was engaged or had fallen for someone else, it would be a real pity…

He sighed. He felt it was inappropriate to write to Min Rou now, as there was nothing confirmed. Thinking that Qiao Cong might have set his eyes on Min Rou as his granddaughter-in-law, Qiao Jing felt that his grandfather could potentially meddle in Min Rou’s marriage.

As he lay down, Qiao Jing sighed, “I should have given him a beating. Only that can properly express my envy. I’ll do it tomorrow.”

Capital city.

Qiao Cong had already set off for Jiaye City three days ago.

They had not heard from Pu Cheng since his release, but this was within Gu Ling and Su Liang’s expectations. Even if their plan went smoothly, it would still take some time before they received any feedback.

That day, they received a message from Jiaye City saying that Qiao Jing and his party had returned safely without any trouble on the way. They would expedite the defense preparations.

Upon reading the news, Su Liang said, “Ying Ying is back. Lian Ershan must be very happy.”

“He might get beaten up.” Gu Ling speculated.

Su Liang laughed softly, “Not necessarily. Sister Ying is quite reasonable as long as Lian Ershan doesn’t make light of things.”

Gu Ling anticipated that Xingluo Island would send people to either Jiaye City or Nanshan City to capture some people and bring them back. If they moved fast, they may even arrive before Qiao Jing, so he was not entirely at ease. But he had also thought of the worst outcome, was prepared for it, and planned to wait and see.

“Master, Mistress, we’re all packed!” Zhengzheng knocked on the door from outside.

Gu Ling got up, “I’ll go see them off.”

Zhengzheng had stayed at the Su Mansion for a long period before, and Wan Hui wanted to bring him back home for a few days. Ji Xiaoshu wanted to go along too, and they had just finished packing their luggage.

As Gu Ling stepped out, he saw each of the two kids holding a cloth doll.

Ji Xiaoshu’s doll was a flying little fish, with a fish head and bird wings. Zhengzheng’s doll was a swimming bird, with a pointed beak and scales.

These were the result of the two kids each drawing a picture based on their imagination after returning from a recent mountain hike. And then Nangong Qian and Qiuyue made them into dolls according to the drawings.

In Su Liang’s words, they were strange yet adorable.

“We want to bring them back to show our brother!” Zhengzheng cheerfully explained.

“Let’s go.” Gu Ling took the doll from Ji Xiaoshu, tapped his head with it, and then gave it back to him.

Ji Xiaoshu chased after Gu Ling, hitting him with the doll, “Master, don’t run!”

Zhengzheng laughed while hugging his doll from behind.

Gu Ling brought the two bouncing, playful disciples to the front door, carrying their packages in his hand. The carriage was already ready, courtesy of Qi Yan.

The door opened, revealing two people standing outside.

“Who are you looking for?” Ji Xiaoshu asked.

“Senior Wen has arrived.” Gu Ling announced.

As soon as he arrived, seeing that Gu Ling’s face was just as stunning as when he saved them in the valley, the Wen family’s grandfather and grandson confirmed that he was the young man who had saved them earlier and quickly bowed to show their respects.

“No need for formalities.” Gu Ling said with a neutral expression. He instructed Qi Yan, “These two are our honoured guests, please invite them in.” He then said to the old man, “I need to pop out; will have a detailed discussion with senior Wen when I return.”

The old man complied right away, his eyes landing on Zhengzheng and Ji Xiaoshu, a kindly smile appearing on his face.

As he watched Gu Ling and the two kids mount their horses to leave, the old man and Wen Ran followed Qi Yan into the Su Mansion.

Once they had settled the guests on the first floor of the Yuanming Pavilion, Qi Yan went upstairs to inform Su Liang.

Looking out of the window, Wen Ran saw Nangong Qian leading Gu Xiaonuan towards them.

“What a beautiful child!” Wen Ran exclaimed. One look and it was obvious that he was Gu Ling’s child, they looked very alike.

The old man’s eyes lit up upon seeing Gu Xiaonuan, “She’s beautiful!”

As Su Liang came downstairs, her voice held a hint of amusement, “Senior Wen, you’ve arrived. I’ve been looking forward to it, as I have a question to ask.”