「The next morning.」
It had snowed last night.
But the first snow of the year rarely accumulated much on the ground.
The flakes lted just seconds after landing.
After falling on and off all night, only a thin layer of white covered the ground by morning.
The temperature, however, had dropped quite a bit.
Su Changliang stood in the courtyard, hands shoved in his pockets. He was on his tiptoes, peering at the East Wing across from him.
Su Changliang had slept in the West Wing last night.
It was cluttered with stuff, but since Su Changliang was only staying for one night, he had just cleared enough space for a bed.
Once he reported for duty at the Governnt Office, Su Changliang would be living in the communal barracks with the other Officials.
He planned to move all his things out when he ca back tonight.
A mont later, the door to the East Wing opened.
Su Liyan erged.
Su Liyan looked especially beautiful today. She wore a white snow-fox fur cloak that complented her stunning face perfectly.
In Lu Yuan’s words, his wife was the perfect mix of innocent and alluring—the absolute pinnacle of the "pure yet seductive" aesthetic.
"Where’d you get an outfit like that?"
Su Changliang asked curiously. He had never seen his sister dressed like this before.
Su Liyan’s eyes curved into crescents as she smiled.
"It’s beautiful, isn’t it?~
Your brother-in-law bought it for .~"
She even gave a little twirl, as if to show it off, making sure Su Changliang got a good look at the clothes his brother-in-law had bought for his sister.
Su Changliang pouted.
"Co on, stop showing off. I have to go report for duty."
Su Liyan pouted and shot her brother a glare.
"There’s plenty of ti!
It’s only a short walk from here to the Governnt Office!"
With that, Su Liyan started leading Su Changliang out.
But Su Changliang just grumbled.
"You could’ve just had soone else take . Why did you have to co?"
Su Liyan raised an eyebrow, her expression turning serious.
"This is a big deal. Of course a family mber should go with you.
It was your brother-in-law’s idea. If you don’t like it, you can take it up with him!"
Hearing this, Su Changliang just pouted and fell silent.
"Are you wearing your thermal pants?"
Su Liyan said, bending down to lift her brother’s pant leg.
Sure enough, he was only wearing a single layer of long underwear.
Su Liyan straightened up and glared at Su Changliang.
"Is your head full of horse piss?!
It’s snowing and you’re only wearing a single layer of long johns!
Get back inside and put on another layer!"
Su Changliang craned his neck, trying to look fierce but sounding timid as he retorted.
"You don’t have to boss around!
I’m a grown man now! I left ho on my own!
Stop telling what to do!
Mom said before I left that I only have to listen to my brother-in-law!
She never said I had to listen to you!"
Having said his piece, and perhaps fearing a slap from his sister, Su Changliang quickly took a few steps to put so distance between them.
Su Liyan stood rooted to the spot, glaring daggers at her dear little brother. She gritted her teeth.
"Fine, freeze to death for all I care!"
The two of them left the house and headed toward the Governnt Office.
But she was his big sister, after all. As they passed a breakfast stall, she bought Su Changliang two piping-hot eggs and stuffed them into his pocket.
She also bought a bamboo bowl of hot soy milk and two fried dough sticks for him to eat on the way.
"Sis, you should be nicer to my brother-in-law."
Su Changliang blurted out suddenly, holding the warm bowl of soy milk.
Su Liyan looked at her brother, puzzled. ’Where did that co from?’
Su Changliang grumbled.
"Why didn’t you make breakfast for my brother-in-law this morning?
He had to eat outside the city yesterday."
Su Liyan’s lips tightened, and a blush crept onto her cheeks. ’Well...’
’Could she really be blad for that...?’
She knew her husband had been busy working outside lately, so she always urged him to get so rest at night.
But he insisted on... exerting himself.
It was as if he was trying to prove how robust his constitution was, going at it even longer than before. Nothing she said could stop him.
But Su Liyan couldn’t very well explain that to her little brother. She just glared at Su Changliang and snapped.
"Stay out of grown-up affairs!
You’ve only been here a few days!
And you’re already trying to manage !"
Su Changliang grumbled unhappily.
"I’m not a kid anymore.
Anyway, if you don’t treat my brother-in-law right, I’m telling Mom when I go back ho.
And about your... Ancestral Reversion at night.
Even if my brother-in-law knows about your Ancestral Reversion, you can’t just do it right in front of him!
What if you scare him half to death?"
Su Liyan froze, staring at Su Changliang with a strange look on her face.
"How did you know I underwent Ancestral Reversion last night?
You... you can do it too??"
’After all, for him to know about her Reversion last night, he either had to have been eavesdropping at her wall...’
’Or...’
’He had also undergone it, so he could sense it.’
The East and West Wings weren’t that far apart, after all.
But Su Changliang just raised an eyebrow nonchalantly.
"Yeah.
Mine happened the year before last.
Mom just told not to tell anyone.
Dad doesn’t even know.
Besides, what’s so strange about it? We have the sa mother. If you can do it, of course I can too.
It just happened a little later for , that’s all."
Su Liyan was taken aback for a mont, but on second thought, it made sense.
Then she glared.
"Mom told you not to tell anyone, so why are you telling ?!"
But Su Changliang retorted defiantly.
"You’re my sister, not so outsider.
Besides, Mom only told not to say anything because she was afraid I wouldn’t be able to find a wife.
If you ask , she’s worrying for nothing. You underwent it too, and didn’t you marry better than anyone?
Count every woman in the surrounding villages—is any of them married better than you are?"
Su Liyan’s face flushed slightly as she glared at Su Changliang.
"Your brother-in-law... is different from other people!
Just don’t you ever tell any outsiders about this in the future. Do you hear !"
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