Fourth Master Xiao rode off on his horse, heading directly to the Marquis Mansion.
At the side gate, Xiao Yanyi seed to have anticipated his arrival, standing there with his hands behind his back. He had grown much leaner after recovering, but his gaze had lost so of its usual gentleness and warmth. From afar, he saw Fourth Master Xiao approaching on horseback and went out to greet him, saying, "Fourth Brother!"
Fourth Master Xiao dismounted and looked towards Xiao Yanyi, asking, "Where is he?"
Xiao Yanyi furrowed his brows and replied, "In mother’s room." He paused and then added, "Mother and I were worried about you, so we waited here for you."
Fourth Master Xiao furrowed his brows. Xiao Yanyi blocked his way and continued, "Third Brother has returned with his wife and daughter. He’s changed a lot, so when you et him, don’t act rashly." He paused again, worried that Fourth Master Xiao wouldn’t listen, and continued, "He’s our brother. This blood relationship cannot be severed. If you keep clinging to past grievances like before... Father wouldn’t rest easy even in heaven."
"I have no such brother." Fourth Master Xiao brushed past Xiao Yanyi and strode through the gate. He suddenly stopped and looked at Xiao Yanyi. "I know what I’m doing."
Hearing these words, Xiao Yanyi finally breathed a sigh of relief and quickly caught up to Fourth Master Xiao. As they walked, he said, "Third Brother has changed a lot over the years. He got married and had a daughter in Miaojiang. She’s already five and very adorable." He deliberately brought up the child, hoping to calm Fourth Master Xiao down, and added, "They’re playing with Xing and Min now."
Fourth Master Xiao frowned slightly but said nothing. Xiao Yanyi shook his head and accompanied Fourth Master Xiao to the Grand Dowager’s courtyard.
From a distance outside the courtyard, they heard Xiao Yancheng’s laughter. Fourth Master Xiao raised his eyebrows, recalling how Xiao Yanyi said he had changed a lot. Indeed, the sound of his laughter had changed significantly.
He strode into the courtyard, where five or six maids dressed in colorful attire with many small braids in their hair stood on either side. Upon seeing the two enter, they cast sidelong glances with pride, not even sparing a glance at them. Fourth Master Xiao acted as if he hadn’t noticed their presence, already stepping up the stairs and entering the door.
The Grand Dowager sat at the head of the table, her face showing no excessive joy, looking indifferently at the young woman seated below her, who seed to be about eighteen or nineteen. Her head was adorned with intricate headpieces, and her neck had five or six silver collars. Her attire was crimson, embroidered with strange patterns. A reddish-brown whip was wrapped around her waist, adorned with two or three bells in red, orange, and blue. Her similarly bright red short skirt revealed her fair thighs, and her knee-high red leather boots were also embroidered with intricate patterns that resembled both phoenixes and young birds.
Upon hearing the commotion at the door, she turned her head to look at the newcors. Her eyebrows were thick and full of heroic spirit. Though her nose wasn’t high, her eyes were beautiful, resembling round pools of water. Her lips were full, painted red and glossy with lip rouge.
If Xiqiu were here at this mont, she would undoubtedly think of eight words: "Youthful and vibrant, passionate as fire!"
She looked at Fourth Master Xiao, but Fourth Master Xiao did not look at her, his gaze directly falling upon the man sitting across from the young woman. He had the signature phoenix eyes of the Xiao family, but they differed from Fourth Master Xiao’s coldness, Xiao Yanyi’s warmth, and Xiao Yanzheng’s clarity. His eyes, even when he wasn’t smiling, seed to contain a smile. His nose was handso, his lips full, and his skin was even fairer than Xiao Yanyi’s but lacked much color, giving him a sickly beauty. He wore a red purple robe embroidered with entwining peonies, made with luxurious and tight craftsmanship that fit his robust body, but jarringly, the sleeve on his left arm hung emptily at his waist.
Xiao Yancheng... Fourth Master Xiao’s eyes narrowed slightly.
Xiao Yancheng also looked at him, his lips curling into a smile as he stood up, setting down the teacup in his right hand, and called out with a light laugh, "Fourth Brother, long ti no see!"
As if there were no grievances, as if they were still as close and intimate as they had been in childhood, Xiao Yancheng approached Fourth Master Xiao.
Fourth Master Xiao said nothing, but his expression gradually turned cold and calm.
The hearts of the Grand Dowager and Xiao Yanyi both tightened, fearing that Fourth Master Xiao would, as before, let anger arise and cause chaos.
Fourth Master Xiao and Xiao Yancheng faced each other without speaking, the distance between them closing!
The Grand Dowager stood up, sowhat nervous, and called out, "Old Fourth!" The Miaojiang woman dressed in red beside her also stood up, smiling at Fourth Master Xiao, her dimples making her appear mischievous and cute. She called out, "Fourth Brother!" with her hand resting on the whip coiled at her waist, making a jingling sound.
Xiao Yanyi stepped out from behind Fourth Master Xiao, moving between them, deliberately or not, shielding Fourth Master Xiao. He smiled and said, "Third Brother hasn’t returned in seven or eight years. Now that he’s finally back, let’s all sit down and catch up." After speaking, he turned and instructed the servant behind him, "Go invite the Fifth Young Master!"
This was to foster a gathering among brothers.
Fourth Master Xiao didn’t move, and Xiao Yancheng stopped less than three feet from him, a smile in his eyes that reached the corners. He nodded warmly and said to Xiao Yanyi, "Second Brother is right, I’ve also missed Fifth Brother!"
"Fifth Brother isn’t far from ho; he’ll be here soon. Third Brother, please sit." He then looked at the woman and said, "Third Sister-in-law, please sit too!"
Xiao Yancheng nodded and his gaze returned to Fourth Master Xiao. Suddenly, he stepped forward and reached out to put an arm around Fourth Master Xiao’s shoulders quite naturally. "Fourth Brother, sit with !"
Fourth Master Xiao’s eyes flickered for a mont, and sothing disappeared from his gaze. Suddenly, he nodded and said, "Alright!" With that, he sat down next to Xiao Yancheng on an adjacent chair.
In the main hall, everyone secretly breathed a sigh of relief and sat down.
Xiao Yancheng introduced with a smile, "This is your Third Sister-in-law." Fourth Master Xiao listened expressionlessly and casually nodded at the woman across from him.
"Why don’t we see Fourth Sister-in-law!" Xiao Yancheng said with a smile. "I haven’t even congratulated Fourth Brother on becoming a father," He looked at the Grand Dowager with a brotherly gaze of admiration and said, "I rember when we were young, fighting over food around mother. It seems like so long ago." He then looked at Fourth Master Xiao, "Even Fourth Brother and Fifth Brother have settled down and beco fathers."
The Grand Dowager, with a faint smile, said, "Silly child, everyone has to grow up." Xiao Yancheng nodded and added, "But mother hasn’t changed; you’ve stayed just as young after all these years."
"You’re just like before; among the brothers, you still have the sweetest tongue." The Grand Dowager smiled slightly and said to the Third Madam beside her, "Old Third has been the most sensible since he was a child, always bringing whatever good things he got. Back then, I wasn’t in good health and didn’t have ti for him. Later, as I gradually got better, when the servants were tidying the rooms, they found a wooden box under my bed, filled with all sorts of pastries like Osmanthus Cake and Green Bean Cake. So had even gone moldy from being there so long. When I asked, it turned out Old Third had put them there, saying they were for to eat when my health improved."
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