Chapter 295: Chao Chao’s Limits
This novel is translated and hosted on BCatranslation
Chao Chao stretched out her tiny hands. They were soft and pale, like little pieces of glowing jade, and up close, they smelled faintly of milk. Li Siqi couldn’t take his eyes off her; she was like a small, bright star that lit up everything around her. Mesmerized, he reached out, his much larger hand gently covering her tiny one. As he looked at her, his eyes softened, and tears began to stream down his face.
Chao Chao noticed his tears and tilted her head, her big, curious eyes filled with concern.
“Brother Siqi, did you fall down like me?” she asked, her little voice sounding serious. “You not wanna get up ‘til someone helps you?” She tugged at his hand, trying to help him stand.
Li Siqi didn’t answer, his gaze fixed on her, tears still rolling down his cheeks.
“You so silly! If you fall, gotta fall where no one sees!” she continued in her baby-like voice. “Look, all dirty now! Someone might step on you!”
Chao Chao began to dust off his clothes with her small hands. “Does it hurt, Brother Siqi?” she asked softly.
Li Siqi shook his head, but his body trembled uncontrollably.
“Brother, you cold? Why you shaking?” Chao Chao’s face scrunched up in worry as she tried to understand.
A servant from the Protector Duke’s residence noticed Li Siqi and quickly hurried over, slapping himself on the forehead in frustration.
“This is all my fault, young master. I’ve let you suffer. We must return to the residence,” the servant insisted, rushing to help Li Siqi up.
[The whole capital would be in chaos if they found out the Protector Duke’s eldest grandson was blind.]
But Li Siqi tightened his grip on Chao Chao’s hand. “No,” he said firmly.
“But, young master…” the servant started to say. He was startled when he saw Li Siqi kneel down and gently wipe a small smudge off Chao Chao’s mouth.
The servant’s eyes widened in shock. [Could the young master actually see?]
“Chao Chao, I can’t see well at night. Can you hold my hand?” Li Siqi asked, his voice sincere, his eyes filled with hope.
Chao Chao’s face lit up, and she nodded eagerly. “Okay! Don’t be scared. I hold your hand. I be your eyes!” she said, determined.
Yuhua and Yuqin, standing nearby, exchanged knowing glances. No wonder Young Master Li had been acting differently lately.
Li Siqi smiled gently. His world might be dark, but Chao Chao was his little light.
[My master! The one I’ve been searching for, for over a thousand years!]
As part of the Mid-Autumn Festival, Chao Chao carefully set a lantern on the river and watched it float away. Her focus was on the lantern, while Li Siqi’s was entirely on her.
The river was filled with countless lanterns, gently bobbing along the water’s surface, creating a serene and magical scene.
Suddenly, a loud scream broke through the calm. “Help! Someone fell into the water! Save my lady!” a maid shouted from a nearby boat, her voice panicked and desperate.
“Please, save my lady!” she cried again, her fear evident.
Lu Yan Shu, who had been chatting with friends on a painting boat, immediately stood up. He spotted a woman struggling in the water nearby.
His mind flashed back to a terrifying memory of nearly drowning himself—he had been left to sink, with no one to save him.
Without hesitation, he rushed to the edge of the boat, ready to dive in when—splash!—a girl leapt into the river ahead of him. She swam swiftly toward the drowning woman.
In the dim light, all Lu Yan Shu could see were shadows.
He froze when he recognized the swimmer. It was Zhou Shu You.
Though Zhou Shu You was a skilled swimmer, the panicking woman grabbed onto her, nearly pulling her under.
But Zhou Shu You was strong and calm. She took hold of the woman’s hand and managed to pull her to safety on the shore.
As the painting boat reached the dock, Lu Yan Shu hurried to the shore.
“Give me your hand…” he called out to Zhou Shu You.
Zhou Shu You looked up at him, catching her breath as she pulled herself up onto the shore.
A large willow tree stood nearby, its leaves recently fallen for some reason. Zhou Shu You leaned against it, still breathing heavily.
The rescued woman coughed violently, spitting out water as her wet clothes clung to her, revealing her graceful figure.
“Miss…” Her maid pushed through the crowd and quickly wrapped a cloak around her.
Even soaked and coughing, the woman’s beauty was striking—her face flushed, her hair dripping.
“Thank you, thank you for saving my life,” she said softly, her voice gentle but trembling.
However, her maid seemed troubled as she stomped her foot in frustration. “But now you’ve touched each other! What are we going to do, miss?” She glanced nervously at Lu Yan Shu.
Lu Yan Shu raised an eyebrow.
“Is that so? Take a closer look at who really saved her!” Zhou Shu You, still dripping from the river, coughed lightly and pointed to herself.
Lu Yan Shu turned his gaze away, his cheeks warming with embarrassment.
[A gentleman does not stare.]
He had already sent a servant to buy a new set of clothes at a high price, which he now handed to Zhou Shu You.
Zhou Shu You nodded in thanks. “You shouldn’t be thanking the wrong person. I was the one who jumped in to save you. What does it have to do with Mr. Lu?” she teased the woman.
Lu Yan Shu’s face turned redder, and he kept silent.
“It wasn’t Mr. Lu who saved me?” The woman looked up, surprised.
“Impossible! I saw him jump in!” the maid insisted, convinced she had seen Lu Yan Shu about to dive.
“I’ve never seen someone mistake their rescuer like this. His hair isn’t even wet; how could it be him? Unless… Miss, you wanted it to be him?” Zhou Shu You’s blunt words made the woman’s face turn pale.
In public, even a minor touch between a man and a woman could lead to scandal.
“Mr. Lu…” the woman whispered, her voice filled with disappointment.
But Lu Yan Shu turned his head away, keeping his distance. He wasn’t about to get involved any further.
“Let’s go,” the woman murmured, her lips quivering with shame and frustration. She quickly led her maid away, covering her face.
“Top Scholar Yan Shu, hasn’t the threshold of your house been worn down yet?” Zhou Shu You laughed. “There are still people willing to go to such lengths for you.”
Lu Yan Shu sighed deeply.
[For nineteen years, I’ve never faced such intense admiration. Where does it even come from?]
Every day, on his way to and from court, girls would “accidentally” bump into him or drop a handkerchief his way. Now, someone had even jumped into the water.
“Thank you for stepping in today, Miss Zhou,” he said gratefully, relieved she had intervened, saving him from diving in.
Zhou Shu You waved her hand dismissively. “It’s nothing. Mr. Lu, you should have more people around you.”
“A woman’s life is like a prison. First, she follows her father, then her husband. To find a good match, they do everything they can. It’s not that they are shameless; it’s just their way of surviving…” Zhou Shu You sighed, her tone reflective.
She considered herself different. Nowadays, everyone cared about family status and appearances, which she found suffocating. To her, it was just another form of imprisonment.
“If two people can’t truly connect, I’d rather be alone,” she mused.
Lu Yan Shu nodded, understanding her point of view. “I understand, Miss Zhou.”
Elsewhere…
Chao Chao stood with her hands on her hips, proudly declaring, “That’s my big brother! My real big brother!”
She puffed out her chest. “Yeah, yeah, my real brother! Big Brother loves me the most!”
She pointed to a brush. “Ten silver taels for the brush my brother used…”
Then she pointed to a small stool. “Thirty taels for the stool he sat on…”
Finally, she picked up a teacup. “Fifty taels for the teacup he drank from!”
“And if you help me with my homework, I’ll give it to you for free! For free!” Chao Chao’s eyes sparkled with excitement, seeing a business opportunity with her big brother!
Every day, pretty big sisters would ask her what her brother liked to eat, drink, and read. They’d bring all kinds of yummy treats.
This novel is translated and hosted on BCatranslation
But Chao Chao had her limits!
Yesterday, a nice lady offered her Northern-style braised pork, but she still didn’t spill any secrets about her brother.
That was until the lady offered three pieces of braised pork!
[What a deal!] she thought, feeling very pleased with herself.