Chapter 253: Chapter 235: Scholar Meets Soldier – Part 1
“This Yan Yiyi, really dares to dream, sending a sea of flowers as a gift is quite an ingenious idea.”
On the slope, Dong Yuanyao, Zhou Jingwan, and Su Shiyu were having a quiet conversation.
Su Shiyu glanced at the dazzlingly smiling Daohua and Xiao Yeyang, and said softly, “Not only is it ingenious, but it’s also very poetic and picturesque!”
“Compared to other common things, this sea of flowers is also elegant, beautiful, and truly unique.”
“Didn’t Jingwan say that sunflowers are also called ‘sun bloom’? The name of this flower perfectly matches the Little Prince’s name. I think this gift must be very much to the Little Prince’s liking.”
Zhou Jingwan, “Definitely to his liking. Didn’t you see how the Little Prince is smiling? If someone gave me such a sea of flowers, I would be overjoyed.”
Watching Daohua walk through the sea of flowers, Zhou Jingwan pulled someone by the hand, “Let’s go, let’s find Daohua. With such a beautiful sea of flowers, how can they enjoy it by themselves?”
The three girls went down, and Yan Wenxiu and Zhou Chengye couldn’t help themselves either. As scholars and poets, they always yearn for a closer contact with beauty.
“Honestly, I’ve never wandered through such a sea of flowers. Let’s go and experience it!”
With these two taking the lead, the others naturally followed one after another.
In the sea of flowers, Daohua and Xiao Yeyang didn’t talk much.
One had a joyous smile spreading across their face, arms open, hands brushing through the sunflowers as they slowly walked through the sea of flowers.
The other silently followed, quietly observing the smile on the person ahead, and with each deepening of that smile, the one following would lift the corners of their mouth a little higher.
“Daohua, Daohua!”
Daohua, who was walking silently through the sea of flowers, heard the voices and immediately turned around. Seeing it was Zhou Jingwan and the others, she burst into a bright smile.
Bright eyes, white teeth, a charming and delightful smile!
That sudden smile invaded Xiao Yeyang’s sight, and in that moment, he felt his heart squeeze tight as if something had thudded into it, leaving him stunned on the spot.
“Jingwan!”
Daohua didn’t notice Xiao Yeyang’s distraction and, seeing Zhou Jingwan and the others, turned around, waving her hand as she ran over.
“Sister Dong, Sister Su, how come you’ve come over too?”
“What do you mean, are you not welcoming us?”
“How could that be? With two fairy-like sisters for company, I wouldn’t even dare to dream of such a thing.”
“Oh, have you smothered your mouth with honey today?”
“Sister Dong, even without honey, her words are always so sweet, after all, a sweet talker never hurts anybody, right?”
“Hahaha~”
Daohua and Dong Yuanyao started a verbal sparring as soon as they met. Zhou Jingwan occasionally fanned the flames from the sidelines, and the three instantly hit it off.
Su Shiyu was a bit reserved and did not join in, but that didn’t hinder her good mood. Watching the three playfully bickering, she found it extremely amusing and kept a smile on her face.
Xiao Yeyang, amidst the girls’ laughter, pulled himself together. At this point, he noticed Dong Yuanxuan and the others had also come over, and he immediately gathered his thoughts.
Yan Wenkai, holding a sunflower in his hand, came over and saw Daohua and the others chasing each other in the sea of flowers, while Su Shiyu stood by herself. He called out loudly, “Big sister, you should also include Sister Su in the fun!”
Hearing this, Su Shiyu hurriedly explained, “No need, no need, I’m quite happy just watching here.” She said, a shy smile on her face, “I’m not a fast runner, and if I tried to join in their play, I would be out of breath in no time.”
Yan Wenkai immediately widened his eyes, “So, you mean you are a bit weak!”
To speak so bluntly about a lady’s weakness in front of so many people made Su Shiyu’s face turn red with embarrassment. She twisted her handkerchief, somewhat at a loss.
Yan Wenkai had no ill intent and was oblivious to causing a lady to lose face. Just as Su Hongxin was about to stand up for his sister, he heard him continue.
“Sister Su, it’s not that I want to criticize you, but you should exercise more often. My grandmother says that girls need to have a healthy body; otherwise, they will suffer later in life.”
Saying this, he pointed at Daohua.
“Just look at my eldest sister, she can run faster than a rabbit. She might look a tad wild, but she’s in good shape. If I dare to bully her, she’d give me a fight.”
Su Shiyu’s eyes widened as she looked at Yan Wenkai before her. Seeing the pride and smugness on his face as he spoke of his sister being able to fight back, her feelings of offense and embarrassment quickly faded away, and the flush on her cheeks receded.
Yan Wenkai lowered his voice and continued, “My eldest sister has a saying: ‘Your body belongs to you. Don’t mistreat it because of what others say.'”
Su Shiyu quickly shook her head: “I have never mistreated my body.”
Yan Wenkai immediately looked skeptical: “Then why do you look so frail that a gust of wind might blow you away?”
Su Shiyu: “…”
Yan Wenkai, acting as if he understood it all, said, “You must have been stultified by the governess at home, imprisoned by all the various rules and rituals. This you can’t do, that you can’t do, and as a result, you’ve ended up like this, thin as a stick.”
“I…”
Just as Su Shiyu was about to speak, Yan Wenkai cut her off: “I know what you’re going to say. Everyone thinks that being delicate and gentle is beautiful, that’s why you’re like this.”
“However, you should know that frailty isn’t necessarily beauty; it could also be a disease. Look at my eldest sister, and sisters Dong and Zhou. They are truly beautiful because they are healthy!”
As she listened, Su Shiyu’s anger rose again. She bit her lip and glared at Yan Wenkai, huffing.
Was this Yan Fourth Brother implying she was ill? Not healthy?
Unfortunately, the thick-skinned Yan Wenkai didn’t notice and thought his words were sinking in. He wore a satisfied look as if to say she was taking the lesson to heart.
“Don’t worry too much. When you go home, just move around more and your health will naturally improve. Oh, and you need to eat more too. I once saw you eating, and you looked like a little kitten. With how little you eat, it’s no wonder your body isn’t strong. Take my advice, eat more when you get home!”
After speaking, he gave Su Shiyu a look that said he had her best interests at heart.
Meanwhile, Su Hongxin, who had originally wanted to pick a fight with Yan Wenkai, saw his usually argumentative sister rendered speechless by Yan Wenkai and promptly let his sleeve drop.
He sneered inwardly, “When scholars meet soldiers, the argument is lost indeed!”
The single-minded Yan Wenkai could be persuasive to an insufferable degree whenever he believed he was in the right.
Now his sister should realize how good a brother who always indulges her he was, right?
Seeing Su Shiyu listening seriously without retorting, Yan Wenkai nodded his head in satisfaction and handed her the sunflower he was holding, generously saying, “Take it to play with!”
He entirely assumed the demeanor of a caring older brother.
Su Shiyu looked at the sunflower in her hand, then back at Yan Wenkai, who had the triumphant air of someone who had accomplished a great feat, and took a deep breath.
She might as well give up; her brother had said that this Yan Fourth Brother was rather dull-witted, so she’d endure!
“Don’t just stand there, come and play with my eldest sister and the rest!”
Seeing Su Shiyu standing still, Yan Wenkai immediately put on a stern face and urged her on.
Su Shiyu: “…”
Just then, Daohua ran over. She too thought it improper for Su Shiyu to stand by herself and was about to pull her along to play when she caught sight of this scene and burst out laughing at Su Shiyu, “Sister Su, do you feel like you’re covered in question marks right now?”
“What?!”
Su Shiyu’s eyes widened in confusion.
What about being covered in question marks?
Was this incomprehensible way of speaking typical of the Yan siblings?