As the young lady of the prestigious Hun Tian Palace, not even having a personal maid for the maids who attended to her daily life - there must be something fishy going on.
Qin Beixuan seemed to have noticed this too. He reached out and touched the wall, then rubbed his index finger and thumb together. Pondering for a moment, he asked, "Young Master Yi, does Miss Yi usually live like this?"
Yi Liang lowered his head, staring at Yi Simiao, whom he was holding by the hand. There was a tinge of sadness in his eyes as he said, "Let's talk inside the house."
The inside of the house wasn't much better than the courtyard. In this large room, there was simply a wooden table and a few chairs. There were hardly any other big pieces of furniture.
The only difference from the courtyard was probably that the inside of the house was relatively clean.
Yi Liang poured a cup of tea for himself, Zhao Chen'an, and Qin Beixuan. After taking a gentle sip, he said, "My sister wasn't like this before."
Zhao Chen'an raised his hand, indicating for him to continue.
Yi Liang continued, "In the past, dozens of servants would follow her even when she stepped out of the courtyard. If she sneezed, someone would rush to keep her warm... The reason she has become like this is all because she saw something she shouldn't have."
Something she shouldn't have seen...
"Is it about the former palace master?" Qin Beixuan asked.
Recalling the last time when Yi Simiao went crazy at the mention of her father's name, they didn't dare to mention the name directly.
Yi Liang looked hesitant. "Can I trust you guys?"
Qin Beixuan replied, "You can."
Receiving Qin Beixuan's assurance, Yi Liang let out a sigh of relief and then said, "My sister was a normal child before. It was all my father who caused her to become like this!"
Zhao Chen'an exclaimed in surprise, "What?! Isn't he her uncle?"
"Precisely because he's her uncle that she let her guard down," Qin Beixuan looked at Yi Liang and asked, "What exactly did Miss Yi see?"
Yi Liang shook his head, looking anxious. "I don't know. By the time I saw my sister again, she was already like this."
That meant... something had happened between Yi Simiao and Yi Huachi that touched on Yi Huachi's interests, which made Yi Huachi do such a thing - driving his own niece crazy!
Zhao Chen'an suddenly asked, "What about the old women who used to take care of her?"
Yi Liang let out a bitter laugh, but his eyes were fixed on Yi Simiao. He gently stroked Yi Simiao's head, but his tone was extremely desolate. "There were no real caretakers. They were just my father's spies placed beside my sister. They forced her to drink strange medicine every day. If I hadn't stepped in to protect my sister, my father would have killed her long ago."
Hearing this answer, both Zhao Chen'an and Qin Beixuan fell silent.
What on earth could make an uncle be so cruel! It was simply heartless!
Qin Beixuan's gaze lingered between Yi Simiao and Yi Liang. After a long while, he asked, "Why do you help your cousin? She can't do any heavy work and is like a fool. Isn't she just a burden to you?"
Qin Beixuan's words suddenly woke Zhao Chen'an up!
That's right. Yi Liang and Yi Simiao only had a blood - related connection at most. What on earth made him willing to turn against his father for Yi Simiao?
Yi Liang retorted, "My sister is not a burden! She saved my life!"
What?!
"I lost my mother when I was young. When I was a child, I suffered from a stubborn illness. At that time, my father thought I was beyond help. Listening to his current wife, he wanted to abandon me somewhere to fend for myself. So he found a servant to drag me to a thatched cottage next to the stable..."
It was a night. Yi Liang was wrapped in a moldy quilt by the servants and dragged on the ground.
He was completely desperate at that time because his only hope, his father, had given up on him.
He still remembered the look of disappointment on his father's face when the doctor said he wouldn't live past the end of the year.
His father didn't ask the doctor to prescribe any more medicine. Instead, he discussed with his wife and decided to abandon him in the most remote part of the Hun Tian Palace to fend for himself.
In the thatched cottage in the cold winter, there was no heating, and they even refused to give him any food.
Finally, it was Yi Simiao who found this dying poor soul.
Yi Simiao ordered the servants to cook him the most easily digestible food. She even pawned her jewelry to buy medicine for him. Moreover, she invited the best doctor to treat him.
At that time, Yi Liang had the belief to persevere. He swore that he would repay Yi Simiao after he recovered.
He once asked Yi Simiao why she saved him.
His sister smiled and said, "Because you're my younger brother and a living being. Since I found you, I won't let you die."
No wonder the servants said his sister was a fairy. She wasn't just a fairy; she was a living Bodhisattva!
When Yi Liang said this, his voice became a bit choked. He hugged his head and cried, "I failed to protect my sister... I'm useless! I'm so useless..."
After hearing Yi Liang's story, Zhao Chen'an and the others couldn't help but feel mixed emotions. Who would have thought that the seemingly kind - hearted Yi Huachi was actually so vicious!
Zhao Chen'an comforted Yi Liang, "It's not your fault. Don't worry. We'll seek justice for your sister."
Yi Liang looked at Zhao Chen'an with tear - filled eyes and kowtowed repeatedly. "Thank you. Thank you for being willing to help her... Thank you."
Seeing Yi Liang kowtow one after another, Zhao Chen'an quickly helped him up. "Young Master Yi, there's no need for such a big ceremony. Get up quickly."
At this time, Yi Simiao ran over and hugged Yi Liang. She kept using her sleeve to wipe the tears from Yi Liang's face and comforted him, saying, "Brother, don't cry. Miao Miao will blow on it for you..."
Yi Liang lovingly pinched Yi Simiao's face and said, "Silly sister, I'm your younger brother, Yi Liang."
Although Yi Liang said so, she still kept calling him brother. Finally, she said, "My father said... only brothers will protect their sisters."
Finally, Zhao Chen'an decided to go out first to let the siblings calm down their emotions. So he pulled Qin Beixuan to a corner of the courtyard.
A corner was a good place. It was a great opportunity to strengthen the bond between them as master and disciple!
Zhao Chen'an cornered Qin Beixuan and got close to him. In a voice that only the two of them could hear, he said, "Brother Beixuan ~ This place is so scary. You have to protect An'er."
"..." Cut it out!
Qin Beixuan suddenly felt a headache. This guy really wouldn't let go of any opportunity to flirt with him.
Qin Beixuan suddenly smiled. He ruffled Zhao Chen'an's hair and said, "Don't be afraid, An'er. Brother is here."
Zhao Chen'an: "..."
Was Qin Beixuan reading from the wrong script? Shouldn't he be blushing?
Zhao Chen'an suddenly felt his heart beating a bit faster.
This little corner was really small. Zhao Chen'an was almost pressed against Qin Beixuan. He could almost feel every breath of the other person. Even his face felt a bit itchy from the breath.
Qin Beixuan let out a soft laugh. Imitating Zhao Chen'an's previous actions, he got close to the other person's ear and said in a low voice, "An'er, you're blushing."