"Brother Jingtian, don't be impulsive. I'm your younger sister," Su Wan'er said subconsciously, though she felt a bit dazed. They had grown up in the same family for so many years. They shared the same grandmother and the same set of relatives from the grandmother's side. Even her parents had treated him as one of the family. So in her heart, she only regarded him as a relative. How could her brother propose marriage to his sister? It was such a ridiculous thought.
"Wan'er, what do you mean? Our two families were betrothed when our mothers were pregnant. Moreover, haven't you known my feelings for you all these years? How could I just see you as a sister?" Gu Jingtian seemed impatient to pour out all his feelings. Just because he usually called her "Little Sister Wan'er" and she called him "Brother" didn't mean they were real siblings. Didn't she know that he was going to marry her one day?
"A betrothal when we were in our mothers' wombs? That was ages ago. Brother Jingtian, the elders were just bored that day. How could such a thing be taken seriously?"
She had heard her grandmother mention it when she was a child, but even her grandmother had told it as a joke, so she had always regarded it as a joke or a casual remark from the adults.
Moreover, at that time, they didn't even know the genders of the unborn babies. How could they know if the children would have compatible personalities and interests after they were born? The adults just said such things casually. If both were girls, they would be sisters; if both were boys, they would be brothers; if one was a boy and the other a girl, they would get married. How could such a ridiculous promise count?
Su Wan'er gave him a faint smile. "Brother Jingtian, even if Father agreed back then, we may need to discuss it again now. I'll be frank with you today. I only see you as an elder brother. How could I agree to marry you?"
"Wan'er, how could you... how could you be like this? The orders of parents and the words of matchmakers are binding. Don't tell me you've never thought about marriage and that's why you're reluctant? Don't worry. Just like before, we've grown up together since childhood. If you marry me, we'll still be together. Even if we live in the Su Mansion in the future, our family will still be together, and nothing will change."
"Brother Jingtian, are you really set on this now?" Su Wan'er didn't know how to persuade him. "I've really always seen you as a brother. I can't marry you like this. Go back and think it over carefully."
Helpless, Su Wan'er had no choice but to push him out of the door. What a mess! Had there been some romantic affair between her and Brother Jingtian during the years of memory she had lost? Otherwise, why would he suddenly come to propose marriage?
But she had always regarded him as a brother and there couldn't have been anything between them.
How could it be so chaotic? What had she done during the lost years of memory? Had she really had something to do with Brother Jingtian? Could the person flashing in her memory during the sudden headaches these days be Brother Jingtian?
Judging from Brother Jingtian's grief - stricken look just now, had she really promised him something? Although Su Wan'er was sure that she regarded Gu Jingtian as an elder brother now, it was the first time she had experienced amnesia, so she was naturally flustered. She couldn't be sure that there hadn't been anything improper between her and Brother Jingtian during the lost years of memory.
Two days later, everyone with their own concerns, they arrived in the capital as scheduled. Naturally, Si Junlin returned to the palace, Su Wan'er and Qingcao went back to the Su Mansion together. The national master had sent a message early, and there was already someone to clean up the long - idle mansion in the capital for him.
But at this moment, Qingcao finally understood. She took the mechanical bird given to her by the national master and went to the national master's mansion.
Sure enough, the two gatekeepers of the mansion looked like two celestial boys, with the same white hair as the national master. Seeing the mechanical bird, they led her in. The mansion seemed very desolate. Maybe it was because they had just returned to the capital. There were no servants or gardeners like in an ordinary official's residence.
"Excuse me, where are you leading me? Won't the elder receive me in the main hall?" Qingcao followed a Taoist boy. After being led to the back yard and then winding through the corridors, she still hadn't reached the place where the national master was. So she was a bit surprised. Although she wasn't a very important guest, she was still an outsider. How could they lead her into the inner courtyard? Even if they didn't receive her in the main hall, they should at least receive her in the side hall in the front.
"Don't be impatient, miss. My master is not originally from the Jin country, so he doesn't really care about these etiquettes. My master seems to be pounding medicine over there. You can just go there. I don't need to go with you."
It seemed that the little Taoist boy had guessed what was on her mind or was used to seeing the guests' doubts. So he explained to her and pointed to the place where the national master was, then went back alone.
At this moment, the courtyard was brightly lit, but there was no one there. It was rather desolate and eerie.
Qingcao tried hard to find the national master. Sure enough, his white hair was quite noticeable. It was rare for a national master to pound medicine with his own hands.
"This humble servant pays respects to the national master." Qingcao still thought she should follow the rules of the Jin country and bow, even though there was no one around and even though the national master wasn't from the Jin country and didn't follow its rules.
"Miss has come. It's just that I'm in a hurry at this moment. Can you pound the medicine for me?"
Qingcao frowned. Didn't he even ask why she had come? Instead, he just asked her to help pound the medicine. She had just wanted to praise him for being diligent by doing things himself, but now he was quite good at ordering people around.
"Since the national master needs help, why not find a servant? Wouldn't it be much slower to pound the medicine by yourself?"
"Miss asks this. Don't you really know the mystery of pounding medicine? Haven't you heard that a doctor's medicine can't be touched casually and can only be handled by a predestined person?" The national master was actually explaining this to her seriously. Qingcao could only smile helplessly.
She half - believed and half - doubted. The national master was being so mysterious here. If he was really still in his prime, why had there been such big mistakes with the spiritual objects twice?
"I guess miss has made up her mind this time," the national master said slowly after pounding the medicine for a while. It seemed that he had just returned to his mansion and had rested enough, so he had regained some energy and really looked like a semi - immortal.
"Yes. Since the national master has said so, I'll be straightforward," Qingcao said, stopping the pestle in her hand. The national master even motioned for her not to stop. Helpless, she had to continue pounding.