The blizzard raged, swallowing Ming Shu’s voice. One cry of “Elder Brother” after another was scattered by the wind, falling silently like snow, disappearing into the deep night. Besides the howling wind, no one answered her calls.
She crouched at the cliff’s edge, reaching into the dark void, futilely trying to grasp something. Her heart sank into the abyss with that darkness.
Ming Shu was in disarray, but the bushes at the cliff’s edge suddenly rustled, revealing a head as someone struggled to climb the cliff face. In the pitch darkness, Ming Shu couldn’t make out who it was. She quickly came to her senses, gritting her teeth as she picked up a large stone from the ground, standing at the cliff’s edge watching the person.
Lu Chang never expected that after escaping death by climbing the protruding rocks on the cliff face, he would reach the top only to find Ming Shu standing there with a stone, apparently planning to drop it on him.
“Ming Shu?”
At his low call, Ming Shu recognized Lu Chang’s voice and quickly threw aside the stone, overjoyed: “Elder Brother?!”
“What are you doing? Hurry and pull me up!”
“I… I was afraid it might be the bandit. If it was him, I would have avenged you even if it cost my life!” Ming Shu lay down to pull him up, wild with joy.
Lu Chang struggled to climb onto the cliff, saying, “Lucky you recognized me, or I’d have become a wronged ghost by your hand.” He patted the snow, stone fragments, and weeds from his clothes, then noticed her standing there speechless and added, “Why so quiet? I was just joking.”
“Elder Brother…” Ming Shu murmured.
Lu Chang thought his ears must be playing tricks on him, staring at her: “What did you call me?”
“Elder Brother… Elder Brother, Elder Brother, Elder Brother!” She called out to Lu Chang repeatedly, suddenly flying into his arms like a butterfly, holding him tight and burying her face in his chest.
Lu Chang stepped back half a step before steadying himself, momentarily frozen like wood and stone, taking a long while to recover his senses, not even knowing where to put his hands.
The person in his arms sobbed heavily, her shoulders shaking continuously, like butterfly wings beating gently but persistently against his heart.
“Did I scare you? I’m fine.” After a long while, he finally softened his voice.
His large palm slowly pressed against the back of her head, gently stroking to comfort her.
Ming Shu vented her emotions for a moment before finally calming down and looking up. Her face was wrapped except for her eyes, making them particularly striking—red-rimmed and brimming with tears she couldn’t hold back.
Without reason, Lu Chang felt as if someone had violently tugged at his heartstrings.
In his memory, since Madam Simple’s death, he had never seen Ming Shu cry. Even during their separation in Jiangning City, when he had spoken such harsh words, she hadn’t shown any distress before him; in their years of acquaintance, though he remained distant and polite, she always faced him with smiles; when she woke with her injuries and lost memories, though confused and insecure, she never showed any weakness before others…
Today’s tears must have come from extreme distress, or she would never have shown such emotion.
“Stop crying, I’m right here in front of you, fine.” Lu Chang raised his hand, awkwardly wiping her eyes.
Ming Shu “humphed,” her voice nasally: “You always try to act tough, nearly got yourself killed this time.”
“Alright, alright, it was my fault… Ming Shu, what did you call me earlier?” Lu Chang lifted her face, asking.
Ming Shu bit her lip, refusing to answer.
Lu Chang continued: “You called out so urgently before, it’s too late to take it back now. I heard you.”
“Fine, I’ll say it. Elder Brother! Elder Brother, Elder Brother, Elder Brother!” Ming Shu steeled herself and blurted out.
“You finally acknowledge me as your elder brother?” Lu Chang asked her.
He had seen all her wariness. Since losing her memory, she had never called him brother or called Madam Zeng’s mother. Though their relationship gradually became harmonious, she still acted cautiously, often probing Madam Zeng indirectly for inconsistencies in their story.
Ming Shu looked at him—his hood was gone, his cheeks reddened by the fierce cold wind, with faint scratch marks visible. His gaze was sharp yet held a contradictory gentleness.
He must have seen through her thoughts long ago but chose not to expose them, never forcing her to accept anything.
How to put it? Her doubts weren’t completely gone, but she… trusted him as a person.
If he said he was her Elder Brother, then he would be her Elder Brother for life.
“Yes, Elder Brother.” Her eyes curved as she smiled.
Hearing that “Elder Brother,” Lu Chang felt as if his heart might melt. Glimpsing points of firelight through the snowstorm, he patted her back and said: “Alright, can you let go now?”
Ming Shu suddenly released him, complaining: “These clothes are Gao Fu’s, right? They reek of sweat and wine, absolutely disgusting.”
And now she was expressing her disgust.
When Lu Chang brought Ming Shu back to the inn, the bandits had already been defeated. The fierce battle had ended, leaving the inn in complete disarray, with blood stains visible everywhere on the walls and bodies lying scattered on the ground—it was unclear who was wounded and who was dead. This was Ming Shu’s first experience of the martial world’s dangers, far from the grandeur depicted in storybooks.
“Don’t look.” Lu Chang covered her eyes with his palm. “The carriage is parked on the inn’s west side. To help Mother over, quickly get inside out of the snow. I’ll go meet the escort leader.”
“Oh.” Ming Shu was still shaken, quickly nodding before running off.
Soon after, Madam Zeng was helped into the inn. Though Lu Chang had told her to hide in the carriage, she was still pale with fright. Lu Chang had already met with the escort leader, but due to the day’s heavy losses and near loss of the escorted goods, the leader was busy directing his men in cleanup and had no time for a lengthy discussion. They only exchanged names and thanks, and seeing Lu Chang had two female companions, the leader ordered people to give them the inn’s best room.
“Let’s go.” Lu Chang didn’t stand on ceremony, leading Madam Zeng and Ming Shu to settle in the room.
The best room was quite large, with inner and outer chambers, spacious enough for the three of them.
“This snow won’t stop anytime soon.” Ming Shu helped Madam Zeng sit on the bed, glancing at the tree shadows outside the window swaying wildly in the wind, which seemed to have grown stronger.
“Amitabha Buddha, thankfully we have a roof over our heads.” Madam Zeng pressed her palms together, then remembering the casualties in the inn, added, “What terrible karma.”
“It’s alright now, you two rest well tonight.” Lu Chang removed his hood, comforting them both.
“Knock, knock” came from outside the door as someone delivered items.
“Here is freshly boiled water, along with some food, medicine, and other items. Young Master ordered me to bring these to you all. He said that thanks to your life-risking help today, this escort mission wasn’t ruined. Please rest well tonight, and he will come personally tomorrow to thank you.”
Observing this person’s dress and manner of speaking, Ming Shu guessed he was from the Tao family, and she vaguely suspected which “Young Master” he meant. Taking the tray, she said: “Thank you, brother.”
After the door closed again, Ming Shu saw that besides a pot of hot water and a plate of hot flatbreads, there was also a porcelain bottle of medicine and a small box of… women’s face powder.
“Mother, have some water.” She poured a cup and handed it to Madam Zeng first.
Madam Zeng took it, warming her hands before taking a small sip, then raised her head with furrowed brows in confusion: “Ming Shu, what did you just… call me?”
Well, the same reaction as Lu Chang.
“Mother, Mother, honored Mother.” Ming Shu tore off a corner of flatbread and handed it to Madam Zeng.
Madam Zeng dumbly accepted it, looking at her, then at Lu Chang: “Did I hear wrong?”
“You heard correctly,” Lu Chang nodded with a smile, “Sister is calling you.”
Madam Zeng hurriedly put down what she was holding and stood up to look at Ming Shu. Thoughts of Ming Shu’s deceased mother, Ming Shu’s childhood, and the Simple family tragedy all came to mind, making her heart ache with love and pity. She wiped her tears with her sleeve corner before pulling Ming Shu into her arms, choking out: “Good child, don’t be afraid. It doesn’t matter if you’ve forgotten the past. You have me now. As long as Mother lives, I will protect you.”
Ming Shu felt warmth in her heart as she patted Madam Zeng’s back, saying: “Thank you, Mother.”
This “Mother” brought fresh tears to Madam Zeng’s face.
Lu Chang remained silent.
Since they first met as children, he and she had been connected in Jiangning County for over ten years. Though they should have parted never to meet again, unexpectedly, in his nineteenth year, he and seventeen-year-old Ming Shu became siblings.
Simple Ming Shu became Lu Ming Shu.
Deep in the night, the snow fell heavier, and the old, poorly maintained building creaked in the wind. Even through the windows, the howling wind outside could be heard. Madam Zeng had already fallen asleep, the remaining candle gave off a faint light, and no one spoke in the room, making it very quiet. The sounds from the inn had also gradually died down.
Ming Shu lay fully clothed beside Madam Zeng, her eyelids growing heavy. Just as she was about to drift off, she suddenly jerked awake, sitting up and staring blankly forward, feeling she had forgotten something she needed to do.
After thinking for a long while, she finally remembered when her eyes fell on the items placed beside the bed.
The medicine and face powder delivered by the Tao family servant was by the bed. She had meant to remind Lu Chang to apply medicine, but after all the bustle, she had forgotten.
Lu Chang was sleeping on a simple couch in the outer room, though he wasn’t in the room now, having gone out at some point.
Ming Shu glanced at the sleeping Madam Zeng, grabbed the medicine, and hesitated briefly when her fingers brushed the face powder before tucking both into her clothes and going out to find Lu Chang.
The inn had grown quiet, with everyone except the guard escorts resting.
Lu Chang, carrying clean clothes, had entered the kitchen area, planning to heat some water and wash up a bit.
While lighting the fire and drawing water, waiting for it to heat, he raised his arms and sniffed himself, frowning severely—this set of Gao Fu’s clothes was indeed filthy and smelly, no wonder Ming Shu had complained.
Exhausted from a full day and half a night of fighting, his limbs felt like lead weights. Normally when traveling, he wasn’t so particular—changing clothes would have been enough, so why bother with washing? But thinking of Ming Shu’s look of disgust, he couldn’t help himself.
Ming Shu had always been particular about cleanliness, since childhood.
Well, he’d better clean himself up properly to avoid her complaining about his stench tomorrow.
Thinking thus, the water gradually began steaming, soon coming to a small boil. He ladled out the hot water and began removing his clothes.
He had received some injuries fighting the bandits, the worst on his hand, though it had already clotted. Now touching the water, it stung sharply, making him frown and hiss softly. Only then did he realize he had forgotten to bring the medicine?
Never mind, he’d clean the wounds first.
Lu Chang didn’t think more about it, lowering his head to clean the blood and stone fragments around his wounds.
Suddenly footsteps came from outside the kitchen’s cloth curtain.
“Elder Brother, are you in there?” Along with Ming Shu’s question, the curtain was suddenly lifted.
Lu Chang didn’t have time to cover himself, turning his head to meet Ming Shu’s gaze directly.
The inn was crude, with the kitchen and bathing area combined. She never imagined Lu Chang would be bathing here, assuming he was just boiling water, so she had directly lifted the curtain to enter.
Both were shocked.
Author’s Note:
Young Lu: She finally trusts me, finally acknowledges me as her elder brother! I’m touched, I’m happy!
Author-mom: Better enjoy your happiness while you can. In a few days, you might feel like crying.
PS: Ah, Ming Shu finally trusts him, I’m quite pleased. To mark this occasion with some ceremony, I’ll send out 100 red packets, first come first served, muah!