chapter 4
The next day, Cheng Jia woke up.
He glanced at the clean Hu clothing on his body, and when he looked at me, a faint blush appeared on his fair face.
“Miss Yun Li, I can never repay your life-saving kindness. Cheng Jia will never forget it.”
“Young Master Cheng, there’s no need to be so polite. Are you hungry now? Would you like some kumis first…”
Before I could finish, the curtain was lifted. Grandfather came in, holding a jug in one hand and a bowl in the other, looking extremely impatient.
“Here, drink. When you’re done, hurry up and leave.”
He poured a steaming bowl of kumis onto the table. His gaze fell on Cheng Jia’s face, and for some reason, his attitude suddenly changed. He broke into a beaming smile: “No rush, take your time. Anyway, your little brother won’t be drinking any. You should have a few more bowls for him.”
Cheng Jia glanced at his cousin Yuan Zong, who was lying on another bed. He seemed to have been prepared for this, so his voice was calm, though his face was deathly pale.
“Miss Yun Li, is he dead?”
“Not yet, but it won’t be long,” I answered honestly.
Pain flickered in Cheng Jia’s eyes. He walked to the bedside, took Yuan Zong’s hand, and half-knelt before him, his body trembling: “Yuan Zong, it’s my fault. I couldn’t protect you.”
As he grieved, Grandfather suddenly poked his head in, glanced at the motionless Yuan Zong, and whispered to me with a grin: “Not bad, this one looks pretty good too.”
I looked at him in confusion. He simply dragged me outside the curtain, speaking mysteriously: “It was too dark to see clearly last night, but both of them look quite nice. Good Granddaughter, which one do you like?”
“Wh-what?”
“Don’t pretend. You gave them a Ginseng Pill and clothes. When have you ever been so warm-hearted before? A Central Plains Person may not keep their promises, but they are indeed fair-skinned. Compared to them, the boys from the Western Regions look like spirit-possessed black bears. No wonder you don’t fancy them.”
“Grandfather, what are you talking about?”
“Grandfather is thinking for your sake. You’re three hundred years old now, considered an adult. You can choose someone you like and borrow him to have a Little Dragon.”
“…”
“Good Granddaughter, you can’t let our White Dragon line die out. If you like both of them, Grandfather will keep them both for you. Have a few more Little Dragons, and I’ll take them to Tianshan to cultivate…”
“Cheng Jia’s cousin is about to die. Didn’t you say we can’t dig up graves anymore?”
“Silly child, having a Little Dragon is a matter of great importance. The ancestors will understand.”
“…”
“So, you like both of them, right?”
“No, just one is enough.”
“Which one?”
“Young Master Cheng Jia.”