Chapter 163: Chapter 163: Something Evil
Guo Dongmeiās smile was gentle, but it didnāt reach her eyes. She was simply watching Zhao Nuanyue and the others as if they were clowns.
"Itās fine, let the child have some," Guo Dongmei said with a smile. "Thereās enough for everyone. Letās all eat together."
Wang Yuan and Li Qiong felt extremely awkward, completely at a loss for how to speak to Guo Dongmei.
The dinner table fell silent, the only sound being the chewing of food.
After the meal, Li Qiong couldnāt stand the oppressive atmosphere any longer. She said to Zhao Nuanyue, "Nuanyue, Aunt Li just told me to have you go find her. She probably needs you for something. You should go. Iāll clear the table."
Zhao Nuanyue was taken aback. Seeing the hint in Li Qiongās eyes, she sighed inwardly but still nodded. "Alright! Iāll head over now."
"Nuanyang, Little Red Carp, letās go together." Zhao Nuanyue picked up Little Red Carp and said to her brother behind her, worried that if she left him behind, he might get into a fight with Hua Yusen.
"Okay, you guys go on ahead. Itās not like thereās anything else to do this afternoon anyway," Wang Yuan also said with a smile. "Go on, go on, donāt keep Aunt Li waiting."
So, Zhao Nuanyue left, carrying Little Red Carp and with Zhao Nuan Yang in tow.
Once outside, Zhao Nuan Yang was furious. He looked at his sister angrily and asked, "Sis, that Hua Yusen has a fiancĆ©e! Heās playing with your feelings! Why did you stop me from hitting him?"
Zhao Nuanyue turned her head to look at her brother. "Could you even beat him?"
Zhao Nuan Yang froze for a moment, then stuck out his neck defiantly. "Even if I canāt, I still have to fight him to vent your anger."
Hearing her brotherās words, Zhao Nuanyue was touched. She smiled faintly and said, "If you canāt win, then donāt fight. We need to know our own limitations."
"Sis, arenāt you angry then?" Zhao Nuan Yang demanded. "Hua Yusen deceived you! He played with your feelings!"
Zhao Nuanyue looked at Zhao Nuan Yang seriously and explained, "Nuanyang, listen to me. Hua Yusen didnāt lie to me. He told me before that he has a fiancĆ©e and that he would break off the engagement after his work was done. So, he didnāt deceive me."
"Huh?" Zhao Nuan Yang was stunned. "Sis, how could you do that?"
"That I shouldnāt be the other woman, right?" Zhao Nuanyue chuckled lightly. "You think your sister did something wrong, donāt you?"
Thinking of the revenge she took before her death, of her past with Hua Yusen, of his gentleness and affection, Zhao Nuanyueās heart felt as if it were being sliced by a knife.
She and Hua Yusen were in love, both in her past life and now.
It was just that the timing of her rebirth was off. If you included her past life, she, Zhao Nuanyue, wouldnāt be considered the third party between Hua Yusen and Guo Dongmei. So, after the initial guilt of seeing Guo Dongmei, she had come to terms with it.
She hadnāt wronged anyone, so there was naturally no need to feel guilty or panicked.
"Sis, I just think a man who plays with a womanās feelings is not a good man," Zhao Nuan Yang said earnestly. "Sis, please donāt see Hua Yusen anymore, okay?"
Seeing her brother express this view, Zhao Nuanyue nodded. "Okay, your sister will listen to Nuanyang. I wonāt see Hua Yusen until he has broken off his engagement with Guo Dongmei. I wonāt give him the chance to play with my feelings."
Zhao Nuanyue didnāt want her brother to worry.
Hearing his sister say this, Zhao Nuan Yang nodded. "Okay, I believe you, Sis. But if that Hua Yusen comes looking for you, Iām going to hit him."
"Hit him!" Little Red Carp also clenched her small fists, filled with righteous indignation alongside her brother.
Seeing her brother and sister looking so seriousāknowing full well they couldnāt win but still insisting on fighting Hua Yusen for her sakeāwas a bit foolish, but it touched her deeply.
"Alright, your sister will fight with you," Zhao Nuanyue said with a laugh. "Then weāll be able to win."
"Iāll help too! Iām really strong," Little Red Carp chimed in, thinking to herself, āI can beat Hua Yusen so bad he wonāt even recognize his own mother.ā
Zhao Nuanyue took Zhao Nuan Yang and Little Red Carp to Director Liās house for a short while before leaving. In reality, going to Aunt Liās house was just an excuse Li Qiong had come up with to diffuse the awkward atmosphere at the Dragon King Temple.
"Nuanyang, go do some painting. Make sure to draw our Little Red Carp extra beautifully today," Zhao Nuanyue said with a smile. "Little Red Carp is so cute, sheāll look even better in a painting."
Zhao Nuan Yang looked at Little Red Carpās hopeful face, then reached out, took her into his arms, and tweaked her little nose. "Mm, okay. Iāll draw Little Red Carp, and Iāll draw Sis, too. Later, you can hold Little Red Carp, and Iāll draw you both together."
"Okay," Zhao Nuanyue nodded. Having her younger brother and sister by her side, she already felt very content.
When they arrived at the small cave where Zhao Nuan Yang usually painted, Little Red Carp was very familiar with the place. Back then, Zhao Nuanyue had even asked for her help to set up a Barrier to keep others out. And she, in turn, would secretly swim over to watch Zhao Nuan Yang paint.
Now that she had become human, she could finally come watch openly and even ask Zhao Nuan Yang to draw her.
Because now she was his little sisterāhis cute, invincible little sister.
Just then, Zhao Nuan Yang was bustling about, carrying the easel, brushes, paper, and paints out of the cave, back and forth.
"Sis, that woman from before has something evil on her. Itās very scary," Little Red Carp said softly. "I donāt think she comes with good intentions. Sheās a bad woman. You need to be careful."
"Huh?" Zhao Nuanyue was startled, frowning as she asked, "Something evil? Do you know what it is, specifically?"
"I donāt know." Little Red Carp shook her head. "I canāt figure it out for now, but Iām sure itās something meant to harm people. But she clearly came to see Hua Yusen, so why would she be carrying something so evil? Is she trying to harm Hua Yusen?"
Zhao Nuanyue thought back carefully. In her last life, she had investigated this and even heard some things about Guo Dongmei from others. The Guo Family had once stepped on the Hua family to climb up. Could it be that Guo Dongmeiās arrival this time was to use Hua Yusen and step on him to get ahead?
At this thought, a chill ran down Zhao Nuanyueās spine.
My god, Hua Yusen wasnāt a real volunteer in Nianqiao Village. He was secretly protecting Gu Qingyu, carrying out a mission.
This was a secret, so how did Guo Dongmei know?
Given Hua Yusenās caution, he absolutely would not have told Guo Dongmei! He wouldnāt have told anyone!
If Guo Dongmei knew Hua Yusen was in Nianqiao Village, then she could naturally know that Elder Gu was here too.
No, thatās not right. Zhao Nuanyue felt that Guo Dongmeiās arrival was too strange. Perhaps Guo Dongmei hadnāt come for Hua Yusen, but for Elder Gu.
At this point, Zhao Nuanyue couldnāt be bothered with painting anymore. She placed Little Red Carp directly on the ground, setting her on a rock. "Nuanyang, you stay here and paint with your sister. I have something to take care of and need to go back to the village."
With that said, Zhao Nuanyue had already hurried off.