Chapter 24: 24. Don't despise the big brother
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Perhaps it was because Xiao Haoran was scared off. For the next few days, he actively avoided Leng Sa. Despite living in the same residence and coming and going daily, the two never crossed paths again. However, according to Jin Lan, when the Old Master and the Third Master Leng brought up the marriage matter with Xiao Haoran, he managed to brush it off, leading to a sour mood for Old Master Leng these days.
Leng Sa continued to go to school and return home freely every day. Occasionally, she would visit the courtyard to check on Liao Yunting's progress and prepare for the dance. Even though she was right in the midst of the storm, she lived a much more comfortable life compared to the others.
People were discussing the marriage between the Fu family and the Zheng family in school every day. Although there hadn't been an official announcement of the wedding date, everyone knew it couldn't be too far off. After all, even if the Fu family could afford to wait, Zheng Ying's child couldn't.
"Leng Sa, someone is looking for you." During the lunch break, she sat in the library reading a book titled 'The History of the Weapons Development of An Xia'. A classmate behind her whispered.
She turned around and saw an unfamiliar girl standing at the door. The girl was wearing the uniform of a neighboring high school, with her long curly hair falling gracefully on her shoulders. She had fair and rosy skin, and her delicate facial features resembled that of an exquisite doll, clearly coming from an extraordinary background.
"You are?" Leng Sa raised her eyebrows slightly.
The girl waved at her and approached, speaking softly, "Sister-in-law, I'm Fu Annie."
The term 'sister-in-law' nearly caused Leng Sa to choke. She thanked the classmate behind her and waited for the classmate to leave before turning her attention to the girl. "Sixth Young Lady Fu?" Fu Annie nodded repeatedly. "Yes, yes. You can call me Annie."
Leng Sa was speechless. She sighed and asked, "Why are you looking for me?"
Fu Annie said, "Sister-in-law, I…"
"Ahem, just call me 'sister' for now." Let's discuss the term 'sister-in-law' in the future. That term made her sound like a married woman.
Fu Annie said obediently, "Sister Mingyue."
"Wait for me." Leng Sa smiled and stood up to return the book to its original position. Then she walked back and led Fu Annie out of the library.
Once they were outside the gate, Fu Annie finally let out a long sigh of relief and said, "Sister Mingyue, your school's library is so big! I've never seen so many books before." Leng Sa chuckled and asked, "You'll see them when you enter the university. Why are you here?" Although she was engaged to the Fu family for several years, she was not familiar with the Sixth Young Lady Fu.
Fu Annie whispered, "It's my and Yangyang's birthday tomorrow. I'm here to invite you to our birthday ball."
Leng Sa smiled. "Thank you. I'll be there."
Fu Annie's pretty little face immediately lit up with a happy smile. "Okay, it's a deal, Sister Mingyue. You must come! Big Brother will be there too." Leng Sa was somewhat surprised. She had heard that Fu Fengcheng rarely went out after his injury, and she hadn't heard of any close relationships between him and his younger siblings.
Fu Annie whispered, "It's our father's wish for Big Brother to attend, and it's also his first time attending my birthday party."
Leng Sa could see that this girl genuinely wanted to get closer to Fu Fengcheng but was a bit hesitant.
Considering how Fu Fengcheng had changed, even his brother had poached him, so Fu Annie's — a little sister from a different mother — efforts were indeed commendable.
"Have you had lunch? Let me treat you to something," Leng Sa asked.
Fu Annie blinked, touched her belly, blushed, and nodded. "Okay. Thank you, Sister Mingyue."
"Good girl!"
Leading Fu Annie out of the school, Leng Sa took her to a popular dessert shop nearby. Fu Annie happily ordered a dessert and a drink, while Leng Sa, who wasn't hungry, just ordered a drink and watched her eat.
Although Fu Annie was young, she displayed a lively and elegant demeanor.
"Sister Mingyue, you're nice. I hope you can come to our house soon," Fu Annie said.
Leng Sa smiled and said, "Only treating you to a meal is nice of me?"
Fu Annie shook her head. "No, it's not just about that. You're just really nice. Sister Mingyue, please don't despise my Big Brother. Even though he's injured now… he's still a good person, better than my Fourth Brother!"
Fu Annie was still a young girl who only knew that her brother had been injured and couldn't walk. She didn't know more than that. The rest of the Fu family members didn't tell her much, and others dared not speak recklessly in front of her. If someone said that Fu Fengcheng was a waste, she would only think that he couldn't walk.
Leng Sa asked, "Do you like Fu Fengcheng very much?"
Fu Annie blinked. "Big Brother is very kind."
"…" From her limited interaction with him, that person could not be considered good in any aspect.
Fu Annie propped up her chin. "Although Big Brother doesn't talk much, isn't very close to us, and is often not at home, he's still very kind. When I was young, I wanted a toy, but my mother refused to buy it for me. I didn't dare to tell my father and Madam either. Big Brother just happened to overheard it, and the next time he came back, he brought me that toy. When Yangyang wanted a reference book, it was also Big Brother who had someone bring it back from the capital. He will treat you well in the future too."
Leng Sa nodded, understanding that Fu Fengcheng was indeed quite caring towards his younger siblings.
Both the Fu and Leng families had many offspring, most of whom were not born to the same mother. For Fu Fengcheng to be so considerate of his siblings was commendable.
Fu Annie whispered, "Really, Sister Mingyue, I'm not lying. Big Brother is better than Fourth Brother!" Fu Annie didn't have a good impression of her Fourth Brother. She even made a face when mentioning Fu Yucheng. It was unclear if she simply disliked sc*mbag because she was influenced by outsiders' opinions at school or if their sibling relationship had always been strained.
Leng Sa smiled and said, "I understand. Hurry up and eat."
"Uh-uh."
As the two of them were chatting, Fu Annie looked outside and her expression suddenly changed. She frowned uneasily. Just as Leng Sa was about to ask her, she hurriedly said, "Sister Mingyue, I suddenly remembered something urgent. I need to go."
Leng Sa raised her eyebrows. "Didn't you skip lunch? Are you full?"
Fu Annie nodded and said, "It's a little urgent. I remember that I still have homework to do due this afternoon. The teacher will scold me if I have not completed it. I'll eat more when I get back to school. Goodbye, Sister Mingyue."
"Are you sure nothing's wrong?" Leng Sa asked when she saw her anxious expression.
Fu Annie shook her head. "No… really, nothing's wrong."
Leng Sa nodded. "Alright, be careful on your way."
"Okay." With that, she picked up her small school bag and ran out in a hurry. She ran to the left as soon as she stepped out and disappeared in an instant.
Leng Sa frowned and pondered for a moment. Then, she paid the bill, left the shop, and followed in the same direction.
-- Gift
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