Ji Youzhi’s mouth fell open at the news; he’d never expected such a coincidence.
Suddenly, a thought struck him. Could it be? It’s all over! I’m afraid the key to this lies with Xiaosuisui!
Ji Youcheng looked at him, completely puzzled. "How does this have anything to do with Suisui? I’m telling you, don’t even think about involving Suisui. Did you hear me? That entire street of dowry should have been your sister’s, but she didn’t want it. So now it should be Suisui’s. I specifically purchased property in Yang City so she would have someone to look after her in the future. The location is close to Eldest Brother’s Illusion Sect. If anything happens, he can quickly get there to help! No one will be able to bully her!"
Heh. Ji Youzhi thought, mentally summing up his third brother. Then, he grabbed him and started dragging him toward Xiaosuisui’s room.
"Let go of me! What kind of behavior is this, pulling and tugging? It’s unbecoming!"
Ji Youzhi ignored him, simply dragging him straight to Suisui’s room.
Suisui had already finished her meal. Upon seeing them, she instinctively covered her mouth.
"Why are you covering your mouth?" Ji Youzhi asked, puzzled by her small action.
Xiaosuisui didn’t answer; instead, her big, round eyes darted a glance at Zhu Xiuxiu.
Zhu Xiuxiu sighed. "Her mouth! It’s hard to explain. It’s better when she covers it!"
Ji Youzhi understood immediately. "What did she say this time?"
Zhu Xiuxiu kept her mouth shut.
Huo Xing’Er, ever considerate, chimed in, "Your third brother was almost made a fool of!"
Ji Youzhi fell silent. He silently sympathized with his third brother for a moment. "Second Sister-in-law, do you remember what happened a few days ago at the family dinner when Eighth Brother passed his exam?"
Huo Xing’Er chuckled.
Zhu Xiuxiu flushed with embarrassment, assuming Huo Xing’Er was mocking the incident where she and Ji Youcheng had made fools of themselves. She huffed in annoyance, glaring at Huo Xing’Er. "Go on, laugh all you want! Just you wait, your time will come when you and Second Brother have a fight!"
Huo Xing’Er scoffed. "Then you’ll be waiting a long time!"
"Hey! This is no time for you two to be arguing, Sisters-in-law!" Ji Youzhi interrupted, growing anxious. He rubbed his temples, which were beginning to throb. "Something terrible has happened outside!"
"What happened?" Huo Xing’Er and Zhu Xiuxiu asked in unison.
"Two nights ago, a tornado struck the Yunhang Sea, displacing many of the Yunhang people. The Imperial Court is preparing disaster relief now!"
"What? D-disaster relief?" Huo Xing’Er’s face turned pale. "Is it that serious?"
Zhu Xiuxiu didn’t have such a dramatic reaction. She was only surprised because while she knew Ji Youcheng’s cargo had been lost to the tornado at sea, he hadn’t mentioned anything about the people of Yunhang. Now, seeing Huo Xing’Er’s reaction, she was quite taken aback and stared at her. "Why are you reacting so strongly?"
Huo Xing’Er seemed to be struggling to breathe, her gaze falling on Xiaosuisui’s face.
Sensing her gaze, Xiaosuisui looked confused. She briefly opened her mouth, then quickly covered it again, her large eyes darting around, a mix of worry and grievance in them.
"Why are you looking at Suisui? What does this have to do with her?" Zhu Xiuxiu asked. Seeing Huo Xing’Er’s expression, a flicker of doubt entered her eyes, and alarm bells began to ring in her mind. Her gaze swept over Huo Xing’Er and Ji Youzhi as she murmured anxiously, "It... it couldn’t really have anything to do with her, could it?" She then turned to Ji Youzhi. "Seventh Brother, do you know something? Does this really have something to do with Suisui?"