All of this truly filled him with guilt.
In the quiet of the night, he didn’t dare to think carefully about everything when he closed his eyes.
He was afraid he would break down.
He owed this family too much, owed the eldest branch far too much, and he feared he would never be able to repay it in this lifetime.
As Ruan Jiandang spoke, he reached the sorrowful part and tears flowed out. He poured another drink into his mouth. Ruan Jianjun tried to snatch it away but was stopped by the Ruanlin Family matriarch,
The Ruanlin matriarch, observing the intoxicated Ruan Jiandang, seemed very calm, "Let him speak, it’s better than holding it inside, and there are no outsiders here."
Out of four sons, three were doing well. The only exception was Ruan Jiandang, who ended up . To say that the Ruanlin matriarch didn’t feel heartache would be false.
But what could be done about it?
Liao Zhaoji was the woman he had sought out himself, the one he had insisted on marrying, without any coercion from others.
Liao Zhaoji was also indulged by him. The life they led was of their own making and had nothing to do with anyone else.
No one else was to blame for all of this.
Uncle Ruan was still talking, and by the end, he could hardly speak through his sobs. Ruan Jiaojiao silently retreated, with Xiu Xi following behind her.
The two sat on the kitchen back door sill, watching the little lamb, which had grown quite a bit, prance over with its little legs.
"Baa..." The lamb called out, likely having observed over the past two months that Xiu Xi wouldn’t hurt it, and when approaching Ruan Jiaojiao, it no longer trembled all over as before.
It nuzzled its little head against Ruan Jiaojiao’s hand, ceaselessly seeking affection.
Meatball, on the other hand, was wagging its tail nearby and attempted to snuggle over as well but was immediately frightened into crying and scrammed back by a stern look from Xiu Xi.
"Brother Xi..." Ruan Jiaojiao called out helplessly.
He was not going to compromise!
Ruan Jiaojiao glanced at him, already completely immune to his little tantrum.
Now that the crisis surrounding Ruan Qun had been averted, it was Ruan Chi’s turn next.
Jiaojiao thought about what to do next. As she’d just finished eating, her mind was a bit fuzzy, and before she knew it, her little head had slowly leaned onto the shoulder of the adjacent Xiu Xi...
In just a few minutes, Ruan Jiaojiao’s breathing had steadied.
Xiu Xi carefully cocked his head to look at her with her eyes closed, then hurriedly turned back, his hand protectively on her back, carefully supporting her without daring to move, for fear of disturbing her.
In front of them was a verdant mountain, and behind them was the stove still giving off heat. The two sat close together on the threshold, Meatball laying nearby. From a distance, the scene looked as picture-perfect as a painting...
When the Ruanlin matriarch entered the kitchen, this was the scene she saw. She paused for a moment, then smiled broadly. The gloom that had risen in the main room because of Ruan Jiandang instantly vanished.
She walked over, about to call out, but before she could make a sound, she saw Xiu Xi cradling Ruan Jiaojiao’s head with one hand while whispering, "Jiaojiao fell asleep."
"Mm, I’ll hold her gently so as not to wake her," the Ruanlin matriarch said, "You’ll be too tired ."
Xiu Xi didn’t utter a word, his eyes shadowed as he looked down.
He didn’t feel tired at all. He thought it was quite nice this way.
Back in the forest, he could accompany her while she slept, but now... with the Ruanlin matriarch and other members of the Ruan Family around, there was no longer a place for him by her side.
Despite his reluctance, Ruan Jiaojiao was still picked up.
After being carried to bed to sleep, Xiu Xi saw Ruanlin matriarch leave. He looked at the sleeping Ruan Jiaojiao for a while, then took off his own shoes, climbed in next to her, and lay down close to her.