Shocking! The entire court was drooling with envy because of me.

"Hey, brother, don't talk nonsense. I'm still young, and I'm not in a hurry to talk about marriage."

Xiao Mo quickly interrupted her older brother.

She's only fifteen, so there's no rush to get married.

Sister Shen once said that girls are still very young, even if they are 25, let alone 15.

Getting married too early is bad for your health.

There's still a long way to go in the future.

She had decided to focus on herself first and ignore the young medicine man.

If the young medicine man truly desires to marry her, he will find a way to overcome all difficulties.

"Good, good, good!" Xiao Yu said "good" three times in a row. "Your little sister, take your time choosing. There are plenty of men better than that poor boy. Even if you never marry, I can still support you!"

Marrying that poor guy is worse than remaining single forever.

"Thank you, brother." Xiao Mo's eyes crinkled into a smile. It's so nice to have her brother protecting her.

"Come on, let's pack up and go home. Where do you want to go tomorrow? I'll make the plans!"

"I have to come to the restaurant to work tomorrow."

Xiao Mo has no intention of going home to be a pampered young lady.

She enjoyed the fulfilling and joyful life at the restaurant.

"Why do you need to do chores when you're already home? I'll buy you whatever you want to eat. It's not like we can't support you. You don't need to come out and work in the field."

"Brother, you don't understand. I don't want to pin my hopes and future on others. I want to live independently and freely. I like working in the restaurant."

As she said this, Xiao Mo's eyes shone.

Xiao Yu didn't understand. He had gone to great lengths to disobey his parents in order to protect his younger sister under his wing, but he never expected that his younger sister would insist on doing such dirty and tiring work in the restaurant.

"What do you mean by relying on someone else? I'm your brother, not someone else. Just tell me what you want."

"Brother, I can't always rely on you."

"Why can't you rely on it forever? You can rely on it forever!"

"Brother! Why can't you understand human language?"

"What do you mean I can't understand human language? You're getting more and more disrespectful!"

"..."

The brother and sister were talking at once, completely unable to understand each other, and were almost about to start arguing.

Shen Qing, who was standing nearby, casually interjected, "If Xiao Mo becomes completely dependent on you, what if you die young?"

Xiao Yu: "..."

Suddenly, I was speechless.

No, why is Madam Shen so sharp-tongued? Does he look like someone who would die young?

"To give an example, Young Master Xiao will surely live to be a hundred years old," Shen Qing added.

"Sister Shen is right!" Xiao Mo blurted out without thinking, "If you die quickly, I can't possibly die with you, can I?"

Xiao Yu: "..."

He feels like he's about to die, like one knife after another is being plunged into his heart.

Why must there be such a "what if"...?

"Brother~"

Xiao Mo spoke too quickly, and only after she finished did she realize that what she said was a bit too much.

She lowered her head guiltily, tugged at Xiao Yu's sleeve, and said coquettishly, "Brother, Sister Shen and I didn't mean to curse you."

"It's just an example, just an example."

"Moreover, the words may be rough, but the principle is sound."

"Besides, brother, you just promised me that I could do whatever I wanted without being restricted anymore..."

Xiao Yu gritted his teeth, and after a long while, he finally had no choice but to give in.

"Fine, whatever."

Ultimately, it's his fault. He failed to protect his younger sister from the beginning, otherwise she wouldn't have thought about enduring hardship and becoming independent.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Mo was overjoyed and jumped up, exclaiming, "That's great! Brother, you finally agreed!"

"I don't know what's so great about working..."

Xiao Yu pursed his lips.

He turned and cupped his hands in greeting to Shen Qingyi: "Madam Shen, I'll take my little sister back first."

"Alright, Amo has been away from home for many days now. You must have a lot to talk about. Go back quickly." Shen Qing smiled.

"Sister Shen, I promise I won't be late tomorrow, don't worry!"

Xiao Mo smiled broadly; at this moment, a sense of relaxation and happiness appeared between her brows.

She can go home now, and she doesn't have to hide from her brother anymore.

And she can continue doing what she likes.

Free and fulfilling.

After watching the brother and sister leave, Shen Qing and the others tidied up the restaurant.

Just as they were about to close the door and leave, Gu Qionghua reappeared at the restaurant entrance.

She was still dressed in her finest clothes, but they were now stained and the hem of her skirt was torn. Combined with her distraught face, she looked utterly wretched.

It's no longer the flamboyant and bright place it once was.

"What's wrong with you...?" Shen Qing stepped forward with concern, her face full of worry.

With her eyes red and swollen, Gu Qionghua forced a smile: "It's nothing, I just tripped and fell."

"Madam Shen, I've come here because I have a favor to ask of you."

"You don't mean to make me agree to the Princess's request, do you?" Shen Qing frowned slightly.

Gu Qionghua forced a bitter smile: "That's right, Madam Shen, I would like to ask you to go to the Princess's residence and cook a feast for my... deceased sister."

"You..." Shen Qing sighed, "You clearly harbor so much resentment towards your mother, so why do you still..."

"My mother has had a hard life. She was just too heartbroken and blamed herself. She's right. My sister died young and had nothing, while I have everything: wealth, power, status, beauty. I have so many things. I've asked for too much."

"I shouldn't have resented her; I should have understood my mother. I was just too immature."

As Gu Qionghua spoke, tears welled up in her eyes, as if she was trying her best to hold them back from falling.

Shen Qing didn't know where Gu Qionghua had gone, but clearly, the princess had convinced herself and chosen to understand the eldest princess's actions.

Or rather, it was a reason given for the eldest princess's behavior, in order to escape the fact that the eldest princess did not love her that much.

Seeing the proud little peacock turn out like this, Shen Qing felt a pang of heartache.

"Wealth, power, status, beauty—are these things you truly desire?"

"I......"

"Would you be willing to exchange all of these for the princess's maternal love?"

"...Change it, but we can't change it..."

Gu Qionghua broke down in tears. She had spent half a day mentally preparing herself and finding reasons, but Shen Qing's two sentences were enough to defeat her once again.

Wealth, power, status, and beauty—these are things she was born with, but they are not what she wanted.

From childhood to adulthood, all she ever wanted was her mother's love.

But she could never have it.

If she could change, she would do it immediately.

God knows how much she envied her deceased sister.

My mother said she has countless good things, but none of them are what she wants!