Bixia Stone Chapter 38

  Behind the artificial hill, in a cluster of flowers, two small figures sat side by side on a large horizontal stone. The girl supported her cheek with her hand and gazed quietly into the distance, while the boy slightly pursed his lips and looked at her with some concern.

  "Alas!" The girl let out a long sigh, her delicate face was filled with desolation, her cherry-red lips pouted slightly, and her fan-like eyelashes fluttered up and down as if they could stir up the wind.

  "Miss Five, is there something unhappy?" Seeing her like this, the boy's eyes became even more worried.

  "Hmm...it's okay, I guess. I just feel like everyone - Big Brother, Second Sister, Fourth Sister - they all seem different from before!"

  "What's different? How is it different?" The boy scratched his head and asked in puzzlement.

  "I don't know what to say either." With another sigh, Xia Xue turned her head, and her beautiful face showed a few hints of frustration and loss. "Big brother suddenly became very good to fourth sister, even buying her pretty dolls; second sister has been ignoring me lately, always discussing something with her mother; third brother is often out, not even at home. Only I... alas, it seems like everyone has forgotten about me."

  "No way, Master and Mistress will definitely remember Fifth Miss." The boy shook his head hard, afraid that Xia Xue wouldn't believe him, his tone urgent and certain.

  Look at his silly appearance, Xia Xue burst out laughing, her hands propped on her sides, her two feet swaying back and forth under her skirt. "If one day no one pays attention to Snowy, what will Dunzi do?" She asked, slightly raising her face to glance at him sideways.

  "No matter what others say, I will always protect Fifth Miss."

  "Really?"

  "Ah!" A firm and forceful nod, seeing Xia Xue's eyebrows spread out in a smile, Dun'er's silly little face curved into a joyful smile.

  Every day at this time is the happiest moment of summer. The day before yesterday was a paper kite, and yesterday was a pair of mud dolls. I don't know what big brother will bring her today. Leaning on the bed, she can't wait to see it. Qingming's medicine is very effective, and her cold has almost recovered, except for the wound on her back that hasn't scabbed over yet. She has been unable to lie in bed for a long time, but Father and big brother won't let her get out of bed and move around no matter what. If it weren't for big brother bringing her some interesting little trinkets every day, she would really be bored to tears.

  However, today her brother came back later than usual, so she got out of bed and decided to go outside to wait. Having lain in bed for too long, as soon as she stood up straight, she felt dizzy and weak all over, and her legs almost gave way beneath her. Just in time, a pair of arms caught her and held her steady. "Tian'er, why are you out of bed? Where's Fenglai?"

  She lifted her head, facing her older brother's worried and scolding eyes, stuck out her tongue, and gave a conciliatory smile.

  Xia Yang smiled helplessly and helped her sit back on the couch, "Is there anywhere uncomfortable?"

  She shook her head, tilted it and stretched out one hand, palm up, looking mischievous as she waited for his gift.

  Xia Yang couldn't help but smile, and quickly reached into his pocket to pull out a small, exquisite nine-linked ring.

  Wow! What a beautiful nine-linked ring, with a subtle red glow emanating from the emerald green, as if several strands of sunlight had melted into a pool of emerald water, stunningly colorful and dazzling to the eyes.

  "Do you like it?" He smiled at her, with deep affection hidden in his clear and clean eyes.

  Summer nodded, and a faint flush of excitement appeared on her previously pale cheeks.

  His eyebrows slightly moved, he suppressed his smile and squatted down, slightly raising his head to cover up the worry of staring at her: "Tian'er, can you speak? Why have you never been willing to open your mouth? Not even with big brother? That thing has passed for so long, are you still afraid? Big brother guarantees that no one will ever hurt you again, believe big brother, huh?"

  Her nose turned sour, and her eyes reddened as she bit her lip. She didn't dare to speak out, nor did she want to make her big brother sad. It's just that she wasn't sure if her voice was the same as the original Xia Tian's, what if her big brother found out that she was an imposter, would he still treat her so well?

  Their eyes locked for a moment, one filled with longing and heartache, the other weighed down by worries and filled with apology.

  "Big brother, you're really here!" Xia Shuang rushed in with an unpleasant expression and was taken aback by the two of them staring at each other.

  Xia Yang stood up upon hearing the sound, and didn't even bother to respond to Xia Feng. He just comfortingly patted Xia Tian's head and softly said: "Rest well, don't think nonsense, when Father comes back we'll have dinner together."

  Seeing that it was still just a nod in the summer, he covered up the loss in his eyes and quietly sighed, smiled gently at her, turned around and walked straight out past Xiaofeng.

  Her eyebrows furrowed, Xia Feng glared at her and was about to turn around and leave when his gaze inadvertently swept across her hand. His face suddenly changed color in shock and he looked at her again, then turned around and chased after Xia Yang like a gust of wind.

  With a sulky expression, Xia Tian rolled her eyes at this inexplicable "resentment". She felt both annoyed and helpless. Lowering her head to fiddle with the nine linked rings in her hand, she couldn't help but smile wryly. How could she have forgotten that in this household, apart from Father and Big Brother, no one else liked her? The nine small, delicate rings in her palm were incredibly connected without seams or cracks, crystal clear with a hint of jade. Thinking of Big Brother's doting and pampering, her lips involuntarily curved upwards, warmth spreading throughout her heart.

  "Big brother, wait!" Xia Feng hastily blocked Xia Yang's path. "Big brother, what's wrong with you? Didn't you used to dislike Xia Tian too? Why are you treating her completely differently now? Isn't that piece of Bi Xia stone in her hand the one left to you by Second Aunt? Normally, you wouldn't even let others touch it, but now you've actually made a nine-linked ring out of it and given it to Xia Tian! Big brother, what's going on with you?"