Chapter 24: Hu Meili

~~~

Hu Meili?

Liu Jin tilts his head slightly to the side. He recognizes the Hu name, but nothing more.

“Your brother’s fiancée?” Liu Jin asks. Xiao Heng nods. “Curious. The servants didn’t say anything about her visiting today. I would have thought the arrival of the young master’s future wife would be treated as a more formal affair.”

“Ah, it is not that, boss,” Xiao Heng is quick to say. “This is not a formal visit or anything like that. Hu Meili and my brother have always been close, so this sort of thing is normal since even before they were engaged. My father takes credit for it, but the wedding is something my brother has always wanted.”

“Is that so?” The young child hums before sighing. “Still, even if this is not a formal visit, not going to see your brother’s fiancée would be rude of me, wouldn’t it?”

It is not that socializing with others is unappealing to him. Rather, it is the degree of respect everyone here treats him with that makes him uncomfortable.

However, Liu Jin does not get too much time to ponder that. The reaction Xiao Heng shows to his words is too striking to ignore. In an instant, a multitude of emotions cross his face. Hesitation. Impatience. Frustration. Resignation.

“Yes,” Xiao Heng says at last, his voice weak and without spirit. “That would be for the best, boss.”

Liu Jin sighs again. Of course, how could he be so insensitive?

“Do not worry,” he tells Xiao Heng. “I still have every intention of healing you.”

“Ah, no! Boss, I wasn’t d-doubting or-”

“It is fine,” Liu Jin cuts Xiao Heng’s panicked objections. “You have endured your condition your entire life. Now I come here and give you hope. It is fine to be a little impatient. However, if I treat you right now, your father would no doubt wonder why we haven’t gone out to greet your brother’s fiancée. It is better if I prepare the medicine later. Once your brother’s fiancée is gone, I will heal you. You have my word on that.”

“I… thank you, boss,” Xiao Heng says, bowing his head to him.

After saying that, Xiao Heng leads him to the main courtyard. His pace is brisk yet measured. Liu Jin can tell the teenager wants to get this over with as soon as possible but is trying to restrain himself. Liu Jin cannot blame him. If anything, he deeply sympathizes with Xiao Heng. If there was a way to cure himself of the poison inside his body before the three years were up, Liu Jin wouldn’t hesitate to take it right away.

By the time they arrive at the courtyard, other people are already there. Liu Jin sees Xiao Nan and Xiao Ding as well as some servants. Xiao Ding seems to be the one handling the introductions. Xiao Dong is also there. There is a girl at his side who Liu Jin guesses is Hu Meili.

He is not impressed.

Since he came to New Moon Town, people have been talking about Hu Meili and her beauty. Liu Jin was expecting a woman who could steal the hearts of men with a single look. Instead, he cannot help but find Hu Meili to be… average. Even though Liu Jin is not yet at the age where he starts looking at women with lust, he feels confident in his judgment.

Hu Meili is average.

Her skin is healthy, but that is all there is to it. Her features are okay but nothing more. Even then, her eyes are a little too far apart. As for her chest, Liu Jin often hears the older disciples at the Xiao Sect talking about twin peaks and what not, but there is nothing peak-like about Hu Meili’s chest. If anything, that place is nothing but a barren plain.

Compared to many of the girls he has seen in Eastern Port City, Hu Meili comes up short.

Of course, that is in Eastern Port City, Liu Jin realizes. If he only counts the females he has seen in New Moon Town, then Hu Meili may very well be considered a peerless beauty.

Probably.

Maybe.

“Ah, young Liu Jin,” Xiao Ding says when he sees him, calling him over. “Excellent, I was just about to send a servant to get you. It is my pleasure to introduce you to my future daughter-in-law. Just make sure not to fall in love with her.”

Xiao Ding laughs at his own poor joke. Personally, Liu Jin is more amazed at how easily the man ignores the presence of his younger son.

“It is a pleasure to meet you,” Liu Jin says, inclining his head a little.

“No, no, no,” Hu Meili says, her heading dipping even lower than Liu Jin’s. “How can that be? To be meeting someone from the main sect in my lifetime, the pleasure is certainly this one’s.”

Her tone is polite, her smile discreet and heavily practiced. As someone who has had to practice his smiles for dealing with particularly annoying patients, Liu Jin is able to tell that much.

“Well, now that we are all here, there is no point in standing around outside,” Xiao Ding says. “Please, come in. It is almost lunchtime. I’ll have the servants make us something.”

Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

Liu Jin raises an eyebrow?

Lunchtime?

Sure enough, the sun is already high up in the sky. The sight confuses Liu Jin. He woke up quite early in the morning. He must have spent more time going over the storage than he realized. No wonder Xiao Heng kept being so impatient while he was going over the ingredients there. He must have been standing there for hours.

As Xiao Ding leads them inside, Liu Jin tries to give Xiao Heng an apologetic glance, but the teen’s gaze is firmly aimed at the ground. He looks at no one, and no one looks at him.

Not his father. Not his brother. Not Hu Meili. Not even the servants. Only Xiao Nan glances at Xiao Heng for a second before looking at Liu Jin and giving him an approving nod.

“I must say,” Xiao Nan speaks once everyone has made themselves comfortable, “I have been looking forward to meeting Xiao Dong’s fiancée.”

It still amazes Liu Jin how Xiao Nan is able to make everyone freeze with just a few words. His Elder Brother smiles as if he has no idea how much discomfort he has just caused. Liu Jin knows better, though.

Xiao Dong, who until now only had eyes for Hu Meili, slowly and mechanically moves his neck to look at Xiao Nan. There is wariness on his face. A bead of sweat appears on his brow. However, it is not him who speaks first.

“Ah, is that so, my lord?” Xiao Ding says. The father handles the sudden pressure with much more grace than his son. Still, Liu Jin can just barely make out the nervousness hiding behind his placid smile. “I cannot imagine why.”

Xiao Nan chuckles. “Well, it is nothing critical, but I heard the most interesting rumor the other day.”