Once the overall situation was settled, Shen Yueshan and Shen Yungan would hand over the Northwest and bring Shen Yueshan to the capital to retire. Then he could enjoy the pleasures of family life with his grandchildren. With everyone in the capital as one family, they could see each other anytime.
"One family?" Xue Jinqiao loved these three words. Becoming family with Elder Sister would bring them even closer!
Going to the Northwest meant helping Elder Sister take care of Brother, so Elder Sister wouldn't have to worry about him and could rest assured. In the Northwest, she wouldn't have to face those people every day, fearing that one day she might lose control and let Dian Dian tear them to pieces!
"Alright, Elder Sister, I'll marry Brother!" Xue Jinqiao agreed immediately, but then her bright eyes dimmed again. "Elder Sister, Qiao Qiao is sick..."
"Qiao Qiao, that's not an illness. Everyone reacts when provoked—some have milder reactions, while yours is stronger." Knowing Xue Jinqiao couldn't handle stress well, Shen Xihe had looked into it. The root causes were often childhood traumas that were hard to heal.
"Qiao Qiao isn't sick?" Xue Jinqiao grabbed Shen Xihe excitedly. No one had ever told her she wasn't sick.
She remembered when she was first sent home as a child. Terrified, she would smash things like a madwoman, haunted by nightmares in the dark. She could only scream to keep from thinking, but everyone said she was sick. She knew she wasn't sick—she was just scared, just trying not to be afraid.
Her mother chased her to force medicine down her throat. To keep her quiet, they tied her up. Only when she was hoarse from screaming did they release her, thinking she had learned her lesson...
Later, her granduncle took her away. Her grandaunt, using her authority as an elder, pressured them not to disturb her, so she became less afraid. But she couldn't bear to be tied up or sent away again, so she had to act fierce. Only by making everyone afraid of her could she avoid being bullied.
Whenever someone bullied her or those who were kind to her, she would want... to kill.
She had beaten her younger brother's dog to death with a stick because he set the dog on her. She even made her brother watch as she smashed the dog's head until it bled. Her mother called her a demon.
Her father said she was inhuman. Her brothers couldn't hide their disgust and fear when they looked at her.
They all said she was sick. She refused to admit it—clearly, they were the sick ones, the ones who did evil things.
But facing those she loved and who cared for her, she had to admit she seemed different from other girls.
"Qiao Qiao isn't sick," Shen Xihe stated firmly.
Xue Jinqiao threw herself into Shen Xihe's arms, holding her tightly—like a drowning person clutching a lifeline. She couldn't help but show a childlike, pure smile.
It was wonderful, truly wonderful. The person Qiao Qiao loved most said Qiao Qiao wasn't sick.
"Elder Sister, Qiao Qiao will definitely take good care of that disobedient Brother for you. If he makes you worry, Qiao Qiao will beat him up," Xue Jinqiao vowed solemnly.
Elder Sister was so good to her—she must fulfill whatever Elder Sister asked.
Shen Xihe: ...
"Hahahaha..." Just as Shen Xihe was about to say something, Shen Yueshan, who had been eavesdropping, couldn't hold back his laughter. As a father—especially one who often found fault with his son—he was delighted that his son was about to marry such a wife.
It wasn't that he was a heartless father; his son had agreed to this himself.The thought of having someone to beat Shen Yunnan on his behalf in the future put him in such high spirits that he felt he could eat five bowls of rice for dinner.
Xue Jinqiao jumped like a startled bird. The voice and presence of a stranger would instantly make her tense up.
Shen Xihe had no time to glare at his eavesdropping father. Instead, he took her hand and led her toward Shen Yueshan. "Qiao Qiao, this is my father."
Relaxed, Xue Jinqiao instinctively called out, "Father."
Xue Jinqiao’s personal maids, Huahua and Caocao: ...
"Hahahaha..." Shen Yueshan laughed even more heartily. He was a good judge of character and had taken an immediate liking to this young girl. She was a perfect match for his son, promising endless amusement in the future.
After calling him "Father," Xue Jinqiao blushed deeply, feeling so embarrassed that she lowered her head.
Shen Xihe chuckled softly. "Father, Qiao Qiao and I have something to discuss."
If Shen Yueshan wasn’t sent away soon, Xue Jinqiao would likely want to dig a hole and bury herself out of embarrassment.
"Father would also like to chat with Qiao Qiao for a while," Shen Yueshan insisted, refusing to leave.
Xue Jinqiao grew even more frightened and instinctively hid behind Shen Xihe.
Unfamiliar voices and people always made her tense, but she was never truly afraid. It was only when faced with strangers she couldn’t harm that she felt unsure how to react and instinctively chose to retreat.
"Father!" Shen Xihe stepped in front of Xue Jinqiao, giving Shen Yueshan a warning look.
Shen Yueshan had no choice but to leave awkwardly. "Qiao Qiao, if you don’t mind, stay and join us for dinner."
Of course, Xue Jinqiao did not stay. Mainly because she had instinctively called Shen Yueshan "Father," she felt too embarrassed to face him. As soon as Shen Yueshan left, she immediately fled with Huahua and Caocao in tow. This was the first time she had left the Princess Manor so decisively without any hesitation.
Shen Xihe found the situation both amusing and exasperating. He had thought it would take her at least a few days to dare visit him again, but to his surprise, she returned the very next day. She didn’t come alone—Xue Heng accompanied her.
"Your Highness," Xue Heng greeted Shen Yueshan with a bow.
"Duke Xue," Shen Yueshan returned the courtesy. "Please, come in."
Shen Xihe served them tea but was promptly dragged away by Xue Jinqiao, leaving only Xue Heng and Shen Yueshan in the room.
"Elder Sister, if I go to the Northwest, how long will it be before I can return to the capital?" Xue Jinqiao asked, her eyes wide and pleading.
Her almond-shaped eyes were glistening with tears, and the way she looked at Shen Xihe seemed to say that if Shen Xihe gave a long timeframe, she would burst into tears right then and there.
Shen Xihe could only reply, "At least five years?"
"And at most?" Xue Jinqiao wasn’t easily fooled.
"Ten years. It definitely won’t exceed ten years," Shen Xihe said firmly.
In ten years, she would undoubtedly have the capital under her control.
Xue Jinqiao wasn’t entirely satisfied, but when she thought about how her parents controlled her and used her to threaten her granduncle, she gritted her teeth and said, "I’ll wait for you to bring me back, Elder Sister!"
"Alright," Shen Xihe agreed verbally, though inwardly she thought that by then, Xue Jinqiao might not even want to return. "Qiao Qiao, the Northwest is not as prosperous as the capital. You need to think carefully—this decision will affect your entire life."
Xue Jinqiao lowered her head and remained silent for a moment before asking, "Elder Sister, your brother... is he willing to marry me?"
Arranged marriages were the norm, and as someone born in this era, Xue Jinqiao had never expected to marry for love. All she cared about was whether both parties were willing to unite their families and whether they could respect and tolerate each other to live harmoniously.
That said, if it weren’t for her fondness for Shen Xihe, she wouldn’t have agreed so easily."Of course, my father would never force my brother to marry a woman he doesn't want to." Shen Xihe hadn't expected her brother's marriage arrangement to be settled so smoothly.
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