Chapter 22: Pure Love World Arc 5

  According to the plot, Xu Zipei has been in love with Zhang Lan, Xu Zilin's wife who has not yet entered the door, since childhood. However, the future uncle and aunt's identity is a chasm that lies before him, impossible to cross. They say that what can't be obtained is always the best, his feelings for Zhang Lan deepen under this repression, pain, and self-blame, eventually turning into an obsessive infatuation.

  After the two main characters died together, the main story of the original work was almost over. The fate of other people is revealed in the extras. Maybe it's because the main story was too cruel and had no friends, so to take care of the reader's mood, in the extra, the author transformed into a kind mother, the bad guys didn't have a good ending, the good guys got a good reward, which can be considered as a comfort.

  Zhang Lan was robbed by bandits on her way to marry Sun Mou's son, but she managed to escape and was rescued by a family who took her in as their adopted daughter. Xu Zisheng became disheartened after his brother's death, until he met the nanny who had been beaten and thrown out by "Su Luo" and was forced to beg on the streets. The nanny told him that his brother's death and the unknown fate of his loved one were all connected to "Su Luo", and that she was also plotting against the Xu family's property. Suddenly, he woke up from his stupor and decided to protect the family business left by his parents, and began to be wary of his unfamiliar sister-in-law.

  Suoluo, who had a crush on good-looking men, was once again captivated by Xu Zipei, but after several attempts to seduce him failed, she reluctantly hooked up with his cousin, who resembled Xu Zipei and Xu Zilin. Xu Zipei found out and caught them in the act, then punished them according to their family rules by putting them in a pig cage. The Xu family was finally at peace until Xu Zipei met Zhang Lan again while escorting a convoy, and he was overjoyed to be reunited with her. He became more determined to pursue his feelings for her and started to woo her carefully. Zhang Lan was eventually moved by his sincerity and deep emotions, and they ended up together, having several adorable babies.

  For readers, such an extra is also slightly healing for their wounded hearts, especially the part where "Su Luo" died, it's simply exhilarating. Although the two men in love are destined not to have a good ending, and the reasons that led them to die together are many, but "Su Luo"'s selfishness, cruelty, and relentless pursuit were the main causes.

  But for Su Luo, the original owner's ending was a bit too miserable. She didn't want to have an affair with that cousin, nor did she want to be drowned in a pig cage. So, let Liu Qianqian give her a lighter and less painful way of death. Liu Qianqian agreed without hesitation.

  After returning from the grave, Xu Zipei locked himself in his room and refused to see anyone or eat or drink.

  He heard people talking behind his back, saying that he was too stubborn and that's why he had outlived his parents and older brother.

  Maybe it's really like that, but why didn't he die? Why did heaven take away his loved ones one by one, leaving him alone in this world to suffer the pain of losing his relatives. If he also died, would they be able to reunite as a family then?

  With this idea in mind, he had not eaten or drunk for four days, and his whole body was weak and began to sweat profusely. Everything he looked at had a double image, and his body temperature also became abnormal. The only small servant who could enter and exit his bedroom, Yuzhu, was scared to tears.

  It's not that no one cares about him, abandoning him to his own devices and ignoring him. At least over the past few days, Sulolo and several decent servants from the mansion have tried to visit him, wanting to comfort him, but they were all turned away at the door. Sulolo is also really worried and can't just barge in, so she instructed Yuzhu to keep an eye on Second Master's movements at all times and report back to her immediately if anything happens. She herself tries to make some nourishing and delicious food for Yuzhu to send in, hoping he'll eat a bit, but every time it's sent back untouched.

  Although she knew that without her, Xu Zipei would eventually experience the pain of losing a brother, and it was a real eternal farewell, but at this moment, seeing a boy who was two years younger than her actual age suffering from her concealment, she couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy. She discussed with Liu Qianqian whether to reveal something, but Liu Qianqian said that would be counterproductive, forcing her to give up the idea.

  Everything else is secondary, I just hope this child can pull through.

  "Grandma, it's not good! Second Master is burning up with a high fever and talking nonsense. He keeps calling out for his parents, older brother, etc. I've come to keep you company, it's really too scary! You should go take a look quickly! If something happens..."

  On the fifth day at dawn, Yu Zhu rushed to Su Luo's house in a fluster, not even bothering with formalities, and burst into tears as soon as she entered.

  "What's all the commotion about in the middle of the night? Can't you see that Grandma is resting? You're a naughty boy, too unruly. If there's something to report, do it tomorrow." Before Su Luo could even open her mouth, the nanny beside her had already scolded Yu Zhu.

  The servants brought by the county magistrate's house had a bad impression of the Xu family. A good girl married into their family, and in just a few days, her husband got drunk and fell into the water, leaving her to be a widow at such a young age! What kind of thing is this?! Moreover, now there's only the useless second master left in the family, and it seems like they're about to decline. When that happens, everyone will suffer together, including these servants, so just thinking about it makes them angry.

  Yu Zhu was thinking of Su Luo's previous entrustment, and now in this house, apart from Second Master, there is only one master, the big madam. She didn't dare to find anyone else who could take charge, so she came to the door in a fluster, without even considering the time. Now being scolded by the nanny, she also felt ashamed, disturbing the madam and worrying about Second Master's illness, it was not suitable to leave or stay, so she knelt down on the side, crying and kowtowing.

  Although she had been here for a while, Su Luo still wasn't used to the old-fashioned etiquette of kneeling and kowtowing. Seeing that the child was crying so sadly, she took pity on him and hurriedly asked Yan'er to help him up. She also subtly warned the arrogant and bullying nanny: "With the master's recent passing and the grandparents not being around, Second Brother is overcome with grief and has fallen ill. As his elder sister-in-law, I should take care of him a bit. If we were to turn this child away today and something unfortunate happened, how would I face the ancestors of the Xu family in the future? It would be said that Uncle and Auntie don't know how to teach their daughter."

  This remark is a bit too much, and this woman only bullies the weak and fears the strong. In front of the Xu family, she puts on a show of authority, but in front of Su Luo, she is still extremely respectful. After all, the master still holds the contract for her sale in his hands. If she were to be accused of being a troublemaker and inciting the master to not get along with his brothers, even if Su Luo didn't deal with her, once it reached the ears of the county magistrate's wife, she would be finished. So, she was scared into hastily knocking her head and begging for mercy.

  Su Luo didn't have the heart to bother with her, so she waved her hand and let her go. She then instructed Yan to bring the porridge and medicine that had been warmed up in the small kitchen earlier, and together with Yu Zhu, they headed to Xu Ziyan's courtyard.

  Xu Zipei had already fainted, so this time several people easily entered his room.

  Su Luo was startled by his appearance, it had only been a few days, yet he looked so haggard! His face, which used to be slightly chubby, had thinned out, and the skin under his eyes was dark and puffy, like a walnut. The corners of his eyes still held tears, clearly having cried excessively.

  His appearance reminded Suoluo of his cousin at home, who was about the same age when his police officer uncle died in the line of duty. The originally carefree and chubby boy cried so hard at the memorial service that he almost fainted, throwing himself on his uncle's coffin and refusing to get up. If it weren't for his aunt, father, and uncles working together to pull him away, they wouldn't have been able to cremate and bury him. The scene was too heart-wrenching, many of the older men present had red eyes, not to mention the women.

  Fortunately, my younger cousin has slowly come out of the pain of losing his parents and has become more mature. The fat on his body has disappeared, replaced by solid muscles. This year, he was also admitted to the Public Security University, which can be said to have inherited his uncle's legacy. However, the cost of growing up is too painful. If possible, I would rather him still be that little fatty who followed me around, laughing and asking for food, who would come to me for help when his allowance was confiscated after making a mistake, or who would ask me to pretend to be his girlfriend to save face after being dumped by a girl.

  What made her even more distressed was that when her uncle passed away, she had already gone to college in another city. Although she took a leave of absence to return for the funeral, she had to leave again after only a couple of days and didn't get to spend much time with her cousin. When she returned for winter break, her cousin came to pick her up at the train station and had grown a lot taller. He even proactively helped her carry her luggage and looked out for her in crowded places, but he was also much quieter than before and not as cheerful. This had always made her feel guilty, so when she saw Xu Zipei like this, she unconsciously transferred her heartache towards her cousin onto him and wanted to take good care of this poor child.

  "Jade bamboo, help your young master up."

  "Yes, grandma." Yuzhu put her arms around Xu Zipeng's neck and tried to lift his upper body, but unfortunately, she was too young and didn't have enough strength. Every time she lifted him halfway up, she would get tired and Xu Zipeng would fall back onto the bed. In the end, Suluo thought of a solution and had Yuzhu climb onto the bedside while Yan'er stood on the outside. Together, they managed to lift him up and support him as he sat there, one on either side of him.

  Su Luo scooped up half a spoonful of the sweet potato and red date porridge, tested the temperature, and found it just right. She then carefully brought it to Xu Zifeng's lips and lightly touched them. The child was probably starving and thirsty, and with his survival instincts, although he wasn't fully awake, his mouth slightly opened, allowing Su Luo to easily slide the spoon in. He began to swallow on his own, causing the three people present to become overjoyed, suddenly seeing a glimmer of hope again.

  This porridge looks simple, but the ingredients are all nourishing and replenishing, and it's also a liquid that can supplement body fluids. After eating half a bowl, Xu Zipei's originally dry and cracked lips were moisturized and had some luster, and his breathing also became more stable.

  It was not so smooth when it was time to take the medicine, possibly because of the bitter taste or being full already. Every time he took a sip, he would spit it all out and even splashed Sulolo's clothes, making her wonder if this kid was really dizzy or just pretending. It was infuriating yet adorable. Fortunately, it wasn't anything serious, as long as he could eat, she didn't force him to take the medicine. She helped wipe his mouth clean of porridge and medicine stains, left some instructions for Smoke and Yuzhu, and then got up and left.

  Because he was worried about Xu Zipei's illness, Su Luo returned and didn't sleep much, waking up early in the morning, sending someone to invite the most famous doctor in the city, secretly having him take his pulse.

  This was the most restful night Xu Zilong had after the incident, probably because he was exhausted from the past few days of turmoil. Now that he had eaten something and his stomach felt comfortable, he fell into a deep sleep. People came in and out of the room without waking him up. Of course, everyone tried their best not to make any noise, fearing that he would wake up and start fasting again.

  Su Luo discussed Xu Zipei's situation with the doctor, and it was roughly as she had expected. The doctor also said something about "depression in the heart" and prescribed a prescription. Considering that Xu Zipei refused to take medicine, Su Luo asked for the doctor's opinion on whether it could be changed to food therapy. The old man readily agreed, reduced several medicinal materials, and left some with light flavors, letting Su Luo make a soup with them.

  Breakfast was simple porridge with a calming effect and fragrant egg custard, which I fed to Xu Zipei while he was still dazed. On the other hand, I didn't delay in stewing the medicinal herbs left by the doctor along with old duck and chestnuts, so that he could eat when he woke up.