Chapter 392: Extra

Zhou Lian’s words sent a jolt through Li Xiu and their two children. They truly hadn’t thought of that. They had assumed Zhou Lian and Mrs. Fang decided to open the training center simply because they shared the same interests. Li Xiu had even been feeling dejected lately, thinking Zhou Lian was neglecting him because she was so busy with the center. But now he understood—she was busying herself like this for their daughter’s sake. His heart instantly ached for her.

This was even truer for Li Xianglin. Her mother rarely put her love into words, keeping it on the surface. Yet, when it came to this kind of thorough, all-encompassing care, it seemed her mother was always there, silently taking care of things for her from behind the scenes. Sometimes she would realize it after her mother had already done something, and other times, she might not have noticed at all.

“Mom, thank you!”

Gently stroking Li Xianglin’s long hair, Zhou Lian looked at her with loving eyes and said softly, “There’s no need for thanks between a mother and daughter. You are my daughter, and I’m willing to do anything for you. I just hope that you’ll have a life of peace and joy, with a smooth road ahead.”

“Mom.”

Li Xianglin’s choked voice made Zhou Lian’s heart ache. She soothed her gently, “Nuonuo, you don’t need to feel burdened. To parents, children are always the sweetest kind of burden. As the saying goes, a parent’s worry for their child never ends. What parents want isn’t for their children to be exceptionally filial or successful; we just hope our children are healthy, always smiling, and live the rest of their lives without a care. There now! Nuonuo, you’re a big girl now, stop crying.”

Seeing his daughter monopolizing his wife’s embrace, Li Xiu raised an eyebrow and said to Li Xiangrui, “Go on, take your sister to wash her face. She’s a pretty girl, but she’s a blubbering mess right now. How ugly!”

“Dad!”

“I’m here! Now hurry up, your tear-stained face is a mess!”

“Mom, look at Dad! I look so much like you. When Dad says I’m ugly, he’s saying *you’re* ugly. Mom, see? Dad’s complaining that you’re not pretty!”

Watching Li Xianglin tattle while wiping away her tears, Zhou Lian shot Li Xiu a look, unsure whether to laugh or cry. ‘Why did you have to go and tease our daughter!’ Li Xianglin wasn’t one to cry easily, but once she started, she was difficult to console. It was a little quirk of hers that hadn’t changed since she was a child. ‘And he just had to provoke her now. How am I supposed to calm her down?’ All she could do was hold her daughter, pat her back gently, and coax her softly, “There, there, Nuonuo, don’t cry. Your dad was just joking with you. Nuonuo’s about to get married, so why are you still crying like this?”

“Hmph!”

“Alright, alright, no more crying. Dad was wrong. He shouldn’t have said Nuonuo is ugly. Our Nuonuo is very beautiful; she’s always been our pretty little princess.”

“PFFT!” Li Xiangrui couldn’t help but laugh as he watched his mother coaxing his sister as if she were a small child. ‘Where did her usual fierce and commanding presence go? Tsk, tsk, tsk! She’s a mess of tears. I should let her see herself right now, my strong, invincible sister acting so delicate.’

“Li Xiangrui!”

Seeing his sister’s red-rimmed eyes and the way her tears were falling nonstop as if they were worthless, Li Xiangrui felt a pang of sympathy, yet also found it a little funny. He pushed his tongue against the inside of his cheek, then softened his voice. “Alright, Sis. Come on, let’s go wash your face. You’re still the beautiful, formidable little princess of the Li family.”

Watching Li Xiangrui half-support and half-drag Li Xianglin out of the room, Zhou Lian shook her head fondly. Even though her son was several years younger than her daughter, he was the one who cared about her and doted on her the most—sometimes even more than they did as parents. Turning to look at Li Xiu, she asked with a sense of helplessness, “You know full well that Nuonuo isn’t one to cry, and that she’s impossible to console once she starts. Why on earth did you provoke her!”

“What do you mean, I provoked her? I was just telling the truth. A blubbering mess like that is ugly. Besides, the children are grown up now. You should stop cuddling them so much. They’re adults; they can’t always be hiding in your arms acting spoiled! If you keep coddling them like this, when will they ever grow up!”

Li Xiu’s passive-aggressive tone made something click for Zhou Lian. Half-amused, half-exasperated, she said, “You’re this old already, and you’re still getting jealous of the children? Honestly, you…”

“‘This old?’ Are you complaining that I’m old? Getting on in years?” Li Xiu reached out and pulled her into his embrace, his deep voice murmuring right beside her ear. Zhou Lian couldn’t help but flinch, snuggling deeper into his arms to stop him from his intentional mischief. After all, Li Xiu knew better than anyone just how ticklish and sensitive her ears were.

“I was wrong, I was wrong! You’re not old, not old at all!”

Li Xiu knew all of Zhou Lian’s sensitive spots perfectly. Holding her now, he went to work with both his hands and his mouth. It would have been a miracle if Zhou Lian could have endured it; she could only beg for mercy over and over. Though Li Xiu was teasing her, he was careful to watch her expression, afraid of taking it too far and making her uncomfortable.

Having cleaned themselves up, the siblings returned, only to stop outside the window and exchange an awkward glance. Helpless, one looked up at the sky while the other turned to face the small flowerbed in the courtyard. What could Li Xianglin and Li Xiangrui possibly do, stuck with parents who were constantly glued to each other and putting their affection on display without even realizing it?

“Yanyan, come walk with me in the garden.”

“Okay!”

Strolling through the garden in the early spring, the scene truly evoked the feeling of Li Mengyang’s poem, “To the Tune of Rumengling”: *Don’t think that spring is slow to reach the garden, for in a single night, the fragrant grass has grown. Tell the young boy: “Don’t sweep the fallen blossoms by the pond.” Don’t sweep, don’t sweep; the setting sun beyond the flowers is even better.*

Looking toward the waterside pavilion not far away, Li Xianglin, in a rare flight of fancy, casually recited, “The night’s rain lasts till dawn, and spring waters rise. / Warm, heavy clouds tease the fickle sky. / Through thin curtains, a faint sun shines on quiet flowers and bamboo. / From time to time, a pair of young doves coo.”

“You’re right. It rained all night and only stopped this morning. The garden has a special charm today. Sis, Su Zimei’s landscape poetry is excellent. To be honest, I first remembered him because of the line, ‘The clear breeze and bright moon are priceless, what a pity they only sold for forty thousand cash.’ There are just so many poets in history. Even though Su Zimei is as famous as Mei Yaochen, I wasn’t very familiar with him at first.”

When Li Xiangrui heard his sister’s rare poetic inclination, he played along to keep her happy. He wasn’t actually very familiar with the poet; his only strong impression came from Ouyang Xiu’s line: “The clear breeze and bright moon are priceless, what a pity they only sold for forty thousand cash.” It was because of this verse that Li Xiangrui had researched the Canglang Pavilion, which in turn sparked his interest in Su Zimei, the man who built it. Otherwise, he might not have been able to follow his sister’s train of thought today.

Li Xianglin smiled at Li Xiangrui, a sudden interest sparked. She casually recited, “Leaning over water, resting on stone, fish swim out to listen; by the stream, resting on stone, one becomes a butterfly and forgets worldly schemes.”

“Verdant pines and green bamboo are the finest guests; the bright moon and clear breeze are old friends!”

“The clear breeze and bright moon are priceless; near waters and distant mountains are all filled with feeling!”

“Sis, the scenery! Stick to the scenery!”

“Mm, my mistake. How about this, then: A gentle breeze on the face brushes away fatigue; willow leaves drift down to rest upon the bank!”

“A path shaded by bamboo, with clouds covering the ground; half a curtain of flower shadows, as the moon cloaks the sand!”

“The lingering spring rain clings to the green willow tips; peach and orchid blossoms burst forth like a floral tide!”

“You two certainly have a flair for the poetic, don’t you? Reciting couplets back and forth?”