Chapter 13: It's Not About Quantity, but Effectiveness

At the thought of this, Lin Qiyue suddenly felt a surge of nervousness. Seeing Lin Chuyi already entering the house, she hurriedly followed after him.

“Aunt Qi,” Lin Qiyue called politely as she reached the doorway, encountering a woman who was just about to leave.

“Hey, Qiyue, what’s going on with Yi Yi? Why is she covered in blood? Who is the medicine you’re brewing for?” Aunt Qi asked with exaggerated concern.

Lin Qiyue smiled reassuringly. “Aunt Qi, Yi Yi is fine, don’t worry. We’ll finish preparing the medicine and leave soon.”

Seeing that Lin Qiyue was reluctant to say more, Aunt Qi nodded without pressing further and, carrying her basket, stepped out of the house.

Lin Qiyue stood at the door, watching Aunt Qi disappear from sight before anxiously rushing inside. Soon, she found Lin Chuyi in the kitchen, quietly brewing the medicine.

“Lin Chuyi, what exactly did you mean earlier? If you don’t explain it clearly, I’ll go tell Father,” Lin Qiyue demanded.

At this, Lin Chuyi immediately stood up from the floor, glaring at Lin Qiyue with a scowl. “Can you try a different tactic? You always use Father to pressure me.”

Lin Qiyue snorted. “It’s not about having many tricks, just one that works.”

Hearing this, Lin Chuyi was momentarily speechless. Indeed, this tactic was enough to get under her skin.

With that thought, Lin Chuyi gloomily crouched back down, staring silently at the medicine pot without saying another word.

Seeing Lin Chuyi like this only made Lin Qiyue more anxious. When had she ever seen her like this? In her memory, it was only after their mother’s death that she’d been this quiet and withdrawn for days. Now, seeing her like this again, how could Lin Qiyue not worry?

“My dear sister, just tell me what’s wrong. If you tell me, I can help find a solution,” Lin Qiyue pleaded softly, crouching beside Lin Chuyi.

Lin Chuyi looked at her in surprise. In all these years, she had never heard this boy call her “sister.” Outside, he was the eldest son, and at home, she was only a little over a year older than him. So from childhood, Lin Qiyue had always called her by name. Hearing him call her sister now made her eyes inexplicably well up with tears.

Seeing Lin Chuyi’s reddened eyes, Lin Qiyue immediately pulled her small frame into a comforting embrace. “Don’t cry, don’t cry. I’m here.”

“You brat,” Lin Chuyi grunted, wiping her tears and sniffles all over Lin Qiyue’s shirt before finally feeling better.

Lin Qiyue reluctantly let her go, staring at his ruined clothes and at a loss for words. But seeing Lin Chuyi’s smile return, he gradually laughed along with her.

After they both laughed freely for a while, Lin Chuyi wiped her eyes and said gloomily, “How to put it… well, I’m just really unlucky.”

Hearing that Lin Chuyi was finally willing to speak, Lin Qiyue instantly grew tense again. After all, Lin Chuyi’s words sounded serious, and it was hard not to worry.

With a grim expression, Lin Chuyi recounted the day’s events in brief. When she mentioned feeding the orchid fruit to Mo Yu, she almost bit her teeth in frustration, as the fruit was incredibly valuable and could fetch a high price.

Of course, Lin Chuyi left out the part where she personally fed Mo Yu the orchid fruit by mouth. She was certain that if she disclosed this, Lin Qiyue would be furious and would tell their father—something she desperately wanted to avoid.