The Literary Prize

Si Jingyu chuckled a few times, which aggravated his injuries. He coughed incessantly, even coughing up blood, which frightened Si Shuiyun, who quickly circulated her qi to stabilize his injuries.

"Miss, please take care of yourself. Don't talk anymore. Go back to the Water Mirror Manor and rest. Your injuries are too severe. You'll need at least half a month to recover."

Si Jingyu nodded and said, "Fortunately, the biggest hidden danger has been eliminated, and we can now rest assured."

Si Ming suddenly said, "Then, it's about time I took my leave."

"You're leaving?" Si Jingyu was taken aback.

Si Ming smiled and said, "I originally came here to help the Si Clan overcome the difficulties and stabilize the situation. I'm really sorry I couldn't help in the battle just now, but now that the encirclement by other powerful Aristocratic Clan has been broken and the biggest threat has been eliminated, the Si Clan has entered a safe phase. My mission is complete, and there's no reason for me to stay any longer."

"Of course!" Si Jingyu suddenly exclaimed, "You're my brother, are you going to abandon your sister and leave?"

"Uh, should we continue this charade? You and I both know it's fake, don't we?"

"That's right, the relationship is fake, but look at my current situation. If something unexpected happens and I'm ambushed by an assassin, then... cough cough cough..."

Si Jingyu coughed violently again, grabbing Si Ming's sleeve as she looked up at him, saying, "Even if it's just a pretense, how can you bear to abandon me at a time like this?"

Si Shuiyun retorted angrily, "Miss is already in such a state, yet you still say things that make her feel awkward. Are you even human? Being able to impersonate Miss's younger brother is a gift from heaven, and you don't even know how to cherish it? If it weren't for the difference in gender, I would have wanted to take her place. Who gave you the right to make excuses?"

"Uh, it doesn't have to be that serious. I was just saying it casually, don't take it too seriously," Si Ming scratched his head and compromised. "Alright, I'll stay at the Si Clan until your injuries heal, just in case. Actually, I have a friend coming to the Nation of Beauty on personal business, so even if I have to leave, I need to help her with her affairs first."

This friend is naturally Hongdou, who has not yet completed her exit procedures.

"Thank you for your trouble."

Si Jingyu breathed a sigh of relief, then suddenly her eyes darted around, a sly glint in them. "However, the Si Clan's highest alert can be lifted, and with the biggest threat gone, Huaruo's personal safety is now guaranteed. You don't need to protect her anymore; in fact, I need your protection more."

Chapter 303 Literary Award

I disagree!

Si Huaruo slammed her hand on the table in front of her and stared at Si Jingyu, saying, "Now that the biggest threat is gone, staying at the Water Mirror Manor is enough to ensure your safety. You don't need Sikong Ming's protection at all, and besides, you already have Si Shuiyun by your side, don't you?"

Si Jingyu said slowly and deliberately, "One girl isn't enough; you need one boy and one girl to make a complete 'good' character."

"Do you think this is like giving birth?!"

"Now that there's no threat, you don't need anyone's protection anymore, right? At least compared to that, I, the injured person, clearly need more protection."

"I don't need protection, but I need Sikong Ming!" Si Huaruo said decisively. "He's now an important playwright at the Emperor Peak Drama Club. I need him to guide us in rehearsing our new play. He wrote the script, so what's the point if the creator isn't there?"

Si Jingyu teased, "Oh, so he's very important to you?"

"Of course, he's very important to me."

Si Huaruo realized the ambiguity in her words after she finished speaking, blushed slightly, but did not change her mind, and continued, "Even without the play rehearsals, I really enjoy being with him. He's... very unique, different from other people. Chatting with him is very interesting; it can make you forget the pressure and the unpleasant things in life without you even realizing it."

He pursed his lips at the end, not explaining exactly what the so-called pressure and unpleasantness were, because those who understand will understand.

Si Jingyu naturally understood, or rather, those of them who came from the Aristocratic Clan understood. It was an invisible constraint, a set of rules accumulated over thousands of years of Lineage history, like shackles binding their hands and feet, preventing them from doing as they pleased.

Don't be fooled by the fact that Si Jingyu publicly revised the family rules a few days ago and even shouted the slogan "Rules are dead, but people are alive." That was the result of the perfect combination of timing, location, and people. If she didn't have the status of the young clan leader, if she didn't have the title of the Si Clan's once-in-a-century genius, and if the Lineage wasn't facing a precarious situation, she wouldn't have been able to change a single rule.

However, Sikong Ming doesn't exhibit any of these constraints. He enjoys showing off, being in the limelight, and doing things that everyone wants to do but is hesitant to do.

He wasn't ignorant and fearless; he knew what the unspoken rules were and what the tacit rules were, but he didn't care at all. He freely did what he wanted instead of playing a role imposed on him by others.

In Si Shuiyun's words, this guy doesn't play by the rules.

This kind of carefree, unrestrained, and self-pursuing temperament, which disregards the opinions of others, is as deadly as opium for these heirs of the Aristocratic Clan. Si Jingyu also had to admit that she harbored longing feelings for this younger brother deep down.

Wanting to break free from shackles, wanting to shatter all rules and regulations, not having to consider the interests of the Lineage, not following the path arranged by others, telling the "young clan leader" to get out of the way, and living only for oneself—such a life can only be a fantasy in the end.

"Hey, are you even listening to me?"

Si Huaruo realized that the other party was completely absorbed in their own thoughts and ignoring her, so she couldn't help but slam her hand on the table again and said, "If you want someone to protect you, you can have all the experts in the clan stay in your courtyard, but I'm definitely taking Sikong Ming with me. I want to win the Nine Arts Phoenix Fledgling title, and he's an indispensable asset!"

Listening to the other party frankly express her opinions, Si Jingyu suddenly felt a pang of jealousy. She knew that Si Huaruo was very straightforward by nature. After all, the two of them were best friends who could talk about anything when they were young. However, the other party grew up in the atmosphere of the Lineage and was instilled with the words of reclaiming the position of clan leader by her aunt every day. She was forced to wear a mask and had to pretend to be a standard, impeccable noble lady.

But recently she seems to have changed. She speaks more frankly, no longer uses those hypocritical social niceties, and is not stingy in expressing her true thoughts in front of others, as if she has found her past self again.

At least, Si Jingyu admitted that she couldn't say "someone is very important to me," and could only use "sibling relationship" as an excuse, acting like a thief... He's clearly my "brother"!

"If you don't say anything, I'll take that as a yes. I'll have Si Shuiyun come in to protect you later."

Just as Si Huaruo was about to finalize the matter, she noticed that Si Jingyu's face suddenly turned pale, and then she covered her mouth with a handkerchief and coughed painfully. She panicked for a moment, but quickly calmed down and said, "Save it. You fooled me many times when I was a child. I won't fall for it again. What do you think I studied drama for?"

Unexpectedly, after Si Jingyu stopped coughing, she took off the handkerchief and saw that it was covered in bright red blood!

Upon seeing this, Si Huaruo immediately frantically poured water and searched for medicine, shouting for a doctor to come quickly.

Si Jingyu leaned against the headboard, saying weakly, "I risked my life for my Lineage, almost losing it, and you won't even grant this small request. Sigh, the coldness of human relationships and the fickleness of the world..."

"Fine, I give up. I won't argue with you until you're healed. But your brother has to spend three hours every day attending our drama club's rehearsals. That's my bottom line."

"Make a deal!"

Si Jingyu threw down the handkerchief and made a decisive decision, giving Si Huaruo no chance to back out.

Si Huaruo instinctively caught the handkerchief, stared blankly at the bloodstains on it, and immediately realized what had happened. She stomped her foot angrily, "Si Jingyu, you lied to me again!"

Si Jingyu made no attempt to hide her smugness. "Being fooled once is the swindler's fault, being fooled twice requires self-reflection, and being fooled three times naturally means the person being fooled is too stupid. What, are you going to go back on your word?"

"Snort!"

With a nasal sound as her reply, Si Huaruo slammed the door shut and left.