Eating Your Fill Gives You the Strength to Do It

Before the jade table in the hall, Ji Xueruo was bowing her head and reviewing the Jade Slip, wide sleeves hung down like night, making the silver snake-scale ornaments around her neck gleam coldly.

She looked exactly like Ji Lingruo, but her perpetually tightly pursed lips gave her a sharper look. Her black hair was loosely tied up with a snake-shaped jade hairpin, with a few stray strands falling beside her forehead. She must have been reviewing documents here for a long time.

"I understand, Sister Hong Xiao, you can go now."

Ji Xueruo finally raised her eyes, smiled lightly at the snake woman Hong Xiao, but deliberately avoided even glancing at the young man beside her.

In the eyes of the clansmen, this young girl-like clan leader was not associated with severity. Hong Xiao originally wanted to stay and offer some advice, but seeing the sharpness in her Lineage's eyes, she became somewhat timid and obediently retreated.

She was actually the Serpent Clan's Envoy, and had a lot of contact with Ji Xueruo on a daily basis, so she could be considered to know Ji Xueruo quite well. She knew that the clan leader was usually very tactful in his dealings with people, but for some reason, she always felt that the two of them were a bit awkward.

It's probably because... this Young Master You harmed her sister, right?

Once Hong Xiao, whose mind was wandering, left the council hall, only the boy and girl remained in the vast hall.

"Young Master You is quite adept at the 'indirect approach' strategy." She put down the Jade Slip, her voice as still as an autumn pool. "Someone has already informed me about the Ice Room matter."

You Su clasped his hands in a respectful greeting, his gaze frank. "I did come to see the clan leader, but I also truly wish to contribute to the Serpent Clan."

"Lingruo told you?"

"That's right, Junior Sister said the clan leader is very kind-hearted and can't bear to see the clan sisters suffer from the summer heat."

Ji Xueruo's lips twitched almost imperceptibly. The word "kind-hearted" was like a warm piece of jade thrown into a cold pool, stirring up subtle ripples. She never dared to talk to her sister about her friendship with You Su, for fear that her sister would hate or be angry with her. But she never expected that Lingruo would take the initiative to help him.

Although the twins have very different personalities, they both possess a stubborn and warm spirit. Their bond is deeper than anyone else's, so they would never want to hurt the other. Because of this, Ji Xueruo feels even more guilty.

"I have already sent a message to the array master in Misty Valley; it's not that Antelope Spirit." Her fingertips traced the parchment scrolls piled on the table, on which were drawn improved diagrams of the Frost Condensation Formation. "They will arrive in three days; there's no need for you to trouble yourself, young master."

Her distance left You Su slightly disappointed, but she didn't intend to give up. "Piling up Technique Method will never be as effective as adapting to local conditions. To govern a clan, every penny must be spent wisely. It's better to rely on yourself than on others. The person who delivered the message to the clan leader should have also conveyed this to him, right?"

Ji Xueruo raised her eyebrows slightly. Although You Su had seen through her, knowing that she had been having people watching her every move, she did not intend to admit it easily.

"Isn't asking you a request a request?"

"Of course not, I am a member of the Demon Race, so I am one of our own. If I help my own people, I should be asking for their help." You Su took a few steps forward, feeling that talking from this distance would not bridge the gap at all.

"You're from the Central Yuan Continent, when did you become one of our Demon Race?" Ji Xueruo glared coldly at You Su, stopping him from getting any closer.

"I have a close relationship with the snake clan; we are naturally considered family."

You Su grinned shamelessly and quietly moved two steps closer, now only five steps away from Miss Xue Ruo, a significant breakthrough.

"Your marriage agreement with Lingruo has not been recognized by the Snake Clan. Even if it were, it would be you marrying her and she would become a member of your You family, not you becoming a member of the Snake Clan. If you want to become a member of the Snake Clan, do you intend to marry into their family?"

Ji Xueruo a cold smile. In her opinion, no man would regard the words "marrying into another's family" as a disgrace.

"I would be delighted." You Su smiled and bowed.

He had no parents, no relatives, so whether or not he married into the family was completely irrelevant to him. Rather, being able to marry into this vibrant and beautiful Daughter Country was a happiness that no man would dare to dream of.

"Who, who allowed you to marry into the family?!" Ji Xueruo thought You Su was shameless and retorted, "You're supposed to be a Sword Cultivator, yet you don't even have this much integrity? Are you spineless?!"

"Chief, you misunderstand. I'm perfectly stiff. My willingness to marry into the family has absolutely nothing to do with integrity; it's simply because I'm very anxious."

"In a hurry? What's the rush?" Ji Lingruo's fingers tightened subtly.

"I'm anxious because there's a woman in the snake clan who said she'd only come to like me after everything was settled, but the day of the settlement is still nowhere in sight. Can you imagine how anxious I am? I might as well marry into the snake clan and settle things for her as soon as possible."

The girl's earlobes instantly flushed Sakura pink, and her cheeks glowed with the color of the sunset. At this moment, she truly regretted it to the extreme. She should have cut ties decisively back then. How could she have been so soft-hearted as to give him a chance? It would have saved him from using those words to mock her.

"Ha! Young Master You is truly shameless. You are clearly under the protection of my snake clan, yet you make it sound like you came specifically to help my snake clan."

"Family members should help each other. Since he's a son-in-law, he shouldn't be lazy and should contribute to the family." You Su's words almost confirmed his status as a son-in-law from the snake clan.

The girl's perception of You Su's shamelessness was once again refreshed; even someone as intelligent as her was momentarily speechless with anger.

She could only turn her head away, her voice softening slightly. "If you stay obediently in the snake clan and don't run around, that will be the greatest help you can give them."

You Su chuckled and took a few more steps, but instead of approaching the girl, he went to the window and looked at the bright red plum tree outside the hall.

"Does the clan chief really like plum blossoms?" he suddenly asked.

Ji Xueruo's expression hardened, and she blurted out, "I don't like it."

"Don't you like it?" You Su's voice suddenly drew closer, startling Ji Xueruo so much that her fingertips trembled. "If the clan leader doesn't like it, why are there so many plum trees planted in this ancestral land of the snake clan?"

"Since ancient times..."

Before she could finish speaking, the girl cut herself off, realizing that You Su must know something to ask such a question, and there was no point in her lying anymore. So she coldly snorted and asked, "Who has been spreading rumors about you?"

"Rumors? I didn't ask Miss Hong Xiao about the high price of these summer red plum blossoms. Given their clan leader's meticulous nature, even when re-engraving the Frost Condensation Formation, why would they waste money on something like this?"

She said there were even more plum trees in winter than in summer. She also said that the snake tribe originally did not have the habit of planting plum blossoms, but the chief ordered them to be planted to give the snake tribe a new look. Although few sisters liked plum blossoms, no one objected to the chief.

"Since this was the first time the clan leader had satisfied her own selfish desires, the others naturally couldn't bear to object. Later, they discovered that the plum blossoms were indeed extremely beautiful, and the sisters thought even more that the clan leader was wise, so they took it upon themselves to care for them and nurtured them very well."

Unbeknownst to You Su, he had already stood in front of the jade table and bent down:

"Does the clan leader think this is just gossip? Or is it something the clan leader wanted me to hear, but I didn't hear it?"

"Young Master You is truly skilled. You've won Sister Hong Xiao's trust so quickly that she's even willing to confide in you about clan affairs." Ji Xueruo sat upright, a stark contrast to You Su's obsequious bow.

You Su straightened up, completely unfazed by the girl's sarcastic tone. He knew that the more Miss Xue Ruo pretended to be angry, the more afraid she was of him continuing.

"I recite the plum blossoms, and the blossoms recite me; we are moved by their beauty. I look up and see the clear ice filling the jade vase. What do you think of these lines, Miss Xue Ruo?" The young man smiled maliciously, and without realizing it, he had changed his address for the girl in front of him from clan leader to Miss Xue Ruo.

Upon hearing this, Ji Xueruo abruptly looked up, meeting his clear, cold gaze. The previously confrontational Ji Xueruo seemed to have lost her confidence. Although she was still trying to appear calm, her evasive eyes betrayed her true feelings.

She did indeed fall in love with plum blossoms because of the poem that You Su had given her in a letter, and decided to plant plum blossoms throughout the snake tribe.

Even if her thoughts were seen through, it was impossible for her to admit it to You Su in person.

"You..." Her throat tightened, and before she could think of a rebuttal, she had already subconsciously begun to argue back.

I should apologize to you.

You Su suddenly lowered her head, her voice as soft as falling snow, silencing the girl's hurtful words that would hurt both herself and others.

"Why are you apologizing to me?" Ji Xueruo tightened her grip on the Jade Slip in her hand.

"Before we parted in the South China Sea, Miss Xue Ruo promised to meet me again in the Central Continent. I failed to keep my promise, and we met again half a year later, in Japan. I should apologize for that."

"It was just a casual promise, don't take it to heart." The girl turned her head and poured herself some tea.

Hearing this, You Su was slightly taken aback, and continued, "I apologize. I shouldn't have left Miss Xue Ruo alone in Zhongyuan and disappeared without saying a word."

The girl paused in her tea-pouring motion, You Su knew that she had finally addressed the crucial point in her apology.

Recalling that day, the girl had just escaped death with him. After killing her brutal ancestor, she showed him a rare hint of coquettishness, asking him if he was powerful, before falling into a deep sleep in his arms.

What was she thinking at that moment?

Perhaps she was thinking about that almost certain death situation, where only You Su stood by her side; perhaps she was thinking about that boy who could have left alone, but insisted on turning back to save her...

But whatever she was thinking, at that moment her world consisted only of You Su. Clan loyalty and the blood feud with her mother could no longer suppress her feelings for this man who had shared hardships with her.

Then I'll just fall asleep in his arms; anyway... when I wake up, he'll definitely still be beside me...

But things didn't go as planned. When the girl woke up, she found that he was no longer there, and even received the devastating news that he might be dead.

This was undoubtedly a heavy blow to Ji Xueruo. She and You Su had gone through thick and thin together on that fairy island, but only she had seen the sun shine after the storm, not the young man who had risked his life to save her.

Overwhelmed by immense self-blame and regret, she felt more lost and disoriented than anyone else at that time, and the huge sense of loss has left her unable to recover to this day.

"You did nothing wrong, you don't need to apologize to me." Her voice was flat, but the tea rippled slightly in the cup.

She truly didn't think You Su had done anything wrong; she was the one who had made a mistake.

If she wasn't prepared to open her heart to You Su, if she didn't value You Su so much, then why would she feel so heartbroken by his departure?

This young girl, who had always prioritized responsibility, hatred, and family over personal feelings, finally made up her mind to follow her heart for once, only to be struck by a blow that nearly knocked her unconscious.

So she was like a hedgehog whose soft spot had been stepped on, all her dormant quills instantly standing on end. The person who had caused her pain became even harder to approach.

Because—she didn't want to make the same mistake again; she didn't want to experience that almost heart-wrenching pain again.

As the bronze doors of the council hall closed behind him, You Su's fingertips still retained the coolness of Ji Xueruo's sleeve brushing against them.

Her last words, "You are busy with clan affairs, please return, Young Master You," were like a thin layer of ice, freezing his unspoken guilt and longing in his throat.

Despite the scorching sun, You Su felt a chill in her heart and couldn't feel the heat, simply walking alone along the bluestone path.

The news that You Su could modify the Ice Room for the snake clan and even had the method to make ice had already reached the ears of many snake women. They were originally full of curiosity about this young man and hoped that he could bring good news, but seeing You Su's current distraught appearance, none of them dared to step forward and speak to him.

They couldn't help but wonder what the clan leader had said to make the young man so disheartened. Although they hadn't heard it with their own ears, they guessed it must be related to his engagement with the young lady. Some of the soft-hearted snake girls even felt sorry for this lovelorn man who couldn't have the one he loved.

You Su returned to Ji Lingruo's courtyard. The chattering little Nian Su had been sent to Granny Liu's place to study, leaving Ji Lingruo alone in her room meditating.

You Su did not disturb his junior sister, but sat on the stone bench in the courtyard, feeling dejected.

He sensed Miss Xue Ruo's resistance towards him; the closer he got, the more resistant she became, as if she were afraid of him.

Therefore, he had no choice but to obey and leave. Continuing to pester her would only backfire and make this proud girl even more distant from him.

You Su knew, of course, that not all women would treat him gently, and that Miss Xue Ruo's sharpness was precisely what made her so alluring. Therefore, he had come prepared not to be forgiven by Miss Xue Ruo.

But now, You Su doesn't know how to circumvent these sharp edges.

In a daze, twilight had already fallen.

Ji Lingruo the lunchbox aside. Of course, she had already noticed her senior brother's unusual behavior and immediately guessed the reason for his disappointment.

She suddenly knelt down, pinched his wrist with her fingertips and pressed it against the stone table, her palm trembling slightly as she pressed it against his pulse:

"Don't hang your head. You know what kind of person I am..."

You Su sighed and shook her head slightly. "It's not her problem, it's my problem."

"Does Senior Brother know that when she defied all opposition to take you into the clan, she had a huge argument with the clan elders and even risked her position as clan leader?"

You Su looked up in a daze. The girl couldn't bear it and continued, "Actually, it's much more than that. When I saw her, she was so distraught that she looked like a dead person, but she still mustered up the strength to tell me not to be sad. She blamed herself entirely for the fact that you might be dead and promised me that she would definitely find you. From then on, this matter seemed to become the driving force that kept her alive."

"She is a hero who saved countless people on the Immortal Island. The Immortal Ancestor Temple of Star Zhao Divine Mountain extended an olive branch to her, and many Demon Race also had the idea of befriending the snake clan. But she only wanted to find you, and for this she turned down many affairs, even the invitation from the Immortal Ancestor Temple. She even accompanied me to Bei'ao, thousands of miles away, to find you. Others may not know these things, but I do."

You Su's apple bobbed, and he unconsciously gripped his junior sister's hand even tighter.

The girl looked up at him, her emerald eyes reflecting the starry sky. "She hid all the letters related to you, and sometimes she would secretly read them alone by lamplight late at night. So it's not that she had no feelings for you, she just hid them. Because—"

"Why?" You Su immediately pressed for an answer.

"She was afraid she would soften her heart." Ji Lingruo suddenly released her grip and placed the plate in front of You Su. "Just like when you faked your death, someone claimed to have found your body, but I didn't dare to recognize it. Because I was afraid that if I touched it, my heart would shatter."

"Really?"

Ji Lingruo suddenly laughed, poking his chest with her fingertip. "If I really don't want to see you, so what if Sister Hong Xiao leads the way? So what if we talk about official business? Wouldn't it be more decisive to just shut you out?"

You Su immediately grabbed her hand again, "Then what should I do?"

"Eat first, you'll have the energy to cook when you're full," Ji Lingruo said, pointing to the food.

With hope in his You Su immediately picked up his rice bowl and began to eat heartily.

Ji Lingruo rested her chin on her hand and tilted her head to look at him, but felt a pang of bitterness in her heart. Of course, she knew that her senior brother was wolfing down his food, not because the food she had prepared suited his taste, but because he was eager to know how to prevent his sister from deliberately distancing herself from him.

But how could You Su only have Ji Xueruo in his heart? He put down his rice bowl and held the girl's soft hands in his own, as if they were a hard-won treasure.

"Junior sister, thank you."

At this moment, You Su felt that his junior sister was more beautiful than the moon in the sky.

He ran his fingertips along the calluses on her palm—marks worn from practicing swordsmanship, and also the imprint of her six months of tireless work for him.

"Silly senior brother, you've pinched my hand so hard it hurts."

Ji Lingruo feigned anger, but let him hold her hand tightly, her fingertips hooking into his palm instead.

The bitterness she felt earlier had vanished; it was as if her efforts were enough for her senior brother to see.

Am I...?

"Shh--" Ji Lingruo suddenly tiptoed and pressed her fingertips to his lips, the sweet fragrance of her hair mixed with the scent of wormwood wafting towards him.

"I know what you want to say. If I could, I would certainly hope that you and my sister have a completely innocent relationship. But things have come to this. I know best how my sister feels about you, and you haven't hidden your feelings for my sister from me either. How can I bear to see the two most important people in my life end up missing each other and regretting it for the rest of your lives?"

Looking at Ji Lingruo's stray hairs ruffled by the evening breeze, You Su felt as if a wad of warm cotton was stuck in his throat, making even his words of thanks feel heavy.

Unexpectedly, during the six months he spent in danger, the young woman before him had grown so much. He made up his mind to make these two women happy for the rest of their lives, for only in this way could he be worthy of their affection.

"Then... what should I do?"

"My sister has carried too much burden since childhood, and the shackles on her body are far more numerous than mine. You almost unlocked these shackles once, but unfortunately, you lost the key. But fortunately, you still have one last key."

"The key? Where is it?"

The girl suddenly leaned closer, her face flushed red without her noticing. She lightly You Su's chest with her jade-like fingers, then slowly moved them down to whisper in his ear.

You Su subconsciously grabbed her mischievous hand, only then realizing what her junior sister meant by "you need to be well-fed to have the strength to do things."