Chapter 391: Chapter 383: Lovers vs. Siblings

"Hello, nice to meet you, General. I’m Cheng Xiaoxiao, and I’d like to discuss a business deal with you, if that’s alright?"

Cheng Xiaoxiao flashed an appropriate smile, confident the other party wouldn’t refuse her.

She had already given Vice General Lin enough time to report on everything she had done to the General, and she believed he wouldn’t let her down.

After saying that, she waited for a reply that never came.

She looked up and stared steadily at the man wrapped in bandages before her.

Just a moment ago, she hadn’t taken a good look at him, but now she realized his gaze was burning with curiosity and anticipation as he looked at her.

What does that mean?

Did she have flowers growing on her face?

If it weren’t for the absence of desire in his eyes, she would have confronted him.

Vice General Lin initially felt overjoyed when he saw the General staring directly at the girl.

He thought to himself, "The General has finally come to his senses."

However, as time passed and the young girl politely greeted him, the General still didn’t respond.

A wild little voice in his mind was shouting: "Say something! Say something!"

Could it be that the General was so nervous because he had never been in love that his brain went blank, leaving him at a loss for words?

Should he give him a hand?

Would speaking up ruin the beautiful atmosphere?

Should he give them some privacy and step aside?

It’s only their first meeting, or rather, second meeting, wouldn’t that be too soon?

Social norms for young ladies should be observed, so he decided not to leave after all. At the very least, he could serve as a chaperone.

Vice General Lin imagined various scenarios.

Until the General said something that stunned him.

It was when Cheng Xiaoxiao grew impatient from waiting that a distant name echoed in her ears.

"Is it Daya?"

Cheng Duhu’s heart was filled with anxiety, hoping on one hand that it was her, and on the other that it wasn’t.

How could his sister possibly be here?

His sister was a quiet, obedient girl who didn’t know martial arts. The person before him displayed such agility, decisiveness, and a strong sense of justice—just thinking about their personalities showed they were worlds apart.

One more thing he was reluctant to admit was that if his sister were here, it would prove something had happened at home.

Were his father and younger siblings still alive? Was Uncle’s family still alive?

He dared not ponder it deeply.

In the chaos of his thoughts, he heard the young girl’s surprised voice.

"You... you... you... your last name is Cheng, like what?"

Cheng Xiaoxiao’s heart was pounding, an imminent answer flashed in her mind.

She recalled Erya telling her back in Qingshan Village that they had an elder brother named Cheng Yao.

He had served in the military, and they had received news of his death the year before, along with the compensation payment.

The whole family thought the elder brother was dead and had even set up a memorial. Their father grieved for a long time.

Could the man before her be her supposedly deceased elder brother?

Only family would know her nickname; otherwise, there was no way to explain how someone a thousand miles away knew it.

Upon closer inspection, his exposed features did indeed resemble Mr. Cheng’s in some ways.

It wasn’t that Cheng Xiaoxiao was overly shocked that her original brother hadn’t died; she had suspected Cheng Yao might still be alive before.

It was just too coincidental that Tianqi allowed her to encounter him like this.

Those who were thought dead were alive, and those who were alive had long gone.

Fate certainly has a twisted way of playing with people.

"Yes, I am Cheng Yao. Are you Daya?"

Cheng Yao steadied his emotions and asked again, impatient to confirm if the person in front of him was indeed his sister.

Upon hearing him confirm, a sense of inexplicable joy filled her heart, every cell in her body leaping with excitement.

Her elder brother was not dead, she had a brother who cared for her after all. As these thoughts ran through her mind, she suddenly felt like crying. The days without her brother’s protection were hard to bear, with countless nights spent crying alone. These intense emotions came violently, catching her off guard, as if they were remnants of the original character’s sentiments at work.

Tears welled up uncontrollably.

Cheng Xiaoxiao was also very pleased to have such a General as an elder brother.

He was a good person, a strong warrior, kind and caring for the common people, worthy of being considered a local hero.

The mix of the original character’s emotions and her thoughts made her voice slightly choked and hoarse, yet she couldn’t bring herself to call him brother. She opened her mouth several times but couldn’t make a sound.

Seeing the girl across from him silently shedding tears, grappling with her complicated emotions, wanting to speak yet not knowing what to say, he understood she was undoubtedly his sister.

It was no wonder he felt such a sense of closeness and unexplainable joy upon first seeing her; after all, blood runs thicker than water.

Somehow, everything had been arranged by fate.

He wanted to get out of bed and embrace his sister, to wipe away the tears at the corners of her eyes.

There were so many things he wanted to say.

But as soon as he moved, he strained his wound and let out a hiss of pain.

His brow furrowed instantly, pale with discomfort.

At that moment, Vice General Lin, who seemed frozen in place, finally came to his senses. The two people he had thought to set up were actually siblings.

Had he imagined it because he hadn’t rested last night?

Or was this all a dream?

He pinched his thigh hard.

Ouch!

The pain was real, and he couldn’t help but look at the weak man on the bed, then at the girl weeping silent tears.

"This... this... this..." It was all too incredulous.

Cheng Xiaoxiao quickly stepped forward to support the man trying to get out of bed.

"Brother, don’t move, your injury hasn’t healed yet."

The words from her heart slipped out instantly.

What had been hard to articulate before was now spoken naturally. After all, having an elder brother to care for her was not a bad thing.

Cheng Yao heard his sister call him "brother."

He felt warm inside, and his spirits lifted as he clasped her small hand, so excited he was almost incoherent.

"Daya, Daya, good Daya, my dear girl." He mumbled, still unsure, "Is it really you? Daya isn’t lying to your brother?"

Once she called him brother, it became easier to say it again.

Seeing his excitement, she quickly replied, "It’s me. I’m Daya from Qingshan Village, but brother, I go by a different name now. I’m Cheng Xiaoxiao. You can call me Xiaoxiao, no need to use the nickname."

Cheng Xiaoxiao said seriously.

"Alright, whatever sister says goes."

Cheng Yao beamed a bright smile, realizing his little sister had grown up and learned to be bashful.

Yet his expression was somewhat complex and hard to describe.

How could I put it? It looked a bit silly, a bit naive.

A bit out of character...

"By the way, how did you end up here? How are Dad, Erya, and Brother Jia? Are they doing well?"

As he asked, Cheng Yao’s smile disappeared, a hint of trembling in his voice. He feared hearing bad news.

"Don’t worry, brother. They’re all fine, but we’re no longer in Qingshan Village."

"What happened? I heard there was flooding there; did you leave Qingshan Village because of that? But Yan State is thousands of miles away; how did you end up here?"

"By the way, if they’re all fine, where are they now?"

He couldn’t wait to see the rest of the family.

Uh, how should she explain this...