Sweet Rebirth: The Little Healer

”Yes, I am,” Zhao Nuanyue nodded. ”I’m just a little disappointed, but not sad. After everything Hua and I have been through, it will only make us cherish our future together more.”

”Heh, yeah.” Zhao Nuan Yang scratched his head. ”Just take care of yourself, Sis.”

”Mhm, I will.” Zhao Nuanyue nodded. ”Go on, you two don’t need to worry about me. I’m fine.”

Hearing her sister say that, Little Red Carp cheerfully went with her brother to fish by the lake.

Once her brother and sister were gone, Zhao Nuanyue walked into the kitchen, her expression dimming.

She understood all the reasons why she should be okay, but she just couldn’t feel calm. She sat on a stool, silent for a long, long time.

It wasn’t until Zhao Nuanyue heard Little Red Carp’s laughter and Zhao Nuan Yang’s gentle voice from the lakeside that she snapped out of it, beginning to console and convince herself over and over.

’Zhao Nuanyue, you have to be strong!’

’Zhao Nuanyue, you have to keep trying!’

’Love is sweet, but it needs patience to be nurtured and grown.’

’A setback like this is just fertilizer for her love with Hua Yusen. It will help their love blossom into something even more beautiful.’

And so, Zhao Nuanyue encouraged herself over and over, slowly dispelling her sense of loss.

By the time the meal was ready, Little Red Carp and Zhao Nuan Yang had caught a lot of fish. They kept them in a creel for now, planning to move them to a bucket after they ate. That way, the fish would still be flopping about and perfectly fresh when they took them to Immortal Grass Hall.

Seeing that their sister was acting normally, Zhao Nuan Yang and Little Red Carp were completely relieved.

After eating, the three siblings went to Immortal Grass Hall.

Madam Sun was very curious to see Zhao Nuanyue. ’Shouldn’t she be at home getting ready today?’

But when she heard the reason for Zhao Nuanyue’s visit, Madam Sun said nothing. Instead, she gently hugged Zhao Nuanyue and said softly, ”As long as the love is there, everything else can wait.”

”Yes,” Zhao Nuanyue nodded. ”I’m just telling myself that good things take time.”

”Heh, that’s right. The course of true love never did run smooth,” Madam Sun said sympathetically. ”A kind person like you, Nuanyue, is bound to be blessed. Just think, over the decades, your master and I have faced more setbacks than I can count, but we always gritted our teeth and pulled through. It wasn’t just for this family business. It was because we cherished one another and lived up to the vow we made at our wedding: to hold each other’s hand and grow old together. You and Yu Sen are still so young. These things may feel disheartening now, but one day they’ll become your most precious and unforgettable memories.”

Listening to Madam Sun share these insights from her life with her master, Zhao Nuanyue felt a deeper admiration for their bond.

She had her own unique love now, too. And though it was, as Madam Sun said, full of twists and turns, it was just as firm.

’She believed Hua Yusen would come back safely to marry her!’

”Thank you for your counsel, Madam. I’ll take it to heart.” Zhao Nuanyue nodded and nestled against Madam Sun. As she took in the faint, clean scent of herbs from the older woman, her own restless heart began to calm.

They had dinner at Immortal Grass Hall.

By the time she returned from Immortal Grass Hall, Zhao Nuanyue’s worries had completely dissolved.

「The next morning」

Before heading to work, Zhao Nuan Yang stopped by Master Hu’s home. He told his master, his master’s wife, and his senior that his sister’s wedding had been temporarily postponed. Once they understood the reason, no one pressed for details.

When Wang Yuan heard that Zhao Nuanyue’s wedding was canceled, she rushed over to ”comfort” her.

”Oh, Nuanyue, you poor thing,” Wang Yuan said, her face a mask of sorrow as she gazed at Zhao Nuanyue with pity.

Seeing Wang Yuan act this way, Zhao Nuanyue felt a wave of irritation.

’It’s just a postponed wedding. What’s so pitiful about that?’

”Heh, Hua and I already have our marriage certificate. We’re legally husband and wife,” Zhao Nuanyue said with a smile. The more Wang Yuan acted this way, the less Nuanyue wanted to give her the satisfaction. ”The ceremony doesn’t matter. Compared to our work, a personal wedding is nothing.”

Hearing this, Wang Yuan quickly wiped the pity from her face.

’So, Zhao Nuanyue and Hua Yusen already have their marriage certificate. They’re a legal couple. A missing wedding ceremony doesn’t change that fact.’

”That’s true. If I’d known you already had the certificate, I wouldn’t have been so worried,” Wang Yuan said with a smile. ”But Nuanyue, what on earth did Hua Yusen have to do that was so urgent he couldn’t even attend his own wedding and had to cancel it?”

”I’m not sure either.” Zhao Nuanyue shook her head. Even if she knew, she couldn’t tell Wang Yuan. She noticed Wang Yuan was wearing a very expensive-looking watch. Her outfit—a pale red, thin woolen coat, black trousers, and a pair of gleaming black leather shoes—was far beyond what Wang Yuan could afford on her own.

’These must be gifts from Guo Donghai. It’s clear she’s latched onto him for support.’

’If Wang Yuan found out what Hua Yusen was doing, Guo Donghai would find out too.’

”Oh, Nuanyue, you need to be more careful,” Wang Yuan said. Seeing Zhao Nuanyue’s trusting expression, she couldn’t resist trying to sow discord between her and Hua Yusen. It was simply because Zhao Nuanyue had a marriage certificate, something she and Guo Donghai could never have in this lifetime.

This imbalance made Wang Yuan seethe with jealousy.

”Mhm, I know,” Zhao Nuanyue nodded. ”But I trust Hua Yusen!”

”You trust him?” Wang Yuan reacted as if she’d heard a joke. ”Oh, Nuanyue. All men are the same—they’re eating from their bowl while staring at what’s in the pot. They’re just greedy!”

Zhao Nuanyue stared at Wang Yuan in disbelief. ’How could she say something like that!’

’Then again,’ Zhao Nuanyue reflected, ’it makes sense.’ Even though Guo Donghai was generous with Wang Yuan, she was surely not his first mistress, nor would she be his last.

”I know you mean well, but I still choose to trust him,” Zhao Nuanyue said sincerely. ”Wang Yuan, you’re too pessimistic. Life isn’t all dark; there are other beautiful colors too. If you’re always this pessimistic, it will have a big impact on your outlook on life.”

Wang Yuan had intended to upset Zhao Nuanyue, but instead, Zhao Nuanyue’s words had made *her* feel uneasy.

”Well, as your good friend, I’m just looking out for you, giving you a warning,” Wang Yuan said irritably, her gaze on Zhao Nuanyue filled with a hint of disappointment. ”Think about what kind of family the Hua family is, and then look at us. Even though you have a marriage certificate with Hua Yusen, you can’t let your guard down. In the old days, a man could just cast his wife aside, and getting a divorce is even easier now. You’re marrying into a family of that stature. Forget everything else and just have a child first to secure your position. Once you have a child, your mother-in-law won’t be able to bully you, and even if Hua Yusen fools around on the side, he’ll have to think twice.”