"A friend? Hmph, a good-for-nothing like you doesn't deserve to be her friend."
Ouyang Qinglin spoke with disdain, and Su Cheng retorted without hesitation.
"Whether I deserve it or not is not for you to decide. Don't forget, she was the one who saved me. That shows how important I am to her."
Su Cheng's words left Ouyang Qinglin speechless. He was also determined to stay in the house and not go out.
"Mm."
As the two were arguing, the person on the bed made a sound.
Both of them hurried to the bedside, and Gu Qianying slowly opened her eyes.
"You're here, that's great."
Gu Qianying had been in a hurry last night and couldn't say much. Now that she had temporarily escaped danger, she was very happy.
"Great? The city's soldiers are all looking for you, and you're so seriously injured. You really don't make things easy for anyone."
Ouyang Qinglin naturally cared for Gu Qianying, and she still had the nerve to smile.
"Heh heh, aren't you here? Brother, we've sworn brotherhood. My body is inconvenient now, and I'll have to rely on you for everything."
She teased Ouyang Qinglin, and as she turned, she caught sight of Su Cheng standing silently beside them.
"Are you injured? Last night was too dangerous, were you scared?"
Her words were filled with concern, and Su Cheng quickly stepped forward to comfort her.
"I'm fine, it's just that you were injured for me, and my heart aches."
His words made Ouyang Qinglin feel a bit nauseous, but looking at the conversation between the two, a hint of displeasure arose in his heart.
Who exactly was this man? At this moment, he looked as if he had captured his sworn sister's soul.
Since Gu Qianying woke up, she had been constantly murmuring about this man.
Thinking of this, Ouyang Qinglin couldn't help but speak.
"Uh, sister, you..."
However, the words stopped at his lips, and he retracted them.
He had intended to remind Gu Qianying that she still had Nangong Mo. But thinking of how that person had disappeared without a word when he was fine, causing his sworn sister to be sad for a long time, he became angry. It would be better for her to find another man.
Thus, he didn't say anything further.
"Hmm?" Gu Qianying found it strange that he had started to say something but then stopped. Seeing that he had no intention of speaking, she didn't press further.
Due to Gu Qianying's serious injuries, they decided to hide here for some time. Ouyang Qinglin sent a letter to the Yi Jing Pavilion, conveying Gu Qianying's wishes.
"She wants us to take good care of the two young ladies of the Su family. They will be back soon." As soon as Meng Xiangxiang received Gu Qianying's carrier pigeon message at the Yi Jing Pavilion.
Caixia alighted from the carriage with young Yi Hao, while Duan Xifeng and the second young lady of the Su family were in the carriage behind.
"Does the master know if she's injured? Shall I go over?"
Handing young Yi Hao to Meng Xiangxiang, Caixia wanted to go back.
"Wait a moment. Qianying's intention is for us to wait for her here. If there's no news from her in two days, then it won't be too late for you to go."
This was the only way now, after all, young Yi Hao was still here. Caixia knew that she had to ensure the young master's safety and report to her master.
"You're back."
After a few days of recuperation, Su Yuxi's body was no longer in serious condition, and she had also taken to collecting dew in the early morning.
As she was returning with a bowl, she heard voices at the door.
Hearing the familiar voice, Su Zirong rushed to the front. After a long time, she finally saw her relatives.
"Eldest Sister!"
Su Yuxi was walking over and, seeing her second sister, ran towards her excitedly.
The two sisters hugged each other; they hadn't seen each other for a long time.
"Eldest Sister, why are you here? Weren't you competing with Gu Qianying in the palace before? Was the competition over? What happened?"
Since Su Zirong was captured, she had lost contact with the outside world. She thought she had offended someone and would never see her relatives again, but unexpectedly, she was suddenly rescued and saw her relatives here.
Su Yuxi rubbed her face, wiping away the tears from her eyes.
"It's a long story. Rest well these few days, and I'll tell you slowly."
She never expected that Meng Xiangxiang and the others would bring her second sister back too.
The two sisters had received the same kindness, and Su Yuxi quickly stepped forward to pay her respects.
"Get up, what are you doing?"
Seeing her wanting to bow, Meng Xiangxiang quickly supported her.
"It's all thanks to you that my sisters can meet here. This bow is deserved."
She insisted, and Meng Xiangxiang did not stop her.
However, seeing her eldest sister in such a humble state, Su Zirong felt displeased and helped Su Yuxi up.
"Eldest Sister, what are you doing? It was just a small effort for them to help me. If you want to thank them, you can send some gold and silver treasures back to the Su family."
Seeing her sister's lack of understanding, Su Yuxi quickly told her to shut up and apologized to Meng Xiangxiang and the others.
"It's alright, your sister just doesn't know what has happened during this time. As the saying goes, ignorance is bliss, and we don't mind."
Duan Xifeng, who was still confused, looked at Su Zirong in the familiar setting and felt somewhat at ease.
Over the next two days, Su Yuxi told Su Zirong everything she had experienced and how Gu Qianying had rescued her. While shocked, Su Zirong also observed the way people interacted here.
She had originally thought that men were all lowly beings, but she didn't expect that here, both men and women had the right to speak, the ability to act, and could even become the head of a family.
"Actually, when I was in the palace, Miss Gu also spoke to me about gender equality. But at that time, I really couldn't understand it. Although I listened, I didn't take it to heart. It wasn't until I came here that I truly understood its meaning."
Su Yuxi was making a shoe insole, and the size suggested it was for a man.
"Eldest Sister, although I'm still a little surprised, I think I can understand it now. Life with such gender equality is indeed much happier than our past."
She looked at Duan Xifeng and Meng Xiangxiang and the others chatting at a nearby table, and a warmth gradually rose in her heart.
"Yes, and I can't go back. Living in a place like this feels pretty good too."
Su Zirong was greatly surprised by her eldest sister's words, but thinking about their past, although they could casually order men around, treat them as less than human, and enslave them at will.
But even if they had feelings for a man, due to the concept of male inferiority, they could not truly be together equally and happily.
Su Zirong picked up the tea that had been brewed on the side.
So, they had been wrong all along.
"Come, have some tea. In the Su family, my tea art is the most exquisite."
Having figured this out, Su Zirong became much more cheerful when facing those people.