My Senior Sister Says She Will Marry No One But Me - Chapter 20.2

Du Yunge stared at Xue Shuyan’s back, crisscrossed with numerous old scars of varying sizes, and was so startled that she abruptly rose from the low stool beside the bathtub:

What in the world could have possibly injured Xue Shuyan?!

Moreover, the edges of these scars had spread over time, indicating they were old wounds that had been there for years. Upon closer inspection, it was clear that these injuries had been inflicted when Xue Shuyan was just a young girl. This meant the original wounds must have been severe either improperly treated due to a lack of adequate medicine, or so critical that she had only narrowly escaped death. Otherwise, these childhood scars wouldn’t have lingered on her back for so many years.

That raised the question: What kind of monster would inflict such cruelty on a child so young?!

Xue Shuyan noticed Du Yunge’s panic but couldn’t fathom what could have frightened her. After all, she had all the usual body parts, and Du Yunge possessed the same set with only a slight difference in chest size. Surely, Du Yunge wouldn’t be so terrified by such a minor discrepancy?

Perplexed, Xue Shuyan had no choice but to ask, “Yunge? What’s wrong?”

“Senior Sister Xue!” Du Yunge cautiously reached out her hand. Even though she knew these scars were years old and no longer painful otherwise, Xue Shuyan’s back wouldn’t be so straight she instinctively softened her touch. Her fingertips gently brushed against the intersecting light brown scars, treating them not as frightening old wounds but as precious, fragile glass that might shatter with the slightest pressure:

“These scars on your back.”

As Du Yunge’s warm, soft fingertips made contact with Xue Shuyan’s bare back, the ever-composed and unflappable Xue Shuyan suddenly inhaled sharply and stopped her from probing further: “Don’t touch.”

Du Yuge was taken aback. “Senior Sister, do these old scars still hurt?”

Xue Shuyan’s voice was slightly hoarse, but it didn’t sound like pain. Her next words confirmed this, it wasn’t pain, but likely another issue: “It doesn’t hurt, but it’s itchy. Don’t touch them carelessly.”

“Don’t touch randomly.” These words seemed to be gritted out through clenched teeth, yet they carried no sense of menace. Instead, they sounded more like the exasperation of someone being endlessly pestered by their own kitten unwilling to truly scold it, at most putting on a cold expression that fooled no one and uttering a few harsh words, for how could one really take it to heart with a little cat?

Xue Shuyan was currently in such a state of mind. She felt as though Du Yunge’s fingertips carried tiny sparks. With just a light touch, the old scars on her back began to warm faintly, tingling and itching, as if threatening to unravel her consciousness amidst the medicinal fragrance and steamy mist filling the room.

Fortunately, it was Xue Shuyan, a person of extreme self-restraint who faced Du Yunge. Far from losing her composure, she instead grasped a crucial piece of information from Du Yunge’s demeanor:

“You don’t remember these scars?”

Du Yunge was startled. She carefully searched her memories, only to find that her earliest childhood recollections were all hazy. Perhaps this was a side effect of being reborn. After all, she had experienced similar fuzziness in the hours after regaining her life, just before the martial arts contest to choose a husband. It was only after interacting with others that she could recall events related to them, so Du Yunge had temporarily set aside this minor issue, immersing herself in the joy of having escaped He Zhenzhen’s clutches.

But now, she finally understood the more critical aspect of this side effect:

If she didn’t come into contact with those who were part of her childhood, she couldn’t fully recover those early memories!

Judging by Xue Shuyan’s attitude and words, these scars were undoubtedly deeply connected to Du Yunge herself. Judging by their appearance, they must have been left when they were both still children. Yet the most troubling part was this:

Du Yunge could no longer recall what she had experienced in her childhood. It seemed unlikely that she would ever retrieve those memories.

Just as cold sweat began to trickle down Du Yunge’s back, Xue Shuyan suddenly spoke, her voice tinged with a faint, wistful sigh:

“It seems you’ve truly forgotten.”

Du Yunge froze, then lowered her head, meeting Xue Shuyan’s upward gaze. A few strands of Xue Shuyan’s black hair, dampened by the steam, hung loosely. As she shook her head gently, these strands traced ripples in the water. Du Yunge felt it wasn’t just the water’s surface that was disturbed her own thoughts were in disarray too. Why else would she, without any prompting from Xue Shuyan, find herself blushing and sitting back on the low stool, tucking those unruly strands of hair back into place for her?

At some point, Xue Shuyan had fully opened her half-closed eyes. Amid the warm, comforting steam filling the room, her gaze held a chilling emptiness, as if one had been transported to a harsh winter, lost in the boundless expanse of snowy mountains. This was the expression Xue Shuyan normally wore. Yet, when facing Du Yunge, even such a gaze softened slightly though the one receiving this special treatment remained completely unaware.

“But then again, children do tend to forget things easily. It’s unlikely anyone could remember everything from when they were five or six years old.”

Du Yunge didn’t dare respond, merely scooping clear water to rinse Xue Shuyan’s back. Under the shimmering flow, the scars covering nearly the entire back appeared even more horrifying. Yet for some reason, Du Yunge felt no disgust or fear only an overwhelming ache in her heart.

When one’s mind grows muddled, they often end up doing many unreasonable things.

Just as in ancient times, King Jie of Xia emptied the national treasury to tear silk fabrics, hoping the sound would amuse his beloved Meixi; King You of Zhou offered a fortune to light the beacon fires and deceive the feudal lords, all to coax a smile from the cold yet enchanting Bao Si; King Fuchai of Wu constructed the extravagant Guanwa Palace to bring joy to Xi Shi; and Emperor Xuanzong of Tang ennobled every relative of Yang Yuhuan to delight his beloved Consort Yang, leading to the scene where “sisters and brothers were all enfeoffed, and glory radiated from their household.”

It is evident that when a person’s heart is entirely consumed by such tender, doting affection, no act of extravagance seems too reckless. This principle applies not only to men but also to women, for all people under heaven…

Regardless of gender, status, or geographical differences conditions shaped by circumstance, the innate nature of cherishing and adoring remains universally the same.

Even someone like Du Yunge, who typically reacts to things a beat slower than others, is no exception.

After pondering for a long while, she slowly spoke:

“I still feel that troubling you, Senior Sister, to tarnish your reputation just to help me win the martial arts contest for marriage is far too much. A small favor like helping you bathe is nothing compared to the sacrifices you’ve made.”

“Senior Sister, your devotion to me runs so deep… I think, what is the mere position of deputy sect leader? It rightfully belongs to you. It seems petty of me to have you use one of my promises for something that should already be yours.”

“If you desire it, I could even step down and yield the position to you.”

Xue Shuyan had been tying the sash of her newly changed dark antique satin robe, a garment so profoundly somber and adorned with genuine gold flecks that few besides her with her stern demeanor and imposing presence could carry its intended elegance. But upon hearing Du Yunge’s words, Xue Shuyan suddenly frowned and interjected:

“Yunge, please refrain from saying such things in the future.”

Du Yunge immediately fell silent, only to hear Xue Shuyan sigh softly, as if she wanted to say more but held back due to deeper concerns. In the end, she restrained herself and said:

“These empty titles are unimportant. I vowed long ago to protect you, and I will continue to do so until you truly no longer need me. As for anything else… I pay it no mind.”

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