Chapter 4: The Twins’ Temperament Troubles

"If you dare choose my sister, I'll beat you to a pulp!" Su Muqing clenched her fists, issuing a fierce warning.

Everyone stared wide-eyed at Su Muqing. Su Muyu frowned slightly and asked, "Qing, do you have feelings for Senior... Senior Brother?"

Lu Feng coughed and said, "Though I understand it's not your fault for falling for me at first sight, I'm sorry, I'm really not interested in you."

Su Muqing's brows arched sharply. She raised her fist, ready to land it on Lu Feng's face, and retorted loudly, "Who would like a jerk like you! I only like my sister, and if you dare bully her, I'll crush you!" As she spoke, she made a threatening motion of squeezing the air with her right hand.

"Alright, alright, you just want to act all tsundere, don't you? I'm telling you, it's useless!" Lu Feng waved his hand dismissively, unmoved.

"You're the tsundere! Your whole family is tsundere! What would a country bumpkin like you know about tsundere?" Su Muqing was so furious she was nearly beside herself.

"It's a new word I learned recently. I wasn't quite sure what it meant before, but seeing you, I understand now."

Su Muqing's face flushed red with frustration. She stamped her foot, searching for words.

Su Daoan clapped his hands to interrupt. "Enough, no more squabbling. Nephew, just make your choice. Whoever you choose will marry into Cloud Mountain as agreed."

"Father, you can't marry my sister to this scoundrel!" Su Muqing objected firmly.

"Stop interrupting, unless you want to be the one to marry him!" Su Daoan said sternly.

Lu Feng extended a finger, waving it back and forth between Su Muyu and Su Muqing. Finally, he tapped the table and said, "One is constitutionally deficient in yin, the other overflowing with yang. Both look decent enough, but one's always sickly. I choose neither. My master said if you use the Thousand Gold Formula for evil, I'm to take you back for punishment. As long as I uncover a single misdeed, I can haul you back to Cloud Mountain and the matter of choosing a bride won't arise."

Su Daoan's expression faltered; he scrutinized Lu Feng anew and probed, "Nephew, have you truly inherited the full medical arts of Cloud Mountain?"

"More or less," Lu Feng replied, unabashed. "The old man says I've learned all he can teach."

Su Daoan immediately looked out the window, sighing with guilt. "So that's it. My senior is still as kind-hearted as ever. Xiaoyu's been frail since childhood; if not for the Thousand Gold Formula, she would have... Ten years ago, I took Xiaoyu to Cloud Mountain to ask for help from the sect, but we couldn't even get in. Now, my senior sends you here—he must have intended for you to cure Xiaoyu's illness."

The two sisters looked at their father in confusion, not quite grasping his meaning.

Lu Feng, however, tapped the table and protested, "Hey, hey... I'm here to set things right in the clan, not to get married or play doctor. Get your facts straight, will you?"

"Feng, my boy..." Su Daoan's tone grew ever more affectionate as he grasped Lu Feng's hand. "Feng, I'm entrusting Xiaoyu to you. You're both young, there's no rush to marry—feelings can be cultivated over time."

"Father! How can you marry my sister to someone she's only met once?" Su Muqing said angrily.

"Enough out of you!" Su Daoan rebuked her, then turned to Su Muyu and asked seriously, "Xiaoyu, are you willing?"

"Father..." Su Muyu gazed at him with a face full of worry, her brows knitted and her heart in turmoil.

Although Su Muyu did not dislike Lu Feng, how could she possibly be willing to marry someone she'd only met once? Yet her gentle nature left her without the courage to voice her opposition.

"Xiaoyu, go to the study for now. I'll talk to you later," Su Daoan said, pointing toward the study.

Su Muqing stomp her foot in frustration and hurried after Su Muyu into the study.

Turning to Lu Feng, Su Daoan said, "I'm a Cloud Mountain man by birth, but as your master said, I was neither a healer nor a warrior in the end. I couldn't even cure my own daughter's illness. Your master and I grew up together—I know him best. He sent you here to cure Xiaoyu, didn't he?"

Lu Feng frowned in thought. Could the old man really have meant this? Though his master had said he was to set things right, he'd also said that as long as his uncle kept his promise, the matter would be dropped, without insisting the formula be retrieved. Perhaps he really had been sent to heal Xiaoyu.

Seeing Lu Feng silent, Su Daoan continued, "Xiaoyu's illness has been with her since birth. She's suffered much. She's always been a good child, and would make a wonderful wife someday. Feng, please, consider it my personal plea..."

"Curing her is possible, but it's a little inconvenient," Lu Feng said, frowning.

"What inconvenience?" asked Su Daoan.

"You know the medical principle of nourishing yin with yang. If you marry your daughter to someone with a fire-based fate, her health would improve greatly."

Su Daoan said, "Xiaoyu may be gentle, but she has her pride. If I marry her off to someone she doesn't like, even if she doesn't complain, she'll surely resent me in her heart."

"In that case... Since you have the Thousand Gold Formula, use the Minor Green Dragon Decoction and the Salvia Decoction to nurse her back for now."

"Alright. This is all very sudden. Just make yourself at home—we'll discuss everything else slowly." Having settled Lu Feng for the moment, Su Daoan called for tea and snacks, then headed into the study.

From time to time, the study echoed with Su Muqing's exasperated shouts, clearly furious, while Su Muyu's voice was nowhere to be heard.

Lu Feng paid no attention to the commotion in the study. He was simply too hungry, stuffing himself with the meat floss pastries the servants brought, making sure to toss some to the Qilin as well.

Twenty minutes later, Su Muyu and Su Muqing emerged from the study. Su Muyu kept her head bowed, not daring to look at Lu Feng. Su Muqing shot Lu Feng a fierce glare and dragged her sister upstairs.

"Aren't you having dinner?" Su Daoan called up the stairs.

"I'm full of anger!" Su Muqing shouted back.

...

After much deliberation, Lu Feng decided to stay at the Su household for the time being—not to fulfill any absurd engagement, but to keep watch over Su Daoan. If he detected any misuse of the Thousand Gold Formula, he would immediately take him back to Cloud Mountain for punishment.

Su Daoan instructed the servants to prepare a room for Lu Feng on the second floor, right next to the twins' room.

That night, Su Muyu knocked on Lu Feng's door with a plate of sliced fruit.

"Is there something you need?" Lu Feng asked casually when he saw it was Su Muyu.

"My father asked me to bring you some fruit."

"Oh, come in then."

Su Muyu entered, set the fruit on the table, and hesitated, as if wanting to say something but holding back.

"Is there something else?" Lu Feng asked.

"My father said you're a descendant of Cloud Mountain and can cure my illness. Is that true? Actually, I've studied some medicine and read the Thousand Gold Formula. I know what I have—it's a congenital weakness, not easily remedied," Su Muyu asked softly.

"I can cure it, but..." Lu Feng trailed off.

Su Muyu shook her delicate, slender hand, forcing a smile. "It's alright, if it can't be cured, that's fine."

"Well... actually, what I mean is, the treatment requires you to remove your clothes, and there will be physical contact..." Lu Feng was halfway through when the door was suddenly kicked open.

Remove clothes! Physical contact!

Su Muqing, who had been eavesdropping outside, exploded with rage at these words. She kicked open the door and rushed in, pulling Su Muyu behind her. Pointing at Lu Feng, she fumed, "I knew it! You're a filthy scoundrel, trying to take advantage of my sister with some bogus treatment! From now on, you keep five—no, ten meters away from my sister, or I'll beat you to death!"

"I was just explaining how to treat your sister. Why are you so jealous?"

"Who's jealous? Who would be jealous of you? Are you insane?" Su Muqing raged.

"I'm not ill, you are. Your liver fire is way too strong. When female bears in the mountains get too much liver fire, they need a powerful male bear to subdue them. You're quite skilled at fighting—probably scared off all the men. Only I could handle you, but I'm really not interested. Pity, really," Lu Feng said, shaking his head with a sigh.

"You're the female bear! You're driving me crazy! Absolutely crazy!" Su Muqing was beside herself, soon tugging at Su Muyu's hand with a pout. "Sister, look! This villain does nothing but bully me!"

Su Muyu quickly took her sister's hand and gently soothed her, "Qing, don't be like this. Getting angry is bad for your health. Let's go to the kitchen and brew some herbal tea."

Hand in hand, the sisters left Lu Feng's room. As they went out, Su Muqing shot Lu Feng another glare.

Lu Feng closed the door, stroked his chin, and mused to himself, "Yin and yang in harmony—these twins are intriguing."