Chapter 217 – You Will Be Mine, Mdy (1)
Finally, the news about Jiang Mo sessfully defending the northern part of the Su province started to spread around. Many people hailed him as a hero, singing praises about him.
Still, Su Daji knew that the news about her family''s arrival was impossible at the moment.
As she looked at the full moon overhead from her quarters, she wondered how much longer she would need to wait until she could see her family whole again.
"Miss, it''s alreadyte, and it''s freezing cold." Su Daji''s attendant came to her, feeling the cool breeze that blew past their figures.
Autumn was almost there, turning the weather colder for each passing day. It made the people of the Su province think that spring and summer hade and gone too fast for their liking.
Su Daji nodded and followed her attendant back inside her quarters. She took a seat on the couch, with the white fox curled next to her. She then picked up a book she was reading earlier, while her maidservant poured her a cup of newly brewed tea.
Ever since she recovered from her illness, her attendants made sure that she wouldn''t stay outside for too long. They also gave reminders for her to have her meals on time, so she wouldn''t fall sick under their watch again.
Bai Ting, one of Su Daji''s attendants, nced at her youngdy, wondering if her miss was alright. She had been serving her youngdy for about five years, and she noticed that Su Daji had been on her own for so long. Su Daji had been keeping her silence ever since her father and her adopted brother went to the borders.
She apanied Su Daji for another hour, not moving in her ce. When she realized that Su Daji wasn''t nning to retire for the night, Bai Ting voiced her concern.
"Miss, it seems that the time is no longer early, and we are expected to pay a visit to the pavilion tomorrow. It would be best to rest early."
Su Daji shook her head. She already expected that this would be another sleepless night for her.
"Go ahead and rest first, Bai Ting. I will read until I finish this book."
It''s just that… how could Bai Ting leave her youngdy unattended? Obviously, until Su Daji decided she had enough for the night, the attendant needed to stay in her ce. She couldn''t refute her young miss''s word norin about howte it had be.
The white fox cracked her eyes open, ncing at Su Daji''s face and then at Bai Ting, who was standing next to the doorway. The scent of anxietying from Su Daji was too strong these days.
Another week passed, and Su Daji received a letter that came from her father, informing her that Jiang Mo needed supplies and medicinal herbs for his troop. Her father requested that she would make time to travel and assist her brother at such a crucial juncture to keep the bandits away from the vige.
Immediately, Su Daji arranged for their journey to the North to deliver the supplies Jiang Mo required. She wasn''t sure what she should expect from their meeting, as it had been over a year since they''d seen each other.
"I will be gone for months." Su Daji told the white fox, "Would you like to join me on my travels?"
The white fox stared at thedy with her clear amber eyes and nodded. They had been together—apanying each other—for years now. Even if the fox couldn''t respond to her words, Su Daji understood the wild fox better than anyone.
The white fox was like her guardian, her best friend to listen to her and a shoulder she could lean on while her family wasn''t around. The young Su Daji would seek the fox''spany whenever she wanted to be left on her own, leaving her attendants behind.
As the two made their way up North, they witnessed the effects the war had left on the other part of the province. Su Daji regretted being incapable of doing anything to help.
When they reached the vige where Jiang Mo and his troop were temporarily staying, Su Daji and herpanions had already spent six weeks on the road. They were then weed by the deputymander of the troop and led to the shelter where they would be staying.
"Lady Su, forgive themander if he couldn''t meet you today. He''s doing an inspection at the mountain," he said as hisrades helped to unload the luggage and the supplies thedy brought with them.
The man was startled when he saw a huge white fox apanying the Young Miss Su. He had never seen a fox as huge as this. He had no doubt that it could easily kill a human with its sharp fangs and huge ws.
Seeing his hesitation towards herpanion, Su Daji smiled. It wasn''t the first time she''d seen someone being wary of the white fox next to her.
"It''s alright. She won''t hurt you as long as she deems that you aren''t posing a danger to us," she assured him.
"Alright. Please follow us." The man gave the white fox onest look and decided to ignore it. If Su Daji said that it was fine, then they only needed to keep their distance from the wild fox.
Unlike the other young misses with the same status as Su Daji, she had gotten used to the ways of the soldiers on the battlefield and knew that she had no right to criticize their nomadic ways. As she helped her people to settle down and prepare dinner for the troops when the sun started to set, Su Daji only hoped that she could see her brother in good condition.
s, she had waited for nothing as midnight approached. It was clear that Jiang Mo wouldn''t be back until dawn or early in the morning.
"Let''s go and clean up. We should retire early for the night," Su Daji told her maidservants, and she passed the food she reserved for her brother. She wasn''t sure what time he would be back, but she found it odd. He knew she wasing, but why would he leave at thest minute?
Morning soon came, and Su Daji only managed to catch up on a few hours of sleepst night. Her thoughts were filled with worry about her brother and her father, whom she was yearning to see for some time now.
Although they regrly wrote to each other, it wasn''t enough for Su Daji who had gotten used to growing up with them by her side. She longed to see them and to be with them, and this war was the longest time they hadn''t seen one another.
It took Jiang Mo three days toe back. The moment Su Daji heard the news, she hurriedly asked Bai Ting to dress her up and fix her hair as she intended to meet him that night. She hurriedly picked up the basket filled with foods and medicines she prepared for him and left her shelter, with the white fox stretching her legs before following after Su Daji shortly.
However, even before Su Daji could announce her arrival, she was caught rooted in her ce. She had heard the voice of a woman from inside her brother''s tent. They were talking in low voices, but as Su Daji listened to their conversation, she realized they were close to each other, almost intimate.
Her eyes were stung with tears, hands tightening at the handle of the woven basket she was holding. She knew that her feelings for him weren''t right, and yet being faced with the reality that he could never be hers… was heart-wrenching for the youngdy.
A man came and saw Su Daji standing right outside theirmander''s tent. After realizing who she was, he greeted her.
Su Daji blinked her tears away and smiled politely at her brother''s subordinate.
"Brother Mo must be tired from his long journey. Would it be alright if I ask the esteemed brother to deliver this food basket on my behalf?"
"Mdy, you''ve been waiting for themander for days now. Aren''t you going to go inside and meet him?"
Su Daji shook her head, keeping the smile on her face to hide the pain in her heart.
"No. Not now. Perhaps tomorrow, when my brother gets a good rest tonight," she replied before passing the basket to the man, leaving in a hurry.
The man only scratched his head and left.
As Su Daji went back to her temporary shelter, there was a slight change in the white fox.
''Such an odd woman. She knows that her feelings cannot be, and yet she couldn''t let him go,'' the fox thought as she looked up at the darkened sky. She then squinted, looking at the distance.
A strong scent of death was approaching.