To comfort her father’s wounded heart, the next day when Lin Chaowen went on duty, Lin Youyou once again prepared him a meal to take along.
This time, it was no longer braised meat alone, but a small stove along with a large, tightly sealed food box.
Curious, Lin Chaowen looked at the items placed into the carriage and reached out to open them, but his attendant Li Bo stopped him.
“Master, the young lady said it must only be opened when it’s time to eat. It cannot be opened now.”
“Alright then, let’s set off!” Although curious, Lin Chaowen still restrained his itchy hands.
After seeing her father leave, Lin Youyou went to find her mother.
“Mother, I want to go out for a walk and see my brother.”
“Alright. Take the guards with you, bring Qingli, and be careful.”
Madam Xu reminded her. Her daughter was no longer the same temperament as before, and she could no longer keep her confined at home.
Rather than forcefully stopping her and letting her sneak out, it was better to arrange everything properly so she could feel at ease.
“Alright, Mother. I’ll go now.”
“Go on.”
Lin Youyou boarded a carriage, which swayed slowly toward the Dali Temple.
Lin Chaowen’s only legitimate son, Lin Jingbo, had passed the imperial examination as the top scholar two years ago and was now serving at the Dali Temple as a record officer, responsible for documenting cases—their occurrence, investigation, resolution, or archiving as unresolved cases.
At nineteen, Lin Jingbo was in the prime of his youth. Yet because of his work, he had witnessed too many partings and deaths, and the ugliness and complexity of human nature.
The once spirited young man had become calm and reserved, speaking little. He was handsome and somewhat delicate in appearance—like a refined scholar. He had inherited all the best traits of Lin Chaowen and Madam Xu, and was strikingly good-looking.
If not for the faint firmness in his eyes giving him a hint of masculinity, one might even mistake him for a beautiful woman if he wore female clothing.
Because of a case, Lin Jingbo, as the record officer, had not returned home for more than half a month and was unaware that his mother and sister had already come back.
Tired, Lin Jingbo rubbed his slightly aching temples and closed his eyes to rest for a moment.
He had barely rested when a constable’s voice came from outside.
“Lord Lin, there is someone outside the yamen claiming to be your younger sister. Would you like to see her?”
Lin Jingbo froze, momentarily dazed.
Sister? What sister?
Then something flashed through his mind. He abruptly stood up and strode outside.
He passed the constable without stopping, rushing past in an instant, leaving the constable stunned.
Lord Lin had never been so agitated before—he had completely lost his usual composure.
Though curious, the constable did not dwell on it and went back to his duties.
A carriage was parked outside the yamen. Qingli stood beside it, looking toward the gate. When she saw Lin Jingbo running toward them, she immediately smiled and respectfully greeted him.
“Eldest Young Master.”
Lin Jingbo stopped in front of the carriage, nervously straightening his clothes and hair.
Before he could speak, Lin Youyou—who had already heard Qingli’s greeting—lifted the carriage curtain, leaned out, and smiled brightly at the handsome, slightly nervous young man.
“Brother.”
At that moment, Lin Jingbo felt as though spring had returned to the world. In his eyes, there was only that face that resembled their mother.
From her, he seemed to see again the little girl who had followed behind him before the age of six, constantly calling “brother” like a clingy little shadow.
Though she had grown into a young lady now, she still resembled her childhood self: big eyes, fair skin, and faint dimples when she smiled.
With just one glance, Lin Jingbo was certain—this was his biological sister, his only sister.
That little girl who had been six years old, pale and often coughing softly while walking, had now grown into a healthy young woman.
He forced himself to stay calm and smiled broadly, reaching out carefully to support her as she got down from the carriage.
“Slow down.”
Lin Youyou chuckled softly. From his expression and eyes, she could tell her brother was extremely nervous—every movement was careful and gentle.
Helpless, she thought, she wasn’t made of fragile glass.
Still, she said, “Mother and I have been back for several days, but you never came home. Today I finally had the chance to come see you.”
“Mm, I’ll go home tonight,” Lin Jingbo replied as they walked side by side, his eyes never leaving her, full of joy.
He hadn’t known their mother and sister had been back for days.
Even if he was busy, he would go home tonight—no matter if his superiors scolded him tomorrow. Nothing would stop him from seeing his mother and sister.
“I brought you some food. I made it myself. Have you eaten? Shall I eat with you?”
“Alright, I’m hungry anyway.”
He truly hadn’t eaten—his last meal was more than a day ago.
The room where Lin Jingbo worked was filled with papers and case files. Though cluttered, everything was neatly organized, and even his working space was very clean.
Qingli, who had been quietly following, placed the food box on the table and opened it one by one. Knowing the nature of his work and the presence of many documents, she was careful about fire hazards, so everything brought was ready-to-eat.
“What… what are these?” Lin Jingbo asked in confusion.
He had grown up in the capital and had never lacked good food, yet he had never seen these dishes before.
Lin Youyou smiled and introduced them one by one.
“This is braised meat, this is cold noodles, this is chilled tea, and this is dried pork—it can be eaten as a snack.”
Lin Jingbo was surprised.
Cold tea? Could that even be drunk? Wouldn’t it be bitter? Dried pork? What was that? And noodles eaten cold?
Though puzzled, he showed nothing on his face. Anything his sister made must surely be delicious.
He picked up his chopsticks and smiled.
“Then let brother properly try your cooking.”
Then he took a bite.
His brows lifted in surprise, and then he ate bite after bite without stopping. When he was full, he picked up the large cup of chilled tea and took a sip, his eyes narrowing in satisfaction.
Delicious—and refreshing.
The noodles were chewy and cool, the braised meat fragrant, the dried pork savory. Finally, the slightly herbal chilled tea tied everything together perfectly, making the meal especially satisfying in the summer heat.
Having not eaten for a whole day, once he started eating something good, he had almost no self-control and ate until he was full.
The usually refined Lin Jingbo’s face turned slightly red. Seeing that his sister showed no reaction, he quietly relaxed.
“So good. Sister’s cooking is excellent.”
There was still about two-thirds of the dried pork left. Because Lin Youyou had made generous portions, there was plenty remaining. Lin Jingbo carefully closed the lid of the box, deciding to save it for later when he craved a snack.