Little Pink Starfish

My Sister-in-Law Is Not Human

Zhao Qiuming was waiting for Gu Xingnuo to make a move. Running into the eldest young master of the Gu family in a place like this was, in Chancellor Zhao’s eyes, a heaven-sent opportunity. As long as Gu Xingnuo made a move to kill the two assassins, then the accusation of Princess Linglong and the Gu family, along with the Li family of Chengzhou, conspiring to commit regicide would be solidified. Still too green, thought Chancellor Zhao as he looked at the murderous gleam in Gu Xingnuo’s eyes.

Gu Xingnuo was actually very hesitant at this moment. Killing was not difficult for him, but afterward, how would he explain away the accusation of silencing people by murder? Should he claim he acted because the assassins were about to escape? But with so many imperial guards present, what chance did those two have to escape? And what if those two weren’t Consort Li, the First Boss, or Xiao Zhuang? Thinking of Xiao Zhuang, Gu Xingnuo felt he just couldn’t do it.

Just as Gu Xingnuo was hesitating, Zhao Qiuming signaled a look to a squad leader among the imperial guards.

That squad leader understood and pointed at the First Boss, shouting angrily, “He’s trying to escape!”

He was just looking for an excuse, and it delivered itself right to his doorstep? Gu Xingnuo didn’t have time to think—he lunged forward.

Zhao Qiuming smirked coldly at the corner of his lips.

In the woods, Yu Xiaoxiao said to Xiao Wei, “Don’t be afraid. I’ll save them.”

Xiao Wei asked nervously, “H-How are you going to save them?” In broad daylight, were they just going to rush out and fight the imperial guards? That would be the same as telling His Majesty that the assassins were with them!

Yu Xiaoxiao tapped a nearby larch tree and said to Xiao Wei, “This tree is nice.”

At a time like this, she had the mind to admire a tree? Xiao Wei felt tears of grief welling up—was this a hero’s fate?

Yu Xiaoxiao roughly estimated the distance to Zhao Qiuming, then placed a hand on the trunk of the larch tree and lifted it slightly. The princess said, “Let’s go.”

Xiao Wei watched as the entire tree, roots and all, flew into the air toward Zhao Qiuming—and he stood dumbfounded.

Chancellor Zhao was still fantasizing about the downfall of Princess Linglong and the entire Gu faction when he heard a noise from the woods nearby. Looking up, he saw the sky darken above him.

“Chancellor!” The Minister of Justice, loyal to Chancellor Zhao, instinctively shoved him aside as the massive object flew toward them.

“Save them!” Yu Xiaoxiao calculated the timing and called out to Xiao Wei.

Xiao Wei was still frozen in place.

The larch tree was massive—lush and towering in life, but when it fell, it could crush a group of people. The crashing sound reverberated through the earth.

Gu Xingnuo stared dumbly as the giant tree came whistling through the air. He neither moved nor dodged.

Just before the tree hit the ground, Yu Xiaoxiao kicked the First Boss flying, grabbed Li Wan with one hand, and with the other, yanked her Gu family big brother, dragging them both forward.

Xiao Wei felt the earth tremble beneath his feet, and even his body bounced from the shock. Gaping at the scene ahead, all he could see was the tree—those who had been at the entrance were now nowhere in sight, presumably buried under the fallen trunk. Pinching himself hard to make sure he wasn’t dreaming, Xiao Wei took off after Yu Xiaoxiao.

“Big brother, hey, big brother!” Yu Xiaoxiao now stood atop an artificial rockery, waving her hand in front of Gu Xingnuo’s face. “Wake up, big brother.”

Only after her repeated shouting and waving did Gu Xingnuo finally come back to his senses. He looked at Yu Xiaoxiao dazedly and asked, “What just happened?”

“Oh,” Yu Xiaoxiao replied with some pride, “Bear-bear and his true love were saved by me. Big brother, you don’t need to worry now.”

Looking at the little sister-in-law in front of him, expressionless but clearly expecting praise, Gu Xingnuo had a complicated feeling.

“Big brother?” Yu Xiaoxiao leaned in closer to his face.

Gu Xingnuo asked, “That tree—was that you who uprooted and threw it?” Just how strong was she? Wasn’t his sister-in-law only thirteen? She didn’t even reach his shoulder! If his little brother and wife got into a fight in the future, wouldn’t his brother be beaten to death? (Gu Xingnuo is extremely protective of his younger brother and secretly proud==)

Yu Xiaoxiao thought for a moment and replied, “Oh, that tree was already about to fall. Xiao Wei and I threw it together.” Being too strong could make people think she was a monster. Although she often forgot this common sense, she still understood it. She didn’t care what others thought, but she didn’t want Gu Xinglang’s family to treat her like a freak.

Gu Xingnuo’s mouth and eyes twitched. Did she think he was blind? That tree was full and lush—just with a bit of autumn yellowing. It did not look like a tree about to fall.

“Xiao Wei is amazing, right? Hehe,” Yu Xiaoxiao gave a silly laugh and passed the credit to Xiao Wei.

“Stop,” Gu Xingnuo furrowed his brows. “Don’t ‘hehe’ anymore.”

“Save them!”

“Something happened!”

“Hurry, someone come!”

“There are assassins—!”

“Report to His Majesty immediately—!”

…

From the entrance came a series of panicked cries. Just hearing the chaos was enough for Gu Xingnuo to imagine the total disorder over there.

Yu Xiaoxiao, hearing many people calling for the Chancellor, rubbed her nose and said to Gu Xingnuo, “Not letting true love win—this guy’s too vicious. Big brother, even if Zhao the Traitor doesn’t die this time, he’s definitely half-crippled.”

Gu Xingnuo’s smile looked worse than crying. Even after some time, he still couldn’t quite recover.

Xiao Wei was now crouched by the First Boss, poking his arm. Seeing no response, he slapped him and said, “Wake up! Where’s Xiao Zhuang? Hey!”

The First Boss had been sent flying by Yu Xiaoxiao and knocked unconscious. Now, after being slapped awake by Xiao Wei, he felt like those slaps were about to send him to the afterlife. “Stop, stop slapping,” he gasped.

Xiao Wei dragged him upright and asked, “Where’s Xiao Zhuang?”

The First Boss looked around in confusion. The rock garden and pond looked kind of pretty.

“Where’s Xiao Zhuang?!” Xiao Wei shouted in frustration, thinking the First Boss had his brains knocked out. If the two of them were caught by Zhao Qiuming, then Xiao Zhuang must be too. Was he still alive?

Startled by the yelling, the First Boss grabbed Xiao Wei’s collar in return and asked, “Where’s Wan’er?!”

“Don’t shout,” Yu Xiaoxiao’s voice came from atop the rockery. “Your true love Wan’er is right here.”

The First Boss shoved Xiao Wei aside and ran toward the rocks.

Gu Xingnuo looked at the woman lying at his and Yu Xiaoxiao’s feet, knelt down, and removed the hood from her head. Seeing the disheveled Li Wan, he asked Yu Xiaoxiao, “Is this Consort Li?”

Yu Xiaoxiao said, “Yup.” Bone structure was more reliable than facial features—people in this world didn’t know that future humans could alter their faces to the point their own parents wouldn’t recognize them.

Still kneeling, Gu Xingnuo propped his chin on his hand and asked Yu Xiaoxiao, “So what do we do next?” Since a human couldn’t accomplish this, Gu Xingnuo could only ask this non-human squatting beside him. Ah, he thought miserably, he had just been thinking that his sister-in-law wasn’t even human…