Shen Suqing had never met a girl like this before.

Small, cries easily, unreasonable, illiterate, immoral, prone to tantrums, talks nonsense, mentally ill and has no manners...

She was very lively, and usually acted like she'd been bitten by a rabid dog, chasing butterflies around the yard with her cat in her arms.

She is very cheerful. When she smiles, her two slightly pointed canine teeth are bright and shiny, and her eyes can be curved into two crescent moons.

She has dimples on her cheeks, which temporarily disappear when she puffs out her cheeks to sulk or chews rice seriously.

Despite having a pair of slender, almond-shaped eyes, she always foolishly widened her eyes to look innocent.

If you make him angry, his beautiful eyes will fill with tears, and his watery eyelashes will flutter, making it hard to scold him.

You might call her delicate, but she can spend an entire afternoon diligently scrubbing the side yard floor until it shines.

You might say she's timid, but after he was kidnapped by assassins, she chased them alone through the night to the outskirts of the city just to bring him home.

You could call her rebellious, but despite making a lot of minor mistakes, she never did anything truly heinous (unless you count selling corpses)...

She often imitates cats by putting her hands in her sleeves, finding a corner to squat in, and then letting her mind wander. She looks silly, and from above, she looks like a silly little fox that might fall asleep or drool at any moment.

She also liked to stick her hands into the mud and stir it, something Shen Suqing neither understood nor intended to respect...

Whenever he turned around, he could always see her holding Jide, laughing and playing not far away.

As soon as he gets close, she'll stick to him like a piece of maltose, sweetly and affectionately.

Before he knew it, more than half a month later, Shen Suqing suddenly realized that he had accumulated so many memories of Azhi in his mind.

"Young Master Shen, what are you laughing at?"

Zhan Xinjia raised her hand and waved it in front of him, tilting her head in confusion.

This sudden movement brought Shen Suqing back to his senses.

He subconsciously wanted to touch his face but couldn't free his hand. Was he smiling the whole time he was reminiscing?

Shen Suqing suddenly realized, lowered his eyes and turned his head to look at her.

April is a bright and sunny month with a gentle breeze.

The sunlight shone brightly, and a few snow-white pear blossoms fell on her shoulders and hair. Her black braids, braided on both sides with emerald ribbons, swayed like the ears of a lop-eared rabbit with each light step.

The little girl innocently swung their clasped hands, humming an unknown lullaby, overjoyed.

"Young Master Shen, how about we have eggplant and salted fish stew today?"

As she asked this, she looked up at him with a sweet smile, her fair face upturned. The sunlight cast a soft golden outline on her dark pupils, giving them a gentle amber hue.

It was just the beginning of spring when the breeze was warm.

Just looking at this scene made Shen Suqing's heart soften uncontrollably. He suddenly thought that it wouldn't be bad to just keep raising this little good-for-nothing who could eat seven bowls of rice in one meal but didn't gain much weight.

I taught her to read, to grow flowers, and to be a decent person...

If she finds someone she loves in the future, he will add a dowry for her and, as her elder brother, send her off in a grand and glorious wedding.

If she can't get married...

"Master Xiao Shen——!!"

"Um?"

"Oh dear, Lord Shen, why are you so distracted today? Lord Fu is chasing after you, calling your name. I've heard him howling for ages."

Zhan Xinjia's reminder made Shen Suqing belatedly stop and turn around.

Behind them, Fu Shouan and Yan Xiyue were chasing after them, their foreheads covered in sweat.

"I'm not trying to be mean, Brother Chen, but I've been calling you for ages and you haven't answered. It's so embarrassing for me."

Having finally caught up, Fu Shouan rested with his hands on his knees. He took a deep breath, wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, and then revealed a bright smile that showed two rows of sparkling white teeth.

He put his arm around Shen Suqing's shoulder.

"Hey, Brother Chen, damn, let's go! We'll talk at your place."

——

As soon as they entered the courtyard, Fu Shouan and Shen Suqing went to the study, ostensibly for "official business," leaving the two freeloaders to find their own amusement.

The spider plants hanging in the corridor swayed their slender leaves idly in the breeze, casting dappled shadows.

Zhan Xinjia, instead of sitting down, lazily leaned against the porch and pulled a handful of melon seeds from his pocket.

Sitting next to her, Yan Xiyue pinched and shook the paw pads of the big orange pig.

"Are you sure you can handle this, little sister? It seems like your little Shen is just showing you pure fatherly love. You didn't find another fake dad outside, did you? That's hilarious. You'll be behaving yourself when he gets married and you have to call his wife 'Mom'."

"Wild Geese in the West Moon!"

"I was wrong, I was wrong, why are you raising your voice at me! But then again, what urgent matter do they have that they need to discuss in the study?"

"You're asking me? Haven't you always been by Lord Fu's side? Don't you know why he suddenly sought out Lord Shen on urgent business?"

When Zhan Xinjia asked her that question, Yan Xiyue innocently shrugged.

"You had barely left when a guard came rushing over. The two of them deliberately kept their distance so I couldn't hear them clearly, but it seemed like they were talking about something about the last time... the prison break and kidnapping... the whereabouts of some small boss... uh, I think they said it was in Yaozhou?"

"Kidnapping?"

Zhan Xinjia suddenly sat up.

Are you referring to the time when Master Shen was tragically abducted?

She remembered that it seemed to be related to a human trafficking organization called Lanjiang. Although she didn't know exactly what Lanjiang did, since the Dali Temple was also secretly investigating it, it must be a threat to the imperial court and society, like a rebel army.

However, what is puzzling is why this frail scholar, Lord Shen, would get involved in this matter.

Investigating cases shouldn't be the sole responsibility of government offices, the Six Doors, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, or the Court of Judicial Review. Even military rebellions fall under the purview of military officers. How did Lord Shen, a mere tutor to the Crown Prince, get involved?

Forget it, I can't figure it out for now anyway.

Zhan Xinjia handed Yan Xiyue a handful of melon seeds and elbowed her in the process.

"Come on, explain your situation with Fu Shou'an."

Mentioning Fu Shou'an, Yan Xiyue blushed instantly.

She twisted her handkerchief in a affected manner, her face flushed, her eyes sparkling, her pearly teeth biting her lower lip, moving left and right as if she were too shy to speak.

"Ouch~"

Zhan Xinjia: "..."

Zhan Xinjia: "If you have fleas, take a shower. Also, give the cat back to me so I don't pass the fleas on to it."

For once, Yan Xiyue did not retaliate against Zhan Xinjia's sarcastic remarks. She was immersed in her own imagination, her hands clasped together in front of her chest, as if she were surrounded by pink heart-shaped bubbles.

"How delightful! I am utterly speechless. I am unworthy to have won Young Master Fu's favor, and can only drift aimlessly through the world with a pot of wine..."

"I told you not to imitate your brother, that idiot ancient-style pretty boy!!"

"But little sister, what is 'traditional Chinese style'?"

"..."

Zhan Xinjia compromised. According to her master, what's wrong with people from the ancient times being a little old-fashioned?

Here, Yan Xiyue is still feeling the stirrings of spring.

"Alright, it was at Lord Fu's ancestral home last time. The moment I saw Lord Fu, I knew that he was the one for me for the rest of my life. Ah! Ah!! What a perfect face. If I can't marry him in this life, I don't mind destroying the whole world with my own hands."

Zhan Xinjia: "..."

Zhan Xinjia: "I mind."

Her master had always emphasized to her that the plot of the storybook could not be changed, and that the male and female protagonists would always spark a romance no matter what the circumstances of their first meeting. Now she truly believed it.

Why was it that only Yan Xiyue was ignited by the spark of love?

Is this supposed to be a story about a woman pursuing a man?