"Master Xiao Shen?"

Zhan Xinjia was a little stunned when she was suddenly hugged.

Afraid of getting sugar stains on his clothes, she awkwardly half-embraced him with one hand, while raising the other hand holding the candied hawthorn high.

The young man, who was holding her tightly, bent down and buried his face deep in her shoulders and neck, as if he had suddenly lost all his strength, exuding an air of dejection and dejection that was impossible to ignore.

If it weren't for Zhan Xinjia supporting him, she even doubted whether he would have collapsed to his knees.

There was silence for a moment.

A gentle evening breeze stirred, softly swaying their hair and clothes, making them flutter and move gracefully.

Zhan Xin lowered his eyes.

Compared to the dazzling crimson of the sunset, what fell upon him was a lighter and thinner layer of dim yellow afterglow, leaving him feeling utterly desolate.

She had never seen Lord Shen so vulnerable.

He was usually omnipotent in her presence.

He can always cook a lot of delicious food, he can always be the first to notice her unpredictable moods, he can always give her exactly what she needs, and he can always take good care of her with thoughtfulness and meticulousness.

It's an umbrella that I opened in time on a rainy day.

It's the sugar water that you blow on to cool it down and then hand to your lips when you're sick.

It was the comb teeth that brushed through her hair along with the sunlight.

It was a handkerchief used to wipe the cheek.

It was the warm hand that wiped away her tears.

Many times, she would subconsciously forget that Master Shen was just an ordinary person.

She could vaguely sense that Mr. Shen was unwilling to show his vulnerable side in front of her. Perhaps it was out of his pride as a parent and guardian, or perhaps he was too concerned about his image and didn't want her to think that he was nothing special.

As the saying goes, "Too close is disrespectful, too distant is rude."

This statement refers to the idea that if you become too close to someone, and can easily access their true vulnerability, you may feel love and pity, but at the same time, it's easy for arrogance and disdain to arise, or even an unintentional sense of superiority.

"See? You're not omniscient or omnipotent. You're not as powerful as you think. You can't protect me at all."

Perhaps Lord Shen was afraid of this, so he always presented a more perfect, reliable, and flawless side to her, shaping himself into a god and not allowing any flaws.

However, Zhan Xinjia had never actually thought that way.

Just like now, she gently hugged him back, her heart, gradually filling with tenderness and affection, sighing silently.

Come on, come on, come and rely on me sometimes, I'm here...

"Are you feeling unwell...?"

Just as she was wondering if Master Shen had fallen ill from overwork, the young man took a deep breath, straightened his bent back, and slowly stood up, supporting her shoulders.

There was no trace of anything unusual about his face.

He remained as composed as ever, gentle and refined, even the curve of his lips was impeccable.

The young man stood alone in the wind, his eyes gentle.

"Let's go home."

Seeing that Lord Shen had cheered up, Zhan Xinjia breathed a sigh of relief.

She naturally took his hand, muttering to herself.

"I don't think I understood much of today's lesson... Never mind! My dad said that as long as you can recognize your own name, that's enough, but as soon as he said that, my mom dragged him out and beat him up."

What was Lord Shen doing all this time? Sigh, probably just some boring official business.

"Oh, right, Mr. Shen! Here, have some candied hawthorn I just bought! But remember, don't take too many bites at once, not because I'm stingy, but because it's really sour!!"

As she spoke, she turned her head and smiled, bringing the hand holding the candied hawthorn to his lips.

The young woman readily agreed and took a bite, putting the remaining half of the top piece into her mouth.

The caramelized sugar coating was cloyingly sweet, while the hawthorn inside was so sour it made him wince. When the two flavors combined in his mouth, for some reason, he could only taste an unbearable bitterness.

Shen Suqing forced himself to relax his brows and eyes.

It's as if you know nothing, as if nothing ever happened.

The fingers holding hers tightened their grip even more.

"It is a bit sour, I won't buy from this store next time."

The setting sun, like blood, cast an exceptionally long and thin shadow on the couple. The young man smiled and gently stroked the strand of hair that still stuck up on the girl's forehead. He then led her along the long streets and alleys, accommodating her pace.

They walked towards the home that could at least temporarily provide shelter from the wind and rain.

She gazed at the road ahead.

He looked down at her.

From beginning to end, until death do us part.

——

In mid-June, the heat intensifies day by day.

Not everyone had to go to the Imperial Academy every day. After eagerly anticipating two days off, Zhan Xinjia greeted Master Shen, who was still in the kitchen researching new pastries, and then rushed out the door.

Although it seems her parents are no longer supporting her, she really can't just leave those two elderly people living alone.

To her shock, half a month had passed, and her house hadn't been raided yet—it was simply unbelievable. Thinking of this, Zhan Xinjia suspiciously turned to look at Yan Xiyue and Yan Huishi beside her.

She picked up these two street thugs on the road.

"Is your father in high spirits lately?"

Upon hearing this, Yan Xiyue rolled her eyes.

"How could that be? My father almost killed my brother! When we sneaked back to the palace, we saw my father sharpening a knife. If I hadn't rushed over in time to catch the blade with my bare hands, my brother would be living a luxurious life in the imperial mausoleum with my grandfather by now."

Zhan Xinjia: "..."

She looked at Yan Huishi with a hint of sympathy; his face was long and he could no longer feel happy.

No wonder the young man in ancient style is so quiet today.

Zhan Xinjia's mischievous thoughts stirred, and she suddenly leaned closer to him and patted Yan Huishi's shoulder. When he looked at her blankly, she winked at him slyly and whispered mysteriously.

"Hey, don't be sad yet. How about this: you call me 'Mom,' and I'll tell you a huge secret?"

"you!"

When the geese returned, he was both surprised and angry.

Even though he frowned and tried his best to put on an angry expression after being humiliated, his face turned red instantly and looked really wrong.

When the geese returned, their eyes darted around, filled with surprise and uncertainty.

He berated her.

"You...how could you be so perverted?! I never knew you had this kind of fetish..."

"Tsk, so are you going to scream or not? Do you want to know or not?"

"mother……"

When Yan returned, her face was flushed red, and she was completely at a loss, looking like a pure and innocent young wife who had been humiliated and wronged.

Zhan Xinjia gave a loving "Eh," and said, "The secret is that you're not actually my biological child."

When the geese returned: "..."

He immediately leaned against the wall, took off one boot, and waved it wildly in his hand, in a fit of impotent rage.

Meanwhile, Zhan Xinjia, who was laughing so hard she was about to collapse, had already shot off like a rocket and was nowhere to be seen.

Yan Xiyue, who was following at the back, was almost red-faced from trying not to laugh.

"You two! Wait for me!!"

Just as Zhan Xinjia had happily escaped to the gate of the General's Mansion, before he could even open the door, a sedan chair was swaggering over from a distance.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out that the people who stepped out of the sedan chair were none other than Prime Minister Wang and Wang Cheng.

Oh, looks like they've come to complain.

Zhan Xinjia didn't dare turn around and ran as fast as he could into the mansion, shouting "Father!" as he ran.

Inside the courtyard, under the pear tree.

Zhan Yue, with a complicated expression, protected his precious daughter who was hiding behind him, looking at Prime Minister Wang as if he were an idiot.

"You mean my daughter broke your son's arm in less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, dragged him back to the Prime Minister's residence, slapped you twice in front of all the guards, and then arrogantly walked away?"

Zhan Yue was speechless; he choked on his words.

"No, did you laugh when you said that?"