When Shen Suqing returned carrying a paper bag full of fresh fruits and vegetables, Zhan Xinjia was squatting idly in the corner, poking her fingers into the mud and drawing circles back and forth.

He stopped and glanced at the copper coin still hanging from her waist. "Didn't you find anything you liked to eat?"

After saying that, he frowned in disgust and shook out a clean, white handkerchief from his sleeve, handing it to her.

"How dare you squat here playing in the mud? What kind of behavior is this? I think I saw a few figures with you earlier, but were they people you know? Or just some random strangers who struck up a conversation with you?"

He spoke with great heartache, as if an elder were disciplining their own unruly and disobedient child.

Before leaving, Mingming repeatedly told her not to talk to strangers and what to do if she encountered a stranger. Doesn't she care about her own safety at all?

Or is it that she would foolishly follow anyone who spoke to her?

If she gets kidnapped and sold to some remote mountain forest, she'll not only have to work in the fields but also be treated like a slave. This fragile little crybaby will probably cry her eyes out and still not be able to escape.

Shen Suqing became increasingly alarmed as he thought about it.

Zhan Xinjia had no idea what kind of tragic story he was imagining about a girl being abducted; all she knew was that Lord Shen was very fierce.

The little girl stood up, took the handkerchief, and wiped her hands half-heartedly, looking dejected, even her tone sounding a bit aggrieved.

"I wasn't disobeying anyone. I just ran into two idiots who insisted on dragging me along. One called himself the 'Little Princess of Beijing Circle,' and the other called himself the 'Crown Prince of Beijing Circle.' They wanted me to spend money to buy a dead person from them."

Shen Suqing: ?

He couldn't quite understand it; was this still Chinese?

Regardless of whether she encountered a madman, the word "brain-dead" is impolite and she should be prevented from using it again.

Now that they were standing on a busy street, it wasn't appropriate for him to criticize her. After all, girls are easily embarrassed, and if he made her cry, people might gossip about him.

The young man parted his thin lips slightly, his Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and after hesitating for a long time, he ultimately said nothing.

He suppressed the long, heartfelt, and thought-provoking words of moral guidance he had already prepared in his mind, and walked straight ahead of her, heading home without saying another word.

Zhan Xinjia wrung out her handkerchief, following closely behind him.

Why is Master Shen angry again?

"Master Xiao Shen?"

"What is it?"

A young man's cold voice came from ahead, tinged with a hint of anger.

Zhan Xinjia quickened his pace and moved closer to him, standing shoulder to shoulder with him.

The two were of different heights; she only reached his shoulder, and just by looking at her, she was at a disadvantage.

Her tone was sincere.

"I'm sorry, Master Shen, but I'm not a child anymore. I just have amnesia, not cerebral palsy. How could I possibly be tricked like this for no reason..."

She's at least sixteen, and plenty of women her age are getting married, raising children, or even getting pregnant and having a second child. She's not six years old.

The young man in front stopped, just as he reached his doorstep.

He turned around, his expression helpless, but his handsome features revealed a hint of affection.

Shen Suqing leaned the paper bag against the door and took the handkerchief from her hand, which had been unconsciously crumpled and was now in terrible condition.

He crouched down, looking her in the eye, but didn't say anything.

Just as Zhan Xinjia was wondering what he was going to do, the young man suddenly took her hand and carefully and patiently wiped away the dirt that hadn't been cleaned from between her fingers with a handkerchief.

His hands had a cool, jade-like feel, with distinct finger bones, slender and delicate fingers, and a thin layer of calluses on the fingertips.

Such a pair of impeccably beautiful, scholarly hands, honed from years of wielding a pen, held her small, delicate hands in their palms, creating a subtle sense of harmony no matter how you looked at it.

Zhan Xinjia's heart was pounding, and the tips of her ears suddenly felt hot.

"Master Xiao Shen..."

But clearly, her heart was pounding, while the other person only saw her as a fragile little girl who needed a reliable adult to care for her.

Whether it was his calm and composed expression or the clear and upright gentlemanly air in his eyes, it all showed that he had absolutely no romantic thoughts in his mind at this moment.

Golden threads, interspersed with the shade of locust trees, fell on his shoulders, casting a dappled light and shadow on his snow-white robes.

The light and shadow swayed and danced with the wind through the branches and leaves, occasionally landing on his brow.

The green bamboo on his sleeves, imbued with the fragrance of ink and calligraphy accumulated over the years, inexplicably brought a sense of peace.

The young man, his eyes and brows glistening with light, lowered his chin slightly and meticulously wiped her hands clean before standing up and casually tossing the handkerchief into the wastebasket by the door.

"Alright, go back and wash up and read for a while. I'll go cook dinner."

We've returned to this small courtyard.

After walking through the front hall, Zhan Xinjia watched his slender figure disappear into the kitchen in the side courtyard. Originally heading towards the study, Zhan Xinjia turned and returned to the doorway.

She hesitated for a moment, then finally retrieved the discarded handkerchief from the trash can.

Honestly, she swears that it was absolutely not because of girlish feelings that she coveted Lord Shen, but because she had been poor since childhood and had picked up the habit of picking up trash. She is really not a pervert!

This handkerchief isn't torn, it's just a little dirty. It'll be fine to use it to wipe the table after washing it.

She went back to her room, fetched water, washed the handkerchief, and hung it on the window to dry. Zhan Xinjia had been staring blankly at the window for a short while when she heard Shen Suqing calling her to lunch from outside the corridor.

In the afternoon, the same Fu, the official in charge of the Dali Temple who had visited before, came again.

The Chief Justice of the Court of Judicial Review, also known as the Chief Justice of the Court of Justice, was a fourth-rank official in the present-day Dongsheng Kingdom. He was in charge of adjudicating and resolving criminal cases, deliberating on cases, and standardizing legal provisions. In short, he was in charge of handling criminal cases.

Zhan Xinjia really couldn't figure out how her gentle and kind-hearted Lord Shen could have any connection with the Dali Temple.

By the way, she still doesn't know what official position Lord Shen holds. Could it be that he is also under the jurisdiction of the Court of Judicial Review and is a colleague of Lord Fu Shou'an?

Upon reflection, she realized she hadn't seen Lord Shen go out on official business or attend court these past few days...

Fu Shouan and Shen Suqing were discussing official business in the study when Zhan Xinjia, who couldn't stay still, climbed onto the roof of the study with a malt stick in his mouth, lay flat in a "big" shape, and listened in the sun.

Perhaps because there had never been any outsiders in the Shen family before, the two of them selectively forgot that there was a girl they had taken in, and therefore did not guard against the possibility of being overheard.

However, the roof of Master Shen's house was made of solid materials, unlike her dilapidated thatched hut, so even if she pressed her ear to the roof, she still couldn't hear very clearly.

"The other side is still harboring malicious intentions and is attempting to... We still need to be cautious."

"...The leader may have already infiltrated high-ranking officials in the capital. We have been ordered to conduct a secret investigation...but..., there may be danger..."

"The enemy has existed in Lanjiang for... years. We must not act rashly and alert them. The enemy is lurking in the shadows... perhaps we should..."

What is omitted is the vague and indistinguishable language.

Lanjiang?

Zhan Xinjia crossed her legs and casually swung her shoes, chewing on the malt in her mouth while frowning and trying hard to recall.

Why does she feel like she's heard this word somewhere before?

Forget it, it's all just official business of the Dali Temple anyway. She can listen to it for fun, and it will never have anything to do with her in this lifetime.

Thinking this, Zhan Xinjia jumped off the roof, humming a little tune, and hid back in the side yard, lying down on the rocking chair. He calmly stroked the super orange cat in his arms, who always passed by the wall to freeload.

Stealing half a day of leisure from a busy life.

——

As Fu Shou'an left the study, he suddenly felt a strong sense of unease.

He glanced warily at the empty rooftop.

"What's wrong?"

Seeing that Fu Shouan, who was usually all smiles, was unusually serious, Shen Suqing couldn't help but ask.

Fu Shouan shook his head, his face returning to its usual carefree demeanor as he swaggered out.

"Nothing, I'm just being silly."

He considered himself to be quite skilled in martial arts, and if someone had ever been on the roof, he would have been able to detect their breathing and the subtle footsteps they made as they came and went. However, he did not notice anything unusual during the entire conversation.

Perhaps he's overthinking things this time.

Shen Suqing was speechless, but before Fu Shouan left, he suddenly called out to him again.

"The favor I asked you about last time..."

"You asked me to do something?"

It took Fu Shouan a while to recall that it was about helping the female bandit living in the side courtyard find a job.

And just then, as he looked up, he saw a girl in blue hiding behind a pillar in the corridor, her face filled with resentment and gloom. Her expression was fierce, and her lifeless, rolled-back eyes seemed to be telling a story.

I will keep watching you like this.

I will keep watching you like this.

I will keep watching you like this...

Fu Shouan rubbed his arms and shuddered in fear.

When he turned back to face his best friend, he put on an awkward but polite smile, waved his hand, and ran out the door as fast as he could, practically bursting through the door.

"Haha! We can talk about it next time. I have to go now. The mosquitoes at home have been starving all day."

Shen Suqing: "...?"