Chapter 8 Medical Books: Soft in Nature, Soft in Back as well

With her back pressed against his chest, Shen Xi recalled the passionate moments they shared every night nestled in his arms. Her body stiffened, and she quietly moved forward a little.

Seemingly to prove Xie Chengyan's words, Zhuiyun, who had just calmed down, began to become restless again because of Shen Xi's little tricks.

Xie Chengyan noticed this, steadied his horse, and glanced at the person in front of him.

With such a petite figure, he could easily wrap his arms around her and completely pull her into his embrace.

Without the veil to conceal it, a delicate and slender nape was exposed, dazzlingly white in the light, with only a faint blush spreading from the tips of her ears.

Crimson lips, snow-white neck, and a face streaked with tears—the person before me gradually overlapped with the scene from last night's dream.

She is soft-hearted and not very smart.

In reality, her waist is also weak...

Suddenly, Xie Chengyan realized that his hand was still wrapped around her narrow waist, and she was trapped in front of him, unable to move forward or backward.

He snapped back to his senses, looked away, and immediately dismounted.

Whether in dreams or in reality, she will always be his brother's wife.

He shouldn't have come today.

After dismounting, Xie Chengyan kept a proper distance before reaching out to help her.

Shen Xi wouldn't be coy about such things. She took Xie Chengyan's palm for leverage, her sleeve brushing against his arm guard, slightly intertwined and entangled, before they separated again after she landed and stood firm.

The inappropriate thoughts were blown away by the cold wind, and Xie Chengyan took the initiative to change the subject.

Why are you afraid of birds?

So, he had overheard those words.

Shen Xi denied it: "I'm not afraid, I just don't like it."

Xie Chengyan didn't argue, his gaze falling on the hem of her skirt that she had unconsciously clenched, before looking away after a moment: "Hmm."

Shen Xi pursed her lips: "Every time we meet, it seems like General Xie is always the one asking me this?"

That's very childish.

Xie Chengyan pondered for only a moment.

"If that's the case, then let's ask one question and then ask another."

The tone was indeed somewhat like that of someone coaxing a spoiled child.

Could it be that he's used to being the eldest brother and subconsciously treats her like a junior like Xie Wenlang?

Shen Xi coughed lightly, not wanting to push his luck.

"When I was little, my father gave me a pair of pink birds. They were little birds with round bellies, and they were so cute. I loved them and wanted to keep them with me all the time. I would put them in the closest place when I ate or slept, so I could see them at a glance."

Unfortunately, birds are ultimately just animals, devoid of affection and loyalty. I raised them for so long, only to have them turn around and peck at me; the scar still hasn't healed. From that moment on, I never liked birds again, and I couldn't even bear to hear their chirping.

The answer was reasonable and within Xie Chengyan's expectations.

After several encounters, he gained some understanding of her.

His words are always a mix of truth and falsehood, but sometimes they are really clumsy and awkward.

Xie Chengyan stroked the reins in his hand and lifted his thin eyelids: "When you lie in the future, remember not to go into too much detail."

His voice was muffled in the cold wind and could not be heard clearly.

His voice was devoid of emotion, his words were slow and low, sounding indifferent, but the content itself carried a seductive and persuasive quality, the exact meaning of which was unclear.

The same thing happened at the Xue residence last time—

"You must hold on tight to what you're hiding in your hands."

The two sentences were light and airy, like drifting clouds and gentle breezes, elusive and intangible, almost making one mistake them for some kind of illusion, yet they effortlessly stirred her troubled thoughts.

Is it because you don't want her to lie to Xie Wenlang?

Xie Chengyan, who emerged from mountains of corpses and seas of blood, was far from being described as "gentle," yet he warned her in such a tactful way.

The fact that he showed such kindness and made exceptions for Xie Wenlang on multiple occasions is probably because he was considering Xie Wenlang's feelings.

Yan Ziqian is right. Xie Chengyan is indeed a good elder brother who indulges his children without restraint and gives them whatever they want.

That would be very bad for her.

Shen Xi gritted her teeth and deliberately asked, "And what about you? Why don't you like celebrating your birthday?"

As expected, Xie Chengyan raised an eyebrow slightly, seemingly not expecting her to ask such a question, and his expression darkened slightly.

They won back a game.

Shen Xi didn't really want to hear his answer. She had no interest in prying into Xie Chengyan's private affairs. Asking this question was just to satisfy her own selfish desires and to give him a little childish revenge.

He let out a satisfied sigh, but before he could finish exhaling, Xie Chengyan spoke up.

His tone was quite solemn, seemingly genuine, but he averted his gaze.

"Next time, I'll tell you on my next birthday."

Xie Chengyan stopped there and didn't continue, instead asking her, "Do you want to learn more?"

After pondering for a while, he nodded.

She often watched Xie Wenlang ride horses, and when she was in high spirits, she was taken on horseback a few times to try it out. She loved the feeling of the cold wind brushing against her face. The wind brushed past her cheeks, and for a moment, all she could hear was the whistling of the wind.

She hadn't studied before because no one taught her, but now Xie Chengyan was personally acting as her teacher, ignoring her own stubbornness—this should be a great opportunity.

After mastering the technique, Shen Xi quickly got the hang of it and within just one hour, she was able to get along peacefully with Zhui Yun, jogging around the open space.

"You like horseback riding?"

As the sun began to set, Shen Xi finally dismounted, and as soon as he landed, he heard Xie Chengyan ask him this question.

He was a general who fought on horseback for many years, and riding horses was something he was used to. But for her, it was something he rarely did, and he naturally did not understand his own feelings.

Shen Xi didn't hide anything: "Yes! I've been thinking about it for a long time."

"Besides horseback riding, what else would you like to learn?"

He took the reins and calmly brought Zhuiyun closer to him, as if he were just casually mentioning it in a chat.

Shen Xi didn't pay any attention and simply replied, "Hmm, if there's a chance in the future, maybe I can learn to swim."

Although this was a casual answer, it wasn't entirely untrue. Her mother was an excellent swimmer, but Chen Xi herself was a terrible swimmer.

Xie Chengyan looked at her. Shen Xi had just finished riding a horse, her cheeks were flushed, and fine beads of sweat appeared at her temples. She was so beautiful that she was breathtaking.

His Adam's apple bobbed slightly.

"Then we'll talk about it later."

*

As evening approached, Xie Wenlang was still having a great time and refused to stop, so Shen Xi had no choice but to take her leave and return to the Shen residence.

As soon as she entered the gate, Shen Wan, who had come up by mistake, reached out and blocked her way.

"Where did my sister go?"

"I have an appointment to make today, to leave the residence..."

Shen Wan's expression was unfriendly: "Sister has so many appointments. But if you don't avoid suspicion like this, I'm afraid you'll ruin the reputation of the Shen family."

Upon hearing this, Shen Xi's remaining good mood instantly vanished.

Reputation?

What's the use of just maintaining a good reputation? If she hadn't been able to grab onto Xie Wenlang as her lifeline, she probably would have been devoured by the Shen family long ago, leaving not even bones behind.

At that time, her good younger sister will not blame her for breaking the rules and traveling with her future husband before marriage, but will instead scold her for having an affair with her brother and violating human ethics.

But Shen Xi was unwilling to explain these things to her.

“My sister is absolutely right. I will pay more attention in the future.”

"you……"

The thrown-out fuse was extinguished by a bucket of cold water poured over her head, leaving Shen Wan speechless for a moment.

She could only watch Shen Xi leave, then stamped her foot in frustration and complained to the maid beside her, "So annoying! I can never win an argument with her!"

The maid chuckled and hurried off to coax her.

Shen Xi walked towards her courtyard. Having not exercised for a long time, she suddenly practiced riding a horse for so long today, and her whole body ached, especially her inner thighs, which were chafed painfully.

But at that time, with Xie Chengyan by his side, it was difficult to talk about such a private place.

She was eager to rush back to check on her injuries, but when she looked up, she saw a wisp of smoke shooting straight into the sky, and the air was filled with a thick smell of smoke.

The source was her yard.

"Qingqiu! Quick! Go back and check on things first."

Shen Xi had a bad feeling and quickly sent Qing Qiu back ahead. She didn't care about the soreness in her body and hurriedly quickened her pace.

"What kind of junk is this? Burn it right now! Keeping it around is just bad luck!"

As soon as they stepped into the courtyard, they saw Granny Liu, who was by Jiang's side, directing a group of servants to carry things out of her room and put them into the fire one after another.

What are you doing?

Qingqiu was the first to rush forward, trying to snatch the item from the group of people, but Granny Liu immediately sent two rough-looking old women to hold her back.

Shen Xi arrived a step later, her brows furrowed. Before she could even begin to question them, she suddenly noticed what they were burning, and her face turned pale instantly.

"Stop! Don't burn! Who gave you permission to burn!"

Granny Liu intended to use the same trick again and have someone subdue her as well.

But no one knew how Shen Xi, who usually seemed so gentle and obedient, suddenly gained such great strength.

She shoved aside the servants who rushed to stop her, stumbled and almost lost control as she lunged at the fire, reaching her hands into the raging flames to desperately try to salvage the items that were half-burned.

Shen Xi's eyes were bloodshot, and her sleeves were already sparking. Not to mention her slender, fair hands, which soon developed visible blisters, but she was completely unaware.

Retrieving objects from a fire was a hardship that even the servants, accustomed to menial tasks, had never endured, let alone a pampered young lady from an official family.

Everyone present was stunned by this unexpected turn of events.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Qingqiu broke free from the restraints, hurriedly ran over with a basin of water, and poured it over the fire, extinguishing it.

She knelt down and took Shen Xi's hand, which was still reaching into the ashes: "Miss, your hand... please stop, I'll take care of the rest."

Those hands were unrecognizable, with faint charring at the knuckles. Qingqiu felt so sorry for them that she couldn't help but burst into tears.

Granny Liu was the first to react, her eyebrows furrowing: "What are you standing there for? You can't even stop two little maids? We're not raising you for nothing!"

Before the servants could make a move, Shen Xi straightened up, still tightly clutching the burnt object in her arms. A few strands of hair hung down by her ears, and her face was covered in ash, obscuring her usual clean and presentable appearance.

But deep hatred surged in her eyes, like a fire burning brighter and fiercer than the bonfire they had just lit.

"Who gave you permission to touch my things?"

When Granny Liu met her eyes, she was momentarily flustered.

But upon calming down and thinking about it, this girl is usually the most timid and easily bullied. The madam has made her suffer so much, but she has never talked back. At most, she can only put on a show of being a mistress in front of the servants.

So, Granny Liu calmed herself down and unhurriedly brought up Madam Jiang: "What are you saying, Miss? In this Shen mansion, what's the difference between yours and his? Aren't they all the master and madam's? Besides, they're not important things, just a few books that aren't very useful. Why are you so concerned, Miss?"

Shen Xi clenched her teeth, her lips pressed into a tight line, clutching the last remaining page in her arms.

To others, this was indeed something worthless and useless, but to her it was priceless.

These are the last things left behind by Shen Xi's birth mother, Lin Anrong—a few medical books that she copied herself.

When Lin Anrong passed away, Shen Xi was only seven years old.

Back then, Jiang barged into her mother's former room right in front of her, and with her men, she arrogantly and meticulously searched the entire place, throwing out everything her mother had ever used.

Shenxi was too young to resist. The child, who had just been forced to understand birth, aging, sickness and death, did not understand the complexities involved. She could only cry because she could no longer see her mother and watch the adults' various expressions of joy and sorrow.

When she finally realized what was happening, all she could do was secretly hide her mother's medical books under Jiang's nose.

But now, they're even trying to take this away.

A sharp buzzing sound echoed in her ears, and Shen Xi barely managed to suppress her impulse to speak: "They're just a few medical books that aren't very useful. Whose eyes are they bothering by keeping them here?"

Granny Liu sneered, "Miss should know that this book was left behind by Consort Lin. It's really bad luck for the Shen family to have things from the dead for so many years. That's why Madam is thinking that the end of the year is approaching and she wants us servants to cleanse the whole mansion of bad luck."

"Young lady, you'd better not make things difficult for us."

As he spoke, he beckoned for his servants to snatch the things from Shen Xi's hands and set them on fire.

Shen Xi dodged to the side, glared at the group of people gathering around him, and shouted, "Let's see who dares to do this! Your insolence is outrageous! I will definitely tell my father!"

Upon hearing this, Granny Liu stopped trying to persuade her: "You really think you're the mistress of the house! Everyone knows that Concubine Lin was engaged to someone before she came with the master, and was even kicked out of the house for it. You look just like Concubine Lin, but you don't see a trace of the master. You're obviously that bastard's illegitimate child with someone else!"