Chapter 34: The Dagger's Words Are Obscure, Its Meaning Is Naked

When the carriage returned to the Lin Mansion, it was already dusk.

Shen Zhiwei leaned against his younger sister, stroking her back with his fingertips from time to time, whispering soothing words.

The curtain of the carriage was opened, and the dim light from the lanterns in front of the Lin Mansion illuminated Shen Anyu's slightly swollen eyes, making them look even more pitiful.

"Rest at home today," Shen Zhiwei helped her out of the carriage and smoothed her slightly messy hair. "I'll send a message to the palace saying you've been frightened and to come back tomorrow."

Shen Anyu raised her face and looked at her with wet eyes: "Is it okay? Will the Queen be angry?"

"It's okay, His Highness will take care of it for you." Shen Zhiwei shook his head. With Xiao Lingjun's personality, he would never let An Yu return to the palace alone after what happened at the horse farm today.

As expected, as the two of them exited the carriage, the Eastern Palace eunuch waiting at the door immediately stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Second Miss, rest assured. His Highness has instructed this servant to report back to the palace. His Highness will handle the Empress's affairs. Please rest assured and recuperate at home."

Shen Anyu finally breathed a sigh of relief, and took Shen Zhiwei's arm again, leaning half of her body over, her voice soft and sweet: "Then... I'll sleep with my sister, okay? I'm afraid of being alone..."

Shen Zhiwei lowered his eyes to look at her. The little girl's face was still pale, with tears still stained on her eyelashes. She looked frightened and in desperate need of support.

She was soft in her heart and nodded: "Okay."

After instructing the maid to prepare soothing soup and clean pajamas, Shen Zhiwei took his sister across the courtyard and returned to the small building in Xiyuan where he lived.

The candlelight in the building was warm, the floor heating was burning vigorously, and the air was filled with a faint soothing incense that Xiao Lingjun had sent earlier.

As soon as Shen Anyu entered the room, he seemed to be enveloped by this familiar and stable atmosphere, and relaxed a little, but he still followed Shen Zhiwei step by step, unwilling to leave even a step.

"Drink some hot soup to calm your nerves first." Shen Zhiwei pressed her onto the soft couch by the window and took the sweet white porcelain bowl offered by the maid. The soup was warm, with the sweet aroma of red dates and lilies.

Shen Anyu drank in small sips, but his eyes were always glued to Shen Zhiwei.

"Sister," she suddenly put down the bowl of soup and said softly, "I'm sorry..."

Shen Zhiwei sat down beside her, picked up the handkerchief and wiped the corner of her lips: "What are you apologizing for? You are doing this to protect me."

"But...but..." Shen Anyu bit her lower lip, "If...if it were someone else, would Sister do the same?"

"For example?" Shen Zhiwei raised an eyebrow, thinking that the question was a bit childish.

"For example... His Majesty the Third Prince and the Crown Prince?" Chen Anyu's voice lowered. "If they were in danger, would Sister also... protect them like that?"

Shen Zhiwei was startled for a moment, then laughed: "Why would you think of them? They are princes, they have their own guards to protect them, why do they need me to take action?"

Shen Anyu seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, his tense shoulders relaxed slightly, he picked up the bowl again, and slowly drank the remaining soup.

After bathing and changing clothes, the little girl was wearing a moon-white nightgown of the same color as her, with wet hair draped over her shoulders. She had a sweet scent of soapberries on her body. Like a baby bird returning to its nest, she couldn't wait to squeeze to her side, sit next to her, and rest her head on her shoulder.

"What are you reading, sister?" Her voice still had a hint of laziness after taking a bath, and her fingers were curiously fiddling with the corners of the pages.

"A book of miscellaneous notes, describing the customs of various places." Shen Zhiwei leaned over to let her lean more comfortably, and turned the page back with his fingertips.

"Oh..." Chen Anyu replied, half-comprehendingly, clearly not genuinely interested in the book's contents but simply enjoying the intimacy. She was quiet for a moment, her gaze roaming the room, when she suddenly exclaimed, "Hmm?"

"Sister, do you have a cat?" She pointed at the inky black ball that had curled up on the brocade cushion at the foot of the couch.

The black cat had sneaked back at some point and was curled up in a ball, licking its paws and washing its face. Its gilded cat eyes shone faintly in the candlelight.

Hearing the noise, it raised its head, glanced at Shen Anyu, and lazily flicked the tip of its tail in response, then continued to clean its fur intently.

"Well, I don't know where it came from. It looks clean, so I let it stay." Shen Zhiwei responded casually without moving his eyes away from the pages of the book.

Shen Anyu seemed to be attracted. She raised her head from Shen Zhiwei's shoulder, slid down the soft couch on tiptoe, squatted in front of the black cat, and tentatively stretched out her finger to touch its head.

"Mimi?" She lowered her voice and tried to please carefully.

The black cat paused, staring at the strange girl in front of it with scrutiny in its eyes, and a very low purring sound came from its throat. It was not very friendly, but it did not immediately avoid her or bare its teeth.

Shen Anyu stretched out his fingertips, wanting to touch the shiny fur.

But the black cat suddenly turned its head, avoiding her touch, stretched, jumped onto the soft couch in a few steps, and nestled precisely in Shen Zhiwei's arms, rubbing her wrist with its head neither lightly nor heavily, making a slight purring sound.

Shen Anyu's outstretched hand froze in mid-air, and the smile on her face faded a little. She squatted there, watching the cat rubbing itself comfortably against her sister's arms, her lips slightly pursed.

Shen Zhiwei felt the weight and warmth in his arms, looked down at the familiar fur ball, smiled helplessly, and scratched its chin with his free hand.

The black cat squinted its eyes comfortably and snored even louder.

"It doesn't seem to like me very much..." Chen Anyu slowly stood up and walked back to the couch, with obvious grievance in his voice, his eyes still glued to the cat.

"Wild cats are solitary and it's common for them not to be close to others," Shen Zhiwei didn't care and patted the empty space beside him. "Your hair is still wet. Come here. Be careful not to catch a cold."

Shen Anyu sat down as she was told, but no longer leaning against her. Instead, she sat next to her legs, glancing at the black cat that had occupied her sister's arms from time to time, her fingers twisting the ties of her pajamas.

The room was silent for a moment, with only the sound of Maotuan's contented snoring and the occasional sound of pages turning.

The wind outside the window was getting stronger, making the window lattice rustle slightly.

Shen Anyu shuddered slightly.

"Cold?" Shen Zhiwei noticed, put down the book, reached out and touched her still damp hair, pulled the blanket next to her and wrapped her tightly, "Why don't you dry yourself off?"

“Forgot…” Shen Anyu muttered softly, and rubbed against her side. This time, he carefully avoided the cat’s position and put his cold hand into Shen Zhiwei’s palm, “Sister, help me warm it up.”

Her hands were indeed cold.

Shen Zhiwei frowned, took her two hands into his palms, and rubbed them gently: "You are so old, but you still don't know how to take care of your body."

Shen Anyu raised her head to look at her, her eyes sparkling in the candlelight, with complete dependence: "Sister is here."

At this time, the black cat seemed to be squeezed uncomfortably. It moved in Shen Zhiwei's arms, adjusted its posture, and the tip of its tail swept across the back of Shen Anyu's hand.

Shen Anyu suddenly retracted his hand as if he had been scalded.

Shen Zhiwei was startled and looked at her: "What's wrong?"

"No, nothing," Chen Anyu lowered her eyelashes, "Its tail brushed against me, it's a little itchy."

As she spoke, she put her hand back into Shen Zhiwei's hand, this time with some force, and gently pinched Shen Zhiwei's tiger's mouth with her fingertips.

"Sister only cares about it and doesn't care about me anymore." She complained half-seriously, rubbing her cheek against Shen Zhiwei's shoulder.

Shen Zhiwei thought she was just a little girl, competing for a cat's favor, and found it funny and soft-hearted. She pulled her hand away and tucked her slightly messy hair behind her ear. Her fingertips touched her earlobe, and it was still slightly cold.

"Nonsense," she said in a slow tone, "You're already a grown-up, and you're still arguing with a cat."

As she spoke, she tried to take the cat away from her arms.

The black cat seemed to have noticed her intention. It hooked its claws on her sleeve, whined in dissatisfaction, and refused to leave.

Shen Anyu looked at this scene, the gloom in her eyes deepened. She suddenly reached out her hand, not to push the cat away, but to hug Shen Zhiwei's arm, pressing herself against it, and said in a muffled voice: "Then sister, hold me, don't hold it."

Her hug was a little tight, and Shen Zhiwei swayed slightly in her embrace. The cat in her arms was startled, and it meowed and jumped down, landing under the couch, wagging its tail in dissatisfaction and looking up at them.

"An Yu?"

However, Shen Anyu just buried his face in her shoulder, refusing to look up, and tightened his arms around her: "Sister is mine...only mine."

Shen Zhiwei felt sorry for her because she was too frightened today and her mood was unstable. He patted her back and comforted her softly: "Sister is here, no one will compete with you."

The indulgence in her tone seemed to soothe Shen Anyu.

The little girl's tense body gradually relaxed, but the arms holding her still did not loosen, like vines entwining a tree.

"Sister, will you always be so nice to me? Even if...even if I'm naughty sometimes and make you angry?"

"What nonsense are you talking about again?" Shen Zhiwei wiped the dry corners of her eyes with his fingertips. "You are my sister. If I don't treat you well, who else can I treat well?"

"It's a deal then," Chen Anyu grabbed her fingers, pressed them against his cheek, and muttered in a low voice, "Sister, you must always treat me well and only treat me the best. You can't like others more than you like me, and you can't treat others better than you treat me... Otherwise... Otherwise, I will be very sad..."

Her voice gradually lowered, the last few words almost lingering on her lips, but her eyes were surprisingly bright.

Shen Zhiwei's heart moved, and she felt that her sister's words were a little too childish, but then she thought about how she almost lost her life today, and it was normal for her to be emotionally agitated, so she just regarded it as the foolish talk of a little girl and did not think too much about it.

"Okay, just be the best for An Yu." She smiled, her tone obviously perfunctory.

Shen Anyu seemed to have received some extremely important promise. Her eyes suddenly lit up and a sweet smile appeared on her face again. She leaned forward and quickly kissed Shen Zhiwei on the cheek.

"Sister is the best!" She contentedly returned to Shen Zhiwei's side. This time, she no longer hugged her tightly, but leaned against her obediently. She picked up the notebook that had been put aside and flipped through it at random. "Sister, how do you pronounce this word?"

Shen Zhiwei looked at her happy expression and felt relieved. He patiently pointed at the words in the book and taught her to recognize them.

The black cat squatted under the couch for a while. Seeing that no one paid attention to it, it shook its tail angrily, jumped lightly onto the windowsill and curled up.

As the night deepens, the candlelight gradually dims.

Shen Anyu yawned and his eyelids began to droop, but he still forced himself not to sleep. He chatted with Shen Zhiwei in a disjointed manner, and the topics were all over the place, from the snacks in the palace to the new piano music he learned, and then complained about which nanny was too strict.

Shen Zhiwei listened patiently until the little girl's voice became lower and lower, and finally turned into even and long breathing, and she fell into a deep sleep.

Shen Zhiwei carefully laid her down and covered her with the quilt, but she herself had no desire to sleep.

The curtains were drawn low, and the candlelight had been dimmed by her, leaving only a small lamp emitting a hazy glow. The room fell into silence, with only the sound of her sister's shallow breathing beside her and the occasional sound of wind passing by the window.

She leaned against the headboard of the bed, her eyes fixed on the dark night outside the window. The thrilling events at the horse farm during the day, Xiao Lingjun's loss of control, Xiao Wangqing's precise arrow, and her sister's unusually dependent words were all intertwined in her mind, making it difficult to make sense of them.

The next morning, when Shen Zhiwei woke up, there was no one beside him.

The maid heard the noise and tiptoed in to help her wash up. She whispered, "The second young lady woke up at dawn. She didn't want to disturb you, so she went to the outer room to wash up. Now she is watching over the people in the small kitchen while they make porridge for you."

Shen Zhiwei was still a little sleepy. He got up, washed up briefly, put on his clothes and walked out of the inner room.

As soon as she entered the small kitchen, she saw Shen Anyu standing by the stove with her sleeves rolled up, tasting the porridge in the casserole with a small silver spoon.

"Make it lighter, my sister likes light flavors. Add a little oil," she whispered to the cook. "Have you prepared the candied peanuts? Grind them into small pieces and sprinkle them on top for a better taste."

The cook responded repeatedly with a smile on her face.

Shen Zhiwei stood behind the curtain and did not go in.

She actually had a strong taste for food; the lighter ones were probably the original Shen Zhiwei. In her previous life, she had been bedridden, her tongue bitter from the medicine she drank, and she had developed a particular fondness for strong-flavored food: spicy, savory, and anything that could overcome the medicinal and bloody taste in her throat.

"An Yu." She sighed in her heart and called softly.

Chen Anyu turned around upon hearing the voice, a smile immediately breaking out on his face. He put down the silver spoon and trotted over, naturally holding her arm: "Are you awake, Sister? The porridge is almost ready. I'll ask them to make it lighter according to your taste. Do you like it?"

"No need to go to such trouble," Shen Zhiwei raised her hand and brushed away the stove ash on her cheek with her fingertips. "The maids in the palace take good care of us. Why bother doing it yourself?"

"The porridge they cook is never as reliable as the one I keep an eye on," Chen Anyu smiled with her face tilted up, her eyes curved into crescents, "Sister was frightened yesterday, she needs to take good care of herself."

As she spoke, she pulled Chen Zhiwei to sit at the table, poured a bowl of steaming hot shredded chicken porridge, sprinkled it with fine candied peanuts, and pushed it in front of her: "Try it!"

The porridge was cooked to perfection, the rice grains were soft and mushy, and the aroma was fragrant. Shen Zhiwei scooped up a spoonful and put it into his mouth. The temperature was just right, but it was indeed a little too light, and there was almost no flavor.

She ate slowly without showing any emotion. She looked up at her sister, who was holding her chin with both hands and looking at her with sparkling eyes. "It's delicious. An Yu put a lot of effort into it."

Shen Zhiyu immediately smiled even more happily, and talked about the tips of making porridge, and complained that the maid in the small kitchen was not quick enough and needed her to keep an eye on her all the time.

After breakfast, Chen Anyu was busy brewing tea himself. He chose the Biluochun tea that Xiao Lingjun had sent him yesterday. The water temperature and brewing technique were exactly right.

"Sister, try it. I learned this from the tea nanny in the palace. I wonder if it suits your taste." She gently placed the teacup next to Shen Zhiwei's hand.

Shen Zhiwei picked up the teacup. The tea was fragrant and refreshing, and the taste was sweet. She looked at her sister, who was holding her breath waiting for her evaluation. The strange feeling in her heart surfaced again, but she suppressed it.

Maybe…it’s just that my sister wants to be closer to her.

"Very good." She put down the teacup and spoke gently.

Chen Anyu curled up the corners of her lips, revealing a sweet smile. She sat down next to her, picked up the embroidery frame, and embroidered stitch by stitch, looking up at her from time to time.

This almost clingy attachment lasted all day.

When Shen Zhiwei was reading, she would quietly embroider beside her, occasionally offering her a piece of peeled nut. When Shen Zhiwei was copying calligraphy, she would grind ink and spread paper, her eyes intently following her pen tip. Even when Shen Zhiwei was just gazing out the window, she would immediately put down what she was doing and softly ask, "Are you bored, sister? Do you want to go out for a walk?"

Her care was meticulous, but her eyes made Shen Zhiwei feel uneasy, and she didn't want to get angry either.

After all, she is my sister.

In the afternoon, Xie Mingxu came uninvited, and his voice was heard before he even arrived: "Chen Zhiwei, the racecourse was so lively yesterday, and you didn't even send someone to call me! I heard that our Third Prince has become famous again? Tell me about it..."

Before he finished speaking, Shen Anyu, who was reading next to Shen Zhiwei, immediately raised his head, frowned slightly, put down the book, stood up, stood half a step in front of Shen Zhiwei, and bowed politely to Xie Mingxu who walked in.

"Thank you, Prince, for your safety." The little girl spoke in a clear and polite voice with a faint smile on her face.

Xie Mingxu paused, fanning himself a little slower, his peach blossom eyes darting around Shen Anyu, then glanced at Shen Zhiwei who was sitting peacefully in the back: "Oh, Sister An Yu is here too? Is she... on guard against me, her brother?"

Chen Anyu's expression remained unchanged, and she continued to smile sweetly: "Your Highness, you are joking. It's just that my sister was frightened yesterday and needs to rest well. It's inconvenient for her to entertain guests. If your Highness is fine, why not come back another day?"

The words were polite, but the order to expel the guest was clear.

Xie Mingxu had never been rejected like this before. He raised his eyebrows, closed his fan, and looked at Shen Zhiwei with a smile: "Shen Zhiwei, your sister... I haven't seen her for a few days, but she has become more determined."

Shen Zhiwei put down the book, glanced helplessly at his sister who was standing in front of him with her neck stiff, and said to Xie Mingxu, "She is young and was frightened yesterday. Prince, please don't bother with her." As he spoke, he gently pulled An Yu's sleeve, "An Yu, don't be rude."

Shen Anyu pursed her lips and reluctantly stepped aside, but still stood close to Shen Zhiwei.

Xie Mingxu sneered, then sat down on the chair beside him and crossed his legs. "Okay, I'm a magnanimous brother and won't argue with a little girl."

He leaned closer to Shen Zhiwei and lowered his voice: "Hey, seriously, what happened yesterday? I heard that the horse was crazy? Is Xiao Wangqing's arrow really that accurate? From such a distance..."

Before he finished speaking, Shen Anyu picked up the cup of tea that he had just poured for Shen Zhiwei and handed it to Xie Mingxu: "Sir, please have some tea. This tea was just given by the Crown Prince yesterday. It tastes very good. Please taste it."

Xie Mingxu was stunned by her words and swallowed back the rest of his words. He looked at the cup of tea, not knowing whether to take it or not. Finally, he took it in a bad mood, took a big sip, and it was so hot that he stuck out his tongue.

Shen Anyu seemed not to see it, turned around and poured Shen Zhiwei another cup of hot drink, and said softly: "Sister, drink hot water, the cup just now is cold, it's not good for your health."

Xie Mingxu: “…”

Shen Zhiwei: “…”

Xie Mingxu was frustrated, and seeing that Chen Anyu was guarding against him as if he were a thief, he felt bored. He chatted a few words at random and walked away in a huff, fanning himself.

After sending Xie Mingxu away, Shen Anyu seemed to have won a battle, with a smug look in her eyes and eyebrows. She sat down next to Shen Zhiwei again, picked up the scroll, and said in a light tone: "The annoying one is finally gone, sister, let's continue reading."

Shen Zhiwei looked at her profile, and the doubts in his heart surfaced again, but he couldn't grasp the clue.

This seems...unlike her previous timid sister.

After two or three days, Shen Anyu stayed with Shen Zhiwei almost every step of the way, taking care of her meticulously while also isolating herself from all external disturbances. Even when Lin Wenyuan sent someone to pay his respects, she rejected them with a few soft yet firm words.

It was not until the evening of that day that a nanny came to the palace and said that the Queen missed An Yu and ordered her to return to the palace immediately.

Shen Anyu was obviously reluctant to leave. She pulled Shen Zhiwei's sleeve, her eyes slightly red: "Sister, can I stay for one more day? Just one day..."

Shen Zhiwei straightened the collar of her palace dress for her and said gently, "When the Empress summons you, you must not act capriciously. You must be careful with your words and actions in the palace and listen carefully to the Empress and His Highness."

Chen Anyu bit her lip, lowered her head and remained silent for a moment. When she looked up again, a well-behaved smile had appeared on her face: "Well, I understand."

"Sister... remember to think of me."

"Yes."

After seeing my sister off, the small building suddenly became quiet.

Shen Zhiwei sat alone by the window, feeling a little out of place. On the table lay An Yu's unfinished handkerchief, with fine stitches and a pattern of concentric lotus flowers.

She picked up the handkerchief, her fingertips brushing across the smooth silk thread, slightly lost in thought.

Maybe I was overthinking it. An Yu was just too dependent on her because he was frightened that day.

Thinking of this, I felt relieved.

The black cat at the foot of the couch finally got the space to be close to her, jumped into her arms, tucked its paws in, and dozed off with its eyes closed.

The sun was shining warmly, and Shen Zhiwei leaned on the soft couch with the cat in his arms, feeling a little drowsy.

Before she closed her eyes, she heard a slight commotion outside the window. She sighed softly and walked out into the yard, carrying the cat.

At the gate of the courtyard, the housekeeper of the Lin Mansion was stopping an officer wearing the uniform of the Northern Frontier Army, saying something with an embarrassed look on his face.

The woman had a tall figure, her face mostly hidden by her military cap, and she was holding a rosewood box over a foot long in her hands.

"The young lady is resting and cannot see guests. If the general has anything, please let this old servant deliver it."

The general shook his head: "His Highness has ordered that this item must be handed over to Miss Shen in person, and a message must be delivered to her in person."

Shen Zhiwei yawned and narrowed his eyes slightly. "Your Highness?" The Northern Frontier Army uniform... is Xiao Wangqing's man.

As she was pondering, the general seemed to notice something and looked up in the direction of the small building. When his eyes met her standing by the window, he immediately raised his hand and gave a standard military salute, his posture respectful.

"Miss Shen," she said in a loud voice, her voice penetrating the courtyard, "I am here on the orders of the Third Prince to return the things you left behind yesterday."

Lost something? She didn't leave anything behind yesterday.

Shen Zhiwei understood in his heart that this was just an excuse for Xiao Wangqing to send someone to check.

She nodded slightly and said to the people downstairs, "Thank you, General. Please come in."

Seeing this, the housekeeper had no choice but to step aside.

The officer walked into the courtyard and stopped at the steps in front of the building. He saluted again and raised the wooden box above his head with both hands. "Your Highness has ordered that this item be returned intact to Zhao. Please inspect it, young lady."

The maid stepped forward to take the wooden box and presented it to Shen Zhiwei.

The box felt heavy in the hand, with simple carvings and was unlocked. Shen Zhiwei moved his fingertips slightly and opened the lid.

Inside was not the jewelry and curios she had expected, but a dagger with a sheath.

The scabbard is made of shark skin, which is cool to the touch. There are no complicated patterns on it, only a few dull rivets inlaid on it, which is extremely simple.

She pulled out the dagger. The blade was not a bright silver-white, but a dark black color that had been specially tempered. The edge was extremely thin, and it was a good knife.

There is a tiny emblem engraved on the dagger near the guard, which is the mark of the elite Black Armor Battalion under Xiao Wangqing of the Northern Frontier.

This is definitely not an ornament that a girl in the boudoir would wear, but a real killing weapon on the battlefield that has drunk blood.

"Does Your Highness have anything else to say?" She closed the lid of the box, her voice calm and composed.

The general bowed his head and said, "His Highness said that the winds in the capital are strong, and the young lady is frail, so it is best for her to stay at home. If a strong wind blows, she should use this to cut through dead branches and protect herself."

The words are obscure, the meaning is naked.

Shen Zhiwei was silent for a moment, then handed the wooden box to the maid: "Thank your Highness for the generous gift. I understand your Highness's intentions."

The general said nothing more. After saluting again, he turned around and left decisively.

The black dagger given by Xiao Wangqing was casually put into the bottom of the dressing box by Shen Zhiwei, and placed together with some old ornaments that were not often used.

She had no intention of using this weapon that was stained with the wind and blood of the northern border, and she did not want to have any more involvement with the taciturn third prince.

That day, something unexpected happened at the horse farm and he came to the rescue. She accepted the favor and thanked him, and now they are even.

As for this unexpected gift, she just thought it was the prince's unpredictable mind and a spur of the moment gift.

Life returned to normal, but there seemed to be a few more pairs of eyes outside the yard.

Xiao Lingjun didn't say it explicitly, but the Eastern Palace's protection of her small courtyard was strengthened layer by layer. Occasionally, when she opened the window, she could catch a glimpse of a silhouette that didn't belong to Seventeen passing under the eaves in the distance.

She just pretended not to know.

That afternoon, the sky was a little gloomy, the lead-gray clouds were very low, and the air was filled with the damp chill before the snow.

Shen Zhiwei was feeling rather bored, and on a whim, she ordered a car to be prepared, intending to go to Guiyuan Temple in the south of the city. She wasn't going to worship Buddha, but rather because the temple had several old plum trees, said to be relics of a previous dynasty. When they bloomed, their fragrance was so cold it permeated her bones, and she wanted to see them before the snow fell.

She did not bring too many followers, only a coachman, two maids, and the guards of the East Palace followed her like a shadow, so she did not need to worry too much.

Guiyuan Temple was a quiet place, not particularly popular, with towering ancient trees. The monk in charge of reception recognized the Lin family's carriage and respectfully led her to the plum garden before quietly retreating.

There are indeed plum trees in the garden, but they are not planted in large areas, only a few sparsely scattered. There are a few flower buds dotted on the branches, most of which are still tightly closed. Only the few facing the sun can't wait to reveal some tender yellow stamens.

Shen Zhiwei walked slowly along the path, with the maid following a few steps behind her holding a warm stove.

She stopped in front of an old plum tree with the most blooming flowers, looked up at the delicate flowers blooming in the cold, and the annoyance in her heart was slightly relieved.

She was so engrossed in watching that she didn't notice another dark figure deep in the forest that almost blended in with the gray-brown branches.

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The author has something to say: Shen Anyu is a person with a sweet smile and a childlike innocence. Her appearance is plain, but her heart is like a lock.

Her slender fingers brushed across the strings of the zither, and she lowered her brows to hide the sharpness in her eyes.

It has nothing to do with being a green tea, it's just that he is willing to spend time and effort on his sister.