Chapter 262 Brother, is it okay?

She now held two bright red hair ribbons, as vibrant as pomegranate blossoms.

The silk ribbon, about the width of a thumb, shimmered with a delicate sheen in the light. At the end of the ribbon hung an exquisite gilded openwork ball, no bigger than a cherry, yet carved with intricate intertwined floral patterns.

When I shook it in my hand, a tinkling sound came from inside the golden ball.

Upon closer inspection, Li Nanke discovered that a butterfly with outstretched wings was embedded inside the golden sphere. As she shook it, the butterfly's thin wings trembled as if it were about to break free of the golden sphere and fly away.

"This headband is so delicate, I love it!"

She held it in her hands, playing with it with great affection, sometimes shaking the golden ball, sometimes pointing it at the candlelight in the nearby Huanyue Residence, carefully examining the butterflies inside.

"Is this a birthday gift from Ninth Brother?"

Shen Cong looked up at the sky, a fleeting look of unease crossing his face.

"This is a little trinket that my mother gave me before. I just found it today. You can call it that if you say so."

Erfeng behind him couldn't help but roll his eyes wide.

He muttered to himself, "I wonder who spent two hours rummaging through the house to find this."

Oh, no, he only talked; I was the one rummaging through drawers and cupboards!

Shen Cong glanced at him.

Erfeng pouted and took two steps back, looking aggrieved.

"Oh dear, this is a gift from the Empress Dowager, so I will cherish it even more. I'll take it with me now."

Li Nanke called out to Zisu with a smile.

"Sister Zisu, come and help me tie it up."

When she came out tonight, she only wore her hair in two buns, without her usual hairband.

In fact, ever since she saved Chen Xu and lost her favorite headband, she has rarely worn a headband when she goes out recently.

Zisu moved swiftly and quickly tied the two hair ribbons to both sides.

Li Nanke shook her little head happily.

"Ninth Brother, please help me see if it looks good on me?"

She looked up at Shen Cong with a smile. The lights of Huanyue Tower next door were as bright as day, making her small face look radiant and fair.

The gold ball on her headband jingled as she swayed, making her look both vibrant and lively.

Shen Cong couldn't help but glance at him a few more times, but he still loved to tease people as always.

"It's alright, not as bad as I imagined."

Li Nanke...

"Ninth Brother hasn't eaten yet, has he? Come on, I'll treat you to a shadow puppet show. I've reserved a table at Tingfeng Tower."

She excitedly pointed to the location of Tingfeng Tower.

Shen Cong frowned.

"Tingfeng Tower? What brings you to Huanyue Residence?"

The two walked and chatted.

Zisu and Erfeng followed quietly behind.

When Li Nanke heard Shen Cong's question, he subconsciously glanced at Huanyue Residence.

The place was still brightly lit, and from the second floor one could vaguely see the graceful figures of the orchids and hear cheers rising and falling.

She leaned closer to Shen Cong and whispered, "My grandfather and second uncle went in, so I asked Master Nangong to go in with them and see what they were doing inside."

As she spoke, her face fell.

"It's a pity I'm too young; Master Nangong wouldn't let me in, otherwise I could have gone in..."

Shen Cong's face darkened, and his brows furrowed into a deep frown.

"You still want to go inside and play?"

Li Nanke was stunned for a moment, then quickly waved his hand.

"No, I just want to know what my grandfather and second uncle are doing here."

In her dream, she had already experienced what a brothel was like, and she wasn't curious at all about the shady dealings there.

She was just worried that she wouldn't be able to uncover any more of Anping Hou and Li Yao's conspiracies.

Shen Cong's expression softened slightly.

“As long as the person is inside and hasn’t left, Nangong Qiang will definitely be able to find out the news.”

Li Nanke felt relieved, glanced at the stalls next to him on the roadside, and suddenly ran over.

"Ninth Brother, look at this porcelain doll, doesn't it look like you?"

She picked up a porcelain doll about half a foot tall from the stall. It was dressed in a crimson robe and had a silver-white cloak behind it.

A small wooden sword hung at her waist, and she held a small hand warmer in her hand.

The porcelain doll's eyes curved slightly, and the corners of her mouth turned up three-quarters, as if she had encountered something happy.

Li Nanke held up the porcelain doll and waved it at Chen Cong.

"Aside from this sword, don't all the other things look a lot like you?"

Does it look like it?

Shen Cong scrutinized the porcelain doll, his eyebrows slightly raised.

Li Nanke nodded vigorously.

"It's so similar, it really is."

Shen Cong didn't speak, his gaze falling on the little girl beside him.

The little girl dolls were made more exquisitely, with an apricot-red shirt and a light green skirt, and a pale yellow ribbon wrapped in her hair, with two silver bells hanging from the end.

She deliberately tied her little braid crookedly on the left side, showing a bit of a mischievousness. The most wonderful thing was her pair of crystal eyes, with the corners of her eyes slightly upturned, as if she was about to blink and speak at any moment.

Li Nanke followed his gaze and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

"Hey, this looks a lot like me."

Today she was wearing an apricot-red blouse with a light green skirt, except for the color of her hairband.

Li Nanke reached out and picked up the doll, examining it closely.

The stall owner was an old man with a short beard, who greeted Shen Cong with a smile.

"Young man, you see how much your sister likes it, why don't you buy one for her?"

Shen Cong, with a stern face, was about to explain that Li Nanke was not his sister.

Then Li Nanke spoke up in a clear voice, "Grandpa, I have money. I'll buy these two porcelain dolls for my brother."

As she spoke, she turned around and winked playfully at Chen Cong.

"Brother, is it okay?"

That crisp, sweet "brother" instantly silenced the words that Chen Cong was about to utter: "She's not my sister."

The stall owner beamed with joy as business came to his door.

"Alright, alright, a pair of porcelain dolls, ten taels of silver is enough for you, young lady."

Li Nanke readily made Zisu pay, then picked up a porcelain doll in each hand and stuffed the boy doll into Chen Cong's hands.

"Ninth Brother gave me a hairband, and I gave Ninth Brother a porcelain doll."

Then, with his hands clasped together and his eyes closed, he said to the porcelain doll, "Today is my birthday, so I'll use this porcelain doll to make a wish: that Ninth Brother may one day be safe and healthy, and wield his sword to break through the heavens."

After saying that, she opened one eye again and whispered to the porcelain doll, "I also hope that Ninth Brother can be like you, smile more often, and speak less harshly, that would be even better."

Then he carefully positioned himself towards the porcelain doll.

Shen Cong gazed at the porcelain doll in his hand, a complex emotion welling up in his eyes.

May you be safe and healthy!

Smile more!

It seems like it's been a long time since anyone has said these things to him.

He gently stroked the porcelain doll, and his heart softened slightly.

But he still wouldn't let it go, saying, "Ten taels of silver and you think you can get rid of me? Do you think I'm that easy to please?"

Li Nanke's eyes widened.

"Of course not, I still want to treat Ninth Brother to dinner and a shadow puppet show."

"Oh dear, we're running out of time! The shadow puppet show is about to start, let's hurry!"

Li Nanke urged Shen Cong to quicken his pace.

Shen Cong followed behind her unhurriedly, the corners of his lips curving into a smile that mirrored the porcelain doll in his hand.

The Tingfeng Tower was packed with people, but fortunately, Li Nanke had Zisu reserve a private room in advance.

When they arrived, the shadow puppet show hadn't started yet, and Nangong Qiang had returned.

Li Nanke quickly pressed, "Master Nangong, what have you discovered?"