"By the way, speaking of Cuixi, I feel like I haven't seen her for a while. Where did you see her?"

Shi Lan groped to get up, but Shi Lei noticed that she was only wearing white socks. He quickly placed her embroidered shoes on the ground next to her feet. After she put them on, he helped her up and then casually replied, "Are you looking for her? She came looking for you outside the courtyard just now."

Shi Lan snorted, displeased, "You're always hanging around here when there's nothing to do, which annoys me. Now that something's up, I don't even know where you've run off to. Mother specifically sent you here so I could go out and meet people. But look at me, how can I go out like this?"

Shi Lei turned his head to look at Shi Lan, who looked remarkably like him. Unlike his handsome and dashing appearance, Shi Lan had a delicate and gentle face. Her small, palm-sized face was as white as jade, and her pink lips were slightly pursed, like the delicate petals that bloomed freely in the garden these days. Her nose, which was almost identical to his, was slightly upturned, as if she was always being coquettish. Only her pair of clear black and white eyes no longer had the bright, star-like brilliance and charm they once had when they moved.

Shi Lei stared blankly for a moment, and Shi Lan, not receiving a response, turned to him and asked, "What's wrong?"

Shi Lei blinked and came to his senses. He turned his face away awkwardly and said loudly, "What's wrong with that? We don't only have Cui Xi as a maid in our mansion. You wait here, I'll go pick out a skillful one for you." After saying that, he helped Shi Lan sit in front of the dressing mirror and ran out blushing.

Before he could finish half a cup of tea, he dragged a maid to her side and said, “Sister, I’ve asked around, and her cooking skills are probably the best.”

Hearing his self-righteous tone, Shi Lan twitched her lips and nodded, saying, "Okay, I trust your judgment."

Shi Lan's agreement made Shi Lei chuckle twice. Perhaps feeling that he was laughing stupidly, Shi Lei pushed the maid who was standing there dumbfounded, his eyes wide open, "You blockhead, hurry up and comb the young lady's hair."

The maid responded softly, "Yes," and stepped forward to comb Shi Lan's hair. In no time, she had neatly styled her beautiful hair and then pinned a pink beaded flower that perfectly matched her clothes to her hair.

Feeling the gentle, nimble hands leave her hair, Shi Lan put her hand on her arm and stood up. Thinking of how the original owner had only vaguely met the person twice from the time she married into the family until her death, she smiled slightly.

At this moment, all she wanted to do was quickly take Shi Lei for a walk in the garden. In her memory, Cui Xi had said that she and Wang Haiqing had a past relationship. Today, Wang Haiqing came to deliver something, but she wouldn't be so presumptuous as to think that he came to see her. It was more likely that those two sluts had made an appointment and were using the excuse of delivering medicine to have a date.

She is still engaged to the Wang family, and the support of the Shi family is essential for her to leave Wang Haiqing. Shi Lei is her brother and the future heir of the Shi family, and his thoughts greatly influence the decisions of Shi's parents.

Shi Lan followed Shi Lei slowly into the garden. The spring sunshine was warm and pleasant. Shi Lan tilted her head slightly to feel the warmth after the gentle breeze. The maid who had just styled her hair held her arms tightly, afraid that she might accidentally bump into something.

Shi Lei, who was standing nearby, told her in a low voice which flowers had bloomed and what colors they were. Shi Lan listened with a smile, occasionally nodding slightly to indicate that she was listening.

The Shi family were wealthy merchants who were never stingy with money. The garden in their mansion was a place for the masters to relax and unwind, so they naturally spent a lot of money on it.

Shi Lan stood quietly among the flowers. Shi Lei picked some newly transplanted flowers from another country from beside her feet and let her smell their fragrance. Shi Lan lowered her head slightly, seemingly attracted by the fragrance, but in fact, she was paying attention to the movements around her.

When she finally passed through a cluster of cherry blossoms, she heard strange panting sounds not far away. She breathed a sigh of relief, relieved that she didn't have to wander around anymore. In just that short time, her legs were trembling.

Shi Lan tugged at the incessantly talking Shi Lei, and at the same time made a gesture to her lips, signaling him to be quiet.

Shi Lei glanced at her questioningly, but still obediently shut his mouth.

Shi Lan pointed to the direction from which the sound came, then leaned close to Shi Lei's ear and whispered, "It sounds like there's someone over there."

Shi Lei frowned, inwardly blaming the ignorant servants for disturbing Shi Lan's enjoyment of the garden. Thinking that Shi Lan rarely came out, he angrily strode toward the artificial hill where the Tibetans were hiding.

Shi Lan was so tired that her legs were weak, but she wanted to catch Shi Lei red-handed, so instead of stopping him, she followed him.

Shi Lan was blind and walked too slowly. She had only taken two steps when she heard Shi Lei's incredulous roar and a crisp sound followed by Cui Xi's panicked cries. Occasionally, a strange male voice would awkwardly explain from the side. Shi Lan, supported by her maid's arm, gracefully walked closer and softly asked, "What happened?"

The chaotic sounds from just moments ago ceased as if a pause button had been pressed. Shi Lan curled the corners of her lips, tilted her head slightly, and asked a question like a curious child.

Shi Lei felt as if a ball of fire had been stuffed into his heart. He turned and glared fiercely at Cui Xi, who was weeping and bowing her head, and Wang Haiqing, who looked embarrassed. He swallowed hard and said in a hoarse voice, "It's nothing. It's just a silly maid who's hiding here to slack off."

Shi Lan frowned slightly, looking somewhat puzzled. "A maid? Is it Cui Xi? The crying sounded like her just now."

Shi Lei glared at Cui Xi, who hurriedly covered her mouth, and casually said, "No, she's a maid who sweeps the garden. All the maids sound pretty much the same. Sister, you must have misheard."

Shi Lan pursed her lips and sighed softly, "Probably. Cui Xi is always clever and obedient, so I don't think she would do something so inappropriate."

Shi Lan murmured, her words revealing her trust and affection for Cui Xi. This made Shi Lei's anger surge like magma, almost erupting. Cui Xi, with a bright red handprint on her face, watched Shi Lan turn to leave, gritting her teeth in hatred. Especially when she stole a glance and saw Wang Haiqing staring blankly at Shi Lan, her heart was filled with jealousy and hatred. She wished she could immediately go back and tear that graceful figure to shreds.

Shi Lan was slender, her black hair loosely tied over her shoulders. Her thin, soft clothes clung to her shoulders and back, making her frail shoulders appear even thinner. A cherry-pink long dress trembled slightly, fluttering gently with her movements, giving her the illusion of being so delicate she could barely support it, as if she were about to fly away on the wind. Wang Haiqing watched her figure slowly disappear behind the trees, his eyes fixed on her. He heard Shi Lei's words squeezed out between his teeth, "Brother Wang, are you taking advantage of my youth and refusing to explain how you were in the shadows by the artificial hill with my sister's personal maid?"

Wang Haiqing reluctantly withdrew his gaze, looked at Shi Lei, and nervously shifted his eyes, unsure of what to say.

Shi Lei was already fourteen and knew a little about matters between men and women. Thinking of the scene of the two of them kissing each other, his cheeks twitched a few times. He glanced at Cui Xi, whose face was only considered pretty, and said with a cold smile, "I didn't expect that Brother Wang would be so different from others, actually liking this kind of..." He carefully chose his words and lightly uttered the extremely lethal "rustic air".

Shi Lei's tone was disdainful, and his words implied that he had a taste for vulgarity. Wang Haiqing's expression changed slightly, and he almost subconsciously turned his head to look at Cui Xi.