If the emperor wants something, why not just steal it?
Anyway, the people of Nanjun are still staying at the Sifangguan, which receives foreign envoys. She can sneak in and "borrow" that hidden weapon, then bring it to her master for research. Her master will definitely know how it was made.
However, she can't handle this alone; she needs to call on others.
After saying goodbye to Yan Huishi, Zhan Xinjia sighed and kicked at the pebbles on the roadside on his way home.
She felt like she'd forgotten something today…
What is it?
Lost in thought, she suddenly felt a strong sense of being watched, realizing that someone was staring intently at her.
Zhan Xinjia suddenly looked up alertly—
Outside the long street, in front of the deep alley, in the pitch-black night, the young man stood alone in the evening breeze.
The background is the lanterns hanging outside the teahouses and taverns on the street. Large swaths of cold white light are reflected on his side and shoulders. He is backlit, his silhouette is slender and tall, and his snow-white clothes are gently swaying in the breeze.
He stood there, silent, like a lifeless statue.
From a distance, Zhan Xinjia couldn't see his expression, but she knew that Lord Shen must be angry...
Oh no! Little Shen told her to remember to bring an umbrella when she went out, and that he would pick her up in the evening. But she completely forgot about it as soon as she climbed out of the river, and before she knew it, it was already late at night.
I wonder how long Lord Shen has been waiting here…
Feeling both guilty and uneasy, Zhan Xinjia quickly jogged forward, then stopped five steps away from him. She lowered her head guiltily, staring at the embroidered shoe peeking out from under her skirt.
"I'm sorry, Lord Shen, I'm late..."
"I've been drinking, and my clothes are half wet and half dry."
He didn't use a question, but rather a statement of certainty.
Upon hearing the young man's enigmatic and icy tone, Zhan Xinjia's heart suddenly raced, and a chill ran down her spine.
Anyway, she couldn't hide anything from Lord Shen, and besides, it was wrong of her to make him worry... After hesitating for a moment, she simply confessed everything honestly.
"He had a few drinks and then accidentally fell into the river."
"..."
There was silence for a long time.
Shen Suqing did not respond, but coldly turned and left.
Zhan Xinjia, who had been left behind, looked up in surprise.
She actually hoped he would say something, even just scold or reprimand her, at least not remain silent like he was now. This side of Master Shen seemed so unfamiliar, so frightening…
Following behind him, the little girl was uneasy, and would nervously look up at his back every now and then.
The bright moonlight made his figure appear thin, and the moonlight fell on his shoulders like a thin layer of snow.
He walked quickly from the brightly lit main street to the dark and secluded alley, never glancing to the side or turning back once, as if he didn't care whether the person behind him was following or not.
Her heart pounded with fear, almost beyond its limits, and Zhan Xinjia slowly stopped in her tracks.
Shen Suqing, who was walking in front, paused and turned slightly to the side.
Most of his pale face was hidden in the dark shadows of the deep alley. When he turned to the side, only a pair of slender, almond-shaped eyes were visible under the pale moonlight, exuding a noble and aloof air.
His eyes were arrogantly upturned at the corners, and his pupils were as black as lacquer, exuding a sinister and ruthless aura.
Even his tone of voice lacked emotional fluctuation, eerily calm.
"What, you're having so much fun you don't even want to go home?"
Zhan Xinjia suddenly fell silent.
Stared at by his sharp gaze, she momentarily forgot what she was about to say, her heart pounding so hard that she felt uneasy.
She always felt that the current Master Shen was too terrifying.
Moreover, her sixth sense was always sharp, and at this moment she sensed a strong danger emanating from him.
She felt a strong urge to escape.
Perhaps it was the girl's hesitation that angered him, for the young man turned around completely, a cryptic smile playing on his lips.
However, the smile didn't reach her eyes, and it lacked any warmth.
His brows were lowered, and his dark pupils remained gloomy, devoid of any highlight, as dark as splattered ink.
He approached her with unhurried steps, one after another, as if strolling leisurely.
Although the tone was like a suggestion, the words spoken brooked no refusal or questioning.
"I'm already very tired today, and I don't want to keep asking again and again, so Ah Zhi—"
Standing before her, he looked down at her with condescending eyes.
With a sinister, almost imperceptible smile, the young man raised his hand and touched her soft face. The bone-chilling coldness traveled from his palm to her cheek, making Zhan Xinjia unconsciously shrink her neck.
He simply rubbed her cheek with his bent knuckles, his eyes slightly curved, his tone as gentle as could be.
What did Ah Zhi do today?
What did you talk about with His Highness the Crown Prince?
Did you enjoy chatting with him?
Are you happier than when you're with me?
How happy was she? So happy that Ah Zhi forgot about time…
He paused for a moment after saying this.
A few stray hairs fell across his forehead, partially obscuring his eyes. His gaze grew deeper, and the smile on his lips deepened. The voice that came close to his ear was as chilling as a wet snake's tongue.
“A-Zhi is a good child, so he will obediently tell everything, right? Every word, every sentence.”
Zhan Xinjia: "..."
It's over.
She had forgotten that Lord Shen was mentally unstable; he wasn't a jealous person at all, but a powder keg that could explode at any moment.
As I said before, while unconventional relationships may be exciting, healthy love is something to yearn for!
Her heart was ice-cold. At this moment, she lowered her head timidly, stammering, not daring to speak, for fear that any word might provoke him.
She racked her brains, trying to appear weak and pretend to be stupid.
She reached out and grasped his cold fingers pressed against her cheek, guiding them to caress her delicate neck. The girl tilted her head back, a sweet smile as lovely as pear blossoms in spring rain.
Her eyes were clear and innocent.
"Hmm... Lord Shen's hands are so cold, did you catch a cold?"
Under normal circumstances, Master Shen is very easy to coax. As long as she softens her stance slightly, he will be the first to compromise and surrender.
But this is clearly not the normal situation now.
Because the young man not only did not withdraw his hand, but instead, to her astonishment, he took the opportunity to insert his long index and middle fingers together into her soft lips, prying open her teeth and making it impossible for her to close her mouth.
He lazily lowered his eyes, his eyelashes casting a faint shadow beneath his eyelids, and casually stroked her slightly pointed canine tooth on the left side with his fingertips.
His tone was also nonchalant.
"Sometimes I really wonder how someone with such skillful teeth can utter so many hurtful lies without batting an eye..."
At this point, he lowered his eyes.
The young man, his face cold and his chin held high, his pale face, which could shift between light and shadow, held a menacing anger as he warned her in a harsh voice.
"Tsk, you've drooled all over my hands, they're filthy. Aren't you going to apologize?"
"..."
At this moment, Zhan Xinjia finally understood that sentence.
Only those who wronged you know how wronged you really are!
Zhan Xinjia, who was unable to speak because his fingers were blocking her tongue, was on the verge of collapse. Her eyes were physiologically red, her jaw was sore and numb, and she tried her best to swallow the saliva that kept secreting.
But the fingers pressing down on her sharp teeth showed no sign of stopping, just as they used to play with the tea porcelain in their spare time.
Before she could get angry and struggle, the young man finally calmed down and deftly withdrew his hand without any expression.
He took out a handkerchief from his sleeve and meticulously wiped each of her wet fingers from her mouth, then neatly folded the handkerchief and put it back into his sleeve.
Finally, he bent down and used his thumb to wipe the water from her lips.
He smiled again, still the same well-dressed, gentle scholar he always was—nothing could be more mild-mannered and harmless.
"Let's have a good talk when you get home, okay?"
Zhan Xinjia's back trembled, and she subconsciously staggered back half a step, forcing a dry smile and silently refusing.
If I go back with him, will I get away with this?!
She coughed a few times to clear the strange feeling in her mouth, and tried to reason with him, trying to persuade him to calm down for a few days.
"Ahem, I... I suddenly miss my parents a bit, Lord Shen. May I go back to the General's Mansion for a few days? I'll leave Jide in your care for now, haha... It's getting late, so I'll be going now—"
Before she could finish speaking, the young man forcibly grabbed her wrist.
With no room for refusal, he led her forward without saying a word, selectively ignoring everything she had just said.
The more Zhan Xinjia struggled, the tighter and deeper his fingers gripped hers, almost causing her wrist to ache.
She finally stopped moving obediently.
Shen Suqing lowered his eyes, his gaze empty and devoid of light.
He recalled the food in the kitchen being heated up and cooled down repeatedly, and the person he was waiting for still hadn't returned, so in the end he could only regretfully throw it away.
So disappointed, so disappointed…
Standing alone under the lamp, what was he thinking?
Ah, it seems like we've been spoiling the child a bit too much.
Let's try a different way of disciplining them.
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