Zhan Xinjia didn't know how she fell asleep. Her mind was a mess, and she was bored staring at the ceiling.
But she knew she was awakened by the aroma.
When she opened her eyes again, a white porcelain spoon was being held to her lips, deliberately moving from side to side to release its fragrance. The spoon contained a thin layer of perfectly thick vegetable and lean meat porridge, cooked until fragrant, soft, and tender.
She was stunned, and then her stomach growled loudly.
A soft laugh, barely contained, came from above.
She looked up blankly and saw Master Shen sitting by her bedside, holding a bowl in one hand and a spoon in the other, looking at her with a smile.
"I just wanted to see if I could lure someone awake, but I didn't expect that person's stomach would growl faster than they opened their eyes."
His tone was unusually sarcastic.
The young man's face was still pale, his lips were a sickly dark black, and some messy black hair fell over his shoulders and back. Strands of hair on his forehead and temples fell on the sides of his thin face, making him look even more refined and frail.
He wore a simple, dark blue long robe made of the most ordinary material, without any adornments.
Zhan Xinjia tilted her head and stared at him.
I feel like this version of Lord Shen is a bit unfamiliar.
He used to always wear his ridiculously expensive clothes, adorned with jade pendants and tassels, and his sideburns were meticulously bound with a hair crown, giving him the air of a high-ranking, aristocratic, and arrogant powerful minister.
At first glance, his simple attire gave him an air of nonchalance and ease, making him seem like an ordinary scholar from the countryside.
Very...down-to-earth?
"What are you spacing out for? Are you really starving to death?"
Shen Suqing sighed softly and put down the bowl of porridge.
He first bent down, reached under her armpits, and lifted the little girl onto the raised cushion. Once he was sure she was comfortable, he turned around and brought back a bowl of warm water.
As was his habit, Shen Suqing blew on the spoon and then held it to her lips.
His eyebrows were lowered, and his gaze was very gentle.
"Drink some water to soothe your throat first. Don't worry, I'm here watching over you. Your porridge won't grow legs and run away."
He drank half a bowl of water from his hand, and it felt as if his internal organs had been cleansed from head to toe by warm water. It was very soothing, and even the faint metallic taste deep in his throat was washed away.
Zhan Xinjia breathed a sigh of relief, hugged his waist, and rested her head on his lap.
Shen Suqing was so startled by her sudden hug that he almost dropped the bowl in his hand.
Coming to his senses, he put down the bowl and gently patted the back of the child in his arms who seemed to be throwing a tantrum.
"Alright, alright, what's wrong? You're so unhappy right after waking up."
"Master Xiao Shen..."
Zhan Xinjia's voice sounded muffled, as if she wanted to say something but then stopped, and she didn't say anything more.
Suddenly remembering something, she let go of his hand, sat up straight, and looked at him with worry and guilt, before speaking hesitantly.
"...Wound, did you touch it?"
She felt the young man's warm hand gently rub her bangs. Then, his calloused hand traced her face from her temples to her cheeks, finally lifting her face with a little force and forcing her to look him in the eye.
His phoenix eyes were slightly raised, and his dark pupils held a faint smile.
"Little cripple should worry about himself first."
"!"
Zhan Xinjia wrinkled her nose, angrily pushed him away, and rolled up the blanket, ready to roll into the bed.
"You're not lame!!"
Shen Suqing smiled and reached out to pull her back, and it took him a while to coax her back to calm down.
"Good, good, good! Our Ah Zhi is very agile; he can run even faster after eating something."
He fed her spoonful by spoonful, and she ate spoonful by spoonful. Neither of them felt there was anything wrong with it, but Su Yun, who had just walked in, stiffened and subconsciously tried to take the bowl from Shen Suqing's hands.
"Brother Chen? Your injuries haven't healed yet, why did you get out of bed on your own? Let me help you."
"It's alright."
Shen Suqing avoided her movements, blew on the spoon again, and handed it to the delicate little girl on the bed.
"Your stomach must be feeling uncomfortable. You've been hungry for so long, you can't eat too much at once. Just a few more sips of water should be enough."
Zhan Xinjia's eyelashes trembled.
With outsiders present, she felt a little embarrassed and turned her head away after finishing her drink, refusing to open her mouth again.
"Are you full?"
Shen Suqing put down the bowl and took out a handkerchief to wipe the corner of her mouth.
Su Yun, standing behind, looked increasingly grim. She felt that she was in the way, but for some reason, she didn't want to leave.
Six years have passed since Brother Shen left, and she still has so much to say to him.
I want to know how prosperous the capital is, and how it differs from Linshui Village. I want to tell him the interesting things that have happened in Linshui Village since I left. I want to ask him if he's met a girl he likes…
Her eyes gradually dimmed, and Su Yun silently cleared the dishes from the table, turning to leave. But the half-bowl of porridge was picked up again.
The young man calmly finished the rest of the porridge before placing it on the tray.
"Thank you for your help. Have the teacher and the village chief returned yet?"
Su Yun stared wide-eyed in disbelief.
She looked at the bowl, then at him, biting her lower lip, unable to speak for a long time. Her eyes were full of surprise and hurt, and her heart ached with an unbearable bitterness.
She also remembered that her brother Shen had a severe case of mysophobia. He used to only use serving chopsticks when eating and never shared bowls with others. His bowls were usually kept separately in another cabinet from the other bowls.
How could he eat other people's leftovers...?
"It seems like I'm back."
After saying this, Su Yun suppressed her discomfort, picked up the tray without even raising her head, and hurriedly pushed open the door to leave as if fleeing.
Shen Suqing was somewhat confused.
Has he become so terrifying after six years apart? How come he scared people away the moment they met?
There was no time to dwell on this matter; Shen Suqing quickly began to regret his return...
The door was pushed open again, and a kind-looking old man walked in, stroking his goatee with a hearty laugh.
"Hahaha, yo! Our Shen Er Gou is finally back in the village! He should stay a few more days this time so that the other little rascals in the village can also share in the good fortune of the God of Literature! Hahaha!"
Shen Suqing: "..."
Zhan Xinjia: "???"
Greetings, Mr. Shen: "Young Master Shen, Er Gou is..."
Before she could finish speaking, Master Shen suddenly stood up, walked to the door, and shoved the village chief out.
"Village chief, let's discuss this later..."
"Hey! Er Gou, what's wrong with you? Are you playing me for a fool?! You were the one who was in such a hurry to ask me to find someone to clean up your old house, why aren't you in a hurry now?"
The village chief, his beard bristling and eyes wide, asked in a displeased tone.
Shen Suqing took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and a rare look of desperate vulnerability appeared on his face.
Even his voice sounded off.
"Please... we'll talk about it later."
"Ergou! Ergou! What's wrong with you?!"
Pushed out the door, the bewildered village chief continued shouting.
Shen Suqing locked the door, pretended to be calm, walked to the table and poured himself a cup of tea, but his hand holding the cup was trembling.
On the bed, Zhan Xinjia chuckled awkwardly a few times before hesitantly speaking.
"...Hey, Shen Ergou?"
Shen Suqing: "..."
Shen Suqing coughed a few times, his face stern and solemn. "Heh, it's normal for children in the village to have a few lowly names when they're young. Don't worry about it."
Zhan Xinjia paused, her expression complicated, and cautiously whispered a reminder.
"But Lord Shen, you look like you're about to shatter..."
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