After cuddling for a while, Zhan Xinjia happily led Little Shen out the door.
Although it's early autumn, the temperature dropped particularly quickly this year; by mid-September, the leaves along the streets were already turning red. The sun was high in the sky, but the wind that brushed against my cheeks still carried a chill, and taking a breath felt quite cold.
Zhanxinjia quite likes this kind of weather; it's sunny, breezy, and not too hot or too cold.
Walking along Changning Street, the road is covered with maple leaves, which crunch underfoot. Pedestrians come and go, and vendors on both sides shout enthusiastically, creating a prosperous and bustling street scene.
Zhan Xinjia hummed a tuneless little tune with great satisfaction, occasionally childishly stomping on the fallen leaves.
Shen Suqing, standing to the side, still looked somewhat unnatural.
He had long been accustomed to making himself appear more mature and composed, and his personality had become increasingly reserved over the years. This was the first time he had dressed so...young since coming to the capital, and he felt somewhat embarrassed.
Perhaps it was just his imagination, but Shen Suqing felt that someone was watching him all the time.
Indeed, many people on the street kept casting their gazes at him.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Shen Suqing felt even more uncomfortable.
Noticing that he was nervous, Zhan Xinjia slowly stopped in his tracks.
She smiled and reached out to pinch his cheek, trying to force the corners of his mouth, which were tightly pursed downwards, upwards with her fingers.
"Young Master Shen, why do you keep looking so fierce? It does look incredibly cool and handsome, but we're here to have fun, so cheer up!"
It's so strange. Little Shen usually seems so gentle and approachable, but today he changed his clothes and stood next to her—
He was like a cold-faced guard, with a stern expression and a chilling aura, as if he were just about to carry a sword in his arms.
It screams "Keep away, strangers!" and "Get out of my sight!"
However, as soon as Zhan Xinjia stopped, she belatedly realized that many people on the street were staring at Lord Shen, and most of them were young girls with bright admiration in their eyes.
Indeed, if she had suddenly seen a handsome, cool guy with a high ponytail on the street before, she would have watched him walk two blocks away as a sign of respect.
That won't do now. If she dared to do that again, Master Shen would be dying of jealousy—
After we're done, I'll go home and he'll kiss me to death.
Even though so many people were staring intently at Lord Shen, Zhan Xinjia felt no jealousy, anger, or displeasure. Instead, she felt even more proud and honored.
A husband's good looks are a wife's glory!
Look, look, show me all you want, it's not like I'll lose anything by being looked at a few more times. She dressed up Little Shen so handsomely so that people could feast their eyes on him.
Besides, she's right there. Would anyone be so clueless as to come up and chat her up?
Yes, there really is.
When a girl blushed and shyly approached, both Zhan Xinjia and Shen Suqing were stunned.
The girl lowered her head slightly, her eyes were clear and moist, and her face was red from the tips of her ears all the way to her neck. She nervously fidgeted with her handkerchief with her nail polished fingers the whole time, looking extremely shy.
Even so, she still mustered up the courage to speak.
"May I ask if you are a guard in this young lady's household? And... are you married?"
I understand now that you've received your letter.
It turns out that others really mistook Lord Shen for her bodyguard.
She was still thinking about how to refuse in a tactful yet clear way without embarrassing this brave older sister, but she didn't expect that Master Shen would actually start to play tricks in a serious manner.
Shen Suqing, expressionless, bent down and tucked a stray hair behind Azhi's ear, then coldly raised his eyes, his tone indifferent.
How did you know I was planning to elope with my young lady?
girl:"???"
Zhan Xinjia: "??????"
Despite the two people's puzzled and shocked gazes, the young man remained calm and composed, displaying the demeanor of a cool and aloof guard.
But the words that came out of his mouth sounded incredibly outrageous.
"How do you know that although my young lady is already engaged, she has been in love with me since childhood and will not marry anyone else? How do you know that my young lady and I are deeply in love and inseparable? How do you know that my young lady agreed to abandon her fiancé and follow me to talk about farming and wander the world with me just because I frowned slightly?"
By the end, the girl's expression had changed from initial admiration to astonishment and anger, and she immediately became furious.
"Hey buddy, who asked you?!"
After saying that, the girl hurriedly pulled Zhan Xinjia's hand aside and whispered earnestly to her.
"Marriage is a very important matter that must be taken seriously!"
This guy... just by looking at him, I feel like he's got a lot of bad intentions. He's sinister and doesn't seem like a good person. We must not fall into his trap!
So what if he's good-looking? There are so many handsome young men in the world. Oh, take my advice, go home and tell your dad to sell him off as soon as possible.
Sell...sell Master Shen...?
With mixed feelings, Zhan Xinjia nodded blankly, her expression as ugly as if she had eaten shit.
She didn't hear what the girl said after that because her head was buzzing. The passersby on the street who were watching the commotion had changed from being spectators to angrily rebuking the irresponsible "pretty boy".
The letter was torn open.
Wow, wow, Mr. Shen, although I have been trying to figure out how to refuse in a tactful way without making this lady lose face in front of everyone, your trick is too underhanded.
Now I'm the one who can't hold my head up high!
Walking into a general store, Zhan Xinjia picked up a garbage bag. Feeling so ashamed that his legs went weak, he paid five coins and put the garbage bag over his head on the spot. In a daze, he walked forward blankly.
Hearing a suppressed laugh from the young man behind him, Zhan Xinjia became even more annoyed and walked even faster.
Only when the noise of the crowd gradually faded away did she take off her cloth bag, her cheeks flushed and her eyes wet. She puffed out her cheeks and sat down under a maple tree by the riverbank, clearly unhappy.
Shen Suqing watched as this fool walked along, burying his head in the cloth bag like a thief trying to hide his embarrassment, and he followed behind, laughing the whole way.
He felt his jaw ache from laughing so much.
He cleared his throat a few times with his fist to his lips, then suppressed his smile and sat down next to her.
As soon as she saw him coming, the little girl turned her head away in a huff.
Shen Suqing felt incredibly tender and reached out to touch her messy, frizzy hair that had been rummaging around in the bag.
"Are you really angry? But Ah Zhi used to always say that when you're out in the world, your identity is something you give yourself."
"...Waaaaah, this is so embarrassing!!"
Zhan Xinjia sobbed, covered her face with her hands, and buried her head in the young man's arms like a little fox with its fur standing on end.
The smile in Shen Suqing's eyes deepened.
Hasn't she embarrassed him enough times in public? He's never been angry. Besides, he was already feeling a bit uneasy, and he had something to ask her about.
"People keep looking at me and talking to me... How come you don't mind at all?"
He secretly wished he could hide Azhi in his bedroom forever, never letting anyone else see her, but Azhi treated him very casually and was not afraid that he would be taken away by someone else.
Ah Zhi...aren't you afraid of losing him?
Thinking of this, Shen Suqing felt even more lost, and he fell into endless self-doubt and inferiority.
In a daze, the little girl in his arms softly hooked her little finger around his.
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