"Young Master Shen, please pay attention to me~~~"
The sky was gray and gloomy, shrouded in mist, with occasional wisps of snow falling from the eaves, leaving a thin layer of frost in this simple and elegant secluded courtyard.
Outside, the north wind howled fiercely, like the wailing of ghosts and wolves; it was the coldest time of the year. Inside the bedroom, with a charcoal stove burning, Zhan Xinjia sat on the edge of the bed, idly swinging his legs, which had just been changed for dressing.
She rested her head against the edge of the bed, her head hanging low, and called out in a weak, listless voice.
The young man standing outside the window, pasting paper-cut window decorations, ignored him and didn't respond.
After smoothing out the last crease in the window lattice, he glanced at her indifferently through the window, closed it from the outside, and calmly turned and left.
Zhan Xinjia felt disappointed and wanted to sigh.
Sigh, ever since she met her brother three days ago, the jealous Mr. Shen has been giving her the cold shoulder and acting strangely.
As she watched Master Shen's departing figure, she thought she was going to be abandoned. However, Master Shen was concerned about her leg injury and only bought an umbrella to shield her from the snow before rushing back.
The young man coldly handed her the umbrella, then silently carried her on his back to the small courtyard that had been prepared in advance.
From that day on, Master Shen started acting very strangely—
He would still do her laundry, cook for her, brew her medicine, buy her stories and snacks to pass the time, and even remember to come over every night before bed to check if the doors and windows of her room were closed and tuck her in.
But whenever she came up to him and asked for a hug or a kiss, he would just turn his head away expressionlessly, completely ignoring her.
Tomorrow is Lunar New Year's Eve. Is it really true that Lord Shen is going to not speak to her for the entire year? That's so unlucky...
With these sad thoughts, and the intermittent sound of wind and snow outside the window lulling him into a deep sleep, Zhan Xinjia lay on the couch and drifted off to sleep again. When he woke up, it was already dark outside, night had fallen.
She rubbed her eyes, yawned, and sat up.
The room was lit by warm yellow candlelight. She had been carried into bed without her noticing, and was now comfortably covered with a newly dried, soft cotton quilt. New charcoal had been added to the stove, making it warm and cozy.
Fresh tea was simmering on the stove, the lids of the teapots tapping gently against the bubbling, boiling water, filling the room with a delicate fragrance.
Everything was so warm and comfortable, but the person who had quietly done all of this was nowhere to be seen.
From afar, the sound of conversation could be heard from the corridor.
“Why are you being so polite with your aunt? It’s not easy for you two to come all this way to do business. We’re all neighbors, so it’s only natural to help each other out. Just accept it.”
"That's right, Young Master Shen. They're just some inexpensive pastries. People around here eat these during the New Year for good luck and to bring good fortune! By the way, is your wife feeling any better?"
A moment later, the young man's calm, clear voice came through, gentle and approachable.
Even in the wind and snow, it can give people a sense of calm and stability.
"It's not much better, but I'll take good care of myself. Thank you all for your concern."
Zhan Xinjia couldn't help but smile as she listened.
My gaze inadvertently fell on the headboard, where her shoes and socks were neatly arranged on the bench, seemingly baked and still warm.
The thought of the virtuous and hardworking Xiao Shen, who was angry and jealous, still having to put on a stern face and coldly take off her shoes and socks, carry her back to bed, and cover her with a blanket, warmed her heart and made her feel sweet.
After the conversation in the corridor subsided and a while had passed, the young man slowly walked in carrying the freshly brewed medicine.
A layer of snow had settled on his shoulders, and his face was pale and bluish from the cold. He must have been in a hurry when he came from the kitchen because he was afraid the medicine would cool down too quickly. He didn't even use an umbrella, and his whole body was filled with a chilling aura.
If you look closely, you can even see frost clinging to his eyelashes, making his features appear even more refined and otherworldly.
Afraid of passing on the cold to her, the young man took off his cloak and hung it aside before slowly walking to the bedside. He sat down on the edge of the couch, gently blew out the cooling mist, and patiently placed the spoon to her lips.
He had been feeding her medicine like this for the past few days.
Back then, Zhan Xinjia wanted to please him and coax him, so she always cooperated by forcing herself to drink it without even complaining about the bitterness. But now she was unwilling to do so.
Since she can't coax him anyway, he'll leave after feeding her the medicine anyway, and he won't say a word to her anyway, why should she listen to him?
Zhan Xinjia turned her face away and avoided him.
Shen Suqing frowned in confusion and spoke in a hoarse voice.
"Take your medicine."
"I won't drink it."
Why?
I hate you.
Shen Suqing was taken aback, and his expression was somewhat at a loss.
Hearing those three words from her again still caused a dull ache and a slight tremor in his heart. He closed his eyes, and despite the bitterness in his heart, he still suppressed his emotions and coaxed her gently and patiently.
His tone was as light as a breath of mist.
"Fine, I hate it the most. Hate me after you finish your medicine."
Zhan Xinjia didn't respond. The candlelight in the room was too dim. She lowered her head and stared blankly at the patterns on the bedding. It took her a long time before she finally spoke in a muffled voice.
"Master Xiao Shen."
"Um."
"I'm so sad that you're ignoring me..."
Her voice was so aggrieved, with a slight sob in it, that Shen Suqing's heart clenched suddenly, and he felt a sharp pang of heartache.
He put down the medicine bowl, sighed, and reluctantly bent down to embrace her, resting his chin on the top of her head and gently patting her back. The young Grand Tutor tenderly comforted his betrothed in the cold, snowy night.
"Good girl, Ah Zhi... don't be sad anymore."
His embrace seemed to shield her from all the hardships of the world, warmly enveloping and protecting her, making her feel incredibly safe.
Zhan Xinjia's eyes welled up with tears. She nuzzled her cheek against his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist.
"Why are you sulking instead of listening to my explanation? You didn't even ask me. If you had, I would definitely have told you. It's always like this. Don't you trust me at all? But I've said so many times that I like Master Shen the most..."
"Ah Zhi, I just..."
Shen Suqing did not say anything more after that.
Or perhaps, he doesn't understand why he's always struggling and in so much pain.
Perhaps because he had lost too much since birth, and wandered through the world, in his long loneliness, in order to avoid being looked at with pity or sympathy, he had long been accustomed to hiding his emotions and digesting them alone.
Fortunately, she didn't ask any further questions.
For a moment, there was silence, with only the two of them embracing each other, listening to the biting wind and snow outside the window.
After a long while, Shen Suqing pulled the clingy little girl out of his arms, gently rubbed her soft face with his fingertips, pinched her cheeks which had finally grown back a little, and a smile appeared in his eyes.
"If you don't drink your medicine soon, it will really get cold. It's so late and so cold. Can you bear to make me stay up until midnight to cook it again?"
She was naturally reluctant to part with it.
She obediently drank the medicine from his hand, but Zhan Xinjia couldn't bear to go to sleep like that.
Before the young man picked up his bowl and left, she gently tugged at his sleeve. When he turned around, she just blinked her wet eyes and stared at him pitifully, looking as if she couldn't bring herself to say anything.
His eyes were calm and clear.
"Is the medicine too bitter and do you want me to kiss you?"
The little girl's eyes lit up.
Shen Suqing chuckled softly, then leaned down and gently kissed her face, a mixture of helplessness and sweetness in his voice, until he had completely tasted away the faint bitterness of the Chinese medicine from her lips and teeth. Only then did he straighten up, his breathing disordered.
Looking at her moist lips under the candlelight, they seemed to be covered with a layer of sugar, glistening.
His Adam's apple bobbed slightly, his voice became even hoarse, and his gaze shifted nervously to the koi fish playing with lotus flowers pasted on the window beside him.
"Go to bed early, I'll take you shopping tomorrow."
"Master Xiao Shen."
"Um?"
"I want to sleep with you."
She shook his sleeve, feeling a little aggrieved. They had slept together before, so why did they have to be in separate rooms? Wouldn't it be warmer for the two of them to huddle together for warmth on such a cold night?
However, being young and naive, she didn't understand what it meant to actively invite a healthy adult man to share a bed...
Shen Suqing's body suddenly stiffened, his thin lips pressed tightly together, and a cluster of dark fire suddenly flickered in his eyes.
He slammed the bowl down again, this time his eyes darkened, and he leaned onto the bed, his knees rubbing closer to her. He cupped her face with his fingers and traced her features with his eyes, his rapid breathing was surprisingly hot, and his voice was even hoarse and deep.
He affirmed it, word by word.
"Ah Zhi, you will marry me, right?"
"Uh-huh??"
Although she didn't know why he suddenly asked this, Zhan Xinjia, completely bewildered, nodded like a chicken pecking at rice, and asked in confusion, "What else? Does Lord Shen want to separate from me?"
Upon hearing her answer, the hand that had been covering her face moved down, tentatively landing on her collar and gripping it tightly.
His hands were shaking violently.
A thin mist rose in her eyes, her eye sockets were red, and her expression was dazed and infatuated, as if she was suppressing and yearning for something.
"Ah Zhi, you like me too, don't you?"
Startled by the aggressive and oppressive aura emanating from Master Shen, Zhan Xinjia instinctively shrank back into the bed in fear. Although she felt that something was not quite right, she still obediently nodded.
She likes Mr. Shen the most!!
So what happened next was beyond what she considered reasonable—
At least until she was breathless from the kiss, she still thought it was just a simple chat under the covers, that Little Shen just wanted to kiss her, until, as the kiss continued, she suddenly couldn't find her clothes anymore...
Her mind went blank, her consciousness seemed to have broken down. Zhan Xinjia looked at the person in front of her with her wet, peach-blossom eyes, confused and bewildered. Shocked and embarrassed, she pushed him away, her face burning red.
Fireworks exploded in her mind, and her body became limp as if she were drowning. Her back trembled slightly, and she could barely speak.
"Young Master Shen, this...this isn't right..."
The young man slowly wiped the water stains from his lips with his finger, then expressionlessly licked his fingertip clean, maintaining his gentlemanly demeanor, as if he were engaged in some elegant activity of brewing tea with snow.
Even his tone was very serious.
"He's lied to me so many times, bad kids need to be punished, right? If he's not properly disciplined, he'll become completely lawless."
"But, but Lord Shen, sob sob!"
Before he could finish speaking, he leaned down and pressed against her again.
Zhan Xinjia felt a little desperate. Before, when she did something wrong, Master Shen would only make her copy lines as punishment…
Her consciousness was hazy, and she didn't know how much time had passed. Zhan Xinjia felt like she was about to vomit. Sweat soaked her temples, and she was dazed and confused. With her last bit of will to live, she shakily pushed him again, her voice hoarse and weak. She belatedly realized what was happening.
"No...no, Brother Er Gou, something's not right..."
This isn't just cooked rice anymore, it's practically burnt to a crisp!
However, no one paid any attention to her.
After a while, Zhan Xinjia was really in so much pain that she wanted to vomit. Forget about whether it was right or wrong. Her messy hair was spread out on the pillow, her wrist was held down tightly, and she breathed in vain. Her eyes were vacant, and she could only shout in a hoarse voice, feeling lost and helpless.
"Master Xiao Shen..."
"Little Master Shen~"
"Grand Tutor Shen, please have mercy, I'm going to die, I really am going to die..."
In a daze, she met the young man's equally wet eyes.
His breathing was slow and deep, his loose, dark hair falling messily on the side of her face, the tips brushing against her neck, tickling her. The young man's phoenix eyes, slightly narrowed with satisfaction, were as dark as ink, the sharp corners of his eyes reddening. His fair, ethereal face, covered in sweat, had delicate features and a solemn expression, making him appear both righteous and wicked.
Slowly straightening up, Chen Suqing raised his finger and gently brushed the wet hair from his forehead, his demeanor elegant and refined, meticulous in every detail.
He looked down at her with a calm and collected gaze.
Despite his domineering and possessive demeanor, his languid tone carried a hint of grievance, with a drawn-out, tender, and alluring quality.
His dark eyes were fixed on her, a half-smile playing on his lips.
"Ah Zhi, are you going to disappoint me even with something like this?"
Looking at that devastatingly handsome face so close to him, Zhan Xinjia felt a pang of heartache and was instantly captivated. She quickly comforted him and made promises to him, even though she was overestimating her abilities.
"Young Master Shen! I will definitely not let you down!"
Two hours later, the sky outside the window gradually brightened, and the snow stopped. The little girl, soaked to the bone as if she had just been pulled out of the water, struggled to climb out. Incoherently, she hurriedly changed her mind and took back her previous promise.
"Wait, wait, I'll disappoint you, I'll disappoint you..."
The young man responded with a muffled chuckle.
He pulled her back into his arms, his nose brushing against her neck, his expression a mixture of lingering disappointment and longing.
He gently bit her collarbone, just like when he personally taught her to write in his study, only to end up with a mess of scribbles. The usually strict and rigid Grand Tutor Shen frowned unhappily and scolded his child in a low voice.
"You're really useless."
...
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com