The night was still and frosty, with the faint chirping of insects.
After nightfall, Zhan Xinjia, having eaten and drunk his fill, lay under the crabapple tree in the courtyard, covered with a thin blanket, enjoying the breeze and digesting his food.
"Meow!" A pair of piercing eyes suddenly appeared in the darkness, shining brightly.
Immediately afterwards, a figure as majestic as a mountain leaped swiftly and accurately from the top of the wall into her arms.
Before Zhan Xinjia could react, he was suddenly pressed down so hard that his vision went black, as if he had been dragged to his chest to break a huge rock. His internal organs shifted, and he almost coughed up a mouthful of blood.
Once she came to her senses, she viciously grabbed the ear of the super big fat orange cat in her arms.
It blinked its innocent, golden eyes, and the two stared at each other, neither looking away first.
"What incredible luck! Do you think you're still some weak little kitten, jumping on people like that? I thought I was lying in the yard and suddenly got hit by a car as punishment from heaven."
Although she complained fiercely, Zhan Xinjia still grumbled and rolled it up in a different position, stuffing it into her arms because it felt so good.
The orange cat meowed a few curses under its breath, then nuzzled restlessly in her arms.
Just as Zhan Xinjia was about to get angry, it rubbed its round, fluffy cheek against Zhan Xinjia's chin in an extremely flattering and affectionate manner to show friendliness and intimacy.
Zhan Xinjia felt itchy from being rubbed, so he generously gave it to the young man watching the fun from a recliner.
"Young Master Shen, look at it!!"
Shen Suqing reached out and took the orange cat into his arms, stroking its back with his long, slender fingers.
Although his facial expression remained serious, there was a clear hint of a smile in his eyes, and his voice rose at the end.
"What, you're going to sue even over a cat?"
Seeing the orange cat lying comfortably in Xiao Shen's arms, Zhan Xinjia felt inexplicably envious.
Even Master Shen has never hugged me like this before!
The little girl puffed out her cheeks, turned her head away angrily like a pufferfish, and fell back into the recliner.
According to Master Shen, this orange cat was a stray cat in the alley, raised on the charity of many families since it was a child. However, among all the households in Chang'an Alley, it still preferred to come to the Shen family for meals.
Doesn't this indirectly prove that Master Shen's cooking skills are absolutely top-notch in this area?!
Zhan Xinjia puffed out his chest, feeling a sense of pride in sharing in the glory.
She got up and moved the recliner closer to Shen Suqing.
"Hey, we can't just let it eat like this forever, can we? Master Shen, why don't we just adopt it and give it a name so it can be registered in our home?"
Our home?
Hearing her choice of words, Shen Suqing choked up.
This girl is quite outgoing.
Shen Suqing turned to look at her. She was talking enthusiastically, her whole being radiant with laughter and vitality. The moonlight seemed to shine even brighter on her.
The words he was about to say inexplicably stuck in his throat and he swallowed them back.
Since she'll leave once her amnesia is cured, what's the point of arguing with her now? What if it triggers her madness and she chases after him and attacks him? It's better to just go along with her.
Left or right isn't important either.
Thinking of this, Shen Suqing relaxed his brows and eyes, and casually stroked the orange cat in his arms.
What name should we choose?
"Wow! Little Shen, you don't know, it's such a bad cat! It's always stealing dried fish from the kitchen or deliberately knocking over other people's drying radishes. Once I even saw it chasing a dog outside the alley with a sachet it stole from somewhere in its mouth!"
When listing the misdeeds of this wicked cat, Zhan Xinjia could practically recite them all.
She rested her chin on her hand, appearing deep in thought.
"Hmm... Since it likes to steal so much, let's just name it Jide from now on! Let it accumulate some good karma so that it won't get caught and made into a hot pot one day after doing all sorts of bad things."
Before Shen Suqing could express his opinion, she got up and smilingly scooped the orange cat, who was still tilting its head and unaware of what was happening, from his arms.
She tossed it into the air, caught it steadily, and hugged it tightly. Holding it up, nose to nose, she deliberately spoke in a high-pitched, soft voice to tease it.
"How can our adorable little kittens not have a home, right?"
"Meow~~"
What was clearly an ordinary and heartwarming scene took on a different, poignant meaning in Shen Suqing's eyes.
It was already pitiful enough that a frail little girl was stranded, but then she suffered from amnesia due to a fever caused by heavy rain...
When she saw it, she must have been reminded of her own difficult experiences and circumstances, and felt sympathy for it.
He truly is a kind-hearted and good child.
Shen Suqing sighed inwardly, his heart instantly filled with pity and admiration for her character. Even his gaze towards her softened like melting snow in spring, filled with great appreciation.
Zhan Xinjia felt a little uneasy under his loving and tolerant gaze, which resembled that of an old father. She was about to say something when there was a knock on the courtyard gate.
The one who arrived was a young officer in uniform, tall and thin, with unsteady steps, and carrying a token from the Dali Temple.
He lowered his voice and offered very flattering words.
"Lord Shen, I apologize for disturbing you so late at night. My master says that the assassin we captured a few days ago is finally planning to confess, and he wants you to come to the Dali Temple to listen in on the proceedings."
Shen Suqing had no suspicions. He went back to his room, put on an outer robe, and was about to go out with the official.
Before leaving, he still remembered to remind his troublesome, silly child at home.
"After I leave, lock the door. Don't open the door if anyone knocks. Don't wait for me. Go back to your room to rest when I'm sleepy."
Zhan Xinjia obediently responded, but after the two left, she touched her chin and suddenly felt that something was amiss—
The official had a faint, deliberately concealed smell of blood on him, and upon closer inspection, his clothes seemed ill-fitting, with the waist and cuffs too loose, and his voice was deliberately kept low.
No, could my little Shen have been tricked away by some brazen thugs?
Just as Zhan Xin was filled with doubt, there was another knock on the courtyard gate.
Surprisingly, the officials who came this time were from the Dali Temple.
"...This is Lord Shen's residence, isn't it? Is Lord Shen here?"
The young officer wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, his breathing rapid, clearly having run all the way here.
Upon receiving the letter, Jia's heart sank.
"Didn't Lord Shen just leave with the people from your Dali Temple?"
"Oh no! It's true that Lord Fu sent me to invite Lord Shen to the Dali Temple for a talk, but what he wanted to talk about was that an assassin had killed the prison guard and escaped!"
The junior official's knees buckled, and he was about to kneel down in desperation.
He didn't even dare to waste time swallowing his saliva. Before Zhan Xinjia could speak again, he hurried back to Dali Temple, his figure quickly disappearing into the dark night.
So, Lord Shen went with that assassin disguised as an official?
No way, how can she continue to live off a woman after the human traffickers have kidnapped her and taken her as their long-term meal ticket?!
It's hardened; its fists have hardened.
Zhan Xinjia angrily took a few steps back, put Jide on the recliner, and turned to leave.
She continued to ponder as she chased after him.
If the other party simply wanted to kill, they could have done so when they first met. After all, Master Shen is just a weak scholar with no strength to even kill a chicken, and is quite pathetic.
However, the other party did not carry out the attack, but instead used the name of the Dali Temple to take away Lord Shen...
This indicates that the opposing team wanted to capture him alive.
In that case, Lord Shen should be out of immediate danger.
It had just rained in the evening, and following a few inconspicuous fresh footprints in the mud and the faint smell of blood in the air, Zhan Xinjia unknowingly chased after them to the outskirts of the city.
The southern suburbs of the capital are remote and desolate.
For miles around, there was no sign of human habitation. The road was lined with lonely graves and wild mounds. The dirt road was narrow and the stone path was rugged. A few faint green lights accompanied the deep darkness of the long night, chilling to the bone.
When the wind rises, the wild grasses sway and cast large, ghostly shadows, swaying menacingly.
An unidentified bird perched on a withered branch, emitting sharp, piercing cries.
Walking along the country lane, a normal sixteen-year-old girl would be terrified and cry at the sight, but Zhan Xinjia was completely unfazed and even felt like laughing more and more as she walked.
She skillfully took a shortcut and slipped into a dense thicket of reeds.
After observing for a moment, I saw a faint candlelight suddenly appear in the window of an abandoned old bungalow not far from the riverbank.
It seems they're inside.
Zhan Xinjia, expressionless, broke off a dry reed and put it in his mouth. Not in a hurry, he simply rested his head on his arm and leisurely lay down in the reeds with his legs crossed.
The fact that the other party didn't rush to bring Master Shen back to the organization is definitely because he is too seriously injured to travel a long distance. Therefore, they must have contacted their accomplices in advance to meet him here.
Sure enough, before half an incense stick's time had passed, several dark figures dressed in night clothes suddenly appeared on the trees by the river.
They headed in the direction of the dilapidated house.
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