Actually, Zhan Xinjia wasn't this naive before.
Before meeting Master Shen, she was a completely lifeless, almost zombie-like person. She didn't care if the house caught fire, the sky collapsed, or the world ended.
A simp father, a glamorous mother, a ransacked home, and a broken heart.
Anyway, her life can't get any worse.
But ever since she got together with Master Shen, she has become more and more spoiled and sensitive.
Because she received boundless pampering, she wholeheartedly trusted and relied on the person in front of her, like a fledgling bird. In her eyes, Master Shen was the person in the world she could least bear to hurt.
It's all his fault for always spoiling her and indulging her, for being so easily fooled and talked to. Now, whenever he scolds her even slightly, tears well up in her eyes, feeling wronged.
This is none other than Lord Shen.
How could Lord Shen treat her so badly...?
Thinking of this, Zhan Xinjia's eyes stung, but she felt embarrassed and vulnerable for crying inexplicably, so she could only take a deep breath to suppress the bitterness in her heart and pretend to be indifferent.
“Ah paper.”
Noticing her low spirits, the young man called out to her.
She didn't move, lowered her head and pretended not to hear anything, continuing to stand at the door staring blankly at the tips of her shoes.
Anyway, he said before that there was no Ah Zhi or Master Shen here.
Who is Azhi? Anyway, it's not called her.
She's not a paper doll.
A barely audible sigh came from in front of her, followed by the rustling of fabric. Zhan Xinjia felt a blur before her eyes, and the young man who had been sitting on the couch had risen and walked to her.
He held out his hand to her.
Where's the handkerchief?
"..."
Zhan Xinjia turned her head away and refused to look at him, treating him as if he were invisible.
Shen Suqing sighed softly, placing his hand on the top of her head to soothe her. Then, he bent down and pulled the handkerchief, which had been crumpled into a ball, from her palm.
He couldn't help but frown.
"Are you an idiot? You've got your hands all dirty and you don't even wipe them clean. Look at this little girl, she's so old and still playing in the mud."
Despite his verbal rebuke, he still compromised and half-squatted down in front of her, carefully wiping her fingers clean with a handkerchief as before, leaving no gaps between her fingers.
He didn't fold the handkerchief and put it back in his sleeve until he had wiped the last mud stain clean.
He looked up at the little girl who was still sulking, cleared his throat a few times, and tentatively began to speak.
Are you really angry?
"..."
The little girl kept her head down and didn't say a word.
For some reason, Shen Suqing suddenly couldn't help but laugh. Even though she was seriously angry, she looked incredibly cute to him, like a frizzy Ji De.
Then look at the few strands of hair that hadn't been combed down in the morning sticking up on her forehead; they look like little bird feathers, making her even more adorable.
Shen Suqing couldn't help but soften his heart.
He didn't mean to upset her, but children shouldn't be spoiled like this all the time; they should have some manners when they're out in public.
Thinking of this, Shen Suqing suppressed the urge to hug and comfort her.
He straightened his posture, his expression becoming serious, and spoke indifferently.
"Even if you're really angry, wait until you get home to calm down. This is the Imperial Academy, the National University. Once you're here, you should study hard and not let your mind be filled with all sorts of nonsense."
Since there's nothing else, let's go back to class.
Upon hearing this, Zhan Xinjia became even more defensive.
She turned her head and swung her droopy rabbit-like braids angrily, but after only a few steps, she suddenly stopped.
Turning around, Zhan Xinjia blinked and generously stretched out her hands towards the well-dressed young man.
The little girl's eyes were red-rimmed, her voice was soft, and her fair face looked especially cute. Her wide, clear eyes were wet with affection and dependence on him, making her look pitiful.
She bit her crimson lips, her eyes lowered and downcast, as if her tears would fall immediately if he uttered even half a word of refusal.
"…hug."
Shen Suqing: "..."
Shen Suqing felt dizzy and disoriented.
He couldn't resist any of this and almost fell for her tricks on the spot. He wished he could immediately pull her into his arms and comfort her with tender words.
But once she gets a taste of success, she'll be even harder to manage in the future.
Shen Suqing's fingers clenched tightly beneath her sleeves, a tickle rising in his heart. He steeled himself, forcing himself to look away from her face. He barely managed to maintain his composure in front of her, managing not to fall into the sweet trap of this cunning young girl.
He pursed his thin lips, his face stern, and reprimanded coldly.
"You can hug me when we get home. Now I am your teacher, so don't do anything improper."
Even though Shen Suqing tried his best to keep his tone indifferent, his hoarse and dull voice still revealed that his emotions were not as calm as they appeared, but rather more out of control.
The little girl, heartbroken at being rejected, trembled, her eyes reddened, and her voice sounded like she was about to cry.
She took a few steps closer to him, her eyes brimming with tears as she looked up. A soft mist veiled her eyes, and tears welled up in the corners of her moist eyes, glistening and translucent.
She still stubbornly stretched out her hand.
"Young Master Shen, please hug me."
"It's really not possible right now..."
Shen Suqing's Adam's apple bobbed slightly as he closed his eyes with difficulty, trying to keep his mind calm by not seeing it.
But the next second, the little girl tugged at his sleeve and shook him gently in a coquettish manner, her voice even softer and more pitiful.
They were demanding and begging from him.
"Please, please, Mr. Shen, can't you hug me...?"
"..."
Shen Suqing thought that all his rationality would probably vanish in front of her, and in anything concerning Azhi, his subconscious actions, following his heart, were always faster than so-called logical thinking.
Even though he stubbornly tried to refuse verbally, by the time he came to his senses, the little girl was already tightly embraced in his arms.
He was heartbroken.
I want to touch her hair, I want to kiss her, I want to bring her the best treasures in the world to make her happy.
It seems like anything is fine, as long as she doesn't show that look in her eyes that makes his heart clench and ache again, even if it's fake, even if it's just an act, he can't bear it.
He couldn't refuse at all, nor did he want to.
All principles and rules become meaningless at this moment.
The little girl in his arms rubbed against his chest and clothes, her fair face peeking out, still looking pitiful with tears in her eyes, but her clear black and white eyes couldn't hide a hint of triumphant cunning.
"But...didn't the teacher just say that there's no Master Shen or Ah Zhi here? Hey, then why is the teacher hugging me now? This doesn't seem to be in accordance with the rules at all."
He had given up resistance and chosen to compromise.
The young man forced a smile, looked into her eyes, and began to repent in despair, reflecting on his actions word by word.
"Yes, I'm now shameless and self-deprecating. I'm ridiculously indifferent to etiquette and law, and I'm only thinking about how to appease my most important person, Ah Zhi, in a despicable way. Are you satisfied now?"
What kind of teacher is he?
All he knew was that he was holding his student tightly in his arms. He knew that this was the Imperial Academy and that it was indecent, but he was so out of his mind that he couldn't bear to let go.
He is the most unruly, frivolous, and unrestrained person in the world.
The bright summer sun in June bathed the wooden floor, illuminating a corner and pouring out a warm glow. The two knelt on the ground, embracing silently, their clothes overlapping, like a painting framed in a window.
For a moment, the room was quiet and still, save for the chirping of birds on the bamboo branches and the tinkling of the copper bells with tassels on the eaves as they jingled in the wind.
Occasionally, someone would walk by outside the window, casting a few dynamic shadows on the window screen, and one could vaguely hear the laughter and chatter of passersby as they approached or receded into the distance.
His heart suddenly raced, deafeningly fast. Feeling guilty like a thief, Shen Suqing tightened his grip on the little girl in his arms, instinctively pulling her even closer and hiding her completely inside his wide sleeve.
He lowered his eyebrows and pleaded with his eyes for her to be quiet.
Shh.
If his colleagues knew that he usually acted upright and self-disciplined, putting on the facade of an honest and upright gentleman, but in private he was so unrestrained that he would hold his students tightly and even become addicted to them...
His professional career is probably over now.
Zhan Xinjia, who was held tightly in his arms, peeked out and asked in a muffled, malicious, and drawn-out tone, as if she already knew the answer.
"Master Shen, why are you suddenly so nervous?"
Shen Suqing was speechless for a moment, but he couldn't even bring himself to scold him.
He lowered his head and pressed his cheek against hers. The young man's ear tips turned red, his eyelashes trembled slightly, and he angrily tapped her head lightly with his forehead.
The lowered voice sounded even more hoarse, making him quite embarrassed.
"Keep your voice down... Is this something to be proud of?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com