An Ci listened and felt that what he said seemed to make some sense.
She tilted her head and looked at him, "So, do you have any tricks?"
Shen Mo withdrew his hand, his brows and eyes indifferent, "You can say that you have someone you like."
An Ci asked again, "What if she asks who it is? Wouldn't that make her look cowardly?"
"You can say that you have a one-sided crush on her and it's not convenient to disclose it." Shen Mo said with ease.
An Ci's eyes lit up. This was a good idea.
She asked him curiously, "Have you used this trick before?"
"No."
"Master Shen Mo?" Aunt Hong's voice was a little uncertain.
Shen Mo turned around and looked at Aunt Hong who brought the fruit plate, and nodded politely.
"Auntie Hong."
It really is him.
Aunt Hong smiled, glanced at An Ci, and said jokingly, "Master Shen Mo is back, so our young master doesn't have to be so sad anymore."
An Ci absolutely refused to admit it. "When did I ever look sad, Aunt Hong? You're talking nonsense."
Shen Mo raised his lips and smiled. Aunt Hong put down the fruit plate and said with a smile, "Okay, okay, you didn't. I was just talking nonsense."
After drinking the last sip of strawberry milkshake, An Ci stood up and looked at Shen Mo, "Come on, I'll take you to see my vegetable garden."
Shen Mo stood up and saw that strand of her hair stood up again, which he thought was a little cute.
An Ci held his hand like they did when they were little, and said as they walked, "Auntie Hong, he's eating here at noon, please cook more."
——
Fugui followed the two of them out, and halfway through, he couldn't keep still and ran to catch butterflies.
An Ci was not worried that it would get lost, because it would go back automatically when it was time for dinner.
The vegetable garden, which was originally just for fun, is becoming more and more well-maintained under the care of a dedicated person. From a distance, it looks lush green, and even the grape trellis is covered with several bunches of grapes.
An Ci reached out and grabbed one, rubbed it on his clothes, and without hesitation, put it to Shen Mo's lips, "Try it?"
Shen Mo glanced at her, opened his mouth, took the grapes from her hand, and ate them whole, skin and flesh included.
An Ci asked with a smile, "Is it sweet?"
Shen Mo suddenly felt like he was being treated as a guinea pig. A hint of interest flashed across his eyes, and he said calmly, "Sweet."
Hearing this, An Ci grabbed another grape and casually put it into his mouth. As soon as he took a bite, his gums became soft from the sourness.
She turned her head and spit it out, her small face, the size of a palm, wrinkled like a pig's mouth from the sourness.
She slapped Shen Mo on the arm, "Okay, you lied to me."
It’s not sweet at all, it’s so sour that it makes my teeth ache.
"I'm not lying to you. You might have just picked the sour one by chance." Shen Mo continued to fool her, "If you don't believe me, try another one."
An Ci glanced at him suspiciously, hesitated for a few seconds, then tentatively reached out and picked another one and put it in his mouth.
The sour juice exploded on the tip of her tongue. It almost killed her.
She swallowed it whole, and looked at Shen Mo with a wrinkled face, eyes full of accusation, "Liar, this one is even more sour than the last one."
Shen Mo pressed his lips together, "How about you try a different string?"
Come again.
Treat her like a three-year-old kid.
An Ci's beautiful eyes narrowed slightly, "Chen, Mo."
She raised her hand to hit him, but Shen Mo reacted quickly and dodged, taking a step with his long legs and running away.
"Shen Mo, you're done today." An Ci rolled up his sleeves and chased after him.
…
Shen Mo stayed in the manor all day long.
After dinner, he was called to the study by An Zhenxiong. An Ci wanted to follow, but An Zhenxiong didn't let him.
In the study, An Zhenxiong and Shen Mo sat face to face with a chessboard on the table.
An Zhenxiong placed a black dot, his expression gentle, "I heard that the fourth branch of the Custer family collapsed? Was it you who did it?"
The Custer family has more side branches than the An family, and the open and covert struggles between legitimate and illegitimate children have been very serious in recent years.
Shen Mo's father is from the eldest wife and is the legitimate eldest son. So, Shen Mo is the legitimate grandson. People from other families have long regarded him as a thorn in their eyes, especially after seeing that old man Custer values Shen Mo, they can't wait to get rid of him.
Shen Mo's slender fingers played with a white chess piece and he admitted frankly, "Yes."
Looking at his neither humble nor arrogant appearance, An Zhenxiong's eyes flashed with admiration, but when he thought that such an outstanding child was from the Custer family, he suddenly felt a little jealous.
It is true that there is no harm without comparison.
Thinking of his little grandson, An Zhenxiong sighed, "If Xiao Ci could be like you, I wouldn't have to worry."
Shen Mo raised his lips, "Zizi is very smart."
"It's a pity that she doesn't use her intelligence for real things." An Zhenxiong said, and he lost interest in playing chess and threw the chess piece back into the chess box.
He snorted, "The little bastard is only concerned with eating, drinking and having fun."
He was so worried that he had several more white hairs.
Shen Mo raised his eyelids and looked at An Zhenxiong, "It's okay, I will protect the cub."
An Zhenxiong pinched his brows and said, "You can't protect her forever."
"I can." Shen Mo replied firmly, "As long as I live, I will protect her."
The boy's facial features are sharper than they were six years ago. He has become calmer and more reserved, making him even more difficult to read.
But at this moment, when he said this, the expression on his face was more pious and serious than ever before, as if he was taking an oath.
An Zhenxiong smiled with satisfaction, "You are a loyal child. I feel more at ease knowing that Xiao Ci has a loyal brother like you by his side."
Shen Mo lowered his eyebrows and looked at the chessboard absentmindedly.
Brothers?
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