A few days later, another group of guests arrived in the border town. The carriage of the Shen family from Longxi stopped in front of the General's Mansion. An'an's maternal uncle, Shen Wensong, along with his wife Xiao Mingyu and their precious daughter Shen Zhao, came to visit.
Shen Zhaosheng was born with a beautiful and lovely face, with a round and fair face and big, watery almond eyes. She was wearing a light yellow spring dress and followed behind her parents.
Shen Zhao is different today; she's going to play the role of an innocent little rabbit to lure people in.
Lu Qi had already received the news and rushed back from the military camp. He was a year older than Shen Zhao, and had grown taller, possessing the imposing features of a young general. He inherited the heroic spirit of the Lu family, but had a touch more cunning and agility than his older brother, Lu Xiao. He spotted Shen Zhao hiding behind his mother at a glance, and his eyes immediately lit up.
"Uncle Shen! Aunt Mingyu!" Lu Qi bowed respectfully, but his gaze couldn't help but drift towards Shen Zhao, a subtle smirk playing on his lips. "Sister Zhao Zhao, you must be tired from your journey."
Shen Zhao blushed slightly under his gaze and returned the greeting softly, "Hello, Brother Lu... Brother Lu Qi." Her voice was as soft and sweet as freshly cooked rice cake.
When the adults went to the main courtyard to see An'an and the children, Lu Qi immediately volunteered: "I'll take Zhao Zhao around the mansion so she can get familiar with it!" Shen Wensong and Xiao Mingyu saw the young man's spirited demeanor and, since the two were already engaged, they smiled and agreed.
Lu Qi led Shen Zhao through the garden of the General's Mansion. The garden in the northern frontier was not as exquisite as that in the capital, but it was still planted with some hardy flowers and trees. A few jujube trees in the corner were blooming with tiny yellow flowers, emitting a sweet fragrance.
“Sister Zhao Zhao, look at those jujube flowers,” Lu Qi pointed to the tree, “Don’t underestimate them because they’re small. They smell wonderful and can even be used in medicine.”
Shen Zhao tilted her head curiously, standing on tiptoe to see more clearly: "Really? It smells so good..."
"Would you like to pick a few branches? Put them in a vase when we get back, and the whole house will smell wonderful," Lu Qi suggested, a sly glint in his eyes.
"Yes!" Shen Zhao nodded vigorously, her eyes sparkling.
“That tree is shorter, and the flowers bloom better.” Lu Qi pointed to a relatively short jujube tree next to him. “I’ll go pick some for you.” He deftly rolled up his sleeves, making a move to climb the tree.
"Huh? Climbing a tree?" Shen Zhao was startled and quickly waved her hands. "Brother Lu Qi, don't climb trees, it's dangerous! Never mind, I won't pick them..."
"It's nothing! I'm used to climbing this tree!" Lu Qi said nonchalantly, but suddenly cried out "Ouch!" and clutched his arm, his brows furrowing as he made a pained expression.
"What's wrong?" Shen Zhao had indeed fallen for the trick and nervously took a step closer.
"Ouch... I think I twisted my ankle in the barracks..." Lu Qi gasped, looking pained. "I was trying to climb up, but I can't get any strength in now..." He looked at Shen Zhao pitifully. "But Sister Zhao wants to see the flowers..."
Seeing his "painful" appearance, Shen Zhao's face was full of worry and guilt: "It's all my fault... Brother Lu Qi, please stop moving! We won't pick the flowers anymore, your hand is important..."
"Alas, what a pity about that best-blooming branch..." Lu Qi sighed "regretfully," his gaze sweeping over Shen Zhao's small face, which was close at hand and slightly flushed with worry, and her delicate, petal-like lips, slightly parted with anxiety. The smile in his eyes deepened, and an idea instantly took shape.
“Sister Zhao Zhao…” He suddenly lowered his voice, leaned closer to Shen Zhao, and spoke with a mysterious tone.
"Hmm?" Shen Zhao was puzzled and subconsciously moved a little closer.
Lu Qi quickly looked around to make sure no one was around, and then, with lightning speed, pecked Shen Zhao on the cheek!
The touch was soft, warm, and carried the unique fragrance of a young girl.
Shen Zhao froze instantly! Her almond-shaped eyes widened, and her fair face flushed crimson, like a boiled shrimp. She seemed to be frozen in place, staring blankly at Lu Qi, her mind a complete blank.
Lu Qi's sneak attack was successful. Seeing Shen Zhao's dazed reaction, he was extremely pleased with himself, but he tried his best to keep a "serious" expression on his face and explained in a serious tone: "Ahem... this is the rule in the northern frontier! When you see... when you see someone who is particularly cute, you express friendliness and blessings! Yes, blessings!" He said it with great seriousness, as if there really was such a rule.
Shen Zhao finally came to her senses, feeling so ashamed she wanted to disappear. She covered her cheek where she had been kissed, feeling both embarrassed and angry. Her eyes were red, and her voice was trembling with tears: "Brother Lu Qi! You...you lied to me! What...what kind of rule is this!" She stomped her foot and turned to run away.
"Hey! Zhao Zhao, don't run away!" Lu Qi grabbed her wrist quickly.
He softened his voice, with a slightly ingratiating smile: "Alright, alright, it was my fault, I was just teasing you. Don't be angry, look, I didn't even get to pick the flowers, and I even made you cry, I'm so guilty." He magically produced a small, exquisite white jade box from behind his back and stuffed it into Shen Zhao's hand, "Here, this is to apologize, rose-scented balm brought from the capital, it's best for applying to the face."
Shen Zhao looked at the warm, smooth jade box in her hand, then at Lu Qi's handsome face with its ingratiating smile. Her initial embarrassment and anger somehow dissipated, leaving only her heart pounding like a drum. She clutched the small box tightly, head bowed, her voice barely a whisper: "Thank...thank you, Brother Lu Qi...but...next time...don't do this again..."
"Okay! I promise!" Lu Qi immediately raised his hand to swear, smiling like a cat that had successfully stolen some fish. Looking at Shen Zhao's flushed face, he wondered: Next time... what kind of "rule" should I find next time?
However, out of Lu Qi's sight, Shen Zhao wore a smug and mischievous grin, and it was still unknown who the innocent rabbit was!
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