"Hey! Wait a minute!"
Seeing this, Gu Zhixing rushed over and blocked Shen Jintang's path. His boots scraped against the ground with a screech, breaking the silence of the night.
Seeing Shen Jintang raise an eyebrow at him, he forced a straight face and asked casually, "Go back to the Shen family? What's so great about the Shen family?"
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Shen Youyi still huddled behind Shen Jintang. Frustrated, he scratched the back of his head, making his hair a little messy. Finally, as if giving up in despair, he waved his hand, his tone carrying a hint of helplessness and compromise: "Fine, fine, fine! Stay here!"
After saying that, he glared fiercely at Shen Youyi, as if warning her: "It's just a matter of having an extra pair of chopsticks, it won't kill anyone!"
Just then, a night breeze blew by, causing the lantern to sway and casting flickering shadows on his face. This made his already gloomy expression even more unfathomable, like a sulking Yama, unwilling yet forced to compromise, and forced to express his dissatisfaction in this awkward way.
Shen Youyi felt uncomfortable under Gu Zhixing's intense gaze and subconsciously shrank back behind Shen Jintang, her slender fingers tightly gripping Shen Jintang's sleeve.
Shen Jintang felt a slight tremor behind her, her heart softened, and she reached out to grasp her cold fingers, gently patting the back of her hand.
"Don't be afraid," she whispered, her voice softer than usual.
The matter of the official silver these days had greatly frightened this girl. Thinking this, Shen Jintang gently tapped the back of her hand twice with her fingertips to comfort her.
The two boarded the carriage one after the other.
Shen Jintang sat down first, and Shen Youyi immediately sat down next to her, leaning almost half of her body against her sister, like a fledgling seeking protection.
As the carriage curtain swayed, Gu Zhixing's tall figure slipped inside.
He paused for a moment at the car door—the spot that was originally his was now completely occupied by Shen Youyi.
Gu Zhixing narrowed his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the two people sitting close together, before reluctantly sitting down opposite them.
The carriage wasn't very spacious to begin with, and when he stretched out his long legs, his knees almost touched the hem of Shen Jintang's skirt.
"Why are you sitting so far away?" Gu Zhixing suddenly asked, his voice clearly displeased.
He tapped his fingers twice on his knee, his eyes fixed on the section of seat next to Shen Jintang.
That originally belonged to him!
Shen Jintang looked up at him and said calmly, "Be quiet."
Gu Zhixing was speechless for a moment, his Adam's apple bobbing, but he ultimately said nothing more.
He simply leaned back, crossed his arms, and stared at the roof of the car, exuding an aura of "I'm unhappy."
The sound of the wheels rolling over the bluestone slabs was exceptionally clear, making the silence inside the carriage all the more subtle.
Shen Youyi glanced up at Gu Zhixing, whose face was gloomy, and then at her sister, who looked calm and composed. Suddenly, she felt that she was superfluous in the middle.
She shifted uncomfortably, but Shen Jintang pressed her down.
"Oh!"
Gu Zhixing's gaze unconsciously fell on Shen Youyi next to Shen Jintang. His brows furrowed slightly, as if he had been pricked by some tiny grain of sand, and he was very uncomfortable.
Shen Jintang and Shen Youyi were so close that Shen Youyi tilted her head slightly, as if seeking her older sister's protection. Shen Jintang also took the opportunity to hug her even tighter. This scene stirred up ripples in Gu Zhixing's heart.
He subconsciously shifted his body, trying to make himself more comfortable, but he couldn't take his eyes off the two people.
Although Shen Jintang had already explained the whole story in detail, Gu Zhixing's awkwardness remained undiminished.
Back when Shen Jintang first returned, the two often had long talks. But now, Shen Jintang's attention is completely occupied by Shen Youyi, and she won't even give Gu Zhixing a second glance. How can he be happy?
Thinking of this, Gu Zhixing's lips pursed slightly, as if he had made up his mind, and he suddenly said, "Haven't you already married into the Lu family? Is Lu Huaijin just going to let you not go back to your husband's family?"
His words carried a deliberate nitpicking tone, as if he were questioning or probing. His voice was neither loud nor soft, yet it sounded particularly jarring in the carriage.
Shen Jintang then remembered this and looked down at Shen Youyi.
She was so focused on asking about the official silver that she forgot about her marriage to Lu Huaijin.
Since the matter of the bandits is suspicious, this marriage is probably not simple either.
Shen Youyi's fingers tightened slightly, as if she had grasped something important, but she didn't know what to do.
She hesitated for a moment before saying softly, "I'm sorry for what happened to him. He only saved me because of my elder brother, but later I was afraid that the news would leak out and bring trouble, so I didn't dare to send a message to my elder brother..."
Her voice was barely audible, yet it was filled with guilt and helplessness.
She paused, then continued, "My elder brother always thought I was framed. Although he didn't say it explicitly in the letter, he inevitably harbored resentment towards Lu Huaijin. But he's in Yanzhou, so there's nothing he can do for the time being."
At this point, Shen Youyi paused slightly, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes, a mixture of gratitude and guilt. "During my stay at the Lu family, Lu Huaijin treated me extremely well, always keeping proper etiquette and never overstepping his bounds. He even said... when my elder brother returns, if he wants to annul the engagement, he is willing to divorce me."
Upon hearing this, Shen Jintang patted her sister's hand, her eyes filled with tenderness, and her tone softened, "He's sensible."
In Shen Jintang's view, Lu Huaijin was so sensible that he would not treat Shen Huaixu badly when he returned.
Even if the engagement is dissolved, he will be fully compensated in other ways, so that he won't have worked for nothing.
Gu Zhixing scoffed, leaning lazily against the car wall with a playful smile on his lips, "I don't think it's all about weighing the pros and cons."
Although he was not as thoughtful as Shen Jintang in some matters, he believed he understood men.
Knowing he was being used, he still willingly married her, and after the marriage, he was considerate and attentive in every way. If you say that Lu Huaijin didn't have any feelings for her, only a fool would believe it.
"What nonsense are you talking about?"
Shen Jintang frowned and interrupted him, her tone full of displeasure, but Gu Zhixing only raised an eyebrow, his eyes full of provocation, as if he wanted to deliberately steer the topic further.
"Whether I'm talking nonsense or not, just ask your sister and you'll know." Gu Zhixing tapped the car wall lightly with his long fingers, raised an eyebrow, and stared directly at Shen Youyi. He deliberately slowed his speech, each word seeming to linger on his tongue before being uttered: "The person involved is right here, why don't you tell us?"
Shen Youyi's ear tips instantly turned bright red, as if they had been ignited by flames.
Her fingers unconsciously twisted around Shen Jintang's sleeve, the soft fabric wrinkling under her fingertips, and she almost shrank behind Shen Jintang.
Her voice was barely audible, trembling slightly: "Sister, brother-in-law... please stop teasing me..."
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