Chapter 106 Perfection Through Refinement (5)
The smell of medicinal oil mixed with incense ash lingered in the living room, pungent and fishy. Shu Ningmiao didn't pay attention at first, but the smell grew stronger and stronger, so strong that it became choking and increasingly unbearable.
"It is holy water that we praise."
"Did your mother pray at home last night? Was the smell still a bit strong?"
The two voices overlapped. Unexpectedly, Shu Changyan spoke up, and the latter's humble tone rose slightly due to surprise.
Shu Changyan glanced at Shi Yu from the side.
He was all too familiar with these things at the Church of Praise; the smoke from the burning offerings scorched the base of the walls from his childhood, leaving behind unsightly black stains, like the scars of the new land that kept tearing and healing.
Shu Changyan had a natural aversion to this kind of absurd and superstitious nonsense.
"I already had them ventilate the room this morning." Shi Yu's smile faded as she turned to the maid beside her, her voice flat and almost devoid of any inflection: "Why weren't the windows opened?"
The maid apologized repeatedly.
The taste was not only unbearable, but also somewhat familiar. Shu Ningmiao casually tapped the side of the cup, and a strange feeling suddenly arose in her heart.
She wasn't unfamiliar with the Shi family, nor had she never witnessed Mrs. Grana praying. The scent from last night couldn't possibly still be so strong. Besides, it was impolite for a guest to visit, a mistake that a servant of the Shi family shouldn't make.
Shu Changyan happened to make eye contact with her at that moment.
"I'm going out for some fresh air." Seeing the hidden meaning in his eyes, Shu Ningmiao casually made up an excuse and slowly got up.
Shi Yu stood up, but was frozen in place by her glance back.
"You guys chat."
She carried her coat with one hand and a teacup in the other, walking out of the living room without looking back, as if she were in her own home.
Shi Yu was speechless for a moment, but the corners of her lips curled up slightly. Shu Ningmiao was the same as before, and the only guest they needed to entertain was Shu Changyan.
Only after the girl's figure had completely disappeared did Shu Changyan look at him properly.
After a long silence.
Shi Yu got up and poured him more tea. She looked down at the flowing tea, a flawless smile on her face. Her platinum blonde hair swayed as it hung down, making her look like a perfect doll.
Family background, wealth, and appearance.
Shi Yu tilted the column of water in his hand, thinking casually that no one could find fault with it. Shu Changyan was dissatisfied with him, or perhaps he was just dissatisfied with his status.
Shu Changyan chuckled lightly and said calmly, "It's full."
Shi Yu calmly stopped what he was doing, their eyes met, and their expressions were filled with unspoken indifference: "I heard that the Minister of the Military has already submitted a bill against Intori. Once the parliament passes it and declares a state of war, it seems that the time the envoys have to stay in the capital is running out?"
He lowered his eyes, his tone was ordinary and natural, making his ambiguous words seem like casual small talk.
Shu Changyan picked up his teacup, the steam blurring his features, and even his voice was calm as still water: "The council has not yet made a decision."
After saying that, he smiled slightly and did not offer any further comment.
Even though they both knew that war was inevitable, Shu Changyan had no interest in saying another word in this pointless chatter. He didn't even show any displeasure at the fact that Shi Yuci wouldn't be able to stay in the capital for more than a few days.
He observed the two people's expressions throughout the journey and realized that Shi Yu was not special in front of Shu Ningmiao. Since that was the case, there was nothing for him to care about.
He turned his eyes away, his pale blue pupils reflecting a cold gleam in the crystal chandelier, and said in a voice only they could hear, "Is Madam Shi's heart ailment any better?"
The chandelier overhead swayed erratically, and countless broken mirrors reflected the deathly stillness of the ground.
Shi Yu lowered his eyes, holding the teacup, his grip tightening imperceptibly. His voice suddenly became flat and emotionless: "Rumors and gossip, true or false, there's nothing to say."
Shu Changyan's face was expressionless, his eyes gently lowered, yet his gaze held an unreadable pressure: "Whether it is true or not, she has the ability to discern for herself."
"And what about you?"
Shi Yu pressed the tip of her tongue against the back of her teeth, and slowly revealed a stiff and hypocritical smile.
He stroked the rim of the teacup and said softly, "What gives you the right to speak to me like this, brother?"
-
The Shi family's garden was paved with classic bluestone diamond patterns. Shu Ningmiao stood in the middle of the pavilion and, with her superior eyesight as a superhuman, could see the slightly open glass window upstairs.
Several steel bars were welded to the outside of the glass window, and they had been cut open. The welding marks were still clearly visible on the top and bottom of the windowsill.
The swaying shadows of the trees partially obscured the glass window. Shu Ningmiao picked up a pebble from the grass, flicked her finger, and struck a branch. The entire tree rustled and shook, and the shadows reflected on the window danced wildly.
A moment later, the pale woman pushed open the window, her platinum blonde hair disheveled. She stood blankly by the window, not seeing Shu Ningmiao, and seemed unusually dazed.
Shu Ningmiao stood behind the shade of the tree, arms crossed, quietly observing Lady Grana standing by the window for a while. The woman looked out the window like a silent statue, as if she were about to shatter into countless pieces and disappear into the sunlight with the breeze.
Shu Ningmiao only looked away when the window closed again. The air was filled with the salty, pungent smell of blood, which mingled with the smell of earth, making it difficult to distinguish.
She looked up at the sky, spread her fingers, and a black bird flew through the narrow space between her fingers.
A hand gently patted her shoulder, and Shu Changyan lowered his head and put his arm around her shoulder: "Let's go."
"What did you say?" Shu Ningmiao turned around and glanced back.
Shi Yu was standing far away, so his face was relatively blurry, but you could still tell that something was wrong with his expression.
"She actually managed to anger him," she remarked cryptically.
Shi Yu's face, which was usually adorned with a smile but now wore a dull expression, looked as if half of it had been torn off. Although she still wore a smile, her aura was completely different from before.
Across half the garden, he and Shu Ningmiao exchanged a glance, then he lowered his head and seemed to smile very lightly. A few strands of soft hair swayed in the wind, appearing almost transparent in the bright light.
Those grey eyes looked at her quietly, but were empty and devoid of any emotion, like a puppet on strings, which was quite eerie at first glance.
"Just a few words of casual conversation." Shu Changyan turned her face towards him and swayed it from side to side a couple of times. "What does it have to do with me?"
Shu Ning touched his forehead with her finger, pushed it away slightly, and frowned slightly: "You smelled it a long time ago—the smell here."
"Don't worry about it." He admitted, "It's troublesome."
"What trouble?"
Shu Ningmiao raised her hand to put on her coat and slowly walked outside.
Shu Changyan simply stated lightly: "What needs to be concealed often leads to harm; this is a very simple truth."
What happens at the Shi family home won't leave this door. Without a chain of evidence, the police can only turn a blind eye.
However, despite both knowing that he had excellent hearing, the siblings made no attempt to hide what they were talking about, displaying the same indifference and arrogance, their essence being strikingly similar.
Shu Ningmiao walked up to Shi Yu, stopped, and looked at Shu Changyan: "You go back to the car first, I have something to say."
Shi Yu smiled slightly and gestured to Shu Changyan, but was met with a cold glance. The two passed each other in silence.
"Shall we talk over there?" Shi Yu naturally ignored the subtle atmosphere of that moment, bent down and raised her hand so that she could touch her fingertips, and lowered her head slightly: "Miss, you are finally willing to spare me a little time."
Shu Ningmiao slapped his hand away: "You and he had a falling out?"
"You know perfectly well what I'm asking." Shi Yu gave a fake smile. "Isn't it something you already knew he doesn't like me?"
Reaching the pavilion in the center of the garden, the two climbed the steps. In the center of the pavilion stood a pure white upright piano, and outside the pavilion were planted Tina roses, which spread out along the way.
When Shi Yu was in preparatory school, he often practiced the piano here. Shu Ningmiao would occasionally sit beside him and read her own book. She didn't appreciate the music; she just treated him as background noise, and it was enough for others to think that they had a good relationship.
He sat down on the piano bench with remarkable ease, his long, slender fingers casually resting on the keyboard cover, and rhythmically tapped two keys.
Two "thump-thump" sounds.
The silent boy in her memory gradually overlapped with the scene before her eyes. Shi Yu had this habit since she was a child. Because she was unwilling to speak, only in this way could she be brought back to her senses and look at her.
As for why he didn't speak, Shu Ningmiao still doesn't know, nor does she want to find out.
Understanding means getting more involved, and she also has to consider whether this curiosity is worthwhile.
Shi Yu gently brushed the piano lid, the sound suddenly pulling her back to reality.
"You really treat him like an older brother?" he said casually. "He's too controlling."
"That's my business."
Shu Ningmiao casually rested her hand on the edge of the piano, her face darkening as she stared coldly at him. Finally, she returned to the question she wanted to ask: "I'm asking you, how much do you know about Eric's affairs?"
The unchanging smile on Shi Yu's face gradually disappeared. He stared intently at the piano keys for a long while before finally speaking, "What's wrong?"
This statement was undoubtedly a tacit admission, which Shi Yu casually acknowledged, but she didn't think it was a big deal. Other people's experiences had nothing to do with her in essence; Shu Ningmiao was just an observer.
Just like Shu Ningmiao's indifference to Ai Ruiji's situation at the beginning of the school year, the Shu Ningmiao he knew should have had no interest in this at all, let alone stand here questioning him for the sake of a girl from the slums.
Shi Yu chuckled to herself, "You're different from before."
"And you?" She wasn't in a hurry, guessing casually, her eyes darkening slightly as if probing his reaction: "Have you joined Prometheus, or is there something about Erice that you're interested in?"
“It’s nothing.” Shi Yu skillfully avoided her gaze: “I have no interest in that kind of stupid childish game. She always appears in front of us, thinking she’s so clever. She’s annoying. Let her suffer a little.”
His gentle and refined appearance is deceptive. Once he sheds his human skin, he makes no attempt to conceal his wicked personality, even believing that no reason is needed. His inherent cruelty and cynicism are illogical, and the perfect mask he uses only makes him appear numb.
He can turn black into white so easily that he doesn't even need to think it through before he can easily distort the truth.
"Don't use 'we,' I'm not as bored as you." Shu Ningmiao leaned down, her gaze sharp: "What's wrong with you?"
“What makes Erice different from everyone else? You’re paying too much attention to her.” He closed his eyes and then opened them again, his voice calm: “At least I won’t lay a hand on you. But a weapon is different; whoever wields it has the right to point it at you, right?”
Shu Ningmiao chuckled weakly. Even at a time like this, he was still thinking of sowing discord between her and Shu Changyan.
While the game was still displaying normally, Shu Ningmiao frequently checked the favorability ratings of the five characters she was pursuing. She never noticed anything unusual about Shi Yu, which made her extremely wary. Shi Yu's favorability rating towards Erici in the game hovered around 0, never exceeding 10, whether positive or negative. He treated her like a complete stranger. She couldn't understand Shi Yu's thoughts. Since it had nothing to do with Prometheus, why would he be so bored as to tamper with a stranger?
The trust relationship, which was already as fragile as a bubble, vanished because of this one doubt.
But is it worth it for Shu Ningmiao to break ties with Eric?
That's impossible.
He and Shu Ningmiao had been tied together for too long, and there were too many things involved, while Ai Ruiji was not as valuable as him.
A smile flickered across Shi Yu's pale lips; she was surprised that she could still laugh.
Shu Ningmiao stood calmly beside the piano. She never appreciated his playing, but now, as she stood before him waiting for him, she felt as if she were getting further and further away from him.
Shi Yu lowered his head, the sunlight streaming through the pavilion casting soft shadows on his delicate face. After a long silence, he pressed a note on the piano keys.
The piano keys pulled the lever, which in turn moved the hammers, but instead of producing a single elegant note as expected, a muffled "thud" resounded from the piano case, spreading out in disarray.
He shifted his gaze from the piano keys and looked up, seeing Shu Ningmiao's pale arm resting on the edge of the piano, her hand swaying as she tapped the back edge of the piano lid.
There sat a familiar bone china teacup, upside down on the piano lid, the cup completely empty.
The tea dripped into the interior through the gaps between the top hinge and the upper door panel, where it was completely absorbed by the felt inside, making no sound.
Surprised?
Shu Ningmiao's shoulders trembled, her mocking smile undisguised, and she gradually bent over, arms crossed.
"I'll buy you a new one." She lifted Shi Yu's face with her fingertips, quite forcefully, and he turned his face away, leaving a bright red mark from her fingernails on his face: "But in the future, you'd better not play in front of me, I don't want to hear it."
After saying that, Shu Ningmiao quickly let go of her hand.
Her long, black hair cascaded down at an angle, landing coolly on the back of his hand. She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and said, "I will visit again when Mrs. Grana is feeling better, to discuss the engagement."
She gradually realized that to Shi Yu, Erici was no different from anyone else, which meant that she was actually no different from Erici. The benefits Shi Yu brought her now far outweighed the threats. Since that was the case, she didn't need to keep this hidden danger under constant guard; she could have resolved the issue once and for all.
"How can you use someone and then throw them away?" Shi Yu looked up, her eyes narrowed as she smiled, her fine, platinum-gold hair shimmering with a beautiful color. "I'm so sad."
His voice was so gentle it seemed to melt ice, and his face drew closer and closer, but his over-the-top act made it seem especially fake, and his smile was as uniform as the artificial sky hanging on the ceiling of a casino.
The man thought she was just threatening him, and, caught up in his acting, continued to perform.
Shu Ningmiao crossed her arms: "What if what I said is true?"
"What good would it do you to break off the engagement?" Shi Yu stared at her, pondered for a moment, and then shrugged and smiled faintly: "You can keep a lover outside, I don't mind, as long as that person isn't Shu Changyan."
Shu Ningmiao laughed too, this time genuinely. She raised her hand and slapped him. Shi Yushun turned his face slightly with the force of the slap, his expression unchanged, the gentle smile on his lips almost sinister.
Too lazy to waste any more words with him, she pulled down her coat collar and strode out of the garden.
Shi Yu sat alone at the piano, not looking back even once. The slanting sunlight fell on his shoulders and back, blurring the light and shadow, giving his outline an almost transparent deathly light. His slender body seemed like a black bird covered with feathers.
After a long while, he raised his hands slightly higher and pressed his fingertips down heavily on the piano keys. There was no tone, only a dull thud coming from the piano.
The dull thuds from the vibrations were dense and continuous, much like noise.
He remained unmoved, his fingers dancing lightly across the ivory keys. As the sun set, light poured down, and he seemed to be drawing upon the light source until darkness returned to the surroundings.
On the day he began learning music, his mother told him that music was the true language by which humanity communicates with God.
But he felt that even the gods were nothing more than a sound illusion.
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Author's note: He only said that because he knows his girlfriend is impossible.
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