0012 Magnolia (Part 3)
Shu Fu didn't sleep for long; she woke up after about fifteen minutes.
After she woke up, Zhan Yaoguang carried her to the bathroom to wash up. When they returned to the main room, it was just as A-Jian brought the afternoon meal.
Zhan Yaoguang had already hidden himself away with practiced ease, and even managed to sneak a copy of her legendary novel to read.
Shufu: "..."
Shu Fu sat down at the table and then called for A-Jian to come in. Unexpectedly, when the door opened, it was not A-Jian who stepped into the room, but a tall and beautiful woman.
The woman had her hair piled high in a cloud-like bun, her skin was fair, and her eyes were filled with emotion as if she were about to burst into tears. She was none other than her elder sister, Shu Wei.
She looked radiant at that moment, even more beautiful than when she left home that morning.
Shu Fu couldn't help but recall her alluring moans in the First Pavilion, and couldn't help but feel a little uncomfortable.
“The driver said you weren’t feeling well and went home first,” Shuwei said affectionately as she sat down beside her. “I rested for a bit and felt much better, so I got off the carriage and walked around for a while. I browsed the jewelry shops nearby. Afu, you’re not upset that your sister didn’t come looking for you sooner, are you?”
Shufu shook her head stiffly.
Meanwhile, A-Jian arrived late, and was slightly surprised to see Shu-Wei, but then calmly began to serve the dishes.
Shu Wei considered herself to know her younger sister fairly well. If she really found out about her relationship with that person, she would feel that their sisterly bond had been trampled on and would be unable to help but question her.
Seeing the girl's calm and gentle expression, she felt relieved and stood up, saying, "In that case, I won't disturb you while you eat, sister. If you didn't have enough fun this time, I'll invite you out another day."
Shufu watched her leave, thinking there would never be a next time.
After confirming that Shu Wei had gone far away, A Jian suddenly knelt down on the ground, startling Shu Fu.
"I just led the maid to the kitchen to get the afternoon meal. The maids left in the courtyard didn't dare to stop you, Miss. That's probably why you were able to come in and bother me. Please punish me, Miss."
Shu Fu quickly helped her up: "What are you doing? I'm not blaming you, get up right away!"
A-Jian looked at her cautiously: "Does the young lady still want me to stay by her side to work?"
"nature."
A-Jian secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
In the past, the girl only saw Ah Xing and left everything to Ah Xing to do.
Guarding the door for the young lady was the first task the young lady gave her. If she couldn't even do this well, how could she compete for the position of the young lady's number one maid?
A-Jian conducted a thorough self-examination.
As A-Jian finished setting the table and was about to leave, she suddenly noticed the sky outside the window and said, "I see the sky is changing. I'm afraid there will be a heavy rain tonight. Before you go to sleep, Miss, please close the curtains and tuck the blankets in properly so you don't catch a cold."
Shu Fu, preoccupied with Shu Wei's matter, absentmindedly hummed in agreement.
...
After the meal, Zhan Yaoguang took the initiative to light the lamps, and Shu Fu was naturally very grateful, sitting on the small couch and returning his smile.
After lighting the last lamp, Zhan Yaoguang walked towards the small couch.
Shu Fu was reading a book when she suddenly felt a figure blocking out some of the light. She looked up and her eyes met his.
Zhan Yaoguang moved closer to her: "I have something to tell you."
Shu Fu closed the book, and Zhan Yaoguang hesitated before speaking: "It seems like there's been a cold snap these past few days. I woke up this morning feeling cold in bed."
“I happen to have two quilts on my bed, you can bring one over later,” Shu Fu said immediately.
Zhan Yaoguang shook her head, a thin blush rising on her face.
"That's not what I meant. What I wanted to ask was, can I sleep in your bed tonight?"
A girl's heart skipped a beat, and a blush naturally crept onto her face: "Zhan Yaoguang, what nonsense are you talking about? How, how can a young man like you be with me..."
Hearing her call him by his full name, he knew she was rejecting him, but he still held onto a sliver of hope that she would pity him: "But I was really chilled. If it weren't for my good health, I would be the one lying on the couch unable to move today."
Shuf hesitated for a moment, but quickly made up her mind to refuse: "No!"
...
That night, Shu Fu turned off the lights and went to bed early, but she tossed and turned and couldn't fall asleep. The conversation between Shu Wei and that person kept echoing in her ears, and she couldn't help but try to figure out the man's identity.
Just as she was engaged in a fierce internal struggle, she suddenly heard a faint sound, like scooping up a handful of finely crushed rock candy and sprinkling it into a jade plate, gradually becoming denser and more concentrated.
It's rain, it's rain.
The first rain of a spring night.
In a daze, she remembered that A-Jian had mentioned the sky had changed at dusk; it turned out that this was what he meant.
Rainwater falls on the thin blossoms of the tall trees in the courtyard, accumulates and weighs down on the roof tiles, and finally gathers into a string of glazed raindrops that fall continuously.
The sound of raindrops grew louder in her ears, vaguely hinting at something.
Shu Fu's palms slowly became damp with sweat, and the small bed curtains felt particularly stuffy and cramped at that moment.
She frantically reached out from under the covers and groped along the edge of the bed, only to catch a handful of damp air.
Nobody's here, nobody's here... Oh right, Ah Xing was driven away by her a long time ago, Ah Jian had no idea she was afraid of this.
The rain grew heavier, and Shu Fu suddenly remembered that there was someone else inside the house.
"Feifei? Are you asleep? I... I'm a little cold. Can you come and keep me company for a while?"
The girl's voice was already tinged with sobs, but in the deep sorrow of the rainy night, amidst the pattering rain, Zhan Yaoguang did not notice her tears.
The boy recalled how he had repeatedly indulged and complied with her without any limits, and he couldn't understand why he never lost his temper in front of her.
He decided to leave her waiting this time, until she called him a second time, so that he wouldn't seem like he was always running around like a puppy.
Shu Fu waited tensely for a moment, but still no one responded, and her heart sank to the bottom.
Outside the window, flames and snakes flew about, and the drums thundered, startling the heavens and earth awake, illuminating the entire courtyard and room. Then, not long after, the rain began to fall softly again.
Shu Fu involuntarily curled herself up, burying her face in the brocade quilt and sobbing softly.
Zhan Yaoguang waited for a long time but didn't hear the second call he longed for. He secretly wondered if she had a really stubborn temper and that he would have to cater to her in the end.
He despised his own spineless behavior, resignedly got out of bed and walked to the bedside.
———
My eyelids are as soft as the male lead's temper; if you interact with me, I'll be so happy I'll burst into tears. ≡^ˇ^≡
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