Shen Muzhi reached out and wiped her face with a handkerchief.
Xiang Zhilan gasped in pain, dodged him, and covered her left cheek with her hand.
Shen Muzhi's hand holding the handkerchief froze in mid-air. The swelling on her cheek hadn't subsided by now; he had hit her too hard that day.
He paused for a moment, tightened his handkerchief, and slowly lowered his arm, saying coldly, "Don't cry, Jinji doesn't like you crying."
Xiang Zhilan felt a lump in her throat and her eyes reddened again, but she held back her tears.
She wouldn't cry in front of someone she didn't know well, especially not him.
"It's about to begin." Shen Muzhi said this calmly, then turned and walked inside.
Xiang Zhilan took a deep breath and followed him inside.
After Jinji was cremated, its ashes were placed in an urn. Shen Muzhi took it home and planned to bury the urn under the banyan tree in the yard.
Xiang Zhilan also helped dig the pit, and after placing the urn inside, she couldn't hold back her tears again.
After filling the hole with soil, she ran back inside.
Shen Mu stood silently under the banyan tree for a long time, closed his eyes, and slowly turned and walked into the house.
He walked into the room and stood outside the door, where he saw Xiang Zhilan tidying up Jinji's toys in his bedroom.
She squatted down, holding the ball that Jinji usually played with, her shoulders trembling slightly.
Although he couldn't see her face, he knew she was trying her best to suppress her sobs, perhaps biting her lip to keep herself from making a sound.
He stood quietly for a while, knowing that she probably didn't want him to see this side of her, then turned and went to the study.
Xiang Zhilan's legs were a little numb from squatting, so she haphazardly wiped her face with the back of her hand and continued to pack up Jinji's things.
Walk up to its little house, reach inside, and take out its hidden treasures one by one.
She remembered that more than two months ago, when she first came here and entered this room, it brought out all its treasures and placed them in front of her, wagging its tail to please her.
Back then, she was terrified and just wanted it to stay far away from her. Now, however, she wishes it could still appear beside her like that, wagging its tail and acting cute.
Xiang Zhilan swallowed and touched a sticky lump. She thought it was Jinji's poop, so she pulled her hand back and saw a dark, sticky mass on her hand that smelled of sweet chocolate.
She paused for a moment, then reached in and continued to feel around, pulling the lump out. Although it had melted, she could tell it was chocolate she had made.
She pursed her lips, reached in again, and touched a leather object. When she took it out, she saw it was the black wallet she had chosen for Feng Jingxian.
Why are these things here?
The answer flashed through Xiang Zhilan's mind instantly: Could it be that Shen Muzhi didn't take it at all, but Jinji took it and hid it?
When she confronted him that day, he seemed to say that he had no idea what she was talking about, but she didn't believe him.
Xiang Zhilan was slightly taken aback. So, wasn't she the one who made the mistake the first time that day?
Looking down at the wallet in her hand, Xiang Zhilan pursed her lips tightly.
After a while, she stood up and walked out of the bedroom, where she met Butler Chen carrying tea and fruit on the corridor.
She reached out and took the tray from Butler Chen. "Let me do it."
Butler Chen glanced at her with concern and whispered a reminder, "The master doesn't seem to be in a good mood."
Xiang Zhilan nodded to indicate that she understood, and then carried the tray toward the study.
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