Chapter 62 A Gap in My Heart: My Encounters with Him Were Mere Passion
The fire completely destroyed Lin Shutang's bedroom, and Shen Yun's room next door was also destroyed.
Fortunately, only half of the courtyard was burned. Chang Geng and the neighbors who rushed to the scene put out the fire in time, and the damage to the courtyard was not too great except for Lin Shutang's room.
In the latter half of the night, the crowds quieted down again.
Lin Shutang bandaged Shen Jun's hand while crying. The skin on the back of Shen Jun's hand was burned away, revealing pinkish-white new flesh. As Lin Shutang looked at it, large tears fell like raindrops.
"Are there any other injuries on your body? Let me take a look." As she spoke, she reached out to lift Shen Yun's collar again.
Since rescuing Lin Shutang, Shen Yun has kept a tense expression, and her complexion does not look good.
He seemed even more annoyed by Lin Shutang's crying. After finally getting the last bandage off, he saw Lin Shutang about to take off his clothes again, so he immediately backed away and stood up, as if Lin Shutang were some kind of monster.
Lin Shutang looked up at him, somewhat confused, and blinked.
He kept a straight face and deliberately suppressed a cold and hard tone in his voice, "I'm fine, you can sleep here, I'll go and squeeze in with Chang Geng."
Having said that, he took very quick steps, his clothes billowing in the wind, giving Lin Shutang no time to react.
Lin Shutang stared blankly at Shen Yun's departing figure. She had just experienced a brush with death tonight, and her head was very dizzy. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying, and she had no energy to think about anything.
Overcome with drowsiness, she didn't stand on ceremony at all, stood up, and groggily climbed into Shen Yun's bed, pulled back the covers, and crawled inside.
As he inhaled the faint scent of cool pine wood, Lin Shutang's breathing gradually became long and even.
Shen Yun sat on the steps, withdrawing his gaze from the room where the lights were off. His brows were slightly furrowed, and he stared intently at the back of his bandaged hand, his thoughts unreadable.
Yingxiao landed and stood in front of Shen Jun, her steps hesitant, unsure if she had messed things up.
The young master clearly said he wanted to get rid of Miss Lin, so why did he rush into the fire himself?
He thought the young master was just putting on a show to avoid gossip, so he threw a stone to make the wooden frame fall and fake an accident.
But he saw it clearly. The young master not only didn't facilitate the relationship, but also pulled Miss Lin into his arms, forcefully holding back the piece of firewood with his hands.
Yingxiao couldn't quite understand what the young master meant.
"Young Master, should I still make a move?" Yingxiao asked.
Upon hearing the voice, Shen Yun seemed to realize that there was someone standing in front of him. He looked up and a cold smile appeared on his lips. "Make a move? You make such a big fuss as soon as you make a move."
"Should we burn that room down again?" He tilted his head, gesturing to the room where Lin Shutang was currently sleeping.
Yingxiao lowered his head even further, not daring to speak again. Wasn't this what the young master said—to leave no trace?
"Have someone keep an eye on her, and investigate everyone who has been in contact with her." A hint of impatience flashed across Shen Yun's face.
Hearing this, Yingxiao knew that there was no need to take any further action; the young master intended to proceed according to the original plan.
But didn't the young master just say tonight that the border is in dire straits and he doesn't have time to waste here with Miss Lin and play fishing games?
Yingxiao, momentarily dazed, felt Shen Yun's cool gaze and quickly snapped back to reality, clasping his hands in a fist salute and accepting the order, "Yes."
Then, with a swift movement, he disappeared into the night.
-
Lin Shutang has always been an optimistic person. Although he cried a lot last night, he got up this morning looking energetic and full of spirit.
She moved out the furniture that hadn't been completely burned and was still usable. Fortunately, the fire didn't spread too far into the study, and most of the books stored inside were still intact.
Lin Shutang cherished all the sample drawings she and Shen Yun had made together so much that she put them all into a box and moved them into Shen Yun's room where she now lived.
Shen Yun stood in the courtyard, watching her struggle to drag a box into the house without asking anyone for help, looking just like a squirrel preparing for winter by storing food.
His gaze fell on the mahogany box, guessing that it contained the crossbow sketches she had been revising every day, and a cold smile appeared on his lips.
Turning his head, his gaze towards the craftsmen who came to repair the house also became sharp and cold.
The craftsmen stood on the rooftop, and despite the sweltering heat, a chill ran down their spines.
They looked down at the man, who wore a light-colored robe and still had that familiar faint smile in his eyes. It was nothing like the cold, sinister look he used to give.
I couldn't help but think that I was overthinking things, so I turned around and started repairing again.
They looked away, and Shen Yun slowly lowered her eyes, the smile in her eyes vanishing completely.
Eliminating Lin Shutang was easy, but he also needed to use this bait to lure out spies and collaborators among the merchants in Yizhou and even the entire border region.
This person is still useful. Saving her is just a temporary measure to make her trust him more.
He turned and left.
-
Repairing a house is not a quick process. Lin Shutang has been living in Shen Jun's room for some time now, and the study has also been moved in.
The fire that night came suddenly and really scared Lin Shutang, but she has recovered now.
Life continued as usual. She still discussed and researched new products with Shen Jun, and then she carved out prototypes to hand over to the people below for production.
The only difference was that Shen Yun seemed to have become somewhat distant from her after that night.
If he was somewhat wary and guarded when she first picked him up, now he treats her like a complete stranger.
Lin Shutang knew he didn't like to have too much contact with people, but now, if she accidentally bumped into him while painting or when he handed her a tool, he would react very strongly.
When Lin Shutang once looked up at him, she didn't miss the fleeting irritation between his tightly furrowed brows.
This reminded Lin Shutang of the night Shen Yun dodged her hand.
Lin Shutang felt a little wronged and didn't even understand what she had done to offend Shen Yun.
Just a while ago, he was so gentle with her, helping her think of solutions with patience and meticulousness.
Why does she seem so annoyed with her right now?
Lin Shutang was, after all, a girl, and naturally, she was too embarrassed to ask Shen Yun about his sudden change; she just felt a tightness in her chest.
The two of them, who lived in the same courtyard and saw each other all the time, had tacitly reached a consensus to stop talking to each other.
Chang Geng naturally sensed the subtle atmosphere between the two, otherwise he wouldn't be the one assisting the young lady here today.
"Miss, what happened between you and Young Master Shen?" Chang Geng was someone who couldn't hide his thoughts, and immediately asked out of curiosity.
Hearing this, Lin Shutang felt a surge of bitterness rise in her chest, and her eyes stung with grievance. She plunged the lever into the gear and turned it hard. "What's wrong with that? He and I were just strangers who met by chance. Isn't this normal?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the lifelike wooden wolf in his hand suddenly scattered and fell onto the table, turning into broken pieces.
Chang Geng stared at the dismantled and shattered Xuanlang wooden artifact, then glanced at his young lady, and dared not speak again.
Is this normal?
Outside the door, the leaves of the crabapple tree rustled, and its shadow trembled slightly in the wind.
No one noticed that the deep shadow cast by the eaves under the eaves was gradually receding, heading back the way it came.
……meet by chance?
Shen Yun smiled, a chill spreading in her eyes as she poured out the tea she had just brewed.
...
Because of Shen Yun's inexplicable estrangement, Lin Shutang's mood has been really bad lately.
Although Lin Shutang's words were spoken in anger, it is unclear whether they were Shen Yun's true feelings.
Perhaps in that person's eyes, he was just a stranger who was dispensable, and only she truly regarded him as a friend.
Lin Shutang lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.
She was covered with Shen Yun's quilt, the scent of cold pine wood on it had faded considerably.
She suddenly remembered the scene from that night when Shen Yun rushed into the room to save her, disregarding the danger.
If it weren't for Shen Yun, she probably would have died that night.
Thinking of this, Lin Shutang's resentment strangely disappeared.
Perhaps it's because Shen Jun has something on her mind?
She sat up abruptly. What if he wasn't deliberately ignoring her?
I was just in a bad mood, and then I misunderstood and distanced myself from him. What if he is also wondering why I suddenly stopped talking to him?
The more Lin Shutang thought about it, the more likely it seemed. He couldn't help but start to despise himself again.
She kept saying she considered him a friend, but when her friend acted strangely, she didn't ask any questions and just condemned him in her heart.
Shen Yun saved her more than twice, and he also helped resolve the crisis at her shop this time.
She actually held a grudge against Shen Jun during this time, judging him with her own petty mind. It was really wrong of her!
Thinking of the injury on Shen Yun's hand, and the blisters on Shen Yun's body caused by the fire that Chang Geng secretly told her, Lin Shutang felt even more guilty.
Thinking this, Lin Shutang decided that she must ask Shen Yun tomorrow what exactly happened, why he had been avoiding her these days, and what difficulties he was facing.
No matter what happens, she will definitely help him.
The next morning, Lin Shutang got up early.
After washing up, she went into the kitchen and decided to cook for Shen Yun herself to apologize.
Then, just like he once did for her, try to comfort him and ask him what his concerns are.
Lin Shutang put firewood into the stove, hoping that Shen Yun would reconcile with her after eating the meal she had prepared, but suddenly she heard a knock on the door.
She looked up and, through the half-open window, noticed what appeared to be someone outside in the courtyard.
I was puzzled. Who would be knocking on the door so early?
She got up and left the kitchen, walked to the door and unlatched it, only to find Song Ying standing outside!
"Senior brother, you're back!"
Lin Shutang's eyes widened in shock; she could hardly believe it.
She stretched half her body out to look outside, but did not see her father.
Song Ying pulled her inside and closed the door again. "My master is in Pingning County. He still has business to discuss there, so he sent me back to let you know I'm safe."
"Pingning County? How did you end up there?" Lin Shutang asked in confusion. "I thought you were trapped in Shuocheng."
As she spoke, tears streamed down her face. The worries of the past few months and the anxieties of the past few days surged up together. Lin Shutang hugged Song Ying's waist and cried her heart out, just like when she was a child.
She didn't want to be a young mistress; it was too much responsibility. She missed her father and senior brother.
Song Ying patted her back tenderly, feeling both amused and exasperated. "Your senior brother is here. Why do you cry like a child?"
Lin Shutang ignored all of this. The emotions that had been building up inside her burst forth like a flood, and she cried uncontrollably, as if she had suffered a tremendous injustice.
She felt the person she was holding stiffen, and then she heard her senior brother's questioning voice above her, "Shutang, who is this?"
Lin Shutang got up from Song Ying's arms, still feeling dazed. He turned around and saw that Shen Yun had left the room at some point and was standing not far behind them, quietly watching them.
Tears welled in his eyes as he met the tall, slender figure. The young man's eyebrows curved slightly, and his gaze fell on Lin Shutang's hands that were wrapped around Song Ying's waist.
Because of the distance, Lin Shutang could not see what the fleeting emotion in Shen Yun's eyes was.
She felt as if that gaze was burning her skin, and she abruptly let go, her heart pounding wildly.
It took her a while to realize what she was feeling guilty about.
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Author's Note: Shen Yun: I will always be watching you. (Staring intently)
Shutang: So, my fear of my husband has been evident since I was young... (Looks up at the sky with a forty-five-degree angle, lost in thought...)
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