Chapter 2, Return (Part 2)
Shen Qi stared at her for a while, then left with a solemn expression, brushing his sleeves aside
However, if Su Qingruo treats others well, it is truly sincere and unwavering kindness. Shen Yi endured the beating, could not sit in class, and was ridiculed daily. She also stood up, and when the teacher asked her why she was standing in class, she did not hesitate or falter, allowing her soft voice to resonate confidently: "I find myself dozing off when sitting, but seeing Brother Shen standing, with determination and diligence, I decided to follow suit, and indeed, I no longer feel sleepy."
Shen Yi stood with her head lowered, only daring to raise it after the others had left. Her joints felt as if they were rusted, stiffly lifting the food box. The first layer contained a bowl of red date and white fungus soup, the sweet fragrance wafting towards her. The second layer held soft and fragrant pastries, while the bottom layer consisted of flaky butter cakes sprinkled with sesame seeds. Beside it was a small dish, neatly stacked with a silk handkerchief, which was pressed down by a note that read: "Leave it here, Yan'er will come to collect it in the afternoon"
That person scolded: "Shen ... ... "
Su Qing seized the opportunity to run away, but her heart was concerned about Shen Yi being in danger, so she crawled under a nearby table by the door, revealing only her pair of eyes to watch quietly.
Su Qing performed a classmate's greeting, forcing a calm smile, her small face stiffening from the effort: "My younger brother has matters to attend to and cannot accompany you. I sincerely apologize. Please allow me to pass, and we shall discuss this another day."
It is somewhat similar to the precious cat they keep in their residence
Yet the more determined she was to be a shadow, the more she attracted attention. One day after school, a tall and sturdy boy surrounded her with a few followers, grinning as he poked the crown on her head with a fan, saying: "Su Qing, are you really a girl or not?"
Su Qing, feeling the intensity of the situation, arched her back and shrank away, trying to shake off his grip. Her voice finally carried a sobbing tone, "Let go, let go!"
The boy's position was by the window, and as he lowered his head to look at the food box, a beam of light fell on the bridge of his nose, and there was also a delicate warm light on his eyelashes, illuminating his eyes with a vibrant gray-brown hue
After a while, he spoke up in a sarcastic tone: "Where has the little bun on your chest gone?"
Nonsense! Su Qing interrupted, her entire face flushed like the evening glow outside the window
Su Qing speaks very steadily, being both clever and adaptable, yet this very seriousness, with its rigid adherence to rules, carries a hint of childlike innocence, which evokes a sense of tenderness in listeners. The master is in high spirits, stroking his beard in approval.
He looked up with a glance from below, his gaze sharp like a blade, resembling the eyes of a fierce beast provoking an intruder, and the latter half of that person's sentence vanished without a trace
Su Qing would forever remember the pair of pale hands on the pitch-black ink cartridge, as well as the chilling smile of the owner of those hands, which was extremely sinister and malevolent, just before being pulled away by the crowd
Su Qing's eyes suddenly widened, not because of his rejection, but because they had never been this close before. His lips were almost brushing against her ear, his breath like a few extremely light feathers, landing on the edge of her ear.
The more she felt lost and helpless, the more excited they became. The Bull Demon King grabbed her arm and poked her chest with a fan bone, saying: "I have heard that the daughters of the Su family are all like Xi Shi, but it seems that is not the case. Qing'er, you are so thin; where have your little buns gone? How come they are not visible at all?"
Shen Qi's expression was extremely awkward as he finally completed the long-overdue introduction: "Actually, this is... my younger brother... Shen Yi."
He thought, the elder sister is too fair, easily turning so red, how is it that she cannot calm down even after a whole class, as if he had bullied her in some way
Later, the matter caused a great uproar in the city, with the mother of the Bull Demon King and the prime minister's wife crying and making a scene in the school: "Is that the appearance of a noble young master? It is simply like a mad dog!"
Shen Qi seemed easily provoked by his taunts, wanting to leave. Upon seeing Su Qing also kneeling on the ground, raising her palm eagerly, his anger intensified. He poked Su Qing's shoulder with his finger, urging, "Qing Mei, let's go back."
As the Master was busy, he suddenly caught sight of Su Qing, who was squeezing in like a little chick beside him, extending her hands and staring at him without blinking, her small face turning pale with fright
At that time, the person entrusted with taking care of her was Shen Qi, who was several grades older than these little ones and did not attend the same school. Upon arriving at the classroom, Shen Qi introduced several important classmates to her, and those being introduced nodded and smiled. When his finger moved to a person slightly farther away, he paused for a moment, seemingly unsure of how to begin, and then lowered his hand, giving her shoulder a light pat: "Qing Mei, if you need anything, look for them. I'm leaving"
The incense box was violently smashed against the Bull Demon King's forehead, breaking into two pieces. The unburned incense ash rolled down from his head, causing him to close his eyes in irritation. Soon, warm blood gushed out, melting the incense ash, and flowed down into his neck. Only then did he let out a terrified and painful howl of "Aow Aow".
He did not smile, nor did he look at her. His hostile gaze closely followed Shen Qi as he walked away. Once he had gone far, he disinterestedly withdrew his gaze, spread open a book, and sat down at the table, casually kicking over the stool of the classmate in front of him who was watching the commotion.
Shen Yi : `` ... ... ''
In this classroom, only two people are standing, and Shen Yi cannot help but keep staring at her, making this lesson very chaotic
He lifted three layers, and inside was another new silk scarf
Su Qing has always been very well-behaved. When her father told her not to speak, she truly became as low-key as a wilted eggplant, coming and going quietly, almost never initiating conversations with others. Even when the teacher asked questions, she would hastily walk a few steps to the podium and bow to answer, fearing that her soft voice would echo in the classroom and invite ridicule.
After a brief pause, he lowered his eyelashes. The dust in the air danced in the beam of light that filtered through the window, with some settling on his lashes, as if suspended for a few seconds. Suddenly, he grabbed the incense box at the corner of the table and hurled it violently towards the Bull Demon King.
As she spoke, she fiercely jabbed with the fan's rib, causing her crown to fall off. Amidst the deafening laughter, Su Qing quickly grabbed her loosening hair bun, feeling that they were extremely detestable
The goose wrinkled its nose, feeling that he was truly excessive: "Oh, so it is like this."
Shen Yi is also very clever. Upon reflection, could it be that just because he didn't touch the soft and fragrant pastries yesterday, she guessed that he does not like sweet food
Su Qing, having provoked the Bull Demon King, was aware of the gravity of the situation. She could only support her precariously tilting crown with both hands and silently attempted to slip out the door.
Shen Yi emerged like a shadow, stepping out from the darkness, one foot shattering the stool he had thrown to the ground, casting a sidelong glance at them with an expression akin to a sky overcast with dark clouds
The person behind her paused for a moment, then poked her again. Before she could turn around, he leaned forward easily, propping himself on the table, and whispered quickly in her ear, "Hey, stop bringing food." He then straightened up swiftly, just in time to avoid being seen by the teacher.
Shen Yi glanced at her twice, then ignored her completely. Not only did he disregard her, but in the classroom, he was the only one who stood alone, preferring to remain in the corner, resisting any disturbances and closeness.
Su Qing held the pen tightly, staring blankly at the soup bowl
Before leaving, grandfather reminded: "Since you are in disguise, you should be more low-key when encountering situations. Try to avoid speaking whenever possible."
This young man comes from a wealthy family, being the long-awaited son of the current Prime Minister Niu Ben. He has been spoiled and indulged, living without restraint, and often bullies his classmates, earning him the nickname "Niu Mo Wang".
They seemed to have some past grievances, as everyone was watching Shen Yi with hawk-like eyes, and the focus of the fire seemed to shift immediately.
The goose called out, while Su Qing held the lid tightly, pursing her lips in silence, with a hint of disappointment in her eyes
She had planned it well; at this time, the maid who was to pick her up from school and Shen Qi should be arriving soon
On the fourth day, Su Qing was standing in class when suddenly someone poked her from behind with a pen.
Listening to her brief account of the events, I did not stop her, but nodded and said: "Well, it is commendable that the elder sister knows how to be grateful." I then instructed the kitchen to prepare a bowl of lotus seed soup for her, to prevent her from going hungry at night
Su Qing's childhood was greatly favored by her parents. Initially, she stayed at home to learn women's skills. At the age of thirteen, she dressed in male attire and was the first in her family to be sent to school with the young nobles.
He suddenly noticed that the second floor had a stack of paper. Upon opening it, he found that it was the article he was supposed to copy as punishment, with not a single page missing, and even the handwriting was similar to his own.
On the third day, Shen Yi carefully lifted the three layers of the food box. In the place where the cloth had originally been, there was now a pristine white towel, and beside it was a basin filled with water, floating with flower petals.
Once he suffers losses alone, she plans to go all out, letting out a loud cry like a rooster crowing, first to intimidate them, and then to burst out the door to seek help
After this matter was resolved, Su Qing took the initiative to move to the desk in front of Shen Yi and formally performed a classmate's salute to him, indicating her intention to repay his kindness.
The attendant beside him was momentarily stunned; upon hearing the shout, he remembered to rush forward with the others. However, the young man was quicker than them all. With one hand, he pushed against the table and gracefully flipped over, landing in front of the bloodied and dusty Bull Demon King. Still unsatisfied, he grabbed an ink box from the nearest table and forcefully turned it upside down on the demon's face. His bony, pale hand pressed down firmly on the ink box, rotating it back and forth across the demon's face.
Shen Yi was insulted as a "bitch raised by a whore," yet she appeared unfazed, seemingly not angered at all. She stared at the Bull Demon King for a while and then said, without any context, "Speak more nicely."
On the second day after school, Yan'er came to pick her up, holding a food box and looking around. Su Qing waved her hand, and the little maid tiptoed over to her like a thief. Su Qing gently placed the food box on Shen Yi's desk, not wanting to make him feel awkward, and then took Yan'er away.
At this moment, the sun has already begun to set, and the glow of the sunset is exceptionally soft, orange-red, and warm, resembling persimmon soup that has been simmered for a long time
Even a smile can be cold and sharp
Shen Yi's voice was clear and melodious, and when speaking, he looked straight ahead. Due to his impatience, the coldness between his brows became increasingly apparent
Ah, I had some salty biscuits yesterday, yet today I haven't touched them at all
At that time, he was leaning against the corner of the table like a boneless figure, his complexion pale to the point of transparency, with eyebrows that soared into his hairline, a high and prominent nose, and pupils that appeared a transparent light brown under the sunlight, giving him a distinctly exotic appearance
However, the punishment of kneeling was inevitable. The two of them knelt until the sun began to set, and the shadows cast by the window frames on the floor were shifting and rotating. Su Qing felt Shen Yi glance at her, seemingly surprised that she had not yet left
The first time Yan'er saw the elder sister, she blushed and exclaimed in wonder: "Oh, miss, do you know what I want to say?"
At that time, the "mad dog" was kneeling to one side, spreading both hands, allowing the master to strike the palms one by one.
This was her first encounter with Shen Yi
She thought she had blocked Shen Yi and quickly moved half a step to the side
Shen Yi remained silent for a moment, and finally could not help but turn her head to look at her
He picked up the scent like a puppy, a hint of an inexplicable smile lingering at the corners of his mouth, as he tucked his hands into his pockets. If anyone were present, they would surely be stunned in place by this smile that was both fierce and innocent.
The Bull Demon King gave a signal, and the young men blocked her path. He placed his palm horizontally against his chest and joked, "Look, with your height so short and your face so pale, aren't you just a girl?"
Shen Yi, who showed no reaction even after being struck on the palm, upon hearing these words, fixed Shen Qi with the same disdainful and mocking gaze that Su Qing had seen on the first day. After a moment, he curved his lips into a smile and said, "Hmm, brother."
He firmly insisted that it was merely a quarrel, downplaying Su Qing's struggle for dominance as a trivial incident. Su Qing was greatly affected and took the initiative to kneel beside him.
Su Qing turned her face, the cap tightly pressed against her forehead like a boy's, covering all her soft and ambiguous strands of hair. Nevertheless, beneath her delicate eyebrows, her pair of autumn-like eyes and her slightly fuller lower lip still revealed an undeniable brilliance, with the slanting sun serving as the best rouge.
He let out a soft hum, wanting to see just how clever she was.
Su Qing suddenly felt that these words were different from the deliberate teasing of the Bull Demon King
She listened to him speak again, this time seeming to genuinely show some interest: "The daughters of the Su family, each one surpassing Xi Shi?"
Shen Yi knelt straight beside.
Su Qingshi is the daughter of Lord Su, and she is usually so well-behaved that it borders on being overly soft. How could he bring himself to act against her? He also thought that the Bull Demon King is indeed a scourge and should have suffered some hardships long ago, so he scolded Shen Yi a couple of times and decided to let it go
After class, when everyone had left, Su Qing quietly picked up a piece of paper from his desk, took it home to study, and after several nights of melting wax, helped him finish copying the book he was punished to transcribe
However, when she lifted the second layer of the food box, Yan'er noticed something was amiss: "Miss, on the first day he ate the salty biscuit, you said he must love salty food; today he didn't eat anything, only took your handkerchief, so does that mean he is..."
Shen Yi glanced at her sideways, then turned his head back.
After he left, Su Qing quietly turned her head, her gaze piercing through the throngs of people to observe the thirteen or fourteen-year-old boy who had not been introduced.
Su Qing smiled slightly, her brows and eyes curving downwards, containing a soft apology: "Mr. Shen, please return first."
As he had expected, the young girl and the maid came together. It was Su Qing who personally opened the food box and tidied up, while Yan'er merely stood by with her hands tucked in.
Unexpectedly, those few people burst into laughter. The Bull Demon King laughed so hard that he slapped his thigh, looking around while laughing: "Listen to her speak, if you were a man, you would be a eunuch!"
She thought for a moment, then looked ahead and replied steadily: "My mother says I am too thin, so I can't even be considered a steamed bun; once wrapped, I would disappear completely"
He fell silent for a moment, only taking a small piece of the butter cake to eat, while carefully picking up the white silk handkerchief. Instead of wiping his mouth, he closed his eyes and tentatively took a light sniff; the faint fragrance of the daughter’s scent seemed to penetrate deep into his lungs.
On the second day, Su Qing resorted to her old tricks again, but when Shen Yi opened the food box, he found that the second layer of soft and fragrant pastries had been replaced with palm-sized pancakes, accompanied by several exquisite small dishes.
Suddenly, there was a loud noise from behind the classroom, followed by the sound of wooden pieces scattering. Everyone stopped and turned around, only to discover that there was still a person left in the classroom.
She felt as if she were a newly brewed bottle of wine, with a bubble slowly rising from the bottom to the mouth of the bottle. At that moment, it was turned upside down, and the bubble slowly sank from her throat, settling in her chest, and then sinking into her stomach
This handsome face, sharp to the point of fragility, suddenly reminded her of what the adults had said about "thin," the thinness of a beautiful person's appearance
This time he did not leave, nimbly sticking to the base of the wall outside the window, waiting for the wild geese to come and collect the food box
Having angered the Bull Demon King, the Shen family was thrown into chaos, with chickens flying and dogs jumping. A few strokes of the ruler were hardly sufficient. Su Qing had heard about it and knew that Shen Yi had endured several beatings at home, walking with a limp and naturally unable to sit down.
Shen Yixin thought, who knows what the second and fifth younger sisters are like, anyway, the eldest sister is already fair enough
Su Qingning pondered carefully, and the redness on her face immediately faded: "I understand now, he might be implying that the snacks made by our family are not clean"
He immediately stopped, as if his nose had been scalded. One hand stuffed the handkerchief into his bosom, while the other hand randomly poked at it a couple of times, tucking the exposed corners into his clothing, as it was better not to see it.
She thought for a moment and hesitantly said, "I have not heard this statement before. I think both Second Sister and Fifth Sister are beautiful, but we have never seen Xi Shi."
In the middle of the night, the mother woke up and saw that the light in her daughter's room was still on. She draped a garment over her shoulders and carried a candlestick into her daughter's room, exclaiming in surprise: "My child, do you have so much schoolwork?"
The Bull Demon King unleashed a torrent of curses, saying: "What does this whore want to do again?"