Duke Jing's younger sister

Looking at the red figure gradually going away, Shen Beiqi subconsciously tightened the reins in his hands.

Then, as if accepting his fate, he let go helplessly.

The carriage started on its way again, but Shen Li's gaze still remained fixed on the tall and straight figure of the young man in the lead.

She didn't know if she had misunderstood, but she always felt that there was something a little subtle about the relationship between them.

As for what was subtle about it, she couldn't tell.

Or rather, she didn't dare to think about it, nor did she dare to believe it.

"Girl, you haven't eaten anything this morning, so eat something to fill your stomach."

As Zi Yuan spoke, she opened the brown food box on the small table, picked up a piece of white jade cake and handed it to Shen Li.

Shen Li lowered the curtains, took the cake and took a bite. The white jade cake that used to be sweet now became tasteless.

"Is the girl unhappy?" Zi Yuan asked.

“Not really,” she shook her head, “I just feel… blocked.”

Since she got up early in the morning, she felt a slight sense of alienation from him, and she felt inexplicably upset.

"Miss, you think too much. Every time I make cakes for you, I always worry whether the dough is too soft, whether I put too much sugar, or whether the cakes are not good and you don't like them."

Zi Yuan smiled lightly and continued, "The facts have proven that I always worry too much. In fact, many things can be done by letting go, and the results may not necessarily be bad."

Shen Li was silent. Zi Yuan was always calm and thoughtful.

This was to see through the crux of her problem and to persuade her in a roundabout way.

It is true that if you imagine the outcome of failure in your mind before you do anything, you will be timid and fail to do anything well.

But Shen Beiqi is not dough. If the dough is bad, how bad can it be? Steam it, boil it, and you can finally swallow it.

But Shen Beiqi...

It's not that she looked down on herself, it's just that the gap between them was too deep and too wide, she didn't even have the courage to pinch him.

Shen Li sighed lightly and asked, "Zi Yuan, you are already seventeen years old now, do you have any plans to get married?"

Zi Yuan blushed and lowered her head in silence.

How could Shen Li not understand after seeing it? "But that cousin from your uncle's family?"

"Yeah." Ziyuan nodded, "He said... he would wait for me."

Ziyuan was not a born child, but a slave who had signed a white indenture. When she turned 20, if she had saved enough money, she could redeem herself.

She had been childhood sweethearts with her cousin from her uncle's family. Shen Li had also seen that cousin from afar and he seemed to be a simple and honest man.

Zi Yuan has served Shen Li for many years. She is steady and cautious. Except for the mistake she made last time in her eagerness to save her brother, she is almost impeccable.

After years of being master and servant, she now has a lover, and Shen Li is willing to fulfill her wish and let her leave the house early.

She smiled and said, "Bring it to me someday and I'll help you knock on the door. If it's really your soulmate, I'll make the decision for you and don't let him wait for you any longer."

After hearing Shen Li's words, Zi Yuan was surprised and slightly moved.

She had done something wrong to the girl, but the girl not only did not punish her, but also helped her rescue her brother from prison.

Now, she is even being let out of the house early.

She was a child from a poor family. She had never had enough food or warm clothes since she was a child. Her life was even worse than that of a dog in a wealthy family.

Only a kind-hearted person like the girl would treat her and Xingping as human beings, never beat or scold them, and give them decency and dignity.

Thinking of this, Zi Yuan felt even more guilty. The girl was so nice, but she had betrayed her more than once.

"Miss, whether Ziyuan serves you or not in the future, I promise you that from now on, I will never betray you again!"

Zi Yuan's voice was clear and full of determination.

Shen Li smiled, assuring her that she would never reveal her past with her brother.

"Okay, I believe you."

"Yes," Zi Yuan nodded vigorously, "I will never betray the lady's trust again!"

The Shen family's carriage finally returned to Jiangdu City at the beginning of the day.

As soon as the carriage stopped at the door, the doorman came up and bowed, "Duke, my lady said that when you come back, go directly to Qiwu Pavilion to find him!"

Shen Beiqi dismounted, threw the whip in his hand to Yue Yang behind him, and said in a deep voice, "Got it."

After Shen Li got off the carriage, she followed Shen Beiqi closely, and the two of them walked into the vermilion gate of the Shen Mansion one after the other.

"The sky is so gloomy, I'm afraid it's going to rain soon." Zi Yuan said softly.

Shen Li looked up at the sky covered with dark clouds. It was indeed going to rain, and it might be a heavy rain.

When they reached the second gate, Shen Beiqi stopped and looked back at Shen Li, "A Li, you go back to Qinghui Courtyard. I'll go to mother's place."

Shen Li shook her head. "After all, this matter was caused by me. I will go with you."

"Listen to me and go back."

His tone was firm, leaving no room for negotiation.

Shen Li knew that she couldn't get rid of him, so she had to look back every few steps as she walked towards her Qinghui Courtyard.

It goes without saying how angry Yang would be, and I'm afraid the mother and son would have a big fight.

Qiwu Pavilion.

The doorman has informed Yang that Shen Beiqi and Shen Li have returned.

In the past two days, Yang had been feeling very suffocated in her chest, and her anger had been hard to calm down for a long time. After learning that he had returned, her rage became even greater.

She was sitting on the armchair in the main hall at the moment, thinking about the good son she had raised, but he was actually going against her for the sake of an adopted daughter. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became.

Her chest heaving violently, Yang clenched the teacup in her hand. When that rebellious son came in, she would smash the teacup directly on him to vent her anger!

Shen Beiqi strode to Qiwu Pavilion. Nanny Qin was guarding outside the courtyard. When she saw him approaching, she hurriedly bowed and saluted, saying carefully,

"The Duke is here, and Madam is very angry. You have to be gentle and have a good talk with Madam. Don't hurt the harmony between mother and son."

Shen Beiqi nodded slightly, and just as he lifted the door curtain and stepped over the threshold, a teacup flew towards him.

He paused slightly, without dodging, and the teacup fell to the ground at his feet and shattered, with the splattered tea falling on his dark blue robe.

Yang was extremely annoyed, but she couldn't bring herself to hit him. After all, no matter how angry she was, he was still her only son.

She raised her palm, slammed the table hard, and shouted angrily, "Shen Hengzhi, you did a good thing!"

Shen Beiqi looked calm, raised his hand to wipe away the tea stains on his clothes, raised his eyes and replied calmly, "Since it's a good thing, why is mother angry?"

"You...you rebellious son!" Yang became even more angry.

"Do you really want to piss me off to death?"

Yang covered her chest and said, "What's wrong with the Gu family? Why are they not worthy of Shen Li? Do you have to slap your mother in the face in front of so many people? Do you have to humiliate your cousin like this?"

"Mother thinks I am insulting my cousin?"

Shen Beiqi chuckled and asked coldly, "What about mother? Aren't you humiliating A-Li?"