Duke Jing's younger sister

Shen Li seemed not to have heard Xing Ping's words. She was still staring blankly at the lake surface where ripples were created by the wind. Her body seemed to be frozen, and she did not move for a long time.

The setting sun fills the sky with its afterglow.

The slender willows were like ribbons, swaying gently in the wind. From time to time, soft leaves came with the wind and brushed lightly across her shoulders.

A familiar figure walked towards me.

The young man was wearing a dark blue brocade robe. He had a handsome appearance, like a bamboo or a pine tree. His already beautiful face looked even more charming under the rosy glow.

He was tall with long legs, and the willow branches just brushed against her shoulders, blocking most of his view.

He looked through the willow branches with an unusually soft gaze. He raised his hand and gently lifted the obstruction in front of his eyes, then walked towards her.

For some reason, she suddenly couldn't hold it in anymore.

It's like a small boat lost in a turbulent river, or like a child lost on the road and at a loss, suddenly seeing the person closest to you in the crowd.

All the emotions suppressed in the heart suddenly overflowed, like a rushing river, both turbulent and surging.

Her eyes suddenly turned red, and then she turned her head away, not wanting him to notice that something was wrong with her.

Shen Beiqi looked at her quietly, and after a moment, he raised his large palm and gently rubbed her head.

He stood there looking at her for as long as she stood there.

He knew that she had things she wanted to do, and probably didn't want him to know those things.

Since she wanted to solve it by herself, he didn't want to show up. He just wanted to watch silently, fearing that she would encounter some unknown danger.

Perhaps it was because he saw that she was in such a low mood that he couldn't help but come out to see her.

He sighed secretly, then told Xingping to go back first, saying that he would take her to a place.

Shen Li raised her head, forcing back the tears in her eyes, and suddenly thought of Yao Ziqian, "Brother, I brought Ziyuan's brother back..."

Shen Beiqi already knew this, but he still pretended not to know and nodded, "Why not let him stay in Cuibai Hall?"

Shen Li nodded. It was most suitable for Yao Ziqian to be with Shen Beiqi. Whether he wanted to study literature or martial arts, Shen Beiqi could give him some pointers, which would surely benefit him greatly.

Shen Beiqi ordered Yueyang to go back with Xingping and the others to settle Yao Ziqian down, then turned to Shen Li and said, "Let's go."

"Where to go?" she asked.

"Take you to the theater."

Going to the theater?

She stopped the steps she was about to take and lowered her head and said, "I don't want to watch a play anymore."

He curled his lips slightly, hesitated for a moment, then reached out and held her wrist, "We're not going to Aloft, you'll know when we get there."

The two walked along the main street for a while, turned around the main street, and turned two alleys before finally stopping in front of a slightly shabby store.

The red lacquer on the windows was mottled and peeling, revealing the original color of the wood. There was no plaque above the door lintel, so it didn't look like a place for singing opera, but it didn't look like a restaurant or inn either.

But Shen Li felt vaguely that this place was very familiar, as if she had been here before?

"Have we been here before?"

Shen Beiqi smiled without saying a word and walked straight into the store. Shen Li followed closely behind him. After seeing the old and dilapidated furnishings in the house, she was sure that she had indeed been here.

It was probably five or six years ago. She was still young and kept pestering Shen Beiqi every day.

Once, she grabbed the corner of his robe tightly, and he could not escape, so he took her to the store to watch a shadow play.

The hall at that time was not as desolate as it is now.

The store was not very big to begin with, but it was packed with people inside and outside.

The funny movements of the shadow puppets on the white curtain, coupled with the husky voice of the narrator, often make everyone laugh.

At that time, she was held in his arms, and they both sat in the front seat.

Bright lights shone through the white curtain. She looked up and watched with great interest. Her clear deer eyes were illuminated by the lights, shining like bright stars in the summer night.

Shen Beiqi moved two chairs in front of the curtain and waved at her, "Come here."

There was only a white-haired old man and a young boy with double buns, who looked only five or six years old, left in the store.

After they sat down in front of the curtain, the child trotted over to close the black curtain. The room was dark for a moment and then illuminated by the white light from behind the curtain.

This is a brand new curtain, white and new, forming a sharp contrast with the mottled wooden frame.

An old voice sounded from behind the scenes. Following the old man's vivid and rhythmic explanation, the Monkey King jumped onto the stage.

Shen Li couldn't help but feel a little nostalgic, because that year she also watched the "Monkey King Makes Trouble in Yunxiao Palace".

When she saw the Monkey King eating so much that he was rolling on the ground in the Queen Mother's Peach Garden, she couldn't help laughing and a cheerful smile appeared on the corners of her mouth.

Shen Beiqi glanced at her sideways, and when he saw the smile on her lips, his eyes gradually softened.

With a few "clang clang clang" sounds of gongs, the movie show came to an end.

The old man pulled his young grandson and staggered out from behind the scenes to thank the guests. According to the rules, tips were required after watching the shadow show. Shen Li searched his body for a while and found that all the money was left with Xingping.

She looked at the young man beside her and spread out her white palms to him.

He smiled slightly, took out a silver ingot from his sleeve and handed it to her palm.

Shen Li waved at the boy, and he came up obediently. She asked, "How old are you?"

"Six years old."

"He can ring the gong at the age of six. How amazing!"

She placed the silver in the child's warm palm and said, "Can you use it to buy some candy?"

The boy looked at the silver in his hand and shook his head, "No, I want to save it to buy medicine for grandpa. Grandpa is sick, and the doctor said he will get better after taking the medicine."

Shen Li turned her head and looked at the silver-haired old man, who bowed respectfully to her, "Thank you, Lord Guo and Miss Shen, for your generous gift."

"Old man, are you feeling unwell?"

The old man shook his head and sighed, "When you get old, it's not really an illness, it's just enduring day by day. However, for the sake of my grandson, I have to endure for two more days."

Shen Li was silent.

Birth, aging, sickness and death, all follow the natural law.

When people come into this world, they have no choice, and when it is time to leave, they also have no choice.

When I came out of the theater, it was already dark.

There are houses on both sides of the road. Lanterns under the eaves sway gently in the night breeze. The drifting red light meanders and illuminates the entire street.

She thought she would go back home after watching the shadow play, but unexpectedly he took her to Changqing Tower.

Changqinglou is the largest restaurant in Jiangdu City. It is best known for its wine, tea, and candied fruits, and it also has a wide variety of dishes.

After the two of them entered the room, Shen Beiqi handed her the menu. She glanced at it and had no idea which of the various dishes was better, so she could only return the menu to him.

"Brother, you should come."