Shen Jianxi felt a pang of guilt seeing Cheng Wenyu today. She watched the man, who was meticulously deboning fish for her, his profile bathed in sunlight that seemed to lend his already gentle features an almost divine radiance.
She sighed inwardly. For the first time in a long while, she felt a twinge of reluctance; the truth, after all, was always painful.
"There," Cheng Wenyu placed the plate of fish in front of her. The moment he looked up, Shen Jianxi quickly masked the emotion in her eyes. She glanced down. Each piece of fish was perfectly intact, and the scattered bones were nowhere to be seen.
"Thank you, Brother Wenyu!" She lowered her head, picked up a piece, and popped it into her mouth. It was truly boneless, the fish melting in her throat with the slightest pressure.
Cheng Wenyu offered a gentle smile, watching her. "As long as Sister Jianxi likes it."
He had never placed much importance on food. With his cultivation, he no longer needed sustenance from grains. Yet, seeing her eat with such delight, he found himself enjoying it too and ate a little more.
Earlier, the two had gone flower viewing. She had been well taken care of throughout their outing. Cheng Wenyu had maintained a perfect distance, never making her feel uncomfortable. This was why Shen Jianxi had agreed when he asked her out again.
After their meal, Cheng Wenyu escorted her to the entrance of the Shen manor and only left after watching her go inside.
As soon as he entered his home, his mother stopped him. "How was it? Did you and your Sister Jianxi get along well?"
Cheng Wenyu frowned as he watched his mother cough a few times with each sentence. He quickly stepped forward to support her. "Has your cold not cleared up yet?"
His mother patted his hand, suppressing the surge of emotion within her, and smiled. "It's nothing, I'm almost better. How are you and Sister Jianxi?"
Cheng Wenyu helped her to a chair, poured her a glass of water, and handed it to her. "Mother, please don't worry. Sister Jianxi and I are doing very well."
"Ah, good. That's good, that's good," his mother's eyes welled up. She turned her head away to hide her emotion.
Her last wish was to see these two children married. After they were married, Wenyu wouldn't be alone. Even if she were to depart, he would still have someone by his side.
Cheng Wenyu felt a strange unease. A month ago, a letter had suddenly arrived from home, urging him to return immediately. Upon his return, he learned that he was to be married. He distinctly remembered that the elders of both families had agreed to wait until Sister Jianxi went to the Ming Xin Sect before proceeding with the wedding. He wondered why the urgency now.
"Mother, please don't worry. Your son is well. It's you, however, whose health has been declining these past few years. Did you not take the warming pills and tonics I had someone deliver?"
"I took them all. It's just normal for one's body to weaken with age." Not wanting to dwell on the topic, fearing he might notice something, his mother quickly changed the subject. "Sister Jianxi is younger than you and was pampered by Uncle Shen and Aunt Shen. After you marry, you must not let her suffer any grievances."
Speaking of which, Cheng Wenyu recalled their interactions over the past two days, a faint smile gracing his eyes, a smile he himself didn't notice. "Mother, rest assured, your son understands."
Such a sweet, pitiable young girl – who could bear to let her suffer any grievances? He found himself instinctively wanting to cherish and protect her.
As a mother, she understood her son well. Seeing his expression, Madam Cheng knew he had developed feelings for Shen Jianxi. This was good; it would finally put her mind at ease. She had initially worried that Wenyu had only agreed out of a sense of duty and filial piety.
❤️
After today's meeting, Cheng Wenyu's favorability rating increased to 39.
Shen Jianxi, as usual, went to find Lin Xinglan in the afternoon. He would be leaving in a couple of days, and she needed to "shear him" for more benefits. However, unlike before, she now had Fu Zi accompanying her.
In her haste yesterday, she had called out his name. Shen Jianxi wasn't sure if he would remember after he recovered from his injuries, so she tried to salvage the situation by giving him the name "Shen Zhizhi." To her surprise, he actually liked it.
But the current scene was rather troublesome.
The two had been staring at each other since they met. Fu Zi was simply curious about the big brother before him. Lin Xinglan, however, was different. His usually calm eyes now held a hint of displeasure as he regarded the strangely attractive, yet innocent-looking man before him, a sense of wariness creeping in.
"Xixi, who is he?" This was the first time Lin Xinglan had addressed her so intimately. Shen Jianxi hadn't even reacted yet, but his ears had already turned red.
Shen Jianxi was indeed surprised, but it was within her expectations. With a favorability rating already at 58, she would have been devastated if there wasn't some change.
"This is..." However, when it came to introducing Fu Zi, she found herself in a predicament. How should she introduce him...
Before Shen Jianxi could ponder further, Fu Zi, experiencing the novelty of introducing himself for the first time, spoke up. "My name is Shen Zhizhi, I am Shen's..."
Shen's what? Fu Zi scratched his head in confusion. He couldn't recall his sister's name. "I am, I am..."
Shen Jianxi's heart leaped into her throat. Although she had told him on the way that he should call her Shen Jiaxi, given Fu Zi's current intelligence, it was hard to say for sure.
"Ah! I remember!" Her heart felt like it might stop. "I am Sister Shen Jiaxi's younger brother!"
*Phew.*
She finally relaxed, relieved that she could still manage.
"Oh."
The strange sense of unease disappeared. Lin Xinglan stopped looking at Fu Zi and returned to his usual, dazed state, his eyes fixed on Shen Jianxi's hands.
When the last plate of pastries was served, he picked one up, thought for a moment, and then extended it towards Shen Jianxi.
Her eyes held a hint of confusion. She asked softly, "What's wrong? Don't you like this one?"
Lin Xinglan shook his head.
"I like it." He then paused and added, "You eat it."
This time, Shen Jianxi understood his meaning. A strange feeling, like that of watching a child grow up and become caring, welled up within her.
She opened her mouth and took a bite. Then, she picked up a piece and brought it to his lips. After watching him eat it, she gently ruffled his hair with her other hand.
Lin Xinglan, his cheeks bulging, looked at her and his eyes curved into a smile.
"77: Ding! Favorability +3, current Lin Xinglan favorability is 61."
Fu Zi watched them feed each other and felt neglected. He tugged impatiently at Shen Jianxi's sleeve. His strength was considerable, and Shen Jianxi was pulled back onto the chair.
Before she could say anything, she saw Fu Zi's brow furrowed in a wronged expression. "Sister, Zhizhi wants to eat too."
She didn't particularly want to feed him, but he had called her "Sister"!
Shen Jianxi remained silent for a moment. "Okay."
She picked up a piece and fed it to him. Fu Zi ate all the pastries from her hand and then instinctively licked his lips.
The soft, warm tip of his tongue brushed against her fingertips and then withdrew. Coupled with Fu Zi's action, this unconscious gesture carried an inexplicably seductive and suggestive air, making her blush furiously.
She turned her head unnaturally and glanced at Lin Xinglan. Seeing that he hadn't noticed the commotion, she finally relaxed.
After Lin Xinglan finished eating, they exchanged a few casual words, and Shen Jianxi used an excuse to leave. She couldn't help it; Fu Zi was like a ticking time bomb. If they stayed any longer, who knew what might happen.
Although he was reluctant, Lin Xinglan was not good at outwardly expressing his emotions and had no reason to keep her there. Only a hint of disappointment in his eyes made Shen Jianxi's guilt intensify.
So sinful.