Would Yuan Shu really have such a good attitude?
Let alone Su Lingxi being caught off guard, even Shu Linyuan and Shen Qi beside them were stunned.
However, Shu Linyuan had already seen an even more shocking side to Yuan Shu, so right now he merely gave her a surprised glance and didn't say anything.
Shen Qi, on the other hand, had surprise written all over his face. He couldn't help but look closely at Yuan Shu.
The face was still the same face.
Exquisite features, beautiful phoenix eyes, a straight elegant nose, and bright red lips.
But the vibe she gave off was completely different.
For instance, the old Yuan Shu would absolutely never speak to Su Lingxi in such a calm tone.
Much less easily accept anything from her.
But now, not only was she smiling brilliantly at Su Lingxi, she even accepted the soup she brought?
Had the sun risen from the west?
Another thing Shen Qi couldn't understand was that Yuan Shu's aura seemed different from before!
In the past, Yuan Shu always had a bitter expression, looking at everyone as if they owed her a million bucks. Even he would get a scolding from her when she was in a bad mood.
But now...
On that face rippling with a bright smile, there was a tender sweetness he had never seen before.
Her gestures were no longer petty and unrefined like before; she casually exuded a unique charm.
It was quite pleasing to the eye.
Shen Qi couldn't help but take a few more glances at her.
Yuan Shu took the soup tureen but wasn't in a hurry to open it.
Her slender, pale fingertips gently rubbed against the tureen. Watching Su Lingxi's nervously shifting expressions as if enjoying a play, she asked casually.
"Little Junior Sister, you're so nervous about whether I drink this soup or not. Could there be a problem with it?"
"N-no, there's no problem at all!" Su Lingxi quickly retorted.
"Since there's no problem, why won't you let me drink it? You were just fighting me for it a moment ago," Yuan Shu asked slowly and methodically.
"I, I didn't. I, I just... just felt that carrying this soup all the way here, it has already gotten cold."
"If Seventh Senior Sister drinks it, you will definitely feel uncomfortable. It would be better if I go back and bring a fresh bowl instead."
"Why go to all that trouble? I actually like drinking it lukewarm." Yuan Shu said with a smile. As her words fell, she lifted the lid of the tureen just a crack.
"Seventh Senior Sister!"
Su Lingxi jumped in fright. Disregarding how inappropriate it was to make a move right now, she stepped forward to snatch the soup tureen.
How could Yuan Shu let her have her way?
With a few easy spins, she dodged her snatching and glided over to Shu Linyuan.
"Sixth Senior Brother, it seems Little Junior Sister doesn't really want me to drink her heartfelt gift. How about you drink it?"
Saying this, Yuan Shu presented the soup tureen in her hands to Shu Linyuan.
Shu Linyuan initially wanted to refuse, but meeting Yuan Shu's slightly raised eyebrows, his Adam's apple bobbed, and he obediently took it.
In fact, earlier when he heard Yuan Shu say "she had lived very well these past seven days," his heart had started beating uncontrollably.
He was terrified that Yuan Shu would reveal what had happened between them.
"Sixth Senior Brother! This is for Seventh Senior Sister. If Seventh Senior Sister won't drink it, can you give it back to me?"
Su Lingxi blanked for a moment, not expecting Yuan Shu to give the soup to Shu Linyuan. She hurriedly stepped forward, pitifully begging for the tureen.
At the same time, she felt a wave of relief.
Compared to the current Yuan Shu, Shu Linyuan was obviously much easier to deal with!
Men could never withstand a girl's pitiful gaze.
And Shu Linyuan was the most soft-hearted. In the past, whenever she showed this expression, he would give her whatever she asked for!
Sure enough, as soon as Su Lingxi displayed that weak, pale little face, Shu Linyuan's protective instincts kicked in.
He couldn't help but reach his hand out to return it.
However, just as his hand reached out a bit, he received Yuan Shu's half-smiling death glare.
As if thinking of some form of punishment, Shu Linyuan's body tensed, and the tips of his ears instantly flushed red.
Avoiding Su Lingxi's gaze, he abruptly pulled the lid off the soup tureen in his hands.
Crystal-clear plain water sloshed around inside the tureen. Where was there even a hint of rich soup?
Not only was Shu Linyuan dumbfounded, but Shen Qi, standing to the side, was also stunned.
"Little Junior Sister, isn't this water? Where is the soup?"
Shu Linyuan turned his head in surprise to look at Su Lingxi. She had just said that this tureen contained a rich broth simmered for over an hour!
And that she specifically brought it to nourish Yuan Shu's body in celebration!
"I, I... maybe it's because I instructed a junior brother in the sect to simmer the soup last night, and he, he forgot..."
Su Lingxi stammered.
She never expected that Shu Linyuan would refuse her pitiful request for the tureen.
He even listened to Yuan Shu and directly opened it.
For a moment, she hadn't figured out how to spin a lie.
"You instructed a junior brother to do it?" Shu Linyuan frowned. "Didn't you just say you simmered it with your own hands?"
"I-I'm sorry, I just wanted Seventh Senior Sister to like me. I didn't mean to..."
Questioned like this, Su Lingxi knew she couldn't explain it away, so she simply stopped trying.
Her face immediately took on an aggrieved expression, and tears welled up in her big, round almond eyes.
She made it look as if Shu Linyuan had bullied her mercilessly!
It suddenly dawned on Shu Linyuan.
Su Lingxi definitely knew this was a bowl of plain water, otherwise she wouldn't have been so anxious to snatch it back just now.
She probably hadn't expected Yuan Shu to actually accept her soup!
And Yuan Shu seemed to know it was plain water too, deliberately handing it to him to open?
Just to expose Su Lingxi's hypocrisy?
In an instant, Shu Linyuan understood everything.
"Little Junior Sister, when did you learn to be so deceitful? This... isn't very good, is it?"
He frowned, his eyes holding a hint of reproach as he looked at Su Lingxi.
Su Lingxi bit her lip in grievance, and at that moment, large teardrops fell.
Shu Linyuan, "...?"
Seeing this, Shen Qi sighed softly, a trace of headache flashing across his brow.
"Alright, it's just a bowl of soup. Little Junior Sister only wanted to ease her relationship with Yuan Shu, there's no need to be too harsh."
He waved his hand, signaling Su Lingxi to take the tureen back.
Shu Linyuan pointed at himself in speechlessness, then looked at Su Lingxi.
Wait, was he being harsh?
He merely asked a question!
To the side, Yuan Shu, who had been watching the show, smiled.
A little puppy who had tasted meat was indeed different; his eyes were clear, and his emotions were no longer swayed by a fake little white flower.
He was even speaking up for her?
Hearing the laughter, Shu Linyuan turned his head and happened to see the smiling Yuan Shu.
Shu Linyuan, "..."
Was Yuan Shu that happy seeing him deflated?
"Junior Sister Yuan, do you... admit your mistake?"
Shen Qi didn't want to bother with the soup incident anymore. His expression turned serious as he fixed his gaze on Yuan Shu.
Unexpectedly, Yuan Shu agreed the moment she opened her mouth.
"I admit my mistake."
Shen Qi paused, seemingly not expecting things to go so smoothly. Surprised, he asked again, "Really?"
"Of course it's true, Eldest Senior Brother. I sincerely admit my mistake!"
Yuan Shu wasn't wearing shoes. Dragging the heavy chains on her hands and feet, she sat back on the edge of the bed with a series of clanking sounds.
She crossed her legs, rested her chin on one hand, and nodded obediently like a little chick pecking at rice.
The instep of her foot was plump and lustrous. When her toes tilted up slightly, the rounded curve looked like a full white jade water caltrop, radiating a soft glow.
A silver-gray iron chain clasped her tender white ankle, creating a stark contrast between gray and white.
Even Shen Qi couldn't help but take a few extra glances.
Shu Linyuan's expression shifted slightly at the sight. He swiftly stripped off his outer robe and stepped forward to drape it over Yuan Shu's bare feet.
"Where are your shoes?"
"Over there. I wasn't paying attention when I took them off last night, and one fell into the water..."
Yuan Shu gestured with her lips toward the nearby pool.
Shu Linyuan turned to look and, sure enough, saw a single shoe floating on the water's surface.
The other shoe was also lying just beyond the reach of the chains.
Suddenly, a memory struck him. Yesterday, when he had pinned her against the wall, he had been entirely unable to resist touching her feet, and so he had slipped her shoes off.
He had casually tossed them aside at the time, never expecting...
That he had tossed them straight into the water!
In an instant, Shu Linyuan's face flushed crimson.
"Sixth Senior Brother, are you feeling hot? Why is your face so red?"
Blinking her large, innocent eyes, Yuan Shu leaned in close to Shu Linyuan.
Shu Linyuan looked up, only to catch a fleeting glimmer of secret amusement deep within those beautiful phoenix eyes.
