Shi Huai sat across from them, watching the scene unfold. An indescribable feeling welled up inside him.
The fingers of the hand Shi Lingyi had placed on Shi Youlan’s head were slightly cool, and the pressure was controlled to perfection.
It was neither intimate enough to make anyone uncomfortable nor so perfunctory that it seemed insincere.
It was like a carefully calculated gesture, every detail repeatedly scrutinized and refined.
“Second Sister, didn’t you say you had no one to talk to?”
Shi Huai placed a piece of braised pork in Shi Youlan’s bowl, his tone as casual as if he were commenting on the weather.
“I’m at Shou’an Hall every day. You can come and talk to me.”
A faint blush spread across Shi Youlan’s face. “You study every day. I was afraid I’d disturb you.”
“You wouldn’t. It would be a good chance for me to rest my eyes.” Shi Huai smiled, his expression as warm and gentle as polished jade.
The tips of Shi Youlan’s ears turned red. She lowered her head, not daring to look at him, and prodded at the food in her bowl with her chopsticks without picking up a single bite.
Shi Lingyi watched the scene, the corners of her lips lifting slightly, though there was not the slightest trace of amusement in her eyes.
Seated at the head of the table, Shi Yuanzhi was rarely surrounded by his entire family. His expression was noticeably gentler than usual.
He raised his wine cup and took a sip. His gaze swept over the faces of his three children before finally settling on Shi Huai.
“Huai’er, you’ll be going to the Imperial College after the New Year. Don’t let your studies slip, but take care of your health as well. Don’t push yourself too hard.”
“Yes, Father.” Shi Huai put down his chopsticks and answered properly.
Madam Liu sat beside Shi Yuanzhi. From beginning to end, she did not look at Shi Huai even once. She merely placed some greens into Shi Yuanzhi’s bowl.
“My lord, have some vegetables.”
Shi Yuanzhi glanced at her but said nothing, lowering his head to continue eating.
The meal ended amid a subtle, uneasy atmosphere.
As Qinghe cleared away the dishes, she whispered to Shi Huai, “Young Master, the way Eldest Miss looked at Second Miss today felt rather strange.”
Shi Huai was wiping his hands. At her words, the hand holding the cloth paused.
“What was strange about it?”
“I can’t quite put it into words.” Qinghe frowned as she stacked the bowls and chopsticks together. “It’s just that… when Eldest Miss looked at Second Miss, there was no smile in her eyes.”
“She was smiling with her face, but her eyes were cold. Exactly the same as when she looks at you.”
Shi Huai placed the cloth on the table, rose, and walked to the window. He pushed it open, letting the cold wind blow inside.
His voice was so soft that it seemed he was speaking only to himself. “Sister Qinghe, your eyes are becoming sharper by the day.”
Embarrassed by the compliment, Qinghe carried the dishes out.
Shi Huai stood by the window, gazing at the old locust tree in the courtyard. Its bare branches reached toward the pitch-black night sky like a cluster of withered hands.
Shi Lingyi’s behavior that evening reminded him of an old saying: The dogs that bite are the ones that do not bark.
Madam Liu had made a great deal of noise all these years, but aside from frightening people, she had accomplished nothing.
Shi Lingyi, on the other hand, never made a sound. Yet every time she struck, she was as precise as a surgeon’s scalpel.
The last time, she had gone through his desk. The time before that, she had arranged for someone to put a slow-acting poison in his porridge. Every step had been calculated with exacting precision, and she had never left a trace.
If Nanny Zhou had not been so well-informed and so deeply rooted in the household, he might have fallen into her schemes more than once already.
“Ding! Current attractiveness: 92. Skin smoothness increased to 95%. Facial contour definition increased to 12%. [Intermediate Allure] effect continues to strengthen. The rate at which nearby people’s favorability increases has risen to 35%.”
Shi Huai turned and walked to the bronze mirror to examine his face.
The person in the mirror wore a pale-green house robe. His jet-black hair fell loose over his shoulders, setting off a face so pale it was almost translucent, like an ink painting that had not yet dried.
“At this rate, I’ll probably have to wear a veiled hat whenever I leave the house.” Shi Huai muttered to himself before turning away from the mirror.
Early the next morning, Shi Lingyi went to Madam Liu’s courtyard.
The mother and daughter shut the door and spoke for a long time. During that time, there were sounds of objects being smashed, along with muffled sobs.
The maids stood outside the door, exchanging uneasy glances. None of them dared to approach.
Nanny Zhou was exceptionally well-informed. By noon, she had already told Shi Huai what had been discussed.
“Eldest Miss said that life in the Shen residence had been miserable,” Nanny Zhou said in a lowered voice, her brows drawn tightly together.
“Her husband has several concubines in his courtyard, as well as a mistress outside the household. He’s hardly ever home. Eldest Miss spends her days alone, while her mother-in-law blames her for failing to hold on to her husband’s heart.”
Shi Huai was watering the flowers. The watering can in his hand paused slightly.
“Eldest Miss also said that if she didn’t give birth to a son soon, she wouldn’t get a share of the Shen family’s property. Every one of those concubines is watching and waiting.”
Nanny Zhou lowered her voice even further. “After hearing that, Madam smashed a cup and cursed the Shen family for being shameless. She said she would go to the Marquis and demand that he stand up for her.”
“And then?” Shi Huai continued watering the flowers, his tone as calm as if he were asking about the weather.
“Then Eldest Miss began to cry. She said there was no use appealing to the Marquis. He couldn’t even manage the affairs of his own household—how could he possibly meddle in the Shen family’s affairs?”
Nanny Zhou sighed. “Madam started crying too. The two of them embraced and wept bitterly together.”
Shi Huai set down the watering can and picked up a pair of pruning shears. With a sharp snip, he cut off a withered branch.
“What else did they say?”
Nanny Zhou hesitated, her voice so soft it was nearly inaudible. “Eldest Miss said that if only she had been allowed to remain in the Marquis’s residence back then, everything would have been better. She could have taken in a husband and inherited the entire marquisate. Then she wouldn’t have had to suffer the Shen family’s mistreatment.”
The shears in Shi Huai’s hand stopped.
He raised his head and looked into Nanny Zhou’s eyes. “Take in a husband?”
“Yes.” Nanny Zhou nodded. “When Eldest Miss said it, there was something in her eyes… I can’t quite describe it. It made my skin crawl.”
Shi Huai was silent for a moment. Then he set down the shears and brushed the dust from his hands.
“Nanny Zhou, do you think Eldest Sister hates me?”
The question left Nanny Zhou stunned. She opened her mouth, but for a long while, no words came out.
“She naturally hates me,” Shi Huai continued without waiting for her answer.
“She hates me for taking away her chance to bring in a husband. She hates me for causing her to marry into the Shen family. And she hates me because I’m living a better life than she is now.”
“But she would never admit it. She’ll only bury that hatred deep inside and find opportunities to vent it little by little.”
Nanny Zhou’s face went pale, and even her voice trembled. “Young Master, you’re frightening this old servant.”
“Don’t be afraid.” Shi Huai smiled, his expression as gentle as the sunlight of early spring.
“Nanny Zhou, all you need to do is keep a close eye on Eldest Sister. I want to know every person she meets, every place she goes, and everything she says.”
Nanny Zhou gritted her teeth and nodded firmly.
The Marquis’s residence was lively for a few days during the New Year celebrations. Shi Lingyi stayed for five days before returning to the Shen residence.
When she left, her eyes were red. She held tightly to Shi Youlan’s hand, reluctant to let go.
“Little Sister, your elder sister is leaving. You must take good care of yourself. If anything happens, send someone to bring word to me.”
