Chapter 47: The Ability to Protect Oneself (Second Revised Edition)

But those words, as they fell upon Lu Yunzhou’s ears, he only heard the last few sentences.

“You’re saying she suffered a serious injury?”

Lu Yunzhou frowned.

Gu Suizhou replied, “Yes. It’s a pity I don’t know your fiancée, Miss Shen, very well, so it wouldn’t be appropriate for me to pry into her private matters. Still, I hope I’m simply overthinking things.”

Perhaps he was worrying too much.

After all, according to rumors, the eldest daughter of the Shen family, Shen Chaoxi, was raised with utmost care, cherished by her family.

How could she have ever had the chance to sustain such a grave injury?

Moreover, this suspicion was merely his conjecture; it was his first time meeting the eldest Miss Shen. He only noticed it while examining Shen Chaoxi’s injured foot, observing her complexion.

In the end, he had no solid evidence.

Thus, Gu Suizhou remained merely puzzled.

Happening to see Lu Yunzhou waiting outside, he decided to share his concerns.

Lu Yunzhou’s brows remained knitted, his lips pressed together, his gaze suddenly growing complicated, but he said little.

Gu Suizhou, seeing his expression, suddenly asked, “Aren’t you going to see her?”

After meeting Old Master Shen, Lu Yunzhou had waited here all this time, presumably out of concern for her leg injury.

Gu Suizhou was quite surprised.

It was rare to see him care about someone so much.

“No need,” Lu Yunzhou replied, lips thinly pressed, his eyes as dark as ink, his voice cold and low as he prepared to leave.

Yet, as Gu Suizhou watched him straighten from the ancient tree he’d been leaning against, arms folded in a seemingly lazy manner, his eyes suddenly darkened.

“Wait.”

Gu Suizhou stepped forward abruptly, grabbing his right arm.

“What happened to your arm?”

#

Meanwhile, after the maid escorted Gu Suizhou away,

Shen Yuan returned from the kitchen in Birch Garden, carrying a plate of pastries.

He placed them before Shen Chaoxi.

The two young maids who always accompanied Shen Chaoxi glanced at the shy expression on the boy’s face, exchanged looks, and laughed.

Then, sensing the moment, they quietly withdrew from the living room, not forgetting to close the door behind them.

Their young master truly cared about their lady.

“Ah Yuan,” Shen Chaoxi, sitting in her wheelchair, her face pale, suddenly lifted her gaze to the steaming pastries on the cold white jade plate before her, her brows arching in surprise.

“You went to the kitchen just to make this for me?”

“Yes,” Shen Yuan answered softly.

He looked at Shen Chaoxi’s pale face, his brows lowered, speaking earnestly, “I learned from the pastry chef in the kitchen. Sister, you can try it and see if it tastes good.”

They had returned from Sanqing Peak to the capital just before dawn.

Looking out the window, Birch Garden was still shrouded in gray.

The Shen family’s breakfast chef, seeing Shen Yuan busy in the kitchen, taught him how to make these pastries.

Apparently, it was Shen Chaoxi’s favorite. Seeing his sister return injured from Sanqing Peak and eat nothing, Shen Yuan grew worried and spent half an hour in the kitchen preparing them for her.

“Ah Yuan,” Shen Chaoxi was amused by the boy’s earnest determination to save her appetite, easing her lingering worries.

“Do you realize you’re a boy?”

Shen Chaoxi teased as if she had witnessed something extraordinary.

“……”

Shen Yuan’s brows knitted.

“Sister doesn’t like them?”

In his eyes,

Though Shen Chaoxi was smiling, he worried that what he’d made wouldn’t suit her taste.

“No, they’re delicious.”

Shen Chaoxi replied without hesitation.

“It’s a big plus.”

She glanced stealthily at the maids outside, then leaned forward to whisper in Shen Yuan’s ear, “Boys who can make pastries are super cool.”

She was praising him, though she wasn’t actually hungry.

But seeing Shen Yuan spend half an hour in the kitchen just to make this plate of pastries for her, she couldn’t help feeling moved.

Her little Ah Yuan had grown up.

“As long as you like them,” Shen Yuan smiled.

The tall, slender teenager, clad in a black outdoor jacket, sat across from her, his cool temperament making him seem unlikely to bake pastries for girls.

Yet he had striking features: a fair, refined face, usually devoid of excess expression, but in front of Shen Chaoxi, he behaved like an obedient pup.

After receiving his sister’s praise, his dark, almond-shaped eyes lifted slightly, watching as she devoured both pastries on the plate.

In truth, Shen Yuan and Shen Chaoxi shared little resemblance. His temperament was cold and quiet, his features gentle and refined, and his face betrayed no hint of the Shen family’s bloodline.

But only when Shen Chaoxi smiled did his eyes relax with a hint of warmth.

Sheng Ting used to fear him because of his calm demeanor and his monk-like tendency to recite mantras.

Though younger than Shen Chaoxi, he had always been more mature than others since childhood.

#

“Have Song Nian and Ah Mo returned yet?”

Old Master Shen sat at the tea table, lifting his gaze to the gradually brightening sky outside—it must be morning.

“Sir, the eldest and second young masters arrived in the capital early this morning. They haven’t yet entered the house, but went straight to the General Military District for a meeting.”

#

“They really are something. Their own sister is injured, and they don’t even hurry home to check on her.”

Old Master Shen was referring to the two young masters of the Shen family.

The Shen family had three young masters, one of whom was a cousin.

All three were Shen Chaoxi’s siblings from the same mother, and had always doted on their sister.

Since graduating from the Imperial Military Academy, they had spent many years stationed at the General Military District.

Old Master Shen both hoped his grandsons would be outstanding, and yet worried that their excellence meant he saw them only twice a year.

“Sir, the young masters rushed back from the military district as soon as they heard about Miss’s accident.”

That journey also took considerable time.

“And, Sir, think about it—your birthday banquet is tomorrow night. The young masters made the effort to return; they are already very filial.”

“That’s true,” Old Master Shen smiled as he sipped his tea, comforted by their concern.

The Shen family held a pivotal position in Country Y.

In the capital, only the Lu family—home to the newly elected President—could rival them.

Old Master Shen was once the President of Country Y.

He retired from the presidency due to age and now enjoyed a peaceful, well-earned retirement.

In such a military and political household, it was only natural for the young masters to grow up so accomplished.

“But Sir, why haven’t you gone to see the eldest Miss?” The old butler asked with a smile.

Though others didn’t know, the butler was aware.

On Sanqing Peak, Old Master Shen hadn’t punished Miss Shen Sisi or Miss Shen Xin, because he knew his granddaughter was unharmed.

If the rumors were true and the eldest Miss, frail from birth, had been dragged into the water by Miss Shen Sisi, she might have fallen dangerously ill.

Old Master Shen would never have let them off so easily.

It was only because the eldest Miss was capable of protecting herself.

“She’s no longer a child.”

Hearing the butler’s words, Old Master Shen set down his teacup, his aged and profound eyes filled with complex emotions.

A sense of relief.

And as if everything were unfolding just as he had anticipated.

#

Author’s Note:

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This chapter has been edited; you can reread it.