Duke Jing's younger sister

Cuibai Hall.

The night wind blew, and the pomegranate leaves in the yard rustled.

Shen Beiqi sat in front of his desk, with the rice paper spread out for a long time, but the brush in his hand had not yet fallen.

Thinking of Shen Li, he felt unhappy in his heart, but he didn't know where this depressed mood came from and why.

He put the brush back on the pen holder and took out a white handkerchief from his bosom.

The silk handkerchief was folded into a neat square, with clusters of pink flowers embroidered on it. Above the flowers, a small word "Zhi" was embroidered with silver thread.

He couldn't name this flower, but he could often see it in the fields in the mountains of the northern border.

On the pleasure boat that day, Shen Li fled in panic, without noticing that Shen Beiqi was holding her lost handkerchief in his hand.

When they were on the deck, he wanted to return it to her, but he heard her say that the thing was not found.

At that time, Shen Beiqi thought about returning the handkerchief to her privately someday, but for some reason, he never returned it.

The window was half open, and Shen Beiqi looked at the pomegranate tree in the yard.

The red flower buds on the emerald green branches looked like round gems, which reminded him of the flamboyant and lively Luo Yan in red.

Is the one she likes a youthful and bright boy like Luo Cheng?

Once upon a time, he was just like Luo Cheng, unbridled and spontaneous. He didn't like the deceitful court and couldn't stand the sinister calculations of people.

But now, he was carrying the future of the entire Duke's Mansion and the lives of hundreds of people in the mansion, and he had to force himself to bend his back and become the person he hated the most.

Shen Beiqi lowered his eyes. The years passed silently, but they urged people to grow.

"Tuk-tuk-"

There was a knock on the door. Shen Beiqi stuffed the handkerchief back into his arms, stood up and opened the door.

The dim candlelight poured out from the room, illuminating a beautiful and graceful little face. Shen Beiqi was a little surprised, "Ali?"

Shen Li bowed and saluted, "Brother."

"It's so late, do you have something to talk to me about? Come in and talk."

Shen Beiqi moved aside, but Shen Li hesitated, not knowing whether he should go in.

She raised her eyes slightly and looked at the pear wood couch in the study. She and he had cuddled together here that night. The messy bits and pieces in her memory were particularly clear at this moment.

There was heavy breathing in her ears, and even though she was in darkness, she still didn't dare to open her eyes.

My hand touched his hot and strong chest. Every rise and fall contained endless power and heat.

Pictures flashed quickly in front of Shen Li's eyes. Her cheeks felt hot and she quickly turned her back.

"Why don't we just... just talk outside."

Shen Beiqi was stunned.

She didn't even have the courage to enter the study, so one can imagine what kind of harm that night had caused her.

In fact, after learning that it was Shen Li who had sex with him that night, he had thought about it carefully, piecing together the vague fragments in his mind.

He had forgotten many details, but he remembered that under the combined impact of drugs and alcohol, he did not show any mercy to her and tortured her for a long time.

Shen Beiqi felt a strong sense of self-blame in his heart again. After pondering for a moment, he whispered, "Okay."

Shen Beiqi came out of the study, thought for a moment, and closed the study door again.

There were two dim lanterns hanging in the corridor, which were bright enough to make out the facial features of the two people, but not to see the embarrassment on her face.

"Brother, there is something I would like to ask you for help."

"What's the matter?"

"Zi Yuan's brother was arrested by Jingzhao Yinfu for molesting a good woman and was locked up in a dungeon. I suspect someone deliberately framed him..."

Shen Beiqi understood, "You want to save him?"

She nodded slightly, "Will it cause you any trouble?"

Under the dim light, Shen Beiqi's handsome features became even more charming. He lowered his eyes and stared at her, with a hint of dissatisfaction in his eyes.

Shen Li's heart tightened, thinking that it was her meddling that made Shen Beiqi unhappy, and blurted out, "If it's troublesome, then..."

"No trouble!"

Shen Beiqi interrupted her and added, "Your problems have never been troublesome."

After saying this, he couldn't help but laugh at himself, and then he let out another long sigh.

"Ari, you've grown up."

Whenever she had problems in the past, she would never be so roundabout and hesitant to ask him for help.

Shen Li was silent for a moment, then said, "Brother, you have grown up too, haven't you?"

Shen Beiqi was silent.

The two stood side by side, Shen Beiqi raised his eyes and looked at the crescent moon in the sky.

Shen Li side-glanced at the handsome and tall young man beside her.

He looked at the moon, and she looked at the moon in her heart.

After he gets married, she, as his adopted sister, will have to avoid suspicion even more. She doesn't know if she can still stand quietly by his side like she does now.

"Brother."

"Ok?"

"You know, I'm pretty good at embroidery, right?"

Shen Beiqi looked back at her and nodded, "I know."

"Let me take your measurements."

"You want to make clothes for me?" Shen Beiqi smiled, his peach blossom eyes slightly raised, and there seemed to be stars flowing in his eyes.

Shen Li nodded, trying to make her smile more gentle.

"My brother is getting married soon, and I want to sew a wedding gown for him to thank him for his love and care for me over the years."

After Shen Li's reminder, Shen Beiqi remembered that he was indeed getting married soon.

The Shen family and the Han family have already passed the betrothal ceremony, and the next step is to exchange engagement letters, pay the betrothal fee, and get married.

What the mother meant was that he was already grown up and Zhiyan’s wedding was about to take place.

As an older brother, he naturally couldn't fall behind his sister. He had to speed up everything and try to marry the bride within a month.

For some reason, he felt a sinking pain in his chest, as if there was a void there, and he felt lost.

"Your hand..." Shen Beiqi looked at her right hand wrapped in gauze, "Just take good care of it."

"It's just a minor injury. It will heal in ten days or half a month. It shouldn't delay my brother's wedding, right?"

Shen Li's heart was pounding as she looked at Shen Beiqi expectantly.

If there is no delay, it means there are at least three months left.

If it's too late, it means that he will only have about a month left to marry Prime Minister Han's daughter.

"I'm afraid it will be too late when you recover. There is an embroiderer in the mansion, so you don't have to worry about this little thing."

Shen Li felt a tightness in her chest. She smiled, but her heart felt like it was being stabbed by needles. "Then... I congratulate you in advance!"

Shen Beiqi looked at Shen Li and couldn't say a word.

Although there was a smile on her lips, her deer eyes seemed to be filled with a haze, like the thick fog in late autumn that could not be shaken off.

He seemed to see the little girl with messy hair many years ago, with wet light flashing in her eyes, like a frightened deer, timid and fearful.

In the past, she encountered a huge change at a young age. She came to the completely unfamiliar city of Jiangdu and faced the completely unfamiliar Shen Mansion, so she was afraid and terrified.

But now, what is she afraid of?