Duke Jing's younger sister

"Want to drink?"

He ordered a few dishes and returned the menu to the owner of Changqinglou who was standing behind him waiting.

Shen Li propped up her chin with her hand and thought for a while, "I heard that their Wanglouchun is delicious."

Shen Beiqi nodded, and the shopkeeper smiled and said, "Duke Jingguo has come to visit us, so we at Changqinglou should not neglect him. Although Wanglouchun is good, it is not as good as Meizihong, and is more suitable for girls to drink. What do you think?"

Shen Beiqi nodded in agreement, Wanglouchun is a century-old wine with a strong aftertaste.

I’m afraid that after she drinks a few glasses, she won’t be able to stand steadily.

Shen Li nodded and said, "Then let's go with Plum Red."

The shopkeeper smiled widely, said a few auspicious words, then walked out with his back hunched.

Then he ran to the kitchen and gave a few instructions, saying that the dishes for Duke Jingguo must be served as soon as possible and not to keep the nobleman waiting for too long.

Shen Li had no appetite when he woke up in the morning. It was only at Xingping's insistence that he drank a bowl of milk.

Because I was in a bad mood, I didn’t feel hungry even though my stomach was empty all day.

Now sitting in the side room, looking at the delicious food on the table, I feel a little hungry.

Shen Beiqi pushed a dish of 'Steamed Chestnut Flour Cake with Osmanthus Sugar' in front of her and said softly, "This is a new dish from Changqing House. Try it."

Shen Li held the silver chopsticks in her hand and looked down.

The beige chestnut soft cake is sprinkled with golden osmanthus petals and seems to be drizzled with honey.

She picked up a piece and it felt a bit like soft cheese.

The glutinous texture slowly spreads between the lips and teeth, carrying the sweetness of osmanthus honey and the mellow fragrance of chestnut kernels.

Shen Li has always liked eating such soft and sweet food, and she was full of praise for it.

"Yeah, it's delicious."

Seeing her cheeks bulging from eating so much, Shen Beiqi couldn't help but curl the corners of his mouth.

He also personally served her a lot of dishes, and he didn't stop until she was so full that she couldn't eat any more.

After finishing his meal, he said he wanted to take a walk to help digest the food.

Changqing Tower is not too far from the Shen residence, and it only takes about a quarter of an hour to walk there.

Shen Li had no choice but to agree and walked side by side with him, slowly walking on the street where red light was flickering.

From time to time, the hawkers' cries came into her ears. Shen Li quietly looked at the handsome young man beside her, and always felt that he was a little different today than usual.

It’s not that he was not a good person in the past.

In the past, he had always been very tolerant of me.

But today, I have an indescribable feeling. In short, there is a... very subtle difference.

Taking advantage of the alcohol, she smiled and asked, "Brother?"

"Um?"

He glanced sideways at her.

"You seem a little strange today..." She hesitated for a moment.

He narrowed his eyes slightly and stared into her clear eyes. "What's strange about that?"

The night breeze blew gently, ruffling the strands of hair on her forehead.

Perhaps it was because she drank too much, or perhaps it was because of the red light floating in the corridor, her fair cheeks were stained with a blush, adding a bit of tenderness to her clear and pure look, as if peach blossoms were just blooming, or pink lotuses were just appearing.

He stared at her, his Adam's apple rolling up and down.

Until this moment, he suddenly understood what it meant to "look at a beauty under the lamp, three parts of her beauty are fascinating, and seven parts of her mind are disturbed."

Shen Li tilted his head, hesitating about how to respond, when a girl about seven or eight years old, wearing coarse cloth and carrying a bamboo basket, blocked their way.

"Sister, would you like to buy a flower?" the girl asked timidly, raising her head.

Shen Li looked down and saw that in the bamboo basket the girl was carrying were many pink lotus buds that had not yet opened. The emerald green stems, coupled with the tender pink color, looked very beautiful.

Seeing that the girl in front of her was unmoved, the girl turned her gaze to the tall and handsome man standing beside her.

"Brother, buy a flower for your sweetheart. This lotus was just picked this evening. Put it in a vase when you get home and change the water frequently. It will bloom for a long time."

Sweetheart! ?

Shen Li's heart skipped a beat, and she was about to refuse, but the person next to her spoke first.

"Okay," he replied, taking out two silver coins and handing them to the girl, "I want them all."

Shen Li was stunned.

"Thank you big brother!"

The girl was so happy that she squatted down quickly, gathered the lotus flowers in the bamboo basket into a bunch, and handed it to Shen Beiqi. She bowed deeply to the two of them, and ran away with the empty basket.

The light pink lotus, filled with a refreshing fragrance, came to her unfocused sight and brought her soul back from being shaken out of the sky.

"for you."

Her eyes fell on the bunch of lotus flowers, then along his dark blue sleeves, to his handsome face.

Suddenly the wind blew, and the lanterns in the corridor collided with each other, making a series of light noises.

The red light is hazy and dreamy.

The young man had black hair and a jade crown, and was extremely handsome. His sparkling peach blossom eyes were as bright as stars, and when he looked at her, they were as gentle as autumn water, creating ripples in her heart layer by layer.

"What are you doing?" she murmured, not daring to reach out to take it.

"Can't you see?"

"...What?"

The young man's face was full of tenderness, and his handsome face smiled, "I'm just coaxing you!"

Shen Li's pupils suddenly shrank, and she subconsciously looked at the handsome young man in front of her.

I just felt the night wind blowing at this moment, the alcohol was getting more and more intoxicating, and the lights were swaying, and I felt like I was in an unrealistic dream.

There was a smile on his lips, and there was a hint of playfulness in that smile, which was infinitely similar to the handsome young man in white clothes that was hidden in her memory many years ago.

"You said you were... coaxing me?" Shen Li was a little bit unbelievable.

She seemed to be able to hear her own heartbeat quickening, like a thousand horses galloping, majestic and powerful, or like a strong wind sweeping the sky full of yellow sand, making her feel overwhelmed and at a loss.

Almost in an instant, waves of joy surged in my heart, but then I poured a basin of cold water over my head, extinguishing all my fantasies.

She didn't dare ask him if there was any hidden meaning in his words.

Because she had just promised Yang that she would break up the feelings in her heart and get married within a month.

She wanted to hear the answer, but was afraid to hear it.

Shen Beiqi took her hand and put the lotus into her palm. "I just hope you can be worry-free forever, eat well, and sleep well."

She was so smart that his ambiguous words were enough for her to guess that he had feelings for her.

When two armies are fighting, the one who strikes first will win; the one who strikes later will lose.

By taking action first, you can take the initiative. Even if you are weak temporarily, you can gradually become strong.

After taking the initiative, you must not advance rashly, but must proceed step by step to eventually capture the city.

Now, he wants to take the absolute initiative.

In other words, from now on, he will take the initiative.

Now, he wanted her to know that he was interested in her and gave her time to let her slowly transform herself from a brother to a pursuer, a man who admired her.

Only when this transformation process is completed can he proceed with his subsequent plans.