Chapter 46: Shadow Moon Snow's Cold Indifference, Bean Sprouts on His Head

  Don't abandon me, okay?

  Wah wah wah, I don't know how many sisters are still there. Curious with a tilted head.

  Someone hiding on the side of the street, seeing the Yuan family's gate open, immediately turned sideways and slipped into the crowded crowd, watching Shen Huan and Hu Youxuan come out together, both with smiles on their faces, feeling sour like old vinegar, but still can't look away.

  Shen Han seemed to have a feeling, her gaze shifted towards Zhao Xi's direction, but still didn't notice anything, only vaguely felt that there was a line of sight following her all the time, and before that, she had this feeling, but because Hu Youxuan was by her side talking continuously, it wasn't so intense. But now, that scorching gaze, like a knife, was fixed on her body.

  "What's wrong?"

  Hu Youxuan was always meticulous, and seeing Shen Han's eyes flickering uncertainly, as if searching for something, he couldn't help but ask, only to receive a slight shake of Shen Han's head.

  "There's nothing, I just feel that the Yuan family won't let things go so easily, I'm a bit worried."

  "What are you worried about? You were clearer than I was about what happened at the beginning. If you weren't sure, would you have spoken out in court?"

  Upon hearing this, Shen Huan smiled and said, "That's also true."

  What was it that made them laugh and allowed two people who normally didn't speak to each other to have such a pleasant conversation?

  Zhao Xiuyi still quietly followed, thought for a moment and felt it wasn't right, so she took a shortcut through the small alley, entered the alley without finding anyone, and started to jog, in order to suddenly appear from the other end of the alley and create a chance encounter...

  "It's still early now, why don't you go to Fu Zi's place and meet up with Xiao Shu?"

  "Hmm... to be honest, the old master's lectures are actually quite dull. I don't know how Xiāo Qiū brother managed to stay awake, but I always feel drowsy every time."

  "Huh?"

  Shen Han felt a bit uneasy walking with him on the street, so he casually asked, knowing that he couldn't just go to Zhao Xiuzhuo's side like this. But he never thought that his answer would be like this, and he couldn't help but feel a little surprised.

  "To be honest with my second sister, I'm not really fond of studying, but at home they've deprived me of my hobbies and freedom, always thinking that I should take the imperial exams to gain a good reputation. I'm used to being carefree, that kind of life is really not suitable for me."

  Hu Youxuan said this with a faint smile on his face, and it was impossible to discern his emotions. But at this moment, Shen Huan truly felt that he had finally spoken from the heart. At home, he rarely spoke, but she could also sense the slight distance emanating from him. Yet now he was speaking to her like this; if he were pretending, he definitely wouldn't have said these words, because it was herself who had initially asked him to come to the Zhao family and study with his younger uncle.

  And... at this moment, the sparkling light in Hu Youxuan's eyes is what makes Shen Han believe him.

  "To be honest, I don't quite understand why Young Master is so obsessed with studying either."

  Since the other party is willing to be sincere, Shen Han is not that kind of person who would take advantage of it. He will naturally find a topic to talk about, otherwise, the two walking on the street would be as silent as when they came, how embarrassing would that be?

  "Huh?"

  "What's wrong?"

  Shen Huan's words did not receive any acknowledgment or response from Hu Youxian, but instead, he let out a sound of surprise. She immediately looked up in the direction of his gaze and saw a small figure with a faint green color quickly walking ahead. A hint of doubt flashed across her eyes: "Isn't that Zuo Xing? How did she suddenly run ahead of us?"

  Hu Youxuan wiped the faint smile off his face, but immediately said: "I thought I was mistaken, you said she left from the front door, wouldn't we have seen her?"

  "Uh... I think I understand."

  She exchanged a glance with Hu Youxuan, and Shen Hanyi knew he had his own thoughts. However, Shen Han wasn't very worried, but rather driven by curiosity, she wanted to see what kind of temperament this little girl named Zuo Xing was. After all, when she looked at her younger uncle, the look in her eyes was something a woman couldn't help but understand.

  It's just... that expressionless Little Uncle, can he understand the girl's intentions? Liu Shi is so unwelcoming to her, if Little Uncle could accept it, she shouldn't have any opinions, but now in this situation, it's hard to say. Shen Han couldn't help but shake her head twice, emotional matters like these, she hadn't even experienced them in her past life, how could she be an emotional analyst for others? Can only watch the fate between them.

  "Want to go and take a look?"

  Shen Han was a bit distracted, but she didn't expect Hu Youxuan to say what she had in mind. She nodded slightly: "Just as I intended."

  The two immediately changed direction, originally from the right side of the way home, directly turned to the left, and followed Zuo Xiang to a place Shen Huan had been once. Unfortunately, some scholars who wanted to create a chance encounter at the entrance of the alley looked around for half a day but didn't see the person they wanted to see, anxiously like ants on a hot pot, neither walking nor staying.

  "I knew it was here"

  "Do you know?"

  "Guess"

  Shen Han smiled mysteriously and without explanation, then quietly pushed open the small back door she had seen at Yue Xue's house earlier and slipped in with Hu Youxuan.

  "I said how did you know there was a back door here?"

  Hu Youxuan's face was full of confusion, but when walking, he was even more light-footed than Shen Han. His voice was soft and just right. Shen Han looked at him with such familiarity that she couldn't help but wonder if he often did this kind of sneaking around people's homes. However, this wasn't the current focus. She simply turned her head and mouthed in a very small voice: "Been here once."

  He had already made up his mind, and he crouched in the corner with Shen Han, waiting for Zuo Xing to turn around. Hu Youxuan poked Shen Han's elbow: "Is this the Shadow Girl that woman was talking about?"

  "That's right."

  "Do you know him?"

  "Hmm, when I helped Madame Yuan give birth, we had a bit of a connection... a single meeting. Later on, didn't you see her when she came to our house?"

  "No wonder she looked familiar, I just didn't expect her to be the one from the government office you guys were talking about."

  "Haha... there are many things you didn't think of, she's still a prostitute"

  Hu Youxuan's face showed a hint of foolishness, achieving the effect Shen Han wanted. She couldn't help but laugh and continued: "Not bad, cold on the outside and warm on the inside. The Yuan family sent Zuo Xiang to come here, I guess they want her to be a matchmaker. But this old lady is quite silly, can someone as timid as Zuo Xiang be a matchmaker?"

  Upon hearing this, Hu Youxian seemed to recall the impression Zuo Xuan had given him and couldn't help but shake his head: "I didn't think that."

  "Huh?"

  "Think back to when Zuo Xiang came to find you, did any of you ever refuse her request with a clear conscience?"

  Shen Han was slightly surprised. She had only thought that Zuo Xing was timid and spoke hesitantly, but hadn't noticed that almost every time she came to ask for help, she succeeded.

  "Ah, one sentence has awakened the dreamer! It seems that this dead old woman still has some awareness after all."

  While the two were talking, Yue Xue had already led Zuo Xuan into the house. Her gaze shifted and she also caught sight of Shen Han, who slightly narrowed her eyes at Shen Han, who merely made a silencing gesture towards her with a somewhat shameless smile.

  Sneaking into someone's home and telling the owner not to make a sound when discovered, this behavior is indeed shameless.

  "What's the matter with you, young lady?"

  "Uh...my mother wants you to go home with me, she has something to discuss with you."

  As expected, Shen Huan couldn't help but feel some doubt after being spoken to by Hu Youxuan like that. Was Zuo Xuan really so timid? Or was it because of her family background that she had no choice but to put on this weak and delicate facade in front of people? To gain sympathy?

  Ugh... My mind is too dark, she's just a little girl, no need to think of her like that, and there's nothing good about what she did anyway.

  Besides, tone can be faked, actions can be faked, but can a red face be faked?

  "If there's something urgent, she can go to the yamen to look for me. I'm on duty these two days and will be back tomorrow. If it's really urgent, she can also find other runners at the yamen."

  Yingyue Xue still had no expression on her face, and her tone was also light and flat, unable to discern any dissatisfaction or other emotions.

  This kind of personality is something that Zuo Xuan has never come into contact with before, and for a moment, she was stunned. When she was at the Zhao's house, no matter how cold Zhao Xi Qiao was on the surface, he would still speak up in the back, but this woman in front of her made her feel like she didn't dare to provoke her.

  She paused, stilling the sharp words on her tongue, and swallowed back the urge to retreat. After all, compared to going home to face corporal punishment and hunger, she would rather show weakness in front of this cold woman. So many years of living had taught her that the best approach was to appear weak in public.

  "But if we can't invite Miss Ying, my mother will be very angry. Zhao's wife has already gone today and promised to go to the government office in a few days to publicly discuss the difficulties of my elder sister's childbirth last time. You were there that day too, so..."

  "That's official business then. Official business is best settled in the government office. Since Aunt Yuan has decided to go to the yamen, I'll definitely be there that day, so why bother with this extra effort?"

  Compared to Yue Xue's coldness and Zuo Xing's weakness, it indeed feels a bit overbearing. If Shen Han didn't understand Yue Xue's personality, she would have shown the same expression as Hu Youxuan, which is somewhat inhumane, but not entirely wrong. She has a clear distinction between public and private matters, nothing wrong with that.

  "But my mother..." Left Apricot's face looked very constrained, somewhat fearful and hesitant to speak. Still not getting any sympathy from Shadow Snow, she gritted her teeth and continued: "Please, Miss Shadow, have mercy on me. If I don't invite you back home, my mother will definitely punish me again. The bruise from last time still hasn't healed..."

  "What does this have to do with me? That's your family affair."

  At this moment, Yue Xue seemed to have lost her patience, and Shen Han was also somewhat puzzled. Although she was a relatively indifferent person, towards Zuo Xuan, a little girl who came to seek help for the first time, her attitude seemed to be a bit too much. Feeling someone's gaze beside her, Shen Han mechanically turned her head and dryly said: "The her I know isn't that kind of person."

  "Isn't that a bit too much?"

  "It's actually...alright"

  Shen Han said this sentence herself didn't have the confidence, Zuo Xing's appearance indeed looked a bit pitiful, that day she was abused by her own eyes, could it be that Ying Yue Xue really was... heartless? It seemed a bit exaggerated.

  "I..."

  "If Miss Zuo is not in any trouble, please go back first. I've also heard the recent rumors, since you chose to come to the government office, I won't ignore it, but if you want me to visit your house as a private person, that's not necessary. Whatever I see, hear or know, I will tell Lord Qin truthfully, no need for Aunt Yuan to worry about it."