The evening breeze showed signs of strengthening. The cold wind blew into Shu Yao's collar, and the little baby in his arms had rosy cheeks from the cold.
Shu Yao felt a twinge of pity. How could a dilapidated temple be a proper place to take shelter?
"Shu Yao, are you here? Come out quickly. I've come looking for you, child," a loud voice echoed outside the temple just as Shu Yao was feeling hopeless.
Was it Old Lady Li? Hadn't she driven him out? Why was she looking for him now?
Stubborn as he was, Shu Yao didn't want to go out and respond. The grievances he had suffered were like a sapling deeply rooted in his heart, impossible to uproot and causing him great pain.
"Shu Yao, there you are! I've finally found you. Xu Yi told me that your family has fallen from grace and you're new here. You must have felt uncomfortable when someone touched you without permission, or maybe that rascal overstepped the mark. It was my fault for not thinking it through," Old Lady Li said.
Seeing that Shu Yao remained unmoved, she continued, "Look, it's April now. The weather is so changeable. You're all alone with a baby. What if the baby catches a cold? If you really want to leave, at least make proper arrangements for the baby first. Don't let the poor child suffer at such a young age. It breaks my heart to see that."
Heart - broken? Shu Yao wasn't sure what it meant. He often saw in the storybooks that Young Master Li and Du Shiniang always talked about being heart - broken. The word was both familiar and strange to him.
Was Old Lady Li's concern for Shu Yue really for the baby's sake?
Shu Yao no longer dwelled on the previous grievances. His brows relaxed, and with a beaming face, he picked up Shu Yue and grinned foolishly at Old Lady Li.
Seeing Shu Yao's silly smile, Old Lady Li felt even more guilty. It must have been the family's misfortune that had turned this well - bred young master into this state.
She had blamed him without knowing the whole truth and hadn't taken good care of the child's feelings.
Soon, Shu Yao carried Shu Yue and followed Old Lady Li back home. Xu Yi's wound on his face had been properly treated with dog - skin plaster.
He still winced from time to time, which gave Shu Yao a strange sense of satisfaction.
Shu Yao was still excited about naming the baby Shu Yue. He even refused when Old Lady Li wanted to take the baby to the room to take care of it. He didn't want to be separated from the baby for a single moment.
With a beauty by his side, Xu Yi couldn't sleep a wink all night, but he didn't dare to make any improper moves, for fear of getting new injuries on top of the old ones.
Shu Yao had a peaceful stay at Old Lady Li's for more than ten days. In his spare time, he learned to help Old Lady Li with some chores. Shu Yue was also well - fed and chubby under Old Lady Li's care. The more comfortable Shu Yao felt holding the baby, the more he doted on it.
He had already thought about his future. He couldn't stay at Old Lady Li's forever. He wanted to see the outside world.
Shu Yao had also learned a bit about the human world. He decided to earn some money to buy some property and settle down here.
"Shu Yao, wash this basin of vegetables. I'll cook dinner later," Old Lady Li said as she handed a basin of vegetables to Shu Yao and then carried another basin outside to wash.
Old Lady Li was quick and efficient. She finished washing the clothes in no time. Just as she was about to leave, a wrinkled hand stopped her.
An old Taoist priest in a blue robe with a Taoist bun on his head and a sallow complexion stroked his goatee and said with a smile, "Please wait, madam. I see that your forehead is darkened, your eyes are listless, and your lips are slightly black. In my opinion, there is an evil spirit hiding in your house."
Hearing that there was an evil spirit in her house, Old Lady Li looked at the Taoist priest dubiously. This Taoist priest had a sharp - featured face and a sallow complexion. Although he had a Taoist bun, his hair was messy, and a few strands were casually hanging down. His robe was stained, making him look unkempt.
But after being told this by the shabby - looking Taoist priest, Old Lady Li really felt that her complexion had been poor these days. Could there really be something strange in the house?
"Stop talking nonsense. Where did you come from, you shabby swindler? My house is very clean," Old Lady Li said.
She thought the shabby Taoist priest was just a swindler trying to get food and drinks. She got angry and was about to use force to drive him away.
Maybe frightened by Old Lady Li rolling up her sleeves, the shabby Taoist priest stared at her with his beady eyes and said, "Hey, hey, hey. A gentleman uses words, not force. I'm just trying to point out that your house is surrounded by evil aura, and you want to use force against me. You're so unreasonable! You're just like a dog biting Lu Dongbin, not knowing a good deed when you see one."
"You're talking nonsense. I think you're just a swindler trying to get a meal by any means. I, Old Lady Li, won't believe your nonsense. If you don't leave, I'll hit you," Old Lady Li said. She wasn't the kind of person who could be easily deceived. She was about to reach out and grab the Taoist priest's robe.
"Hey, hey, hey. Let me tell you, the monster in your house is that boy you just took in. Didn't he bring any luggage or clothes, but he has changed into several sets of clothes? Doesn't he only eat meat and no vegetables? There's also a smell on him that you've never smelled before. Look at how more delicate and charming he is than a woman. I think only a monster can be so beautiful," the shabby Taoist priest said.
After being reminded by the shabby Taoist priest, Old Lady Li really thought there was something strange. Even if he was from a wealthy family, he couldn't not eat any vegetables at all, could he?
He was so beautiful, even more charming than a woman. Old Lady Li had really never seen such a person before.
She had thought before that it was just because Shu Yao's family had fallen from grace and he couldn't adapt to this kind of life for a while. But now, after being pointed out by the shabby Taoist priest, she really noticed something strange.
Could he really be a monster in disguise?
But you can't just say someone is a monster without evidence. Wouldn't that be slandering someone's good name?
Just then, Xu Yi, who had been away for a long time, suddenly appeared. He looked at Old Lady Li blankly and asked, "Mom, what are you doing? Who is this person?"
Seeing Xu Yi, Old Lady Li seemed to have found someone to give her advice. She quickly pulled Xu Yi and told him the whole story, "This shabby Taoist priest says there's something strange in our house, and it's Shu Yao."
"Really? I always thought he was strange. I didn't expect him to be a monster. The other day when he kicked me, he was so strong. I always thought he was gentle and weak. How could he have so much strength? No wonder he's a monster. Mom, quickly ask this Taoist priest how to get rid of him," Xu Yi said.
Seeing that Xu Yi also thought Shu Yao was a monster, Old Lady Li believed it. She thought that if the shabby Taoist priest was right, they could avoid trouble. Even if he was wrong, Shu Yao would forgive her, after all, she had been kind enough to take him in so that he wouldn't starve on the street.
All of a sudden, she changed her attitude towards the shabby Taoist priest and said, "Sir, please help us quickly. What should we do? How can we get rid of that monster? Our family has really been in a mess because of him."
The shabby Taoist priest stroked his goatee and smiled mysteriously, "I have a wonderful way to subdue the evil spirit. It depends on whether you trust me, madam."