Su Qian's face turned pale. He forced himself to appear calm and said, "There's someone inside. Let's wait a while."
"Baozhu, don't you want to eat pastries? I'll buy them for you. I'll buy you whatever you want."
Shen Baozhu tilted her head, looking quite confused. "Brother Su Qian, aren't you going to see Sister?"
"No, I'm not. I've changed my mind. Let's go buy pastries quickly." Su Qian's face grew even paler. Afraid of hearing any more bad news, he quickly picked up Shen Baozhu and left the inn.
Shen Baozhu lay on Su Qian's shoulder and silently wrapped her arms around him tightly.
Then, a line of subtitles floated in mid - air: [Ostriches bury their heads in the sand, but it's no solution.]
Soon, Qingyun Zhenren's subtitle was overwritten by the Dragon King's: [A crybaby and a wimp. Little cutie, don't follow his example.]
Su Qian took Shen Baozhu to buy pastries. But because they were invisible, the waiter couldn't see or hear them. The two of them wandered around the pastry shop for a long time but couldn't buy any pastries.
When Shen Baozhu ate the invisibility fruit, she was only focused on the delicious taste and didn't think about this drawback.
Gradually, mist gathered in her eyes. "I won't be able to buy pastries to eat in the future."
Seeing this, Su Qian's face grew even paler. If Shen Heqing knew that his precious younger sister was crying, he would definitely be angry!
Shen Baozhu turned her head, wanting to complain to Su Qian. But she saw that Su Qian's eyes were red. He looked even more aggrieved than her.
"Baozhu, my parents are dead. The only two relatives I have left joined hands to harm me..."
Shen Baozhu held back her tears. She thought that Brother Su Qian was even more pitiful. Although she couldn't buy pastries, she could ask Aunt Baizhi to make them. Aunt Baizhi's pastries were even more delicious.
With Shen Heqing not around, Su Qian shed a few tears and then stopped crying.
He sighed. "Baozhu, let's go back and find Brother Heqing. I feel like crying."
Shen Baozhu had no objections, so Su Qian carried her back.
But after walking just a few steps, Su Qian felt that people were pointing at him. Scared, he tightened his hold on Shen Baozhu and quickened his pace.
Unexpectedly, that strange gaze became even stronger.
Su Qian's uneasiness deepened. He walked faster and faster until Shen Baozhu poked his face. "Brother Su Qian, your invisibility effect seems to have worn off, but mine is still working..."
So in the eyes of others, Su Qian was holding thin air and talking to it from time to time, looking like a madman.
[It should be because the crybaby cried just now. The water made the invisibility fruit stop working.]
The Dragon King quickly figured out the reason and explained it to Shen Baozhu.
...
At the Princess Mansion.
"What? Baozhu and Su Qian are missing?"
Hearing the news, Shen Heqing was greatly shocked.
He worriedly said, "Baozhu is still young. What if she gets deceived if she goes out?"
Ming Shu comforted him beside. "There's still Young Master Su with her. The little princess will be fine..."
"It's precisely because Su Qian is with her that I'm even more worried!" Shen Heqing paced back and forth in the courtyard. He said anxiously, "Su Qian is a bit naive. He'll just spoil Baozhu."
"I'm afraid that when they come back, Baozhu will be carrying several bags of pastries and will be pestering to eat them all!"
These words happened to be heard by Su Qian. His body stiffened, and he subconsciously looked down at his arms.
Shen Baozhu was defending herself. "Big brother is talking nonsense. I'm not such a person."
"Besides, Baozhu went out with Brother Su Qian today and didn't buy any pastries. Big brother is just spouting nonsense!"
Su Qian was too embarrassed to expose her and could only nod in agreement. "Yes, Brother Heqing is spouting nonsense."
Hearing Shen Baozhu and Su Qian's voices, Shen Heqing looked in their direction and saw Su Qian holding something in mid - air.
He reached out to touch it and casually said, "There's nothing in your arms. What are you holding... There is something!"
Seeing her big brother's reaction, Shen Baozhu suddenly had a mischievous thought. She reached out and grabbed one of Shen Heqing's fingers tightly.
Shen Heqing was so startled that he took a step back. "It's still warm? Su Qian, are you really haunted by a ghost?"
Su Qian wanted to explain, but Shen Baozhu poked his face. He helplessly closed his mouth and let Shen Heqing make wild guesses.
Until Shen Danqing rushed over in a hurry. "Baozhu and Su Qian are missing? Have you found them?"
"Su Qian is here. Where's Baozhu?"
Shen Danqing's words woke Shen Heqing up. He looked at Su Qian's arms and quickly realized. "Is Baozhu in your arms?"
They've been discovered!
Shen Baozhu quickly got out of Su Qian's arms, turned around, and directly hugged Shen Danqing. "Second brother, save me!"
"Second brother can't see Baozhu. I'm afraid I can't save Baozhu." Shen Danqing gently reminded Shen Baozhu that he couldn't see her for the time being.
Shen Baozhu also remembered this. She quickly looked for water in the courtyard. It was Su Qian who dipped some tea and touched her face, and only then did the effect of the invisibility fruit disappear.
As soon as the invisibility effect wore off, Shen Baozhu immediately hugged Shen Heqing. "Big brother is the best. Please forgive Baozhu."
At this moment, Shen Heqing was firm - hearted. "Forgive you? Baozhu, first explain why you disappeared with Su Qian. Then tell me how you became invisible and where you went."
"If you can't explain clearly, you'll have to sleep with big brother."
Shen Baozhu shook her head and refused. "No no no. I won't sleep with big brother. Baozhu doesn't want to recognize characters, practice calligraphy, or recite poems."
"I want to sleep with mother. Mother will tell Baozhu stories!"
Shen Heqing spread his hands and smiled. "Really? Then it depends on your performance."
[Why is the little cutie so afraid of the dolt? Is there a reason?]
[Based on previous observations, Shen Heqing is very diligent. Before going to bed, he practices calligraphy for half an hour, reviews his lessons for an hour, and spends half an hour thinking about his articles. He does this every night, not to mention during the day.]
[He not only works hard himself but also loves to urge Baozhu. Baozhu has learned quite a few characters because of him.]
Lin Yu's well - reasoned words also made the Dragon King understand. The little cutie doesn't like studying!
Shen Baozhu reluctantly reached out and let her big brother hug her. She started from the beginning. "The immortal gave me the invisibility fruit. I took Brother Su Qian out. When we got to the inn, Brother Su Qian suddenly carried me back."
"The most important thing is, Baozhu didn't pester to buy pastries. Big brother is just wronging me."
Shen Heqing readily apologized. "Okay okay okay. It's big brother's fault. I actually wronged Baozhu. Since you were already at the door, why did you come back? Didn't you see anyone?"
"It's nothing. I just realized that there's no need to see her." When Su Qian lied, his whole body tensed up, but he didn't even notice.
Shen Danqing had also heard about Su Qian's matter. He frowned and said, "Could it be that your older sister wants to harm you?"
"If she really hates someone, shouldn't she hate Su Ming? Originally, she was the heir to the Su family's workshop. After Su Ming suddenly appeared, she lost her share of the family property. And you're her younger brother with the same parents..."
Su Qian also wanted to know the reason. He was sixteen years younger than Su Yue. The siblings didn't see each other often. But he had always missed Su Yue. Whenever he got something good, he would send her a share. He didn't expect that Su Yue would still be at home.
"Alas, who knows? No wonder she grabbed me and told me that evil spirits were coming for my life, that I was a heartless person in my past life, that I was a jinx to my parents in this life, and that I would die young in this life." Su Qian sighed, extremely helpless.
Shen Heqing had already guessed. He patted Su Qian on the shoulder. "Do you still want to investigate?"
Su Qian was silent. He didn't really want to investigate. He only had these two relatives left. If they both went to jail because of him, he would probably be ashamed to face his parents after death.
Silence spoke louder than words. The Shen brothers understood what Su Qian meant, but only Shen Baozhu didn't.
She struggled in Shen Heqing's arms and raised her fist high. "Of course we should investigate! Baozhu will help Brother Su Qian beat the bad guys!"
[Baozhu, we should respect personal wishes.]
This was said by Lin Yu, but it was quickly brushed away.
[If the little cutie wants to investigate, then investigate!]
[Su Qian is fated to be brotherless. Maybe we should investigate his older brother.]
Shen Baozhu repeated Qingyun Zhenren's words. "Brother Su Qian, the immortal said that you're fated to be brotherless."
"Did my father's concubine have an affair?" Su Qian couldn't believe it.
Su Qian's tone became a bit harsher. "Investigate. We must investigate this matter!"
And Shen Heqing remembered the bandit identity of the black - clothed man. The third in command who had escaped back then was in his prime. If Su Ming was his son, then everything would make sense.