Shen Zhou didn't even turn his head. With a far - away look in his eyes, he stared fixedly at the direction where Yun Xi had left.
"Brother, why do you say such things? I'm a descendant of the Shen family. Naturally, I'll follow any order from our grandfather and you. Saying 'willing or not' would make us seem so distant."
"Brother, we've come to this point. Why do you still speak in such a high - sounding way?"
"If you truly followed every order, we wouldn't have seen Miss Yun or the Prince Yu'an today."
Shen Zhou's eyes flickered slightly, but he didn't answer.
The masked man didn't expect an answer either. He just inched closer to Shen Zhou and said,
"Since what's done is done and can't be changed, at least you've gained their trust to some extent."
"You know I've never wanted Yun Xi, the one you hold dear. As long as you work whole - heartedly for our family, I can even spare her life."
"Moreover, getting rid of Yi Yuan would be a good thing for you too. Besides, the meridians that were sealed before can be opened. And there's your mother's last wish. All her life, didn't she just want you to be included in the Shen family genealogy, to wipe out the stigma of her being a prostitute and then have her name added to the genealogy too?"
"You can easily get all these once things are accomplished."
It was impossible for Shen Zhou not to be tempted by these conditions.
The inky pupils in his peach - blossom eyes moved slightly. His expression remained unchanged, but his tone shifted a bit.
"I understand all you've said, brother, but..."
Shen Zhou retracted his gaze, his eyes filled with a hint of inquiry.
"The Holy Master and his gang are obviously after Yingying. How can I feel at ease cooperating with them? I have no idea about the plans you and grandfather have in mind. Even if I want to fully cooperate for the sake of the Shen family, without knowing the details, how can I put all my efforts in the right direction?"
"Heh—"
The masked man let out a short, mocking sound from his throat.
"As long as you follow the orders and don't make any more rash moves on your own, your efforts will surely be in the right direction. Your Yingying will eventually be yours."
"I've told you before. The Holy Master only wants one thing from Yun Xi. He won't take her life. Otherwise, your Yingying would have died during the time she was captured. How could she still be here, reunited with the Yun family?"
The masked man dusted off the few specks of dust on his clothes and issued his final warning.
"I'm giving you a choice, but it doesn't mean you really have one. Sometimes, doing things whole - heartedly is much better than being forced to do them."
"If you don't agree, I'll find other ways. Think it over carefully... brother."
With that, the masked man disappeared in a blink.
A gust of north wind swept through the withered leaves that had drifted from nowhere, brushing against Shen Zhou's thick cloak. The bustling street had somehow become much quieter.
Shen Zhou, who had been standing still, suddenly spoke up.
"Sheng Yu, what do you think?"
Without a moment's hesitation, Sheng Yu honestly voiced his opinion.
"Sir, in my opinion, this matter is all beneficial to us and has no drawbacks."
"Since the Prime Minister sealed your meridians, your health has been deteriorating day by day. In any case, it's always good to restore your martial arts skills first. Now that we have no more value, the eldest young master and the Prime Minister may not spare you."
"Chuckle... Isn't that the truth..."
A soft, almost inaudible laugh was carried away by the wind. Shen Zhou tightened his cloak and turned around, heading back to the mansion.
It seemed like he had stepped onto another path.
A path with no turning back.
In Zhihong Garden—
"A Yan, come quickly. These are all the high - quality fabrics the cloth shop was planning to sell after the New Year. Choose whatever you like."
The things they had carefully selected throughout the day were neatly laid out on a table. Yun Xi pulled Qiao Yan with a beaming smile and told her to pick at will.
Qiao Yan's eyes sparkled with excitement. Her mouth was almost grinning from ear to ear as she praised Yun Xi.
"Xiao Xi, you're so kind! I knew it was right to be your sister! Hehe..."
"Of course,"
Sai Xing helped to arrange the fabrics one by one and chimed in with a smile.
"Everyone has to draw lots and queue up to buy these fabrics with great difficulty. But Miss Qiao, you and Miss Yun can always pick first even before they're on sale. Even the emperor and the empress in the palace don't have such privileges. So it's definitely great."
This made everyone burst out laughing.
Yun Xi tapped Sai Xing on the forehead and said coquettishly,
"What? Am I short - changing you? You're so jealous."
"Exactly,"
Qiao Yan also joined in.
"Which young lady dotes on her maids like your young lady? Look at you and Ling Yan. You're just like the second young ladies of this mansion. Even Jian Yue from my place is so envious."
"If it weren't for the long - standing bond since childhood, she might have switched to serve in Zhihong Garden already."
Jian Yue wasn't happy about this. She stamped her feet and pretended to be angry.
"Miss, what are you saying? I would never! But looking at how often you come here, I wonder when you'll get married into someone else's family. How can you still wait for me to switch to Zhihong Garden?"
As Jian Yue said this, she winked at Yun Qi and Qiao Yan, chuckling. The implication was obvious.
Qiao Yan blushed instantly. She quickly glanced at Yun Qi, who also had a slight blush on his face, and then pretended to scold.
"You naughty girl! How dare you tease your own miss now. Let me teach you a lesson!"
As she said this, she pounced on Jian Yue to tickle her, making everyone laugh out loud. Even Yi Yuan softened his expression, a faint smile dancing in his eyes.
Just as they were having fun, a maid happily came in to report.
"Miss, Your Highness. Someone from the Yun family is here. They've invited you to go over for the New Year's Eve dinner. Please get ready."
"Okay, I'll come right away."
Yun Xi replied. She sealed a red envelope and told the maid to give it to the young servant who had delivered the message. After seeing off Qiao Yan, she, together with Yi Yuan, who had suddenly become nervous for some reason, and Yun Qi, headed towards the Yun Mansion.
When the carriage rumbled to a stop, Yun Weisheng and Liu Jingyue were already waiting excitedly at the door.
As soon as they saw the carriage approaching, they rushed forward even before it had fully stopped.
"You're finally here,"
Liu Jingyue pushed Yun Qi aside who had just gotten off the carriage and quickly supported Yun Xi. The corners of her lips were curved into a big smile.
"Are you hungry? I've told the kitchen to cook some dishes according to your current taste and also a few of your childhood favorites. Try them all. If you like any of them in particular, I'll learn to cook them for you myself."
"Hehe, okay."
"I want to eat too. I want to eat too."
Afraid of being left out, Yi Yaofeng quickly poked his head out and began to call out sweetly.
"Pretty aunt - in - law, can Yaofeng eat too?"
"Of course you can."
Liu Jingyue laughed heartily and reached out to pick up Yi Yaofeng.
"Come on, come on. Aunt - in - law has prepared everything. We've been waiting for you, little prince."
Naturally, she took Yun Xi's arm and held Yi Yaofeng's hand. The three of them walked in on their own, leaving the three men behind, looking at each other awkwardly and chatting as they followed in.
Not long after, Jiang Ning also arrived.
The whole family gathered around the table. After exchanging some New Year greetings cheerfully, they started to eat.
There were no restrictive etiquettes, no insincere concerns. Even after the meal, Yun Xi and Jiang Ning each received a red envelope with lucky money.
The two girls were as happy as children, chattering with Yi Yaofeng about how to spend the money.
Should they buy firecrackers, candies or jewelry?