The setting sun cast its glow over the distant mountains, which were veiled in the afterglow like a sea of fire.
Shen Li held the well - decorated lantern carefully in both hands. She nudged Jiaoyue beside her with her elbow.
"Jiaoyue, look. Isn't my lantern beautiful?"
"Beautiful! Miss, your craftsmanship is so good."
Jiaoyue was truly envious. Seeing this, the other two also came forward one after another.
Taking advantage of Shen Li's inattention, Xuan Yuanjue snatched the lantern away. Shen Li was immediately stunned.
"Haha, what I've snatched is mine. Little one, your craftsmanship is quite good. Just give this to me."
He held the lantern up and examined it carefully, not missing a single detail.
"Sure, I'll give it to you."
Shen Li made this lantern just on a whim and didn't really care who took it.
"Aren't you angry?"
For some reason, Xuan Yuanjue felt a sense of stuffiness in his heart, and the joy he had just felt dissipated.
"Angry? Why should I be angry?" Shen Li looked at Xuan Yuanjue in confusion, her clear, watery eyes like a pool of clear water.
Shen Li was at the prime of her youth, with a bit of baby fat on her face. Little did she know that in others' eyes, her expression made her look like a pure - hearted rabbit, which made people can't help but want to protect her.
And that was exactly what Xuan Yuanjue was thinking.
At the same time, he also knew that Shen Li was not as simple as she seemed on the surface.
Think about it. Born into a noble family in the capital city, exposed to all sorts of things since childhood, how many people could be truly pure - hearted?
Shen Li was like this, and so was he... He let out a soft scoff.
A glint of light flashed across Xuan Yuanjue's down - cast eyes. When he looked up again, his expression had returned to normal.
"I snatched the lantern you made with so much effort. Aren't you angry?"
His fingers tightened slightly. Since the lantern was made of paper, it couldn't bear the external pressure and began to deform.
As if sensing something, Xuan Yuanjue then relaxed his fingers.
Just at this moment, Shen Li stepped forward and snatched the lantern back from Xuan Yuanjue's hand. She was a head shorter than him and looked like a delicate bird standing in front of him.
"You talk too much. If you don't want it, then forget it!" She hated it most when a big man kept chattering. It was so annoying!
"Little one, when did I say I didn't want it?"
Xuan Yuanjue took the lantern back again. During this process, he accidentally touched Shen Li's fair, slender fingers.
Suddenly, he had an urge to hold the pair of hands in front of him tightly.
"Crazy." Shen Li waved her hand and left, giving him a disdainful look before leaving.
This was the most awkward man she had ever met.
Not only was his dressing style unique, but his personality was also one - of - a - kind!
Shen Li silently classified Xuan Yuanjue as a person she should not get too close to, and then left with Jiaoyue.
Before leaving, Shen Li glanced thoughtfully at the plaque of Xuanyuan Pavilion...
"Your Highness, the person has gone far away. What are you still looking at?"
Xuan Shu couldn't help but tease and shook his head. Looking in the direction his master was looking, he only saw emptiness.
"You won't get your monthly reward this month."
Xuan Yuanjue retracted his gaze and said calmly.
"Your Highness, I was wrong. You're magnanimous. Don't deduct my money."
Xuan Shu quickly chased after him.
Xuan Yuanjue carefully put the lantern into his sleeve.
Little one, we'll surely meet again.
A barely perceptible smile flickered in his obsidian - like pupils.
The clouds in the sky began to darken. Night was approaching.
Just as Shen Li stepped into the threshold with one foot, a sharp and mean voice came from the opposite side.
"Yo! Isn't this Sister? You've been out for quite a while. Are you just willing to come back now?" Then, Shen Miao looked at Jiaoyue and continued to scold, "Jiaoyue, how did you take care of Sister? Have you forgotten the family rules?"
The last scolding directly scared the inexperienced Jiaoyue to her knees. Tears welled up in her eyes.
Jiaoyue sobbed, "Second Miss, I didn't do it on purpose. I just accidentally forgot the time."
"Humph, what a good excuse of forgetting the time! Don't you have eyes? Look up at the sky. It's already dark! At this time, you're still making excuses for yourself. I think you're itching for a beating."
"Someone, take Jiaoyue to the wood - shed and lock her up for three or four days."
Being locked in the wood - shed meant no food and no water.
Jiaoyue immediately panicked and was extremely scared.
"Sister? Have you taken the wrong medicine?"
Shen Li sneered, her eyes cold.
Seeing Shen Miao being so arrogant, she thought that the last lesson must not have been severe enough!
"Sister, how... how can you talk to me like this? I'm your sister. I'm just helping you discipline your maid." Shen Miao gritted her teeth in anger. How dare she say she had taken the wrong medicine? It was so infuriating!
"Hehe, should I thank you then? My dear sister. By the way, have you taken care of Chunya's funeral arrangements? If not, I'll help you."
It was okay not to mention Chunya. Once she was mentioned, Shen Miao felt extremely angry. She was angry at Chunya's incompetence.
She couldn't even handle such a small thing. What was the use of her? She deserved to die!
"You don't have to worry about her funeral arrangements, sister. I'll handle it myself."
Shen Li nodded. "That's good. After all, Chunya and I were mistress and maid. She did something wrong. Anyway, it's my fault as the mistress for not disciplining her well."
"Jiaoyue, later you go to the warehouse and get some silver and send it to Chunya's family. Just say it's my little token of appreciation."
Although Jiaoyue didn't understand Shen Li's actions, she still agreed. Since the eldest miss woke up last time, there was an inexplicable aura of credibility about her.
Shen Miao's face became even uglier. She knew that Shen Li was doing this on purpose to show off to her.
After the last incident, Shen Miao suddenly felt that Shen Li was no longer the Shen Li who used to be bullied. Her claws could no longer be hidden.
"If there's nothing else, sister, you can go and do whatever you need to do. I'm tired and need to rest." Shen Li directly issued an order to evict the guest.
Shen Miao's face was ugly. Her hands hidden in her sleeves were tightly clenched. She gave Shen Li a resentful look and tried hard to hold back the anger in her chest.
"Sister, rest well. I won't bother you anymore."
Watching Shen Miao's gradually disappearing back, the corners of Shen Li's mouth slowly lifted.
A hint of green began to appear on the tips of the branches of the withered tree behind her, but it was not easily noticeable.
It was believed that before long, this seemingly dead tree would come back to life.
What Shen Miao owed her in her previous life, she would make her pay back slowly.
That night, the moonlight carried a chill, making people shiver involuntarily.
A dark shadow flashed in a corner under the eaves.
Under the weak moonlight, it was hard to tell whether it was a person or a ghost.
At Xuanyuan Pavilion.
A graceful figure disappeared like a ghost within the city wall.
"What on earth is the mystery inside?"