The wanton gaze made Shen Chen unbearable: "Have you seen enough? What are you doing here?"
The boy's voice was clear and articulate.
Tingling Garden is located in the southwest of the mansion, overgrown with weeds, a few dilapidated houses standing sparsely, rarely visited, cold in winter and hot in summer.
He had lived there since he could remember.
If she claimed she accidentally got lost, even a ghost wouldn't believe it.
In such a heavy downpour, could she get lost from half the Ye Mansion to here?
Uh, being stared at by those cold eyes made Ye Zhi break into a cold sweat on her back, but she told herself to stay calm, yes, stay calm.
"Y-your courtyard leaks when it rains, I brought you an umbrella." She handed over an extra blue-and-white Han Moon oil-paper umbrella she carried in her arms.
He looked at the umbrella offered by her slender, fair hand, hesitated for a long time without taking it, expressionless, his gaze cold.
The house had been in disrepair for a long time, how could a single umbrella suffice?
The two of them were silent!
Outside the storm showed no signs of abating, and inside the house, rain leaked through multiple spots in the roof, dripping onto the floor with a pitter-patter.
"Otherwise, maybe when the weather clears tomorrow, I'll have someone fix it for you?"
"No need."
Why is this brat so hard to please, the thought of 'doing' him resurfaced.
She placed the umbrella on a nearby shabby table, opened a blue bundle she had brought, rummaged through it, and tossed over a handkerchief:
"It's unused. You can use it to dry your hair."
She also placed several jars on the table:
"This is mosquito repellent cream, apply a little before sleep, it's cool and comfortable."
"This is a hundred taels, keep it secret, and buy whatever you want in the future, but don't be extravagant."
"This is osmanthus cake from Yujing Hall, fortunately, it's not wet and can be stored for ten days, remember to eat it."
"And this bamboo leaf sachet, it looks delicate and suits you well..."
Since ancient times, whether for promotion or for social interactions, gift-giving has been unavoidable, and one must choose the right gift.
For example, what she brought were just what he needed, so it was the right choice, but she feared he might not accept them, her clear eyes nervously fixed on him, afraid he'd reject them.
With her charming appearance and luminous gaze, showing such allure at a young age, she was impossible to refuse.
Shen Chen was quite astounded. He probably never expected the little girl who took delight in tormenting him seemed to have changed her ways.
Facing her pitiful look, he stiffly nodded: "Mm."
Just that one word made Ye Zhi's eyes brim with tears, finally understanding the value of a word being worth a thousand gold pieces. Even if her mother gave her a thousand taels, it wouldn't bring the happiness she felt now—ancient wisdom didn't lie.
No matter how excited she felt inside, she couldn't show it outwardly.
"Then I'll help you dry your hair."
Not waiting for his reaction, she grabbed the handkerchief she had just taken out and methodically rubbed his head.
In a moment of joyous abandon, she even started humming a tune: hmm hmm hmm hmm...
A faint fragrance filled Shen Chen's nostrils, exceptionally pleasant, letting her play with his hair without expression.
Orphaned, with a grandfather who treated him like a disaster, afraid to approach, often going without enough food, this seemed like the first time someone genuinely cared for him.
A corner of his heart seemed to soften a bit.
A small, fair hand suddenly touched his forehead, moving back and forth twice
"Great, no fever."
It won't leave any illness roots in the future. The rain hadn't drenched him for long, but just to be safe: "I'll have the kitchen send you a bowl of ginger soup tomorrow, make sure to drink it."
"Mm."