Chapter 59: Are You Angry With Me, Ayuan?

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Lu Shangshang felt three question marks pop up in her mind.

She frowned, trying to see clearly who had arrived. The instant she recognized him, her expression changed dramatically.

“Brother?”

Lu Shangshang was a young lady of the Lu family in the capital, and the youngest granddaughter of Old Master Lu. She had always been willful and domineering. But she and Lu Yunzhou were not siblings by blood—for she was the daughter of Lu Yunzhou’s uncle.

She was, in fact, rather afraid of Lu Yunzhou.

“Grandfather sent you here not to stir up trouble,” Lu Yunzhou’s voice was cold and low, his gaze icy as it fell upon her.

Lu Shangshang was stunned by his words, a trace of panic rising in her heart.

“But she… who is she…?” Even now, Lu Shangshang had not figured out the situation. She stared after Lu Yunzhou as he carried someone away.

Lu Zhennan pressed his thin lips tightly together, his gaze dark and unreadable.

“Has your leg healed?” Lu Yunzhou asked in a husky voice, gazing at the girl in his arms.

The girl looked pale and frail, as though she were still suffering from illness. She nodded softly.

A shadow flickered in Lu Yunzhou’s eyes.

“Mm. Why are you—?”

Shen Chaoxi wanted to speak but hesitated. Looking up into the man’s deep, inscrutable gaze, she felt as though she could not see through him.

“Are you wondering why I’m here today?” Lu Yunzhou looked at her.

“Yes.” Though that wasn’t quite what she wanted to ask. She wasn’t particularly concerned with his whereabouts. It was just that the man’s gaze was so complex, and recalling how last time Lu Yunzhou had found a doctor to examine her leg, she suspected the doctor had discovered something and reported it to him.

To prevent him from uncovering her true condition, she quickly changed the subject.

“It’s our teacher’s birthday. As his student, it’s only right to be present,” Lu Yunzhou replied gently. When speaking to Shen Chaoxi, he lost the coldness he displayed toward outsiders, though he still remained reserved and distant. It was as if, in his eyes, there was nothing but calm detachment, no trace of other emotion.

“Sister!”

At that moment, Shen Yuan returned and, seeing the person in Lu Yunzhou’s arms, his face revealed a flash of shock as he hurried over.

Lu Yunzhou’s dark eyes swept him a glance.

“This is my younger brother,” he explained.

“Brother Yuan,” Shen Chaoxi greeted.

“Let me take her,” Shen Yuan said, opening his arms to help. Lu Yunzhou gently set Shen Chaoxi down.

Her leg was still injured, and Lu Yunzhou’s gaze lingered on it.

He watched as the young man supported her and guided her away.

The words Gu Suizhou had spoken to him in Huayuan came back to Lu Yunzhou.

Her leg injury was not recent. So it wasn’t from that fall at the cliff’s edge.

Gu Suizhou had said she appeared to have suffered a severe trauma, with symptoms of significant blood loss.

Lu Yunzhou’s eyes grew even darker.

Shen Yuan eyed her leg, his brows furrowed. “Sister, didn’t I tell you to stay in your room and rest? Why did you sneak out again?”

“It was too stuffy. I just wanted to get some air,” Shen Chaoxi replied with a casual excuse.

“But your health…” Shen Yuan was genuinely worried for her.

“What is it?” Shen Chaoxi smiled faintly.

Somehow, Shen Yuan’s gaze toward her felt different today.

“You’re not just injured in the leg, are you?”

Shen Yuan suddenly stopped walking. He lowered his eyes, a gloomy look in them, then looked up at Shen Chaoxi.

“Brother Yuan, what do you mean by that?” Shen Chaoxi felt lost, as if caught in a fog.

“At first, I wondered how someone as strong-willed as you could end up in a wheelchair,” Shen Yuan said quietly, his voice tinged with a slight break.

“If there was any other way, you never would have…”

Shen Chaoxi’s heart twisted at his words.

Indeed. If she hadn’t been so badly injured in Dongzhou, she wouldn’t still be unwell after nearly half a month of recovery. The wheelchair was for her injured tailbone, which was still healing.

“I didn’t mean to hide it from you, Brother Yuan,” Shen Chaoxi apologized, taking the initiative.

“It’s okay,” Shen Yuan replied, his eyes damp and dark, like a stubborn, wronged puppy.

“I’ll take you back,” he said. “I’ll make you something nice to eat.”

Shen Chaoxi fell silent.

Why did she suddenly feel a pang of guilt?

“Brother Yuan.”

“Brother Yuan…” Shen Chaoxi called his name repeatedly as they walked.

But the young man kept his face cold, brows furrowed, refusing to answer.

After her persistent efforts, he finally stopped in his tracks.

“Are you angry with me, Brother Yuan?”

Shen Chaoxi looked at him pitifully.

“No,” the young man replied, lips pressed tight, eyes still averted, his voice muffled.

“Really?” Shen Chaoxi kept her eyes fixed on his face.

Little bitter melon, she thought. His face was like that, and he still said he wasn’t angry.

Do you want me to fetch a mirror for you?

“Mm,” Shen Yuan answered in a low voice.

“I was wrong, Brother Yuan. I promise that whatever I do in the future, I’ll make sure I’m safe first. Brother Yuan? Please talk to me,” Shen Chaoxi pleaded, shaking his arm.

At last, Shen Yuan looked up at her, his face clouded by emotion, utterly serious.

“No more lying to me.”

“All right,” Shen Chaoxi agreed, smiling softly now that he responded to her.

“If you lie to me again, I’m a little dog,” she promised.

Shen Yuan frowned, concern and reluctance plain on his face as he looked at her pale countenance.

When they returned, Xiao Xiao came out and, noting the tense atmosphere, asked in confusion, “Miss, what’s wrong with Young Master?” She went to help Shen Chaoxi.

Shen Chaoxi watched as the young man walked inside. For a moment, she didn’t know what to say.

After considering, she replied, “Maybe a certain little one is unhappy. Hard to cheer up.”

She sighed. “Xiao Xiao, do you think there’s a miracle medicine in this world? Something that, once taken, could heal all wounds instantly, leaving you able to run and jump with superhuman strength?”

Xiao Xiao blinked. “Huh?”

At that moment, Shen Yuan returned from inside, bringing out a wheelchair and placing it before Shen Chaoxi.

With a bit of exasperation, he said, “That’s a superpower. Only happens in movies.”

Shen Chaoxi smiled. “Is that so? Then I can’t be blamed if my recovery is slow.”

Shen Yuan fell silent.

Then, with Xiao Xiao and Shen Yuan’s help, Shen Chaoxi hopped onto the wheelchair. Shen Yuan pushed her inside, while Xiao Xiao stood there, bewildered.

What was all that about? Why did she not understand?

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Author’s note:

Emmm, the power went out, so I wrote this hastily tonight. The content isn’t substantial. Feel free to skip it. I’ll revise the chapter and you can read it tomorrow, my dears.

Emmm… never mind, I won’t revise it.