I was helpless and glared at my sister. She stuck out her tongue, looking somewhat guilty.
“Second Sister, I wasn’t just momentarily flustered… but speaking of which, even if you want to find a second spring, you don’t need to choose someone like Mo Qu, who’s as black as charcoal and basically invisible at night!”
I flicked her forehead. “Then who should I choose? What about General Shen?”
She frowned, her eyes sparking with anger. “Don’t mention him. It seems all men are the same, talking about loyalty and reliability, but they lose their way when they see a beautiful woman!”
I quickly stopped her from continuing. “What happened? How did General Shen provoke you?”
“It’s because—” She pointed towards the guest inn, then suddenly froze. Following her gaze, I saw General Shen walking out alongside a tall, elegant woman in purple. They seemed to be in conversation. The woman was graceful and noble, clearly not from an ordinary family.
I glanced at my sister, seeing her staring intently, her lips tightly pressed.
No matter the outcome, I must get to the bottom of it. So after dinner, I called General Shen into the room and told him everything about the marriage proposal from Yan Huo, asking for his opinion.
General Shen’s expression remained unchanged, and he calmly answered with two words: “Not possible.”
“Why not?” I asked anxiously.
“There’s a conspiracy.”
“A… conspiracy?” I was stunned.
General Shen glanced at me. “Yan Di has ill intentions.”
I understood. “Are you saying Yan Huo has another purpose in arranging this marriage?”
“Nanrui’s military strength.”
Talking to him was truly exhausting. General Shen was a crucial figure in Nanrui, and Yan Huo wanted to use this marriage alliance to have Princess Qinghe marry into Nanrui, thereby investigating their military strength through General Shen.
I had considered this possibility, but I didn’t expect that while he seemed indifferent on the surface, he was actually meticulous, shrewd, and cautious.
However, this reason was quite different from what I wanted to hear.
So I continued to probe. “If we set aside that factor, what are your feelings about Princess Qinghe herself?”
General Shen looked at me strangely. “Didn’t notice.”
I was almost going crazy. For my sister’s happiness…
I gently guided him. “So you don’t like her? I thought you were quite special towards her.”
“Intentional.” He answered concisely. “Princess, please speak directly.”
I slammed my hands on the table and stood up suddenly. “Do you like Xiao Ya?”
Shen Danding remained calm. “Yes.”
I relaxed. “Then I’m relieved. My little sister was quite angry today; you should go comfort her. This little girl has a stubborn temper; if she holds a grudge, she won’t speak to you for at least three months.”
“If the Princess hadn’t called me to discuss this, I would have already gone.”
I was speechless. I waved my hand, and he stood up to leave.
I sighed, feeling completely exhausted…
Even if I wish for it to happen, I can’t just jump straight to the point—” I suddenly realized. “What you just said, is it what I’m thinking?”
The sparrow reacted, her face turning dark. “Madam! When I said ‘strong embrace’, I meant forceful hugging.”
I let out a sigh of relief. “I said General Shen would never do such a thing—did you say my little sister slapped him?”
She nodded. “Yes. She slapped him quite hard.”
After quickly washing up, I rushed to my little sister’s room and saw General Shen pacing at the doorway, looking somewhat stiff. When he saw me, he was not embarrassed at all, still maintaining his signature stone-faced expression as he bowed to me.
“It seems the general’s conversation with Yaner didn’t go smoothly yesterday,” I coughed, pretending not to see the faint redness on his face. “Do you need me to help talk to my little sister?”
General Shen didn’t hesitate and nodded directly. “Then I’ll trouble the princess.”
My little sister was curled up, her entire body buried under the blanket. I pulled away her blanket, and she reached for the pillow to cover her face, continuing to sleep.
“Don’t you want to chat with your second sister?”
I brought a plate of rose cakes, waving it in front of her nose.
She immediately opened her eyes, her black pupils focusing on the rose cake, then moving. “There’s nothing to talk about.”
“Really nothing to talk about?” I picked up a piece of cake and took a deep breath. “It smells so good.”
“I want to eat!” She sprang up, reaching for it, but I blocked her. “Wash up first. Then tell me what exactly happened last night?”
She buried her face back in the pillow, mumbling in a muffled voice: “How do you know everything…”
“General Shen was just wandering around the doorway, looking quite dejected,” I glanced at her reaction and saw the little girl stiffen, revealing one eye, blinking.
“He came?” She pondered for a moment, slowly emerging from under the pillow. “Second sister, I don’t understand my own feelings. I’ve always felt I dislike him, and when I see him, my heart feels blocked, and I need to make a fuss to feel comfortable; but when I can’t see him, my heart feels empty. Yesterday, when he said those words in front of Princess Qinghe, I just felt uncomfortable, my heart almost jumping out. Second sister, what’s wrong with me?”
I let her lean on my lap and helped her comb her hair. “Are you sure that feeling is dislike?”
She frowned and remained silent. I hinted: “Ancient sages said, when you fall in love with someone you originally disliked, that’s the most fatal kind of love.”
She asked in confusion: “Which sage?”
I was stunned. It was just a random made-up saying. “I forgot, probably some enlightened master. That’s not the point. The point is, when you see him with the princess, do you feel uncomfortable?”
She nodded.
“That’s it,” I felt relieved. “You like him and care about him, that’s why you feel uncomfortable. If you truly just disliked him, why would you want to see him? You should want him to run far away and never appear before your eyes.”
“That makes sense,” she was conflicted. “But I’ve liked others before, and this time feels different.”
“That means you’ve grown up,” I comfortingly stroked her hair. “Those unreliable men you met before taught you to protect yourself.”
Her previous dislike was perhaps a defense mechanism in her heart. Because she had been hurt before, she dared not easily give her emotions. When meeting a man who moved her heart, her subconscious automatically interpreted it as disgust, allowing herself to retreat and not fall in. This was probably a form of self-protection.
“I… actually like him?” My little sister murmured, blinking her slightly swollen apricot eyes at me. “Seems to make sense.”
“General Shen is a reliable man,” I smiled and gently patted her face. “Since you know your feelings, don’t be awkward like before. Good men should be held onto tightly.”
She suddenly burst out laughing, hugging my arm and acting coquettish: “Second sister, you’re just like mother…”
I darkened my face. “What are you saying?”
“Oh, I misspoke. I should say: you’re more like a mother than mother…” She rolled on the bed, then suddenly jumped up in panic, grabbing her hair: “Oh no, I slapped him last night!”
The story was quite simple. General Shen found her in the garden, and they argued aimlessly for a while. General Shen suddenly said, “Women are just troublesome.”
She was about to retort when he stretched out his arm and directly pulled her into his embrace. She tried to struggle, but the difference in their abilities was too great to succeed. Finally, when General Shen let her go and was about to speak, she was so angry that she slapped him, hitting his right cheek. They parted unhappily.
