Chapter 55 Something's Happened

  The smile on Mu Siyao's face was so smug that it made Shen Huan want to punch her first and then talk. Was this person used to poking at people's sore spots?

  "It's none of your business"

  Shen Huan also felt a bit suffocated, she had never felt so stifled before. Although what he said was unpleasant to hear, it was indeed the truth. She wanted to refute him but couldn't find any good words to say. Shen Huan could only glare at him through the window, not daring to raise her voice too loudly. Outside, rumors about her and Zhao Xi Qiao's ambiguous relationship were already spreading. If she wasn't careful and accidentally exposed the fact that he had sneaked over, wouldn't she be confirming the reputation of being an unchaste woman?

  "Do you believe it? Later on, there will still be people who dare not ask your mother-in-law to help with childbirth?"

  Upon hearing this, Shen Han calmed down and coldly snorted: "Human nature is inherently shallow, what's there to believe or not believe?"

  Mu Siyao didn't seem to have expected that Shen Huan would respond in such a way, and the words he had prepared to provoke her were stuck in his throat. He simply stated his purpose directly: "You can't go on like this, your younger uncle is about to take the imperial examination soon, isn't he?"

  "How did you know?"

  "He has already said it at the yamen today..."

  "Oh. So?"

  Shen Han didn't care about Mu Siyao's words at all, and instead seemed to be detached from the situation, raising an eyebrow and throwing back a sarcastic expression. Before Mu Siyao could say anything, Shen Han continued: "To be honest, I really don't understand what you're doing with so much free time, can't you just go do something else? Why are you always coming to bother me?"

  "What is..."

  Realizing she had said something indecent, Shen Huan abruptly interrupted him, not caring whether he understood or not, and first told him to get out.

  "I don't have good looks, nor do I have wealth. I also lack literary talent. You say you're so stupid, why not save some time and go home to ask your dad what kind of person he's looking for? So...Zhuo Siyao, let's part ways here, each going back to their own home to find their own mom, don't keep appearing in front of me again"

  He spoke so smoothly that Mu Siyao stood in front of the window, smiling and waiting for Shen Huan to finish before speaking: "Think about it again."

  After finishing speaking, he didn't give Shen Huan a chance to refuse at all, and turned around to leave. Shen Huan opened her mouth, but endured it and didn't shout out. She could only watch the man's back as he left, watching him jump over the wall with Qian Shui, leaving Shen Huan alone staring angrily at the window.

  She couldn't sleep, so Shen Huan got up and tidied herself up a bit before heading outside. The main house was empty except for Hu Youxuan. She looked around the courtyard entrance but didn't see Zhao Xiuzhuo or Li Shi, and couldn't help asking: "Youxuan, where's my mother-in-law and younger uncle?"

  "Xī zhāo xiōng qù le lǎo fū zǐ nà li, zhì yú shěn zi ma......chū qù de shí hou yě méi shuō, bú guò wǒ cāi yīng gāi shì qù huán qián le."

  Translation:

  "Xiao Zhao's brother went to Old Man Fu's place, as for Auntie... she didn't say when she left, but I guess she probably went to return the money."

  Hu Youxuan's eyes flashed with a hint of playfulness, but Shen Huan didn't notice and was instead startled by the mention of returning money, becoming somewhat tense: "She went to the Yuan family?"

  "No, since the matter has already reached the government office, Auntie wouldn't be so foolish as to go to the Yuan's house herself, isn't that just asking for gossip?"

  "That...the fat middle-aged woman from just now?"

  Because she didn't know who the other person was, Shen Han's only impression of the woman was her affected tone when speaking, and the trembling fat on her face, so the three words "fat mother" came out of her mouth, earning a smile from Hu Youxuan.

  "You're really good at saying hurtful things... and yet..."

  "How?"

  "It is true"

  Hu Youxuan's words also made Shen Han 'heh' with a smile, and could only shake her head to give a three-word evaluation: "You're more ruthless"

  Shen Han was standing in the yard watering the small dish she had made, and turned back to smile at Hu Youxuan's words, which gave her a few points of charm. So much so that Hu Youxuan believed at that moment that the rumor was true, and besides... just now he originally wanted to knock on the door to tell her that Li Shi and Zhao Xiuzhu had gone out, and when he was outside, he could order something.

  But unexpectedly, he heard a man's voice coming from inside the house. He couldn't hear it clearly, but he could still tell that it was a man's voice. As for his second sister...was she really as proper as she seemed on the surface? Hu Youxuan's mind had already begun to waver.

  Actually, Hu Youxuan is also a meticulous person. For him, the rumors outside may not be just rumors after all. During this period of time when they lived together, Zhao Xiuzhuo got up early to fetch water for her and often protected her without revealing any signs. He could see things clearly, and whether Shen Han knew or not, there was some ambiguity between them.

  He quietly walked to Shen Huan's side and helped her loosen the soil. Shen Huan was slightly surprised, wanting to say that she didn't need his help, but the words didn't come out of her mouth. She just felt that she no longer disliked Hu Youxuan as much as before, and could try to get in touch with him. However, her lack of resistance led to Hu Youxuan's misunderstanding.

  Zhao Xiuzhen thought of a book she hadn't brought, so she walked out for a while and then turned back. When she pushed open the door, what she saw was Hu Youxuan loosening the soil and Shen Han watering, both with faint smiles on their faces. How could someone who wasn't in a good mood to begin with stand this scene?

  Although Zhao Daxiu was usually calm and composed, he now looked like he had just emerged from a coal cellar, his face so black that his nose and eyes were indistinguishable. He quickly walked into the house, then suddenly rushed out again, not even glancing in the direction where Shen Huan and Hu Youxuan were standing. His blackened face left Shen Huan's mouth agape, but she ultimately didn't dare to greet him.

  "What's wrong with him?"

  Shrugging his shoulders, Shen Han pretended to be unaware and seemed rather helpless: "I don't know, maybe he's also annoyed about the Yuan family's affairs."

  After finishing, she turned around and put the water scoop in her hand on the ground, bent down with one hand holding the bucket handle and the other hand grasping the bottom of the bucket, lifted it up and poured it over to the vegetable field, finished and then put the water scoop back into the bucket, and placed the water bucket beside the vegetable field.

  Shen Han did these things with ease, but her heart was not calm. If it were in the past, she might not have had any scruples at all, even if Zhao Xi's face turned black, she would not have taken it as anything and greeted him. But now... She knew about the thoughts he hid in his heart, and he seemed to be showing them more and more clearly. She didn't know how to face him without making him misunderstand or letting others think they had something going on.

  "It doesn't seem like Elder Xiāo would get anxious over such a small matter."

  "That's probably because he didn't quite understand something in his books, and with the exams coming up soon, it's normal to feel stressed."

  Shen Huan said and walked into the house, feeling a bit bored for a while. There were only two people at home, her and Hu Youxian, which was a bit awkward. As a woman, Shen Huan also had her sensitive intuition, always feeling that Hu Youxian's gaze towards her seemed to be different from before.

  "Youxuan, aren't you reading books? Or am I disturbing you?"

  Shen Huan stopped wiping the house and turned to look at Hu Youxuan, who was sitting in Zhao Xiuzhu's usual spot with a book on his lap. However, she knew without looking that he hadn't been reading it because from the moment he sat down by the door until now, Shen Huan had deeply felt a gaze following her back. When she walked to the table to wipe it clean, the gaze moved to the table; when she went into the kitchen and came out again, that gaze was still waiting for her at the doorway...

  But Hu Youxuan's book on his leg is still tightly closed with its cover, without even being opened...

  "No."

  "Well, I'll go find Xiaoyu then, there are some things I need to discuss with her."

  Upon hearing this, Hu Youxuan immediately stood up from the stool, and without even opening the book that was originally closed, he walked directly to her side. It's unclear whether it was intentional or not, but he lowered his head and leaned in close to Shen Huan's ear, his voice low and ambiguous, with a hint of seduction: "Anyway, I have nothing better to do, how about I be your guardian again?"

  Shen Han was startled by Hu Youxuan's sudden movement and her hand shook, causing the teacup to fall onto the table, spilling water all over it. She also unconsciously took two steps back. However, Shen Han reacted quickly and immediately pulled out a towel from under the table to wipe up the spill while saying: "Look at my carelessness! Youxuan, you should just stay home and study instead. If Grandma and Xiaohui come back and can't find us, they'll worry about where we've gone."

  Lowering her head to wipe the water off the table, Shen Huan also didn't lift her head and returned to her own room, closing the door behind her. She leaned against the door panel and took a deep breath, constantly telling herself that it was just her own illusion, and in fact, she had accidentally gotten too close...

  Having composed her emotions, Shen Huan opened the door and went out. Hu Youxian was not in the main room or the courtyard. Just as she was about to speak, she heard his voice coming from inside the room: "Is Second Sister leaving?"

  "Uh-huh."

  "Please give my regards to Miss Ying, I'm afraid she may not have a good impression of me from last time."

  Hu Youxuan's words made Shen Han feel a little more at ease, she wasn't blind to the surprise and interest in his eyes when he saw Ying Yue Xue, it seemed she had overthought things.

  As soon as she went out, Shen Han didn't rush to Ying Yue Xue's house directly. Instead, she walked while looking at the surrounding stalls, and after being dazzled by the sights, something suddenly flashed in her mind. She then scanned the surrounding stalls again, but indeed couldn't find what had just flashed through her mind.

  But it's really difficult to implement, and logically speaking, since we already have rouge, why don't we have fragrances like face powder? Is this other world too backward or did the heavens deliberately abandon me here to create a 'miracle'?

  "A Xue, I'm here"

  Gen Yuesnow had already become familiar, and Shen Han didn't knock on the door like a stranger, waiting for a response before entering. Instead, she directly called out and lightly pushed open the gate of her courtyard, but unexpectedly, the door creaked as it opened, yet there was still no one responding inside the house.

  Shen Han swept a glance around the yard, saw Mao Mao shrinking in the corner of the small nest with his belly sticking out, smiled and walked towards the house, probably because she didn't hear him knocking on the door in her room.

  Just then, when Shen Huan searched through the kitchen and room of Ying Yue Xue, she still couldn't find her, and there were some messy traces left in the kitchen. She felt a bit tense at this moment. This wasn't her first time visiting Ying Yue Xue's home. As a cold and simple person, not only was the kitchen tidy, but even the flowers and grasses at the entrance of the courtyard were also extremely neat. How could she leave behind such a messy kitchen? Moreover... most importantly, there were still melted noodles in the pot...

  Even an idiot can see it, something has happened to her...