Hu Jiuchi stroked the wine gourd at his waist and laughed.
“You little girl certainly have confidence.”
“But I quite like your temperament.”
Having traveled far and wide for so many years, this was the first time he had encountered such an interesting young girl. Wasn’t she afraid of bringing disaster upon herself?
“If those people in the capital find out you’re helping that boy, you won’t be able to keep your head.”
His probing gaze settled on Shen Xia.
“My life is rather boring. I just want to find some amusement.”
Shen Xia replied calmly.
This girl was truly dishonest.
Hu Jiuchi naturally knew she was lying, but he could not be bothered to expose her.
Rising to his feet, he brushed the wrinkles from his clothes.
“Fine then. I’m bored out of my mind anyway, so I’ll give it a try. But let me make one thing clear first. I won’t take disciples. I’ll only teach him. And I’m very strict. If he can’t endure hardship, I’ll stop teaching him immediately.”
“Also, I want meat with every meal and wine with every drink. If you’re even the slightest bit stingy with me, I won’t let it go.”
Looking at Hu Jiuchi’s old childlike demeanor, Shen Xia smiled.
“Of course I wouldn’t treat Senior Hu poorly.”
Very quickly, Hu Jiuchi headed over to Li Xiao.
Shen Xia could not hear what they were discussing, but she noticed Li Xiao glance in her direction.
His fingers clenched tightly around the corner of his clothes, and he seemed strangely conflicted.
No matter how hard he tried, he could never have imagined that all the effort Shen Xia had gone through to find Hu Jiuchi had been for the sole purpose of having him teach him.
That was Hu Jiuchi.
Back when his grandfather was still alive, even he had spoken of this man with endless admiration.
Shen Xia soon withdrew her gaze and returned to her reading.
She knew Li Xiao would not refuse.
After all, this was an invaluable opportunity.
As for whether he suspected her of having ulterior motives, that was no longer something she needed to worry about.
…
“That boy’s willpower is frighteningly strong. Shen girl, aren’t you afraid you’re raising a wolf?”
That evening, after eating meat and drinking wine, Hu Jiuchi once again failed to keep his mouth shut.
By now, his attitude had become much friendlier, and he directly addressed Shen Xia as “Shen girl.”
Following his gaze, Shen Xia looked into the courtyard.
Li Xiao was still holding a horse stance.
From morning until now, he had not stopped training for a single moment. He was truly ruthless toward himself.
Shen Xia avoided answering Hu Jiuchi’s question. Instead, she poured him another cup of wine and said softly, “Senior, you’ve worked hard today. You should rest early.”
“Fine, after I finish this cup, I’ll go meet the Duke of Zhou. But from what I can see from observing the heavens, it will likely rain tonight. If you don’t want that wolf cub to die, you’d better persuade him to rest soon. Being diligent in training is a good thing, but haste makes waste.”
After finishing his wine in a few gulps, Hu Jiuchi staggered back to his room.
Not long after he left, the wind began to pick up.
Leaning against the doorway, Shen Xia quietly watched the small figure standing in the courtyard.
She also glanced at the darkening sky.
Rain really was coming.
Even so, she had no intention of interfering with Li Xiao.
That wolf cub was already suspicious enough. If she intervened too much, he would probably become even more convinced she had hidden motives.
She carried the still warm meal to the stone table in the courtyard and placed the medicine she had prepared beside it.
After finishing everything, she returned to her room and gently closed the door.
Hearing the door shut behind her, Li Xiao stiffly turned around.
Dragging his nearly numb legs to the stone table, he picked up the bottle of medicine. It still seemed to carry the warmth of her palm.
Turning back to look at the brightly lit room, he frowned again and again.
He truly understood her less and less.
So… should he kill her or not?
The night grew deeper.
Shen Xia slept uneasily. Suddenly, she jolted awake, drenched in cold sweat.
It had only been a nightmare.
In the dream, she had been controlled by the Host, reduced to a soulless tool who would never return to her original world.
“It was only a dream.”
She quietly comforted herself.
Just then, the sound of something striking the window drew her attention.
The rain outside was pouring heavily.
Throwing on an outer robe, she walked over to close the window, only to notice that the lamp in Li Xiao’s room was still lit.
At this hour, why wasn’t he asleep?
Wait! Had she forgotten an important detail?
Suddenly, Shen Xia remembered.
The novel had recorded that on the day the Jiang Family was executed, the capital experienced the heaviest rainstorm in twenty years. The rain fell throughout the entire night before finally washing away the stench of blood that filled the streets.
On that very night, Li Xiao and Consort Jin lost their family.
The next day, Consort Jin was burned alive in the palace.
From then on, Li Xiao developed an intense fear of rainy days.
No matter how strong he appeared, he was still only a child.
After hesitating for a long while, Shen Xia finally decided to check on him.
Standing outside his door, she knocked softly and lowered her voice.
“Li Xiao, are you asleep?”
There was no response from inside.
“If you don’t answer, I’m coming in.”
Still no response.
Left with no choice, Shen Xia pushed open the door and entered.
The moment she stepped inside, she saw Li Xiao still dressed in his daytime clothes, curled up in the corner of the bed and trembling all over.
He looked exactly like a lost and abandoned cub.
Quickly setting down the lantern, she strode over.
“Li Xiao?”
As soon as she approached, Li Xiao suddenly lifted his head and threw himself into her arms.
“Mother Consort, I miss you so much.”
Shen Xia barely managed to steady herself.
Looking at the person in her arms with a complicated expression, she realized he was thinking of his mother.
“Mother Consort, your son is useless. I couldn’t save the Jiang Family…”
His voice was thick with sobs and endless self reproach.
Looking more closely, Shen Xia noticed his cheeks were flushed red.
When she touched his forehead, she was startled by the heat.
He had a fever!
No wonder he had let down his guard around her. He was delirious from the fever.
But this also proved that deep down, he was far more fragile than he appeared.
“Don’t be afraid. I’m here.”
After hesitating for a long time, Shen Xia finally raised a hand and gently patted his back.
When the sobbing in her arms finally faded away, she realized he had already lost consciousness.
Laying him back on the bed, she loosened his clothes.
His thin, bony body was covered in wounds, some of which had already become infected.
She hurried to fetch water, carefully cleaned and medicated his injuries, then applied a cold compress to his forehead, remaining by his side while waiting for his fever to subside.
The entire experience made her feel as though she had returned to the modern world, caring for her younger brother when he was sick.
Just as she finished and finally had a chance to catch her breath, Qianzhu knocked urgently on the door.
“Seventh Miss, are you in there? Something has happened. The heavy rain tonight washed a female corpse out of the Peach Blossom Grove. She was someone from Third Miss Shen’s courtyard. Old Madam Shen has summoned everyone for questioning.”