Look, He Shi walked away with a sullen face. He Lean turned around and helped the dirty old man Shao wipe his face and mouth. Old Man Shao looked at the pomegranate-shaped silver hairpin on her bun and smiled: "Xiangxiang, your mother gave it to you, its beautiful!"

  Mr. Shao rambled on about old times, his words disjointed and fragmented. Hei Lean listened attentively, even when she didnt understand, occasionally responding with gentle murmurs.

  Late at night, Old Master Shao became petulant and refused to sleep. He Lean then told him some interesting stories about her travels with Mrs. He to various places, until he fell asleep. She then returned to the adjacent room to rest after bathing. Wu Lao, who had been attending to Old Master Shao all along, brought her a calming incense and handed her the invitation card from the He family, smiling as she said:

  "In two more days, it will be the eighth day of the New Year. For these two nights, Miss Bao should get a good rest at night, and I, Lao Niu, and Yao Miao Miao will take turns keeping watch. You cant attend those banquets hosted by officials with a tired face."

  He Lean smiled and nodded, signaling Wu Momo to withdraw. He carelessly flipped open the letter, and when his eyes landed on the four words "Jin Ning Hou Fu", he was stunned, involuntarily recalling a beautiful bright red color.

  That persons appearance was elegant and refined, like a fairy who had walked out of a painting. When she smiled, it was as bright and warm as the sun on a winter day after snowfall. For the past two years, he had often helped her chase away nightmares. Although he found it inexplicable, compared to those detestable nightmares, he was much more lovable.

  He Lean was thinking about how to decline the banquet and went to sleep. The next day, he got up and saw Dai Shi and Shao Yingxue coming to visit him. Beside them was a young man with an extraordinary appearance and a handsome face. He only heard Dai Shi say with a smile: "An An, this is He Lize, the young master of General Wei Wus mansion. We met him in the garden and he said he wanted to come and see his father, so we came together."

  "It is, please come in quickly." He Lian welcomed them into the inner room. The maid had just served tea when a soft and delicate female voice called out from outside the door:

  "Big Brother!"

  The crowd followed the sound and saw a girl about 13 or 14 years old, wearing a light yellow flower skirt, walking in with a smile that revealed a pair of cute little tiger teeth. She seemed to be ignoring everyone else and rushed towards He Lize, her eyes shining with a loving light that was not unfamiliar to He Lean.

  Ke Hele An also saw clearly, He Lizhe almost subconsciously glanced at Shao Yingxue beside him, avoiding the girls joyful and enthusiastic pounce without leaving any trace, and said with a hint of surprise and blame: "Yuaner, in front of your elders, how can you be so rude and unceremonious?"

  Upon hearing this, Shao Yingyuan finally paid her respects to Shao Laoye, who was sitting on the bed playing with a wooden object, and also bowed to Dai Shi. As for He Lean and Shao Yingxue, these two people of the same generation were once again magnificently ignored by her. She pulled He Lizhe along and left, laughing: "Big brother, come quickly, Ive found some great things for you!"

  He Lizhe was taken away just like that.

  Dai and Shao Yinxue seemed to have gotten used to this already, calmly picking up their tea cups to take a sip.

  He Lean didnt intend to pry, so she chatted with them for a few sentences before going to prepare medicine for Old Master Shao. When she returned, Dai Shi had already left, leaving only Shao Yingxue in the inner chamber chatting with Old Master Shao; and for two consecutive days, Shao Yingxue did the same, arriving early with Dai Shi and staying until sunset before leaving, seemingly intentionally keeping company with the ailing Old Master.

  Such delicate gentleness is indeed like Shao Yingxues temperament.

  **

  Before going to bed, He Lian had thought of a way to politely decline the invitation from the Jin Ning Hou Mansion, but when she woke up and sat in front of the copper mirror to put her plan into action, she discovered that there were many red rashes on her cheeks and neck that really appeared overnight. They didnt hurt or itch, but they were densely packed and quite unsightly. She composed herself and walked over to the bed, carefully examining the pillow, only to find a small patch of uneven white powder at the edge.

  Its true that a good horse is often ridden by others and a kind person is often bullied. The more you dont want her to attend, the more she insists on attending.