Chapter 14 - ARTTEDSBGT Chapter 14
Old Wang held a lantern, while Li Zhizhi personally carried a food box. They quickly arrived at the study.
Inside the room, the candlelight flickered, casting a warm yellow glow through the thin window paper. Li Zhizhi knocked on the study’s door and met Li Xingzhi’s surprised gaze. He exclaimed in a somewhat unexpected tone, “Why have you come so late?”
Li Zhizhi shyly smiled and softly said, “Today’s events were thanks to Eldest Young Master for saving me. I didn’t know how to express my gratitude, so I thought since Eldest Young Master must be tired from studying, I would bring a bowl of silver ear and lotus seed soup.”
Li Xingzhi was taken aback, and instinctively responded, “There’s no need for such trouble.”
“It’s not troublesome,” Li Zhizhi chuckled and winked at him, “Sweet soup is made in the kitchen anyway. I’m just taking advantage and running an errand.”
With a mischievous tone and a hint of cuteness, a slight smile appeared on Li Xingzhi’s face. He watched her enter the room with the food box, carefully placing it on the table, and cheerfully said, “Eldest Young Master, come and have some soup.”
For some reason, when Li Xingzhi heard the term “Eldest Young Master,” there was always a twinge in his heart. Yet, he had said it himself before, telling Li Zhizhi not to call him “brother”…
Li Xingzhi’s heart was a mix of complex emotions, which Li Zhizhi naturally couldn’t perceive. Even if she did know, she would still pretend to be oblivious. Perhaps she might intentionally call him “Eldest Young Master” a few more times just to annoy him.
She opened the food box and poured the soup, and Li Xingzhi’s gaze unconsciously fell on her right hand, which was wrapped in a cloth. He inquired, “What happened to your hand?”
“Ah,” Li Zhizhi quickly turned her hand away, pretending nonchalantly, “It’s nothing, just accidentally scratched it.”
“It was Miss Wan’er who pushed her,” Aunt Wang swiftly interjected, “Miss Wan’er gave the little miss a shove, causing her injury.”
“Nanny,” Li Zhizhi hurriedly shook her head at her, saying, “It was my own carelessness.”
Li Xingzhi’s brow had furrowed by now, his eyes revealing a hint of suspicion. He asked, “Wan’er pushed you?”
Asking that question implied that he didn’t quite believe it. As expected, Li Xingzhi pondered and said carefully, “Wan’er has always been favored since childhood. She’s a bit delicate and prone to crying and throwing tantrums, but she has never laid hands on anyone. There must be some misunderstanding.”
“Alas,” Aunt Wang became anxious, “Why don’t you believe it? This old servant personally saw Miss Wan’er push the young miss under the red azalea tree—”
Li Zhizhi pulled her and changed the subject, saying, “Granny, I think we’re running out of lamp oil. Could you go and get some more?”
Wang Pozi sighed helplessly, took the lantern, and went to refill the oil. Li Zhizhi pushed the bowl of sweet soup in front of Li Xingzhi and smiled, “Eldest Young Master, drink up quickly. It won’t taste good once it cools down.”
Li Xingzhi was still pondering over their conversation. Upon hearing her words, he responded and then asked Li Zhizhi, “Is the injury serious?”
Li Zhizhi shook her head, her tone light, “No, not serious.”
“I’ll take a look.”
Li Zhizhi held her hand behind her back and shook her head firmly, “There’s nothing to see. It’s just a minor injury, and I’ve already applied medicine.”
Indeed, there was nothing to see, just a thin, long cut. Li Zhizhi worried that by now the wound might have already healed. Li Xingzhi thought that she might be making a fuss over nothing.
Seeing her determination, Li Xingzhi could only give up. While drinking the sweet soup, he frequently glanced at Li Zhizhi’s hand, uncertainly wondering if it was really the wound from earlier. However, Wang Pozhi didn’t seem to have a reason to lie. As long as he asked Li Wan’er, he would know for sure.
As he was lost in thought, Li Zhizhi stood by the bookshelf, looking up at the shelves filled with books. She exclaimed, “So many books! Are they all yours, Eldest Young Master?”
Li Xingzhi explained, “Many of these were left by my grandfather’s generation. Grandfather and father collected quite a few, including many ancient texts and rare editions. Only our Li Mansion has them; others wouldn’t even be able to see them.”
Speaking to this point, a hint of pride appeared in his expression. He said to Li Zhizhi, “If you’re interested, you can also read them.”
Li Zhizhi shook her head, blushing, “I can’t understand them yet. I don’t even recognize many characters.”
Li Xingzhi paused, realizing her situation, and reassured her, “You’ll be able to understand them eventually.”
Li Zhizhi smiled, her eyes sparkling, “Eldest Young Master must have been studying for a long time, right? You must know a lot of characters. Is studying difficult?”
Li Xingzhi, after all, was a young man. Being praised by her like this and looked at with admiration, he couldn’t help but feel a bit elated. He cleared his throat and said, “Recognizing characters isn’t difficult, but studying is. I started learning at the age of seven, and it’s been ten years now, but I’ve only scratched the surface.”
Li Zhizhi let out a soft sigh, looking troubled, “I went to the school today, and I couldn’t understand many of the teacher’s lessons. I have an exam tomorrow too.”
Li Xingzhi hesitated for a moment and said, “If there’s anything you don’t understand, you can also ask me.”
Li Zhizhi exclaimed with delight, “Really?”
The girl’s eyes curved like a new moon, filled with closeness and trust, causing Li Xingzhi to inexplicably feel a sense of brotherly responsibility. He asked again, “What don’t you understand?”
Li Zhizhi pondered for a moment and said, “Promoting the virtuous and enhancing achievements, to serve the state and benefit the nation, what does this mean?”
Li Xingzhi hummed and answered, “This sentence is from the Grand Marshal of the Zhou Rites. The original sentence is…”
He explained in detail, then asked, “Do you understand now?”
Li Zhizhi nodded vigorously, her eyes curved like a new moon. “Yes, thank you, Eldest Young Master.”
If only she had said, “Thank you, big brother,” Li Xingzhi thought to himself. He felt somewhat annoyed and self-reproachful. What was he thinking before? Why did he lose his temper at Li Zhizhi and say those things? Wan’er was very good, but Zhizhi was also obedient. What’s wrong with having one more obedient and well-behaved younger sister?
Thinking of this, he hesitated for a long time, then swallowed his pride and said, “I was wrong last time. I misunderstood you about the matter of moving to the courtyard. Just forget about the vulgar things I said.”
Li Zhizhi looked at him slightly surprised, and Li Xingzhi rubbed his nose. Before he could say anything else, Li Zhizhi smiled and said, “So, that’s what it was about. It’s okay, I’ve almost forgotten about it!”
A calm expression appeared on her face, as if she completely didn’t mind his past actions, making Li Xingzhi feel a little guilty again.
The effect of this bowl of sweet soup seemed even better than expected. Li Zhizhi had achieved her goal and didn’t want to waste any more effort. As she prepared to leave, she hesitated and glanced at Li Xingzhi. He wondered, “What’s wrong?”
Li Zhizhi hesitated and asked softly, “Sister Wan’er… When I passed by the garden pavilion earlier, I saw her crying. Is everything okay?”
Li Xingzhi didn’t expect her to bring this up. Perhaps Li Suwan cried again after he left for a while, and Li Zhizhi happened to witness it. Li Xingzhi felt a twinge of regret. Did he say too much at the time? Suwan has always had a delicate temperament. He had always indulged and cherished her since childhood. Has he ever said anything negative to her?
“She’s fine,” Li Xingzhi sighed inwardly and said to Li Zhizhi, “You seem to care a lot about Suwan. I thought you would dislike her.”
Li Zhizhi was somewhat surprised, her eyes widened slightly, and she earnestly said, “Why would I dislike Sister Suwan? She’s so pretty, and Dad says she’s very talented, she can read, write, paint, and play the qin. Unlike me, I don’t know anything…”
Hearing her words, Li Xingzhi thought of her being abandoned from a young age, taken away by the couple who switched the children. They surely didn’t treat her well, how could they have taught her to read and write? He felt sorry for her and comforted, “Suwan started learning early, that’s why she understands these things. You…”
He paused and continued, “You will definitely learn too in the future.”
Li Zhizhi wasn’t discouraged either, she looked at him with joy and said, “With Big Brother’s help, I will definitely learn. Right?”
Li Xingzhi couldn’t help but smile and nodded, “Right.”
She was indeed different from Suwan, not inclined to complain and cry when faced with difficulties, and was resilient. She could also take advice well. She was truly obedient.
Watching the girl with the lantern go into the distance, disappearing into the night, Li Xingzhi felt a lot of regret. At this moment, he deeply hated that Zhou woman, who, for her own selfish desires, swapped his sister with someone else. They had been separated for so many years. If they had grown up together…
…
Li Xingzhi’s thoughts were naturally unknown to Li Zhizhi. Even if she knew, she would just scoff at it, having experienced his cold words and insults, each word felt like a cutting wind or a sharp blade, leaving her emotionally wounded.
Didn’t she want to be Li Xingzhi’s sister in her past life? She did, but in Li Xingzhi’s eyes, there was only Li Suwan. No matter how hard she tried to please him, it seemed laughably inadequate to him. Li Zhizhi wasn’t without a temper, so even until her death, she only ever addressed him as “Eldest Young Master.”
Just now, she noticed Li Xingzhi’s hesitation, and he wanted her to change how she addressed him.
“Brother,” she absentmindedly muttered. These two words weren’t particularly special, but if it could make Li Suwan uncomfortable, that would be another story.
What expression would Li Suwan have when she realized she’s losing everything one by one, until she has nothing left? Li Zhizhi couldn’t wait to witness that scene.