The several maids were filled with righteous indignation, each frowning with hands on their hips, looking even angrier than Shen Xiling herself. Then they heard Fengshang say huffily: “Let me tell you the truth—I could see long ago that Miss Zhao wasn’t any good. She’s just jealous that our young miss is more beautiful than her and better at her studies. This time she definitely dragged our young miss into this on purpose!”

Shuipei snorted in agreement, adding: “I think she’s jealous that Second Young Master treats our young miss well—she’s envious! Hmph, no matter how jealous she gets, it’s useless. Second Young Master just cares more about our young miss. Let her be furious!”

…They were getting more and more carried away.

Shen Xiling didn’t know what to say for a moment. After struggling with it for a while, she said to the three: “Sisters, please don’t say such things anymore. Miss Zhao is blood family to the household, while I’m merely a guest. In the end, I’m only able to attend the study hall because I benefited from her position. It’s not right for us to speak this way…”

The several maids were all indignant and wanted to say more, but Shen Xiling smiled at them and changed the subject by asking what they would eat for dinner tonight.

Zijun was simple-minded and didn’t notice that Shen Xiling was deliberately changing the topic. As soon as she heard her ask about food, she immediately became excited and honestly answered: “Fish! Several sea bass arrived today—fat and fresh!”

Shuipei and Fengshang thought Zijun was too easily fooled and each gave her a look that was both annoyed and amused, leaving Zijun completely bewildered. Shen Xiling just smiled and after thinking for a moment, asked: “Do we have noodles? Soup noodles?”

Zijun had been taking care of Shen Xiling for about a month now, and this was the first time she had heard her express what she wanted to eat. Finding it novel, she nodded repeatedly: “Yes, yes, yes! Young miss wants to eat soup noodles? What kind would you like?”

Shen Xiling pressed her lips together and smiled gently at Zijun with a slightly apologetic look for troubling her, saying: “Any kind will do—I can make it myself.”

Zijun waved her hand and pointed to Shen Xiling’s injury, laughing: “How can a young miss cook? Besides, you were beaten by the teacher—rest well now, I’ll go prepare the soup noodles.”

After Zijun left, Fengshang began tidying up the medicine bottles on the table while Shuipei poured tea for Shen Xiling and asked with a smile: “Why did young miss suddenly want soup noodles?”

Shen Xiling pressed her lips together, uncertain whether she should tell them that today was her birthday. If she told them, it would be too much trouble—Shuipei and the others were thoughtful and considerate people who would surely arrange things for her, and she didn’t want to trouble them.

Thinking of this, Shen Xiling couldn’t help but smile faintly, thinking that Teacher Wang was indeed right. Though she understood his teachings from today, truly living freely according to her heart’s desires couldn’t be achieved overnight. For instance, right now, she was worrying about this and that, afraid that others would be troubled by knowing about her birthday.

After thinking it over, Shen Xiling still didn’t tell them the truth, only saying she had a sudden craving.

Zijun’s cooking skills were excellent. That evening’s sea bass was fragrant and tender, and the soup noodles she made were delicious too, with a rich and fresh broth that left a lingering fragrance on the lips and teeth.

Shen Xiling inevitably thought of the soup noodles her parents used to make.

Her mother could actually cook too, but later when her health became too weak and she was chronically bedridden, she gradually couldn’t cook anymore. Usually it was Shen Xiling who cooked. Though she wasn’t very old now, she was actually an old hand in the kitchen.

She quite enjoyed cooking actually. Though grains, vegetables, tea, rice, oil, and salt were troublesome, they often gave her a sense of security, especially when her mother loved what she made—then she would feel particularly comforted. However, kitchen work was somewhat tiring after all. When she was younger, she was even shorter and weaker than now, unable to even lift a pot at first, making cooking quite laborious.

So she always looked forward to her father returning, because when father came home, she could rest for a few days without having to cook.

Father’s cooking was always delicious—dishes like braised chicken breast and plain white mushrooms that she still missed. Every birthday, father would make soup noodles, with bamboo shoot tips creating an extremely fresh broth that always made her mouth water. Mother loved these soup noodles too and would always eat an extra half bowl. Seeing her good appetite made father happy too. Their family would be harmonious together, and after dinner they would sit in the small courtyard listening to father read and watching the stars until she fell fast asleep.

This year was her first birthday without her parents by her side.

Shen Xiling couldn’t describe what she felt in her heart. At this moment she just kept her head down eating the soup noodles, white misty steam continuously rising from the bowl, obscuring her expression so that Shuipei and the others didn’t notice the loneliness in her eyes at that moment.

Father, mother, your daughter is twelve years old today.

Are you together now?

I… miss you both again.

Usually after dinner, Shen Xiling would go study, but today Teacher Wang had given her three days off, so she didn’t need to go to school tomorrow. This was a rare opportunity to rest. Shen Xiling had been working hard for many days straight and was somewhat tired, so she planned to sleep early tonight.

However, shortly after dinner, Fengshang came into the room saying there was a young servant outside who had come to deliver something to Shen Xiling, saying it was sent by Second Young Master Qi through someone else, and she had already brought it in.

Hearing this, Shen Xiling was both surprised and delighted, never expecting such a thing. But she couldn’t bother unpacking first and eagerly grabbed Fengshang’s hand to ask: “Has the young master returned?”

Several maids seeing her urgent manner all covered their mouths laughing, looking at her teasingly. Fengshang answered with a smile: “No, he said he hasn’t returned to Jiankang yet, just sent someone to deliver something to young miss.”

Shuipei also joined in the teasing, laughing as she asked Fengshang: “Did Second Young Master bring things for others too? For the Prime Minister? For Madam? For the two young masters?”

“No,” Fengshang laughed, “I specifically asked—no one else got anything. This is specially for our young miss.”

The group of young maids laughed together. Zijun also joined in the excitement, looking at the small bundle in Fengshang’s hands and urgently urging: “Quick, quick, quick! Unwrap it and see what Second Young Master sent back?”

Shen Xiling was rather bewildered at first. Hearing that Qi Ying had sent her something and knowing this was a birthday gift, she was naturally extremely happy. But hearing that he hadn’t returned yet, this joy was somewhat diminished.

Compared to the birthday gift, she actually hoped more for him to return soon, hoped more to see him soon.

At this moment, several sisters were urging her to quickly unwrap the bundle to see what the young master had sent, making Shen Xiling inexplicably feel her face grow hot. Clearly this wasn’t anything shameful, but at that moment she just felt inexplicably embarrassed to unwrap it in front of them. So with a red face, she snatched the bundle and quickly rushed into the inner room, causing the several sisters to laugh at her from behind.

Shen Xiling closed the door, and their laughter was shut outside, though she could still hear it faintly. She leaned against the door for a while, feeling her heart pounding in her chest, her hands tightly clutching the small bundle. Only after the laughter outside gradually faded did she light the lamp.

The lamplight was warm and gentle. Shen Xiling placed the small bundle on the desk, sat by the table, and felt somewhat nervous in her heart. She studied it for a long while before unwrapping the bundle, revealing what was inside.

…They were several books.

The pages were yellowed, looking quite old, appearing to be rare editions. There was a volume of the Book of Songs and several other anthologies.

Shen Xiling hadn’t expected Qi Ying to send her books, but thinking about it carefully, she couldn’t think of what else he might send. She found it somewhat amusing and inexplicably laughed, her delicate fingers carefully touching those book pages that looked so fragile. In her heart she thought of the tall bookshelves lining the four walls of the Wangshi study in Fenghe Garden, and imagined Qi Ying sitting behind that particularly wide desk piled with official documents, holding a book scroll and reading. Her heart suddenly filled with a sense of security, and her eyes curved with laughter.

Were these his books? Perhaps not—he wasn’t even in Jiankang, so maybe he had bought them elsewhere. Had he read these books? Had his hands touched these book covers? When he bought these books, did he think of her?

Thinking so carefully about it, Shen Xiling felt her face grow hot again.

She carefully took these volumes out of the package, planning to start reading them in the next few days. But after taking all the books out, she noticed a very small wooden box at the bottom, only the size of her palm.

Seeing this, Shen Xiling was surprised to find there was actually another gift and felt delighted. She quickly placed the volumes carefully aside and picked up the box.

It was a very ordinary wooden box, not heavy at all but quite light. As Shen Xiling opened it, many guesses flashed through her mind. She thought it might contain a box of rouge, or perhaps a comb, or some other small trinket.

But she never could have imagined that when she opened it, what the box contained was… a small woven grass grasshopper.

She was stunned immediately.

A woven grass… small grasshopper.

This was something she had once asked her father for, something he had promised to give her before their family met with great calamity.

Her father had always been handy with crafts. Though born into nobility, he was like a craftsman who enjoyed doing things himself. The small bed she slept in as a child, the little clay figures and shadow puppets she played with—most were made by father’s own hands. He had also given her many woven grass items, such as small grass butterflies, little foxes, and small dogs, each one lifelike.

She had always wanted another small grasshopper, and father had already promised her, but later… he died.

Shen Xiling looked at this small grasshopper now lying in the wooden box in her palm. It was woven very firmly and densely, appearing sturdy, with particularly clear root fibers and a lifelike form. It was extremely well made, showing that the person who made it was very careful and spent considerable effort.

She hadn’t guessed wrong—the maker had indeed spent considerable effort.

To be precise, Qi Ying had spent an entire night weaving it.

The days in Nanling were filled with flashing swords, blood, and violence, but he had actually never forgotten that February twenty-fourth was the little girl’s birthday.

When he left Jiankang, the usually quiet and well-behaved Shen Xiling had boldly skipped even Teacher Wang’s class and hurried out to find him. Only then did he realize how much she depended on him in her heart, and understand the fear and loneliness she felt.

He actually wanted to return quickly to spend this birthday with her. Her parents had died not long ago, so this year would surely be difficult for her. If someone could be by her side to keep her company, it would be somewhat better. However, though he had tried his best, the situation in Nanling remained unstable and he couldn’t get away to return in time.

So he could only send her a birthday gift.

Gift-giving wasn’t unfamiliar to Qi Ying. As someone in official circles, social exchanges were natural and expected—he was already quite experienced. However, he rarely gave things to girls, especially such a young little girl, which inevitably made it somewhat difficult. Moreover, calculating carefully, they had only known each other for about two months, and she was always so silent and reserved with downcast eyes, leaving Qi Ying unsure what she liked, making it even more difficult to choose.

Amid the turmoil of military conflict and pressing official duties, he still hadn’t forgotten about selecting a birthday gift for her. After much consideration, he ultimately decided to send her books. He had heard she was diligent in her studies, so sending her books surely wouldn’t be wrong.

But after the books were wrapped, he felt it wasn’t quite right.

He had always known that Shen Xiling’s temperament was somewhat sensitive. The little girl was too young and her childhood experiences too turbulent, making such sensitivity inevitable. He worried that sending just a few books might seem somewhat rigid. Even if the little girl didn’t say anything, she might think he was being perfunctory in her heart, and if she secretly felt hurt, that would be unfortunate.

Since he had already taken charge of her, he still hoped she could be as happy as possible.

But he truly didn’t know what other things would be good to send. Jewelry and hairpins—she was too young, and it wouldn’t be appropriate for him to give such things. While hesitating, he remembered what Minister Shen had said to him that day in the Court of Judicial Review.

Minister Shen had said he had promised to weave a small grass grasshopper for his little daughter.

Qi Ying didn’t know whether he had already given this grasshopper to Shen Xiling, but he suspected probably not. Shen Xiling had a reserved nature and had never mentioned missing her parents in front of him, but he actually knew the sadness in her heart. For instance, last time when he casually asked who had taught her to cook, the grief that showed in her eyes made him understand everything.

Perhaps he could weave a small grasshopper for her on her father’s behalf, even if just to fulfill one of her wishes.

However, though the renowned Second Young Master Qi of Jiangzuo had a great literary reputation, he wasn’t skilled in handicrafts. He had thought weaving a small toy wouldn’t be difficult, but after several grass stems were wound around and around, no grasshopper emerged—just a string of knots instead. With no choice, he had to find a craftsman skilled in this art to teach him. By the time he learned the technique, most of the night had passed, and he had to make several more before they gradually looked proper.

And at this moment, this small grasshopper that had cost Qi Ying an entire night’s effort lay quietly in Shen Xiling’s palm.

Shen Xiling looked at it, her vision gradually blurring. Her parents’ faces and voices continuously overlapped in her mind. She remembered so many things—such as the repeated “I’m sorry” her parents said to her that she didn’t understand, such as the snow falling on her father’s rain cape the last time she saw him, such as her mother whispering “Wenwen, sleep a little more” in her ear in prison.

These things enveloped her, then all dissipated like phantoms. Only this small grasshopper before her eyes was real, truly lying in her palm.

Grief welled up in Shen Xiling’s heart, but she dared not cry aloud for fear that the sisters separated by only a door would hear and worry along with her. So she pressed her hands tightly over her mouth and sobbed quietly.

Until deep into the night.

That evening she lay in bed, unable to fall asleep for a long time, constantly examining the small grasshopper in her palm.

Looking at it, she would think of her parents one moment and Qi Ying the next, thinking while silently crying. Later she became somewhat dizzy and her body gradually grew cold, making her very uncomfortable.

She didn’t know that she had actually fallen ill.

At that time she was still young and her body weak. After being beaten with the board by Teacher Wang that day and having her wounds improperly treated, she had become sick. But she thought she was only cold from the night wind, so after curling up in bed for half the night unable to bear it, and not wanting to disturb Shuipei and the others by asking them to bring her more blankets, she climbed out of bed and secretly took out Qi Ying’s long fur coat from the chest under the bed to wrap around herself.

That was what he had left for her when she first met him.

Two months had passed, yet Shen Xiling seemed to still smell the sweet pine fragrance on this coat—whether real or just her imagination. When she first smelled this scent, she had only found it crisp and clean, but now it made her feel secure. In her sickness and confusion, smelling this scent made her feel as if Qi Ying had returned, filling her with even greater joy.

The small grasshopper still lay in her palm. She gently touched its root fibers with her finger, finally feeling sleepy. As she was about to fall asleep, she quietly reminded herself that she must get up early tomorrow and hide this coat before Sister Shuipei and Sister Fengshang discovered it…

She didn’t really know why she needed to hide it, but she vaguely felt… it must be hidden…

She fell asleep.

Very deeply.

Author’s Note: It’s a small grasshopper~

Everyone’s ideas are very cute. Some angels guessed things that although not given this time, will be sent in the future (the male lead is a gift-giving maniac, everyone gets a participation prize~ Thanks for commenting and saving face).