CFSSIR

‧₊˚ 6 ‧₊˚

When Shen Qingli returned and reunited with Shen Qingyao and Lu Zhao, she keenly sensed that something was amiss.

Her little sister's face alternated between red and pale, and Lu Zhao seemed to be smiling with an ambiguous meaning. Shen Qingli squinted her eyes and scrutinized Lu Zhao for a while, wondering if he took advantage of her absence to bully Yaoyao.

Shen Qingyao felt uneasy under her elder sister's scrutinizing gaze, as if she was being caught doing something wrong.

Fortunately, at this moment, Cui Qiao arrived as if descended from the heavens, saying that Mother Shen was looking for her. She seized the opportunity and hastily excused herself, following Cui Qiao, leaving Lu Zhao and Shen Qingli staring at each other.

"What did you do to our Yaoyao? Look at how frightened she is!" Shen Qingli immediately questioned Lu Zhao as soon as Shen Qingyao left.

Lu Zhao wiped away the smile from his face, replacing it with a mocking expression, and calmly said, "You're meddling too much."

This infuriated Shen Qingli even more, and she retorted, "She's my own sister! Shouldn't I care about her?"

Shen Qinglu gritted her teeth, thinking that she wouldn't have let her sister marry him if it weren't for Yaoyao's affection for him.

Lu Zhao smirked and says, "Sure, you can."

"...You're shameless!" Shen Qingli muttered under her breath and turned around to leave.

But unexpectedly, she heard him say from behind, "Xiao Mu is coming back, you know."

Her steps halted for a moment, and Shen Qingli turned back, murmuring a low acknowledgment. If Shen Qingyao were still here, she would surely be astonished : "Xiao Mu! Isn't that the name of the original male lead?"

Lu Zhao brushed non-existent dust off his sleeves, looking up at Shen Qingli. "What are you planning to do?" After all, they were now considered a family, and he didn't mind helping her a bit.

Shen Qingli's facial expressions change constantly. After a long silence, she asserted, "I have my own way." Implicitly, she was saying she didn't need him to worry. Shen Qingli looks resolute, radiating a sense of impending success.

Lu Zhao remains noncommittal, muttering an indifferent "Hmm" before walking away without looking back.

A few days later, the imperial decree from Empress Dowager arrives. Shen Qingli fails to secure the marriage contract and has no choice but to enter the palace according to the decree. Shen Qingyao heard that on the day Shen Qingli goes into the palace, Mother Shen was in tears, but Shen Qingli herself seemed indifferent. Unfortunately, Shen Qingyao didn't witness these events as she fell ill again.

This time it's just a slight cold, but in this era with limited medical technology, it becomes quite serious on her delicate porcelain-like body. Trapped in her room without her Elder Sister's frequent visits, Shen Qingyao can do little beyond sleeping, taking medicine, and feeling bored.

She was lying lethargically on the table, and chatted with the system to relieve boredom.

"Elder Sister has been in the palace for several days! Do you think she will really be married to the Fifth Prince?" Shen Qingyao can't help but worry. There are so many people wanting to marry her Elder Sister, and the male lead is currently not in favor. How can he compete with others?

[What nonsense are you talking about, Host! Who dares to compete with the male lead?] The system has a different perspective. After all, the male lead, Xiao Mu, has a notorious reputation, so it doesn't matter even if he's a prince who's not favored.