As the hour of Shen drew to a close, the medical clinic shut its doors. Lu Yu, accompanied by Gu Yitong and Wu Shao, returned to the manor.
“Young Master Zisu, why don’t you come with us?” Li Fulang handed one of the children to Wu Shao, then turned to Zisu. “Ah Shao and I are heading in your direction, we can escort you home.”
“This—” Zisu hesitated, his fingers twisting together at his side.
“Let’s go together,” Gu Yi ran to Zisu’s side, linking arms with him, and then waved to Shen Xuan, “Xuan’er, we’re leaving now.”
“Mm.”
Watching them exit the manor gates, Lu Yu gently placed an arm around Shen Xuan’s waist, which had become slightly fuller due to his pregnancy. They returned to their rooms, chatting. Pregnant bodies were always sensitive to heat; after being outside for only a short while, Shen Xuan was already covered in sweat.
Outside the Lu manor, Gu Yitong, with A’Fu and Gu Yi, issued instructions to Wu Shao. “I’ll take Yi’er back to the Zheng manor. Wu Shao, you are responsible for safely escorting Young Master Zisu home.”
With that, Gu Yitong politely nodded to Li Fulang and Zisu before departing.
“Young Master Zisu, Young Master Zisu?” Li Fulang turned around, about to leave, but found Zisu standing still, lost in thought. He gently nudged Zisu’s arm.
“Li Fulang.” Zisu snapped back to attention, his eyes filled with a hint of panic, his clenched fist tightening further.
“It’s alright, let’s go,” Li Fulang smiled at him warmly, a smile that put people at ease.
The summer streets were not as quiet as in winter; they were filled with more life.
The boisterous laughter of children echoed around them, waking Li Xing in Wu Shao’s embrace.
Li Xing, now awake, was clearly not in a good mood. Pouting, she was about to cry. Wu Shao, startled, quickly swayed her in his arms, murmuring, “Don’t cry, don’t cry.”
Children were the most sensitive. Realizing she was in unfamiliar arms, Li Xing squirmed restlessly, whimpering and reaching out to Li Fulang beside her.
“Daddy is holding brother, can auntie hold you for now?” Li Fulang, holding Li Ren securely in his arms, leaned closer to Li Xing and spoke softly.
Li Xing was still young and didn’t understand what Li Fulang was saying. She only knew that Daddy wasn’t holding her, and she gurgled, stretching her arms out for a cuddle.
“This—”
Li Fulang looked troubled. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to comfort her, but Li Ren was sleeping soundly in his arms. If he handed Li Ren to someone else, he would surely wake up, and then he’d have to pacify two children on the street.
Li Fulang was about to try and reason with Li Xing again, but Li Xing couldn’t wait. The corners of her mouth turned down, her eyes reddened, and she opened her mouth to cry.
“How about uncle holding you?”
Zisu, who had been walking on Li Fulang’s other side, moved around them to Wu Shao’s side, gently stroking Li Xing’s back.
Children were also sensitive to sound. Hearing the familiar voice she had just heard, Li Xing stopped crying and turned her head with effort. Her large eyes blinked at Zisu, no longer crying or fussing, just staring at him.
Wu Shao found it curious and looked at Zisu along with the child in her arms. For a moment, four pairs of eyes were fixed on him, especially Wu Shao’s gaze, which was intense and warm, impossible to ignore.
Zisu’s gaze flickered, and he looked away somewhat flustered. His body continued forward with inertia, nearly colliding with a nearby stall. Fortunately, Wu Shao quickly steadied him.
Li Xing, startled by Wu Shao’s free hand, instinctively wrapped her chubby arms around his neck. Seemingly finding it amusing, she giggled.
The ambiguous atmosphere between Wu Shao and Zisu was broken by the child’s laughter. Wu Shao, realizing what had happened, quickly withdrew the hand that had been supporting Zisu’s arm and nervously fiddled with his collar.
Under the hot summer sun, both men and women wore thin clothing. The warmth of the hand on his arm disappeared, and Zisu straightened his body unnaturally, smoothing his hair.
“Young Master Zisu, are you alright?” Li Fulang, sensing the awkwardness between the two, proactively broke the silence.
Zisu shook his head quickly, his voice tight, “I’m fine, thank you, Miss Wu.”
“You—you’re welcome.” Wu Shao swallowed nervously, reaching out to hug Li Xing, changing the subject. “Stop laughing!”
Li Xing in her arms laughed even more heartily, giggling uncontrollably, which only made Wu Shao more embarrassed.
“Let me hold her,” Zisu, amused, reached out to take the child from Wu Shao.
Li Ren stretched out his arms towards him, leaning forward as if eagerly anticipating it.
“You little one!” Wu Shao, amused by Li Xing’s action, playfully patted her bottom.
With Zisu in front of her, Li Xing did not cry this time, eagerly reaching out her arms to Zisu for a cuddle.
Wu Shao handed Li Xing to him. Their hands inevitably made contact, the thin fabric of their clothes and their flushed bodies both contributing to the rising heat.
As Wu Shao withdrew his hand from beneath Li Xing, his fingertips brushed against Zisu’s waist.
Zisu, whose waist had never been touched by a woman, felt a jolt. His ears instantly turned red, from the tips to the lobes, every inch of skin affected.
“I’m sorry!”
Wu Shao was also startled. In his panic, he apologized in a hushed tone, standing awkwardly to the side, the tingling sensation on his fingertips lingering.
“It seems Li Xing really likes Young Master Zisu,” Li Fulang said with a smile, pulling Wu Shao to his other side. “She was already quite fond of you at the Lu manor.”
With Li Fulang beside him, Zisu finally relaxed a little, also smiling and pursing his lips.
It seemed to be true; little Li Xing had been quiet and well-behaved since being in Zisu’s arms.
Near Zisu’s home, Zisu stopped in advance and turned to hand the child in his arms back to Wu Shao. “It gets quite lonely when I’m home alone. If you have time, come and talk to me more often. I feel a real connection with you,” Li Fulang stepped forward, nudging Wu Shao aside, his smile gentle. “Do you have time tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow, I’m afraid not,” Zisu said with a slight apology. “The day after tomorrow is the Lantern Festival. There’s a performance at the theater tomorrow, so I’ll come visit you the day after.”
“Alright, no rush,” Li Fulang smiled gently, patting Zisu’s hand, and then asked, “Young Master Zisu, won’t you be going out to see the Lantern Festival the day after tomorrow?”
Upon hearing this, Zisu smiled softly, “I will indeed go and see. The lantern festival in this town gets more innovative each year. Will you be coming too, Li Fulang?”
“I usually do, but this year it might be a bit difficult, with no one to look after these two children,” Li Fulang’s gaze fell on the children in his arms, his eyes full of affection.