Shen Mu Qing listened, seemingly like a big child who had forgotten, and immediately threw the matter to the back of his mind. He picked up the silver toothpick and started eating watermelon: "Madam, Mr. Min said that this melon is grown in the north, but now it's also available in Kyoto? I haven't seen it before in previous years."

  "It's being sold somewhere. It was awarded by the palace." Li said with a smile, "It's said that there was a big victory in the west. The King of Zhenan had someone bring it back. The Empress Dowager rewarded several close officials around her."

  Shen Mu Qing secretly sighed in her heart.

  Yuan's family is in a precarious situation, like a flower in boiling oil. Even if Father's favor and affection remain unchanged, this matter... may have to be endured...

  The thought only flashed through her mind, and Shen Muqing continued to shift Li's thoughts, saying: "Reward a few? Such precious things, everyone should try them. Da She's place, the eldest sister's place, and Chen Niangniang, I don't know if there's enough to share."

  "Although you are the only one at home, you never eat alone." Li heard her daughter say this and felt a deep sense of emotion. She smiled and said, "I've already sent someone to deliver it to Yuexuan. I also gave her the two jade orchids that were awarded by the palace... those were tributes from the imperial workshop."

  "Last time I saw her, Huang's mother said that my elder sister was copying the 'Tripitaka' for the mistress! Does the mistress know about this?"

  "How could I not know?" said Li, "You even promised to embroider a Guanyin picture for me! I thought this child was well-behaved, and just now I had Jie Hong fetch two pieces of red silk with golden patterns from the warehouse to give to her, to make a jacket for her to wear."

  "Is it that calico python with a persimmon pattern that was in the palace last year?"

  "Hmm!" Li replied, smiling and gazing at Shen Muqing, saying with a teasing tone, "Don't worry, I've left two for you too, just right for making a quilted jacket."

  The two of them chatted and laughed for a few sentences, watching as the sky darkened outside. Chen's wife came in to serve dinner. After finishing their meal, Shen Muqing accompanied Li back to her room, chatting idly with her for a few more sentences before returning to his own quarters.

  Everything is just like it used to be.

  But Shen Mu Qing had just entered the door of the inverted seat, and saw Shen Xiang standing in her courtyard with her head raised in expectation. Seeing her return, she ran over in a flash.

  "Is Master back?"

  Chen Xiang nodded repeatedly: "Master is waiting for you in the Jiuxi study!"

  Shen Mu Qing didn't even hit one, turned around and went straight to Jiu Si Zhai.

  Unlike last time, this time Jiuxi Inn was brightly lit, and Wang the manager stood under the eaves with his hands hanging down, not a single servant boy inside.

  Shen Zhen wore a large red silk crane-embroidered robe, lying on the drunkard's chair in the warm pavilion, with his right arm resting on his forehead, covering the upper half of his face, making it impossible to discern his expression.

  When Shen Mu Qing walked in, he saw his black hat being tossed far away to the middle of the room, spinning around.

  Hearing the noise, Shen Zhen didn't move, only asking in a low voice: "Is it Mu Qing?"

  Shen Mu Qing gazed at the ivory official plaque swaying back and forth on his waist, softly murmured "Hmm", picked up the black hat, and stood still beside the sedan chair.

  Some things, should they be said or left unsaid?

  She hesitated as never before.

  Her past experiences told her that the best way to get along with people was to maintain a distance that was neither too close nor too far. But she wasn't really an inexperienced child - she had managed to stand out from so many competitors and enter that world top 500 company largely thanks to her innate talent for subtle interpersonal relationships.

  At this moment, Shen Muqing's expression was dazed and his heart was uneasy.

  A voice deep down inside her told her: you'd better not get involved. Treating your current parents the same way as you used to treat your former boss, not only can make both sides happy, but also can gain the greatest benefits for yourself.

  But another voice told her: They don't know that the soul in this body is someone else, and they've always treated you like their own daughter with great affection. Like all parents in the world, they built a cozy nest for you that was safe from wind and rain. At this moment when the Shen family is facing internal and external troubles, how can you be so selfish, only thinking about your own feelings and calculating your own interests...

  Two voices intertwined in her ears, making it impossible for her to remain calm and composed as usual, her restless and disordered emotions slowly seeping into the surrounding air.

  Shen Zhen, who also had high emotional intelligence, soon sensed his daughter's unease.

  He let out a soft sigh and sat up.

  Under the bright lamp light, Shen Zhen's temples were white as frost, and his face was wrinkled like a ravine.

  In the flash of insight, Shen Muqing suddenly realized: this father, just like her father in her previous life, had also grown old! Both were slowly exiting the stage of history with the passage of time, making way for younger people...

  This thought was like a big hammer, and Shen Muqing's hesitation was crushed in an instant.

  She felt a sourness in her heart and gently squatted down beside the drunken old man's chair, burying her face in Shen Zhen's knees.

  "Old master, on that day you and Mr. Min were talking in this Jiuxi Zhai, I was sitting on this Drunken Old Man's Chair."

  As soon as the words fell, Shen Muqing clearly felt Shen Zhen's body stiffen.

  If she were smart, she wouldn't have used that sentence as an opening line. But Shen Muqing was already tired. Tired of wearing a fake mask to cover up her past, being careful and cautious every step of the way, living in solitude and isolation in this world... She wanted to be Shen Zhen's daughter, a real daughter - without hiding herself, crying when she wanted to cry, laughing when she wanted to laugh, making this place her spiritual haven, her home!

  "I know, sir, that you are a man of great importance." She didn't hesitate for a moment, her voice low and serious, "Now the most important thing is madam's health, everything else can be discussed later."

  "Mu Qing......" Shen Zhen's eyes widened in shock, his face filled with incredulity.

  Shen Mu's clear eyes gazed at him: "I went to the Medicine King Temple, just to find out what kind of illness Madam has...Madam, is it that there aren't many days left?"

  Shen Zhen gazed at his daughter in front of him, who was sincere and calm, feeling extremely strange.

  It was as if it were yesterday, no, just a moment ago, she was still being spoiled on her own lap, but in the blink of an eye, she was discussing her mother's illness with him like an adult... Was he not understanding his daughter or had his daughter suddenly grown up? He didn't know and felt confused. But this confusion only made him lose control for a moment, soon he calmed down: "Who told you such nonsense... Your mother is just physically unwell, she'll be fine with some rest."

  "We sometimes tell white lies with good intentions. But sometimes, it's precisely these well-intentioned lies that make things irretrievable." Shen Muqing's soft voice was as fleeting as the night, "I'm already twelve years old now, and I've read many books with Mr. Min, and seen many things by my mother's side... even a tiger cub needs to be released into the forest to hone its skills, let alone a human being." As she spoke, her eyes sparkled with tears, "You're also past the age of knowing your fate..."

  "Mu Qing......" Shen Zhen's voice was heavy and stagnant, filled with the pain of a trapped beast. "You, you... don't think nonsense... Madam will be fine... won't have anything happen to her... she knows you're sensible, nothing will happen to her..."

  Shen Zhen didn't want her to know about Li Shi's illness, or was he deceiving himself...

  Mrs. Shen sighed helplessly and said her own opinion: "The lady is in the inner courtyard, as long as we keep our mouths shut tightly, she will never know what happened."

  She heard her own voice gradually becoming calm, composed and confident, just like returning to many years ago, standing on the top floor of that skyscraper facing the company's directors stating her views... As if traversing time and space, connecting the future and present together. "As for the matter of the Town An Wang Fu... now everyone in Kyoto is probably discussing this, even if we want to retreat, some formality still needs to be followed. At least, debts need to be repaid, lives need to be compensated, someone needs to take responsibility for this. Otherwise, wouldn't our Shen family become a laughing stock? In the future, whoever wants to bully us can come and bully us."

  Shen Zhen slowly let go of Shen Muqing and stared at her in shock.

  "What is true reality doesn't matter; what matters is the reality in other people's eyes."

  Shen Zhen's face was complex, with a mixture of anger and joy, surprise and shock, as he sighed: "You, you've grown up."

  Shen Mu smiled slightly and quietly.

  Under Shen Zhen and Li's wings for seven years, it was also her time to stand out. Although she couldn't help with anything, she wouldn't be a burden to them either.

  Shen Zhen sighed: "Bie Shan, you're right. Mu Qing is more sensible than we thought..."

  Shen Mu Qing was startled and turned his head to see Mr. Min wearing a stone-blue robe, standing quietly in the middle of the hall.

  When did he come? How could I not hear a single sound!

  Mr. Min walked over with a smile at the corner of his mouth: "Indeed, a tiger father has no inferior daughter."

  Shen Mu Qing hurriedly smiled and stepped forward, kneeling down to pay his respects to Mr. Min.

  Shen Zhen invited Mr. Min to sit down beside him at his desk.

  At this time, Mr. Min came, although it was not necessarily related to the Medicine King Temple, but he must have had important business to discuss.

  Shen Muqing was about to take his leave.

  Shen Zhen said: "You sit down too. Later, I'll tell Mr. Min about the Medicine King Temple."

  Shen Mu responded with a quiet "yes" and called for Xun Xiang to serve tea, then stood behind Shen Zhen with his hands clasped together in respect.

  The tea was soon brought in, and when Shen Muqing personally served tea to Shen Zhen and Mr. Min, Shen Zhen ordered Chen Xiang to go and bring in Director Wang. When the tea was ready, Director Wang also walked in with great respect.

  He made a bow to both Shen Zhen and Mr. Min, and then Shen Zhen directly asked about the Medicine King Temple.

  Wang Zongguan told everything that happened at Yao Wang Temple and Ye Su's family reporting the news.

  Shen Zhen and Mr. Min's eyes fell on Shen Muqing.

  "How did you tell your wife?"

  Shen Zhen's face was very heavy, looking at Shen Muqing's heart beating straight, somewhat uneasy to recount the words said in front of Li Shi to Shen Zhen.

  "Listen, Shen Zhen thought for a moment and said solemnly: "Manager Wang, this matter will be handled according to Miss's intention. We'll downplay it and keep it from Madam. You go back and forth to the Weiyuan Escort Agency a few more times. For the funeral rites of Chang and Sun, each family will send 200 taels of silver. Part of the cost of medicine will be reimbursed by Madam's side, and I'll make up for the rest privately. When speaking with Old Wang, the escort master, be tactful and let him feel at ease; our Shen family will give him an explanation. Send a generous gift to Ye Su. As for the matter with the Yuan family, don't get involved."

  Wang's busy body nodded in response "yes".

  "It's getting late, you should also take a rest!" Shen Zhen said, "Just focus on comforting your wife."

  Shen Muqing suddenly thought of his promise to Pang Debao and said, "Master, there's something else I need to report to Ye Su."

  Shen Zhen and Mr. Min are both in a daze.

  "I didn't say anything because I was afraid it would get out of hand and involve others," Shen Muqing said. "That day, I ran out of the temple and happened to meet a young man. He saw that I looked troubled and asked me what had happened. I saw that his servant was speaking in a Shanxi accent, so I didn't think he was a local and wasn't planning on telling him anything. But he said he was a relative of some Lord Ye and could help me out. I didn't know which Lord Ye he was talking about, but since he seemed enthusiastic, I asked him to deliver a message to Lord Ye for me. It turned out that he was a relative of Ye Su, the Minister of Revenue." In ancient times, people believed in doing good deeds without expecting anything in return. If Shen Zhen found out about Peng Debao's behavior, it would be best if he didn't take it out on him. Shen Muqing tried his best to spin the story so that Xiao Sa wouldn't leave a bad impression on Shen Zhen. "From what I gathered from the servant's tone, the young man was studying at the Imperial Academy. He helped me out of kindness and sent me off with courtesy, but it would be embarrassing for him if people found out. So I thought, Master, why not ask for his name and write a letter to the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy to help him out in his studies? That would be better than anything else!"

  (Sisters, and pink tickets too......)