Lihoumen

Chapter 31 Rushing to the Study
After some training in the camp, Shen Han was sweating profusely and suddenly felt much lighter. The haze that had lingered in his heart this morning was also swept away.

When he returned to the mansion, he just entered the second gate and saw the servant Ajiang coming towards him. When he saw Shen Han, Ajiang came up to him and said, "I heard from Brother Wu Ya that the young master went to the camp. I calculated that you should be back by now."

Shen Han asked, "You're looking for me, what's going on?"

A Jiang smiled and said, "It's the cousin from the Lin family who's looking for you."

"Is it Ruoqing?" Shen Han asked as he walked, "Why did she look for me?"

"It was because of your face that her child was able to enter the private school in the Marquis's mansion a while ago. The cousin came to thank you." He continued, "The cousin also specially drew a picture for you. It's so good. Sister Zhufeng just hung it in your study. Everyone gathered around to see it. The cousin is worthy of being the daughter of a Hanlin. Wow, she is really talented and beautiful."

"Is she in my study now?" Shen Han asked, suddenly stopping.

Ajiang replied yes, and Shen Han went straight to the study.

Lin Ruoqing was waiting for Shen Han in the study. Several little girls in the study were looking at the new paintings hung on the wall and chattering with Lin Ruoqing. When they saw Shen Han stepping in, they all shut up.

Lin Ruoqing was wearing a lotus pink skirt today. The fresh color made her face look even more beautiful. She looked as fresh as a young girl in her twenties and did not look like a married woman with children at all.

When she saw Shen Han, she left the little girls behind and slowly walked forward to Shen Han, bowed slightly, and said with a smile: "I heard that my cousin went to the camp?"

Shen Han nodded and said yes. Lin Ruoqing glanced at the sweat stains on his body that had not yet dried and asked with a smile: "My cousin has entered the Privy Council now, why do you still have to go to the camp to train so hard?"

Shen Han took the wet towel handed over by the little girl, wiped the sweat off his face, and replied: "I have been idle in the mansion these days and feel uncomfortable all over, so I went to the camp to stretch my muscles." Then, he half-mockingly said: "I am a warrior, actually, I don't like sitting in the government office."

Lin Ruoqing smiled and replied, "Cousin, you are really modest. It's true that you are a martial artist, but everyone knows that your talent is not inferior to those great scholars in the Hanlin Academy. When my father was alive, he often praised your talent in front of us."

"That's just because my uncle favors me." He changed the subject and asked Lin Ruoqing, "Hao'er, are you used to the private school?"

Lin Ruoqing replied: "Hao'er likes reading very much and adapts quickly. It's only been a few days and he has been praised by the teacher."

Shen Han said: "I was worried that he was too young to endure this hardship, but it seems that I was worrying too much."

"Cousin thinks this way because you love Hao'er too much." Then, Lin Ruoqing looked up at Shen Han and said, "Hao'er is a man with will, just like cousin."

Shen Han did not respond, but turned to look at the new painting on the wall and said, "This orchid painting was painted by my cousin herself." He stared at the painting with his hands behind his back and murmured, "Sometimes I can smell the fragrance of wind and dew, but the deep wormwood is invisible. When it comes to painting orchids, my cousin has captured the essence."

After hearing what Shen Han said, Lin Ruoqing smiled sweetly and said, "Thank you for your praise, cousin. I have nothing to repay you for your kindness. This orchid painting is a thank you gift. It's just a token of my appreciation. I hope you like it."

As the two were talking here, the maid Zhu Feng brought them some fragrant tea and said, "My cousin is indeed a talented woman renowned in the capital. Although I don't know how to paint, seeing your orchid painting is like smelling the fragrance of orchids. I know that you like orchids, so I took the initiative to hang it on the wall. But my cousin didn't allow it, saying that she didn't get your permission and was worried that you would be unhappy."

After listening to Zhu Feng's words, Lin Ruoqing fixed her eyes on the orchid painting on the wall, but she secretly glanced at Shen Han from the corner of her eyes, observing his reaction. Shen Han took the fragrant tea handed to him by Zhu Feng, took a sip, but said nothing more.

Zhu Feng originally thought that her master would praise her, or at least say something like "very good, no problem", but seeing Shen Han like this, the little maid was unsure of her master's mood. She secretly regretted her presumptuous behavior just now, so she simply said nothing more and retreated reluctantly.

Seeing this, Lin Ruoqing smiled and said, "The study is a restricted area. I shouldn't have stepped into it without my cousin's permission. But I don't interact much with my cousin's wife, and I'm worried that going to Lan Yaju rashly will upset her, so I came here to wait for my cousin."

After Shen Han heard her words, he was silent for a while, then he said, "My wife has a very gentle temperament. In fact, she is a very easy person to get along with."

As soon as Shen Han finished speaking, Ajiang came in with a cold face and replied: "Sir, Miss Lingzhi, who is beside the Madam, came over and said that she came to give you something on the Madam's orders."

When Lin Ruoqing heard that Qingqing came to give Shen Han something, the smile on her face gradually faded. She looked up at Shen Han unconsciously, with grievance and unwillingness in her eyes.

Shen Han was somewhat surprised after hearing Ajiang's report. He asked, "What did Madam send me?"

"Young Master, you should look at it yourself." Ajiang said, then turned around and said to the person outside the door: "Miss Lingzhi, the young master happens to be here, please bring someone in."

As they were talking, Lingzhi brought two little girls into the study. They were holding large and small bags of clothes and daily necessities. The youngest girl was even holding a quilt.

Shen Han was surprised when he saw this and said, "Aren't these all my clothes and bedding? Why did you bring them to the study?"

Lingzhi half lowered her head and replied according to Qingqing's instructions: "Madam said that she has been feeling unwell these days, and asked the servants to bring all of Master's clothes here. Madam said that she was worried that Master would be infected with her illness, so she asked Master to stay in the study for a while."

After that, the girls put down their things and were about to leave. Shen Han was confused and it took him a long time to come back to his senses. He stood up and stopped Lingzhi, asking, "Madam said yesterday that she was well again, why is she suddenly not well again today?"

Lingzhi glanced at Shen Han's face and said hesitantly, "That's what Madam ordered. You should ask Madam for the specific situation yourself."

After saying that, Lingzhi fled away with the two little girls.

Seeing this, Zhu Feng, who was guarding outside, ran in and looked at the clothes and supplies piled in the study. He said in surprise, "Oh, aren't these the clothes that the young master asked us to send to Lan Yaju a few days ago? How come they are all moved back? Young master, are you going to live in the study from now on? You are not going back to Lan Yaju?"

Facing the doubts of the servants, Shen Han's face gradually became solemn. After a long while, he coldly ordered Zhu Feng: "Take the things inside."

It was obvious that the people from Lan Yaju had locked out Shen Han.

Lin Ruoqing glanced at Shen Han's sullen face, and with a hint of smirk on her face, she said, "What my cousin said is indeed true. My cousin's wife is indeed a very gentle and easy-going person."

(End of this chapter)