Zhuolu - Chapter 6

“Is that your sister?” Lin Xin asked, not quite sure. The Shen family had a large number of people, and there were not a few people who could call Shen Lou eldest brother.

Looking at the child in his arms who stretched his neck and wanted to look out, Shen Lou frowned slightly, “Yes, her name is Yingying.”

Sure enough, it was her! Shen Yingying, who took the small character Qiuting after growing up[1], was born with supernatural power, she could crack stones with one pull of the bow and was the number one archer in Dayong.

Lin Xin scratched his chest, knowing that she was Shen Yingying, his chest began to ache, “Then, I should call her…”

“Stay away from her!” Shen Lou rudely interrupted Lin Xin’s exploration. Seeing his surprised face, he thought he was frightened. He immediately softened his tone, “She has a bad temper, don’t play with her.”

Lin Xin was even more puzzled. Hadn’t this person always treasured this little sister? How could he say derogatory words like “bad temper” in front of someone who had just met her? Could it be that Shen Qiuting so disgusted Shen Lou when she was a child?

Huanxinghai covered a vast area, and the carriage did not stop all the way, but it still took a long time to reach the residence of the prince, Fengjin.

There were water and ferry ports everywhere, and all the residences in Huanxinghai had the letter “Jin” in their name. In the residence of the prince, there were several hundred-year-old maple trees with towering crowns. Now it was the season of falling leaves, and the autumn gardens were full of red maples, dyeing the water on the shore with a crimson color, which looked really beautiful.

Several mortals were cleaning the courtyard, and when they saw the prince come back, they immediately bowed and saluted. Among the immortals in Fengjin, apart from Shen Lou, there were only the guard Huang Ge and the maid Zishu.

After handing Lin Xin to Zishu to take care of, Shen Lou left with Dong Shechuan.

“Where did the prince go?” Lin Xin stood in the courtyard at a loss, staring at Zishu.

“After going out and returning, he naturally has to meet his father first. If it wasn’t for you, the prince would have gone there right away.” Zishu spoke quickly and in a heavy tone, as if she was about to quarrel at any time.

Naturally, Lin Xin was not afraid of such a little girl. He nodded obediently, picked up a broom taller than himself, and followed those mortals to sweep the leaves.

“Hey…” Zishu couldn’t stop it, she hesitated for a moment, released the hand she habitually put on her waist, and bent down, “Your name is A Xin, right? My name is Zishu, later…”

“Well,” Lin Xinxin bent his head and smiled, “Can I call you Sister Zishu?” He was born beautiful, and because he slept well on the carriage, he looked like a radish that was full of water.

“When, of course, in the future… this elder sister will take care of you,” she swallowed the words meant to teach him a lesson, then Zishu took Lin Xin’s little hand, threw the broom aside, and her tone softened, “You are an attendant, not a servant, so I don’t need you to do the chores in the yard!”

As she spoke, she began to rummage through the cabinets to find clothes for Lin Xin.

“Then what do I do?” Lin Xin pulled at his clothes and his eyes darkened. The clothes that came out was a brocade robe and jade belt, which were obviously from Shen Lou’s childhood. This maid actually dressed him directly in the clothes of the prince. He didn’t know if the Shen family’s rules were very loose, or there was another meaning.

He took off his filial attire and put on the brocade robe. The poor boy immediately turned into a noble son. Zishu looked at the little guy who came out from behind the screen and was very satisfied.

After finishing everything, Zishu took him to eat. After a day’s drive, it was already sunset, Huang Ge followed the prince to show his face in front of the master, and only Zishu and Lin Xin were left in Fengjin to eat.

“…The prince is cold-hearted, don’t bother him if you have nothing to do,” Zishu took two bites of the meal and told him the rules of the Huanxinghai, “One thing you need to remember, when the prince sleeps with a candle lit, you are not allowed to sleep overnight, and if you enter the inner room at night, you must not extinguish the candle.”

“Why?” Lin Xin asked suspiciously, he had also slept with Shen Lou in his previous life, but he didn’t know that he had a quirk of sleeping with candles lit. “Is he afraid of the dark?”

“Shh, don’t talk nonsense,” Zishu picked up a piece of spareribs and stuffed it into his mouth, “Don’t ask nonsense if you shouldn’t ask.”

So he’s really afraid of the dark! Lin Xin took a bite of the ribs in disbelief.

Shen Lou didn’t know that his image was being slandered by a well-meaning maid, and he entered the hall to greet his father, only to see Shen Qirui chatting happily with a monk in white.

He wore plain clothes with arrow sleeves and a white tiger fur around the neckline, he seemed to be a member of the Zhong family in the Western Regions.

“I have seen the prince!” When the cultivator saw Shen Lou coming in, he immediately got up and saluted.

Shen Lou raised his hand to return the salute. This person was born with a distinctive face, but amid the two generations, he had no impression of this face. Thinking that it was not an important person, he turned his head to look at his father.

“This is the messenger of the Zhong family. Your Uncle Zhong Shi asked me to go for a drink.” Shen Qirui said with a smile. He and Zhong Changye have been friends since childhood. When he mentioned Duke Su of the Western Regions in front of Shen Lou, he was always called “Your Uncle Zhong Shi”.

“Mo Guishan’s century-old wine is about to be opened, and the grandfather of the country is specially invited to come and taste it.” The messenger explained it again.

When a friend invited him to drink, Shen Qirui readily agreed. However, Shen Lou heard something unusual. He clearly remembered that Mo Guishan’s century-old wine was only opened in the year of Ying Ying Ji.

“Father, this son also wants to go,” Shen Lou interjected. “This son has not seen Yuyu and Wumo for a long time.”

Zhong Youyu and Zhong Wumo, the twin sons of the owner Zhong Changye, came over almost every year to play by the sea.

“Okay, let’s go together if you want.” Shen Qirui readily agreed.

After having dinner with his father in Qiongjin, Shen Lou returned to Fengjin with heavy steps, walked to the end of the corridor, and stopped abruptly.

“Prince?” Huang Ge, who was following behind, asked aloud.

“Go check, who is that Zhong family messenger?” Shen Lou stood in the dim light, his eyes darkening.

“Yes.” Huang Ge understood and bowed away.

Lin Xin had dinner and rejected Zishu’s proposal to show him around. He sat down on the carpet in the inner room and looked out the door, like a milk dog waiting for his master to come back.

Zishu shook her head helplessly, told him not to disturb the things in the room, and walked away. As soon as the person left, Lin Xin turned his head like a monkey and ran into the inner room to look around.

This was the place where Shen Lou grew up since he was a child, and it was a rare thing for him to enter here. It was cold in the north, and the earth dragon[2] was burning in the house, so you could even walk barefoot. There was a cold fragrance on the short table, it seemed quiet and far away, with a bit of sweetness of grass and trees. Books were neatly placed on the shelves, and there were long swords hanging on the wall. He searched every corner, but he couldn’t find the marbles or nine-chain rings that all children should have.

“Was this person so boring when he was a child?” Lin Xin curled his lips, jumped on the big bed full of grass and trees and rolled, “Hey, Shen Qingque, I have slept in your bed!”

He heard footsteps outside. Lin Xin got up in a rush, jumped out of bed, and rolled back to the ground.

When Shen Lou stepped into the house, he saw the little child sitting in the center of the carpet with his hands folded over his knees, looking over with his black eyes.

Lin Xin’s eyes were actually dark blue, which was usually invisible. Only when one was very close could they distinguish the midnight blue. But Shen Lou had seen it up close and could tell at a glance.

When he met these eyes, his heavy mood instantly vanished. Shen Lou walked over and pulled up the guy on the ground, “Why are you sitting on the ground?”

“Waiting for you,” Lin Xin lowered his head, his toes without socks on, gently sliding on the carpet, “I don’t know what to do. Sister Zishu said you will tell me.”

Shen Lou took a deep breath, “Do you know what the attendant does?”

Lin Xin shook his head blankly.

After being silent for a long time, he seemed to have thought about it seriously. Shen Lou put his hands behind his back and stood as naively as Lin Xin. Then he raised his chin slightly, “The weather is cold, please warm the bed for me.”

After saying that, he turned around and went to take a bath. After taking two steps, he couldn’t help but add, “This is the duty of the attendant.”

Bah! Lin Xin spat in his heart, he was afraid of the dark, he was just talking nonsense, bullying him for not seeing the world! There was a blank expression on his face, “Then, has Sister Zishu ever warmed the bed?”

“No, she’s a girl.” Shen Lou coughed lightly and walked into the bathroom.

Hearing this, Lin Xin was satisfied, he took off his robe in two or three moves, washed his hands and feet in the sink, and obediently got into the bed.

When Shen Lou came out of the shower, he saw that the quilt was bulging into a small ball, and a pair of white and tender hands were pulling the quilt’s horns, only two bright eyes were exposed from under the quilt, as the person said in a muffled voice, “Sir, it’s already very hot, come in.”

Shen Shizi, who was barefoot, stumbled as he stepped on his right foot with his left foot. Suddenly, the absurd nights of the previous life appeared in front of him. Lin Xin, who was in his twenties, looked at him with a smile and saying, “It’s very hot inside, don’t you want to come in?”

He went to bed, got under the covers, and went to put out the candle with a flick of a finger.

“Huh? Sister Zishu said that the candle can’t be put out.” Lin Xin pretended to be shocked and rubbed against Shen Lou’s pillow.

“It’s alright, with you here, I don’t have to leave the candle lit.” Shen Lou tucked the quilt for him, without any intention of reminding the little attendant that he was crossing the boundary.

Well, as expected, he was afraid of the dark, but he didn’t need to be afraid with someone sleeping with him. Lin Xin smugly shook his feet under the quilt, finding Shen Qingque’s weakness always made him happy. Taking advantage of the moonlight, he stared at Shen Lou with a fatherly gaze, and without a word tried to convey, don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid, your brother loves you.

The author has something to say:

Small Theater:

Xinxin: Shen Xiaolou’s new weakness unlocked

Loulou: Sharing the same bed achieved

Xinxin & Loulou: He is so weak, I have to protect him!

T/N: SL just remember that our MC is still underage….

[1] People in ancient China used to have two names: one given by their parents and the other chosen by them after growing up which they usually used in their interactions with outsiders.

[2] Floor heating system used in ancient China.