At that time, Shen Miao was already married to Fu Xiuyi. When she heard the news, she rushed back to the mansion and saw Shen Qiuâs swollen corpse.
Even though she was not close to Shen Qiu, they were after all siblings. She was sad and in pain because of this and fell seriously ill, but Fu Xiuyi didnât give Shen Xin time to grieve and ask him to go to war at that time.
That cold winter sun, the wet corpse outside the pond, and Shen Qiuâs pale and deformed face made Shen Miao unable to breathe.
Shen Miao covered her chest, panting heavily.
âSister!â Shen Qiu was shocked. He helped her up and shouted, âGo and call the doctor! Quick! My sister is not feeling well!â
A hand grabbed Shen Qiuâs arm. He turned around and saw Shen Miao standing up with his hand in hers. She said to the person behind her, âNo need, Iâm just a little giddy.â
âYou are not fully recovered yet. Itâs better to get a doctor to take a look at you.â Shen Qiu shook his head and said with concern.
âIâm fine.â Shen Miao said to Jingzhe, who was hesitating, âYou guys can leave.â
Her tone was firm and calm, making Shen Qiu stunned for a moment.
âSister, whatâs wrong?â Shen Qiu asked. As soon as he spoke, he was a little annoyed with himself for being too harsh. He usually faced rough men in the army and forgot to be gentle to little girls. Therefore, he softened his voice and said, âWhen I came back yesterday and saw you trapped in the fire, I was shocked. Sister, why were you in the ancestral hall? Were you locked up?â
Shen Miao shook her head and smiled at him. âI havenât seen you for a year, Brother. How are you?â
Hearing that, Shen Qiu scratched his head and said with a smile, âIâm alright. Iâve made a few small contributions. When His Majesty rewards me, Iâll let you choose what you like.â Then, he seemed to have thought of something and said happily, âBy the way, Father hunted a rare wolf and skinned it to make a cloak. Iâll get a servant to bring it to you later. That cloak is invulnerable to swords and spears, and itâs impervious to fire and water. If you had that cloak, you wouldnât have been burned yesterdayâ¦â
Before he could finish his sentence, Shen Qiu froze. Shen Miao stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him, resting her head on his chest.
Even though they were siblings, they were not children after all. For a moment, Shen Qiu was a little embarrassed, but he was also a little happy. It had been a long time since Shen Miao was so close to him, so he was a little flattered. He was happy, but then his heart sank. Shen Miao suddenly became so close to him probably because she had suffered greatly.
He asked anxiously, âSister, did someone bully you? If someone did, just tell me. Iâll beat them to deathâ¦â
She slowly let go and looked up to meet Shen Qiuâs concerned gaze.
âSisterâ¦â Shen Qiu was also stunned. The girl in front of him had bright eyes. When she faced him, her gaze was no longer impatient and agitated like before, but pensive. That feeling was a little unfamiliar to him. He carefully sized up the girl in front of him. After a year of not seeing her, Shen Miao had lost a lot of weight. Her originally slightly round face actually revealed a chiseled chin, making her look much more delicate. Her facial features were becoming more and more clear. At some point, there was no trace of her naivety. When she looked at him, there was a faint relief and a loneliness that one found strange.