Chapter 35: Ambiguity

After dinner, Tang Tian was busy wrapping up her tasks. She wasn’t very hungry, perhaps because she had eaten too many cherries earlier in the afternoon.

As she unconsciously lifted her gaze, she caught Shen Yanli’s eyes from across the room, where he seemed to have been watching her for a while.

His words, “I want to try,” echoed in her ears, causing her to quickly lower her gaze. His expression… was still as ambiguous as it had been yesterday.

She felt the heat of his gaze, which seemed to scorch every inch of her skin.

Feeling nervous under his scrutiny, she quickly finished her tasks and left the dining room.

Liu Xiaozhi stood behind Shen Yanli, feeling a rare sense of satisfaction as she watched Tang Tian exit the dining room.

After all, Tang Tian had been so flustered yesterday; it must have been something Shen Yanli said that rattled her. Otherwise, why would she be avoiding him now?

Tang Tian’s mind was in disarray as she walked through the corridor, where Fu Xi was already waiting for her. He blocked her path.

With his hands in his pockets, his tall figure loomed in front of her, and his handsome features seemed to carry a hint of discomfort.

“I didn’t mean to do that during dinner,” Fu Xi said.

Tang Tian was still in a state of confusion, and his sudden interruption left her momentarily stunned.

He must be referring to the time when she had been busy attending to the gentlemen’s needs, right?

She replied, “Mr. Fu, there’s no need to feel guilty. This is my job; I should do it.”

Fu Xi gradually smiled, leaning closer to her and observing the surprise in her wide-open eyes.

He lowered his voice, laced with charm, “Why are your ears and cheeks so red?”

Tang Tian’s face flushed bright pink, and she quickly stepped back to avoid his closeness.

“It’s… it’s nothing.”

Having said that, she swiftly maneuvered around him and left.

Fu Xi understood she hadn’t eaten dinner yet and decided not to pursue her further.

It was not Fu Xi who left her feeling flustered, but Shen Yanli. The way he looked at her… it felt like more than just a test.

Perhaps she was overthinking it. Tang Tian resolved to keep her distance from Shen Yanli moving forward.

After finishing her dinner, she prepared to head back to her room to rest. Just as she was about to do so, a tall figure approached, dispelling her drowsiness.

Tang Tian halted her steps, continuing toward her room. As they brushed past each other, she couldn’t pretend not to see him.

She stiffly greeted, “Mr. Shen.”

Shen Yanli stopped. “Bring me a cup of warm milk to my room tomorrow morning.”

Tang Tian considered saying she would inform Liu Xiaozhi, but she realized Shen Yanli would likely insist on having her deliver it personally. The thought made her swallow her words.

She was uncertain whether Shen Yanli was testing her or if there was another reason for his request. For now, all she could do was avoid him as much as possible.

“Alright, Mr. Shen.”

As Tang Tian turned to head back to her room, Shen Yanli grasped her left wrist. His hand was not as warm as Fu Xi’s; instead, it felt cool and smooth like jade.

Her heart trembled slightly, and she quickly attempted to pull her wrist away. Why was he holding her like this?

Shen Yanli didn’t loosen his grip, instead lowering his gaze to scrutinize her for a long moment. He spoke in a steady tone, “I wasn’t joking yesterday.”

Tang Tian, taken aback, stammered, forgetting to struggle against him. “I… didn’t mean to… joke about anything?”

Before Shen Yanli could respond, a voice interrupted them.

“Yanli, what’s going on?”

Wen Shaohan approached from the end of the corridor, his gaze falling on Shen Yanli’s hand gripping Tang Tian’s wrist.

Shen Yanli cast a glance at Wen Shaohan before releasing Tang Tian’s wrist. The sensation from holding her lingered, making him want to keep playing with her hand.

“Goodbye, Mr. Wen,” Tang Tian greeted as she quickly averted her gaze from Shen Yanli and hurried back to her room.

Shen Yanli tightened his grip on the wrist he had just released, suppressing the wave of tingling sensations that had spread through him.

Wen Shaohan seemed oblivious to Shen Yanli’s lingering interest in Tang Tian. He asked, “What did she do to upset you?”

Shen Yanli lowered his eyelids, hiding the emotions that were apparent in his eyes, and casually replied, “Nothing.”

Seeing that Shen Yanli was unwilling to elaborate, Wen Shaohan chose not to press further.

He informed Shen Yanli, “I’ve composed a piece. I’m going upstairs to play it.”

With that, Wen Shaohan and Shen Yanli headed upstairs.

Meanwhile, as Tang Tian returned to her room, she glanced at her slightly reddened wrist where Shen Yanli had gripped her.

Did this mean that his words yesterday were not just a joke?

The disbelief in her eyes was palpable. What did Shen Yanli truly mean? She couldn’t believe he could have feelings for her.

Previously, she had hardly interacted with Shen Yanli, aside from the times when he was drunk and required assistance from Sister Wu and the others to get to his room. At that time, she had only cared for him briefly before he had promptly sent her away.

The rest of their encounters had been limited to light exchanges, and the only significant physical contact had occurred in the sunroom when he had brushed aside her hair that the wind had tousled, his hand pressing against her heart.

Suddenly, a thought struck her. Could it be that Shen Yanli’s sudden interest in her stemmed from the moment in the sunroom when his hand had inadvertently pressed against his chest? Was he now feeling responsible for her?

Although this seemed far-fetched, it at least made some sense. The notion of him liking her or being attracted to her was even more implausible.

As night deepened, Tang Tian took a bath and collapsed onto her bed, exhausted, knowing it would be another night filled with dreams.

The next morning, fine snow began to fall again from the sky. On the fifth floor, Shen Yanli’s door was knocked on.

“Come in.”

The door wasn’t locked, and a figure stepped lightly into the room.

Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, snowflakes danced in the air. Shen Yanli, dressed in a black silk robe, was seated on the sofa, flipping through a book.

Liu Xiaozhi’s heart filled with delight at the sight, and she set a cup of warm milk on the coffee table.

“Mr. Shen, here’s the warm milk you requested.”

Shen Yanli didn’t look up. “Just leave it.”

After a moment, Liu Xiaozhi stood there, hesitating, until Shen Yanli finally lifted his gaze from his book.

“Is there something else?”

Liu Xiaozhi adopted a somewhat reluctant yet necessary demeanor.

“Mr. Shen, if you have any requests in the future, just let me know. Tang Tian… isn’t very willing to relay messages to me.”

Liu Xiaozhi aimed to provoke Shen Yanli’s ire toward Tang Tian, even if only in his heart.

Shen Yanli closed the book, his tone calm. “Have her come up.”

Liu Xiaozhi saw that her goal had been achieved and quickly replied, “I’ll go call her.”

Before long, Tang Tian arrived, her palms sweaty with nervousness. As she entered the room, Liu Xiaozhi brushed past her, her expression gleeful.

At that moment, Tang Tian’s heart was a whirlwind. She stood in the middle of the living room, facing Shen Yanli on the sofa, and the next moment, the door clicked shut behind her.