What impressed Shen Yijia the most was that Song Jingchen had already figured out how to make all the designs from her blueprints even without her guidance.
So this was what the old saying was about family members being alike.
However, Song Jingchen had mostly carved some ornaments and had almost filled a wooden box.
Song Jingchen didn’t notice Shen Yijia walking behind him.
She stuck her head over his shoulder and followed Song Jingchen’s gaze. “What are you looking at?”
Song Jingchen tilted his head and glanced at Shen Yijia. He said calmly, “It’s nothing. I haven’t seen my mother act like this in a long time. I think this is quite good.”
He still remembered how mischievous he was when he was young. Madam Li would often be angered by him to this extent.
Shen Yijia seemed to understand but did not probe further.
She took two steps back and stood up straight. She took out the pouch and handed it to Song Jingchen. “Here, this is for you.”
Song Jingchen looked down and his lips twitched.
It turned out that she had been hiding in Madam Li’s room for the past few days to prepare this gift. Just as he was about to say something to tease her, he noticed the needle marks on her fingers. He reached out to grab it and stroked it gently. “Does it hurt?”
Shen Yijia felt a numbing sensation on her hand. She curled her fingers awkwardly and said indifferently, “It doesn’t hurt anymore. It just hurt for a while, but it immediately stopped.”
But how many times had she been pricked?
Song Jingchen sighed and pulled Shen Yijia, motioning for her to sit down.
He took out the medicine from the cabinet and applied a thin layer on Shen Yijia’s fingers. Then, she picked up the pouch beside her and said, “I have this one. Don’t do this again.”
Ignoring the abnormal heartbeat again, Shen Yijia nodded obediently. She thought so too.
Seeing Song Jingchen staring at the pouch, Shen Yijia asked proudly, “Can you tell what it’s embroidered?”
Song Jingchen stayed silent. This was a little difficult for him.
Meeting Shen Yijia’s sparkling eyes, Song Jingchen said with difficulty, “Matchsticks.”
At the same time, Shen Yijia said, “It’s bamboo. Don’t you think it looks realistic? There are bamboo joints on it.”
“If you hadn’t mentioned it, I would have thought these were matchsticks. I wanted to praise it for being so lifelike…” he thought.
But Shen Yijia said she embroidered bamboo.
Shen Yijia was shocked. She struggled to repeat her explanation to Madam Li when she picked the design. “This bamboo is still small, so it doesn’t have leaves.”
Song Jingchen was speechless.
He really did not want to discourage Shen Yijia. He looked at the embroidered pattern on the pouch again and nodded seriously. “Now that you mention it, it does look like it.”
“Although you say that, I still feel unhappy.” she thought.
Song Jingchen seemed to have guessed her thoughts. She reached out her hand for the pouch.
However, Song Jingchen had already put the pouch in his pocket.
Shen Yijia thought to herself, “Although he looks disdainful, his reaction is quite honest.”
Feeling embarrassed, Shen Yijia took out the jade hairpin she had bought last time.
She wanted to give it to him but she couldn’t find the right time, and eventually forgot about it.
“This is my present to you. As for the pouch, I was just… teasing you.”
Song Jingchen glanced at her and reached out to take it.
He could tell at a glance that it wasn’t cheap. He remembered that Shen Yijia had bought gifts for everyone after selling the prey that day, but she did not buy anything for herself.
Song Jingchen suddenly felt uncomfortable.
Back then, Shen Yijia followed them because she did not want to return to the Shen family. Now that she could live better alone, why didn’t she leave?
1
“Don’t you think we’re a burden to you?” he thought.