He unknowingly be in Qingzhou Province for two years.

After her seventh birthday in her family's own yard, Xie Zhen received gifts from her parents, a pink lute necklace and a jubilant silver hat. There was also a gift from the Old Master of Duke Dingguo's Mansion that came from the capital. It was a piece of turquoise with 18 pieces of fruit. The price was extraordinary and had the effect of dispelling evil and eliminating disasters.

Of all the children in the Duke Dingguo's Mansion, the old master loved Xie Zhen the most. He had been talking about her for the past two years, and he was always asking her when she would be going back.

However, Xie Zhen was still too young to leave her parents, and probably she wouldn't be able to go back in the short term.

Since she couldn't go back to the capital, she sat down on her desk and began to write letters to the old man. Xie Liqing patted her head in gratification. "If you have any words you won't write, you can ask father."

"I can write. Don't look down on me, daddy."

She wrote down more than half of the pages in a grand manner, not allowing anyone to look at it. She sealed it with a piece of flame paint and handed it to Xie Liqing, asking him to help her send it to the capital.

After Xie Liqing went out to deal with it, he heard some news along the way.

Li Xiqing's sister came back from her mother's home and brought back a seven or eight year old daughter. It was said that this grandaunt had married a merchant three years ago, who had been flooded by the sea and had yet to return. The merchant's mother insisted that she had killed her son, that she had beaten him and cursed him, and that she was not well enough to live in her mother's house, and that now she could not bear it any longer and came to her brother's house.

This was not something rare, as the neighbors nearby already knew what they should know.

When Xie Liqing told the matter to the Master Leng, they tidied up the needlework in the basket. "Then take some time to take a look."

Xie Liqing also had the same thought. After all, they were neighbors, so they should often move around. Ever since the last incident between the two families, the Li family had become more cautious. This was especially so for the Li family. Normally, they would rarely see each other even when they went out of their homes.

At dinner, Xie Liqing talked about it at dinner.

"I want to go, I want to go!"

She and Li Yu hadn't seen each other for several months, so it wasn't a big deal if they were to stay in someone else's house. However, their two families were separated by a wall, so it was rather bizarre.

Xie Liqing asked the other two children, "What about you two?"

Not even lifting her head, Xie Zhen continued to eat, "Siser is going, I'm going as well."

Xie Rong didn't have any objections. Of course, he would follow his sister to protect her.

Thus, this matter was decided. Tomorrow morning, they would be guests at the Li family's residence. Xie Liqing had someone hand over the invitation card first, in case the time came out too abruptly.

There was a light snowfall at night, and when I woke up in the morning I stopped. There was a thin layer of snow on the ground, which melted when the morning sun shone.

It was colder than yesterday, and Madam Leng, fearing that the three children would be frozen, made them each wear an extra dress. Xie Zhen put on her beige foxfur cloak, combed her head, and stood in the sun, white as snow, almost melting with the snow in the yard.

She was laughing like a little sun, and she led Xie Xian around in the front, turning her head from time to time to urge her father and mother to hurry up.

With the two families so close to each other, she didn't feel like they were moving slowly.

When they arrived at the Li family's residence, Li Yiqing and the Madam Song were already waiting for them in the main hall. In addition, there was also a woman dressed in green satin, whose appearance was somewhat similar to Li Xiqing. She should be her younger sister, Madam Li.

Madame Li had been humiliated by her mother-in-law for many years, and her manner was somewhat restrained. When she saw Madam Leng and Xie Liqing, she gave a deep bow. "Greetings to the Prefect and Madam."

Madam Leng nodded at her, neither cold nor warm.

This caused Madam Li to feel even more terrified. She even thought she didn't like her and felt even more awkward standing to the side. Only Madam Song knew of her temperament. She pulled her towards herself warmly and greeted her with a smile. "Yu'er is not feeling well. I stayed at home with the old master to take care of him. I didn't have the time to visit you, so I let you guys come first."

Madam Leng smiled. "Everyone is the same. How's Yu'er? Is the last injury completely healed?"

Speaking of this, Madam Song had a lingering fear. With wet eyes, they said, "It's great now."

"That's good..."

Leng wanted to say something, but Xie Zhen stuck her head out from behind her and asked curiously, "Aunt Song, where is brother Xiao Yu? Where is he?"

As soon as she entered the house, Xie Zhen looked around, but she couldn't find Li Yu. Now, she couldn't bear it any longer, so she blinked her big, watery eyes and asked.

Every time Madam Song saw the Xie family's children, she would love them dearly. She carry Xie Zhen out from behind Leng's back and stroke her flower bud. "Did the little lamb miss Yu'er?"

"Yeah, yeah."

In the blink of an eye, the little girl grew quite a bit taller. Her face was even more beautiful than last year. Her lips and teeth were white, and she was quite pretty. It was like the flower bud of a plum blossom in the garden. That delicate and beautiful look was hidden under the flower bud, making one eager to know what she would look like when she bloomed.

"Yu'er is reading in the study in the backyard. I'll get the maid to take you there to find him."

As she spoke, she called over a maidservant named Jin Lv and led them to the backyard.

Xie Zhen and Xie Xun walked ahead, and Xie Rong followed behind them. The ground was a little muddy after the snow melted, so it was easy for him to slip. He had to watch them closely.

There was a small yard in front of the study door, and under the tree in the yard lay a dog which a servant had raised. Xie Xun took a liking to it as soon as she saw it. She squatted under the tree and played with it, unwilling to leave.

Xie Zhen had to said, "then our brother will stay here with you. I'll go in myself."

Xie Xun looked up at her, smiling, and said "yes".

A few more steps and she would be in the study. The maidservant was about to open the door and invite her in, but she quickly waved her hand and said, "No need."

Jin Lv was puzzled.

She smiled cunningly, stepped quietly under the window, and peeped in with one eye closed. Sure enough, he saw Li Yu sitting at the head of the table, with his head lowered, earnestly reading a book. She giggled silently and tapped the fan with her hand.

Li Yu looked up, but there was no one outside.

He thought that it was his cousin Ouyang Yi, so he frowned unhappily and ignored her.

Who would have thought that not long after, the voice rang out once more with three more "Du, Du, Du" sounds.

He didn't even look up.

After a few more rounds, Li Yu finally couldn't hold it in any longer. His voice was full of anger as he said, "Don't bother me!"

After a while, a small head slowly appeared from under the window. The little girl's eyes were still smiling as she rested her head against the windowsill, her voice soft with accusation and coquetry, "Why is brother Xiao Yu so bad with me?"

Li Yu was stunned. He didn't expect it to be her.

He subconsciously explained, "I thought ..."

Halfway through his words, he looked at her smiling face and recalled her prank from before. He intentionally put on a stern face and asked, "Why are you at my house?"

She stood outside the window, her head tilted to look at him, and a delicate smile on her lips was innocent. "I missed you."

It was probably because her smile was too pretty, or perhaps it had been too long since she had last seen him. Li Yu's face heated up for no reason, and he said dryly: "Then why didn't you come in?"

She made an "oh" sound, as if she had just realized something.

She disappeared from the window, and presently came running in through the door, surrounded by foxfur, and delighted with the whiteness of her smile.

Li Yu moved aside, making room for her quietly.

The little girl was very impolite. She stood beside him and asked, "Auntie Song said you're reading a book. What are you reading?"

Li Yu said, "The Book of Changes."

There was a book on the table with all kinds of eight diagrams drawn on it, which she had seen in Xie Liqing's study, but it was so complicated that she had not been able to read it until now. After turning two pages, he turned around and asked, "What is brother Xiao Yu doing at home recently? Why didn't you come to me?"

There was a stove burning inside, much warmer than in the yard, and before long her face was flushed, so white and rosy that it made one want to take a bite. Li Yu suddenly remembered the snowball fight in the Xie family's yard that day. When he bit her, her face was as smooth as a peeled egg ...

Li Yu looked away and said seriously, "Teacher will test me in a few days. I am memorizing."

Li Xiqing had hired a teacher for Li Yu two years early in the morning. Li Xiqing was a businessman, but he valued his son's homework. He disciplined him very strictly in this regard.

"Will you come to me when you're done?"

Li Yu didn't say anything.

She was a little disappointed. "Are you really not going? My father bought me a really big kite. After the snow melts, we will go fly the kite. That will be really fun."

With that, she added, "If you don't come looking for me, I won't be interested."

Li Yu thought that she must be lying, how could she not be interested? He could hear her every day at home, and she laughed so happily.

He picked up the book again and straightened his posture. "Didn't you also not come looking for me?"

Xie Zhen thought for a second while holding his head. It seemed like it was true. However, she would never admit it. Forcing logic was her strong point. "Auntie Song said you're not well. Mother told me not to disturb you, so I didn't come." She blinked, almost ingratiatingly. "Are you all right now? Can you play with me?"

Li Yu looked at the line of words and nodded in acknowledgement.

She didn't know what question he was answering.

The two little fellows chattered on, and an hour passed unknowingly. The golden silk thread standing outside the door was extremely rare. Normally, if the mistress cousin was here, she would have been chased out by the young master before long. Why would the second daughter of Xie family be treated in a completely different way?

Xie Zhen completely had no idea about what was special about her. Li Yu was reading a book, and she was lying on her stomach while she drew pictures on a piece of paper with a pen. Soon, she drew a plum tree.

Li Yu took a glance at the painting and felt that it was too ugly. He took the brush from her hand and said, "This should be done like this ..."

Before he had even started painting, a loud voice came from the entrance, "Cousin!"

His hand shook and spilled all the ink onto the paper.

The corner of Xie Zhen's mouth twitched as she pointed at the huge ink and complained, "Brother Xiao Yu's painting was even uglier, destroying my painting ..."

Before she could finish speaking, someone rushed out from behind her and grabbed Li Yu before walking out.

"Cousin, come quickly, I'll show you something good!"

Xie Zhen looked up and met a pair of bright eyes. It was Li Yuqi's cousin Ouyang Yi.

Ouyang Yi had clearly seen her. At first glance, she thought that she was the person in the painting. She blinked her eyes and realized that she was a real person.

"Who are you?" Ouyang Yi raised her eyebrows and asked.

As Xie Zhen was about to answer, she looked down and saw her and Li Yu holding hands.

"......"

"..."

Li Yu did not show it on his face, but he quietly shook off Ouyang Yi's hands.