TSFLIP Chapter 786

“Please, young master, you don’t need to flatter her,” Xia Chao said with a weary sigh. “I know my daughter’s temperament better than anyone.”

Feng Guang pouted in protest.

Xia Chao shot his daughter a sharp glare. “Feng Guang, apologize to the young master.”

“Shu Feng said I’m sweet and well-behaved, and that he likes me. He doesn’t think I’m annoying at all,” she replied matter-of-factly.

Xia Chao’s eye twitched. “Feng. Guang.”

“Miss Xia is right,” Shu Feng said with a gentle smile. “I do like Feng Guang—she’s a good child.”

At his first few words, Feng Guang’s heart skipped a beat—but when she heard the rest, a small pang of disappointment crept in.

Xia Chao forced a polite laugh. “Only you would think she’s a good child, young master.”

“Dad!” Feng Guang groaned. “Can you not put me down like that in front of Shu Feng? I am a good person, okay?”

“Feng Guang, how are you addressing the young master?” Xia Chao’s brow twitched again. He felt like all the etiquette tutors he’d hired for her were a complete waste. No matter how close she was with someone, she shouldn’t be calling him by name directly—especially since Shu Feng was so much older. At the very least, she should be calling him Uncle Shu, right?

He glanced at the composed, refined Shu Feng.
…Yes, “Uncle Shu” seemed appropriate.
Probably.

Feng Guang crossed her arms. “Shu Feng accepted my candied hawthorn, so that makes him my friend. What’s wrong with calling a friend by their name? He can call me Feng Guang too.”

“She makes a fair point,” Shu Feng said, holding a white cat in one arm and a half-eaten stick of candied hawthorn in the other. The sight should’ve been ridiculous, yet somehow, on him, it wasn’t. His quiet, serene aura seemed to calm the air around him—and even the faintest smile on his lips carried a touch of lonely grace.

Xia Chao looked at his daughter, who was staring at Shu Feng in a daze, and suddenly didn’t know what to say. He clenched his jaw, reached over, and tapped her on the head to snap her out of it. “Feng Guang, it’s time to go home.”

“Huh? Already? Isn’t it still early?” Feng Guang glanced up. The sunset had already faded, and the pale glow of the moonlight was spreading across the sky. She looked back at her father with feigned innocence.

It was the peak of shameless denial.

Xia Chao swallowed his irritation. “Your mother’s waiting for you to eat dinner. Young Master Shu, we’ll take our leave.”

“Wait,” Shu Feng called out, stopping them just as Xia Chao was about to drag her off. He took a few steps forward, crouched down, and gently placed the white kitten into Feng Guang’s arms. Then he patted her head softly. “Next time, don’t let this little cat run off again.”

Feng Guang cradled the kitten tightly. “Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of Little Ball. And even if it does run away, it’ll just run to your house instead.”

“Meow~” The kitten seemed to agree with a cheerful chirp.

Shu Feng’s lips curved into a faint smile, clearly amused.

“Let’s go!” Xia Chao huffed, hoisting his daughter by the collar and carrying her off.

Shu Feng stood quietly in the pavilion, watching their figures fade into the distance. Even after they disappeared, he didn’t move.

His steward, Uncle Fu, a middle-aged man, approached and said gently, “Young master, the wind’s picking up. You’re not well—please, go back inside.”

“I’ll stay a little longer,” Shu Feng murmured. He let out a soft cough and covered his mouth with a white handkerchief. When he lowered it, a faint stain of red marked the cloth. His tone remained calm. “Tell Doctor Qi to increase the dosage.”

“Young master…”

“Do as I say.”

Uncle Fu lowered his head. “Yes, sir.”