DDR 60.1

Chapter 60.1: The beginning of a knot in one’s heart

Ok, I went back to check on ages. At the time of Qi Shaodong’s birthday debacle, Duan Wang shizi was “eleven or twelve,” and because Zihan is in his first year (celebrating his first New Year’s), it’s been one year since then, meaning Duan Wang shizi should now be 12 or 13… so just entering that awkward puberty phase lol. Qi Shaodong is “three years older” than Jingshu, putting him at 8 years old at the beginning, but his birthday was right before the New Year, so he should now be 10, while Jingshu is now 6, but soon 7 (come spring?). In modern school grade terms (b/c that helps me), that makes Jingshu a first-grader, Shaodong a fourth-grader, and Duan Wang shizi a seventh grader. Qi Xueyan is the same age as Jingshu, and I think Huilan and Xinhe are a few years older. In short, no one acts their age. All this assuming the author doesn’t forget and make things up later.

I also revisited Duan Wang shizi’s origins; he is cousins with the current emperor, as his father married the previous emperor’s sister (the current emperor’s aunt). So I guess that makes him a prince, but probably(?) not in line for the throne (absent circumstances of the deathy variety).

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The young girl’s face was clear, and the face that had not yet shed its childishness revealed a bit of earnestness. Duan Wang shizi didn’t why, but he fell into a daze looking at her smiling expression. However, he quickly recovered and carelessly picked up a teacup. “Miss Shen does not need to be polite. I only put forth a small effort, that’s all.”

“For shizi, it was indeed only the lifting of a finger, but it resolved my urgent situation. I will drink to you first!” Her actions looked practiced for one so young. She was clearly only drinking tea, but Shen Jingshu heroically lifted her cup and drank it all in one gulp, “Shizi, please.”

“Since Miss Shen is so courteous, then to refuse would be impolite.” Smiling, Duan Wang shizi found himself in a rare good mood. He imitated Shen Jingshu and correspondingly finished the tea in one drink. Duan Wang shizi then put down his cup and looked at Shen Jingshu, and eyes seemed filled with warmth. “Miss Shen, no need to stand. Sit and wait a bit. Your friends will be found soon.”

“En!” They accepted each other’s intentions. Although Shen Jingshu felt a little uneasy, as in her heart she felt very distant from the person in front of her, but Shen Jingshu couldn’t do anything about things turning out contrary to her wishes. Now she only hoped that her good friends would be safe.

“Does Miss Shen like this tea?” Perhaps because he noticed Shen Jingshu’s concern, Duan Wang shizi surprisingly took the initiative to bring up a topic of conversation, “If you don’t like it, it can be changed.”

“Shizi, this tea is very good. This is West Lake Longjing tea. How could it not be good?”[1]

“That’s good then. Miss Shen, have some snacks. These pastries aren’t bad, have a taste!” He didn’t usually speak much, and Duan Wang shizi also didn’t know what was going on with him, but unexpectedly, he did not want her to be sitting there anxious with her brows furrowed.

“Thank you, shizi!” Smiling, Shen Jingshu took a few bites and looked out the window, hoping to see her two good friends.

Duan Wang shizi‘s subordinates should be very good, right? Huilan and the others should be found soon, right? They must be all right!

“Miss Shen, don’t worry too much. It’s very crowded, so it will take some time to find them, but I can guarantee it won’t be too long. You may as well take a good rest, drink some tea, and have some snacks. It’s so cold outside, so it’s good to warm up your body now.” No one had ever entered his eyes before, and he never paid special attention to other people or things, but somehow the person in front of him always gave him a different feeling?

Was it because she was totally different each of the several times they’d met, or was it because of the slight concern that flashed occasionally across her face and the profoundness about her that did not match her young age?

In the end, what kind of girl was this, and why, for the first time, did he feel like he couldn’t see through someone?

“Thank you!” As soon as she said this, Shen Jingshu heard a burst of laughter. She looked at Duan Wang shizi strangely, not knowing why he suddenly laughed at this moment, “Shizi, what is it?”

“Miss Shen, have you noticed that you really like to say ‘thank you’ to me tonight?” It seemed that ever since he agreed to help, Shen Jingshu seemed unable to say a few words without thanking him.

“Really? I’ve let shizi see a joke.” She was a little embarrassed. She was not normally so polite, but when facing this person in front of her, Shen Jingshu had to be a little more careful.

“Miss Shen doesn’t need to be restrained, and you need not mind my identity. Here, I’m just an ordinary person.” When he said the words, “ordinary person,” Shen Jingshu felt she heard a bit of a sigh in Duan Wang shizi’s voice. Shen Jingshu felt it strange, but the expression on Duan Wang shizi‘s face quickly returned to the previous coldness, and Shen Jingshu could not investigate further. “Shizi is joking.” She smiled. How could Shen Jingshu really treat him as an ordinary person?

From birth, this person was destined to be different from other people. Although his road was a bit bumpy, in the end, he was someone high up that others could only look up at.

“I wasn’t joking!” He looked at Shen Jingshu very seriously. This was the first time that Duan Wang shizi had the patience to take the initiative to talk to someone else, but the other person seemed to have no interest. Furthermore, she seemed to be deliberately creating a distance between them. This made Duan Wang shizi a little annoyed.

“Hehe, shizi, look, it’s really lively outside!” Shen Jingshu didn’t want to continue this topic, so she quickly changed direction. Duan Wang shizi noticed it, and naturally understood Shen Jingshu’s intention, but he didn’t say anything. He merely followed along with Shen Jingshu and looked out the window to where she was pointing. “It really is bustling with excitement.” It was just that the excitement wasn’t his.

“Shizi, isn’t that Huilan and the others?” A familiar figure suddenly appeared out of the crowd, and Shen Jingshu stood up excitedly, “That’s Huilan and the others, they are all there! That’s really good! And Xinhe is there, and next to them…” Shen Jingshu was very happy to see Yang Huilan and Kong Xinhe, but catching sight of Qi Xueyan who at the moment was cutting a sorry figure, she was not happy.

With her looking like this, could it be that something happened to her?

“It’s them, now, you can be at ease.”

“Thank you shizi, if not for you, I wouldn’t have found them so quickly, and safe and sound!” Shen Jingshu’s thanks were sincere, and her speech revealed how moved she felt.

Duan Wang shizi looked at the relief on her face, and could not help feeling a little sorry for this child. “It was nothing, so you don’t have to worry about it.”

“Yes, I was just scared. I was afraid they would…” she wanted to say something, but suddenly realized that the person in front of her was Duan Wang shizi, so Shen Jingshu did not say it and just smiled. “Shizi, I have disturbed you today. I am truly very grateful. Although I have no way to repay you, but if shizi ever needs something from me in the future, I will surely do my utmost to do it!”

The young girl, with a serious expression on her childish face, made a promise that should not be worth mentioning. However, he didn’t know why, but when Duan Wang shizi looked at Shen Jingshu, while he originally wanted to tell her not to mind it, the word that came out of his mouth was different. “Okay!” Duan Wang shizi was also surprised. When did he start taking a little girl seriously?

 His heart found it laughable. Duan Wang shizi looked at Shen Jingshu and didn’t understand how such a little girl had entered his eyes. She was clearly no more than ten years old, but why did she always do things that didn’t match her age? Was it because of this that he felt they had something in common? And therefore he paid more attention to this girl?

Perhaps so, right?

He was a youth who’d yet to experience the first awakening of love. How could he understand these confusing feelings?

“Then, shizi, my friends are here. I will take my leave first, and no longer disturb shizi!” Seeing that her friends were safe, Shen Jingshu was relieved.

Seeing that she was about to leave, Duan Wang shizi suddenly felt reluctant. “They have been walking outside for so long, and it must have been very cold. Let them come up and sit a while, and drink some tea to warm themselves up. Is that ok?” Duan Wang shizi asked, hoping that Shen Jingshu could stay a little longer.

“Like this, wouldn’t it be too much trouble?” she said as she wrinkled her brow. Shen Jingshu was moved by Duan Wang shizi’s suggestion, but she was also embarrassed.

“It’s no trouble. In any case, the tea and pastries are already prepared. I can’t finish it all by myself, so let them come up!”

“Then thank you.”

“Look at you, you’ve already said ‘thank you’ so many times. If you say it again, I’ll be too embarrassed.” Why was this girl so polite to him? He didn’t believe she was really such a polite person.

“I am sorry to inconvenience shizi so much today.” She had never thought she would have any interaction with this person. Shen Jingshu looked at the boy in front of her, who, though not yet fully mature, was already calm and self-sufficient. She knew this was not the kind of person she could be near, so from the beginning she distanced herself from him.

Courteous, but maintaining a distance. This person’s identity was high up and complicated. She could not afford to offend him, and she had never like trouble!

“Let them come up!” Duan Wang shizi naturally saw Shen Jingshu’s deliberate distancing, and was surprised by the little girl’s thoughts. He was not very comfortable, so he did not continue this topic. He instructed Shuang to bring those people up, and in a few moments the girls arrived.

Yang Huilan’s face was full of anxiety, “Jingshu, are you really here? That’s wonderful! I was scared to death!” Yang Huilan approached and right away pulled on Shen Jingshu to check whether there was anything wrong.

As she checked Shen Jingshu, Shen Jingshu was also observing Yang Huilan. When she found that the other party was okay, Shen Jingshu was relieved. “I’m fine. Don’t worry. But where did all of all of you go? Why couldn’t I find you after searching for a long time?”

“I saw that you were missing, so I wanted to go look for you. We originally waited where we were, but after a long time you still didn’t come back. I was worried, so I had Chun Mei wait for you there, then brought Xinhe with me to go look for you. Unfortunately, we still weren’t able to find you. Do you know how worried I was? This girl, did you do it deliberately? Didn’t we say not to let you run around all over the place? How could you still let people worry like this?” Yang Huilan was scolding her, but Shen Jingshu knew she meant well, so she did not get angry, but rather just listened obediently.

On the other hand, Kong Xinhe saw that there were outsiders present, and, fearing that it wasn’t good for good friends to be this way, felt obligated to speak up, “Jingshu, Huilan is worried about you, so she’s talking a little rashly. Don’t mind her!” After she finished speaking, she looked at Duan Wang shizi and said, “Jingshu, this person is…?”

From Shuang’s attitude towards Duan Wang shizi, Kong Xinhe knew that the person in front of them had helped them. Kong Xinhe didn’t dare look directly at him. Thinking about his possible identity, she was curious as to when Shen Jingshu had made this friend.

“Hehe, Huilan, Xinhe, this is Duan Wang shizi. Xueyan, you’ve met before. I won’t say more.” Shen Jingshu had been about to reply to Yang Huilan wholeheartedly when she heard Kong Xinhe’s reminder. She’d forgotten about this gentleman’s presence! She threw Kong Xinhe a grateful glance. Although Kong Xinhe usually didn’t talk much and was quite shy, she always played a role at critical moments, making one unable to underestimate her.

“It turns out to be Duan Wang shizi. Thank you very much for today’s matters.” With her formal manners, Kong Xinhe was a person with a meticulous mind. She had long noticed that Duan Wang shizi’s identity was not ordinary, but she never anticipated him to be so unordinary.

So this was the legendary Duan Wang shizi. It was rumored that Duan Wang shizi was of noble rank and uncommonly handsome. Meeting him now, it seemed to be true!

Kong Xinhe did not dare to look at him, but Yang Huilan on the other hand seemed a bit dumbfounded. Kong Xinhe pulled on Yang Huilan anxiously until Yang Huilan reacted, her face embarrassed, “Duan Wang shizi, we’ve troubled you!” She never expected to disregard such a heavyweight. At this time, Yang Huilan dropped her head low, not daring to look at Duan Wang shizi.

To the side, Qi Xueyan looked at Yang Huilan and Kong Xinhe, then at Duan Wang shizi’s incomparably handsome face. Thinking of how previously she’d barely gotten a glimpse, and not to be outdone, she adjusted her clothing and saluted Duan Wang shizi. “Duan Wang shizi, your great favor today will be engraved in my heart. This little girl will surely remember shizi’s kindness, and will repay shizi in the future!” When these words entered Shen Jingshu’s ears, why did she feel they had a flavor of daring to devote one’s life to him? But then, even if Qi Xueyan had these thoughts, the other person may not be willing. Shen Jingshu felt some anticipation for watching a good show. How would Duan Wang shizi respond?

Sure enough, Duan Wang shizi didn’t even give Qi Xueyan a glance. He merely looked at Yang Huilan and the others, and said lightly, “It was no problem. All of you have a seat. Just now you have been frightened.” As he finished speaking, he took a quick look at Shen Jingshu. Shen Jingshu was too late in retracting her gaze, and was caught red-handed looking a him. She couldn’t help but be ashamed into anger. She saw Duan Wang shizi’s playful expression, and again she felt like he always seemed to be able to see through her thoughts. She subconsciously widened her eyes at him, then lowered her head. Right afterwards, she felt regret.

Ai, what was she doing? What did others’ reactions have to do with her? Wasn’t she causing others to misunderstand like this?

With her head down, annoyed, Shen Jingshu naturally didn’t see Qi Xueyan’s expression. Qi Xueyan didn’t expect Duan Wang shizi to ignore her so much, and then even gaze with flirting eyes at Shen Jingshu!

Yes, the exchange just now between Duan Wang shizi and Shen Jingshu was flirting in Qi Xueyan’s eyes. Qi Xueyan was itching now to tear off Shen Jingshu’s face, so as to prevent Shen Jingshu from seducing people everywhere!

However, she could only endure!

Shen Jingshu, why are you stealing everything from me? I won’t let you succeed!

Her poison-soaked expression was dreadful, but Qi Xueyan would not go so far as to forget her manners, so she followed everyone else in sitting down. Qi Xueyan was in a bad mood today, especially when she recalled the experience she’d had just now. She could not help but complain a bit more about Shen Jingshu. “Jingshu, how could you wander off just now? You know that we searched very hard for you. We nearly thought you’d had an accident.”

If in front of a true friend, these blaming words would be concern. But Shen Jingshu nevertheless heard Qi Xueyan’s condemning intentions. “I let you worry.” Although the words were modest, Shen Jingshu looked at Qi Xueyan coldly.

Hmph! Still blaming her for wandering off. Who was the one who pushed her? Although she hadn’t caught sight of the perpetrator, that didn’t mean she didn’t think about it!

“You ah, you always like to run around. You used to be like this before, but now it’s not like when we were little anymore. We’ve grown up now, and you can’t do whatever you want. Fortunately you ran into Duan Wang shizi today and nothing happened. If you hadn’t encountered him, then what do you think could be done?” Actually, Qi Xueyan found it strange that Shen Jingshu hadn’t been with her older brother, but rather with Duan Wang shizi. She was very envious of Shen Jingshu’s good luck. Inevitably, Qi Xueyan put the blame on Qi Shaodong.

Gege, I made an opportunity for you which nearly led to me being captured by bad people. Yet you’re still so useless. Weren’t you just making me waste my efforts?

There was a feeling of making a wedding dress for another. Qi Xueyan was very uncomfortable at the moment, and her resentment towards Shen Jingshu had also reached new heights!

The more Qi Xueyan looked at Shen Jingshu, the more she felt Shen Jingshu was displeasing to the eye. Her words were also a little pointed. To her side, Yang Huilan did not miss it, and directly interrupted her. “Enough. Miss Qi, Shen Jingshu did get separated from us just now, but not intentionally. Moreover, she came back to look for us with the fastest speed, and now everyone is ok. You speaking like this is excessive.”

“I’m just afraid that she will continue to be careless in the future, so my words were a bit heavier. I’m doing it for her own good too. Is that not okay?” She was always at odds with Yang Huilan. Qi Xueyan had deep thoughts, but Yang Huilan had a straightforward temper. Naturally, they did not like each other. Now, the two immediately started fighting.

“I think you are just taking your anger out on others due to your own experiences, right? Just now when Jingshu was missing, I tried to keep us together, but you stubbornly wanted to go off and search on your own. If you encountered that sort of thing, then who’s to blame?”

Shuang had first found them, and then Qi Xueyan. When Yang Huilan saw Qi Xueyan, Qi Xueyan’s clothes were disheveled, and her hair was a little messy. Yang Huilan didn’t think about it much, but knew that Qi Xueyan must have met with something unfortunate. Originally, she didn’t intend to talk about this matter. After all, reputation was very important for girls. However, she couldn’t stand watching Qi Xueyan lecturing Shen Jingshu. Naturally she wanted to protect her close friend from injustice!

Although Yang Huilan said it for Shen Jingshu’s sake, Qi Xueyan wasn’t someone who was easy to deal with. Qi Xueyan originally thought that everyone would keep this matter to themselves. She had deliberately explained things just now, but never expected Yang Huilan to say it out, and in front of Duan Wang shizi, no less. Qi Xueyan suddenly raised her hackles, “Miss Yang, what do you mean? How am I taking my anger out on someone else? Don’t talk nonsense, what happened to me? Don’t just randomly damage my reputation!” Qi Xueyan said. Her eyes were red, and she looked pitiful, like Yan Huilan was bullying her.

Although Yang Huilan felt pity for Qi Xueyan, and she originally didn’t want to say anything, but Qi Xueyan wouldn’t let her go. “Miss Yang, what deep hatred do you have with me? I know you are protecting Jingshu, but you can’t falsely accuse me like this. How did I offend you? Today, in front of Duan Wang shizi, give me a clear explanation!”

Qi Xueyan said this with some confidence. Although she had run into a few hooligans, but in the end she was protected by her maid, so nothing happened to her. Besides, Yang Huilan hadn’t seen it with her own eyes, so how could she know? She was still waiting for Yang Huilan to say something. At that time, she would turn the tide and say the other party was framing her. That way, it would be impossible for Yan Huilan to bring up the topic again.

“What you did yourself, you know it most clearly. I didn’t say anything else, so what are you getting so excited about?” Yang Huilan saw that Qi Xueyan ran into some trouble today, and did not plan to pursue it too much, but then she unexpectedly wanted to implicate others and not let go. Well then, don’t blame her for not being polite!

“You, what do you mean?” With tears falling down, Qi Xueyan looked pitifully at Duan Wang shizi. That appearance would really make people feel pity. People who didn’t know better would really believe Yang Huilan was bullying her. “You’re falsely accusing me!”

“Whether or not I’m falsely accusing you, you know it best!” Too lazy to talk to continue talking to her, Yang Huilan rolled her eyes, and Qi Xueyan’s face showed anger, “You!”

“Miss Qi, received a fright just now. It would be best to drink some hot tea and calm down. Don’t scare yourself sick.” Don’t look at Kong Xinhe’s weak appearance. A word from her could bring more destructive power than Yang Huilan. Look at the smile on that small face, her etiquette perfect and lacking any flaw, even going so far as to personally hand the tea to Qi Xueyan.

Qi Xueyan was so angry that she wanted to splash the cup directly onto Kong Xinhe’s face to ruin her smiling expression. However, they were in a public place, and she did not want to lose face in front of Duan Wang shizi, so she could only endure it. “Thank you very much. Miss Kong is really good friends with Miss Yang, yet is really considerate to me. Really makes one feel admiration!” These words were extremely biting. Didn’t Kong Xinhe’s conduct make it look like she was admitting that something had happened?

She really wanted to tear off Kong Xinhe’s mask, but Kong Xinhe was not Yang Huilan. Everyone was so friendly towards herself, so how could she take the initiative to shed all pretenses?

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Translator’s Notes

[1] Longjing tea, sometimes known in English as Dragon Well tea, is a famous type of high-quality green tea in China. The most authentic type is grown near the West Lake area in Hangzhou. It’s pretty expensive.