Li Shen’s steps were hurried as he walked into his courtyard with Li Wen behind him.
Immediately after entering the courtyard, Li Shen saw Little Snow who upon seeing him had her expression lit up before she warped in front of him.
“Master, sister Ling’er, she-”
Li Shen rubbed her head gently and said reassuringly with a serious expression.
“It’s okay, where is she?”
“She’s in her room crying, she won’t talk to anyone.”
Li Shen looked up to see his mother approaching.
“Mother.”
Lady Ying smiled and said.
“You didn’t have to rush here when you're busy in the academy, it wasn’t anything major, just that child from the Tang Noble Clan said something that upset her. Ling'er isn’t in any danger.”
“My precious little sister is crying, for me, that’s enough that I can’t ignore it mother.”
Lady Ying sighed at that before she said.
“She specifically asked for you because she knew you would react like this, but she shouldn’t become used to calling you and hoping you’ll drop everything to come see her.”
“Mother it’s fine, I don’t mind.”
After patting Little Snow’s head a bit more, Li Shen turned to Ling’er’s room.
He soon came in front of her room door and knocked on it.
Li Shen first didn’t get a response but he spoke up.
“Ling’er, it’s me.”
With that, the door quickly opened and a slightly older Li Ling came rushing into Li Shen’s arms.
Li Shen received the sudden impact quite easily.
“Ling’er, what happened?”
Li Shen asked, but Li Ling didn’t respond and only tighten her grip around his waist.
Seeing her unresponsiveness, Li Shen chose to remain silent and wait while hugging her back.
After a minute or two, Li Ling’s voice could be heard saying.
“Is brother mad at me?”
Li Shen was taken aback by that and asked confused.
“Mad at you? Why would I be mad at you Ling’er?”
Li Ling’s grip loosened and she stepped back out of the hug. With her head lowered, she softly said.
“Because I kept calling you for these small things and interrupting brother's time at the academy.”
Li Shen chuckled at that.
Of course, Li Shen had been called by her for trivial things more often than not over the years, but he could understand that she was attached to him after growing up together.
As siblings, they were practically inseparable in the Imperial Palace together, so it was normal that she would miss him.
Fu Wei was busy with Crown Prince stuff so the only other person Li Ling had was Li Shen.
After chuckling, Li Shen said.
“It’s fine, why would I be mad getting to see my cute little sister?”
Li Shen tried to pinch Li Ling’s cheeks, and as usual, she immediately began protesting. However, LI Shen’s hands suddenly paused.
He looked at his little sister's slightly red and puffy eyes.
Frowning, Li Shen asked.
“What made you cry like this? Was it really what that brat said to you?”
Li Ling showed a hesitant expression before she nodded her head.
Suddenly, Li Shen spun on his heels about to leave, but Li Ling seeing this quickly spoke up to stop him.
“Wait, brother! This was my fault, he isn’t to blame.”
Li Shen’s steps paused and he turned to have her explain further.
“I was the one who said something that upset him first. And it was the first time he ever treated me like that, any other time and he’s sweet.”
Hearing that, Li Shen grimaced and his heart almost felt like it had been punctured by a jagged knife.
The only reason why he hadn’t done anything to that Tang long after suspecting him of going after Yang Su, was that he wasn’t like he had initially thought.
Yes, he was like any other youth from a major Noble family, utterly prideful of his status and quite arrogant. But other than that, Li Shen couldn’t find a reason to convince his father to outright cancel their engagement.
As for his heart devil, something strange was happening, it was actually reducing. The cause as Li Shen had found out after observing him, was because of him spending time with Li Ling.
He didn’t know how he should feel about this situation and he couldn’t always be here to monitor it, so he had Little Snow stay here and watch over Li Ling.
“What did you say to him?”
Li Ling had on an ashamed expression as she said.
“When I was visiting the Tang Clan this morning, he was getting bullied by his clan members but he wasn’t saying anything and was just letting them. I got so upset that I decided to say something, but then they started saying he was hiding behind me, a girl.”
Li Ling paused and she twiddled her finger for a moment.
Li Shen could see where this was going, and his mother was right, this isn’t that serious. From how her story was going this was a simple case of a man’s pride being hurt.
But now he was wondering how he had suddenly become, a relationship counselor for these two.
With these thoughts flitting passed his mind, Li Ling continued.
“After, he was really upset that I spoke up, and he tried to say I didn't need to in the future, but in anger, I told him I didn’t like someone who was weak and couldn't defend himself.”
As she spoke, she recalled her interaction and all the emotions were returning.
“I-I spoke the same way as those bullies, but he didn’t get angry, his mood only changed before he told me to leave and never come back.”
Realizing that she was on the verge of tears, Li Shen brought her into a hug and said.
“It’s okay, he…”
‘I can’t believe I’m saying this.’
“...might not have meant what he said.”
Despite his dissatisfaction with the engagement and his dislike of Tang Long, Li Ling thought differently. If he voiced his opinion that’ll just upset her more than anything.
“I know he might not have meant it, but can brother go talk to him for me?”
Li Shen’s hand patting her head froze.
“You want me to speak with him?”
‘I was prepared to beat someone to a pulp upon coming here, but now I’m supposed to be a mediator for a couple’s fight?’
“Ahh, sure, I could do that.”
Li Shen eventually agreed, but he also wanted to check something out for personal reasons.
“I know brother doesn’t like Tang Long and you’re worried about Ling’er, but I haven’t decided to marry him yet. I just like him as a friend.”
‘Friend-zoned, that’s rough.’
Li Shen chuckled internally. But that’s how it should be, who dares replace him as the person Li Ling loves the most?
Li Shen while thinking this started to pinch Li Ling’s cheeks. Feeling their once chubbiness fading, he sighed regretfully.
‘They grow up so fast.’
After sufficiently pinching her cheeks red, Li Shen walked her outside to where Little Snow and his mother were.
After speaking with his mother for a moment, he bid her and the two girls farewell.
His destination was the Tang Noble Family, which was Northeast of the Imperial City.
Though there was a just reason for that brat becoming upset, he still made his sister cry. So Li Shen was going to play the intimidating big brother role.
**
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