His phoenix eyes were full of smugness, and he slightly raised his gaze, wanting to see the rosy color on the young woman’s face.

But beneath those delicately curved eyebrows, apart from tightly pursed lips and averted eyes, there was only paleness.

“…You?” Shen Yuan frowned, wanting to ask why she hadn’t blushed like before, but also felt that such a question would be absurd.

This was how she should be, after all.

In this world where women take charge of external affairs, how could they blush at every turn, appearing soft and easily bullied?

But Shen Yuan just couldn’t get used to it.

Huai An, sitting by the pond teasing fish, saw his young master frowning from afar. His heart tightened, and he inconspicuously moved a bit further away.

With Lady Su being so careful to avoid suspicion, standing apart at the window, he had nothing to worry about. But as for his young master with that displeased expression, it was better to stay as far away as possible.

“Young Master Shen, is there something you don’t understand?” Her voice was gentle as always, and Shen Yuan barely came back to his senses.

His slender fingers slowly opened the yellowed pages of the book, which had many annotations. It was also the first time he had seen Su Jin’s handwriting. Unlike her person, the strokes were sharp and powerful, like a phoenix in flight.

Shen Yuan sighed inwardly. They say one’s writing reflects one’s character. Someone with such forceful penmanship was likely no ordinary person.

He pointed out the parts he didn’t understand, and Su Jin paused briefly. Her speech was always gentle, and when explaining books, she could always make things easy to understand, occasionally giving some very interesting examples.

She had a good memory and had clearly put in hard work.

Shen Yuan could point anywhere, and she could explain in detail.

The only thing was, Su Jin wouldn’t look at him when she spoke.

Since she dared not look at him directly, Shen Yuan rested his chin on his hand, carefully tracing her profile with his eyes.

Why wouldn’t she blush anymore?

With her no longer blushing, Shen Yuan felt he had lost some amusement.

He even secretly recalled the time he had stumbled upon Su Jin and Song Zhi before, her cheeks flushed crimson, allowing Song Zhi to stand intimately close under the same oil-paper umbrella.

Even now, she was holding the scroll with Song Zhi’s painting, standing far away by the window.

Come to think of it, Gu Zhi’s two young servants were also quite shameless. Could it be that women nowadays prefer clingy and bold young men?

“…Young Master Shen?” Su Jin’s palm was pinched painfully as she barely managed to suppress the embarrassment of being gazed at by him, “Is there anything else you don’t understand?”

“Don’t understand, indeed I don’t understand.” Shen Yuan sighed suddenly, his gaze falling on Su Jin, “Let’s stop here for today. I’ll come again another day to seek your guidance.”

Su Jin was stunned. Hadn’t he wanted to avoid suspicion? Why would he come again?

“Young Master Shen is studious, and there’s a respected teacher in the residence. There’s no need… no need for me. Moreover, if this is seen by malicious people, it would be detrimental to the young master’s reputation.”

Tsk, isn’t she just afraid of being seen by Song Zhi?

Shen Yuan chuckled softly. He wasn’t afraid of what people might say, but she was being extremely cautious.

The folding fan in his hand opened and closed, and suddenly an idea struck him. “What you say makes sense. How about this? In the future, I’ll formally discuss with mother about opening that wooden door behind the willow tree. This way, coming to you from the inner courtyard won’t risk being seen.”

“Young Master Shen, this is improper!”

“What’s improper about it?” Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow. “You also know how dull mother’s lectures are. If I yawn even once, I’ll get my palm struck with a ruler.”

As he spoke, he didn’t treat Su Jin as an outsider, stretching out his palm in front of her. “Can you bear to see me punished by mother?”

“Besides, Liu Ming boasts of being the most talented young man in the capital. As the son of the Grand Tutor, how can I be inferior to others?”

“But…” Su Jin was cornered against the wall by him. The early spring day suddenly felt like the height of summer, and tiny beads of sweat quietly emerged along her hairline.

“What’s there to ‘but’ about? You and I are pure and innocent, clear as the wind and bright as the moon. Or…” Shen Yuan paused, his beautiful phoenix eyes narrowing slightly, “Is your reluctance because you’ve developed some feelings for me?”