The sudden change of topic caught Hong Dai off guard, and she couldn't help but tease, "What, are you planning to invite me to your home for the New Year?"
Li Yue Shu raised an eyebrow, "My family has nineteen people this year. With you, it'll be exactly twenty."
Her candid attitude surprised Hong Dai.
She had only said it in passing, never imagining that Li Yue Shu would actually have such an idea.
At that moment, an indescribable emotion surged within her.
Hong Dai smiled softly, "I've tasted the dishes you prepared for pre-heating at Qingfeng Pavilion, and I've long been craving your cooking. Unfortunately, I won't be able to make it for the New Year."
Her tone paused, and a strange glint flickered in her eyes, "For the New Year, one naturally spends it with their own family. I might not be in Tong Mu County for the next month or two."
He had been avoiding her for so long. She wondered if this New Year's gift she was offering would finally allow her to see him.
Li Yue Shu didn't notice her expression and was surprised by her words.
She recalled that the original novel mentioned Hong Dai was an orphan with only a mortal enemy, no family at all. How could she...?
Li Yue Shu unconsciously frowned.
Mo Lian's benefactor had become her, Li Hu had become Wei Ling, and Hong Dai had become her partner. She had repeatedly snatched Li Xiang Ru's opportunities. Whether it was the plot or the Heavenly Dao, something must be done to help her chosen one.
Was the change in Hong Dai's background a warning?
It wasn't surprising that Li Yue Shu was overthinking.
This world revolved around Li Xiang Ru. If she wanted to protect the four children, she would inevitably go against this world.
Hong Dai, being a significant supporting character in the original novel, had changes in her person that absolutely warranted attention.
Li Yue Shu wanted to probe more about Hong Dai, but as someone in the intelligence business, the latter was not easily tricked into revealing information.
She looked at Li Yue Shu with a playful smile, her seductive eyes sparkling, "How about we trade secrets? Whatever you want to know, I'll tell you!"
Li Yue Shu simply rolled her eyes, said nothing, and turned to leave.
The restaurant's renovation was almost complete. After dismissing the workers, a thorough cleaning would prepare it for opening.
Besides buying groceries, she also needed to find someone to calculate an auspicious date. She certainly didn't have that much time to chat with Hong Dai.
...
Upon hearing that Li Yue Shu was hosting a meal, the workers were shocked.
Among the jobs they had taken on, Li Yue Shu's spending wasn't the most extravagant, but she was genuinely good to everyone, even offering free hot tea.
Because of this, they all strived to do their best in both their work and the materials used.
They had undertaken hundreds, if not thousands, of jobs, and had never encountered an employer who hosted a meal after the completion of a project.
From the bottom of their hearts, they admired this young madam. During the meal, various words of congratulation poured out as if they were free.
After eating, Li Yue Shu intended to clean the restaurant. The workers who were about to leave all stayed to help.
Li Yue Shu couldn't refuse, so she agreed, but she gave each of them a red packet containing a few copper coins.
The workers hastily declined, but Li Yue Shu insisted, "This is a New Year's red packet for everyone. It's not much, just for good luck."
Seeing this, they no longer refused, but they didn't hold back their good wishes for the New Year.
They even secretly vowed to help promote the restaurant once it opened.
Shen Wei had been watching silently from the side the entire time, occasionally glancing at Li Yue Shu with a smile that even he hadn't noticed.
This Li Yue Shu seemed to possess an innate radiance.
After dealing with the restaurant matters, Li Yue Shu saw that it was still early and decided to go to the Heng De Pharmacy first, as it was a good opportunity to pick up the children from the academy today.
With the Lunar New Year approaching, the academy would be on holiday starting today and would reopen after the break.
As Li Yue Shu settled into the carriage, an anxious shout suddenly came, "Yue Shu, something has happened at home!"
Li Yue Shu turned around to see Old Man Liu rushing over with his ox cart.
Upon seeing her, Old Man Liu quickly said, "Yue Shu, hurry back! The Sun family... your mother-in-law and the old man from the Sun family have barged into your house. Your Aunt Liu and Aunt Mo can barely stop them!"
Li Yue Shu was startled, her expression instantly turning cold.
While untying the rope from the horse's back, she said, "Uncle Liu, keep an eye on Shen Wei. I'll go back first to check."
As she spoke, the ropes on the horse's back were all untied, and the suddenly unsupported carriage body hit the ground with a dull thud.
Li Yue Shu didn't hesitate and directly mounted the horse.
The road from the restaurant to home was too far. Uncle Liu driving the ox cart to deliver the message had already taken considerable time, and dragging the carriage would halve their speed.
However, Li Yue Shu's horsemanship was mediocre. She had learned once from a friend in her previous life, and her skill level was barely passable.
As soon as she sat on the horse's back, the horse startled and reared its head with a whinny.
Li Yue Shu instinctively tightened her legs, further agitating the horse.
Seeing the horse about to bolt, Shen Wei had no time to think. He stepped forward, grabbed Li Yue Shu's hand, and mounted the horse behind her.
"Whoa!"
With a low, powerful command, the restless horse suddenly calmed down.
Li Yue Shu was surprised and turned to look at Shen Wei behind her, "You know how to ride a horse?"
Shen Wei's heart skipped a beat. He unconsciously tightened his grip on the reins, feigning ignorance on his face, "Do I know how to ride a horse?"
Although Li Yue Shu was suspicious, now was not the time to dwell on it.
"Hold on tight."
With that, she squeezed the horse's belly with her legs, "Giddy up!"
"Neigh!"
With a neigh, the horse lifted its hooves and galloped away.
Li Yue Shu's control over the horse was not skillful, and several times she steered the horse off course.
Shen Wei sighed helplessly, gripping her hand, "Giddy up!"
As he tapped the horse's flank with his legs, control of the horse shifted to him.
The clatter of hooves stirred up dust, and Li Yue Shu was momentarily stunned.
The cold wind stung her face, but her back was against a warm, broad embrace.
Even though the ride was bumpy, it provided an indescribable sense of security.
In that moment, Li Yue Shu felt a trace of dependence.
Whether in modern times or in this world, she had always been accustomed to shouldering everything alone.
But somewhere along the way, she noticed that this man, who was like a child in his temperament, would shield her in danger, stay by her side with care, and support her silently from behind.
Gradually, Li Yue Shu relaxed her body, completely handing over the control of the horse to Shen Wei.
She remembered Aunt Liu mentioning that Shen Wei had served as a bodyguard for a wealthy family before returning, so it was normal for him to know how to ride a horse.
Even though he was foolish now, his muscle memory should still be intact.
Li Yue Shu did not doubt him, unaware that behind her, the person who was usually innocent and foolish now had a sharp glint in his eyes.
Shen Wei felt the softness in his arms and suddenly realized how petite she was.
She was only a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl herself, yet she used such a small frame to single-handedly support a family and raise over a dozen children.
At this moment, something seemed to stir within Shen Wei's heart, accompanied by the delicate fragrance of a woman that tickled his senses, causing ripples in his heart.
Soon, the two of them arrived.
"Whoa—"
Before Li Yue Shu could dismount, she saw Mother Shen reach out and push Shen Ting Yi to the ground.