Facing the dim moonlight, Shen Shijiu could finally see the person in front of him clearly.
"Pei, Master Pei..."
He looked frightened, tightly grasped one of Pei Zheng's sleeves, and glanced carefully behind Pei Zheng.
"Are you alone? There's nothing else behind you, right?"
"What?"
Pei Zheng was puzzled and turned to look as well.
There was nothing behind them except for the afterglow of moonlight.
Shen Shijiu said sincerely, "Yes, Master said that you must be careful when you go out at night. If you meet someone you don't know, you must not pay attention to him, because..."
Shen Shijiu widened his eyes and bared his teeth and claws at Pei Zheng, "He may not be a human at all... Ah Wu..."
Pei Zheng looked at the person who wanted to scare him, his face expressionless, and frowned slightly, "Don't play tricks."
Shen Shijiu said anxiously, "It's true! Master wouldn't lie to me! Why don't you believe it!"
Those eyes looked so sincere and innocent that it would be easy for people to believe what he said.
But Pei Zheng took a step closer and suddenly raised his hand.
Shen Shijiu subconsciously dodged backwards.
The slender finger just tapped Shen Shijiu's little head.
"Do you have a problem here?"
After hearing this, the expression on Shen Shijiu's face changed. He pursed his lips and refused to speak, looking away.
Pei Zheng saw his reaction and drew a conclusion.
"It seems so."
"I'm not..." Shen Shijiu said in a low voice, "I'm very smart... smarter than many people... Humph... You are all stupid.
He was clearly thinking this in his heart, but he said it out loud with his cheeks puffed up with anger.
Pei Zheng stared at his profile, a little dazed for a moment, many memories flashed through his mind like a kaleidoscope. His body froze in place, unable to break free for a moment.
"Master Pei, Master Pei... If you ignore me, I will go back to sleep."
Shen Shijiu called him several times but got no response, so he simply bowed and turned to go back, but his arm was grabbed by the person behind him.
"Master Pei, I'm so sleepy. Can you please tell me what I want to say quickly?"
Shen Shijiu yawned loudly, his eyes were misty with a layer of water stains, and they were sparkling.
Pei Zheng pulled him without saying a word and walked in another direction.
Shen Shijiu was dragged away in a daze. The hand that was originally holding his arm slowly slid down to his wrist. The slightly cold fingers circled his slender wrist and held it tightly.
Shen Shijiu was completely confused. He didn't know if Pei Zheng had any instructions for him. He was sleepy and hungry, and his stomach growled twice.
He was so shocked that he lost his sleepiness all of a sudden. He pressed his flat belly with his other hand. Seeing that Pei Zheng's back showed no reaction, he secretly felt lucky.
Fortunately, the adults didn’t hear it, otherwise it would have been so embarrassing.
Pei Zheng pulled Shen Jiujiu all the way out of the Prime Minister's Mansion and came to the street of the imperial capital.
Although it was already night, there were still many vendors and pedestrians doing business on the streets, making it a bustling and lively city that never sleeps.
From the time Shen Shijiu entered the palace and then moved into the Prime Minister's Residence, he had not been on the street, met so many people, or smelled such fresh air for such a long time.
The wind was blowing and it was still a little cold, but Shen Shijiu's eyes were curved like crescents with joy.
"Sir, are we out here to play?"
His tone was full of joy and he looked at Pei Zheng without blinking.
"Turn around."
Pei Zheng's voice was cold and indifferent.
Shen Shijiu was full of doubts, but he still turned his head away obediently and stopped looking at Pei Zheng.
"Is this... okay..."
"Yeah." Pei Zheng took a breath.
He didn't know what was going on with him. He had originally planned to go out for a drink by himself tonight, but for some unknown reason he ended up taking this little apprentice out of the house with him.
"From now on, you are not allowed to look at me."
Shen Shijiu felt wronged. Did he make the master angry? But he had only seen the master a few times and had treated the master before. How could he turn against him so easily
"I see… "
Pei Zheng had already let go of Shen Shijiu's wrist and walked forward alone.
Shen Shijiu was still standing there, not knowing whether he should follow.
Pei Zheng walked a few steps away and found that there was no little figure following him. He turned around and saw Shen Jiujiu standing there stupidly looking at him. As soon as his eyes met his, he quickly turned his head away in panic.
"Not coming yet?"
Shen Shijiu said "Oh" and then ran over happily in small steps.
Pei Zheng continued to walk along the busy street. He was tall and had long legs, so one of his steps was equivalent to two of Shen Shijiu's. Shen Shijiu had to walk and run a few steps as he tried his best to follow him.
After walking for a while, Pei Zheng stopped in front of a bustling attic.
Shen Shijiu also stopped, stood behind Pei Zheng, and looked up.
The attic is beautifully decorated and bright inside. From time to time, a mixture of fragrance and laughter wafts out from inside, which is extremely fascinating.
The door of the attic was open, and one could see many people coming and going inside.
Shen Shijiu secretly sighed in his heart, why are there still so many people here so late at night, he really should ask his master to learn from him, why is other people's business so good? The clinic opened by his master hasn't even opened yet.
Pei Zheng walked in and Shen Shijiu quickly followed.
—When he entered, several pretty young men in pink clothes appeared out of nowhere, trying to show off their beauty and get close to Pei Zheng, but before they could get close, they were forced back by Pei Zheng's cold look.
At this time, a man in pink came over. After seeing Pei Zheng at the door, he was a little surprised and quickly put on a respectful smile on his face.
His small attic had been ordered to disappear from the imperial capital, and the soldiers who came to drive him away inspected the door for a long time.
But when he was really about to pack up his belongings and leave, the officers and soldiers withdrew again, saying that something had happened to the superiors and they would no longer be in charge of the city affairs.
So not long after, business in this small attic resumed.
"Mr. Pei, how come you have time to come here today, alone?"
Shen Shijiu popped his head out from behind Pei Zheng at the right time, only showing his eyes to look at the man in pink.
The man smiled and said, "Oh, there is another young master. Then can we arrange a private room for Master Pei?"
"No need." Pei Zheng glanced around the crowded lobby, saw an empty seat, and walked straight over.
Shen Shijiu still followed closely like a follower. He had never been to such a place before. He was actually a little scared to be alone in an unfamiliar environment. After all, he had been living in the mountains with his master before and could be said to have no experience.
Pei Zheng sat down in the corner, and Shen Shijiu stood beside him, staying quiet throughout the whole process.
The waiter skillfully brought the pot of wine. Pei Zheng poured the wine himself, then raised his head and drank it all in one gulp.
There seemed to be someone dancing on the stage in the middle of the lobby, and many people in the audience were cheering.
Shen Shijiu was extremely curious and couldn't help but leaning forward to take a look, but he was blocked by so many people that he couldn't see anything.
Seeing that Pei Zheng was still drinking one glass after another and didn't pay any attention to him, Shen Shijiu quietly moved to the side and stood on tiptoe to watch.
Damn it, he’s not tall enough and I can’t see it at all.
He moved a little further, and a little further...
After moving forward, I finally saw the stage in the center and the beautiful person dancing on it.
Shen Shijiu also cheered and applauded along with everyone else, looking very excited.
After watching the dance, Shen Shijiu was still not satisfied. When he turned around and wanted to talk to Pei Zheng, he was suddenly dumbfounded. The person sitting in front of him was not Pei Zheng, but a fat man.
Shen Shijiu wanted to go around him and return to his original position, but because of the crowded crowd, he bumped directly into the person sitting there.
The fat man gave him an angry look.
"What are you doing! Don't you have eyes when you walk?"
"I'm sorry, I didn't see it, someone pushed me..."
"Still making excuses! Your apology isn't sincere at all. I think you probably did it on purpose!"
Shen Shijiu waved his hands and shook his head, "I really am not, I am just anxious to find my son..."
The fat man insisted, "Who is your young master? Ask him to come out and apologize to me in person. He must be a person who is not presentable if he has trained such an unruly servant."
"No!" Shen Shijiu said louder, "You are wrong. I have apologized to you. You can't say that about my son."
The people around noticed the commotion here and looked over.
"Oh, you dare to challenge me!" said the fat man, "Why don't you go out and ask around? The number of people in the imperial capital who dare to talk to your fat uncle like this can be counted on one hand. Come on, say it louder so I can hear it!"
The people around him echoed:
"I'm afraid this boy will be in big trouble today."
"He's really brave. He even dares to mess with Fatty. His family is officials. He's rich and powerful. He can act arrogantly outside."
"Little brat, why don't you kowtow to me and beg me to be magnanimous and forgive you."
"Kowtow! Kowtow! Kowtow!"
There were constant jeers. Standing in the crowd, Shen Shijiu felt that countless pairs of eyes were staring at him, waiting for him to kneel down and kowtow in public.
But even though he was a little stupid, he also knew about dignity and face. Not everyone can kneel down casually. He was wrong in this matter, but it was far from the point of kneeling down.
"I, I apologize to you again. I'm sorry, but I can't kneel down." Shen Shijiu bit his lips, feeling isolated and helpless in the noise.
Seeing how stubborn he was, the fat man felt ashamed and got very angry. He stepped forward, grabbed his collar, and lifted him up until his toes touched the ground.
"You are just a small servant, how can you be so brave? Your master hasn't come out to save you yet. Has he been scared away? Hahahaha
Shen Shijiu held his fist, feeling very scared. He turned his head with great effort to look at where Pei Zheng was sitting.
The crowd made way for him as he looked, but there was no one in front of the table.
Pei Zheng was no longer there. Did he really leave him behind
The corners of Shen Shijiu's eyes instantly became moist, and the support in his heart was gone at once. Now he was alone, with so many people forcing him, what should he do
The fat man was too lazy to talk nonsense with him. The small body he was holding in his hands was very light, as if there was not much flesh on it.
Although he doesn't look that good, his pair of affectionate eyes are quite alluring.
He lifted his hands upwards again, and both of Shen Shijiu's feet left the ground. Shen Shijiu could only hold his hands tightly in front of his chest to maintain balance.
The fat man suddenly stretched out his leg and kicked Shen Shijiu's calf, then he loosened his hand and Shen Shijiu's body fell down suddenly.
His calf was numb from being kicked and felt extremely sore and weak. It was impossible for him to stand up for a while. If he touched the ground, he would kneel down immediately.
The crowd also cheered, looking like they were enjoying a good show.
Shen Jiujiu closed his eyes tightly and tried hard to straighten his calves, but when his feet touched the ground, he suddenly felt a piercing pain, and then Shen Jiujiu's body fell to the ground uncontrollably.
At this moment, a black shadow flashed quickly in the crowd nearby. No one could see clearly what happened. They only saw Shen Shijiu's kneeling body being steadily supported by someone.
Shen Shijiu was still standing unsteadily, with the hands on his waist bearing most of his body weight. His small hands tightly grasped the clothes on the chest of the person in front of him.
Pei Zheng put his arm around him and walked over to sit on the stool next to them.
"Hey, who are you?"
The fat man was full of momentum, pointing at Pei Zheng's back and walked over, "I'm telling you, don't meddle in other people's business!"
Before he could finish his words, Pei Zheng half turned around, raised his hand, grasped the fat man's fingers and pulled them back hard.
A crisp sound of bone breaking was heard, and everyone around was shocked. They tilted their heads to see who this bold person was.
However, Pei Zheng's face was always hidden in the dark, with his back to the crowd, so most people could only see an unclear side profile of him.
But it can be seen that this man is handsome and has extraordinary bearing, and is definitely not an ordinary person.
The man in pink had just hurried back now. He had just heard Master Pei say that his servant was missing and was scared half to death.
Last time, Mr. Pei's people lost their way in his chassis, and it took a lot of fuss to settle it down. His small attic was almost demolished, so he quickly sent people to search every room in the front and back yards.
Unexpectedly, something happened in the lobby again.
He sincerely hoped that Mr. Pei would not patronize his business again. His poor life could not stand such intimidation.
The man in pink hurried over to check on Fatty's condition, then evacuated everyone and had someone take Fatty away.
"I won't go! Ah! Be gentle!" Fatty glared at the person who was supporting him. He was obviously sweating from the pain, but he still wanted to save face.
"I'm telling you, since you dared to touch me today, you should consider the seriousness of the matter! Tomorrow I will ask my father to rob your entire family!"
The fat man yelled at the top of his voice.
The man in pink turned pale with fright and hurried to see Pei Zheng.
Unexpectedly, Pei Zheng was holding the boy's calf, checking if he was injured, with a gentle look on his profile. After hearing this, he smiled.
No one saw clearly what happened next.
I saw a black figure flash before my eyes, and then the fat man knelt on the ground with a wail, and was forced to kowtow several times by someone.
Pei Zheng knelt down beside the fat man, holding his hair with his hands, and spoke in a very cold voice.
"Copy my whole family? Okay, then you have to remember this..."
Pei Zheng leaned close to his ear and spoke word by word, "… My last name is Pei."
The fat man's eyes suddenly widened. He was not stupid, so how could he not know how many people with the surname Pei there were in the entire imperial capital
His head still hit the ground, and he collapsed tremblingly.
Pei Zheng flashed back to the darkness again, picked up Shen Shijiu who was sitting there waiting for him obediently, and disappeared from everyone's sight.
After leaving the small attic, Pei Zheng let go of his hand, and Shen Shijiu, who was still hanging on him, fell down and only managed to stand firmly by touching the ground with his toes.
Shen Shijiu looked up at Pei Zheng in confusion, but then remembered that Pei Zheng didn't allow him to look at him, so he quickly looked away.
“Sir…” He knew he had caused trouble, and his voice was light and soft, as if he was admitting his fault.
"Let go."
Only then did Shen Shijiu notice that his hand was still hooked around Pei Zheng's neck. No wonder he had to stand on tiptoe.
He immediately let go of his hand and took two steps away. The numbness in his calf was almost gone.
"My Lord... I, I was wrong..."
Pei Zheng folded his arms and said nothing, staring at him coldly.
Shen Shijiu glanced at him carefully, then quickly lowered his head and twirled his fingers silently.
"I shouldn't have left your side, shouldn't have only focused on looking at the pretty boy, shouldn't have caused you trouble... I know I was wrong..."
Pei Zheng still didn't say anything. He looked at the person in front of him with his head lowered. In fact, his heart was full of complicated emotions. Thinking back to what he had just done, he didn't know what kind of mentality he had.
This silly little apprentice always reminds him of the past, and then he starts to act out of control.
Every time he saw him, another figure would appear in front of his eyes, and then the two shadows would gradually overlap, making him lose his mind.
"… My master is a very good person. I remember everything she taught me. She said that a man's knees are as precious as gold, so he should not make steamed buns to save face. That's why I won't kneel to that fat guy."
"Do you miss your master?" Pei Zheng suddenly asked.
Shen Nineteen paused, then nodded gently, "I want to..."
"Let's go."
Pei Zheng took a few steps ahead and said, "Go see your master."
Shen Shijiu looked up at his back, his face full of joy. "Really? That's great! Let's go see Master!"
This time, Shen Shijiu led the way and walked towards the clinic. Unfortunately, he always got lost, and finally found his way after asking many passers-by. The door of the clinic was closed, and Shen Shijiu ran over excitedly and knocked on the door a few times, whispering like a secret code, "Master, Master, the disciple is back" But the clinic was silent and no one answered.
Shen Shijiu shouted many times, but no one came to open the door.
It looked like there was no one inside.
"That's impossible. Master said he would wait for me at the clinic. Where on earth did Master go..."
Shen Shijiu looked very disappointed, his eyes slowly turned red, as if he would cry in the next second.
At this time, the rumbling sound of my stomach sounded, which was very ear-catching in the silence.
Shen Shijiu felt sad and a little embarrassed, her ears turned red, and she covered her belly, as if she was about to drop a little pearl.
"Are you hungry?" Pei Zheng chuckled.
Shen Shijiu nodded aggrievedly, "I slept in the afternoon and didn't eat dinner..."
"What do you want to eat?"
"Ah?" Shen Shijiu was a little surprised.
Pei Zheng raised his eyebrows, didn't ask any more questions, and turned away.
Shen Shijiu wiped his tears and hurried over, "I want to eat, I want to eat noodles!"
Unexpectedly, Pei Zheng really condescended to come to a noodle restaurant and sit down. His clothes and temperament were out of place in the small noodle restaurant.
Pei Zheng looked at Shen Shijiu who was happily eating noodles in front of him and felt that he might have gone crazy.
Shen Shijiu was unaware of Pei Zheng's thoughts. He ate three bowls of noodles in a row before stopping. His belly was so full that he burped.
"I'm stuffed."
Pei Zheng threw him a silver ingot, and Shen Shijiu happily ran to pay the bill. As a result, the noodle shop owner took out all the money from the bottom of the box and then gave him the change.
The two walked out of the noodle shop. Shen Shijiu had eaten a little too much and was so full that he could not walk fast and had a hard time keeping up with Pei Zheng's pace.
He bent down on the side of the road to catch his breath before catching up with the boy, only to see a little beggar cowering in the corner.
The little beggar seemed to be asleep, but very restlessly. His clothes were torn and there were several wounds on his knees, as if he had fallen.
Shen Shijiu walked over quietly and gently checked the little beggar's bleeding wound.
No, we have to help stop the bleeding quickly, otherwise it will be troublesome if it gets infected.
Shen Shijiu quickly fumbled in his sleeves, and finally found a packet of medicine powder.
Shen Huan had previously asked him to bring some emergency medicines with him when he went out, and he really listened to her.
He opened the medicine bag and carefully sprinkled white powder on it. The pain made the little beggar slowly open his eyes. His face was dirty and he looked at Shen Shijiu evasively, not daring to look him in the eye.
"Don't be afraid, I'm not a bad person. Can I help you bandage your wound?"
Shen Shijiu spoke softly, his eyes curved and very gentle.
The little beggar finally nodded.
But Shen Shijiu fumbled around and found no other bandages or cloth strips that could be used to bandage the wound.
Suddenly, a snow-white handkerchief appeared in front of me, with a slight scent of sandalwood.
Shen Shijiu looked up and saw Pei Zheng throwing the handkerchief directly into his arms and then walked away.
He took the handkerchief, unfolded it, and carefully bandaged the little beggar's injured leg. The bleeding had stopped, so there should be no infection.
Shen Shijiu clapped his hands, stood up, and turned to leave.
Someone gently pulled his trouser leg, and the little beggar said in a mosquito-like voice, "Thank you, brother."
Shen Shijiu smiled, "You're welcome."
Then he walked towards Pei Zheng, looking back every few steps.
Before he could reach Pei Zheng, Shen Shijiu was suddenly grabbed by the arm and thrown against the wall.
Then Pei Zheng looked at Shen Shijiu with a sinister look, as if he wanted to see into his heart through his eyes.
Shen Shijiu wanted to avoid his gaze, but he pinched his chin and forced her back.
"Why save him? He is not related to you in any way. Even if he dies, it has nothing to do with you, right?"