"The Fifth missus usually eats in her room." A servant looked at Shen Hanxing's expression and asked carefully, "Madam, do you need me to ask the Fifth missus to come downstairs?"
"No," Shen Hanxing replied faintly. "Serve the dishes after Sixth Young Master comes back. I'll go upstairs and call the Fifth missus."
A servant came forward to remind her at the right time. "Madam, the Fifth missus room is on the fourth floor."
As she walked up the stairs, she could vaguely hear the sound of a violin. The melody was smooth but contained a hint of sadness. Shen Hanxing stopped to listen for a moment, then raised her hand to knock on the door.
The violin sound instantly became chaotic. The violin bow drew heavily on the strings, emitting a piercing sound. After everything returned to silence, still no one opened the door.
Shen Hanxing patiently raised her hand again and knocked. "Ji Ning, open the door."
After waiting for a long time, the door gently cracked open. Shen Hanxing pushed the door open and entered. She saw a thin and frail girl hugging her knees and hiding in the corner of the room. Her soft hair covered her face and her expression.
Shen Hanxing glanced at the violin that the girl threw onto the table in a panic and gently introduced, "Hello, I am your big brother's new wife, Shen Hanxing. From now on, we will be a family. It's nice to meet you."
There was no movement and no reaction from the girl.
Shen Hanxing was not discouraged. She said to herself, "I heard you playing the violin when I came upstairs just now. It's Massenet's 'Meditation', right?"
When she mentioned the violin, the girl in front of her finally had some reactions. She timidly raised her head, revealing a pair of eyes that did not know anything about the world. Unfortunately, this pair of innocent eyes were filled with fear and panic, losing most of its liveliness.
Was she going to mock her again? Just like those people, they mocked her for not having the courage to perform on the stage, and they scolded her for ruining the violin.
It didn't matter, she was already used to it. Those insults and curses... Ji Ning sniffed and wanted to lower her head and hide in her turtle shell. However, she heard the beautiful young girl in front of her ask her very gently, "Can I borrow your violin?"
Ji Ning nodded in a daze.
The quiet melody filled the room following Shen Hanxing's movements. The same tune seemed much livelier when Shen Hanxing's played it. Like a tender bud desperately breaking through the shackles of the abyss, blossoming and extending towards the clear blue sky. It breathed and jumped freely...
Ji Ning was stunned. "You play so well."
Shen Hanxing put down the bow and smiled. "You play very well too. I hope I can hear you play again next time."
Ji Ning couldn't help but turn red, her round eyes darting around, not knowing what to do.
"I don't know much about the violin."
Shen Hanxing bent down to look at her. "But I know you're very talented. If you're willing, I'll always be your audience."
Life abroad was very hard. To earn money and give her grandmother a better life, Shen Hanxing learned many skills. The violin was just one of them.
Ji Ning stared at her. Shen Hanxing's eyes were very pretty. Her eyes slanted upwards slightly, making her look very aggressive when she was not smiling, but at this moment, her clear and cold eyes were filled with sincerity.
Ji Ning was lost in thought as she looked at her... for some reason, when facing Shen Hanxing's gaze, Ji Ning could not say anything to reject her. She nodded indiscernibly, agreeing with Shen Hanxing's suggestion.
"That's great."
Shen Hanxing's eyes curved as she didn't hide her happiness at all. "I get the honor to hear you play in the future! To celebrate, can I invite you to dinner?" After a pause, she added, "Whole family is down there."
Family?
This unfamiliar term caused Ji Ning's eyes to turn red. Shen Hanxing was flustered. "What's wrong? Are you not feeling well?"
Crystal clear tears rolled down her cheeks like they were free. As Ji Ning wiped them away, she stuffed her skinny palm into Shen Hanxing's warm palm. "It's... It's fine."
It had been a long time since she felt warmth. She would be fine in a bit.
When Shen Hanxing held Ji Ning's hand and led her downstairs, Ji Yan, Ji Yang, and even Ji Mo, who just returned home from school, could not help but show their surprise.
The old Mr. Ji was a womanizer and had children with many different women. Ji Ning's mother could not stand the thought that the man she loved was just fooling around with her. After giving birth to Ji Ning, she went crazy. Consequently, Ji Ning grew up in a miserable environment when she was young. Things only got better for her when the Ji family took her in a few years ago.
It was probably because the trauma of her childhood was too severe, she always stayed alone in her room playing the violin. She rarely interacted with others and did not appear in front of others.
Ji Yang was still fearful of Shen Hanxing's discipline methods. He could not help but look at Ji Ning with sympathy. Shen Hanxing, this violent woman, would treat Ji Ning the same way, right?
His sister was so skinny. How painful would it be when Shen Hanxing beat her up?