Guan Xinrui arrived at the study in the Official Residence, with Qiao'er following behind him.
Qiao'er was clearly nervous. After all, she and the mistress had rummaged through many of the master's belongings earlier. Being summoned to the study now filled her with guilty unease; she thought he had discovered something.
"Master, why did you call me here?"
Watching Qiao'er lift her head anxiously after entering with her eyes lowered, Guan Xinrui wore a kindly expression.
"I just wanted to ask about what's happened recently. I haven't had time to read the office documents, and the people in the main hall earlier were all talking over one another. Their accounts were muddled and missing many details. Tell me about it."
Hearing that this was what he wanted, Qiao'er breathed a small sigh of relief.
"Master..."
Qiao'er was just about to speak when Guan Xinrui raised a hand to stop her and pointed toward the doorway.
"Go close the door."
Suspecting nothing, Qiao'er answered, "Yes!" and went to close it. But just as she shut the study door, two large hands seized her from behind.
One held her waist, while the other wrapped around her chest.
"Ah!"
Qiao'er gave a frightened cry. Like Liu Shi, she harbored a faint fear of Guan Xinrui, though she had not thought as deeply about it as Liu Shi had.
"Master, Master, don't... don't..."
"Why not?"
"This... this is the study..."
Guan Xinrui did not stop his hands as Qiao'er spoke, making her voice tremble. Whether it was mostly fear or some other sensation, she could not tell.
People said scholars lacked even the strength to truss a chicken, but that was clearly not always true. All Qiao'er could feel at that moment was how strong her master was, and she could not help recalling