Feng Jin sighed helplessly. If things continued to develop at this rate, how long would it take to break through that barrier?
After much thought, she decided to help Cai Qing: "There's a tiger carved on your crossbow bolt."
Alerted by Feng Jin's reminder, Lu Shi finally noticed the tiger on the crossbow bolt. But could this clumsy carving truly be a tiger? He had found it strange at first and stared at it for a long time, unable to discern what it was.
"Young Madam, if you hadn't pointed it out, I wouldn't have realized it was a tiger. But General, what is the meaning of carving a tiger on a crossbow bolt?"
"It wasn't me!" Did she have nothing better to do than carve a tiger on his crossbow bolt? If it were her carving, Lu Shi wouldn't dare wear it. If Ling Mo Han, that jealous man, saw it, who knew what trouble would ensue.
Lu Shi frowned, rubbing the back of his head, suddenly confused as to what was happening.
Feng Jin sighed, truly exasperated by Lu Shi's denseness, unable to figure out such simple matters: "It was Cai Qing."
Lu Shi's eyes widened abruptly, and for a moment, he didn't know what to say. His head buzzed.
"You really are a simpleton. Can't you see that Cai Qing likes you!" Feng Jin was tired of playing games with Lu Shi and laid it all out directly.
"Ah!" Lu Shi exclaimed in surprise, and his entire face immediately flushed red.
Cai Qing liked him? How could that be possible?
With this realization, Lu Shi felt lightheaded, as if his feet weren't on the ground.
This was the first time he knew a girl liked him. He unconsciously swallowed.
"What's wrong? Are you scared silly?"
Seeing his stunned expression, Feng Jin wondered if he was truly frightened.
"No, I just... I just didn't react in time."
"Then what are your thoughts?"
"Ah?" Lu Shi called out confusedly, asking without understanding, "What... what are your thoughts?"
"What are your thoughts about Cai Qing liking you?" Feng Jin asked patiently, then, worried Lu Shi's dull mind wouldn't grasp it, she rephrased it in a simpler, more direct way: "Do you like Cai Qing?"
This question made Lu Shi incredibly embarrassed. In his twenty-odd years, this was the first time he had encountered something like this, and he truly didn't know how to answer.
"What's with all the stammering? Speak up quickly, do you like her or not!"
Feng Jin's patience was wearing thin, her fingers tapping incessantly on the table revealing her impatience.
"It's just..." Lu Shi looked troubled, reaching up to scratch the back of his head, his words trailing off. He didn't know what to say.
"This is too troublesome. If you truly don't like her, then consider today's conversation as if it never happened. Besides, Cai Qing is a young lady, and she's not getting any younger. A girl's youth is fleeting, and I can't keep her by my side forever. Once we return to the capital, I'll have to find a good family for Cai Qing, so she doesn't pine over one person and waste her time."
Hearing this, Lu Shi immediately panicked and said, "Don't... Young Madam, I... I..."
The words caught in his throat. Lu Shi was angered by his own uselessness, unable to even speak clearly.
Seeing his demeanor, Feng Jin understood almost everything. But what was wrong with Lu Shi, unable to articulate his thoughts?
"Forget it. If you really don't want to, I can't force you. Otherwise, then..."
"Young Madam, no... I... I li... like Cai Qing!"
Lu Shi, fearing that Cai Qing would be married off to someone else, forced himself to speak the words.
A smile played on Feng Jin's lips. Finally, a teachable student, not too foolish after all.
"Bang!" A loud noise startled them, and both turned to look.
Cai Qing stood there, looking a bit stunned, with shattered porcelain pieces scattered at her feet.
"Cai Qing!"
"Cai Qing!"
They both spoke at the same time.
Cai Qing snapped back to attention, Lu Shi's words of liking her echoing in her mind. Her face instantly turned completely red.
Lacking the courage to even look at Lu Shi, Cai Qing quickly turned and ran away.
"Cai Qing!" As Lu Shi was about to chase after her, Feng Jin called out from behind.
"Alright, stop chasing. Let her calm down by herself."
Girls are naturally shy. After what just happened, she would naturally be embarrassed. If Lu Shi were to chase after her now, wouldn't that make Cai Qing want to disappear into the ground?
"Young Madam, but what if I..."
"What if nothing. If you still want to get married, hurry up and go. Go and do what you need to do. I'll handle things here."
Feng Jin quickly ushered Lu Shi away. The matter had been explained, and staying longer would only cause trouble. It was better for him to leave quickly.
Lu Shi hesitated for a long time. Under Feng Jin's impatient gaze urging him to leave, he was startled into departing quickly.
After they left, Feng Jin got up to check on Cai Qing. She knocked on the door for a while before the person inside slowly opened it.
"Young Madam." Cai Qing lowered her head, her voice tinged with shyness, the blush on her face not yet faded.
"Still shy?"
"No, Young Madam, please stop teasing this servant."
Cai Qing lowered her head even further, nervously twisting her fingers, revealing her current bashfulness.
Feng Jin covered her mouth and chuckled, "When a man comes of age, he marries, and a woman comes of age, she marries. There's nothing to be shy about. Besides, you've always liked Lu Shi. Now that you know his feelings, you should be happy."
It was better than pouring out her heart and never knowing. Feng Jin felt fortunate for Cai Qing.
"Young Madam... this servant is not happy at all. I was so embarrassed just now."
Whenever she recalled the moment she met Lu Shi just now, her face would flush, and she wished she could find a hole to crawl into. She truly had no face to see anyone.
It was all Lu Shi's fault for saying such things in front of the Young Madam. She was now agonizing over how she would face Lu Shi in the future and what she would say.
"You little girl are so thin-skinned. I can only help you this much. The rest depends on your own efforts."
This was all she could do. As for what would happen next, it depended on their own destinies.
"However, now that you know Lu Shi's feelings for you, you should play hard to get for now. This is called 'playing coy to catch him'..."
Feng Jin then began to impart her hard-won wisdom to Cai Qing, most of which she had learned from idol dramas.