After Xie Heng finished preparing the medicine, he leaned in to kiss her, simultaneously undoing her clothes until the wound was fully exposed.
He gave her no chance to refuse.
“I’m sure my lady wouldn’t lie; if the wound isn’t healed yet, it really isn’t healed.” He pressed the medicine against the wound, slowly applying the ointment.
The balm touched her skin, cool at first, but quickly melted under their combined body heat.
“Although the wound looks barely noticeable on the surface, if my lady doesn’t feel any pain, then it must be that the deeper parts haven’t fully healed. Since my lady can’t reach there herself, I’ll help deliver the medicine inside…”
His hands rested firmly on either side of her waist as he looked down at the spot where he applied the ointment, gently pushing it inward, little by little.
His movements were slow and tender, careful not to accidentally cause her any pain again.
At this point, Shen Yunshu knew she couldn’t avoid him tonight, so she forced herself to relax and accept his “kindness.”
He smoothly delivered the medicine deeper, then finally lifted his gaze to her face.
“Lady, does it still hurt?”
Shen Yunshu had lied to him earlier, but since he was so gentle and attentive now, it didn’t hurt at all.
Seeing her shake her head, Xie Heng held back his racing impulses and tested, “How about here? Does this spot still hurt?”
Shen Yunshu shook her head again.
His arms stretched out to support her sides, tense and straight, the muscles on his arms visibly rippling.
As his waist gradually sank lower, a slight tremor ran through his body.
“Not here either? How about this spot…” With each new place he touched, he asked softly, until Shen Yunshu couldn’t take it anymore. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down directly.
“You fool, I lied earlier. It doesn’t hurt anywhere…”
With that, all his restraint and endurance dissolved, leaving only an endless tide of passion and love…
The two of them didn’t sleep until the late hours of the night again.
Although he was much gentler than that first night, the slow grind and reduced strength naturally meant it took even longer.
From the end of the hour of Xu to near the hour of Zi, two more hours passed. He had to fetch water twice and was planning a third time when Shen Yunshu pretended to be in pain again, forcing him to reluctantly stop.
After properly applying the medicine one last time, he finally held her in his arms and fell asleep.
They slept for two full hours before he kissed her awake.
“Lady, come with me to the Southern Imperial Garden today. Get up quickly and get ready…”
Warm lips pecked like a sparrow on her face, speaking softly before giving a kiss.
Seeing she still wouldn’t wake, he bit down lower.
Shen Yunshu was roused awake, groping around to pinch his ear. She muttered, “Stop it, I want to sleep a little longer.”
She was never one to oversleep, so this was the first time Xie Heng had heard this from her.
“I’m sorry for making you suffer last night. After we return from the Southern Imperial Garden today, I promise I won’t bother you at night again…”
In truth, Shen Yunshu wasn’t really sleepy—she just used it as an excuse to avoid going with him.
The day before, Consort Chen, who was responsible for their care, came by and tentatively asked if she wanted to go to the Southern Imperial Garden with Xie Heng. If so, she would submit her name.
Shen Yunshu knew that if they genuinely wanted her to go, the plans would have been set earlier, and she’d only have to be informed. They wouldn’t ask her at the last minute.
It was just a test of her thoughts.
She played along obediently, saying she’d been unwell lately and wouldn’t go.
Consort Chen didn’t press her further and only told her to rest well.
Seeing she refused to get up, Xie Heng lay back down and lazily tangled his limbs around her.
Shen Yunshu moved a little, “Stop it. Aren’t you going to the Southern Imperial Garden?”
“If you don’t go, what’s the point of me going alone?” His large hands skillfully undid the ties of her night robe, slipping in like a swimming fish.
“His Majesty personally mentioned this matter. If you don’t go, wouldn’t that displease His Majesty?”
“Then I’ll say I want to stay in the palace to study. I think Grandfather wouldn’t mind.”
“This isn’t the Pei Mansion, and His Majesty isn’t Old Madam Pei.”
They had used that excuse to avoid sharing the same room before. Old Madam Pei was willing to believe it, but that didn’t mean His Majesty would.
“You should go. Otherwise, people will suspect you’re staying just for me, and that would put me in a difficult position…”
“All right then.” She agreed with her lips, but before her mouth could finish the words, his hands had already tossed her clothes outside the bed.
The half-awake Shen Yunshu was suddenly fully alert. “Don’t, it’s so early in the morning…”
He pressed against her again, grabbing her bent leg. “Lady, I originally planned to take you with me and woke you twenty minutes early to prepare. Since you’re not going, that frees up twenty minutes for me…”
Twenty minutes?
In these past two nights, when has he ever spent less than twenty minutes?
“No, there’s not enough time.”
“There is enough time. I’ll be quick…”
A dog’s mouth can’t spit out ivory, much less speak well.
What was supposed to be twenty minutes dragged on to thirty, with him still clutching her tightly afterward. If time hadn’t been truly limited, who knows how much longer he’d have lingered.
Afterwards, they hurried to dress and prepare. Before leaving, he kissed her lips and said, “I don’t have time to help you wash up today, Lady. You’ll have to manage on your own…”
“Don’t kiss me. Hurry up, or we’ll really be late.”
After Xie Heng left, Shen Yunshu got out of bed as usual, retrieved the medicine pill from her vanity, and swallowed it.
In the southeastern corner of the city, at the Royal Southern Imperial Garden.
Xie Heng was genuinely surprised to see his eldest brother, Shen Youran, here.
It wasn’t unusual to see his elder brother among the attending officials, all ranked fifth grade or above, but to unexpectedly see Shen Youran was another matter.
He quickly recalled that third-grade officials were allowed to bring one family member, and since her father was the Minister of Revenue, she must have come with him.
“Your Highness…” Shen Youran greeted him alongside his elder brother.
Xie Heng felt a bit awkward. “I prefer hearing you call me ‘brother-in-law’…”
“Brother-in-law,” Shen Youran’s initial emotions were somewhat complicated, but seeing he was still the same, she relaxed. “Brother-in-law, where is my sister? Why didn’t she come with you?”
“She…” Thinking of Shen Yunshu’s rare lazy side that morning, Xie Heng’s heart stirred again. “She was tired and didn’t come with me.”
“Tired?” Shen Youran couldn’t guess the hidden meaning in his words and focused on her sister. “Why is she tired? Does she still have work in the palace?”
“No, she wasn’t asked to work.”
“Then how did she get tired?”
“She stayed up late last night, so she was tired…”
“Why did she stay up late? Is she troubled by something?”
“Nothing troubling.”
“If nothing’s troubling, why did she stay up so late?”
She looked like she was going to keep pressing, and Xie Heng couldn’t hold back, countering, “Do you go to bed early every night?”
“Yes, I went to bed at the first quarter of the hour of Chen last night.”
“Do you always go to bed early every night?”
That stumped Shen Youran. She didn’t always sleep early.
She slept early last night because she had to accompany Second Brother to the Southern Imperial Garden for the archery ceremony. On other nights, she stayed up late. The reason?
Whoosh…
So, sister stayed up late last night for the same reason?
A flush of embarrassment crossed Shen Youran’s face, and she fell silent, quickly finding an excuse to leave. “Well, my Second Brother was also selected as an archer. I’ll go check on him…”
Lowering her head, she fled swiftly. Xie Heng and Pei Huaijin’s gazes followed her, but their expressions differed—Xie Heng’s eyes were filled with simple amusement, while Pei Huaijin’s shone with indulgence.
The archers stood not far away, over twenty in number, all dressed in purple loose robes with yellow ceremonial collars, wearing long footed headdresses, and tying headbands matching their robes.
With their considerable height differences, Shen Youran’s eyes struggled to find Second Brother in the crowd.
“Second Brother!” she called out.
Unexpectedly, the archers all turned their heads toward her voice.
Under so many stares, Shen Youran blushed deeply, lowering her head further.
Where was Second Brother?
Squinting, she searched.
Finally, she spotted a flash of red on one archer’s wrist.
It was the red string she had personally prayed for at the temple to protect him from evil and misfortune—her Second Brother had always worn it.
That archer, wearing the red string, was walking toward her.
It must be Second Brother indeed.
Shen Youran lowered her head, grabbed the man’s arm, and began dragging him toward a less crowded area.
The other archers immediately started teasing loudly.
She wondered, since she was looking for her Second Brother, what was there to mock?
Pei Huaijin and Xie Heng watched as the third Miss Shen, head lowered, dragged Liang’s sixth son out from the archers.
Pei Huaijin: “…”
Xie Heng: “…” Didn’t she say she was looking for her Second Brother?
Before the echoes faded, Pei Huaijin strode forward, with Xie Heng following closely behind.
Shen Youran released the “Second Brother’s” arm and looked up. “Ah… Young Master Liang!”
Why was it Liang Xu?
Why was there also a red string on Liang Xu’s wrist?
Just as she was panicking, her actual Second Brother’s voice came from behind her.
“Third Sister, were you looking for me?”
She turned to see Second Brother standing upright behind her, holding a bow and arrow, wearing the same red string on his right wrist.
The subtle numbness from when she had just squeezed his arm lingered.
Liang Xu lowered his gaze to the flustered girl and explained, “I heard you call ‘Second Brother’ earlier, so I wanted to lead you to find Shen Second Brother.”
“Oh, I see.” Shen Youran felt embarrassed. “Sorry, I mistook you earlier.”
“It’s nothing. I’ll be going back now.”
“Safe travels, Young Master Liang…”
No sooner had Liang Xu left than Pei Huaijin and Xie Heng arrived.
Xie Heng, always bold, teased, “What’s going on? How do you dare cheat on your brother right in front of him?”
Shen Youran stomped her foot in defense. “I didn’t! I just mistook him…”
Pei Huaijin knew she wasn’t doing it on purpose and pulled her to his side. “Stay close to me. Don’t wander off.”
Halfway through the banquet, the much-anticipated archery ceremony finally began.
Shen Youran sat at the back of the hall, watching the Emperor in a yellow robe hold a carved bow and shoot the royal arrow. The arrow’s tip sliced through the air with a sharp whistle and struck the target. All the officials and envoys cheered, shouting “Long live!”
Next, the archery team took the stage. They not only demonstrated their skills but competed against archers brought by envoys from foreign kingdoms.
Outstanding archers would be rewarded with silver saddles, ornate clothing, gold and silver accessories, and other prizes.
Liang Xu was the second to perform.
His first arrow hit the bullseye with such force that the target shuddered violently. He then fired two more arrows, all piercing the center, earning thunderous applause.
The Emperor was greatly pleased and rewarded him with a saddle.
Shen Changyu performed later. Skilled in mounted archery, he competed alongside three other archers from the team against six experts from the Jiang Kingdom. They narrowly won by two points.
For his prize, he chose an unassuming Western-style spyglass.
The competition finally ended, and the archery team’s duties were complete.
Shen Changyu took the spyglass to find his sister but was stopped by a young lady.
Her finely shaped eyebrows curved delicately, and when she smiled, it was like winter sunlight shining beautifully.
“Sir, my surname is Jiang. My father is the Imperial Censor. I want this spyglass. Would you please part with it? I’m willing to pay any price…”
Shen Changyu had recently resumed his role as a nobleman. Not well-read or versed in protocol, he couldn’t discern status differences. “Why do you want it?”
“I heard it can see very far, and I’m curious…”
For a fleeting moment, Shen Changyu was dazed by her beauty but then coldly replied, “What does that have to do with me?”
With that, he left her standing there and walked away.
His Majesty had already returned to the main hall to rest. The banquet guests lost their earlier restraint and scattered throughout the garden.
On the west side of the garden lay a large lake. Shen Youran strolled there with Pei Huaijin, and Xie Heng came to join them.
“Why not stay inside and keep His Majesty company longer?” Pei Huaijin asked him.
Xie Heng smiled, “There are plenty of people around the Emperor. I’m not exactly indispensable.”
His Majesty sat on the throne while many vassal princes governed their own domains. To keep them in check, each prince had at least one son sent to the capital as a hostage, so the Emperor was indeed surrounded by many imperial grandchildren.
Xie Heng had only just returned and was favored by the Emperor, living inside the palace, which naturally attracted attention.
Many of his peers among the royal clan privately ostracized him, but he didn’t bother to join their circle and preferred to come out and walk around.
Not long after, Shen Changyu joined them, handing Shen Youran the reward he’d won.
“Try this. I heard it lets you see very far.”
Shen Youran took the spyglass, full of curiosity, and raised it to her eyes.
At last, she could clearly see objects three zhang away, and beyond that, even ten, twenty zhang…
She could see the pavilion in the center of the lake, with the characters “Cui Run Xuan” written on it.
She saw the copper bells hanging from the vermilion eaves, the slender plum branches stretching beyond the palace walls, and even twenty sparrows pecking at the cold moss on the nearby artificial hill.
Someone was sticking half a body out behind the rocks, holding a bow, nocking an arrow, their gaze fierce and fixed—seemingly locked onto their side…
A chill rose suddenly. Shen Youran pointed toward the hill. “An… an assassin!”
The moment she raised her hand, the archer released the arrow. The arrow shot over the treetops, flying straight toward them.
“Watch out!”
“Brother!”
“Sister!”
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