“Have you seen that maid beside her before?” Shen Xihe asked.

Zhenzhu shook her head, but Biyu, who had more opportunities to visit the palace, said: “Princess, she seems to be someone from the Third Princess’s household.”

“Indeed…” Shen Xihe let out a soft breath.

This was the horse market, an important trading place for foreign nations. While it might not be heavily guarded, security was strict, with interpreters present to facilitate trade. The sudden disappearance of everyone was highly unusual.

“Second Young Lady has fallen into Third Princess’s trap,” Biyu frowned instinctively.

Watching Shen Yingruo chatting and laughing with the Tubo prince, Shen Xihe smiled gently: “She also grew up in the palace. Don’t view her as weak and easily bullied.”

Withdrawing her gaze, the smile at Shen Xihe’s lips gradually took on a frosty edge: “However, these patrol guards being so easily removed deserves some punishment. Zhenzhu…”

Zhenzhu bent down, and Shen Xihe whispered some instructions in her ear. She immediately withdrew.

After Shen Yingruo helped resolve the Tubo prince’s trouble, her ability to speak the Tubo language left him amazed. He immediately asked: “Are you His Majesty’s princess?”

“I’m not His Majesty’s princess, I’m just a princess’s study companion,” Shen Yingruo bowed politely. “Our princess saw that the guests were having trouble and specifically sent me to help.”

When the Tubo prince heard Shen Yingruo was just a study companion – in Tubo, study companions were selected from servants – he felt somewhat disappointed. However, hearing her subsequent words, his eyes immediately brightened again.

Following Shen Yingruo’s gaze, he saw the Third Princess sitting in the distance. He had seen this Third Princess before and immediately felt favorably disposed. He couldn’t help asking Shen Yingruo: “Does the Third Princess also speak the Tubo language?”

“Of course, the Princess is highly learned and talented,” Shen Yingruo praised.

Unfortunately, the palace maid who came with Shen Yingruo didn’t understand the Tubo language. When the Tubo prince cast an inquiring look, Shen Yingruo casually deceived: “The prince asked if I was a princess, I told him I’m His Majesty’s niece.”

The palace maid immediately nodded.

Shen Yingruo then said to the Tubo prince: “Our princess greatly admires Tubo, yearning for the emerald grasslands, the free-floating flower fragrance, and the unrestrained songs.”

The Tubo prince was overjoyed: “The Princess’s wishes will surely come true.”

Shen Yingruo gave a slight bow and left with the princess’s maid. As soon as she turned away, her smile vanished.

Few people knew she could speak the Tubo language. Third Princess had pushed her forward to resolve this trouble in her capacity as a County Princess.

These days, the Third Princess had been persistently pursuing her, making her extremely annoyed. To completely dispel the Third Princess’s thoughts, she had to address the root cause.

Making the Tubo prince fall for her, leading him to actively seek marriage – letting the Third Princess taste what it feels like to be schemed against.

Shortly after Shen Yingruo left the horse market, a large-scale brawl broke out between horse merchants and foreign customers. Such incidents affecting foreign relations naturally reached the emperor’s ears. The patrol guards on duty that day were all caned, and several commanders received various punishments, with many being demoted.

Negligence in such places could easily lead to hostilities and warfare between nations. Without severe punishment as a warning, if something truly went wrong in the future, it could be a matter of life and death!

Because of this commotion, Bu Shulin couldn’t buy her horse. She continued dragging Shen Xihe to other places, and fate worked in mysterious ways – when Bu Shulin took Shen Xihe to eat something delicious, they ran into Cui Jinbai walking out of the restaurant.

Cui Jinbai was with officials from the Court of Judicial Review, clearly there on official business.

The moment Bu Shulin saw Cui Jinbai, her expression froze. She immediately avoided him like the plague, not even allowing him time to pay respects to Shen Xihe, pulling at Shen Xihe’s sleeve: “Quickly, Princess.”

Caught off guard, Shen Xihe was pulled forward. Looking back, she saw Cui Jinbai standing with his back to them for quite a while before finally moving on at his subordinate’s reminder.

Shen Xihe pulled free from Bu Shulin: “If you do this again, don’t blame me for being discourteous.”

Bu Shulin gave an awkward smile. To show her apology, she ordered many dishes, but she was the one eating heartily, alternating between happily eating and endlessly explaining the origins of each dish to Shen Xihe.

She was completely unaware of her unusual behavior.

“Alin,” Shen Xihe suddenly called.

Bu Shulin stopped eating and looked up at her.

“Alin, you care,” Shen Xihe revealed. “Your heart aches. You are about Cui Shaoqing. You have feelings for him too.”

Shen Xihe didn’t know if speaking thus was right or wrong, but seeing Bu Shulin forcing a smile while not understanding why she was forcing it, she inexplicably felt her heart soften.

“I have feelings for him?” Bu Shulin pointed at herself in disbelief. “Impossible!”

“You don’t need to deny it to me. Search your heart,” Shen Xihe said. “I’m someone who doesn’t concern myself with romantic matters, but if one day someone truly moves my heart, I would certainly dare to face it directly. Whether to part or stay, whether to fight for it or withdraw in time, I would make everything clear. Only then can one avoid letting oneself down.”

Bu Shulin’s lips moved, but she finally lowered her head wordlessly.

Did she have feelings for Cui Jinbai?

She had never thought of it this way, but she couldn’t refute Shen Xihe. Under her calm yet penetrating gaze, her subtle feelings that even she hadn’t noticed were exposed.

She stuffed a few more bites of food into her mouth, then suddenly stopped with her chopsticks suspended in mid-air. She stared blankly for a moment, and a crystalline tear dropped into her bowl. She put down her chopsticks, wiped her eyes, and when she looked at Shen Xihe again, she spoke frankly: “Yoyo, you’re right. Perhaps without realizing it, I developed some feelings for him.”

But there could never be anything between them. He was a talented young official who would undoubtedly become a high-ranking minister in the future, the leader of the Cui clan. She was the child of a foreign prince – she couldn’t abandon her responsibilities to him, leaving her old father to face everything alone.

She didn’t even dare reveal to him that she was a woman. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust his character, but some matters couldn’t allow for even the slightest error.

It was better that he didn’t know, sparing him some trouble. Let him continue to despise her, naturally creating distance between them.

If one day her identity was exposed, he could remain uninvolved.

“Yoyo, I am the Crown Prince of Shu South,” Bu Shulin’s gaze was determined, her voice cold and clear. “You’re right, there’s nothing I dare not face or acknowledge. Hesitation only brings more trouble. Since there can be no outcome, it’s better to cut it off completely. It’s better for both him and me.”

When Shen Xihe saw that tear, she knew Bu Shulin had made her decision to let go. Otherwise, how could someone as strong as her shed tears?

Love truly was the most tormenting poison in this world, capable of breaking one’s heart. Shen Xihe sighed inwardly.

This was Bu Shulin’s decision, and Shen Xihe said nothing more.