The way Shen Xihe raised her eyebrows teasingly softened even the wind-blown strands of Xiao Huayong’s hair. He stood as if frozen by a spell, eyes fixed on her without blinking.

There was no burning gaze, no deep stare, no lingering look.

He simply watched her quietly, feeling as if he were bathed in sunset light, the world filled with endless warmth.

If not for the damp wind curling through the small window, making the green leaves in the tall vase beside him tremble slightly, he would have looked like a still painting at that moment.

“Why… why are you suddenly looking at me like that?” Shen Xihe asked, puzzled.

Xiao Huayong seemed startled, quickly coming back to himself. Then, as if remembering something, a tender smile flickered across his lips as he met Shen Xihe’s confused gaze. His voice was exceptionally gentle: “Just thinking about some things.”

Shen Xihe surely hadn’t noticed that her unconscious expression just then had perfectly mirrored his own.

This unconscious mirroring of another’s mannerisms was the beginning of taking someone to heart.

This realization put Xiao Huayong in an excellent mood!

For several days, his gaze seemed glued to Shen Xihe. His gentle look contained no ulterior motives, leaving Shen Xihe unable to find words to reproach him even when she wanted to.

She tried hard to think what she had done to please him, but after long consideration still couldn’t figure it out, so she simply put it out of her mind.

After four consecutive days, they finally safely transported the first batch of supplies into the county. Xiao Changqing then supervised their distribution to various towns through stationed military guards.

This batch of supplies solved all current needs in the county, but the unrelenting heavy rain caused increasingly severe water accumulation, becoming the biggest current threat.

Many households couldn’t drain the accumulated water, and people braved the rain to petition the county magistrate for help.

The county magistrate was quite relieved that Prince Xin and Prince Jing were present, so he didn’t have to make decisions or rack his brains!

He wouldn’t be held responsible if things went wrong, so he simply referred everything to Xiao Changqing and Xiao Changyan.

The two had no choice but to meet and discuss countermeasures. They proposed some solutions, but these only treated symptoms rather than the root cause. Xiao Changqing had to seek advice from Commissioner Tao and his colleague. Commissioner Tao didn’t hide anything, stating: “The fundamental solution is to dig channels and waterways to direct flow to the sea.”

Xiao Changqing was shocked. He didn’t doubt that since Commissioner Tao proposed this, it must either be the only way or he must be completely confident, but this solution was too dangerous for anyone to suggest.

“Has Commissioner Tao informed His Highness the Crown Prince?” Xiao Changqing asked.

“I wouldn’t dare conceal it,” Commissioner Tao replied.

Xiao Changqing pondered this, then gave Commissioner Tao a respectful bow and left in silence.

That day, Commissioner Tao and Zhong Pingzhi came to present Shen Xihe and Xiao Huayong with the final excavation plan. Though Shen Xihe and Xiao Huayong weren’t as knowledgeable about this field as the two men, they listened carefully to their explanation, raised some concerns, and four discussed everything meticulously to minimize possible accidents. After half a day of heated discussion, they finally settled on this approach.

Early the next morning, Shen Xihe held out a bowl of medicine to Xiao Huayong.

Seeing her smiling face, mixing mischief with anticipation of entertainment, Xiao Huayong simply leaned his tall frame back: “So this is your method?”

“Making full use of resources – I learned it from you just now,” Shen Xihe smiled, tilting her head slightly. The pearl strings of her hairpin swayed with a subtle glow, making her appear even more radiant.

Xiao Huayong sighed softly, took the medicine, and drank it all at once, seemingly resigned.

After swallowing the medicine, he frowned deeply: “Bitter.”

Shen Xihe glanced at him – she’d never seen him so averse to bitterness before, but today he was being particular. She picked up a preserved fruit and held it to his lips.

Xiao Huayong smiled brightly and stretched his neck to take it, his warm lips mischievously sucking her fingertip, earning a glare from her. Xiao Huayong’s joyful laughter burst from his chest: “Hahaha…”

“Stop laughing!” Shen Xihe pushed Xiao Huayong down, pulled her sleeve from under him, adjusted her shawl, and strode away.

Soon, the busy Xiao Changyan and Xiao Changqing both received news that the Crown Prince’s condition had worsened. Not only were the physicians brought by the Crown Princess looking worried, but they had sent for outside doctors, appearing desperate for any solution.

No matter how busy Xiao Changqing and Xiao Changyan were, they had to make time to visit.

“Crown Princess.” When they arrived outside the quarters, they saw Shen Xihe standing under the rain-swept corridor, watching the falling rain, seemingly lost in thought.

Their call brought her back to herself, and she returned their greeting: “The doctor is inside. Prince Jing’s advisor might as well be called in too.”

“He’s waiting at the outer gate. I’ll summon him now,” Xiao Changyan said, about to turn back.

“Biyu, please go invite Prince Jing’s advisor in,” Shen Xihe instructed Biyu who stood at her side.

“Yes,” Biyu accepted the command, and Xiao Changyan stopped in his tracks.

“Crown Princess, what caused the Crown Prince’s illness?” Xiao Changqing asked with concern.

“I don’t know why. His Highness was having breakfast with me when he suddenly fainted and then developed a high fever. I had the imperial physicians and doctors take turns checking his pulse, but none could determine the cause.” A trace of worry gathered in Shen Xihe’s delicate brows.

Xiao Changyan and Xiao Changqing exchanged surprised glances, both falling silent.

Just as Xiao Changyan’s advisor was being brought in, there came a crash from inside. Shen Xihe was startled and quickly went inside.

Xiao Changqing and the others hesitated briefly, then immediately followed.

Inside, there was an overturned wooden basin – the doctor checking Xiao Huayong’s pulse had knocked it over and now knelt trembling to one side. Shen Xihe had already sat down on the edge of the couch.

Xiao Changqing and Xiao Changyan exchanged glances, walked around the screen, and heard Xiao Huayong muttering lowly: “The Yellow River’s waters come from heaven, flowing to the sea never to return…”

He repeated these lines from Li Bai’s poem over and over. Besides Shen Xihe, only Xiao Changqing likely understood their true meaning.

“Why are you so frightened?” Shen Xihe demanded of the kneeling doctor.

The doctor seemed scared witless, kneeling and trembling, unable even to hear Shen Xihe’s question.

“Sister-in-law, is something wrong with Brother Crown Prince? Perhaps let my advisor take a look,” Xiao Changyan suggested, seeing the doctor’s face had turned ashen, looking worse than the Crown Prince.

Shen Xihe silently stepped aside in permission. When Xiao Changyan’s advisor touched Xiao Huayong’s wrist, he too jumped up in shock.

This reaction alarmed everyone present.

Xiao Changyan’s advisor took several deep breaths, struggling to control his trembling: “The Crown Prince… His Highness… has no pulse…”

Though alive, he had no pulse!