Jiang Zhiyi felt her scalp tingle under his sinister gaze. After being confused for a long while, she looked at him blankly: “What are you talking about…”

Shen Yuance looked at her askance.

She, too, had experienced days of utter bewilderment. Back then, when her mouth was full of gibberish he couldn’t understand, had anyone thought of him during the countless times he wanted to ask, “What are you saying?”

Jiang Zhiyi looked uncertainly at his possessed-like expression and reached out to feel his forehead: “You’re talking nonsense. Are you sick too?”

As the soft hand touched his forehead, Shen Yuance closed his eyes, following the comforting sensation. He leaned his head against the bedpost and exhaled deeply.

He was indeed about to fall ill.

After dealing with his “widowed sister-in-law” for so long, laboring day and night, playing with his brother during the day, and being summoned by his brother for conversations in dreams at night.

When he wanted to drive her away, his brother said that as the elder brother is like a father, the elder brother’s wife is like a mother, so don’t hurt her.

Fine, he wouldn’t drive her away, but he was flesh and blood—when inappropriate thoughts arose during their time together, his brother said again that as the elder brother is like a father, the elder brother’s wife is like a mother, and he was deeply pained by these thoughts.

…Some “elder brother’s wife is like a mother” indeed! What an undeserved calamity.

Jiang Zhiyi followed his backward movement, repeatedly feeling his forehead with her palm and the back of her hand: “It does seem a bit hot. Are you running a fever?”

Shen Yuance, leaning against the bedpost, opened his eyes slightly. He was about to say no when he looked down and saw that she had crawled out from under the quilt to reach his forehead. Now kneeling on the bed, leaning forward slightly, her thin undergarment’s collar had loosened, revealing a corner of her egg-yellow undershirt.

Soft whiteness spilled through the gap, and Shen Yuance’s gaze paused, forgetting what he was about to say.

“Oh! Why did it suddenly get hotter?” Jiang Zhiyi exclaimed in alarm as she felt his forehead.

Shen Yuance quickly averted his eyes, raised his hand to grasp her wrist, and gently pushed her back into place: “Go back under your covers.”

Jiang Zhiyi stumbled, steadying herself on the bed, and frowned: “…I was just concerned about you.”

Shen Yuance turned his head away, glimpsing from the corner of his eye that she hadn’t moved at all, as if upset that her concern had been met with coldness: “Take care of yourself first. Don’t you know it’s cold?”

Jiang Zhiyi responded with an “Oh” and crawled back under the quilt: “But if you’re not feeling well, you should see a doctor.”

“…I know.”

Thinking that he too had been kept in the dark about today’s events and must be both physically and mentally exhausted after their big argument, Jiang Zhiyi softened: “Alright, alright, since today was just a misunderstanding, I won’t argue with you anymore. Let’s make up.”

Shen Yuance, with his back half-turned, looked back at her: “You’ve slept all day. Aren’t you hungry?”

“I’m hungry—” Jiang Zhiyi answered halfway before suddenly startling, looking toward the window. “Wait, I’ve been asleep all day. What about the cemetery?”

“I sent maids to go in your place.”

Early this morning, Jiang Zhiyi had awakened early. Thinking that waiting idly would accomplish nothing, she had gone to meet Shen Yuance. As she approached the Shen residence, she happened to encounter a Shen household servant reporting that the young master would be late by a quarter of an hour. Looking ahead, she discovered the Pei family women’s carriages stopped in front of the Shen residence, so she stormed in furiously.

Later, after she fainted in the study, Shen Yuance, seeing that she shouldn’t go out again today, instructed Gu Yu and Xiaoman to take the offerings to the cemetery, counting it as Jiang Zhiyi paying respects to her mother.

Jiang Zhiyi looked at the darkening sky outside and showed regret: “How did I sleep for so long…”

“Don’t worry, your mother won’t blame you.” If anyone was to be blamed, it would be the person who had ruthlessly burned calming incense for her all day.

Shen Yuance rose from the bed and went to the tea table to pour a cup of cold tea: “Your two maids are slow, and I don’t know when they’ll return. I’ll have someone bring the evening meal here, and you can eat in this room.”

“Will you join me for the evening meal?” Jiang Zhiyi asked, blinking her eyes.

Shen Yuance glanced outside. For the past quarter hour, Mu Xinhong had been pacing back and forth in the corridor, seemingly very worried about their great career that could be exposed at any moment, and deeply distressed by his young general who was lingering in a lady’s chamber.

“I can’t eat alone! I must have someone accompany me!” Seeing his silence, Jiang Zhiyi added.

Through the window, Shen Yuance’s gaze met Mu Xinhong’s. Mu Xinhong looked anxious, pressing his palms together like praying to gods and Buddhas, silently urging him to quickly go discuss important matters—if they didn’t find a solution soon, all would be lost!

Shen Yuance spoke: “Accompany you? Of course I will.”

Mu Xinhong: “…”

Fine, it was over. How could it not be?

At the end of the hour of the dog, in the study, Mu Xinhong and Li Dafeng sat facing each other on opposite sides of the arhat couch, starting their nineteenth game of chess tonight, having never seen an evening meal that took so long.

What were they eating that took so long? Had they gone to the fields to dig winter bamboo shoots or to the river to catch carp?

If they were at the border, in this much time, the Young General would have finished twenty evening meals.

With this time, he could have shot two hundred arrows, run thirty laps on horseback, rehearsed ten military formations…

Mu Xinhong, looking at the chaotic chessboard before him, placed a piece and glanced outside.

Qing Song, attending nearby, was so worried he couldn’t eat his evening meal, partly devastated by Miss Pei and the Young Master’s affair—previously, he had at least known the Princess and Young Master were acquainted, but Miss Pei and the Young Master? He didn’t even know when they had ever spoken!

He was also worried about the Young Master’s identity being exposed—as the saying goes, “To die under peony flowers, even as a ghost, one would be romantic.” The Young Master might be willing to die at the Princess’s hands, making a romantic ghost, but he would neither get to be romantic nor keep his life!

Just as Qing Song and Mu Xinhong were extremely anxious, footsteps sounded in the corridor, and Shen Yuance pushed open the study door.

Mu Xinhong jumped up from the couch as if his buttocks were on fire.

“…Young General, you’ve finally come! Has the Princess gone back?” Mu Xinhong glanced outside, saw that the Princess’s two personal maids had arrived but were going toward the bathhouse, and exclaimed in astonishment, “Will the Princess be staying overnight again?”

“I invited her,” Shen Yuance said, sitting down on the chair. “What’s the matter?”

“…”

“Young General, urgent matters are pressing now; we can’t delay matters of romance!” Mu Xinhong stepped forward to close the window, pointing at Li Dafeng, who was calmly drinking tea. “Doctor Li says that after the last treatment, the Princess’s blood stasis has been gradually dispersing. Now there’s no telling when it will completely clear up. Perhaps the Princess will wake up one morning with her memory suddenly clear…”

“So, isn’t keeping her here the safest?”

Mu Xinhong was stunned.

Shen Yuance looked at Li Dafeng.

Li Dafeng: “You want me to do something that goes against medical ethics again?”

“In her condition, if we don’t use medicine to quickly eliminate the blood stasis, will it cause any harm to her body?”

“No, just make sure she doesn’t get hit or bumped a second time.”

“Then today, just pretend you found nothing. When returning the medical records to the Marquis’s residence, simply say she’s as usual, with no health issues.”

Li Dafeng sighed.

Seeing that Shen Yuance had a plan, Mu Xinhong immediately rallied: “Doctor Li, thank you for your trouble!”

Li Dafeng: “I’m used to it.”

He had nursed a half-dead person for half a year, and this god of death had killed him without hesitation, ending his life in a few breaths. Those prisoners who entered the military camp’s punishment chamber—this god of death would beat them until nearly dead, then send them to him for treatment, and once healed, continue beating them until nearly dead again. As a physician, getting involved with such a Young General was truly unfortunate.

After instructing Li Dafeng, Shen Yuance pointed at Mu Xinhong: “Go find out where the Marquis of Yong’en is and send people to escort him back to the capital as soon as possible.”

“Yes, sir!”

“You—” Shen Yuance pointed at Qing Song, “Ask the Madam about the procedures for the three letters and six betrothal gifts, and request that Madam arrange everything in the shortest possible time.”

“Yes, sir!”

Qing Song and Mu Xinhong’s mouths were faster than their brains; after responding, they paused and slowly looked up at Shen Yuance: “…You mean to…?”

Shen Yuance: “Didn’t you say that when she comes to her senses, she’ll go to her imperial uncle and expose me?”

Since she held the Shen family’s biggest secret, she shouldn’t leave the Shen household.

He would finish what needed to be done before she came to her senses, then see whether her accomplished husband or her imperial uncle would be more important to her.

Emerging from the steamy bathhouse, Jiang Zhiyi, having applied skin moisturizer and nail oil, returned to the west wing room enveloped in fragrance. As soon as she entered, she saw that Shen Yuance had also finished bathing and was sitting on the edge of the bed in casual loungewear, waiting for her.

Gu Yu and Xiaoman exchanged glances, both covering their mouths and giggling.

Indeed, small arguments enhance affection. Today’s Young General Shen seemed like a completely different person, so warm and eager, first actively inviting the Princess to stay after the evening meal, and now so impatient that he couldn’t bear to be apart from the Princess for a moment.

Jiang Zhiyi was also surprised and tilted her head to look at him: “Why have you come over again?”

“Not welcome?” Shen Yuance raised an eyebrow.

“It’s just that you seem strange today…” Jiang Zhiyi recalled how, during the meal just now, he had served her dishes and peeled shrimp for her. The last time he accompanied her shopping, he hadn’t been willing to do such servants’ work. “Did you do something that wronged me? Or—do you want something from me?”

Shen Yuance looked at her for a while, then glanced away and instructed the two maids: “You may go.”

Gu Yu and Xiaoman obediently withdrew, closing the door behind them.

Jiang Zhiyi frowned strangely, pointed her finger at him, and said with certainty: “You’re up to something. You have something on your mind.”

“Why are you standing so far away?” Shen Yuance tilted his head slightly. “Come here.”

Jiang Zhiyi, wearing a thin nightgown, walked forward. Just as she was about to sit on the edge of the bed, she saw him raise his chin: “Sit here.”

Jiang Zhiyi followed his jawline and looked down to see his knee. She raised her eyes hesitantly: “Wh-where?”

“Exactly where you’re thinking.”

“…”

“I wasn’t thinking about anything!”

“Then I thought, is that alright?”

Jiang Zhiyi’s eyes turned to the side, her gaze flickering: “What did you… think?”

Shen Yuance didn’t bother to speak further and grabbed her wrist, pulling her into his arms.

Jiang Zhiyi, like a light, floating cloud, fell softly onto his lap. She lost her balance, leaned to one side, and clutched his neck.

Their eyes met at close range. Jiang Zhiyi’s breath caught, and with a heated face, she slightly loosened her grip and moved back a bit.

Shen Yuance pressed one hand against the small of her back, drawing her back, while raising his other hand to guide her loosened arm back around his neck.

Jiang Zhiyi completely held her breath, staring intently at him.

“Have you sat like this before?” Shen Yuance asked.

“Wh-why are you asking about the past again?” Jiang Zhiyi looked at him, thinking back. “I can’t remember clearly!”

Very good—it seemed she hadn’t imagined this far yet.

After walking down the wrong path for so long, today he would shield his brother from this noisy little peach blossom, giving his brother peace in heaven. Before the long night brought more troubles, he would take the Shen family’s greatest future threat into his fold early, eliminating future problems.

“What are you…”

“Didn’t you ask if I wanted something from you?”

Jiang Zhiyi turned her head away huffily: “I knew it! One doesn’t visit the temple without a reason. Today, you just want me to do something for you!”

“Yes,” Shen Yuance nodded, “I want to propose to you.”

Jiang Zhiyi was stunned as if struck by lightning. Her nose, eyes, eyebrows, and expression all froze. She slowly blinked at the air, then hesitantly turned back, as if unable to believe her ears: “…What did you say?”

“I said—I want to propose to you.” Shen Yuance repeated, slowing his pace.

As if New Year’s Eve firecrackers had exploded by her ear, Jiang Zhiyi’s head crackled with noise. Looking at him, she stammered: “Pro-proposal means—”

Shen Yuance raised his head, looking back into her eyes: “It means, will you, Jiang Zhiyi, marry me, Shen Yuance, as my wife?”