Shen Lingzhen made a simple “three lines” pattern, stretching the string and placing her hands before him: “Here, Young Master’s turn.”

Huo Liuxing snorted with a laugh and in a few moves made a “square fork” for her.

“Like threading a needle with a thick hand—rough yet refined. It seems Young Master does have some skill.” While praising him, Shen Lingzhen leaned forward, her fingers nimbly flying about, picking out a “field” pattern.

Huo Liuxing’s eyes swept over the string pattern once, then raised his hand to make a “chessboard”: “Mm-mm-mm-mm-mm-mm-mm?”—Can we do something harder?

“Then I’m going to get serious now.” Shen Lingzhen thought for a moment, hooking her fingers and shuttling them back and forth a few times, easily making a “small stool.”

The previous patterns had all been flat surfaces, but this one had form. Huo Liuxing lowered his head, looking up from below, gesturing: “Mm-mm-mm-mm.”—Raise your hands higher.

Shen Lingzhen cooperatively raised them higher. Seeing him study it carefully for a while as if understanding the trick, he began to move.

She kindly advised: “If Young Master acts blindly, be careful not to let the string fall apart.”

Huo Liuxing stopped his movements and looked up at her with a glance.

“Young Master, look more carefully. Is it right or not?”

Huo Liuxing furrowed his brows, observing for a long time, then lightly flicked her forehead: “Mm-mm?”—Are you tricking me?

Shen Lingzhen yelped “Ow!” at his flick. Unable to free her hands to cover her forehead, she looked at him resentfully. Seeing him confidently about to manipulate the string, in a fit of pique she hid her hands behind her waist, refusing to let him touch them.

Huo Liuxing reached to grab them but she dodged. He made a “tsk” sound and crooked his finger at her: “Mm-mm-mm-mm-mm.”—Don’t force me to get rough.

“Young Master has already gotten rough!”

Huo Liuxing thought he hadn’t even used force. Seeing her forehead had indeed reddened, he smiled, pressed one hand on the back of her head, and rubbed her forehead with the other. After rubbing a few times: “Mm-mm-mm?”—Better now?

Shen Lingzhen reluctantly handed over the string.

Huo Liuxing flexed his fingers and made a “flowerpot,” raising his eyebrows at her, his face full of smug delight.

“Young Master shouldn’t celebrate too early. The impressive ones are yet to come.” As she spoke, all ten fingers moved—threading, hooking, picking, twisting, and finally with a snap, she formed a “dragonfly.”

Huo Liuxing was stumped. He planned to roll up his sleeves, only to realize he wasn’t wearing any. He could only sit calmly, and after half an incense stick’s time had passed, under Shen Lingzhen’s repeated urging that “my hands are getting sore,” he finally had a flash of inspiration. But this excitement was too much—with a forceful tug, he snapped the string knot directly.

Shen Lingzhen stared at him, then clapped her hands laughing: “Young Master lost!”

Huo Liuxing was too angry for words.

Of course, even if he weren’t angry, he still couldn’t speak.

“Mm-mm-mm!”—This doesn’t count!

“Why doesn’t it count? If everyone were like Young Master, breaking the string when they can’t make a pattern, wouldn’t there never be a winner or loser?”

“Mm-mm-mm-mm!”—I could have done it!

Shen Lingzhen shook her head in disagreement.

Huo Liuxing nodded: “Mm, mm-mm-mm, mm-mm-mm-mm!”—Fine, you win, one more time!

Shen Lingzhen was amused by his childlike manner: “Who just now refused to play with me?”

Huo Liuxing calmly pointed at his own nose: “Mm-mm-mm, mm-mm-mm?”—That’s me, so what?

Shen Lingzhen looked at the string he’d torn into two pieces and wrinkled her nose: “But I only found this one thin string.”

He picked up the longer piece, tied a knot, indicating this would do.

“The string is short now. For Young Master’s big hands, it will be difficult.” She reminded him.

“Mm-mm-mm-mm, mm.”—Enough nonsense, come on.

Shen Lingzhen had no choice but to continue playing with him.

After several rounds, Huo Liuxing seemed to have found the knack. Now it was her turn to be stuck on a “teapot.”

Shen Lingzhen couldn’t find the solution for a while. Her willow-leaf brows knitted together as she tilted her head to examine the string pattern in his hands, unknowingly leaning closer and closer.

Huo Liuxing silently moved his hands back an inch.

Her entire focus was on the string. Completely unaware, she advanced another inch.

After several rounds of retreating and advancing, she unconsciously moved off the stool surface. With her center of gravity unstable, she fell forward in mid-air.

Having already absorbed the ointment on his body, Huo Liuxing released his hands and caught her. Soft jade and warm fragrance filled his arms as he laughed softly.

Shen Lingzhen’s cheek pressed against his bare chest, her ear tickled and numbed by the vibrations from his chest cavity.

She pushed against him and scrambled up: “You cheated!”

Huo Liuxing disagreed: “Mm-mm-mm-mm-mm-mm-mm-mm, mm-mm-mm-mm-mm-mm.”—Unable to make the pattern, you threw yourself into my arms. Clearly you’re the one who cheated.

Shen Lingzhen frowned: “Young Master is mumbling incoherently. What are you saying?”

Huo Liuxing slowed down and hummed it all again.

She shook her head: “I still don’t understand.”

He patiently hummed again.

Her expression grew more confused: “Can Young Master say it once more?”

Huo Liuxing caught on. In anger, he stood up.

Shen Lingzhen hurriedly fled, but he caught up in just a few steps and grabbed her.

“Mm-mm-mm?”—Playing me?

“I’m not! I really didn’t understand!”

Saying “I’m not,” but the triumphant smile on her face gave her away. Huo Liuxing was about to get rough again. He raised his hand, but seeing her skin that reddened at the slightest touch, so delicate that nowhere was suitable to strike, he paused and changed to tickling her waist instead.

Shen Lingzhen was tickled until she both laughed and wanted to cry. Dodging all the way, she fell onto the bed in a twisted heap, pleading: “Young Master, spare… spare me, I won’t tease you anymore!”

Only then did Huo Liuxing stop, glaring down at her menacingly. With this one glance, he saw her flushed face from struggling, and what was revealed beneath her wide-open collar.

Seeing his smile suddenly disappear, Shen Lingzhen asked in confusion: “What’s wrong with Young Master?”

Huo Liuxing came to his senses, shook his head, and pointed at her chest area.

She looked down and immediately blushed, frantically pulling her disheveled collar back in place.

The room fell silent. Huo Liuxing coughed lightly. She also coughed lightly. After coughing, she heard him cough again.

Finally, it was Shen Lingzhen who first acted as if nothing had happened: “Ah, that last round—Young Master still lost, right?”

Huo Liuxing straightened up seriously and raised his eyebrows: What kind of reasoning is this?

“The string fell apart in Young Master’s hands.”

“Mm-mm-mm-mm, mm-mm-mm-mm?”—If I didn’t let go of the string, should I have let you fall?

She nodded righteously: “That’s not entirely unreasonable.”

Could he have let her fall? Little scoundrel.

Huo Liuxing didn’t argue with her. He magnanimously jerked his chin, indicating fine, she won.

Shen Lingzhen cleared her throat: “Then Young Master must grant me two requests. Let me state the first one.”

“Mm.”

“I hope from now on, no matter what, Young Master will never again deceive or lie to me.”

Huo Liuxing’s face showed helplessness.

So she really did know who had sent the flowers.

“Does Young Master want to go back on his word?”

He was silent for a moment, then shook his head.

Shen Lingzhen raised her pinky and thumb: “Then let’s pinky promise.”

Huo Liuxing reluctantly extended his hand, pressing his thumb against hers, asking: “Mm-mm-mm-mm-mm?”—What about the other one?

Shen Lingzhen thought hard for a long while, then shook her head: “I haven’t decided yet. Young Master can owe me for now!”

After such a sweaty commotion, she couldn’t stand the stickiness and soon left the bedchamber to bathe. Before leaving, she instructed Huo Liuxing to stay put obediently. But when she returned, she saw he had scratched himself red all over, especially his neck, which had a long line of blood beads.

Unable to control him, Jingmo and Kongqing wailed “Young Mistress has finally returned” and begged her to quickly deal with Huo Liuxing.

Shen Lingzhen and the two men worked together to drag him to bed. She sat on the edge and watched him intently. Whenever he raised his hand, she would slap it down.

If Kongqing and Jingmo had blocked him like this, they’d probably have been beaten to a pulp long ago. But he couldn’t strike back at Shen Lingzhen. Huo Liuxing could only grind his teeth silently with eyes closed.

Seeing he couldn’t sleep, Shen Lingzhen asked: “Shall I sing Young Master a nursery rhyme?”

He made no sound, as if giving tacit consent.

Shen Lingzhen began singing softly: “Green is the wheat and withered the barley, who shall reap them but wives and mothers…”

Huo Liuxing suddenly opened his eyes.

“…Where are the husbands? Gone west to fight the Hu. Officials buy horses, you provide carts, let me beat the drums for all you gentlemen.”

Huo Liuxing raised one index finger and wrote on the back of her hand: Who taught you this?

This was a nursery rhyme recorded in the Book of Later Han that sang of the people’s suffering, telling the story of how during Emperor Huan’s reign, frequent wars and corvée labor caused soldiers and common people to suffer unbearably.

Shen Lingzhen said: “Mother used to sing it to me. Has Young Master also heard someone sing it?”

Huo Liuxing nodded and continued writing: My father.

The two suddenly fell into silence.

How extremely vicious could someone be who would teach such a nursery rhyme to their child?

Huo Liuxing suddenly recalled that day when he first arrived at the Duke’s mansion, when Zhao Meilan spoke frankly with him.

She said that twenty-eight years had passed, and no matter how many difficulties there had been, she had never explained a single word to the Huo family, because his eldest brother had indeed died at her hands. The result was already thus—how the process went, further discussion was superfluous. But now, for Shen Lingzhen’s sake, however superfluous it was, she still wanted to say that she could swear to heaven that back then she had gone to persuade surrender with genuine sincerity and absolutely had no intention to kill his eldest brother.

Huo Liuxing sighed softly.

Actually, no oath was necessary. Once she said it, he already believed her.

This Grand Princess Zhengguo was an extremely proud person in her bones. If the truth weren’t as she stated, she wouldn’t deign to lie about such matters.

But she was right. Perhaps back then there truly had been some misunderstanding between both sides, but no matter the process, it couldn’t change the result.

Huo Liuxing had never met his eldest brother, nor truly experienced the chaos of war from those years. That blood feud was something he had heard with his ears. Now, receiving such an explanation from Zhao Meilan, he perhaps felt slightly more consoled.

But his father had lost a living, breathing son. To expect his father to let it go—that still couldn’t be done.

Huo Liuxing looked at Shen Lingzhen, whose expression had grown somber, knowing she had thought of the same thing.

Everyone consoled her, telling her that their two families were now a community of shared destiny that had no choice but to cooperate, urging her to set aside that dead knot in her heart.

But that dead knot had only moved to the side; it hadn’t disappeared.

When not touching it, it seemed possible to temporarily ignore it. But once touched, one would discover it was still tied there, still wringing one’s heart with pain.

And at this moment, aside from trying to avoid it, Huo Liuxing had no better solution.

He patted the bed, indicating for Shen Lingzhen to come up and sleep.

The two seemed to have a tacit understanding about this. Shen Lingzhen also quickly smiled: “Then will Young Master scratch himself or not?”

Huo Liuxing gritted his teeth and hummed: “Mm-mm.”—I’ll endure.

Shen Lingzhen climbed onto the bed and watched him for a while longer. Seeing he truly didn’t move, she relaxed and fell asleep. But unexpectedly, the next morning at daybreak, she saw the person beside her pillow with bloodshot eyes looking at her full of grievance.

She was startled: “What is Young Master looking at? How frightening!”

Huo Liuxing’s throat had reduced its swelling somewhat and he could speak a little. He explained: “Want to hear the truth?”

Shen Lingzhen nodded.

Of course. He had promised her last night.

“Looking at how beautiful you are. In twenty-eight years of living, I’ve truly never suffered like this. Itching all night, I could only keep myself alive by looking at you.”

“…”

So early in the morning, who could withstand such pitifully sweet words?

Shen Lingzhen stammered: “…Then why didn’t Young Master wake me? Having someone to talk to would at least provide some distraction.”

“Still want to hear the truth?”

Shen Lingzhen shook her head: “No more, no more…” Afraid he’d say something that would make the little deer in her heart crash to death.

Now Huo Liuxing absolutely had to say it. With a hoarse voice and burning gaze fixed on her: “Seeing you sleeping so soundly, I couldn’t bear to wake you. I didn’t even dare raise my hand to scratch once.” Saying this, he moved to throw off the bedding, as if seeking a reward: “Don’t believe me? Come inspect.”

Oh my… this was really quite embarrassing.

Under his gaze, Shen Lingzhen quickly dressed and got off the bed, instructing Kongqing and Jingmo to come apply medicine for him while she herself fled in a flash.

But Huo Liuxing seemed to have his energy channels unlocked, sitting up energetically: Marvelous, wonderful! Who said a twenty-eight-year-old can’t act spoiled? If he’d known telling the truth had such uses, why would he maintain that stern facade?

——

After Shen Lingzhen finished her morning meal, she heard from Kongqing and Jingmo that Huo Liuxing’s itching had lessened during the day. Having just applied medicine, he had finally fallen asleep.

She nodded and asked: “Today happens to be the first day grand court assembly. Did you request leave from the palace for Young Master?”

“Someone was sent early this morning.”

Shen Lingzhen relaxed. Seeing Huo Liuxing asleep with nothing else to do, she went to the kitchen to oversee his medicine and meals for the day. This supervision kept her busy until the hour of the snake, when the gatekeeper came to report that the Second Prince had come calling again.

Since Huo Liuxing hadn’t yet awakened, Shen Lingzhen told them not to disturb him. She herself hurried from the kitchen to the hall to receive the noble guest. Crossing the threshold, she immediately saw the apologetic-faced Zhao Rui and beside him someone who appeared to be an imperial physician.

“Second Highness.” Shen Lingzhen curtsied to him, already guessing his purpose for coming today.

Zhao Rui nodded back at her: “This morning at the court assembly I heard General Huo fell acutely ill from eating abalone. I truly cannot escape responsibility, so I’ve brought an imperial physician from the palace, thinking to have him examined and treated.”

Shen Lingzhen quickly said: “This matter is entirely due to Young Master’s special constitution. It truly has nothing to do with Second Highness. If anyone is at fault, I should be blamed for not taking good care of Young Master. A physician came last night, and Young Master’s condition has now improved. He’s sleeping peacefully. Second Highness can rest easy.”

Zhao Rui smiled apologetically: “Even so, it would be more reassuring to have the imperial physician examine him.”

Shen Lingzhen looked troubled: “Second Highness, Young Master didn’t sleep all night. I’m afraid if I wake him now…”

“I was inconsiderate. Then how about this—I’ll have the imperial physician remain at the mansion. When General Huo wakes, he can examine him then. What do you think?”

Shen Lingzhen bowed: “Then Lingzhen thanks Second Highness for his kind intentions on Young Master’s behalf.”

Zhao Rui shook his head indicating no need for thanks. Hearing her invite him to stay for tea, he quickly said he wouldn’t disturb them and took his leave.

Shen Lingzhen personally saw the noble guest off, then instructed servants to serve tea to the imperial physician and have him wait there. She herself went to Huo Liuxing’s main courtyard.

The moment she entered the courtyard, the smile on her lips vanished completely.

This Second Cousin of hers—his apology visit came so swiftly, yet upon arriving he didn’t ask at all about Huo Liuxing’s physical condition. Instead, every other word was about taking his pulse. Looking at it from all angles, he really didn’t seem like someone truly filled with remorse.

Shen Lingzhen had just reached the corridor, thinking she’d probably have no choice but to wake Huo Liuxing now, when she heard his furious hoarse voice from inside the bedchamber: “You let her handle the Second Prince alone? Am I dead?”

“Young Master, please calm your anger! This servant saw you had finally fallen asleep and didn’t want to wake you. I also thought this is the Huo mansion where nothing could go wrong, and the young mistress is also quick-witted, so it should…”

“Should what, you blockhead! That beast—what he did to her, don’t you know?”

Hearing this was about to turn into a fight, Shen Lingzhen quickly hurried through the corridor. Just as she reached the bedchamber door, she saw the fully dressed Huo Liuxing throw open the door in a fury.

Before she could speak, he opened his mouth first, as if to ask her something. But after opening it for a long while, he couldn’t produce a single word.

Shen Lingzhen didn’t know whether to laugh or cry: “Young Master, don’t worry. Speak slowly. I’m perfectly fine.”

Huo Liuxing spent a long time clearing his throat facing her, then slapped his thigh in frustration.

Damn it—in his agitation, he’d lost his voice again!