HomeAfter I Bloom Hundred Flowers DieChapter 116: Without Regret, How Can There Be Hatred?

Chapter 116: Without Regret, How Can There Be Hatred?

His sudden honesty made Shen Xihe extremely uncomfortable, and she instinctively showed signs of rejection.

“Princess, I know you’re perceptive. This world is harsh to women, and this is how you maintain your freedom,” Xiao Huayong said softly. “I’m telling you these things because I don’t wish to deceive you anymore. Whether you see me as an ally or a husband, I believe you’d prefer us to be honest with each other.”

Shen Xihe couldn’t deny this point, and she nodded slightly.

“This is my honesty as well,” Xiao Huayong’s gaze was sincere. “I care for you now, and if one day I stop caring, I won’t pretend otherwise. Therefore, you need not overthink my current actions. They are mine alone, and I don’t demand any response from you.”

“No demand for response?” Shen Xihe was skeptical.

In this world, what giving doesn’t require reciprocation?

“No demands,” Xiao Huayong repeated seriously. “When you plan for the Northwest, it’s because your heart is with the Northwest. When you show concern for the Young Master, it’s because you care about him. Your giving is only because you find it worthwhile, only because it fulfills and brings you joy. My current feelings for you are the same.”

Shen Xihe looked at Xiao Huayong as if he were some strange creature.

Her eyes were usually calm and detached, rarely showing emotional fluctuations, remaining composed even in dangerous situations. Seeing her puzzled expression so suddenly, Xiao Huayong found it quite endearing.

If he weren’t afraid of her rejection, Xiao Huayong would have truly wanted to take her into his arms.

His gaze softened with affection as he said, “My happiness is something you cannot imagine, nor do you need to question.”

“What if one day you find it’s not worth it anymore?” Shen Xihe asked.

“Life is nothing but a series of gambles. No one can win every time without loss,” Xiao Huayong spoke with great openness. “If one day I lose everything, I still won’t regret having gone all in.”

“No regrets, and also no resentment or hatred?” Shen Xihe asked again.

She wasn’t hoping for anything or testing him, but rather seeking to understand. Though Xiao Huayong was exceptionally intelligent, he didn’t understand why she was exploring this question, but still smiled and answered: “Without regret, how can there be hatred?”

Shen Xihe nodded almost imperceptibly: “I see.”

“I’m leaving now.” Xiao Huayong took out a small token and handed it to Shen Xihe. “If you encounter any difficulties…”

“Your Highness, I can resolve any difficulty myself,” Shen Xihe interrupted him curtly, refusing directly.

Xiao Huayong couldn’t help but laugh after hearing this: “I was overthinking it. Please don’t mind, Princess. When I return, I’ll have Tianyuan send you some food boxes.”

“Take care, Your Highness.” Shen Xihe politely saw him off.

Xiao Huayong felt both slightly annoyed and amused. How he wished she would ask where he was going and what he would do.

Like how wives in common households would show such intimate concern, caring about their husbands’ whereabouts.

It seemed his expectations of her had already grown so deep.

Leaping out of the Princess’s mansion, under the gradually fullening moon, Xiao Huayong looked back at Shen Xihe’s chambers. The doors and windows were already tightly closed, and the candlelight was extinguished.

He smiled and sighed softly: “One day, you will be reluctant to part with me, keep a lamp lit through the night for me, and worry about me constantly.”

As if carrying grand aspirations, Xiao Huayong’s figure disappeared into the night.

Shen Xihe extinguished the lamp and slept until dawn. After having breakfast, she slowly began to consider Xiao Huayong’s visit last night and how much information he had revealed.

First, he was feigning illness, which meant the pulse diagnosis she had received was likely falsified.

Second, while he said his health was indeed poor, it certainly wasn’t weakness. To deceive so thoroughly, either he controlled the Imperial Medical Office, or he had a highly skilled physician by his side who could easily make his condition appear genuine enough to fool the entire Imperial Medical Office—or perhaps both.

Shen Xihe leaned toward the third possibility, as it would perfectly explain how he managed to deceive everyone’s scrutiny.

Third, though the Princess’s mansion was heavily guarded, and even Xiao Changying could only sneak in when she had taken most people away, he came and went freely. This indicated that not only was he not weak, but his martial arts skills were exceptional!

This Crown Prince repeatedly exceeded her expectations, proving far more unfathomable than she had imagined.

She had a vague feeling that he was the one who had impersonated Hua Fuhai, or perhaps the master behind the impersonator.

If so, he indeed needed the Bone-Shedding Pills to save his life, which meant his body had other hidden ailments.

Shen Xihe grew increasingly curious about what had happened eleven years ago, though the palace servants from that time had all been silenced.

As she pondered these matters, Xie Yunhuai arrived—it was time for another dose of the Bone-Shedding Pills.

As usual, Shen Xihe took the Bone-Shedding Pills without even a blink, and once again experienced the sensation of ice and fire.

Perhaps because she had grown accustomed to it, Shen Xihe could now sit steadily through the two conflicting forces.

Just as her face turned pale, a shout came from outside: “Princess, the Young Master has been ambushed, his life or death unknown!”

These words caused Shen Xihe’s qi to surge in anger. She spat out a mouthful of blood and fainted with her eyes rolling back.

“Princess!” Xie Yunhuai was greatly alarmed and tried to feed her a medicinal pill, but Shen Xihe could no longer swallow consciously. Xie Yunhuai shouted to Biyu, “Hold her up!”

Xie Yunhuai took out silver needles to perform acupuncture on Shen Xihe. Her pulse was chaotic, and the situation was extremely critical.

“Boil a pot of water!” Xie Yunhuai ordered with a stern face.

While Shen Xihe was in critical condition, the guard who had shouted outside was captured by Mo Yuan. He carried the Northwest Prince’s token and wore the same uniform as the guards who had left with the Young Master today. He was wounded, so Mo Yuan’s people didn’t question him.

However, they hadn’t planned to take him to see Shen Xihe immediately, intending to wait until she had recovered before reporting.

They had completely failed to anticipate that this person knew Shen Xihe was receiving treatment and had deliberately come to disturb her state of mind.

After a night of intensive treatment lasting until deep into the night, Xie Yunhuai finally breathed a sigh of relief, though exhausted.

“Doctor Qi, will the Princess be alright?” Biyu was extremely worried.

“She’s stable for now, but we’ll have to see if she wakes up tomorrow,” Xie Yunhuai’s expression was grave.

Biyu and the others immediately teared up. Xie Yunhuai strode out of Shen Xihe’s chambers and asked Mo Yuan, who was guarding the door: “Who was the one who shouted?”

“We’ve confirmed he wasn’t a Northwest guard, though the token he carried was genuine.” Otherwise, they wouldn’t have been fooled.

“The person?” Xie Yunhuai’s eyes were cold.

“Bit his tongue and killed himself.” After shouting, he immediately committed suicide, giving them no chance to restrain him.

Xie Yunhuai: “Take me to see the body.”

Mo Yuan led Xie Yunhuai to the woodshed where the body was kept. Using a blade and axe, he directly performed an autopsy in the woodshed. He found some residue in the body: “It’s Jiannanchun. He came from the palace.”

He turned to Mo Yuan and said: “I’m going out for a while, I’ll be back within two hours.”

Jiannanchun was imperial wine, only available in the palace. The wine had annual quotas, and all coming and going were recorded. They only needed to carefully investigate whose Jiannanchun he had drunk, and they would know who was trying to harm Shen Xihe.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Latest Chapters