She was so tolerant and magnanimous, calm and rational.

Xiao Huayong, however, disliked this calmness and tolerance, as it meant she maintained complete clarity at all times – only someone truly detached could remain so clear-headed.

She clearly defined them as collaborative partners who needed to trust each other and share risks.

In his life, though only twenty years long, after age eight, except for the poison in his body, nothing and no one had ever made him feel powerless – Shen Xihe was the exception.

Yet he had no right to blame her. Falling for her was his own choice and right. Though she didn’t need it, she never stopped him because she knew she had no right to, just as he had no right to demand she develop feelings for him. The choice not to love was also her right.

But he wasn’t in a hurry. One day, he would surely make her lose her composure for him, break through that ironclad calmness.

“I’ll do as Youyou says,” Xiao Huayong smiled as he packed up the food box. “I look forward to tasting Youyou’s cooking again next time.”

Xiao Huayong didn’t know if it was just his bias, but the soup Shen Xihe made was truly exquisitely delicious.

“There will be opportunities,” Shen Xihe replied with a faint smile.

In the future, after they married, she would become a qualified Crown Princess, and occasionally cooking for the Crown Prince would be natural.

Shen Xihe obtained a bottle of medicine from Xiao Huayong as she had hoped. She didn’t take it out of the palace herself, instead having her people receive it through palace channels. There was no rush to place it in Princess Yangling’s palace – they could wait until after Princess Yangling’s pregnancy was revealed to take action.

They had plenty of time to plan how to proceed without leaving traces.

After Shen Xihe got into her carriage, Zhenzhu said: “Recently, the Third Princess has been constantly opposing the Fifth Princess.”

This was intelligence she had gathered. Though Zhenzhu wasn’t sure if it would be useful to Shen Xihe, she reported it anyway.

Shen Xihe smiled knowingly: “It should be so.”

Originally, Tubo had intentions for a marriage alliance, but His Majesty wanted to refuse, though few knew this. Now with the matter between Munuha and Princess Yangling, since all those married to Tujue were His Majesty’s birth daughters, His Majesty naturally needed to marry off another birth daughter.

His Majesty now only had three princesses – Princess Yangling was promised to Munuha, leaving only the Third Princess and Sixth Princess. Sixth Princess was Noble Consort Rong’s daughter with two Prince brothers, and already had a fiancé, so it couldn’t possibly be Sixth Princess. How could the Third Princess not hate Princess Yangling?

“Today Third Princess left the palace, reportedly to seek the Second Young Lady,” Zhenzhu reminded carefully.

Shen Xihe’s fine brows furrowed briefly before she let out a cold laugh: “These princesses truly enjoy bullying our Shen family’s ladies.”

It wasn’t enough that Princess Yangling incited Princess Changling against her; now that she faced a forced marriage alliance, Third Princess started targeting Shen Xihe.

“Noble Lady, should we…” Zhenzhu tentatively asked, “Help Second Young Lady?”

“No need,” Shen Xihe said lightly.

Shen Xihe wasn’t foolish – she would understand Third Princess’s sudden friendliness had ulterior motives. After what happened in the palace last time, Shen Xihe should be more vigilant. Even if Third Princess’s scheme succeeded and Tubo really asked to marry Shen Xihe, it wouldn’t matter – the marriage alliance would end with Princess Yangling’s death.

“Cui Shitou, stop right there—” At this moment Bu Shulin’s shout came from outside the carriage.

Shen Xihe lifted the carriage curtain and saw Cui Jinbai riding past her carriage on horseback, with Bu Shulin running in pursuit. Cui Jinbai had likely dismounted at the palace gates and strode in, leaving Bu Shulin to wait outside.

“Young Lord Cui looks just like an abandoned lover, with his beloved’s heart turned to iron, never looking back,” Ziyu whispered upon seeing this scene.

Zhenzhu gave her a stern look and turned her head away: “Stop reading so many romance novels.”

Ziyu’s greatest hobby was reading novels, and Shen Xihe only read them because Ziyu got her started. However, these two mistresses and servants read differently from others – they didn’t focus on the beautiful romance but rather criticized the foolish ladies and ineffectual men.

For instance, when a noble lady eloped with a poor scholar, the mistress and servant agreed the lady was improper, abandoning loving parents, brothers, and sisters for an outsider; the scholar lacked responsibility, not work hard to earn her parents’ approval but instead inciting the lady to elope with him in an improper union…

The difference was that Shen Xihe lost interest after reading a few, while Ziyu remained passionate, cursing the protagonists as she read.

Cui Jinbai wasn’t abandoned – he had been working hard these days to correct his course and wake himself up.

He had even gone to Xiangguo Temple, seeking peace of mind in meditation. If not for His Majesty summoning him, he would still be on leave.

He originally thought he had controlled the demon in his heart, but upon returning to the city and encountering Bu Shulin, he felt his emotions would spiral out of control at first sight, so he hurriedly fled into the palace.

He deliberately lingered in the palace for a long while, almost until nightfall. The winter wind cut like knives to the bone, yet he hadn’t expected Bu Shulin would wait for him at the palace gates.

“Hey, Cui Shitou, you’re as petty as a lady, quite vindictive,” Bu Shulin complained upon seeing Cui Jinbai. “You deliberately waited until the palace night curfew before coming out – I’m frozen stiff.”

Cui Jinbai led his horse without acknowledging her.

Bu Shulin rubbed her hands together: “I know, I was drunk that day and offended you greatly. Those were drunk words and actions – don’t take them to heart…”

Cui Jinbai suddenly stopped. In the gathering darkness, he turned to stare intently at Bu Shulin.

Bu Shulin felt unsettled by his gaze, instinctively feeling her explanation had angered him more. After reflecting for a moment without figuring out what she’d said wrong, she assumed her sincerity wasn’t enough and continued to humble herself, giving Cui Jinbai a deep bow: “It was all my fault, talking nonsense while drunk. Just tell me what I need to do for you to forgive me this once. I’ll certainly do it.”

These days, he had been lost and conflicted, his emotions turbulent, filled with self-loathing because of her actions. Yet it turned out he was deluding himself – she simply considered it drunken rambling and hadn’t given it any thought at all.

Cui Jinbai suddenly felt how pathetic he was.

“Cui Shitou, why are you looking at me like that?” Bu Shulin felt Cui Jinbai’s gaze was colder than the winter weather. “I know I was improper with you that day, but it was truly unintentional. If I was that drunk on any other day, with any other person I would have…”

“Silence!” Cui Jinbai shouted harshly, his face ashen, his black pupils devoid of warmth. “From today forward, stop pestering me, otherwise…”

Cui Jinbai drew the sword from beside his horse, broke it, and threw it at Bu Shulin’s feet: “Let this sword be witness!”

Bu Shulin stood frozen in place, watching Cui Jinbai walk away. A gust of cold wind passed, leaving a chill. She raised her hand to her face and found traces of tears she hadn’t noticed…