In the bright sunlight that laid a golden sheen upon his palm, Shen Xihe smiled gently and placed her hand in his. He quickly grasped it, leading her along the mountain path and down the other side, where a carriage was waiting.
Xiao Huayong helped Shen Xihe into the carriage and let her rest against his shoulder. “We’re heading to Liangzhou. Get some rest.”
The distance to Liangzhou was considerable. While Xiao Huayong had thrown everything into chaos back there, he was now taking Shen Xihe directly to Liangzhou. Even if Xiao Changfeng hadn’t been captured, faced with such a mess, he wouldn’t be able to chase after them even if he guessed they had left the city.
Thinking about the journey ahead, Shen Xihe nestled comfortably against Xiao Huayong and fell asleep. Xiao Huayong turned to look at her peaceful, unguarded sleeping face, feeling as though he could gaze at her like this until the end of time. His eyes held such tenderness that even he might not have realized it—deep enough to drown in.
However, this tenderness didn’t last long. After just half an hour, his expression darkened.
“Your Highness, should this servant…” someone riding alongside the carriage began to ask.
Before he could finish, Xiao Huayong took out a bone whistle and blew it once.
Shen Xihe drowsily heard the whistle’s sound and opened her eyes hazily. Before she could inquire, Xiao Huayong stroked her hair. “The journey is still long. Rest a while longer.”
His composure was so steady that the usually vigilant Shen Xihe abandoned her usual caution. Trusting in him completely, she found a comfortable position and drifted back to sleep.
Xiao Chanying had followed the carriage carrying Xiao Huayong and Shen Xihe. Only then did he realize Xiao Huayong had arrived. At this point, he should have turned back reassured, yet for some reason, he wanted to continue following them.
Perhaps he just wanted to know their true purpose, or maybe he just wanted to see her a bit longer. After following for less than an hour, a massive bird swooped down from the sky, charging straight at him and knocking him off his horse.
This Gyrfalcon was too familiar—its plumage, its majesty, all unmistakable and unforgettable.
Gyrfalcons typically didn’t live in such areas, nor would they attack people without reason. Recalling various incidents from the hunting grounds two years ago, how could he not realize that this Gyrfalcon must have been tamed and was acting on someone’s orders? The person capable of commanding such a Gyrfalcon could only be his crown prince brother—Xiao Huayong.
So, Xiao Huayong had noticed his pursuit and sent the Gyrfalcon as a warning.
Having seen him fall, the Gyrfalcon soared back into the sky, seemingly not intending to harm him further. Somewhat skeptical, he remounted and continued forward, only to be ambushed from behind by the Gyrfalcon again. Its speed was terrifying, and Xiao Chanying’s shoulder was scratched.
The wound wasn’t deep, likely just a warning. If he dared to continue, it would probably be less forgiving. Sitting atop his horse, Xiao Chanying watched the circling Gyrfalcon, extremely curious about how his crown prince brother had trained a bird to be so human-like in its understanding.
After watching for a moment, Xiao Chanying looked toward where the carriage had disappeared. He pulled the reins to turn his horse around. Though he didn’t know exactly what Xiao Huayong and Shen Xihe were up to, he figured that since they had come this far and shaken off Xiao Changfeng, they must be heading to the Northwest. He decided he would go wait for them there.
Having warned his ambitious brother, Xiao Huayong was in excellent spirits. His fingertips gently brushed aside Shen Xihe’s hair as he gazed adoringly at her jade-like face. Unable to resist, he bent down and kissed her lightly, noticing a small watermark on her unpowdered face. His fingertip covered it, gently wiping it away. “You are mine, only mine.”
Shen Xihe had never imagined she could sleep so soundly in a carriage. When she awoke, they had already reached Liangzhou territory, though they were still a day’s journey from Shen Yueshan’s location. She found herself waking up in a bed.
She hadn’t even noticed when Xiao Huayong had carried her into the bedroom. Hearing her stirring, Mo Yu quickly entered. After she finished washing up, she followed an enticing aroma to the courtyard of the small single-courtyard residence.
Shen Xihe saw Xiao Huayong turning meat on a spit in the courtyard. The lamb was already cooked, its skin golden brown, with drops of fat sizzling as they fell onto the charcoal below, filling the entire courtyard with an irresistible fragrance.
“Your Highness knows how to roast lamb?” Shen Xihe was surprised.
Having been married to Xiao Huayong for half a month, Shen Xihe knew he couldn’t cook at all.
“I can roast meat,” Xiao Huayong smiled somewhat awkwardly.
He knew how to grill things—during his years of traveling, he’d had to make do with what was available. However, he only knew how to roast; the cleaning and preparation were always done by Tian Yuan and the others.
Shen Xihe didn’t probe further. Born into nobility, there were some things they weren’t allowed to do even if they wanted to. Shen Xihe wasn’t particular about food preparation—she needed others to clean ingredients for her, and she wasn’t even good with knife work, requiring servants to do the cutting.
She just needed to handle the seasoning and control the cooking time.
Tasting the lamb roasted by Xiao Huayong himself, Shen Xihe gave high praise: “The skin is crispy and golden, while the meat is tender and succulent.”
It was the best-roasted lamb she had ever eaten.
“Eat more,” Xiao Huayong said delightedly, personally slicing meat from the leg and placing it on Shen Xihe’s plate.
Eventually, Shen Xihe became quite full. She hadn’t said no, and every time she finished what was on her plate, Xiao Huayong would add more. Not wanting to waste food, she had eaten it all, which led Xiao Huayong to misunderstand that she was still hungry.
When her plate was suddenly filled with more meat, Shen Xihe really couldn’t eat anymore. She was about to exchange it for a clean plate to give to Mo Yu, seeking help.
Seeing this, Xiao Huayong stopped her: “Are you full?”
Shen Xihe nodded.
Xiao Huayong naturally took her plate and began eating from it. Shen Xihe’s pupils dilated in shock: “You…”
How could he use her used plate?
Xiao Huayong ate with relish: “We’re husband and wife, no need to mind such things.”
As he spoke, he savored a piece of meat with evident enjoyment, making a satisfied sound through his nose. After swallowing, he couldn’t resist teasing Shen Xihe: “What Youyou has eaten tastes even better.”
“You—” Shen Xihe was somewhat embarrassed and annoyed.
She had never seen any husband use his wife’s plate or eat what his wife couldn’t finish. This was really… against proper etiquette!
“In the future, you can eat whatever you want, and it’s fine if you can’t finish it, but anything that goes into your bowl can only come to me,” Xiao Huayong instructed rather domineeringly, thinking of Shen Xihe’s earlier actions.
All households were the same—servants were responsible for finishing what the masters couldn’t eat, but Xiao Huayong wouldn’t allow anyone to eat what Shen Xihe left. Everything related to her should belong to him alone.