While thinking this way, Shen Xihe responded aloud: “Father, don’t worry. I’ll go talk to him right away.”

Understanding his daughter well, knowing she was rushing to comfort someone, Shen Yueshan didn’t expose this: “Go on then, talk to him properly.”

Watching Shen Xihe leave, Shen Yueshan’s gaze lingered, filled with both satisfaction and melancholy, mixed with a trace of joy.

In her younger years, Shen Xihe had lived in her world. Unless someone earned her acceptance and was welcomed into her world, others could not get close to her at all.

Even those who were accepted into her world weren’t shown accommodation or tolerance, and naturally, she didn’t expect others to accommodate or tolerate her either. Over time, those who had once been close to her gradually drifted away, which had always deeply worried both Shen Yueshan and Shen Yun’an.

Father and son had tried everything they could think of but with minimal success.

Now that she was beginning to change, becoming more like what they had hoped for, they were naturally pleased to see it. However, this transformation came because of another man—a man who would take her away from them—and Shen Yueshan couldn’t help but feel a twinge of bitterness.

Regarding Xiao Huayong, Shen Yueshan was extremely satisfied, but fathers-in-law and sons-in-law were natural enemies, so there were still times when he couldn’t help but feel annoyed with him.

Shen Xihe didn’t know her father had already seen through her regard for Xiao Huayong. She went to another room—Shen Yueshan had arranged this himself. Although dissatisfied with Xiao Huayong, having accepted him as his son-in-law, he wouldn’t deliberately arrange separate rooms for the young couple.

In this rural cottage, while more affluent, clean, and tidy than most village dwellings, couldn’t compare to the capital or even the courtyards they’d stayed in along their journey. As soon as she pushed open the door, she saw the Crown Prince lying stiffly on the wooden platform bed, still wearing his shoes, arms crossed, staring fixedly at one spot without blinking, clearly sulking.

He heard the door open, and then close, followed by gradually approaching footsteps. Soon, her familiar presence surrounded him. As Shen Xihe’s shadow fell across him in the light, Xiao Huayong deliberately turned away, facing his back to her.

His reaction didn’t make Shen Xihe uncomfortable; instead, she couldn’t help but laugh softly.

Hearing his wife’s laughter, Xiao Huayong grew even more annoyed, deliberately snorting to express his displeasure: “Hmph.”

“Father’s words were meant to provoke you. Why take them so seriously? Isn’t this exactly what he wanted?” Shen Xihe said gently.

She had thought these words would ease Xiao Huayong’s displeasure, but he snorted twice more: “I’m not angry with Father-in-law.”

“You’re not angry with Father?” Shen Xihe asked in slight confusion, “If not with Father, then why are you angry?”

Xiao Huayong grew even more upset—so she had assumed all along that he was angry about Shen Yueshan’s words! She spoke to him so gently only because she worried he might harbor resentment toward Shen Yueshan.

If Xiao Huayong’s earlier anger had carried a somewhat amusing childishness, at this moment, his anger became genuine. His face darkened, jaw tightening. Shen Xihe knew he was truly angry because she hadn’t recognized the real reason for his displeasure.

“I’ve said before, I don’t like guessing. I was born with a cold nature, and am particularly indifferent and shallow when it comes to matters of the heart. I don’t wish to waste time pondering such things,” Shen Xihe continued speaking gently. “If you need something from me if something is crucial to you, you can tell me directly, and I will do my best to fulfill it. If I don’t know why you’re angry, I need you to tell me explicitly.”

“Your father called me an outsider, and you didn’t defend me at all, which shows you also consider me an outsider,” Xiao Huayong suddenly sat up, spilling out all his pent-up frustration. “I know you couldn’t contradict your father in front of us, but couldn’t you have just said one sentence—that I am your husband? It would have preserved your father’s face while not hurting my feelings. Was that so difficult to say?”

So that was it—he was angry because she hadn’t spoken up for him when her father said those words. His anger stemmed from her actions after all.

After this realization, Shen Xihe smiled: “But Father was correct. Between us father and daughter, you are indeed an outsider.”

Xiao Huayong stared at Shen Xihe with widened pupils, unable to believe what he’d heard.

Shen Xihe gently placed her hand on his unconsciously clenched fist: “And between us as husband and wife, Father is also an outsider.”

Xiao Huayong, whose heart had been trembling with pain, was suddenly stunned, not knowing how to react. The intense pain was overwhelmed by tremendous excitement and elation. Before the first sensation could fade, the latter two came crashing in, mixing, leaving his expression quite peculiar—neither quite a smile, nor quite tears, nor quite anger.

“I hope you respect my father, which is within your duties as a son-in-law. You are only his son-in-law, not my brother, and there’s no need to fear disappointing me. If he provokes you first, you can certainly retort in my presence. I won’t interfere, nor will I think poorly of you for it,” Shen Xihe expressed her thoughts.

“Similarly, Father is only your father-in-law, and I won’t expect him to treat you the same way he treats me and my brother just because of me. If you first cause discord with him, and he gets physical with you, whether you can escape or win depends on your abilities.”

Whether between father and son, or between husband and father, or between husband and brother, Shen Xihe hoped they would work things out themselves without putting her in the middle. She had no desire to try to please both sides.

Of course, Shen Xihe could maintain this detachment because she deeply believed both Shen Yueshan and Xiao Huayong were people who knew their bounds.

After hearing Shen Xihe’s explanation, Xiao Huayong realized he had been somewhat unreasonable earlier, and that he hadn’t fully understood her either.

“I understand now,” Xiao Huayong withdrew his sour expression and spoke gently.

“No longer angry?” Shen Xihe raised her eyebrows.

Xiao Huayong, unusually awkward, replied: “No longer angry.”

Satisfied with his response, Shen Xihe smiled and changed the subject to ease the atmosphere further: “Why is Father still staying here?”

She had already successfully escaped danger, and her brother’s wedding was only a month away. Shen Yueshan should have been in communication with Xiao Huayong earlier and should have been prepared to leave when she arrived from Yunzhou. Instead, he had arranged rooms for them.

Shen Xihe looked around the room—though simple, it didn’t appear set up for just a one-day rest stop.

“Father-in-law hasn’t told me anything,” Xiao Huayong also grew serious, “but if Father-in-law still wishes to remain here, there can be only one possibility: Father-in-law has discovered His Majesty’s people among the Northwestern Army, and this person holds an extremely high position.”