No one is omnipotent, nor does anyone live a life without moments of grief, powerlessness, and despair.

A man should shed blood but not tears – this refers to the battlefield, where weakness cannot be allowed for the sake of duty and survival. But besides such life-or-death situations, men and women were the same in Shen Xihe’s eyes – they could cry, escape, and vent their emotions.

Even the strongest at heart have moments of vulnerability; some people are just particularly good at enduring, while others have especially cold hearts. Shen Xihe belonged to the latter category. That she wasn’t easily discouraged didn’t mean she couldn’t understand life’s vicissitudes and myriad states.

Xiao Huayong couldn’t help but lower his head and smile.

“What are you smiling about?” Was what she said so amusing?

“I used to think you were above worldly concerns, unaware of mortal sorrows, ignorant of human affairs,” Xiao Huayong shook his head with a smile. “After spending time with you day and night, I realized you just didn’t…”

Furrowing his brow in thought for a moment, Xiao Huayong finally said: “…care about matters of the heart.”

Indeed, she didn’t care. She understood everything, was capable of everything, and comprehended everything.

Being strong, she knew most people were weak, and thus never looked down on anyone; having grown up in wealth and luxury, she also understood most people lived in poverty, and thus was never spoiled.

The flaws she didn’t have herself, she allowed and understood in others.

Her rationality came from her all-embracing mindset. Only in matters of love – it wasn’t that she didn’t understand, otherwise, she wouldn’t be able to distinguish who had feelings for her and whose feelings were genuine. She had simply dismissed such matters since childhood, or perhaps she saw through the world too clearly to have any desire for it.

“You’re right. I’ve never cared about matters of love. Some things, once you’re used to not caring about them, their presence or absence becomes irrelevant,” Shen Xihe nodded frankly, then slightly raised her eyes to look at him. “But I will care about you.”

I don’t care about matters of love, but I will care about you.

These words exploded like countless fireworks in Xiao Huayong’s mind, making his thoughts burst into brilliant blooms, clear as day and breathtakingly beautiful.

His heart pounded uncontrollably, making him unconsciously press his hand against his chest.

His somewhat dazed reaction made Shen Xihe laugh softly.

She stood up, looked at the soundly sleeping Shen Yueshan, and walked out silently.

Xiao Huayong hurriedly stood up to follow, catching up to walk beside Shen Xihe. Villagers passing by greeted them with smiles. His little finger couldn’t resist reaching out, hooking twice before catching Shen Xihe’s hanging hand, then firmly grasping it.

Shen Xihe didn’t pull away. Intimate gestures like riding together and holding hands – they were properly married, and though she wouldn’t initiate them, she wouldn’t reject them either.

Xiao Huayong’s lips split into a grin, smiling so widely his eyes nearly disappeared. He held Shen Xihe’s hand unwilling to let go, following wherever she went.

Shen Yueshan slowly awoke at sunset. When he woke, his daughter and son-in-law were sitting in his room chatting by the fire pit, with meat and soup still cooking on the rack. His gaze fell on Xiao Huayong’s hand tightly gripping his daughter’s.

“Ahem!” He coughed lightly, indicating he was awake.

Thick-skinned Xiao Huayong pretended not to notice. Shen Xihe pulled free from him and went to attend to Shen Yueshan.

Seeing his daughter approach, Shen Yueshan pressed his palm to his forehead: “My head… it hurts.”

Xiao Huayong: …

Who was he fooling? The porridge had the best hangover medicine, and he was an old drinker – how could his head hurt?

Shen Xihe also paused, knowing it shouldn’t hurt. Looking carefully at Shen Yueshan for a moment, though his acting was convincing, she saw through it. Both annoyed and amused, she said: “It’s good Father knows your head hurts. Father is getting older after all. From years of fighting on battlefields, your body has many hidden injuries. Doctor Qi warned when prescribing your medicine that you should quit drinking.

Father never cared, saying you never suffered after drinking. Now that you have, you should quit from now on.”

Xiao Huayong quickly lowered his head to suppress his rising smile.

Shen Yueshan: …

Quit drinking? That would be the death of him!

How could life be worth living without fine wine?

“I just felt dizzy from getting up too quickly,” Shen Yueshan immediately lowered his hand from his forehead, giving his daughter an ingratiating smile.

“Not hurting anymore?” Shen Xihe raised her eyebrows questioningly.

“No, no, not hurting,” Shen Yueshan waved his hands repeatedly.

“Go wash up, it’s time for dinner,” Shen Xihe urged.

Shen Yueshan glimpsed Xiao Huayong not far away and caught him smirking. Having lost face in front of his son-in-law, he immediately put on his father-in-law airs: “Son-in-law, why aren’t you fetching water for your father-in-law?”

Shen Xihe’s cool gaze swept over, but Shen Yueshan had already turned his face away, pretending not to see.

“Yes, I’ll get it right away,” Xiao Huayong cheerfully went to fetch water.

He was quite happy because Shen Yueshan wasn’t treating him with the distant respect due to a Crown Prince. Shen Yueshan was indeed his elder, and fetching hot water for an elder was a junior’s duty.

But Shen Yueshan wasn’t pleased – this kid was too obedient, making him seem somewhat inconsiderate in comparison.

Snorting lightly, Shen Yueshan quickly washed up and ran over to squeeze between Xiao Huayong and Shen Xihe, deliberately sitting in the middle to separate them.

Shen Xihe: …

It was one thing when her father acted this way with her brother before, but now doing this with her husband – Shen Xihe was truly at a loss for words.

Xiao Huayong sat to the side looking pitiful, glanced at Shen Xihe, and chose to silently endure this grievance.

Shen Yueshan even smugly raised his eyebrows at Xiao Huayong.

Xiao Huayong felt even more wrong.

Shen Xihe couldn’t stand these two men, decisive killers in the outside world, competing to see who could be more childish.

“Father, who was it?” She decided to discuss serious matters – only then would these two men act normal.

Shen Yueshan’s expression sobered, his gaze falling on the fire before him. After a while, he said: “It was your Uncle Geng.”

Shen Xihe’s eyes suddenly widened. She found it both unexpected and reasonable.

Shen Yueshan once had eight brothers who fought life-and-death battles together, each with their martial prowess. Three died in battle, one died young, and one passed away two years ago from his injuries.

Only three remained now, all in the Northwest as major generals of the third and second rank.

Geng Liangcheng had been Shen Yueshan’s right-hand man since childhood. The Geng family had served under Shen Yueshan’s grandfather since Geng Liangcheng’s grandfather’s time. Geng Liangcheng’s father was Shen Xihe’s grandfather’s deputy, similar to Mo Yao’s relationship with Shen Yun’an.

Back then, because of protecting Emperor Youning and his mother and children during their rise to power, the Shen family was no longer just a Northwestern general, but the king of the entire Northwest, with their subordinates also receiving high positions and generous rewards.

No wonder, no wonder Shen Yueshan had drunk himself into such a state because of this.