Shen Xihe stared blankly in the direction where Xiao Huayong had disappeared. She remained lost in thought for quite a while until her vision blurred in the pale sunlight, and she slowly lowered her eyes, sitting back down in a somewhat dazed state.
It had been only three months since she married Xiao Huayong, and his actions during these three months made Shen Xihe realize that she could no longer maintain the same coldness and self-centeredness as before their marriage. She could no longer say words as cold, heartless, and clear-minded as “I told you what kind of person I am before marriage; feeling wronged now is no different than slapping yourself.”
She thought about what he had just said – give him time to be alone, and he would think things through.
How much pain was contained in those words? It reminded Shen Xihe of a lone wolf on the grasslands, fighting alone, shedding blood for survival, and after being covered in wounds, only being able to find a secluded corner to lick its wounds in solitude.
It was the wolf king – even when covered in injuries, it would never bend its spine, maintaining its majestic presence before any living creature. But it too had its vulnerabilities, times when it was riddled with wounds that were difficult to heal, all of which it kept deeply hidden in its heart.
The so-called invulnerability was the power of self-healing formed from endless solitude.
There was no one worthy of trust or willing to offer salvation, forcing one to swallow all pain and suffering alone, gradually becoming numb to it all…
At this thought, Shen Xihe suddenly stood up and went after Xiao Huayong. Her moon-white gauze dress fluttered in the wind, brushing past flower branches and green leaves, like a faint cloud at the horizon’s edge, disappearing in an instant, leaving no trace.
When Shen Xihe caught up, Tianyuan, who had received orders, reluctantly stepped forward to block her path, putting on a show: “Crown Princess, His Highness requested to be alone, and ordered that no one should disturb him…”
Tianyuan secretly despised the Crown Prince, wondering if he was overacting. What if the Crown Princess turned and left? How would the Crown Prince handle that? Wouldn’t he end up having to go back and coax the Crown Princess himself?
Tianyuan didn’t think the Crown Prince had any pride when it came to the Crown Princess, and he thought turning away would be more in line with the Crown Princess’s character.
However, he didn’t know that Xiao Huayong was betting on his position in Shen Xihe’s heart. Her temperament was too unpredictable, making him uncertain whether her current kindness towards him was out of gratitude, a principle of returning kindness with greater kindness, or if her heart had truly changed towards him.
The usually confident and composed Xiao Huayong was always anxious around Shen Xihe. Lacking a sense of emotional security, he could only carefully test the waters bit by bit. If the results weren’t satisfactory, he didn’t mind going back to coax Shen Xihe – as Tianyuan thought, before Shen Xihe, he had nothing and needed nothing.
Shen Xihe’s cold gaze fell on the arm blocking her path, her face remaining expressionless as she stared at it.
Tianyuan suddenly felt his arm grow cold, his instincts telling him that if he didn’t withdraw it, he might lose it. But the Crown Prince had ordered him to put on a good show, and he couldn’t disobey. He was in such a difficult position!
“Tianyuan, I have something to discuss with you,” Biyu quickly spoke up, pulling Tianyuan away.
Stumbling as he was pulled away, Tianyuan felt deeply moved: Wuwuwuwu, Biyu was the most understanding woman in the world!
With Tianyuan no longer blocking her way, Shen Xihe hurried forward into the deep grove. At the end, she saw dense bamboo forming an arc, with small pebbles laid out on the ground forming a Tai Chi pattern. Xiao Huayong stood at the center of the two principles, hands behind his back, head slightly raised, looking at the bamboo grove before him.
The emerald bamboo grew densely, seeming to pierce the clouds, bending back high above, like an invisible cage trapping his solitary figure.
Shen Xihe approached silently from behind, reaching out to embrace him, gently resting her cheek against his back. Feeling Xiao Huayong’s spine instantly stiffen, Shen Xihe’s heart inexplicably tightened, and the words that had reached her lips were unconsciously swallowed back.
The clear wind circled the bamboo, and flower fragrance entwined with the branches.
Xiao Huayong allowed Shen Xihe to embrace and lean against him, both remaining silent for a long while.
After an unknown amount of time, Shen Xihe finally spoke: “Beichen, my words earlier were unintentional and not what I truly meant. I don’t know how to explain it in a way that would put your mind at ease. In our initial marriage arrangement, you fell in love, while I had my motives.
Between us, it was destined to be an unequal pursuit from the beginning.
I was born detached, and as I grew older, my heart became increasingly still as water.
If you ask me whether you are important to me now, I can answer: yes, you are.
But if you ask me how important, I don’t know.
I never imagined that my heart, which I thought was as solid as rock and impenetrable, would develop cracks because of you in just three short months…”
Shen Xihe was an honest person, whether about her desires or her flaws, she never concealed them. Nor would she refuse to face the fact that although she had firmly declared her indifference to Xiao Huayong half a year ago, in just six months, her heart had begun to stir.
She faced her care, concern, and involuntary feelings for Xiao Huayong with frankness.
These words were enough to make Xiao Huayong jubilant, though not completely satisfied, but he knew when to stop. He held the hands wrapped around his waist, without additional words, simply enveloping her in his warmth.
After this small episode, the couple’s affection grew even warmer.
As time passed, the drought in Dengzhou became increasingly severe, marking this year as destined to be tumultuous.
Several prefectures near Dengzhou were affected, and while they weren’t facing complete crop failure like Dengzhou, the forecasts were not optimistic. The court’s attention was focused on Dengzhou’s severe drought, so no one was causing trouble for Shen Xihe and Xiao Huayong.
The person Shen Xihe had asked Shen Yueshan to find had been located. This expert in predicting celestial phenomena owed Shen Yueshan a favor, and he prophesied that Dengzhou wouldn’t see rain until the eighth month.
It was still a full month until the predicted date, but in Dengzhou, water was already more precious than rice!
“Beichen, we need to find a way to address Dengzhou’s urgent crisis,” Shen Xihe hurriedly sought out Xiao Huayong after receiving the date.
Xiao Huayong had also received predictions from the Imperial Astronomers, which also indicated rain in the eighth month, but three to five days earlier than Shen Xihe’s date.
Regardless of which prediction was correct, it meant Dengzhou wouldn’t see rain for at least a month.
“Today, Eighth Brother has requested permission to personally oversee disaster relief in Dengzhou,” Xiao Huayong put down two scrolls. “Last night, the Dengzhou prefecture office was set on fire by a joint force of disaster victims and bandits. The news arrived early this morning, and His Majesty was furious, immediately granting Eighth Brother’s request.”
“It’s only been two months of drought, and it’s already reached the point of civil unrest?” Shen Xihe found this suspicious.
“I’ve asked Twelfth Brother to accompany Eighth Brother. Once they enter Dengzhou, we’ll naturally learn what’s really happening,” Xiao Huayong’s lips curved slightly, but his eyes showed no trace of humor.