Before their grand wedding, when Shen Xihe went to find Qiong flowers for him, Xiao Huayong began sending letters across thousands of miles, each containing one of his black hairs.

It started that morning after writing a letter when during hair-binding, a strand happened to fall onto the yet-unsealed letter placed aside. This sparked Xiao Huayong’s idea, which became a habit thereafter.

Most were naturally shed hairs from his morning grooming at the Chen hour, though some were purposely plucked. Without realizing it, they accumulated into a lock, and he never expected Shen Xihe would collect them all.

Holding his hair strands, Xiao Huayong couldn’t suppress his smile, expressing indescribable satisfaction and sweetness.

“One’s body, hair, and skin are gifts from one’s parents,” Shen Xihe took them back from Xiao Huayong’s hand, returning them to their original place. “As Crown Prince, how can Beichen dispose of his hair strands carelessly?”

Shen Xihe didn’t believe in Taoism or Buddhism, nor ghosts or witchcraft. She didn’t think careless disposal would bring unnecessary misfortune, making her current words seem somewhat evasive and shy.

Xiao Huayong’s smile reached his eyebrows, but he didn’t expose Shen Xihe’s true thoughts: “Yes, Youyou speaks wisely. Thank you, Youyou, for being so thoughtful of me.”

He didn’t expose anything, nor say much more, simply agreeing with Shen Xihe. Yet his bright eyes and satisfied smile revealed his certainty—Youyou truly cherish me!

Shen Xihe gave a deep look at Xiao Huayong, who was lost in boundless joy and certain pleasure, unwilling to wake from it. She silently went to the study to reply to Shen Yun’an’s letter.

After indulging in his happiness for a while, Xiao Huayong eagerly approached Shen Xihe. Seeing her letter to Shen Yun’an contained nothing but detailed concerns about his wellbeing while away, his sweetened heart suddenly felt a trace of sourness, much like the taste of candied hawthorn.

He had struggled alongside Youyou, yet she had never given him such detailed instructions!

“Not a three-year-old child, needing such detailed instructions…” he mumbled quietly.

Though unclear, Shen Xihe guessed his words and handed him a bronze mirror from beside her.

Xiao Huayong took it naturally, giving her a confused look.

“The person I see in the mirror does look like a three-year-old child,” Shen Xihe teased.

Xiao Huayong lowered his gaze—wasn’t it just his face in the mirror?

Not angered by Shen Xihe’s mockery, he examined himself: “Indeed, Youyou’s mirror better reflects my grace.”

Shen Xihe: …

Constantly stumped by Xiao Huayong, Shen Xihe walked past him expressionlessly, handing the letter to Zhenzhu.

Xiao Huayong followed: “Would Youyou like to visit the Heishui tribe?”

He had promised to take Shen Xihe to the Heishui tribe. Promises must be kept, and with his limited time, he needed to arrange it soon.

“With the current tension at Minjiang, His Majesty won’t allow me to leave the capital.” Involving Shen Yun’an, staying in the capital under His Majesty’s watch would give him peace of mind.

“Not now, of course. We’ll go to Heishui to escape the summer heat after summer begins,” Xiao Huayong smiled gently.

By then, Shen Xihe’s pregnancy would be stable, and close to Bu Shulin’s delivery time—perhaps they could even attend Bu Shulin’s childbirth.

“But I’m with child…” Shen Xihe hesitated, not out of excessive worry for the baby, but because this child concerned the Shen family’s survival, and might be her only child with Xiao Huayong, requiring more consideration.

“I’ll take care of everything,” Xiao Huayong held Shen Xihe’s hand.

“Alright,” Shen Xihe spoke no more, showing her trust.

Though neither mentioned it, they both knew they faced limited time together before confronting their fate.

She deeply understood that Xiao Huayong’s wish to take her to Heishui wasn’t just fulfilling his promise, but also entrusting her with all his foundations there.

Shen Xihe gripped Xiao Huayong’s hand back. His fingertips were ice-cold even in May—though he had always feared cold, they had never been this cold before.

Recently, he slept separately, claiming it was to protect her pregnancy. But Shen Xihe knew he feared she would feel his abnormally cold feet at night.

He tried hiding it, and she obliged by pretending not to know.

Just now, when Shen Xihe gripped back, Xiao Huayong naturally withdrew his hand, embracing her instead—seemingly more intimate, but preventing her from noticing his condition.

Without resistance, Shen Xihe leaned into Xiao Huayong’s embrace.

“Yu Xiang won’t easily trust my brother and me. Compared to seeking survival from us, he has better odds by causing our deaths, which would earn him merit and likely restore the Pingyu Marquis title soon…”

At this moment, Shen Xihe couldn’t help revealing her entire plan to Xiao Huayong.

“He will pretend to defect, and my brother will let Prince Jing notice their frequent contact. Prince Jing will certainly confront Yu Xiang, who will discover he can’t subdue my brother alone at his position, and worry about His Majesty’s future suspicions about whether he truly defected to my brother. Being honest with Prince Jing would be more beneficial.

Prince Jing, like you, won’t naively believe my brother and I would trust Yu Xiang could be turned. Yet we still act this way, surely with purpose—perhaps we’re only pretending to trust Yu Xiang while using him.

Prince Jing will certainly try his best to place people near my brother, seeing as believing.

But he can’t place anyone near my brother. You once said Prince Jing has someone skilled in soul-capturing techniques. I’ve let my brother give him an opening—through the deaf mute placed near Yu Xiang, tracing to my brother’s trusted contact, he will surely use soul-capturing techniques, which Prince Jing certainly trusts greatly.

I have no way to break soul-capturing techniques, but I’ve had my brother arrange in advance—what this person sees and hears will be exactly what my brother wants Prince Jing to know.

When the great battle comes, my brother will tell Yu Xiang the true deployment, while through this soul-captured person, let Prince Jing know this plan is merely to trap Yu Xiang and himself. Prince Jing will trust himself more, making mistaken countermoves.

With my brother’s people near Yu Xiang, Prince Jing will be cautious and won’t tell Yu Xiang the truth.

When defeat begins to show, Yu Xiang realizes Prince Jing doesn’t trust him. At this time, someone needs to take responsibility for the defeat.

Yu Xiang will see my brother’s sincerity, Prince Jing’s overconfidence, and the irreversible defeat, forcing him to cooperate with my brother, pushing all consequences onto Prince Jing.”

Shen Xihe rarely spoke so much at once. After finishing, she looked up at Xiao Huayong: “Beichen, I dared come to the capital alone, stepping into the royal family’s whirlpool, because I have the confidence and means to fight to the end.

You… don’t need to worry about me.”

I just want to tell you, I can hold up my sky. You focus on healing yourself, and reuniting with me is enough.