Shen Yun’an: …

He stared at the person and cat, feeling somewhat frantic and unsure of what to do.

He felt he needed to calm down right now.

Shen Xihe wasn’t in a hurry, her fingertips gently stroking the short, fine fur.

After quite a while, Shen Yun’an finally calmed down. He placed both hands on the table, staring intently at Shen Xihe: “Are you truly certain about this?”

“Mm.” Shen Xihe nodded firmly, “Brother, this is the best outcome for me, for you, for the Shen family, and for the Northwest.”

Fearing Shen Yun’an would overthink, Shen Xihe spoke gently: “If His Majesty doesn’t make a move, then so be it, but once His Majesty acts, we can…”

The treasonous words about regicide remained unspoken: “The Crown Prince is the heir apparent, his ascension would be legitimate.”

“Are you certain he… won’t live long?” Shen Yun’an thought through it and felt this plan was feasible.

Having his sister become a widow early would allow them to arrange for her to fake her death and leave the royal family. If she met someone else she liked, she could marry again. If truly no one could move her heart, then she could live peacefully with their family in the Northwest forever.

“He… seems to have a strange illness, even weaker than me.” Shen Xihe paused before adding, “However… he keeps it well hidden.”

“How can you tell?” Shen Yun’an asked.

“Every time I see him, I seem to sense the aura of a kindred spirit,” Shen Xihe replied.

Shen Yun’an: …

Please no, if this Crown Prince was as emotionally detached as his sister, he would worry instead.

“Tomorrow, when I enter the palace, I’ll go to the Eastern Palace to meet him.” Shen Yun’an had to verify personally no matter what.

Shen Yun’an had received special imperial permission to come to the capital, permission that the Crown Prince had requested. After paying respects to His Majesty, going to the Eastern Palace to express gratitude was only natural. Shen Yun’an felt this was a matter between men, so he didn’t bring Shen Xihe along.

To be honest, even knowing his flower-like sister wanted to marry this man, regardless of feelings, just thinking that his sister had considered marrying him made Shen Yun’an unconsciously critical when looking at the Crown Prince.

Face as white as if powdered, coughing in the wind, so weak he seemed like he could fall over in a breeze.

Speaking even a few words would lead to a bout of coughing. Shen Yun’an couldn’t help but ask: “Your Highness, I, Buwei, am straightforward. Please allow me to ask boldly – does Your Highness have consumption…”

Shen Yun’an’s courtesy name was Buwei.

The Crown Prince was coughing so much that Shen Yun’an had to ask. Consumption was contagious – he couldn’t bear to let his precious sister marry such a person. Even if they needed someone who wouldn’t live long, it shouldn’t be like this.

“World Son, you—”

Xiao Huayong raised his hand to stop Tianyuan, lightly coughing twice: “I only have asthma. If it were consumption, how could I… have a place in this palace?”

Shen Yun’an knew this too. He was deliberately needling Xiao Huayong, firstly because he genuinely felt uncomfortable thinking about his sister marrying him, and secondly to test this Crown Prince’s temperament and tolerance.

The test results were barely satisfactory, which made Shen Yun’an even more uncomfortable: “Why did Your Highness request imperial permission on my behalf?”

“It wasn’t for the World Son’s sake.” Xiao Huayong corrected him, “The Princess… agreed to climb the tower with me on the Double Ninth Festival. I am grateful for the Princess’s… kindness.”

Shen Yun’an’s eyes widened: !!

Climbing the city tower together every Double Ninth Festival was his way of making his sister happy. Now it had become his sister’s way of making another man happy!

Shen Yun’an’s gaze toward Xiao Huayong grew even more unfriendly.

Yet Xiao Huayong seemed not to notice: “The Princess and I merely returned to the capital at similar times… others avoid me, only the Princess is willing to be close to me… fearing I’m sensitive to cold… she prepared to warm incense for me, worried about my poor appetite, made wontons for me… often visits the Eastern Palace…”

Shen Yun’an listened to him trying his best to suppress his cough while speaking slowly. Each sentence made his fists itch.

Thankfully he had enough sense to realize this person probably couldn’t take one of his punches, which made him even more unhappy. Finding someone so weak meant he couldn’t even vent by throwing a punch – one wrong move and the person would be gone…

With no way to release his frustration, Shen Yun’an said with a fake smile: “Youyou, she’s just like that, can’t bear to see pitiful people.”

“So, the Princess’s childhood name is Youyou?” Xiao Huayong automatically ignored the sarcasm, his eyes gaining a glimmer of spirit, “What a coincidence, my milk name is Luming.”

Tianyuan: !!

How did he not know his master had such a childhood name?

Shen Yun’an: …

How infuriating, why did he suddenly reveal his sister’s childhood name?

“It’s too early for Your Highness to speak of fate and coincidence.”

Xiao Huayong coughed softly again for a while: “World Son, I believe Heaven won’t disappoint those who are sincere…”

“Sincere?” Shen Yun’an sneered, “A son of the imperial family is not worthy of being sincere.”

Xiao Huayong was silent for a moment before saying softly: “World Son, all people have hearts, they just belong to different places. My heart yearns for Youyou.”

“Your Highness had better call my sister Zhaoning.” His face is so thick, already using that name so casually, Shen Yun’an grew angrier, “How many times has Your Highness met my sister? How many words have you exchanged? Yet you dare speak of yearning? Is Your Highness’s yearning so casual?”

Faced with Shen Yun’an’s aggressive questioning, Xiao Huayong wasn’t annoyed at all, maintaining a gentle attitude: “Though we’ve met only a few times, I was fortunate to talk with her from midday until sunset. I have never yearned for anyone else, nor do I know what yearning is…”

Speaking such a long sentence without gasping, Xiao Huayong paused for quite a while before continuing: “I only know that with her: I think of her when awake, dream of her in sleep; everything I see makes me imagine her, everything I hear makes me miss her.”

When awake he thinks of her, when asleep he dreams of her; anything he sees makes him think of her, anything related to her that he hears makes him miss her immediately.

Xiao Huayong’s tone was so sincere that even Shen Yun’an could feel his genuine emotions, but he still didn’t believe it: “How could it be so deep after just a few meetings?”

“These feelings leave no trace of their beginning, when noticed, they had already taken root.”

He didn’t know how such feelings came to be, by the time he noticed them, they had already taken deep root in his heart.

“Your Highness…” Shen Yun’an had never felt such intense feelings from one person toward another. He felt that even if this deep affection was acted out, it must contain at least half genuine feeling to be so convincing, “Have you considered that you cannot accompany her for life? Forgive my disrespect, but has Your Highness thought about her future…”

Xiao Huayong lowered his eyelids, his long lashes like fine gauze casting a shadow: “Birth, aging, illness, and death cannot be predicted. How many seemingly healthy people are gone in the blink of an eye? As long as the Princess doesn’t reject me, I will indulge in this one selfish desire.”

Shen Yun’an coldly sneered in his heart: “Your Highness, perhaps you don’t know, my sister is a woman who has no interest in matters between men and women. If Your Highness had no feelings for my sister, I could be more at ease, but since Your Highness has feelings, I cannot support Your Highness and my sister’s union. To avoid Your Highness developing resentment after marriage when your desires go unfulfilled…”

“I am willing to swear on my life to protect her forever and never harm her.”

“Even if you pine for her alone all your life, you’ll have no regrets or hatred?”

Xiao Huayong smiled, his eyes like deep oceans collecting silvery light: “If I pine alone for life, it can only mean I’m not good enough.”