By the time Song Wan remembered Shen Qianyu’s words, the sun had already set behind the mountains.

As she emerged from Shang Rong’s sleeping quarters, she hurried anxiously toward Laiyi Pavilion.

Seeing her anxiety, Heng Zhi softly said: “Chenghui need not rush back. It’s not yet evening. His Highness the Crown Prince shouldn’t arrive this early. Moreover, if His Highness arrived at Laiyi Pavilion and didn’t see Chenghui, he would certainly send someone to search.”

The Crown Prince hadn’t mentioned dining at Laiyi Pavilion during the day, so he probably wouldn’t arrive this early.

After softly comforting Song Wan with a few words, the two gradually slowed their pace.

As Song Wan slowed her steps, she also felt she had been overly cautious. At this hour, the Crown Prince was probably still busy with state affairs. She smiled faintly at Heng Zhi, and the two returned toward Laiyi Pavilion. But just as they reached the vicinity of Laiyi Pavilion, they saw the interior brightly lit—clearly the Crown Prince had already arrived.

Song Wan was startled and hurriedly entered.

Shen Qianyu was sitting on the beauty couch in the room reviewing memorials. Not far away was the canopy bed with curtains, but he didn’t dare look at it even once.

Turning his back to that place that inspired so much imagination, he listlessly flipped through the memorial in his hand.

Most of what was written were useless matters. Reading too much of it inevitably made one’s heart burn with anger.

“Chenghui Song.”

Seeing Song Wan enter the room, Luanjian called out softly. Shen Qianyu looked up and hurriedly descended from the couch to help up Song Wan, who was about to kneel in obeisance again.

“All of you may withdraw.”

After dismissing everyone, he pointed to the empty space across from himself: “Sit.”

“I didn’t know Your Highness would arrive so early. If this consort had known, next time I would certainly…”

Shen Qianyu shook his head, his tone gentle: “Wan’er, you need not be like this.”

“You don’t need to treat me as the Son of Heaven. Just treat me… as an ordinary man.”

Shen Qianyu’s ear tips heated slightly. Seeing Song Wan’s eyes widen round after hearing these words, he couldn’t help but feel somewhat bashful: “Previously hiding my identity was indeed wrong, but I very much liked how you treated me with such a normal attitude.”

Having been a hostage since childhood, no one had taught him about daily etiquette and proper conduct. Shen Qianyu felt that his survival to this day depended firstly on his tough fate, and secondly on always acting on instinct.

Before he even knew he admired Song Wan, he had already conceived the idea of protecting this person by his side. Now that he understood his own heart, he hoped even more that the two could soon be of one mind and heart.

His Wan’er was an intelligent woman. If he continued to deceive and trick her, it would only make her guarded. Better to pour out all his thoughts openly. Based on his understanding of Wan’er, even if she didn’t care for him now, she wouldn’t feel aversion toward him because of this.

Given Song Wan’s character, if he treated her with sincerity, he would surely receive her genuine heart in return.

Shen Qianyu took out a package of Liu’s crispy candy from behind him and slowly pushed it before Song Wan: “This… a friend knew you loved eating these. I bought some today to give you.”

Song Wan looked at the Liu’s crispy candy before her, somewhat puzzled by the vague meaning in his words.

Wasn’t the one who knew she liked eating this candy her brother?

“I’ll open it for you.”

Reaching out to unwrap the oil paper around the candy, Shen Qianyu continued: “You and I were previously acquainted. You know my temperament, and I have some understanding of you. Since you’ve now entered the Eastern Palace, and in the future I will certainly treat you as my Empress, then we…”

“Could we be an ordinary married couple?”

Song Wan suddenly raised her head. This was truly… she had never heard such words before.

“You need not rush to answer me. First listen to what I have to say.”

Shen Qianyu pressed his lips together, and after brief consideration said: “Since ancient times, the feelings between emperors and empresses have mostly been incompatible because too many calculations are mixed in. But I know Wan’er’s nature—you certainly don’t like these things.”

“I grew up abroad and witnessed too much of human hearts’ treachery. I ultimately don’t want to spend the rest of my life having to guard against the person beside my pillow even in my dreams.”

“Wan’er, you and I both know genuine hearts are rare. But with genuine hearts, there must always be one person who reveals theirs first. If I can exchange my genuine heart for yours, then I’m willing to throw it out first for you to examine.”

Taking out a piece of candy from the oil paper package and handing it to Song Wan, Song Wan accepted it in a daze, holding it in her hand.

Shen Qianyu wasn’t anxious for her to express her position, only waiting silently.

His Wan’er was both intelligent and kind. If she knew of another’s goodwill, she would certainly reciprocate with song.

Indeed, Song Wan lowered her eyes, and only after a long while did she softly say: “Actually, I don’t particularly like this crispy candy.”

Her smile was gentle and tender, her tone carrying faint relaxation: “As a child, I always loved eating these things. After school, Brother would often bring me some. But later, I…”

Song Wan raised her head, looking at Shen Qianyu with calm eyes: “Later, after I married into the Chengyang Marquis Residence, I didn’t eat them for a long time.”

Shen Qianyu said: “Wan’er need not be so cautious in testing. If I looked down on your remarrying, I wouldn’t have received you into the Eastern Palace.”

His directness left Song Wan somewhat unable to cope. She couldn’t help but turn her face away with some embarrassment.

Shen Qianyu wasn’t anxious either, only sitting properly across from her, quietly waiting for Song Wan to open her heart to him.

“During my widowhood at the Marquis Residence, I mostly ate bland food—little meat, no wine. After a long time, I came to feel this crispy candy was too sickeningly sweet.”

This was the first time Shen Qianyu heard Song Wan express words of dislike or unwillingness. He was so pleased he could barely contain himself, even becoming somewhat restless, constantly adjusting his sitting posture.

His Wan’er had told him she didn’t like this crispy candy!

“If there’s anything you don’t like, you must tell me in the future.”

Song Wan looked at Shen Qianyu and nodded with a smile.

In the past, she didn’t speak of these things because she truly felt such trivial matters weren’t worth mentioning. Saying she liked something could make the gift-giver happy, and she was happy too—what was wrong with that? But somehow, hearing Shen Qianyu say he wanted to be an ordinary married couple with her, she truly couldn’t help but feel yearning.

To be an ordinary married couple…

She had once harbored this thought too, only she didn’t know when such thinking had been buried beneath the unpredictability of human hearts.

Song Wan thought for a moment and said softly: “I don’t know what an ordinary married couple looks like.”

Whether with Jiang Xingjian or Shen Qianyu, they were destined not to be an ordinary married couple.

But she wanted to try.

Regardless of how they might grow distant in the future, right now she wanted to try.

An ordinary married couple probably lived days of men plowing and women weaving, discussing and deliberating together. She wouldn’t need to guard against him harming her, nor would she need to constantly scheme about how to seek benefits from him.

If starting from this moment, the two of them could work together with sincere hearts and genuine treatment, perhaps they could be like ordinary couples in the marketplace, supporting each other through an ordinary life.

“I don’t know either.”

Shen Qianyu pressed one hand against his thunderously beating heart while forcibly controlling the corners of his lips that wanted to stretch to his ears: “How about starting with you gradually telling me what you don’t like?”

The corners of Song Wan’s lips carried a hint of a smile as she gently nodded.

Seeing this, Shen Qianyu tremblingly extended one hand, stammering: “I… I’m going to hold your hand now. If you don’t like it, tell me.”

The man’s hand with distinct knuckles covered the soft, pale white hand of the young woman. The scars on the back of the hand that had once daily used ointments for care had already faded considerably, but now with the two hands contrasted together, Shen Qianyu still felt that his hand—with knuckles slightly deformed from years of injuries—was ugly to the point of being glaring.

So ugly that placing it on Song Wan’s palm seemed to profane her.