Virtuous Lady Yun kept the two for dinner at Changxin Palace. Song Wan naturally accompanied them. However, seeing Song Fu taking care of Ming Xiang at every turn, she couldn’t help but blush a little.

These past few days, Shen Qianyu had come to Laiyi Pavilion to find her every evening. Sometimes he would have her help read memorials, and sometimes he would bring her food and trinkets from outside the palace that she had never seen before.

Thinking of this, Song Wan’s hand gripping the jade chopsticks tightened, and her face inexplicably grew warm.

Whenever this happened, he would hold her hand and ask her over and over whether she disliked or liked them.

How could she really have feelings of like or dislike for those things?

But if she didn’t answer, Shen Qianyu would keep asking. When she grew annoyed by his questions, she had no choice but to say she liked them or didn’t care for them. But even then, he still wouldn’t let it go and would always press further several times, asking why she liked them, why she didn’t.

She had been in the palace for some time now, and she didn’t know where that person kept finding all sorts of strange and peculiar things, asking constantly, asking daily.

Song Wan’s eyes carried an inexplicable smile as she sighed silently.

Song Fu’s thoughts were keen. Seeing her gripping the jade chopsticks while her mind had clearly flown elsewhere, he smiled faintly.

He hadn’t asked Song Wan how she was faring in the palace. First, the Crown Prince would occasionally seek him out to ask about various things, showing how much he valued her. Second, although Song Wan had just sighed privately, her eyes were full of amused happiness tinged with exasperation.

She was living comfortably in the palace. Looking at her now, she seemed even more at ease than when she had lived alone in the residence.

This was because he could no longer see the uncertain worry in Song Wan’s eyes, nor that previous anxiety of not knowing what path lay ahead.

Song Fu smiled with pursed lips, finally setting his mind at ease.

While their family enjoyed the warm joy of their reunion at Changxin Palace, Shen Qianyu was alone in the Eastern Palace, feeling uncomfortable all over. During this period, he had grown accustomed to being with Song Wan right after court, the two of them either reviewing memorials together or enjoying rare delicacies they had never encountered before.

But today Song Wan hadn’t returned, leaving him without even the energy to eat.

Wan Xiao observed his master staring at the memorial in his hands, sometimes furrowing his brows tightly, sometimes sighing impatiently. At first, he thought some major problem had occurred at court, or that Dongning was about to fall. It wasn’t until he saw Shen Qianyu wearing the same expression while holding a routine greeting memorial that he realized there was nothing wrong at court and the nation was still secure.

After thinking for a moment, Wan Xiao said, “It’s almost the Hour of the Rooster. Imperial Physician Song should be leaving the palace soon.”

“Oh, it’s almost the Hour of the Rooster already?”

Shen Qianyu looked up, his face clearly showing more joy.

“Ji Rong, help this palace rearrange my hair.”

Ji Rong stepped forward and helped Shen Qianyu restyle his hair and put on his jade crown.

After tidying up his master neatly, Ji Rong said, “Your Highness, water has been drawn in the White Jade Pool, and the skin-nourishing ointment prepared by the imperial physicians is also ready.”

Having said this, he looked up at Shen Qianyu.

He didn’t know why his master had suddenly sought out imperial physicians to make a pile of skin-nourishing ointment used by palace consorts. According to the imperial physician, the substance had the effects of removing scars, regenerating skin, moisturizing and nourishing the complexion. Originally, he had thought it was prepared for Chenghui Song, but who would have thought his master had kept a large trunk of the stuff in the Eastern Palace.

“It’s ready?”

Shen Qianyu stretched out his hand, looking at the dark scars on it and raising his eyebrows slightly.

The imperial physician had praised that stuff as something found in heaven but not on earth. He wondered if it would actually work.

If it worked, once he removed all these scars, then he could with Wan’er…

His face grew warm. Shen Qianyu felt slightly embarrassed, then composed his expression.

He certainly had no thoughts of taking liberties with Wan’er or… any disrespectful ideas. He only knew that Wan’er had a kind heart. If there truly came a day when they would be completely honest with each other, seeing his body covered in scars would certainly pain her. How could he bear to have the person he treasured most worry about such trivial matters?

Moreover, even if Wan’er didn’t feel pain for him, she would certainly be frightened.

She was so delicate—she probably couldn’t bear to see such obvious scars.

Shen Qianyu actually developed quite a bit of worry over this.

“Keep it ready. This palace will use it when I return tonight.”

Having said this, he prepared to go to Laiyi Pavilion to wait for Song Wan.

Just as he took a step, he heard Wan Xiao behind him say, “This subordinate will escort you to Laiyi Pavilion.”

He smiled as he rose and followed behind Shen Qianyu. Shen Qianyu had wanted to decline, but on second thought, he didn’t know how long it would be before Wan’er returned from Changxin Palace. If he grew bored waiting, he could at least talk with Wan Xiao.

“Very well.”

The two arrived at Laiyi Pavilion. Wan Xiao’s gaze swept through the room. Seeing that among the two maids who came forward to pay respects, there was indeed one with a familiar face, he couldn’t help but furrow his brows.

After Jinshu and Luanjian paid respects to Shen Qianyu, they quietly retreated to the side. Wan Xiao was slightly pensive. Looking at Jinshu, he said, “Serve tea to the Crown Prince.”

Hearing this, Shen Qianyu raised his eyebrows at him. Wan Xiao blinked innocently at him, looking quite puzzled.

Jinshu didn’t understand their exchange. After respectfully acknowledging the order, she went out. After a moment’s consideration, Wan Xiao followed her.

Just as he was toying with the waist ornament Song Wan had left on the table, Shen Qianyu’s hand paused as he looked toward Wan Xiao’s retreating figure.

Jinshu was simple-minded. Although she had considerable strength, she was not only honest-hearted but also had no scheming. Hearing Wan Xiao tell her to brew tea for the Crown Prince, she obediently carried the tea tray out, completely unaware that the head of the Eastern Depot, who walked without making a sound, was following behind her.

Entering the tea room, Jinshu was lowering her head to arrange the tea leaves when Wan Xiao leaned against the doorway with his arms crossed, staring at her without speaking.

It wasn’t until Jinshu had selected the tea leaves she intended to brew that he took a few quick steps behind the young lady and reached his hand right into her collar.

“Ah…”

Jinshu was startled. Clutching her garment, she whirled around sharply. But from the corner of his eye, Wan Xiao still clearly saw the round pink birthmark near her shoulder below her neck.

“You, you, you… scoundrel!”

Gripping her clothes tightly, the young maid glared at Wan Xiao with angry eyes.

“I’m not…”

“You, you… don’t you speak!”

In the corner of the tea room were two tall, thick wooden buckets filled with water. Without thinking, Jinshu stepped forward, grabbed one, and chased after Wan Xiao.

“Listen to me, I’m not…”

“Scoundrel, don’t run.”

The young girl’s eyes were red. The bucket full of water seemed light as a feather in her hands. Unfortunately, Wan Xiao was skilled at escaping. No matter what, Jinshu couldn’t catch up to him. Even when it seemed she could grab him with just a reach of her hand, in the blink of an eye, he had escaped again.

The two chased each other around Laiyi Pavilion. Shen Qianyu propped his chin on his hand, watching with great curiosity.

“This servant will go discipline Jinshu.”

“No need.”

Flatly refusing Luanjian’s words, Shen Qianyu watched the thoroughly disheveled Wan Xiao with great interest.

Who would have thought he would have such a day?

Thinking of how he himself had once been hit by that bull-like girl with a vat, suffering internal injuries, Shen Qianyu snorted with laughter and began enjoying the spectacle.

Before Song Wan saw off her brother and sister-in-law, she heard her brother say he still needed to take his wife to the family temple.

She asked why, and Song Fu said it was to offer incense and make offerings to a friend. Knowing he was referring to Second Master Jiang, Song Wan was just feeling somber and pitying that he had died young when she was startled by the scene at Laiyi Pavilion.

As soon as she stepped into the courtyard with Heng Zhi and Heng Wu, she saw Jinshu drop to her knees before her with a thud, still holding a very large wooden bucket in her hands.

Jinshu’s eyes were red as she pointed at Wan Xiao and said to Song Wan, “Miss, he… he attempted to commit an impropriety against this servant.”