Listening to Shen Che’s childhood anecdotes, Ji Cheng suddenly had an odd thought: “Did your master make you thread embroidery needles? It could help train your eyesight and improve your skill with hidden weapons, right?” Ji Cheng had heard this from storytellers’ tales.
Shen Che smiled without answering.
Then Ji Cheng heard Shen Che ask, “Have you been feeling unwell these past few days?”
Ji Cheng felt Shen Che was retaliating, paying her back for asking an embarrassing question by posing one of his own.
“I’m fine,” Ji Cheng answered curtly.
“Has your sleep improved? Does your knee still hurt? Think carefully if you’ve noticed anything unusual,” Shen Che persisted.
Who permitted him to be so concerned about her health? Ji Cheng’s expression grew increasingly dark, though it did not affect Shen Che.
“Let me take your pulse,” Shen Che said.
As Shen Che spoke, Ji Cheng had already withdrawn her hand from the small table to her lap, smiling as she replied, “I’m in perfect health.” Indeed, she couldn’t be better. Previously, Ji Cheng had trouble sleeping and various ailments, including poor digestion, but now everything has become very regular.
Shen Che said, “Extend your hand. Don’t make me come over there, or I can’t guarantee I won’t lose control again.”
Ji Cheng stared directly at Shen Che. How thick-skinned must one be to utter such shameless words in such a casual tone?
Nevertheless, a true gentleman should be able to bend and stretch, so Ji Cheng placed her hand back on the small table. Still, she couldn’t help but mock, “When you initially learned the art of healing, was it just to find excuses to touch people whenever you wanted?”
Shen Che placed his fingers on Ji Cheng’s pulse and leaned towards her, “You don’t like me touching you? So you prefer using mouths instead?”
For a young lady like Ji Cheng to try to outdo Shen Che in shamelessness was a losing battle. The words “using mouths” from Shen Che’s lips immediately took on a different meaning.
The scene from Sanhao Residence that Ji Cheng wished she could forget resurfaced. Being new to intimacy, Ji Cheng could hardly accommodate Shen Che, so he had to tend to her needs. Ji Cheng silently cursed, wondering if he didn’t find it dirty.
Ji Cheng’s face quickly turned crimson, the pink hue spreading down her neck and beyond.
“Why is your heart beating so fast?” Shen Che asked with a serious expression, though his eyes betrayed a mischievous glint.
“Have you felt enough?” Ji Cheng snapped.
“Let me check the other hand,” Shen Che moved his fingers away.
Forced by his authority, Ji Cheng reluctantly extended her other hand.
“The cold energy in your body has mostly been dispelled. You can drink the ginger tea Great-grandmother has been giving you every few days now, otherwise, you might develop excessive internal heat,” Shen Che advised.
Ji Cheng nodded. She had also felt she might be developing some internal heat lately. Previously, one blanket felt just right in this weather, but these past few days, she had been kicking off the covers, feeling too warm.
Shen Che withdrew his hand but kept staring at Ji Cheng as if trying to see through her beautiful exterior to her bones and meridians. It made Ji Cheng’s skin crawl, and she couldn’t help but ask, “Is something wrong?”
Indeed, something was greatly amiss. It shouldn’t have merely improved Ji Cheng’s blood circulation and warmed her limbs. But from her pulse, Shen Che couldn’t detect any other changes.
Shen Che didn’t answer Ji Cheng’s question, instead asking, “Have you been making sachets?”
Ji Cheng blinked, unable to follow Shen Che’s abrupt change of topic.
“My hands are full of floral fragrance,” Shen Che explained.
Ji Cheng made an “oh” expression, then softly replied, “Mm.” Both being clever people, Shen Che had already hinted enough that Ji Cheng should have offered the sachet. The sachet was just an inexpensive item; if given without sentiment, it wouldn’t mean anything.
But human emotions are strange things, and at this moment, Ji Cheng was feeling particularly stubborn.
She simply didn’t want to give it to him.
So Ji Cheng feigned ignorance, raising her hand to adjust her hair, using this gesture to avoid eye contact with Shen Che.
“Your arm…” Shen Che suddenly grabbed Ji Cheng’s hand, causing her to cry out in pain.
“What are you doing?!” Ji Cheng was somewhat angry.
“I remember seeing a thin scar on your hand a few days ago at Sanhao Residence,” Shen Che said.
Ji Cheng’s face darkened. Women, especially beauties, are particularly sensitive about flaws in their bodies. Since returning from the autumn hunt at Nanyuan, Ji Cheng had acquired scars on her arms and calves, thanks to Wang Yueniang. Although the wounds had healed, they left dark scars that stood out starkly against Ji Cheng’s snow-white skin. She had been very careful to hide them, not even wanting to look at them herself.
Now that Shen Che deliberately brought it up, Ji Cheng’s mood naturally soured.
As for how Shen Che had seen the scars on her body, it reminded Ji Cheng of unpleasant memories. Shen Che had been relentless with her, leaving his mark on every inch of her body, over and over, until Ji Cheng was utterly defeated. This was what Ji Cheng hated most about Shen Che. His movements weren’t hurried or even rough, but passionate and gentle, forcing her to submit completely, willingly falling into depravity in her unclear state of mind.
Ji Cheng’s sense of shame surged again, provoked by Shen Che. She turned her head away and said, “Scars always heal eventually. There’s nothing strange about it.”
Seeing the blush on Ji Cheng’s ears, Shen Che wanted to tease her more but knew he shouldn’t go too far. “Wang Yueniang added prickly grass to the Snow Cream. This herb isn’t very toxic and is common in the Western Regions. It’s usually used in tattooing to make the colors last longer. Although I later prepared new medicine for you, it could only lighten the color of the scars, not completely remove them.”
Ji Cheng rolled up her sleeve, revealing her flawless white arm. The once eye-catching scars had vanished without a trace.
Ji Cheng had noticed the scars fading recently, and their disappearance, while surprising, didn’t particularly shock her. Hearing Shen Che’s explanation now, she couldn’t help but ask curiously, “Really? They can’t be completely removed?”
Shen Che stood up and knelt beside Ji Cheng, “Let me see your foot.”
Shen Che had personally measured every inch of Ji Cheng’s skin, so even the tiniest mark on her body couldn’t escape his eyes.
Ji Cheng pulled her foot back, but she was too slow. Shen Che had already removed her cotton sock, revealing a foot as white as a magnolia. It was equally flawless, with even old childhood scars having disappeared.
Shen Che’s thumb gently caressed Ji Cheng’s instep, making her entire body uncomfortable. Ji Cheng tried to kick Shen Che, who looked up with a smile, “It seems it was worth it after all.”
Shen Che’s words were very strange, and Ji Cheng frowned, “What was worth it?”
“Being used by you to nourish your yin with my yang, it seems it was worth it,” Shen Che said.
Ji Cheng’s face turned bright red again, as red as an autumn apple rich with fruity fragrance. “What nonsense are you talking about? When did I ever…”
Shen Che put down Ji Cheng’s foot and thoughtfully helped her put her cotton sock back on. “I don’t believe you haven’t felt the benefits.”
Ji Cheng withdrew her foot and moved her body back a bit, stammering, “You… you’re talking nonsense.”
“I’ve heard before that some women are born as spirits, absorbing men’s essence. I thought it was just a myth, but now I’ve experienced it firsthand and finally believe it,” Shen Che said.
Ji Cheng’s eyes widened, and she wanted to slap Shen Che. How dare he act like a victim?
It wasn’t until Shen Che burst into laughter that Ji Cheng realized she had been teased.
Ji Cheng said resentfully, “If I were a spirit who could absorb human essence, you’d be the first one I’d finish off.”
Shen Che laughed even more heartily, moving closer to Ji Cheng and lazily leaning against her backrest with open arms, “Alright then, come on. I won’t resist. As they say, ‘To die beneath a peony skirt, even as a ghost, one remains romantic.'”
“Scoundrel! Rogue!” Ji Cheng was so angry she felt dizzy. How could there be such a shameless man? She certainly couldn’t out-talk Shen Che, but at least she could move away, right?
However, before Ji Cheng could make a move to stand up, she heard Shen Che say, “Alright, I’ll stop teasing you. Let’s talk business.” Shen Che stood up, scooped up the filtered water, and began his routine of brewing tea.
“The new tea will be ready soon. I’ll take you to pick some when the time comes,” Shen Che said, focusing on his task as if making a casual remark.
But Ji Cheng now understood that Shen Che never said anything without purpose. “No need. I’m a rough person, not particular about tea.”
Shen Che raised an eyebrow, “Your skin is quite smooth. How can you call yourself rough?”
“Shen Che!” Ji Cheng was now gritting her teeth, but she also knew that if she let Shen Che continue with his banter, they’d never get to the important matters.
Ji Cheng had to take control of the conversation herself. She took a deep breath, “I think the Jia Unit will soon face a counterattack. Do you have any plans? Can Pang Junxiong handle it? Is it possible to send some support?”
“The Jingshi Army is short-handed. If Pang Junxiong can’t handle it, he’s not fit for that position. The Jia Unit itself needs tempering. Those men were originally mountain bandits, so you needn’t feel sorry for them. It’s survival of the fittest; those who survive are the ones we want,” Shen Che said.
Ji Cheng thought about it and agreed. If the Grand Passage Convoy couldn’t establish itself, it would have no reason to exist.
“My father wrote saying that things aren’t going smoothly with Governor Yuan. I want to expand the Grand Passage Convoy quickly, to control the Tan and Chen families’ lifelines, and force Governor Yuan to choose new allies,” Ji Cheng said.
Shen Che thought for a moment and said, “I can send some additional manpower to Sun Rulong’s side to help you establish other convoys faster and revitalize the Western Regions route. He’s a local, so you should make good use of him. Tong Xiang has some martial arts skills, so in the future, you can have him be responsible for liaising between you, Pang Junxiong, and Sun Rulong. If there’s any news from the Western Regions, it will be delivered to you first.”
Ji Cheng said, “To do a good job, one must first sharpen one’s tools. We need to purchase camels and horses. Camels are easier to come by, but it would be good if we could buy horses from the Tiele tribe.”
Shen Che said, “Don’t worry about that. I have a deal with the Xueyantuo. We should be able to get a thousand horses.”
Ji Cheng looked at Shen Che, unable to help but admire his foresight. He seemed to have considered almost every aspect in advance.
Ji Cheng discussed some more details with Shen Che. When he wasn’t playing tricks, conversing with this man was very enjoyable and educational. Ji Cheng listened attentively to Shen Che’s suggestions, occasionally nodding and quickly jotting down notes. And Shen Che, true to his word, was doing his utmost to help Ji Cheng, agreeing to almost all of her requests.
After three cups of clear tea, Shen Che covered Ji Cheng’s teacup with his hand, preventing her from pouring herself more. “That’s enough, or you won’t be able to sleep.”
Unable to tell the time in the secret chamber, Ji Cheng was already feeling a bit drowsy, so she didn’t insist. However, there was still one matter weighing on her mind. The atmosphere between them seemed quite good at the moment, so Ji Cheng decided to take a risk and ask, “I can’t let Wang Siniang return to the capital. Do you have any way to help me, Cousin Che?”