Shen Qiyuan shook his head: “His Majesty is benevolent. When Princess Jinghong was young, he rode alone to rescue her from danger. Even then, he didn’t abandon her, so how could he later go to such lengths to plot against her?”

There was also this matter? Ruyi suddenly nodded in understanding.

Both fell quiet for a while, leaving only the sound of shallow breathing in the carriage.

“You…” Shen Qiyuan suddenly frowned.

“Hmm?” Ruyi turned her head, propping up her chin.

His brow furrowed with wrinkles, his eyes showing complex emotions, his lips opening and closing: “When did you… When did you start liking those common people?”

Blinking in confusion, she realized what he meant: “You mean Shuyi Wine House? I still have several jars of good wine stored there.”

Those who could store wine were regular customers who visited frequently.

Shen Qiyuan seemed rather displeased: “Coming to the mortal world is supposed to be for cultivation practice. How can you easily indulge in worldly pleasures?”

Ruyi said with amusement: “Does indulging in worldly pleasures interfere with cultivation?”

“It doesn’t.”

“Then why are you lecturing me?” She raised her eyebrows.

Shen Qiyuan couldn’t answer.

He had never encountered such a situation and didn’t know what to say.

In these past thousand years, Ruyi had never harbored mortal desires. Even when encountering tactless people who approached her with romantic intentions, she would refuse them mercilessly. In his view, she was someone with a pure Dao heart, just like him.

But now, it seemed that as long as someone looked attractive, her eyes would light up.

It truly didn’t affect cultivation, but…

His hand clenched tightly inside his sleeve. After pondering for a long time, Shen Qiyuan finally found a reason: “Master said that divine cultivators cannot have marriage ties with mortals.”

“Who told you I want to have marriage ties with them?” Ruyi snorted with laughter, her phoenix-red painted nails gently swaying before him. “I’m just seeking pleasure.”

The person before her visibly became annoyed, yet didn’t know what excuse to use to lose his temper. He could only lower his eyes, his lips slightly pursed.

After lazily observing him for a moment, Ruyi suddenly said, “Are you feeling stuffy in your chest?”

“How did you know?” He irritably glanced at the carriage window. “It’s too close up.”

“It has nothing to do with the window.” She said carelessly, “You’re feeling jealous.”

Jealous? Shen Qiyuan was bewildered for a moment: “What does this mean?”

“You care about me and don’t want me to be close to others. That’s called being jealous.” Ruyi lifted her chin and looked at him sideways. “It’s commonly seen between lovers.”

“Nonsense.” He turned his head away. “You and I are merely fellow cultivators.”

Stopping at just the right point, Ruyi didn’t continue speaking, only turned her head to the other side as if nothing had happened.

Shen Qiyuan’s hand, resting on his knee, kept loosening and tightening his fingers.

He hadn’t been like this before. It was only since she mentioned splitting up that his heart suddenly lost its foundation.

So she wouldn’t always travel with him. So she didn’t necessarily need him either.

This panicked, stuffy emotion wasn’t jealousy. After all, having traveled together for a thousand years, anyone would feel uncomfortable with sudden change, wouldn’t they?

A scene inexplicably flashed through his mind.

-Shen Qiyuan, you have feelings for me, too, don’t you?

-You only need to nod slightly, and I won’t be eager to return to my domain.

He was stunned.

When did this happen?

The same discomfort, the same inexplicable anger. He felt as if two hands were simultaneously gripping his heart, making even breathing somewhat difficult.

“Sir, we’ve arrived.” The carriage suddenly stopped.

Shen Qiyuan was unprepared and leaned forward.

Ruyi reached out to catch him, very naturally pulling him back to his seat.

Her arm was strong, yet the touch was warm and soft, carrying a faint wine fragrance.

He felt somewhat uncomfortable, straightening up with his hands not knowing where to place them. But the person beside him showed no sign of anything unusual, alighting from the carriage as if nothing had happened, her back cold and distant as she walked toward Zhou Tingchuan.

The stuffiness in his chest grew worse. He descended with a dark expression and quickly caught up with them in a few steps.

“Lord Shen.” The steward came out to greet them, directly leading them to the main hall.

Song Zhenshan was already interrogating several servants in the hall, with Li Zhaoying sitting beside him, her face pale.

“Sister Ruyi.” Seeing the people entering through the door, her eyes reddened, and she rose to rush over.

Ruyi caught her, slightly raising an eyebrow: “Scared to this extent? This doesn’t seem like the formidable princess who blocked my carriage with a whip at the foot of Huiming Mountain.”

Li Zhaoying was made to smile by her words, but her expression quickly darkened again.

“Brother Qiyuan, please go to Master Song’s side. I’ll go to the back courtyard with Sister Ruyi to talk.”

Shen Qiyuan nodded and went over to listen in on Song Zhenshan’s questioning. Li Zhaoying then pulled Ruyi through the back door, walking toward the garden.

“I wasn’t frightened.” When there was no one around, she spoke in a low voice. “From childhood to now, I’ve encountered such things many times and am already used to it.”

Ruyi reached out to touch her pale lips: “Then what’s this about?”

Her eyes reddened even more. Li Zhaoying pressed her forehead against Ruyi’s shoulder: “I’m just thinking, since he doesn’t like me, why did he seize that green tassel and red jade to propose marriage to me?”

When others heard she had nearly been poisoned, they all rushed over anxiously to comfort her. Only Song Zhenshan, upon entering, went straight to interrogate the servants without even asking her a single question.

Yes, she could find others’ comfort useless and even laugh while saying she was used to it, but he was different. He was about to become her husband, so how could he be so cold?

“He doesn’t like you?” Ruyi thought of Song Zhenshan’s sharp eyes in the wind and rain, and couldn’t help but scratch her chin. “Not necessarily.”

If it were someone else, Song Zhenshan might not have rushed over so quickly, especially since he had been truly busy lately, having to fabricate an identity convincing enough for Shen Qiyuan while also building bridges, repairing roads, and providing disaster relief.

“I’ve seen what it looks like when others like me.” Li Zhaoying pouted. “They would all be very considerate of my feelings, constantly coaxing me. By comparison, I know Song Zhenshan doesn’t have me in his heart.”

“Everyone expresses affection differently,” Ruyi said. “Song Zhenshan is just a man of few words, not that he doesn’t care about you.”

As her words fell, she was slightly stunned.

Song Zhenshan wasn’t the only one who was taciturn. Wasn’t Shen Qiyuan from two thousand years ago even more so, with his thoughts requiring complete guesswork?

In the past, he was naive, and she was naive too. Unable to see through him or get the answer she wanted, she had become disheartened, thinking he didn’t like her.

But now, encountering Shen Qiyuan from two thousand years ago again, she discovered his feelings hadn’t been hidden that well either. For instance, just now, if they were truly just fellow cultivators, why would he feel jealous?

Her eyebrows moved slightly. Ruyi snorted with laughter: “However, even if he cares in his heart, it’s useless if he doesn’t say it out loud. Since you’re upset, just remember to resent him and torment him. Don’t be soft-hearted.”

Li Zhaoying, who had been worrying, was startled into coughing twice by her sudden change in tone.

“Tor… torment him?”

“Why not?” She curved her lips upward, her long eyes both tender and wanton. “Let him be unable to guess your thoughts, not knowing who you’ll love tomorrow. For him, that would be a kind of torment.”