"No one can compare to you. No matter what, you are the one I've chosen. I don't care about your shameless, boastful, and narcissistic habits. As long as you have me in your heart, I'm content."

Shen Jinchen pulled Cen Xi to sit down on the edge of his bed, kissed the back of her hand, and then looked at her intently as he spoke.

Seeing him gazing at her so tenderly, and noticing the cool touch on the back of his hand, Cen Xi felt her face flush. She quickly withdrew her hand, turned her face away, and changed the subject:

"How did you find out a few days ago that I would be facing off against Emperor Taizu at the banquet at the West Gate?"

Cen Xi recalled that day's events were too coincidental. She had originally decided to go to the city tower on a whim, so why were Emperor Taizu and Shen Jinchen so accurate in their predictions and arrived just in time?

“I received some information that there was a hidden iron mine behind the mountain of Qingshan Academy, and that someone was making moves there. I led my men to sneak in and investigate, but I found that the place was already deserted. At that time, I felt that this was a ploy to lure the tiger away from the mountain. I was afraid that the other party had another big move after the plague. So I took Shangse and Fengqin and went to the camp outside the city overnight.”

"After a series of maneuvers, we finally managed to mobilize 50,000 troops and counter-encircle the enemy's besieging forces. Victory seemed assured. But when your zither began to play, I knew that the man intended to kill you. Ah Xi, do you know how terrified I was? I was afraid that if I had arrived even a moment later, I wouldn't have been able to save you. Fortunately, heaven was on my side, and I didn't arrive too late."

Seeing that he was shy, Shen Jinchen stopped teasing her. Recalling the fear and danger of that day, he closed his eyes and finally told her everything that had happened.

"Are you stupid? You actually put yourself in someone else's shoes to block an arrow. If Jun Jianchou hadn't arrived in time, we would both probably be dead."

Seeing his numerous injuries, Cen Xi couldn't help but scold him.

“Ah-Xi. It turns out I didn’t do anything wrong, did I? If I hadn’t shielded you from the sword with my own body, when would you have recognized your own heart and accepted me? With you treating me with such sincerity, I’m willing to die. If you end up as strangers to me, then it’s better for me to die. At least I died for you, and you will remember me in your heart.”

Shen Jinchen stared intently at Cen Xi, his deep voice seemingly able to penetrate the depths of Cen Xi's heart.

“I… I don’t deserve this from you! Actually, I don’t believe in love. The only person I truly love is myself. You’ve made me…”

Cen Xi felt a mix of emotions—moved, self-reproachful, and guilty—as Shen Jinchen gazed into her deep, dark eyes. He might be right; without Shen Jinchen protecting her with his own body, it would be hard to believe that she and this person could end up together. It would also be hard to believe that she could be moved by a man.

The frequent arguments between Ms. Li and her two fathers in the past had long since extinguished her expectations for love, so her selfishness and coldness were ingrained in her bones, and it was difficult for most people to arouse her desire for love. For example, Yu Kuang, no matter how fiercely he shouted or how many times he confessed his love, that emotional nerve would never jump, and even if he put his mouth close to hers, she would find it difficult to take the plunge.

But he never expected that after being taken advantage of by this man, he would be unconsciously attracted to him. At first, it was physical attraction, and later it was a subtle and gradual attraction in his heart.

He could make her heart race, her face flush, and her accept doing everything that couples would do with him. Perhaps this really is fate!

"Ah-Xi, trust me! Trust me that I will treat you sincerely from now on. Don't close yourself off anymore, okay? As long as you trust me, I will make sure you have a good life for the rest of your life."

Seeing that her thoughts had drifted away again, but the blush on her face proved that she was thinking about her relationship with him, Shen Jinchen took Cen Xi's hand again and kissed it, as solemnly as if kissing a precious treasure, and his words were also very serious.

"No! You shouldn't be so serious. I know what you're thinking right now. But don't ask me to believe you. Let's take it one step at a time. Once I fall in love, it's for life. What if you can stay with me for the rest of your life?"

"Of course I won't have any thoughts. If you fall in love with another woman later, just write the divorce papers and I'll take them. I'm a very easygoing person and won't make a scene or threaten suicide."

Seeing that he was about to make a vow as he continued speaking, Cen Xi quickly stopped him. She didn't believe in vows at all, so she didn't want to hear them.

"You woman. I haven't even been able to marry you into the household yet, and you're already thinking about a way out? Am I born a person who doesn't keep promises? I'm very picky and have a cleanliness obsession. Having you is enough. If I were a womanizer, all those noble ladies in the capital would probably have filled my Prime Minister's mansion by now."

"So Qingqing, you don't need to doubt my feelings for you. I will only have you as my wife in this life. If you don't agree with me, I will not marry another wife."

Upon hearing Cen Xi's words, Shen Jinchen first chuckled and scolded her, then offered a quiet explanation.

"Pfft! Alright, alright, we've gone back to square one. I believe you, I believe you, okay? Let's not talk about this anymore. You need to rest well. You can only think about other things when you're well-rested. If you don't take good care of your injury and become a cripple, I won't marry you."

Seeing him explain back and forth like this again, Cen Xi chuckled, then gave him a reproachful look and said in a childish tone.

"You should get some rest, Ah-Xi. You were gone all day yesterday, and I couldn't sleep a wink, afraid you might change your mind and leave again. Will you stay with me today? I promise if you want me to get better quickly. But you have to stay with me. My injuries will heal faster if you're by my side. How about it?"

Shen Jinchen recalled his anxiety and uncertainty yesterday, but instead of feeling ashamed, he felt proud. In his eyes, as long as he could keep his wife by his side, what did it matter if he was shameless? Besides, he didn't need to guess who Cen Xi was with yesterday, so how could he let someone easily take advantage of him?

So even if he pretends to be weak and innocent today, no matter what he pretends to be, he will keep her here. How can his wife spend the New Year with someone else? She can only ever put herself first.

"What do you mean? Prime Minister Shen, have you forgotten? This is someone else's residence, not your villa. If I were to lie down with you like this so openly, I would become the talk of the town tomorrow. People wouldn't dare to openly criticize you, but they would definitely criticize me, saying I'm shameless and unchaste. Why would I want to cause so much trouble?"

Seeing that he always wanted to lure her into his bed, Cen Xi couldn't help but roll her eyes. Sure enough, in a man's mind, reputation was nothing, and being intimate was the most important thing.