Ignoring his sore chin, Xie Jingyan anxiously asked Shen Wan, "Does your head hurt from the bump?"

Shen Wan froze, a strange, inexplicable feeling creeping into her heart. She truthfully said, "It hurts..."

Before she could finish speaking, Shen Wan's arm was grabbed. Before she could react, her head was lowered, and Xie Jingyan's calloused hand covered her head, gently rubbing it, the warmth of his palm radiating through her.

Shen Wan's face also grew hot. She was really not used to Xie Jingyan being like this. She looked up at Xie Jingyan and met his gaze.

Shen Wan's ears turned bright red. At this moment, Xie Jingyan's voice came over, "You're not smart to begin with. If you make any more mistakes, your older brother won't let me off the hook."

Shen Wan, “…!!!”

Shen Wan raised her eyebrows and glared fiercely at Xie Jingyan.

She was surprised that he rubbed her head, which she had bumped, and looked so distressed. It turned out that he had always thought she was stupid and was just afraid of her older brother.

Thinking of this, Shen Wan frowned slightly and looked at Xie Jingyan suspiciously, "Are you that afraid of my older brother?"

Why didn't she sense it in her past life?

Xie Jingyan looked at Shen Wan and said, "Your elder brother saved my life, and you are his own sister. As long as your request is not excessive, I will grant it."

Shen Wan's eyes lit up. "Can I let you sleep in the study?"

Xie Jingyan laughed in exasperation, "What do you think?"

That's definitely not going to work.

Shen Wan knew it wouldn't work. Her older brother didn't know they were faking their marriage. In his eyes, Xie Jingyan sleeping in the study was bullying her, so how could Xie Jingyan possibly agree to that?

Even if we share a bed, there's no guarantee we won't experience the same awkward situations as last night and this morning again.

She wasn't the only one who felt awkward, so why did he seem to not care at all?

Shen Wan looked up at Xie Jingyan, and their eyes met unexpectedly. Xie Jingyan looked away and said, "Let's eat. We have to go to the palace later."

Entering the palace to offer tea was an important matter, so Shen Wan immediately stopped thinking about it and the two sat down to eat breakfast.

After breakfast, Shen Wan pushed Xie Jingyan toward the gate of the Prince's Mansion. Once outside, they took a carriage into the palace.

Xie Jingyan's carriage was specially made and very spacious, allowing a wheelchair to be pushed directly onto it.

The carriage sped towards the palace. Shen Wan and Xie Jingyan had nothing to say to each other, but it would be awkward to remain silent, so they simply lifted a corner of the curtain to watch the people and vehicles coming and going on the street.

Seeing Shen Wan's expression that suggested she wanted to go shopping, Xie Jingyan unconsciously tightened his grip on his knees, his eyes dimming. Shen Wan glanced at him and asked, "Does your leg hurt?"

Xie Jingyan didn't speak, his gaze lingering outside through the car curtain. After a long while, he said, "I can't go shopping with you."

Nobody asked him to go shopping with her.

Is he afraid she'll ask him to go shopping with her?

After all, he had just said he would agree as long as it wasn't too much, and not agreeing would be going back on his word and contradicting himself. But if he really went shopping with her, there was no guarantee that his sweetheart wouldn't see them, which would put him in a dilemma. So he spoke first, not giving her a chance to speak.

It was difficult for him to be caught in the middle, torn between two options, and to avoid making him worry, Chen Wan said, "I know it's inconvenient for you to come with me."

Xie Jingyan thought Shen Wan would comfort him, but instead she stabbed him in the back. His heart ached, and he closed his eyes in pain.

Seeing that he didn't speak, Shen Wan felt even more that he was unpredictable and silently continued to look out of the carriage.

Neither of them spoke again until the carriage entered the palace.

When the carriage stopped, Xie Jingyan got off first, followed by Shen Wan. Palace servants were already waiting there and led them to the Empress Dowager's Shou Kang Palace to serve tea to the Empress Dowager, the Emperor, and the Empress.

Shen Wan tried to push Xie Jingyan, but Xie Jingyan coldly replied, "No need."

Shen Wan's hand was already touching the wheelchair when Xie Jingyan said this, pushing the wheelchair forward himself. Shen Wan's hand froze there, not understanding what she had done to upset him again.

Chen Feng pushed Xie Jingyan toward Shou Kang Palace. Shen Wan, who was already slow-paced, slowed down even more as she pondered how she had offended Xie Jingyan.

Upon noticing that Shen Wan was far behind, Chen Feng said, "Your Highness, the Princess Consort hasn't caught up."

Xie Jingyan glanced back at Shen Wan, his eyes dim and somewhat helpless. Seeing this, Chen Feng took a few steps back.

Shen Wan couldn't figure out what she had done to offend Xie Jingyan. When she looked up and saw that Chen Feng wasn't pushing the wheelchair and Xie Jingyan was standing there, she knew that he was waiting for her. She quickly ran over, took Chen Feng's place, and pushed Xie Jingyan to Shou Kang Palace.

Xie Jingyan didn't speak, and Shen Wan didn't dare to speak either, afraid that saying too much would lead to making a mistake. It was better not to open her mouth to avoid saying the wrong thing again.

As they approached Shou Kang Palace, they saw the First Prince walking towards them from afar. Upon seeing them, the First Prince smiled and said, "I haven't yet congratulated my sixth brother and sister-in-law on their wedding. Yesterday, I was unwell and missed the wedding banquet at the Prince of Jin's residence and the lively celebrations at the Prince of Ling's residence. It's such a pity."

Yesterday, the Prince of Jin's residence and the Prince of Ling's residence held wedding banquets on the same day, and the eldest prince did not go anywhere.

He and Xie Jingyin fought tooth and nail for the position of crown prince. Xie Jingyin was suppressing Xie Jingyan and enjoying immense glory, which he did not want to see. In addition, Xie Jingyan had just helped him, so he had to give Xie Jingyan some face both morally and logically. However, all the civil and military officials went to the Prince of Jin's mansion for the wedding banquet, while he went to the Prince of Ling's mansion. This would make him seem petty as the eldest prince, so he simply did not go to either of them and thus missed the excitement of both sides.

Yesterday, when the eldest prince learned that the emperor had gone to the Ling Prince's residence, he was filled with regret. He could have chosen to go to any other place. If he had gone to the Jin Prince's residence, he could have seen the most interesting expressions on the faces of the Jin Prince and the Empress. If he had gone to the Ling Prince's residence, and his father had made the same choice as him, he would have definitely made the Jin Prince furious.

Xie Jingyin and Shen Ying also came to Shou Kang Palace to offer tea. As they walked over, they overheard the First Prince's words. Xie Jingyin's face darkened. "The Prince of Qin's illness came on suddenly and went away quickly. Apart from not being able to leave the palace to attend the wedding banquet, he hasn't missed a single thing."

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