But when Meng Zhao laid these words out, he was unwilling to admit that he wanted to use the shackles of marriage to keep her by his side forever. Even if Meng Zhao grew tired of him in the future, she would be unable to break free because of the opinions of Uncle Meng and Aunt Xu, the hopes of her mother Qing Ze and Qing Yu, and his persistent pursuit.

Seeing Meng Zhao get up to leave, Shen Qinghe's heart tightened. Ignoring the aggravation of his wound, he pulled her into his arms, buried his face in the crook of her neck, and said in a muffled, trembling voice, "I'm sorry...it was my fault..."

His warm breath brushed against Meng Zhao's ear, and she could feel his chest heaving violently: "I shouldn't have had such thoughts. I agree to everything you said. I won't tell anyone about our relationship, and I won't bind you in any way. You can like me if you want. If one day," he choked up, "if one day you don't like me anymore, that's fine with you too."

Meng Zhao felt a sharp pain from his embrace, but she could feel him trembling all over. As an ancient person who had been influenced by etiquette since childhood, it was unreasonable for Shen Qinghe to immediately accept her ideas. However, if he was willing to change for her, she should be more tolerant and give him more time.

"Really? Once you say it, there's no going back." She stepped back slightly, cupped his face in her hands, and asked.

Shen Qinghe nodded hurriedly, "I will never go back on my word! From now on, I will listen to you!"

Meng Zhao's expression softened instantly, and she gently wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes with her fingertips. "Look at you, crying like that. Besides, can't you have a little confidence in yourself? Don't you know how handsome you are?" As she spoke, she suddenly leaned closer and lightly pecked him on the lips. "Where else could I find such a learned, obedient, and handsome young man who is two years younger than me?"

Shen Qinghe sniffed, her wet eyes still carrying a hint of uncertainty. "In your eyes, am I that good?"

Meng Zhao knew that praise was free and could make people improve, so he went on and on, saying, "You are calm and reliable in handling affairs, and you are also insightful and intelligent. Not to mention your handsome appearance, I'm not blind, how could I not see your good qualities?"

Seeing Shen Qinghe's expression gradually relax, she smiled and pinched his cheek: "Are you happier now?"

Shen Qinghe was about to nod, but then hesitated and pursed her lips: "Are you just trying to comfort me?"

"Heaven and earth bear witness!" Meng Zhao made a gesture to raise his hand to swear an oath, but then leaned close to his ear and whispered, "To tell you the truth, the day you were drugged, I took advantage of you while you were out of your mind. Do you know how much effort it took for me to resist actually kissing you when you were lying next to me?"

Shen Qing recalled that when he was tormented by lust, he did vaguely feel a pair of hands caressing his chest. He initially thought it was just a hallucination caused by lust, but he never expected it to be real.

His Adam's apple bobbed, his voice hoarse, "Then why didn't you kiss me back then? I was begging you so much back then."

Meng Zhao smiled sweetly, "Silly boy, you were out of your mind then, you wouldn't remember if I kissed you. It's better to wait until you're sober before I tell you my feelings."

Shen Qinghe had always been chased and rejected by Meng Zhao with a cold face, so he had never been coaxed like this before. At this moment, he felt as if his heart was filled with honey, so sweet that he felt like he was floating. He suddenly pulled her into his arms, so tightly that Meng Zhao could hardly breathe. "Ah Zhao, I like you so much, really... really like you so much."

Meng Zhao felt a sharp pain from his tight grip, but when she felt the intense heartbeat from his chest, she secretly curled her lips into a smile. The little voice inside her smugly snapped her fingers, finally managing to appease him.

After cuddling together in the house for a while, the two went outside together to try out the canes, as if their argument had never happened.

A few days later, news arrived from the capital that the emperor had issued an edict summoning the Prince of Jingnan to the capital. Shen Qinghe also needed to return to the capital as soon as possible to handle the case. However, just as he was preparing to depart, he encountered another problem.

“I really can’t go back to the capital with you. I came to Huainan to inspect the business, but I haven’t been able to get anything done these past few days because of you. If I go back like this, wouldn’t it be a wasted trip?”

Shen Qinghe looked displeased. "Huainan isn't safe right now. What if something happens if you don't come back to the capital with me?"

"Don't worry, Huang Cui and the others will be here soon. My second uncle has also arrived in Huainan. We'll meet up soon. He has a delivery team with him, so there are quite a few people. If you're really worried, just leave me a few more skilled martial artists. I'll be careful and never travel alone, okay?"