Chapter 4 The Amazing Young Master

Everyone in the capital knew that the eldest son of the Shen family was exceptionally talented and knowledgeable in both ancient and modern times. At the age of fifteen, he shocked the court and the public with his essay "On the Northern Frontier".

Back then, Emperor Jinghe personally chose him as the fiancé of Crown Princess Linghua. They were to be married as soon as she came of age. At that time, he often accompanied the Crown Princess, wearing a moon-white long robe, standing quietly outside the crowd, like the bright moon in the sky, unreachable.

When he sees Ling Wei, he will nod slightly and address her as "Fifth Prince".

now......

Shen Zhilan hurriedly finished her greetings, looked up at Ling Wei, and then glanced at Yun Sui, whose face was pale from being suppressed by mental power. An anxious worry flashed in her eyes.

Shen Zhilan raised her hand.

Her fingers were long and slender, like jade, and she quickly made several hand gestures in the air.

Another attendant following behind him quickly began to translate, his voice trembling with nervousness: "Young Master said that Yun Sui is young and ignorant, and offended Your Highness. It was due to his failure to discipline him properly. If Your Highness wishes to punish him, he is willing to bear the consequences, only begging Your Highness... not to make things difficult for him."

Upon hearing this, the young steward Yun Sui, who had been suppressed, suddenly reddened with tears in his eyes. He struggled to say something, but could not utter a sound.

After Shen Zhilan finished the sign language, he bowed deeply, adopting an extremely humble posture.

Ling Wei looked at him quietly.

Not long after the death of Crown Princess Ling Hua, Shen Zhilan suddenly lost her ability to speak one day.

In Da Chen, men with disabilities face a difficult situation. Due to the balance of the heavens, only disabled men can naturally resist the suppression of women's mental power, which in turn arouses deeper rejection and fear from the world.

Even though he was once a brilliant young man, he fell from grace and became ashes after losing his voice.

Ling Wei stepped forward and reached out to support Shen Zhilan, who was about to kneel down before her.

It feels cold to the touch.

"Qing Shu," she called out.

The mental energy pressing down on Yun Sui suddenly withdrew, and Yun Sui's legs went weak and he knelt on the ground, panting heavily and trembling all over, but he still looked up at Shen Zhilan, his eyes full of self-blame.

"This will not be repeated."

Ling Wei left those four words behind, took his hand, and turned to walk towards the main house. As for what "this will not happen again" meant, she didn't say anything.

Shen Zhilan paused, and Yun Sui lowered her head even further.

The red candles inside the room were more than half burned, and the candle wax piled up like a small mountain.

The furnishings were elegant, unlike the lavish and flamboyant style of Yi Shao's place, and a faint fragrance of plum blossoms filled the air.

Ling Wei released Shen Zhilan, walked straight to the bedside, leaned against the brocade quilt, and rubbed her temples.

Shen Zhilan stood silently for a moment, then turned around, walked to the table, poured two glasses of wine, and held them with both hands as she walked to Ling Wei.

Drinking from the same cup.

Ling Wei looked up at him and suddenly laughed: "You've already lifted your veil yourself, so what difference does it make whether you drink the wine or not?"

Shen Zhilan's hand holding the wine glass trembled slightly.

He lowered his eyes, his thick, long eyelashes casting a faint shadow beneath them.

Ling Wei stopped looking at him and said, "Go to sleep early."

She called for someone to prepare a bath.

Hot water was brought in quickly, and steam rose from behind the screen.

Ling Wei removed her wedding dress, which reeked of alcohol, and immersed herself in warm water, letting out a long sigh of relief.

After tidying up and returning to the inner room, Shen Zhilan was already lying quietly on the outer side of the bed.

He had his eyes closed and was breathing steadily, as if he were asleep. But when Ling Wei lifted the covers and got into bed, she could clearly feel the stiffness in his body for a moment.

Even when completely still, that silent resistance still seeps out from every inch of their skin.

Any romantic thoughts or feelings were completely dampened by this cold, icy rejection.

Ling Wei lay flat, gazing at the intricate embroidery on the tent ceiling, and suddenly sighed softly.

"Shen Zhilan," she said, her voice exceptionally clear in the silence, "For the sake of my elder sister, I will take good care of you."

The person beside me seemed to pause for a moment.

Ling Wei turned her head to look at Shen Zhilan's blurry profile in the dim light, "So you can rest assured."

I won't touch you.

She just said it there.

She's not some lustful monster; she wouldn't be that impatient.

Although the sight of the person in front of me, dressed in a plain white nightgown and with his black hair cascading down his pillow, was quite dazzling.

It makes you want to rush over without thinking and see what expression will appear when that cold exterior is broken.

Once the thought started, it was hard to stop.

…It must be because I drank too much and damaged my brain, Ling Wei thought to herself, and went to sleep.

Does she really think she's something special? She doesn't care.

The next morning, Ling Wei woke up to a warm touch.

Consciousness awakens before sight; the cool fragrance of plum blossoms lingers around the tip of the nose; the place where the face is pressed is warm and soft; through the thin fabric, one can feel the steady heartbeat beneath.

She slowly opened her eyes.

The first thing that catches the eye is a long, slender, fair neck.

His Adam's apple was slightly protruding, his lines were clean and sharp, and his skin shone with a jade-like luster in the morning light.

Looking up, there was a stunningly beautiful profile.

Shen Zhilan had woken up at some point and was quietly gazing at the top of the tent, her long eyelashes drooping and casting a faint shadow under her eyes.

And she herself...

Ling Wei stiffly realized that she was like an octopus, with her arms wrapped around Shen Zhilan's waist, one leg draped over his leg, and her whole body practically clinging to him.

That's not all.

The collar of Shen Zhilan's plain white nightgown was slightly ajar, revealing a small patch of smooth skin below her collarbone.

And on that patch of skin...

There appears to be a faint watermark.

Ling Wei silently swallowed any remaining saliva, slowly moved her hands and feet off Shen Zhilan, rolled over and lay flat, staring at the top of the tent, speechless for a moment.

A slight noise came from beside her. Shen Zhilan sat up, bent down and straightened her disheveled clothes, her movements unhurried.

Then he turned his head and looked at Ling Wei.

Those clear, cool, glassy eyes held no emotion; they simply gazed at her silently.

Ling Wei stared at him for three seconds, then suddenly smiled.

"Good morning," she said, sitting up and stretching as if the awkward moment had never happened. "Did you sleep well last night?"

Shen Zhilan looked at her quietly, and after a moment, nodded slightly.

Then he raised his hand and made a few gestures in the air.

Ling Wei couldn't understand sign language, but she could roughly guess its meaning, which was nothing more than polite phrases like "It's alright" or "Your Highness is well."

She threw off the covers, got out of bed, and stepped barefoot onto the cold floor. She walked to the window and pushed it open with a whoosh.

A morning breeze swept in, carrying the fresh scent of the sycamore leaves in the courtyard.

“Now that you’re awake,” Ling Wei turned around and smiled at Chen Zhilan, “get up. We still need to go to the palace to express our gratitude today.”

Shen Zhilan looked at her back as she stood in the morning light, her bright red nightgown hanging loosely on her body, her dark hair disheveled, her bare feet on the ground, exuding a lazy and unrestrained air.

She seems somewhat different from the Fifth Princess I remember.

He lowered his eyes and nodded gently.

Outside the window, the sky was perfectly clear.

In the courtyard, Yun Sui was already waiting under the eaves. When he saw the main house door open, he quickly bowed. His eyes were still slightly red, but his manners were impeccable.

Ling Wei didn't say anything, but only instructed Qing Shu: "Prepare the carriage, we're going to the palace."