Chapter 46 Interrogation (Part Six)

Ling Wei was stunned and stared at him in astonishment.

Shen Zhilan raised his hand, his fingertips trembling slightly from tearing the paper, and gently stroked Ling Wei's cheek. Seeing that she did not immediately pull away, he slowly leaned forward and pressed his forehead against hers.

The moment their skin touched, both of them trembled.

Shen Zhilan closed her eyes briefly, and when she opened them again, all that remained in her eyes was an intense love that could no longer be hidden.

Ling Wei's heart skipped a beat at that moment.

“You…” Her throat was dry, and she could only squeeze out one word.

Shen Zhilan suddenly released her hands from her face, picked up the pen on the table, and quickly wrote on the paper:

【I am His Highness's person.】

The handwriting was slightly shaky, yet the force was penetrating the paper.

He looked up at her, his gaze intense, then lowered his head to continue writing:

【My love for Your Highness is unwavering, regardless of anything else. Wherever Your Highness goes, I will follow, even unto death; I will never live alone.】

Ling Wei stared blankly at these lines of text, while Shen Zhilan's pen continued writing without stopping:

[Initially, I concealed the truth due to concerns. Later, it wasn't that I didn't trust Your Highness, but rather that I realized the matter might involve the inner court, a murky and complex affair. After much struggle, I truly didn't want Your Highness to be caught in this dilemma, so I entrusted the choice to Your Highness. Whether you investigate or not, I will follow you. My lifelong wish is only for Your Highness's peace and happiness.]

His handwriting gradually became steady, and he was writing from the heart. From the moment he suspected that the inner court of the palace might be involved with the interests of the black mine, he had been caught in a huge struggle.

Telling Ling Wei would drag her into this mess; not telling her would be against his conscience and his promise. In the end, he chose a compromise: to present the clues to her and let her decide for herself whether to continue the investigation.

Ling Wei read it word by word, and the last sentence, "May Your Highness be safe and happy," made her heart ache.

"Is it okay if we don't investigate further?" she murmured softly.

Shen Zhilan affectionately nuzzled her cheek, then picked up his pen and wrote:

This nation's woes didn't arise overnight. Your Highness is human, not a god. You were severely wounded in the northern frontier, nearly dying, and have already shown your utmost loyalty and courage. Nothing in this world is perfect; as long as your conscience is clear, that is enough.

Ling Wei suddenly felt her eyes burning intensely. To avoid losing her composure, she rested her forehead back on Shen Zhilan's shoulder and closed her eyes.

Feeling the weight on his shoulder, Shen Zhilan felt a pang of tenderness in his heart. He said nothing, but simply raised his hand and gently patted her back again, silently conveying his companionship and support.

Corruption among officials was rampant, and even the emperor could be implicated. A scorching hot iron pot was thus presented to His Highness, waiting for her to lift it and be burned beyond recognition.

Shen Zhilan gently touched the top of Ling Wei's head and sighed silently. He had also been well-read and knowledgeable, and when he was still the Crown Princess's fiancé, he had dreamed of assisting a wise ruler and creating a prosperous era.

But now, the Crown Princess has passed away, factional infighting is raging, and the only person he cares about is trapped in the center of this vortex, suffering inner torment.

In that instant, all ambitions and ideals seemed to become blurry and distant.

His only thought at that moment was that if doing this would make things easier for her, then principles, ambitions, and even the truth... could all be set aside.

He only wished that his prince could have less burden and more genuine smiles.

He lowered his head and tenderly kissed the top of Ling Wei's head.

Ling Wei leaned on his shoulder, her chaotic thoughts gradually calming down. After an unknown amount of time, she suddenly moved and slowly raised her head.

Shen Zhilan noticed this and straightened up slightly, looking down at her.

Ling Wei's gaze, hazy and focused with the effects of alcohol, slowly swept over his eyebrows, nose, and finally settled on his lips.

Her gaze was too direct and too aggressive, making Shen Zhilan's heart pound wildly.

His Adam's apple bobbed slightly as he followed his inner desires, tentatively lowering his head for a very light touch, which ended abruptly.

Ling Wei did not flinch, nor did her eyelashes tremble. She simply stared at him quietly, her eyes filled with a deep, dark light.

On the wall, the candlelight projected and magnified the figures of the two embracing, swaying slightly.

The next second, their shadows became completely intertwined, making it impossible to tell who made the first move; perhaps it was simply a matter of passion leading to a natural conclusion.

Suppressed emotions, pent-up pressure, a yearning for solace, and an attraction that had long been brewing but never spoken of all found a way out at this moment.

Her clothes had fallen off at some point and were piled up haphazardly beside the table leg, mixed in with the torn-up divorce agreement.

The bed curtains were hastily pulled down, concealing the spring scenery inside, with only the flickering candlelight and intertwined silhouettes vaguely visible.

Shen Zhilan initially accepted it awkwardly and obediently, but under her strong guidance and male instincts, he gradually abandoned all restraint and responded to her passionately.

Breaths mingled, suppressed moans were swallowed by kisses.

******

Outside the door, Qing Shu, who could vaguely hear the unusual noises inside, thought: "Shen Ceqing... you've really put your heart into it."

She asked Zhu Yuan to change shifts.

The night is long, and the road ahead remains shrouded in mist and fraught with danger, but at least for now, there are people embracing each other, and they can catch their breath.

......

Ling Wei slept soundly, her dreams were bizarre and fantastical, and finally settled on a familiar yet distant scene.

She seemed to have transformed back into that teenage girl, sitting in front of her eldest sister Linghua's dressing table in her bedroom, her reflection in the bronze mirror shimmering with a hazy glow.

Linghua stood behind her, holding a jade comb in her hand, patiently combing her long, loose hair with gentle movements that exuded a reassuring aura.

Ling Hua's expression was unclear in the mirror, only a familiar smile on her lips.

The comb teeth brushed against her hair, making a soft rustling sound that was especially clear in the quiet dream. Ling Wei looked at the blurry images of her sisters in the mirror and suddenly felt that heavy, suffocating feeling in her chest surge up again.

She looked at Ling Hua's blurry reflection in the mirror, a childlike capriciousness mixed with a desperate outburst of exhaustion, and muttered something incoherently:

"I don't care anymore."

The act of combing her hair stopped.

The surroundings grew even quieter. A warm hand gently landed on her head. There were no words, no reproach, only silent comfort, as if saying: "Rest when you're tired. The sky won't fall."

A warmth spread from above her head, and in her dream, Ling Wei unconsciously tilted her head towards that hand, like a cat seeking comfort.

......

The sky was bright.

Shen Zhilan opened her eyes. The intense entanglement and tender embrace of last night were still fresh in her memory. Her hand instinctively reached out to her side, but found nothing.

He felt a sudden emptiness in his heart and immediately propped himself up.