By the time Shen Zhiheng was pulled between the two, separating him from Xiao Yanyue's view, he had completely accepted Shen Xingmian's explanation.

Yes, constantly using respectful terms of address creates too much distance.

Although the young prince is the eldest grandson of the emperor, he is only nine years old, an age when he needs the care and love of his elders.

At his age, and already a confirmed traitor, he might as well be more open and honest, and stop clinging to these illusions, so as not to appear pedantic.

Shen Xingmian was much more skilled this time than before, at least she wasn't panicking anymore.

I have a pretty good idea of ​​where to start the cut and how deep to make it, and my hand is quite steady.

The entire surgery was completed in less than five minutes. Because of the slight increase in his superpowers, he was much more adept at healing such minor wounds.

Shen Xingmian breathed a long sigh of relief, raised her arm to wipe away non-existent sweat from her forehead, and said in a relaxed tone, "Alright!"

To the two tense people beside him, these words were like heavenly music.

As the beneficiary, Xiao Yanyue didn't feel comfortable asking too many questions, but Shen Zhiheng, being one of their own, naturally had no such concerns and asked, "Sweetie, is that all?!"

"Of course, Grandpa, why don't you believe me?"

As Shen Xingmian asked the question, she playfully raised her eyebrows, her expression extremely lively and vivid, completely unlike her fierce demeanor just moments before.

Shen Xingmian's lively and agile demeanor made Xiao Yanyue suddenly feel a little afraid to look directly at her.

He had never lacked praise since he was a child, but he lacked confidence in front of this person.

I was in a hurry to get out of bed today because I was anxious, worried that my decision was just wishful thinking and that I was not worthy of it at all.

He never imagined that he, the eldest grandson of the King of Linyue, who was known for his precocious intelligence, would one day feel unworthy of someone.

It turns out the book was right: the feeling of "liking" someone can really make you feel inferior.

His eyes, which had just been bright with joy because his ankle injury had been healed, suddenly dimmed, as if the flame of hope had been extinguished.

Shen Xingmian had been keeping an eye on him, wanting to see how excited the child would be to hear the good news. But he was only excited for a moment, and then he became depressed.

This is not scientific.

Reaching out, she poked his soft but not very round face and asked, puzzled, "Why are you still unhappy? Why are you pretending to be deep? Okay, don't think about unhappy things anymore. The rain has stopped outside, and the air is especially fresh. I'll take you out for a while."

After saying that, he bent down to hug the person.

"No, I'm heavy. Let Grandpa Shen help me," Xiao Yanyue quickly stopped her.

After figuring things out, he could no longer accept being held like that by Shen Xingmian.

He's completely reversed it, and it will probably be very difficult to get it right again. He doesn't want to always be seen as just a younger brother who needs to be taken care of in her heart.

Being cared for by her maternal grandfather made it a little easier for her to accept.

From the moment he made that plan, he didn't want to be just a "child" in her eyes anymore. Once he recovered, he wanted to practice martial arts with his maternal grandfather every day, grow tall, and be able to lift her up with one hand.

Seeing her grandfather pick up the child, Shen Xingmian quickly moved a chair and placed it under the eaves outside. It was a very pleasant place where the sun wouldn't shine on the child and the post-rain breeze could be felt.

"Grandpa, you go ahead and attend to your business. With me here, nothing will go wrong," Shen Xingmian patted his chest and solemnly assured him.

This is the most precious thing in the entire Lin Yue Kingdom; it must be taken good care of.

Although I've been taught the concept of "equality for all" since I was a child, I've come to understand that here, people are indeed divided into noble and lowly based on their social status.

She didn't intend to spread modern theories here. It's too difficult and too tiring for one person to brainwash the whole world.

She should just follow the local customs and cultivate a wise and capable ruler. It's easier to do so than to be obsessed with promoting equality.

I guess so.

She didn't plan to do anything too complicated. As long as her family could move freely in the world without having to bear the stigma of "disloyalty" and "treason," she could live a peaceful life as a lazy bum who just eats and sleeps all day.

She was still looking forward to those leisurely and comfortable days.

“I’ll call you Yanyue from now on. Calling you ‘Little Prince’ sounds too distant, don’t you think?” Shen Xingmian tried to get closer to the human cub.

She had lived to be over twenty in her previous life, so in her eyes, nine-year-old Xiao Yanyue was really just a human cub.

They are just particularly pitiful and lovable, after all, other children have not suffered so much.

"Ah, of course, very good... very good!"

As if to emphasize, Xiao Yanyue even said "very good" twice. His attitude made Shen Xingmian feel quite pleased. All the effort she had put in for him had not been in vain.

"Can I call you 'Mianmian'?"

Before Shen Xingmian could refuse, he added, "That's fair. We're the same age, so we should address each other like that."

Shen Xingmian wanted to say "same age my foot! Calling me 'sister' is already taking advantage of you," but when she thought about how her body was only twelve years old and she wasn't that much older than him, she could only reluctantly agree.

Seeing that she had agreed, Xiao Yanyue quietly tilted her head and smiled gently.

His bleak life seemed to be suddenly illuminated by a ray of light, bringing new life to the desolate cliff like withered trees blossoming in spring.

Deep down, he seemed quite happy.

He stopped thinking about those heavy hatreds and just wanted to cherish this rare moment of joy under the eaves after the rain.

The road ahead will be difficult, and we don't know what we will encounter. This rare sweetness will be the motivation for him to keep going.

"By the way, you may encounter many dangerous situations in the future, and I may not be able to take care of you every time, so this is for you, here."

In her hand was a delicate and sharp dagger, which she had specially enhanced with her metal-based superpower. It could cut a hair in two, and it had blood grooves on both sides. It looked cold and sharp, and very cool.

Xiao Yanyue took the dagger with delight, holding it in one hand and gently stroking it with the other, showing great care and respect.

Fearing that the child might take it too seriously and be reluctant to use it, Shen Xingmian emphasized, "I have quite a few daggers like this. Use them when you need to, and don't be reluctant to use them."

After saying that, she scratched her head embarrassedly. What kind of talk was that? She was a member of the royal family, after all. What good things hadn't she seen?

Why would you hesitate to use a small dagger?

You're overthinking it.

However, she thought this way because his attitude was so overly cautious and appreciative that she, the one giving the gift, couldn't help but say something strange.

"Thank you, Mianmian, I'll remember that."

Xiao Yanyue raised her head and gave her a smile that was both shy and alluring, almost making Shen Xingmian lose her senses.