Knowing Lin Yu'er's fondness for good looks, Chen Shi made a special effort to dress up before going to the Prime Minister's residence to ensure he looked as handsome as ever.

After receiving news yesterday that Shen Shi was coming to visit the Prime Minister's residence, Prime Minister Lin, in order to show his respect for the prince, canceled his original plans and stayed at home without going out.

Upon hearing the servant's report, "The Fifth Prince is almost at the gate," Prime Minister Lin immediately went out to greet him.

"Your subject greets the Fifth Prince." As soon as Shen Shi stepped out of the sedan chair, he saw Prime Minister Lin bowing to him.

This was his future father-in-law, and upon seeing this, Shen Shi quickly helped him up, saying, "Uncle, why are you doing this? There's no need to be so polite between us."

Despite Shen Shi's attempt to stop him, Prime Minister Lin insisted on bowing and said, "The etiquette of a subject should not be disregarded. Fifth Prince, you need not feel embarrassed."

Sigh, he really is an old stubborn man.

Helpless, Shen Shi could only stand still and accept his bow.

After performing the salutations, Prime Minister Lin, fearing he might have slighted the prince, immediately said, "Fifth Prince, please come in."

The two entered the Prime Minister's residence together. Prime Minister Lin was an honest and upright official. Although the Prime Minister's residence, bestowed by the emperor, was large in area, its interior decoration was extremely ordinary.

Upon arriving at the reception room, Prime Minister Lin instructed his servants to serve Shen Shi the finest West Lake Longjing tea.

The two chatted while drinking tea.

Prime Minister Lin truly lived up to his reputation as the top scholar of his time. He knew everything from national affairs and people's livelihood to the daily lives of ordinary people, and he could talk about anything.

If Shen Yu were here, he would definitely get along very well with Prime Minister Lin.

But when one's mind is elsewhere, all one can do is respond with "uh-huh."

In this era, the separation between men and women was very strict. Even if a couple was engaged, they would be gossiped about if they met in private.

It would be fine if Shen Shi were a man, but for the sake of Lin Yu'er's reputation, he had to be careful.

You have to understand that in this day and age, rumors can be devastating.

Shen Shi deliberately chose to visit today because he knew in advance that the Lin family planned to go hunting today.

As long as Prime Minister Lin extends an invitation, no one else can say anything.

Chen Shi waited and waited, and half an hour passed, but Prime Minister Lin was still talking about matters of the court, and he talked on and on without stopping.

Fearing he would miss this opportunity, Chen Shi had no choice but to shamelessly interrupt Prime Minister Lin.

"I heard you're planning to go hunting in the countryside today. I hope I won't be a hindrance?" After saying this, Shen Shi winked and looked meaningfully at Prime Minister Lin, as if afraid his words weren't clear enough.

Prime Minister Lin: "..." I knew all along that you had ill intentions.

Fortunately, although he was old-fashioned, he wasn't that cold-hearted.

Prime Minister Lin then extended an invitation: "I do have this idea. Staying at home for too long can be quite stifling. This old minister is about to take his children to the hunting grounds in the suburbs. I wonder if the Fifth Prince would be interested in joining us?"

"Of course," Shen Shi, who was waiting for him to speak, immediately agreed.

Then, looking at the unhurried Prime Minister Lin, Chen Shi anxiously urged, "Uncle, when do you plan to set off? If we delay any longer, we won't make it in time."

Urged on by Shen Shi, Prime Minister Lin, who was usually unhurried, immediately instructed his servant: "Go and inform the young masters and ladies to pack their things and depart in half an hour."

As Chen Shi had hoped, he had another cup of tea with Prime Minister Lin and discussed the political situation in the court. Finally, the Lin family's main force set off.

Shen Shi did not ride in a carriage, but rode a horse with Lin Yu'er's brothers. Because of his status as a prince, people around him kept trying to talk to him.

Thinking that they would all be relatives in the future, Shen Shi also gave him face and agreed.

Since they were all young men, the Lin brothers were passionate about horseback riding and proposed a race to see who could reach the hunting ground first.

Shen Shi readily agreed: "Alright, this prince will bleed a little this time, using the Ferghana horse that my uncle gave me as the wager."

“Then it’s settled. I’ll take Li Yihe’s famous painting.” Lin Yuang, the eldest brother of the Lin family, immediately followed suit.

Upon hearing this, several of the Lin brothers immediately placed their bets, some offering calligraphy and paintings by famous artists, others rare and precious items, and most outrageously, some even offering banknotes directly.

A group of young noblemen pulled their horses to the starting line, and with a shout of "Start!", they immediately spurred their horses into a gallop.

However, Chen Shi, who had been the most enthusiastic at the beginning, not only failed to run after the race, but instead forcibly reined in his horse, making it walk slower and slower.

The horse walked slowly, gradually coming alongside Lin Yu'er's sedan chair.

Lin Yu'er, inside the sedan chair, had been pounding with excitement ever since she learned that Shen Shi was also going along.

While she was putting on makeup in the room, her personal maid couldn't help but tease her, "With the Fifth Prince here, Miss, you can even save on rouge."

Knowing that the teasing was meant to make Lin Yu'er blush, her face turned even redder, like a ripe peach.

Throughout the journey, Lin Yu'er kept a close eye on Shen Shi. The maids and guards beside her, knowing their mistress's thoughts, would also tell her.

Knowing they were going to have a horse race, Chen Shi didn't expect that instead of speeding up, he would deliberately slow down and wait for her sedan chair.

Lin Yu'er's heart pounded even harder, her excitement soaring to her throat. She couldn't help but lift the curtain and say, "If the Fifth Prince doesn't hurry up, the precious Akhal-Teke horse might be lost."

Unexpectedly, Lin Yu'er lifted the curtain and was caught off guard by the sight of her beloved's pretty face. Overwhelmed with emotion, she couldn't help but blush.

The two of them stared at each other, their faces flushed, and an ambiguous atmosphere gradually built up.

"The Akhal-Teke horse is gone, but there are things even more precious," Shen Shi said, blushing.

Lin Yu'er understood his unspoken meaning, and glanced at Chen Shi with affectionate eyes, her shy appearance making her particularly endearing.

Shen Shi stared intently at her, "When I visited the Prime Minister's residence last time, I heard that Sister Lin was unwell. Is she feeling better now?"

She was just having a minor illness that time, but I didn't expect Shen Shi to take it to heart.

"I'm all better now, thank you so much for the medicine, Fifth Prince." Lin Yu'er was deeply moved.

"That's good. Lin Daiyu has been frail since childhood, so you should take extra care of yourself. Don't overdo it with cold drinks in the summer." Shen Shi couldn't help but remind his beloved.

Lin Yu'er blushed under Shen Shi's intense gaze and didn't dare to look up at him. She said, "You too," and quickly pulled the curtain down.

With the curtains providing cover, Lin Yu'er raised her hand to cover her flushed cheeks, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly: Fifth Prince, you're being too direct today.

Shen Shi, standing outside the carriage, looked at the lowered curtain and couldn't help but smile.

The little girl is still so easily embarrassed; she's absolutely adorable.

After calming down for a while in the carriage, Lin Yu'er wanted to know if Shen Shi was still outside, so she quietly lifted the curtain again.

Then she saw Shen Shi, who was riding on horseback, curl the corners of his lips into a smile.

As the morning sun rose, the handsome young man on horseback smiled brightly at her, and Lin Yu'er was momentarily stunned.

Her future husband is so handsome!

Feeling like she had struck gold, Lin Yu'er's affection for Shen Shi grew even stronger.