An'an keenly sensed Lu Xiao's increasingly frequent "chance encounters" and probing gaze. Those sharp eyes, belonging to the young general, seemed to peel away her carefully constructed facade. Alarm bells rang in her mind: Could it be that her father had asked Uncle Lu to keep an eye on her? Was Lu Xiao keeping an eye on her on behalf of his elders? No, she absolutely couldn't expose herself!

In her anxiety, An'an racked her brains for a solution. She had to completely dispel Lu Xiao's doubts and convince him that "Anping" was indeed a real man! The opportunity soon arrived.

There was a well-known, easygoing, and unpretentious military doctor in the camp named Wang Mazi (actually, he didn't have pockmarks on his face; he was just surnamed Wang and had a forthright personality). Once, when Wang Mazi was changing clothes, he casually hung an old, starched, stiffened chest binder (in ancient times, men also had similar cloth belts for binding the waist or fixing injuries, but they were different in shape) outside the tent to dry. As a result, it was blown by the wind to the vicinity of An'an's tent.

An An, quick-witted, seized the opportunity when no one was looking and swiftly picked up the cloth strip, stuffing it into the bottom of her medicine box. A few days later, when Lu Xiao "coincidentally" passed by her small tent again, and "casually" came in to sit down under the pretext of discussing a prescription for external injuries, An An "accidentally" pulled out the roll of chest binder while flipping through the pharmacopoeia, and it fell right at Lu Xiao's feet.

The cloth strip was dusty and covered in sweat and dirt; it was clearly a man's personal item.

The tent fell silent instantly.

Lu Xiao's gaze was fixed on the roll of cloth on the ground, his pupils suddenly contracting! He recognized what it was! Almost every man in the military camp wore a similar waistband or abdominal support! This... was irrefutable evidence!

An An's heart pounded, but she feigned extreme embarrassment and panic. She quickly bent down, grabbed the cloth strip, and haphazardly stuffed it into the cabinet next to her. Her voice was deliberately tinged with awkwardness and annoyance: "Ahem... I'm sorry to have made you laugh, Your Highness! This subordinate... this subordinate will clean it up right away!" She deliberately wiped non-existent sweat from her forehead with her sleeve, her back to Lu Xiao, her shoulders seemingly still trembling slightly (actually, she was nervous).

Lu Xiao felt a chill creep up from his feet, mixed with immense disappointment and... a vague sense of absurdity. He looked at An Ping's embarrassed back, then at the direction where the person had been stuffed into the cabinet. All the doubts, all the familiarity, all those hazy, subtle feelings that had quietly grown out of gratitude for saving his life and his unique aura, seemed to be brutally shattered by that rough roll of cloth.

He... really was a man. An ordinary military doctor... who might have felt troubled and embarrassed by his earlier probing. His inexplicable associations and attention were probably, in his eyes, extremely rude, even... repulsive.

Lu Xiao's Adam's apple bobbed, his voice dry, carrying an unprecedented distance and apology: "...I'm sorry, Dr. An. I was presumptuous. You...you're busy, I'll take my leave first." He turned around almost awkwardly, quickly leaving An An's tent, his back view revealing an unspeakable loneliness and self-mockery.

Hearing the footsteps fade into the distance, An'an slowly turned around, leaned against the cabinet, and let out a long, silent sigh of relief. Her palms were already soaked with cold sweat. She had succeeded... she had managed to deceive him for the time being. However, looking at the complex and unreadable look in Lu Xiao's eyes as he left, a subtle and inexplicable ripple stirred within her heart.

In the capital, the Shen family mansion was brightly decorated, filled with guests, and brimming with joy. Red lanterns hung high, and the air was filled with cheerful music. Today was the auspicious day of Shen Rui, the eldest grandson of the Shen family, marrying Pei Qingyun, the daughter of Pei Zheng, the husband of the eldest princess!

"The auspicious hour has arrived! The groom is here to fetch the bride!"

With a loud and clear announcement from the master of ceremonies, Shen Rui, dressed in a bright red wedding robe and standing tall and straight like a pine tree, rode a tall, adorned horse, surrounded by a group of equally spirited groomsmen, to the Pei residence to fetch his bride. His usually composed face could not conceal the joy and nervousness that welled up within him today.

The Jing Prince's entourage arrived at the Shen residence early. Shen Yuewei and Xiao Chengjing sat with Shen's parents at the head of the main hall, their faces full of gratified smiles as they watched the lively scene.

"They're here! The bride's sedan chair has arrived at the gate!" Yan Ge'er, like a little monkey, was the first to dart in through the gate to announce the news, his face flushed with excitement.

"Quick! Go see the bride!" Ningning, wearing a pretty pink dress, grabbed Shen Huaiyu's hand and tried to run outside.

Kang Kang and Shen Huaijin were more reserved, but also curious, they followed behind.

Outside the main gate of the Shen family mansion, a sea of ​​people had gathered. The bridal sedan chair landed, and the matchmaker announced loudly, "Please, groom, shoot an arrow through the sedan chair door—!"

Shen Rui took a deep breath, took the bow and arrow, and steadily shot three arrows at the top of the sedan door (symbolizing exorcism), winning cheers from the crowd.

"The bride alights from the sedan chair—! Steps over the fire basin—!"

The sedan curtain was lifted, and Pei Qingyun, dressed in a phoenix coronet and embroidered robe, and covered with a bright red veil, stepped out of the sedan chair with graceful bearing, supported by the wedding attendant. Her figure was slender and her steps were light; even without seeing her face, her air of a well-bred lady was captivating.

"Cousin Qingyun looks so beautiful today!" Ningning exclaimed softly.

“Cousin Rui is so handsome!” Yan Ge’er chimed in.

A newlywed couple, holding hands with a red ribbon, slowly entered the wedding hall amidst the deafening sound of firecrackers and the blessings of their guests. Shen Rui's gaze remained tenderly fixed on the bride beside him, as if all the surrounding noise was irrelevant to him.

"I bow to Heaven and Earth—!"

"Second bow to the parents—!"

"Husband and wife bow to each other—!"

As the emcee announced the wedding, the newlyweds bowed to each other. Madam Shen wiped away tears of emotion, while Old Master Shen stroked his beard, beaming from ear to ear. Looking at her elder brother Shen Wenqing's gratified smile, and then at the perfectly matched couple on the stage, Shen Yuewei was filled with a myriad of emotions.

This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!