Gu Zhixing's ears burned, and he turned his head away as if his secret had been exposed.

"So what's your opinion of him?" Gu Zhixing pressed.

Shen Jintang thought for a moment and said, "Shangguan Qingchen, that person..."

Shen Jintang frowned, fiddling with the corner of the blanket, as if he had been thinking a lot. Finally, he said, "He is indeed a rare partner. He is steady in his dealings, has excellent strategic skills, and is most reliable when it comes to business."

Gu Zhixing's Adam's apple bobbed, and his voice was somewhat muffled: "Mmm."

He already knew that person was very good in Shen Jintang's eyes, so why did he have to ask such a question?

The candlelight crackled, casting flickering light on Gu Zhixing's profile.

"His appearance is also excellent." Shen Jintang added, a slight smile playing on her lips, "Back then at the poetry gathering, countless young ladies showered him with fruit, filling his carriage to overflowing."

Gu Zhixing sat up abruptly, the brocade quilt slipping down to his waist: "Shen Jintang!"

"What?" She looked up, feigning confusion. "Didn't you ask me that?"

Gu Zhixing's chest heaved violently, and after a long while, he managed to squeeze out a few words through gritted teeth: "Continue."

“This person is far too cunning.” Shen Jintang sighed softly. “There is always a barrier between us when we associate with him. It’s like… looking at a piece of fine mutton fat jade, which looks warm and smooth, but feels cold to the touch.”

She reached out to grasp Gu Zhixing's hand: "Unlike you, so sincere. You would spend all your money on unrelated children, and be willing to be a peddler for the one you love."

Gu Zhixing's expression softened slightly, but he still pressed on, "In your opinion, who is better?"

Shen Jintang pretended to ponder: "Well... they each have their strengths, it's really hard to say which is better."

"You!" Gu Zhixing was so angry that he tried to get up again, but she grabbed his sleeve.

"What's the rush?" she chuckled. "Even if he has a thousand good qualities, what does it have to do with me? But some fool..." she touched his heart with her fingertip, "has already filled my heart completely."

Gu Zhixing's breath hitched.

"No matter how good Shangguan Qingchen is, he's not mine." She leaned close to his ear, her breath sweet as orchids. "But you are mine, and I only... have feelings for you."

The last few words were spoken lightly and quickly, yet they instantly melted the nameless fire in Gu Zhixing's heart into spring water.

He suddenly pulled her into his arms, resting his chin on the top of her head, his voice muffled: "What if I gave you a chance to choose?"

"Why are you so concerned about him?" Shen Jintang tilted her head slightly, looking at him with empty eyes. Although he couldn't see it, he could feel the doubt in Shen Jintang's eyes.

Gu Zhixing's Adam's apple bobbed, and his gaze drifted unnaturally to the window.

As dusk deepened, the wind chimes hanging from the eaves tinkled in the breeze, making the room even more tranquil.

"It was just a casual question." He smiled casually, but his fingers involuntarily tightened, holding her even closer, as if afraid she would slip away from his embrace.

Shen Jintang persisted, gently tapping his chin with her fingertip: "Gu Zhixing, tell the truth."

Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable firmness.

Gu Zhixing remained silent for a moment, then finally sighed.

He lowered his eyes, his thick eyelashes casting a shadow in the candlelight, concealing the unease in his eyes.

"I...have heard far too much about you and Shangguan Qingchen." His voice was low, tinged with suppressed emotion. "Everyone says you two are a match made in heaven, a perfect couple...the more you hear it, the more naturally you become..."

Before he could finish speaking, he shook his head self-deprecatingly, seemingly feeling helpless about his own pettiness.

Upon hearing this, Shen Jintang was taken aback at first, then burst out laughing.

"Just because of this?" She found a comfortable spot to lie down, her tone relaxed, and said, "Young Master Gu, you actually get jealous for no reason?"

Gu Zhixing felt his ears burning from her gaze, but he still stubbornly refused to show weakness: "Who said I was jealous? It's just..."

"You're just feeling down, aren't you?" Shen Jintang picked up on his words, her smile widening.

But knowing that Gu Zhixing cared about this matter, he suddenly said seriously, "Then listen carefully, Shangguan Qingchen and I are just in a cooperative relationship where each of us gets what we need. I lack money, and he lacks soldiers, that's all."

Her slender fingers gently traced Gu Zhixing's brow bone as she continued, "As for the talk of a perfect match, a match made in heaven, those are just excuses he uses to fob off those young ladies from noble families. I'm just a shield."

At this point, she seemed to remember something, and a hint of mischief flashed in her tone, "Shangguan Qingchen, that man, I'm afraid he'll never find a wife in this lifetime. He's such a perfectionist, the woman in this world who could catch his eye probably hasn't even been born yet."

Gu Zhixing listened quietly, the gloom in his eyes gradually dissipating.

He took Shen Jintang's hand and gently kissed it: "Really?"

“Absolutely true.” Shen Jintang blinked. “What, the dignified Prince Gu, how can you be so lacking in self-confidence?”

Gu Zhixing did not answer immediately, but stared into her eyes as if trying to see into the depths of her soul.

After a long pause, he asked softly, "Then... what do you like about me?"

The question came suddenly, and Shen Jintang was slightly taken aback, then smiled with her eyes crinkling.

She tilted her head as if thinking, deliberately drawing out her words: "Well... first of all, of course, I like that you're good-looking."

Seeing Gu Zhixing raise an eyebrow, she continued, "If you weren't so handsome, I probably would have ended your life with a single sword strike the day we first met."

As she spoke, she made a throat-slitting gesture, but her tone was full of laughter.

"Secondly, of course, is your family background." She winked mischievously. "If your mother weren't a princess, I wouldn't have been dealing with you for so long, much less..." Her voice trailed off, and a blush rose on her cheeks.

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