Chapter 37 Lake Tour Banquet: How Long Are You Going to Hide From Your Partner?

"That was close. I heard that the young master of Xingkou Pass almost got into trouble this time," Zhao Mingzhu said, taking a sip of tea, sounding quite relieved.

"These people are really audacious. They even dared to embezzle the money for building the military review platform and then frame the young master. They really don't care about their lives."

"Shutang?" Seeing that Lin Shutang didn't react, Zhao Mingzhu waved her hand in front of her eyes. When she finally turned her eyes to look at her, she comforted her, "Don't worry too much. Although His Majesty punished the heir by confining him to his residence to reflect on his mistakes, at least those villains didn't succeed. It's just giving the court officials an explanation. The heir will be able to return to his post soon."

Lin Shutang looked away, gazing at the crowded street below the teahouse, her voice barely audible, "I'm not worried about him."

Zhao Mingzhu assumed she was just being stubborn and didn't call her out on it. Then she heard her continue, "It's just that he's been acting a bit strange lately."

Too much happened that night, and Lin Shutang had too much to process.

Her head was spinning, and even now, she couldn't remember how she answered that night, or perhaps she hadn't said anything at all.

In her last memory, she glanced back and saw Shen Yun standing behind the door, his entire body shrouded in shadow. The moonlight streaming in through the wide-open door only lingered on his clothes, making him appear like a ghostly figure standing still, his shadow stretched long and thin.

She looked down on his expression, but felt as if he was looking at her.

Lin Shutang summoned the family physician and sent several servants to take care of him.

He stayed in the west wing.

But every day when she woke up, she was put back into the bed in the main room.

Shen Yun had disappeared long ago.

He was avoiding her.

Upon realizing this, Lin Shutang almost burst out laughing. What was there for him to hide from? Hadn't he always been used to doing whatever he wanted?

What does the present moment matter? Guilt? Ashamed? Regret?

But can those living, breathing human lives be so easily dismissed with just a few words?

Lin Shutang could never understand Shen Yun; his every move seemed to be beyond her expectations.

She had clearly built a solid wall of defense and picked up all the sharp spears to aim at it, but Shen Yun unexpectedly retreated.

He drove her to the brink, but when she was about to fight to the death, he seemed to pity her and was willing to give her a breather.

"After all, the young master has gone through such a dangerous experience, so it's understandable that his temper has become a little strange." Zhao Mingzhu assumed that Shen Yun's temper had become bad since he was idle at home. After all, Ji Huaiyi was the same way; even the smallest things could make him furious.

In comparison, the Crown Prince was already considered to be able to keep his emotions hidden.

Zhao Mingzhu didn't take it seriously and comforted Lin Shutang, "You don't need to worry about it."

"If you find it boring at home, the Lu family is holding a lake excursion banquet soon, why don't we go together?"

"Okay," Lin Shutang replied.

During this period, she did not stay in the mansion much, and the two seemed to be tacitly avoiding each other.

It's good to go out for some fresh air.

-

"How long are you going to keep hiding from your man?" Ji Huaiyi held a pot of wine and drank it down. He glanced around. He had been called here from afar, but all he was being entertained in was the bamboo garden, a godforsaken place. He didn't even dare to go back to Jingyuan Residence.

“She remembered.” Shen Yun, unusually, didn’t retort. Her dark pupils seemed to be fixed on something else, and her fingertips repeatedly rubbed the rim of the cup, without taking a sip.

Ji Huaiyi, who had been lounging with his legs wide open and leaning against the stone table, immediately sat up upon hearing this, looking at Shen Jun with a startled expression, as if to confirm that he was not joking.

"That's it." Ji Huaiyi shook his head, slammed the wine pot heavily on the table, turned his head and swore, his emotions quite agitated. "If you ask me, you shouldn't have done that back then! There's a blood feud between you two, how could she possibly live well with you?"

Shen Yun turned her head and glanced at him.

Ji Huaiyi leaned closer, his expression unusually serious. "I just want to ask you one question: have you really never regretted it?"

"Why did you have to go, you regret it?"

"I had no choice." Shen Yun lowered her eyes again, her voice soft as the wine in her hand sloshed and distorted her jade-like face.

“Yes. You had no choice,” Ji Huaiyi replied. “But she did have a choice. Shen Jun, didn’t you ever ask her why she did what she did back then?”

"What's there to ask? It's just asking for humiliation." Shen Yun's throat tightened, and he tilted his head back to drink the strong liquor in his glass in one gulp.

He had indeed asked, but the answer he received was far more cruel than he could have imagined.

In the evening, after seeing Ji Huaiyi off, Shen Yun headed towards Jingyuan Residence.

"I need to go to Xuzhou in person. If anyone comes during this time, tell them that I am ill and unable to receive guests."

"Is Your Highness going to find that mute slave? Why not just bring him to Yujing?" Yingxiao asked, puzzled.

"It was my fault for being so talkative." After being met with a sharp glare, Yingxiao immediately lowered his head obediently.

"Then I will go with the Crown Prince."

"No need, you can stay at Jingyuan Residence." Shen Yun stepped into the hanging flower gate. "Keep an eye on Madam."

"What if Madam asks..."

"She won't ask," Shen Yun said succinctly, not expecting that situation to occur.

He pushed open the study door with swift and decisive movements and went to the shelf to find something important.

"yes."

Seeing that Shen Yun's aura had intensified, Ying Xiao silently followed behind, listening to Shen Yun's instructions during the past few days while she was away from the mansion, and dared not speak out of turn again.

It's strange, these words clearly came from the Crown Prince himself, so why is he so angry?

When Lin Shutang returned to Jingyuan Residence, Shen Yun had already left.

I heard from my servants that the young master was unwell and had moved to the bamboo garden to recuperate. They asked that the lady should stay in the main room from tonight.

Shen Yun rarely gets sick; most of the time, he looks energetic and lively.

This is the first time my condition has not improved for such a long time.

Lin Shutang didn't know if he was genuinely unwell or just avoiding her.

If you're going to hide, you'd better hide for the rest of your life!

Lin Shutang flicked his sleeve and entered the main room expressionlessly.

As usual, Yingxiao was to record Lin Shutang's life and send the information to Shen Yun.

Even when watching from the shadows, they looked completely bewildered.

Why are these two so temperamental today?

-

The lake banquet was held on Yunmeng Marsh.

Now in early summer, surrounded by lush greenery and with a cool breeze emanating from the lake, it's a perfect place to escape the heat.

Lin Shutang stood on the railing of the painted boat, gazing into the distance, the lake breeze making her clothes flutter.

Zhao Mingzhu lifted her skirt and walked out of the room. The moment the door opened, a room full of seductive sounds leaked out.

She walked over to Lin Shutang and stopped beside him in a few steps. "It's windy outside, why did you come out?"

"It's a bit stuffy inside."

"Is it the stuffiness inside, or the stuffiness in your heart?" Zhao Mingzhu turned her head to look at her.

Lin Shutang was taken aback by these words, her eyes widening slightly. "What?"

"I heard that the Crown Prince is ill. Are you worried about him?"

Zhao Mingzhu knew something about Lin Shutang and Shen Yun's relationship, but assumed that Lin Shutang was just too embarrassed to express his worries, so she took the initiative to suggest, "If you're worried, why don't you go and see him?"

Lin Shutang turned her head away and looked back at the lake. In the distance, seagulls and egrets leaped from the green shade, stirring up a lotus leaf that trembled. "He doesn't need me to worry about him."

He clearly had many concerns in his mind.

She should be the one worrying.

Where is my fourth sister?

Not wanting to bring up the topic again, Lin Shutang asked about Shen Zhixi's whereabouts.

Zhao Mingzhu looked around and said, "I don't know. I guess she went out to play with her best friend."

"Don't worry about her. She's not a three-year-old. She's attended far more banquets than you have."

"After all, I brought her out, so naturally I have to return her safely." Lin Shutang straightened her clothes. "You go in first, I'll go look for her."

“Hey, slow down, I’ll go with you.” Zhao Mingzhu followed. “I heard that Princess Changning will be coming to the lake banquet today, as well as the Third Prince and the Sixth Prince. Madam Lu really cares about face, she actually managed to get the princes and princesses to pay their respects.”

As they talked, the two walked downstairs from the painted boat.

As expected, just as they said, Princess Changning was walking towards them as soon as they turned the corner.

Lin Shutang and Zhao Mingzhu stepped aside, allowing the princess to pass first.

Unexpectedly, Changning stopped and stood in front of Lin Shutang.

Zhao Mingzhu assumed that Changning was going to cause trouble for Lin Shutang again, and was thinking about how to get out of this predicament when she unexpectedly heard Changning say, "Are you feeling any better?"

Lin Shutang looked up, thought for a moment, and felt that she must be referring to the incident of falling into the water on the day of the flower viewing banquet. "Your Highness, I am already fully recovered."

Changning snorted coldly, "Don't think that just because you saved me, I will be grateful to you. I am a princess. If you hadn't saved me, I could have charged you with the serious crime of standing by and plotting to harm a princess."

"This is what you should do."

Lin Shutang responded, "Yes."

Changning seemed to choke for a moment after being answered like that, but seeing her meek and submissive appearance, she couldn't bring herself to say anything. She stamped her foot and turned to leave.

Lin Shutang searched the entire pleasure boat but couldn't find Shen Zhixi. Instead, he bumped into Madam Zhou in the circle of wealthy women.

Lady Zhou's husband was the General Who Guards the West. In his early years, he made great military contributions to the Sheng Dynasty and was a well-known figure on the northwestern border, striking fear into the hearts of many soldiers of Xiyue.

Unfortunately, fate was unkind. Five years ago, General Zhenxi died on the battlefield, and not long after, his son Zhou Ziyang also died in the Battle of Heisongling.

From then on, Madam Zhou lived alone, guarding her large mansion in the capital, and rarely left the mansion.

Zhao Mingzhu never expected to meet Madam Zhou today.

After all, when she went to visit, Madam Zhou usually refused to see her.

Over the years, her health has deteriorated, and Zhao Mingzhu is afraid that if she sees her, she will think of Ji Huaiyi, and then of General Zhou.

After all, Zhou Ziyang is Ji Huaiyi's cousin.

So he dared not bother them any further.

Now that I've met you today, I naturally have to go up and say hello.

Madam Zhou looked remarkably well today, her eyes sparkling as she gazed at Zhao Mingzhu, a stark contrast to her listless appearance five years ago.

Zhao Mingzhu was genuinely happy, so she pulled Madam Zhou aside and talked for a while to ease some of the pent-up frustration in her heart over the years.

Madam Zhou kept agreeing, beaming with delight, and her loving gaze involuntarily fell on Lin Shutang. However, upon hearing that she was the wife of the heir of the Duke of Dingguo's mansion and Shen Yun's wife, her expression changed on the spot.

"Your surname is Lin? Your name is Lin Shutang?" Madam Zhou's breathing was disordered, and she almost spat out these words through gritted teeth and blood.

His face suddenly turned bluish-purple, and his eyes were fixed on Lin Shutang, as if he wanted to strangle her immediately.

She did indeed take a few steps forward abruptly. The elegant and dignified lady who had just been all smiles suddenly turned into a shrewish woman as if she had been cursed, scratching wildly with both hands as if she wanted to tear Lin Shutang apart.

Fortunately, Zhao Mingzhu leaned forward and blocked her way.

"Why are you still alive? You deserve to die, you deserve to die! You all should die!"

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Author's Note: Princess: (gritting her teeth) Lin Shutang, I hate it most that you're like a block of wood!

Shen Yun: (pressing down his eyebrows) Stealing my words?