Chapter 17 Go Home, Awei, Don’t Bully Me
Ever since that bowl of ginger soup at the post station, Xiao Wangqing seemed like a different person.
Whenever Shen Zhiwei wanted to ask him why he was acting strangely that night, he would be stopped by his pitiful look of wanting to say something but not being able to.
It’s not that she was that pitiful. The Third Prince still had an expressionless face, but he looked a little aggrieved for some reason, as if she had done something to bully him.
Shen Zhiwei suspected that he saw that he was falling for it.
When the post station set out in the morning, he was always the first one to be helped onto the carriage by the eunuchs. When Shen Zhiwei stepped into the carriage wrapped in the cold, he had already closed his eyes and dozed off, his breathing long and even, as if he was really asleep.
But his eyes were tightly closed, his eyeballs moved from time to time, and his eyelashes trembled too obviously, which was really poor acting.
During the day, Xiao Wangqing rarely met Shen Zhiwei's gaze. If she looked at him, he would immediately lower his eyelids, turn his head to look at the scenery outside the window, or stare at the thin blanket covering his injured leg. In short, he would not look at her.
Occasionally, Shen Zhiwei would ask about his injuries and whether he needed to stop and rest, but he would simply answer, "Fine." "No need."
When they arrived at the post station to stay overnight, they were in a hurry. Shen Zhiwei had just been helped off the car by Xie Mingxu, and when she looked up, she could only see his back, which was carried by the eunuchs as he moved into the post station as if he was escaping, without even leaving a piece of his clothes behind.
During meals, he always sat down at the table before Shen Zhiwei, digging into his food. By the time Shen Zhiwei sat down, he had already put down his bowl and chopsticks, excused himself by saying, "My leg is hurting, and I need to rest early." His movements were so quick that no one could stop him.
Shen Zhiwei held the bowl of soup and looked at the empty seat opposite her, feeling both amused and helpless. What on earth had he discovered at the post station that night that made him avoid her all the way like a cat whose tail had been stepped on?
Xie Mingxu was happy and at ease. Without Xiao Wangqing present, he stuck to Shen Zhiwei and tried all kinds of ways to show his affection to her.
"Master Shen, try these freshly made shepherd's purse wontons. They're very delicious."
"This rain is endless and humid. Would you like some hot wine to warm you up?"
"Hey, look at that cliff. Doesn't it look like there's a big toad squatting on it?"
Shen Zhiwei would sometimes respond, but more often she would just stare silently at the continuous rain outside the window, letting Xie Mingxu chatter.
Her body became heavier day by day, her coughing attacks became more frequent, the feeling of suffocation in her chest was always with her, and the medicine bottle in her sleeve pocket was emptied and refilled.
She was too lazy to try to guess what Xiao Wangqing was thinking. A chance encounter, a helping hand in a snowstorm, and several life-or-death struggles—perhaps for him, it was already too heavy a burden.
Since he wants to hide, let him hide.
Only occasionally, in the dead of night, listening to the suppressed groans of pain coming from the next room, Shen Zhiwei would unconsciously touch the deep bite mark on his right wrist.
She ended up doing nothing.
As we headed north, the rain gradually subsided, but the chill only intensified. The muddy road gave way to a crust of frozen ice, which crackled under the wheels of our cars.
In the carriage, Xiao Wangqing still maintained his habit of sleeping as soon as he got on the train.
But as they approached the capital, when Shen Zhiwei coughed violently, the veins on the back of his hands, which were clutching his robe, would jump more obviously.
Finally, at dusk on the tenth day after leaving Jianghuai.
We have arrived in the capital.
"Master Shen," Xie Mingxu's voice came through the curtains, "We're finally here! This awful weather has frozen my bones. I'll have someone take the Third Prince back to Lanhui Garden first, and then take you back to the Eastern Palace."
"Thank you, my Lord." Shen Zhiwei raised his voice and replied to him, and he breathed a sigh of relief in his heart. It had been a bumpy journey, but fortunately nothing else went wrong.
The wheels stopped in front of the palace gate. From behind the curtain came the whispers of eunuchs and the sound of a wheelchair rolling over stone slabs. Xiao Wangqing was helped out of the car.
Shen Zhiwei did not lift the curtain to see, he only heard the subtle grinding sound pause for a moment, as if someone looked over here through the thick curtain, and then slowly walked away, and the sound gradually disappeared.
When Shen Zhiwei stepped on the horse stool to get off the carriage, his steps were unsteady and he stumbled. Jing Shu, who had been waiting at the bottom of the steps, hurriedly supported him.
"Sir!" The maid's voice was filled with tears, and her eyes instantly turned red. "You...how did you become so thin? And your complexion..."
"Oh, why are you crying?" Shen Zhiwei used the force to stand firmly and patted the back of her hand in a funny way. He wanted to cover her hand, but then he remembered that his hands were as cold as ice, so he gave up.
She put the lantern in the little girl's hand and said softly, "It was the strong wind. Where is His Highness?"
"I'll be waiting for you in the warm room." Jingshu sniffed and tightened the collar of her fox fur coat that was blown by the wind.
The heating in the warm room burned fiercely, and the usually strong medicinal odor had faded considerably since she left. Xiao Lingjun stood by the window, a little snowflakes drifting in from the window falling on his shoulders. He heard the door open and turned around.
Today, he wasn't wearing the crown prince's usual attire, only a moon-white satin gown. His dark hair was tied loosely behind his head, highlighting his gentle features like jade. When his eyes fell on Shen Zhiwei, that gentleness solidified into a tangible warmth, as if soaked in a pool of spring water.
"I'm back."
"Yeah, I'm back."
Shen Zhi smiled and took off the fox fur coat that was stained with dust and handed it to the young eunuch. He bent his knees to bow, but before his knees touched the ground, they were held firmly by a strong force.
Xiao Lingjun had walked closer, his palm against her cold elbow, and he lifted her up with gentle but irresistible force.
"The ground is cold." He brushed his fingertips over her earlobe, which was slightly red from the cold, and slid down to her neck to check for her pulse. His brows furrowed. "You look so bad. Didn't you take your medicine properly on the way?"
“Drink it,” Shen Zhiwei let him hold it, his brows a little tired, “The teacher’s pills are also taken, and they haven’t been taken for a day.”
Xiao Lingjun didn't ask any more questions, but led her to the soft couch that had been prepared. It was covered with a thick sable mattress, and a cup of steaming ginseng tea was warming on a low table, with a plate of freshly cut candied pear slices beside it.
"Sit down." He pushed her down on the couch, and sat down opposite her. He picked up the warm cloth and wiped her frozen fingers one by one.
"Awei, you've worked hard on the Jiang Huai case," he looked up at her. "You handled the case very well. This time, you've completely eradicated it, and it's shocked the whole government. Father is very pleased. Awei's methods are so drastic that even if I were to go there myself, I might not be able to do it more cleanly and efficiently."
Shen Zhiwei coughed a few times and looked away, her fingertips curled in his warm palm: "It is Your Highness who is planning and planning, the shadow guards are capable, and the Third Prince and Prince Xie also helped a lot. I... am just following orders."
"Follow orders?" Xiao Lingjun chuckled and took her hands in his. "My orders didn't tell you to drag this body through mud and water, or endure the rain."
"I received the letter Seventeen sent back."
Shen Zhiwei suddenly raised his eyes.
On the way back, she didn't receive a reply, and Seventeen didn't come back either. She thought there would be no further developments in this matter.
Xiao Lingjun leaned forward slightly and put his forehead against hers. The pleasant scent of pine rose up to him, and he met her gaze with a smile.
"Lin Wenyuan's daughter... I know about it," he said, his voice low and soft, almost bewitching. "This matter is strange, and Ah Wei reported it promptly. Taifu Lin is my mentor, and his daughter is in danger in Huai'an. I will personally inquire about this matter and give the Lin family an explanation."
His Highness is very happy.
This was the first information Shen Zhiwei heard.
Then came a chill that quickly crept up my spine.
She knew Xiao Lingjun too well.
If he said he knew, then he really knew. If he said he would ask about it, then he had already made a decision.
If he deliberately avoided talking about the unbelievable similarity, it would mean... in his eyes, this was definitely not a coincidence.
She opened her mouth, her throat tightening a little: "Your Highness..."
"Awei," Xiao Lingjun squeezed her hand tightly, "you look really bad. The trip to Jianghuai was exhausting. You don't need to go anywhere these days, just rest in the East Palace. I have already asked Xu Yuanpan to prescribe a new prescription for your recovery."
"As for other matters," he paused, his fingertips brushing across her slightly furrowed brows, his movements extremely gentle, "I'm here for you. You just need to focus on taking care of yourself, and don't worry about anything else."
No need to bother anymore.
“Your Highness… Miss Lin, she is an innocent person after all.” Shen Zhiwei felt goosebumps all over her body, and her voice was a little hoarse.
"Innocent?" Xiao Lingjun chuckled, his laughter close to her ear, causing Shen Zhiwei's fingertips to numb slightly. He released her hand, picked up the ginseng tea on the low table, and gently stirred it with a porcelain spoon. The lingering heat blurred the expression in his eyes.
"Within these palace walls and under the imperial power, where is true innocence?" He scooped up a spoonful of warm ginseng soup and handed it to her lips, just like every time in the past ten years.
"Taifu Lin's students and friends are spread throughout the court and the country. His daughter is in danger in Huai'an. If this matter is not thoroughly investigated and a decent explanation is not given to the Lin family, wouldn't it chill the hearts of scholars throughout the world?"
His voice was still gentle, and every word he said made sense, without a single mistake.
"As the crown prince, I should be considerate of my subjects and protect the descendants of loyal and righteous people. Ah Wei, rest assured, I will personally oversee this matter and will give an explanation to the Lin family and the people of the world."
The slightly bitter taste of the ginseng soup spread across her tongue, and Shen Zhiwei swallowed it obediently, her throat clenched and her temples throbbing. Xiao Lingjun's words were flawless, and he made the crown prince's duties and the favor he bestowed upon his subjects sound grand and proper.
She felt a little itchy and wanted to slap him.
But what His Royal Highness said was very normal, and she had no reason to hit him.
never mind.
Shen Zhiwei raised her hand, grabbed the crown prince's collar and pulled it down hard. Her knuckles turned white from the force, and the piece of plain satin crumpled into a ball in her palm.
"Xiao Lingjun," she looked up at him, her voice hoarse, "I'm going to die."
"I don't want to go to hell and drag others with me."
Xiao Lingjun lowered his eyes and looked at her. The smile on the corner of his lips slowly faded. There was nothing in his eyes but a silent dark color.
He raised his hand and gently placed his fingertips on the back of her cold hand. His movements were as gentle as if he was soothing a frightened bird, but with an unbreakable force, he slowly pried her fingers away from her collar.
"What nonsense."
"You've known Miss Lin's face for a long time, haven't you?"
Xiao Lingjun knocked the medicine bowl lightly on the table.
"Ah Wei," he spoke slowly, each word weighing carefully, his gaze having shifted away without him noticing, "There are so many things in this world that are alike. The resemblance in appearance is merely a coincidence. She is Lin Wenyuan's daughter, the daughter of the Grand Tutor's family, and you...are two completely different people."
"Completely different?" Shen Zhiwei twitched the corner of his mouth. "Then why didn't you dare look at me? Why did you even spill your soup when you heard her name just now?"
"Look at me!"
Even Xiao Lingjun found it difficult to face Shen Zhiwei when she was angry. She rarely got angry with him, so much so that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, who was the best at adapting, didn't know what to do now.
What's more, he has no reason this time.
He didn't want to hide it from her, and considering the previous experience with Xiao Wangqing, he was afraid that she would be soft-hearted. He didn't expect that his Awei was so perceptive.
"I look at her the same way I look at anyone else in the East Palace," he said softly, shifting his gaze with difficulty. "She is Lin Wenyuan's daughter, nothing more. If she's in danger, I'll investigate and give her family an explanation. This is the duty of the crown prince, and it also reflects my respect for the Grand Tutor. As for the rest..."
"I promise that she will live according to her own wishes and live a good life."
"Awei, stop bullying me."
The author has something to say:
----------------------
Xiao Lingjun was originally angry, but Shen Zhiwei was even more angry.
The Crown Prince was left with a guilty conscience, regretting that he hadn't said it tactfully enough, and blaming himself for not even finishing feeding her the ginseng soup before upsetting her.
And fortunately
Fortunately, Awei pulled him back again
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
