Chapter 35 Nightmare Shen Zhiwei does not believe in ghosts and gods
After staring for so long, the back of her neck felt slightly sore. Shen Zhiwei took a half step back, her eyes still lingering on the flower branches, but she suddenly caught sight of the edge of a dark garment.
She turned her head suddenly.
Xiao Wangqing stood beneath another plum tree not far away, his figure standing tall and proud through the sparse branches. He seemed to have arrived earlier than she, and the fox fur on his coat was damp with moisture, whether frost or mist.
Their eyes met in mid-air.
There was no surprise, no avoidance. Xiao Wangqing's gaze was as dull as a deep pool of water, without any ripples, but he did not move away because of her gaze.
Shen Zhiwei was the first to withdraw his gaze, nodding as a greeting. He seemed at ease, but in reality, that wasn't the case.
She had no intention of having any more involvement with Xiao Wangqing in this life, especially in this secluded place, with the eyes of the East Palace watching from somewhere.
She turned and tried to continue along the path.
"Miss Chen." Xiao Wangqing's voice sounded behind him.
Shen Zhiwei sighed deeply in his heart and stopped: "Is the Third Prince also here to appreciate the plum blossoms?"
"I'm just passing by," he replied briefly. His footsteps approached from behind, finally stopping three steps away from her. This distance was neither too far nor too close, neither too far nor too close to be rude, yet just enough for her to hear clearly.
"This plum blossom blooms earlier than the ones in the palace."
Shen Zhiwei followed his gaze to the white plum blossoms on the other side. The buds were white and adorned on the dark branches, and they had indeed begun to bloom sporadically.
"The terrain is high and sunny, so it will naturally be earlier." She replied casually.
Xiao Wangqing didn't seem to mind her indifference and continued, "The northern border is bitterly cold, so plum blossoms are rare. Occasionally, a caravan would bring a few pots, but they wouldn't last long."
...show weakness.
His complexion seemed even worse, his lips pale, almost transparent. In the last few years of his previous life, he had become the emperor, his brows brimming with authority, yet he would often rub his forehead in front of her, exhausted from reviewing memorials late at night, with a similar expression on his face.
In this life, Xiao Wangqing is obviously different from the child in the snow. He holds military power and dares to act like that at the palace banquet, but the weakness he showed in front of her has not changed at all.
Shen Zhiwei has always been a soft-hearted person who doesn't tolerate tough tactics.
"Your Highness has returned to the capital now, please enjoy it carefully." She said lightly.
Xiao Wangqing retracted his gaze and looked at her: "The prosperity of the capital is indeed different from that of the northern border."
“People are different too.”
Chen Zhi smiled and said, "People are different in different places because of the different climate and soil."
The two of them were silent for a while. The path was about to end, and there was a small hexagonal pavilion in front. Shen Zhiwei wanted to go straight through, but Xiao Wangqing stopped.
"How about taking a rest in the pavilion?" he asked, his tone not quite asking, but not commanding either.
Shen Zhiwei looked up at the sky. The lead-gray clouds were getting lower and lower, and there seemed to be signs of snow falling.
She had left in a hurry and didn't bring an umbrella. If it really snowed, she could stay in the pavilion for a while. More importantly, she sensed the presence of the East Palace's secret guards in the dark. If she flatly refused now, it would seem deliberate.
"Okay." She nodded and walked into the pavilion first.
The stone bench inside the pavilion was cold, and a maid hurriedly spread a brocade cushion on it. Shen Zhiwei sat down, while Xiao Wangqing stood by the pavilion pillar, gazing at the scenery outside without taking a seat. He stood tall and straight, and even when he was just standing casually, he exuded a restrained sharpness.
The maid quietly retreated outside the pavilion and waited.
Silence spread again, even more unbearable than when they walked side by side just now. Shen Zhiwei was not good at making conversation, and Xiao Wangqing was even less so.
Shen Zhiwei sat upright on the brocade cushion, not looking at Xiao Wangqing standing beside her. She could feel his gaze occasionally falling on her, calm and direct, without any disguise, but also without any offense, just watching.
This look made her feel a little uncomfortable, but not angry.
Just as Shen Zhiwei began to feel the coolness of the stone bench seeping into his skin through the brocade cushion, the person who had been standing silently beside him suddenly swayed slightly.
The shaking was so small that it would be almost imperceptible if Shen Zhiwei had not had sharp senses.
She looked up subconsciously.
Xiao Wangqing remained leaning against the pavilion pillar, but his always sharp, dark eyes were now unfocused, his long eyelashes drooping. His fingers on the pillar tightened slightly, trying to maintain his balance and not fall.
Actually... fell asleep while standing.
Shen Zhiwei had a headache. If she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, she would never have believed that someone as alert as Xiao Wangqing would show such an unguarded attitude in the presence of outsiders.
Is it due to physical weakness after injury, or fatigue from running around for days?
She looked at the fatigue that was hard to conceal on his pale face. His eyes, which were always alert and distant, were closed tightly, revealing a rare fragility for no reason.
He was exactly the same as the boy in her memory who always kept his back straight no matter how tired or painful he was.
Shen Zhiwei looked at the increasingly dense snow curtain outside the pavilion, then looked at Xiao Wangqing who was still sleeping, and sighed softly.
She stood up and walked to the edge of the pavilion, whispering a few instructions to the maid waiting in the distance.
The maid took the order and quietly withdrew.
But after a moment, the maid came back with a thick black cloak in her hand. It was the one that Xiao Wangqing had taken off and placed on the stone bench beside him.
Shen Zhiwei took the cloak, which was cold to the touch. She walked in front of Xiao Wangqing, hesitated for a moment, and then raised her hand to gently drape the cloak over his shoulders.
During the movement, she was very close to him and could smell the faint scent on him.
The moment the cloak fell, Xiao Wangqing's shoulders trembled slightly. Even in deep sleep, the alertness ingrained in his bones still existed.
But he did not wake up. His Adam's apple just rolled and he let out a very light sigh. Then, as if he had unloaded a certain burden, he tilted his head slightly and rubbed his cheek against the edge of the cloak's fur, like a child seeking warmth.
Shen Zhiwei gathered his cloak for him, and his fingertips accidentally brushed the skin on the side of his neck. He felt a cool wetness, which turned out to be cold sweat.
Then something gently pulled the hem of her skirt.
She lowered her head and saw that the inky black ball had slipped out of the carriage at some point and was squatting silently at her feet, hooking her skirt with its claws. It tilted its head, staring at her with its gilded cat eyes without blinking, and making a very soft gurgling sound in its throat.
How did it follow her? It had been fast asleep in the carriage, so she didn't disturb it when she got out.
Shen Zhiwei bent down and tried to pick it up so that it wouldn't disturb the people sleeping in the pavilion.
The black cat deftly twisted its body, avoiding her hand, and walked lightly to Xiao Wangqing's feet. It first sniffed the dust on his boots warily, then walked around him twice, squatting in the shadow beside his feet, gently wagging its tail, without showing its teeth or avoiding him as it usually did with strangers.
Shen Zhiwei raised her eyebrows in surprise. This cat had a unique personality. Apart from her, it always ignored others. Even when Xie Mingxu came up to him to try to please him, he would just shake his tail and dust him off. But today, it was unusually docile towards the fierce and reserved Third Prince.
She said nothing, just watched quietly.
Xiao Wangqing was still sound asleep, completely oblivious to the cat at his feet. His breathing was steady and long, but his brows were still slightly furrowed, as if he couldn't find peace even in his sleep.
The snow fell heavier and heavier, goose-feather-like flakes being carried by the wind, slanting into the pavilion and forming a thin layer on the stone steps. The chill grew stronger.
Shen Zhiwei gathered his cloak, his eyes falling on the thin cape on Xiao Wangqing's shoulders. He wasn't wearing much to begin with, and he had just been standing for a long time. Even though he was asleep, his lips seemed lighter than before.
She was hesitating whether to ask the maid to bring another hand warmer, but the black cat at her feet moved.
It stood up, stretched, and then lightly jumped onto the stone bench next to Xiao Wangqing. It first approached his hand hanging at his side and carefully sniffed his fingertips with its wet and cold nose.
At this moment, Shen Zhiwei noticed that Xiao Wangqing's fingers on the pavilion pillar moved, his brows furrowed again, and his breathing became slightly rapid.
Almost at the same time, the black cat squatting at his feet suddenly moved its ears, and the gurgling sound in its throat stopped. It raised its head and looked in the direction of Xiao Wangqing. The hair on its back stood up slightly, and its tail flapped the stone bench restlessly.
A man and a cat seemed to be pulled by the same invisible pain.
It's so weird.
She wasn't someone who panicked out of concern, but the scene before her was truly bizarre. Xiao Wangqing was so alert. Even if he was seriously injured and weak, he shouldn't have slept so soundly in front of outsiders, let alone displayed such a... fragile, painful expression.
And this cat, her cat.
It must be said that Shen Zhiwei was a little unhappy.
Her eyes fell on the black cat. It usually avoided strangers and was only willing to get close to her, but at this moment it was obviously showing unusual attention to Xiao Wangqing.
It must be said that Shen Zhiwei was really unhappy, although it was far from the point of taking out his anger on others.
Just as she was concentrating on thinking, a suppressed groan escaped from Xiao Wangqing's throat.
His whole body trembled violently, cold sweat trickled down his forehead, his fingertips trembled uncontrollably, and he gasped for breath, as if he had been struck hard by some huge invisible object.
Shen Zhiwei's heart tightened. This reaction didn't resemble an ordinary nightmare. Perhaps it was a relapse of an old injury. She thought of the hideous wound in the bamboo forest. If not properly treated, recurrence is common.
or……
Shen Zhiwei didn't believe in ghosts and gods originally, but after being reborn, it was no longer a question of whether she believed in them or not.
She held her breath and took half a step forward.
Xiao Wangqing's brows were furrowed even tighter, his face slightly distorted by the nightmare, his lips moved silently, he seemed to be saying something, but in fact, no sound came out.
She frowned slightly and subconsciously took a step forward, almost reaching out to wake him up.
However, before her fingertips touched Xiao Wangqing's sleeve, he suddenly gasped and opened his eyes first.
The dark pupils completely blurred the moment they opened, and Shen Zhiwei was faced with the fear, pain, and... ecstasy that was filled in them.
That look was too complicated and too unfamiliar. It definitely did not belong to the Xiao Wangqing of this age that she knew.
It's more like the look of someone who has been trudging through endless darkness and despair for too long, suddenly catching a glimpse of a ray of light, a mixture of great hope and deeper fear.
Her hand froze in mid-air.
Their eyes met.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
