Chapter 71 Return: For you, there is absolute certainty.
After the emotional release from their long-awaited reunion, Shen Yujiao and Jiang Chen gradually calmed down. Shen Yujiao tied Jiang Chen's clothes back on and then went to the stove, serving him a bowl of fish soup in her own bowl.
"The fish was caught by Zhu Yu and his men at the frozen lake today. This soup was made by Mu Nan. Drink some to fill your stomach, and I'll have someone prepare some food for you."
Jiang Chen took the wooden bowl, his hands enveloped in warmth. He nodded and said, "Please call Zhu Yu over for me. I want to take a shower first."
"good."
Shen Yujiao handed him the soup bowl and turned to walk out, afraid that if she turned too slowly, he would see the tears in the corners of her eyes. Just then, she saw Zhu Yu waiting at the corner as soon as she went out. Zhu Yu's eyes were also red. When he saw her, he quickly bowed and greeted her.
"Go inside, your master is waiting for you. Give him a bath in a bit."
"Yes," Zhu Yu replied, her voice choked with emotion.
Shen Yujiao walked all the way to the kitchen. Before she could even give any instructions, the kitchen was already bustling with activity. She forced a smile at Mu Jin, then walked out of the kitchen, leaned against the wall, and let out a long sigh of relief.
Although it was early winter, the nights in Beiding Prefecture were so cold that it felt as if the mountains and rivers would crack. As soon as Shen Yujiao opened her mouth, puffs of white breath came out. Footsteps came from the corner of the wall. Shen Yujiao turned her head warily and saw that the person who came was He Zhiju.
Like Jiang Chen, He Zhiju was in no better shape. He had obviously been waiting for her outside for a long time, and his face was now turning purple from the cold.
"Ah Jiao, I'm sorry."
The usually spirited and gentle young general now looked down with his head bowed, like a child who had done something wrong. Seeing his remorseful appearance, Shen Yujiao's emotions, which had just calmed down, surged up again.
She shook her head, pulled the person back into the inn, where servants had already cleaned He Zhiju's room. Shen Yujiao led the person upstairs, pushed open the wooden door, and shoved the person inside.
“Brother, you don’t need to explain to me. I know everything. You must have done your best under those circumstances. I don’t blame you. It’s already a blessing that you came back safely.”
He Zhiju stood beside the charcoal brazier, his frozen limbs gradually warming up. He looked into his sister's clear eyes and felt even more guilty. He slowly lowered his head again, not daring to meet her gaze.
"In the end, it was my failure to protect His Highness."
“No, you protected him,” Shen Yujiao smiled as she looked at the person in front of her. Across an unknown distance of time, the two He Zhiju’s faces gradually overlapped. There was a sense of relief and affection in Shen Yujiao’s eyes: “Brother, you have always tried your best to protect him. I should thank you on his behalf.”
He Zhiju had no idea what Shen Yujiao was thinking, nor could he possibly know about their past lives. He felt utterly ashamed upon hearing his sister's words.
“If you feel you didn’t protect him this time, then you can protect him next time.”
In her dream, Shen Yujiao witnessed He Zhiju protecting Jiang Chen during his escape. It was Jiang Chen who insisted on going on this trip, and He Zhiju had done his best. She really didn't blame him.
The brother and sister had a long-awaited heart-to-heart talk across the charcoal fire. Although He Zhiju still felt bitter, he felt much better because of his sister's trust in him. Just as they were in silence, they heard a click from the corner. They both looked over there and saw a dark shadow moving behind the screen.
Shen Yujiao immediately frowned, every cell in her body becoming alert. Before she could reach for the dagger at her waist, she heard He Zhiju sigh and say, "Azheng, come and greet Her Highness the Crown Princess."
These words made Shen Yujiao pause in her movements. Then, she saw a little boy emerge from the swaying shadow behind her. The boy was wearing a brand-new cloth outfit, and a hint of heroism could be seen between his brows, but his expression was somewhat uneasy.
He Zhiju was a little angry when she saw him like this: "Didn't I tell you to go with Consort Chu? Why did you come here again?"
The little boy remained silent upon hearing this, simply standing there in place.
He Zhiju called to him again, "Aren't you going to come over and pay your respects?"
Upon hearing He Zhiju's words, he slowly walked over and gave Shen Yujiao a military salute: "Your Highness, may you be well."
Shen Yujiao looked at He Zhiju with a puzzled expression. He Zhiju sighed and said, "His name is Qi Zheng. He is General Qi's son."
General Qi did not return with them, but his son was brought back by the two of them. Upon hearing this, Shen Yujiao had a vague idea in her mind. Not wanting to say these things in front of the child, she bent down and helped the man up.
"Ah Zheng, do you want to live with General He?"
Qi Zheng slowly nodded to the Crown Princess. Then, none of the scenarios he had imagined happened. The Crown Princess simply gently rubbed his face and said softly, "Alright, then you can stay with General He."
Shen Yujiao stood up and patted He Zhiju's arm, signaling him not to be too harsh on the child. "Brother, take a bath later. I'll go back and check on His Highness the Crown Prince first."
"good."
Shen Yujiao walked out of the room, and when she thought of He Zhiju mentioning Chu Rou earlier, she paused slightly. She instructed the maid waiting at the door to prepare some things, and then walked towards Chu Rou's room.
After Jiang Chen finished bathing, he came out and saw Zhu Yu still kneeling on the spot with red eyes. He was a little amused and exasperated: "What are you crying for? Your master is back, why are you still crying?"
Zhu Yu wiped his eyes with his sleeve, then quickly got up to help the Crown Prince change his clothes: "This servant is happy."
"Alright, I heard from the Crown Princess that you took excellent care of her during the days that General He and I were away. Good lad, when we return to the capital, I will reward you with a generous red envelope!"
Zhu Yu fastened the belt for the Crown Prince, a smile more like a grimace spreading across his face: "It's all a servant's duty, not worth Your Highness's reward."
It's already a miracle that the Crown Prince was able to return. Just now, when Zhu Yu was helping the Crown Prince bathe, seeing the scars all over his body and his clearly visible skeletal frame, she almost couldn't hold back her tears. Her Highness is the Crown Prince! How could he have been driven to this state just by going out for a short trip!
Jiang Chen felt a little sad seeing him like this. Zhu Yu must have served Crown Prince Chen since he was a child, so their relationship was naturally better than that of other servants. He patted Zhu Yu's lowered head and then said, "Alright, I have to go find the Crown Princess. You have nothing to do. Go back to sleep."
Zhu Yu did not respond immediately as usual, but said, "If Your Highness needs anything, please call this servant at any time."
"Go."
Seeing the Crown Prince wave him away, Zhu Yu then withdrew.
After taking a shower, Jiang Chen returned to the room next door to find Shen Yujiao. Shen Yujiao had already prepared dinner and was waiting for him. When she saw him come in, she smiled and waved to him, saying, "These are all your favorite dishes."
Although they didn't bring the imperial chef with them, and there weren't many good ingredients in Beiding Prefecture during winter, Mu Jin and Mu Nan still managed to prepare a table full of food with the help of the kitchen staff. Jiang Chen was indeed very hungry, and he didn't care that Shen Yujiao was urging him to slow down. He ate his fill in no time.
Why are you eating so fast? Nobody's going to take it from you.
Seeing that he was choking, Shen Yujiao quickly handed him some tea to help him swallow. Jiang Chen ate quickly and was also in a hurry to drink water after choking. He almost choked again after taking a big gulp of tea. It took a while for him to finish the meal.
After dinner was cleared away, a maid brought in the tools that had been prepared in the morning. Shen Yujiao soaked a handkerchief in hot water, wrung it out until it was half dry, and placed it on Jiang Chen's chin. Jiang Chen sat upright with his back against the back of the chair.
Shen Yujiao glanced at him with amusement, then switched hands to hold the handkerchief and asked, "Uncle Jiang isn't here, why are you sitting so upright? Are you afraid I'll scratch your face?"
A small golden knife gleamed in Shen Yujiao's hand. Jiang Chen forced himself to look away from it, his lips twitching slightly: "Don't be afraid, what's there to be afraid of?"
"Relax, you're making me nervous too."
Shen Yujiao patted Jiang Chen's shoulder, signaling him to relax, then sat down in the chair opposite him, removed the hot cloth from his face, and picked up a small golden knife to shave his beard.
The small golden knife had just been specially sharpened, and it was exceptionally sharp in her hand. Shen Yujiao was afraid of hurting Jiang Chen, so she was extremely careful with her movements. The two were very close, and Shen Yujiao could even smell the scent of soap that he had just used for his bath.
Jiang Chen was still a little nervous sitting there, not because Shen Yujiao was holding a knife, but because he considered shaving to be a part of his daily grooming routine. Before he transmigrated, he had always taken care of it himself, and after arriving in Daxia, he was mostly an old nanny in the East Palace, so he didn't feel any psychological burden.
But now that he was sitting opposite Shen Yujiao, he couldn't calm down.
These days he had been exposed to the elements, and his skin had long been roughened up. Shen Yujiao, on the other hand, had been pampered since childhood. Even now, when she was out and about, her skin was still as smooth as jade. Her slender, white fingers gently brushed across her cheek, causing Jiang Chen to involuntarily shrink back slightly.
"Don't move."
Shen Yujiao gave Jiang Chen a warning glare, then focused on shaving him again. Perhaps the atmosphere was too torturous, she remained silent for a while before saying, "About half a month after you left, I suddenly had a nightmare one night."
Upon hearing this, both of them seemed to relax considerably. Shen Yujiao rinsed the stubble she had shaved off with the small golden knife in the hot water, and then focused on her work again.
“I dreamt that you and General He were being chased and surrounded by many men in black. I dreamt that they were pointing knives at you. When I woke up, I was covered in sweat. Consort Chu said that I felt like I had lost my soul because I saw that you were injured, but I never thought that it was real.”
She lowered her head again to rinse the small golden knife, and when she looked up, she saw Jiang Chen staring at her. She unconsciously looked away.
“I wanted to go find you right then, but I happened to encounter a civil unrest that day, which was something I hadn’t anticipated before I set out. I understand your feelings, because if it were me, I wouldn’t be able to stand by and watch them go hungry either. So I traveled north all the way, waiting for you to come back.”
"When I was in Liaodong Prefecture, I wrote a letter to the Duke of Cheng, hoping that he could provide some assistance. If he is willing to help, the court should be able to receive the grain soon... All the way here, I have been using your name. The people understand your love for the people. This trip has not been in vain."
Jiang Chen's chin, which had been covered in stubble, was now smooth again, though still slightly bluish. Shen Yujiao put away the small golden knife and gently wiped Jiang Chen's chin with a damp cloth until it was clean.
"What is this?" Jiang Chen frowned slightly as he looked at the small porcelain box in Shen Yujiao's hand.
"This is floral water. You just shaved, so you should apply some skincare products."
"I don't need it—"
Before Jiang Chen could finish refusing, he saw the warning look Shen Yujiao gave him, and he immediately shut his mouth and obediently let Shen Yujiao apply the floral dew to him.
An unknown floral fragrance slowly diffused with the movements of Shen Yujiao's hands, wafting out an extremely light and delicate scent. Jiang Chen looked down at the focused girl; they were extremely close at this moment... so close that their breaths were mingling.
She raised her slender, fair hand, revealing her snow-white wrist. Jiang Chen lowered his eyes slightly and could see Shen Yujiao's fingers gently caressing his lips. At this moment, a strong wind was blowing outside, causing the candlelight inside to flicker and become chaotic. Under the hazy candlelight, the girl in front of him had an even more charming and alluring air.
"Jiaojiao," Jiang Chen raised his hand and grasped Shen Yujiao's wrist, looking at her with solemn and cherished eyes, "Do you remember what I said, that I had something to tell you when I came back?"
Another gust of wind rose outside the window, instantly extinguishing two candles near the bed, making the room even dimmer. Shen Yujiao was relieved that the sound of the wind outside just drowned out her pounding heartbeat.
Her eyes darted away unconsciously, and she responded in a barely audible voice, "Mm."
“Originally, I didn’t have the courage to tell you this… Although we’ve been together since we were little and have always been best friends, there are too many uncertainties about the future. You know, if we hadn’t come here, I would have gone to military school in September, and I wouldn’t have been able to see you more than a few times a year. I didn’t want to hold you back.”
With each word he spoke, Shen Yujiao's heart beat a little faster.
“But after we came to Daxia, I realized that even if we might be separated, I didn’t want to miss out. It seems like I can’t live without you. This realization has been confirmed and deepened almost every day.”
The warmth emanating from her wrist felt like a vine, climbing up Shen Yujiao's arm and gradually entangling her, overwhelming her reason. Her neck grew hot, and a blush crept up her cheeks. She mustered her courage and looked up to meet Jiang Chen's gaze, waiting for his next words.
"Jiaojiao, I love you. For eighteen years, every moment I spent with you has been incredibly meaningful to me, but... from now on, I want to do more than just be your best friend."
Jiang Chen's hand slowly slid down, his fingers intertwining with Shen Yujiao's. He took the girl's hand in his and asked solemnly and nervously, "Will you be my girlfriend?"
In an instant, it felt as if an electric current had passed through Shen Yujiao's heart. A tingling sensation traveled from her fingertips through her blood, causing her brain to short-circuit for a moment. After a brief blank, the sensation quickly spread to her limbs and bones.
The wind outside had quieted down at some point, and Shen Yujiao could clearly hear her own heartbeat, one beat after another.
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Author's Note: To be honest, I was more nervous than Jiang Xiaochen when he confessed his feelings.
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