Shen Mingjiang listened without saying anything more, but with a complicated expression, he patted her head again and said, "Father knows, as long as Zhaozhao doesn't feel wronged."
Shen Youying assumed he was still feeling guilty about being forced to marry Xue Shen to bring good fortune, so she shook her head and said, "I didn't suffer any injustice." Afraid that saying too much would upset her father, she brought up another matter: "I noticed that Father isn't very comfortable living at home. It just so happens that the Prince has built another estate nearby, halfway up the mountain. In a couple of days, we're planning to go there for a short stay. Once the snow stops, we can go hunting in the mountains. Would Father like to come with us?"
Shen Mingjiang smiled upon hearing this: "Silly girl, what's the meaning of you two young couples taking your father along when you go to the estate for fun?"
Shen Youying was a little embarrassed and muttered in a low voice, "What's wrong with that?"
Shen Mingjiang knew that she and the Prince of Qin were currently deeply in love, so he naturally wouldn't be the one to cause trouble. Seeing this, Shen Youying had no choice but to give up. After staying at the Shen family's house for two more days, she went to another estate with Xue Shen.
This estate is not far from the Shen family's place, but because it is located halfway up the mountain, the mountain road is covered with deep snow and is not easy to walk on.
Xue Shen intended to go hunting in the mountains to find two good hides for Shen Youying. Therefore, he only brought a few trusted confidants with him. Even Bai Luodanzhu, who was by Shen Youying's side, was left at the Shen family and did not accompany him.
Because they didn't have many people with them, they abandoned the carriage at the foot of the mountain and walked up the mountain.
Xue Shen specially prepared a sedan chair and had the guards carry Shen Youying up the mountain.
Shen Youying sat in the sedan chair, holding a hand warmer, looking around at the snowy scenery with a hint of excitement. In the quiet, deserted mountains, a narrow path wound its way uphill, the ground covered with a thick layer of snow. Because no one had walked on it, the snow was clean and fluffy, exuding a crisp, cold air.
The roadside was lined with snow-covered forests, and occasionally a bird would fly by, startling the falling snow.
Shen Youying sat and watched for a while, then became eager to get down and walk on her own.
Xue Shen pulled the cloak tighter around her, then touched her hands to make sure they were still warm before saying with a hint of helplessness, "You'll get cold later."
Shen Youying said, "There's no wind or snow right now, so it shouldn't be too cold walking on the road."
Seeing that she really wanted to play, Xue Shen had no choice but to let her get down.
Shen Youying lifted her skirt and carefully stepped onto the fluffy snow. The white snow covered the tops of her deerskin boots. She kicked them with some curiosity, kicking up a cloud of fine snow.
It's a strange feeling. The snow in Tokyo is not bad either, but perhaps because there are too many rules, even the snow is a kind of exquisitely trimmed and regulated snow.
But the snow beneath her feet was wild.
She happily lifted her skirt and jogged forward a couple of steps, accidentally bumping into a tree branch along the way. The branch swayed, and she was covered in snow.
She let out a soft cry from the cold, shrinking her neck in fear, and turned back to smile brightly at Xue Shen.
A few pearl-like snowflakes dotted her hair, and her bright, watery eyes made her look like a wild deer in the mountains.
Xue Shen waved his hand, signaling the guards to step back a few paces, then approached her and brushed the snowflakes from her hair: "Having fun?"
Shen Youying nodded: "It's fun."
Seeing that even the only guards who had followed her had fallen behind, Shen Youying couldn't help but turn around, her eyes filled with pure joy: "I have never seen such clean snow."
Tokyo is full of people, and even the cleanest snow will turn into mud overnight.
Xue Shen took her hand and said, "There's no one else in the mountains. If you like, you can stay a few more days."
Shen Youying nodded emphatically and reached out to pick the icicles hanging from the branches. Her fingers were red from the cold, and she would occasionally pull them back to warm them with her breath, but she still tirelessly touched everything that surprised her.
Xue Shen deliberately indulged her, his gaze following her movements, a smile involuntarily appearing in his eyes.
Only then did she seem to dare to show some of her childishness.
But in reality, she was only seventeen years old. Despite her young age, she became cautious and acted mature and composed because of the dramatic changes in the Shen family.
But it shouldn't have been like this.
The mountain path was not short, and Shen Youying walked most of it with great enthusiasm before belatedly realizing that she was starting to feel cold.
Her deerskin boots, soaked with snowmelt from walking in the snow for so long, were no longer warm. She gently stamped her feet, breathed on her hands, and asked for the third time, "How much further?"
She was tempted to ride in a sedan chair, but she had insisted on walking earlier, and now she didn't want to. It seemed a bit capricious and spoiled, so she refrained from speaking.
Xue Shen noticed this and deliberately asked her, "We're almost there, are you cold?"
Shen Youying, concerned about saving face, said, "It's alright."
Xue Shen laughed, squatted down in front of her, and looked back at her: "Get on, I'll carry you."
He was very tall with broad shoulders and back. The cotton robe he wore in winter did not make him look bulky; on the contrary, it accentuated his broad shoulders, slender waist, and long legs, making him appear very tall and upright.
Shen Youying hesitated for a moment: "How about we take the sedan chair instead..."
She hesitated, so Xue Shen simply took matters into his own hands, grabbed her knees and pulled her. Shen Youying was startled and fell forward due to inertia, landing right on his back.
Xue Shen lifted her buttocks and gently pushed her up, saying casually, "We are husband and wife. You don't need to have too many concerns in front of your husband."
Shen Youying bit her lower lip, her heart pounding wildly.
She buried her face in Xue Shen's neck, somewhat evasively, and murmured "Mmm".
...
Xue Shen carried her on his back, and after about a quarter of an hour, they arrived at the estate.
Zhuangzi was built on a flat area halfway up the mountain. It was a three-courtyard house. Although it was not large, it was very elegant. The house was surrounded by green bamboo. In winter, the bamboo leaves were covered with white snow, which created a unique artistic conception.
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