Chapter 5 I'll Teach You
The days of recuperation were very boring. I spent my days either lying in bed reading or staring out the window in a daze.
However, with Lin Xiao around, Shen Panyan's heart gradually calmed down, and she no longer had nightmares every night as before.
The winter nights are long, and the candles in the bedchamber will burn continuously. Sometimes, she will suddenly wake up from a nightmare, call out to Linxiao, and a black figure will appear beside her bed.
"Your subordinate is here."
"Lin Xiao!"
"Your subordinate is here."
The boy's calm and steady voice reached her ears, and Shen Panyan drifted off to sleep again.
This time, however, she slept peacefully.
Gradually, Shen Panyan stopped having those terrible nightmares, and she was no longer afraid of the dark night, because she knew that someone would protect her.
Shen Panyan's health gradually improved, and her pale cheeks slowly regained color.
Physician Lin examined her again, prescribed a new medicine, and instructed, "The princess is much better now and can get out of bed and walk around, which will help her recover."
Lying in bed was not a pleasant experience, so Shen Panyan was overjoyed to learn that she could get out of bed.
However, her body was still too weak, and she was only allowed to walk around inside the house.
The winter snow came early this year. A heavy snow had already fallen outside, bending the branches outside the window, and occasionally the snowflakes would fall to the ground with a soft thud, bringing a biting chill.
Shen Panyan sat on the edge of the bed, holding a hot water bottle, gazing blankly at the falling snow outside the window.
The snowfall this year was quite heavy.
I wonder how the wintersweet on the western hill outside the Royal Villa is doing. Is it blooming as proudly as it did last year?
Shen Panyan, dressed in a snow-white fox fur coat, felt the warm glow of burning silver charcoal filling the room, and even her cheeks flushed slightly.
"Princess, it's time."
Before leaving, Physician Lin repeatedly warned the princess not to catch a cold and fall ill again.
This person's body is like an army marching in battle; it has the energy for one battle, then weakens for the second, and is exhausted for the third.
The princess's body has already undergone two such experiences. If it happens again, her vital energy will dissipate, and she will truly be beyond saving.
Therefore, Lin Xiao strictly controlled the time when the princess was by the window.
With a creak, the window was closed halfway, leaving only a small crack.
"I can't watch the snow anymore..." Shen Panyan was a little disappointed, but she still obediently got up and left the window.
The bedroom was only so big, and since she couldn't go out, it would be boring no matter how much she wandered around. Shen Panyan's gaze couldn't help but fall on Lin Xiao.
He stood with his arms crossed, head bowed, leaning against the window. His black martial arts robe made him appear tall and slender. He was quiet and his presence was almost nonexistent.
The mask obscured his face, so it was impossible to know what he was thinking.
I wonder what he looks like... A sense of curiosity suddenly arose in Shen Panyan's heart.
But she also knew that Lin Xiao would never take off his mask to let her see his true face.
After all, his true master was his father, not himself.
Thinking of this, a wave of sadness suddenly washed over her.
If only Lin Xiao could stay by my side forever.
If her father were willing to give Linxiao to her... that was impossible. Her father didn't like her... Shen Panyan clenched her knuckles, and a dull sadness rose in her heart again.
Shen Panyan had long known that her birth mother was not the Empress, but the Consort Shu, who was once the most favored concubine in the palace.
She didn't know what Consort Shu looked like, but she had heard about her appearance from other people.
When her father first came to visit her, he would sometimes talk to her about his mother. At first, his gaze was filled with concern and remembrance, but as she grew older, it turned into a growing sense of disappointment. "You and your mother are becoming more and more alike!"
She had heard the palace servants say that her mother was a very bright and cheerful woman who dared to love and hate. She was not even from the capital, but an orphan she met when her father went south. She met her father by chance and then followed him back to the capital and entered the palace.
Her father gave her the title of Consort Shu, but she had nothing about her that resembled the character "Shu" in her name.
After entering the palace, my mother did a lot of things like climbing trees to pick fruit and going down to the lotus pond to pick lotus seeds. My father was not angry and let her do whatever she wanted, as long as she didn't turn the Imperial Garden upside down.
Sometimes, when she heard about her mother's deeds from others, a longing would rise in her heart. She wished she could live as freely as her mother.
If only my father could spoil me as much as he spoiled my mother.
But she didn't; she didn't inherit any of her mother's good qualities.
She was timid and hesitant, and her words were not very pleasing. If others said a few more words, she would burst into tears or hide away. How could such a personality be exactly like her mother's? No wonder her father looked at her with increasing disappointment, until he was unwilling to even look at her.
Shen Panyan clenched her fists tightly, closed her eyes sullenly, and tried to calm herself down.
Otherwise, my heart palpitations will flare up again.
Lin Xiao noticed her unusual behavior and quickly came to her side, reaching out to check her pulse.
Secret guards often do shady things, so they need to be good at a little bit of everything.
Lin Xiao's medical skills were not particularly proficient; he could only barely sense that her current condition was very poor.
"Princess."
Lin Xiao frowned and helped her to sit down by the bed. He was about to ask Physician Lin to come and examine her when Shen Panyan stopped him.
"Lin Xiao, don't go." She looked up, her eyes almost pleading. "I'll be fine, I'll be alright in a bit."
She didn't want others to know that her heart palpitations had flared up again; she didn't want others to think she was a burden.
Qiu Shuang and the others already disliked her because of this, and she didn't want Lin Xiao to dislike her for the same reason.
She's fine. Back in the palace, she always endured things as much as she could. Over the years, she's gotten used to it.
No one knows her body better than her.
Lin Xiao was puzzled, but seeing the princess's pleading eyes, he stopped in his tracks.
She is indeed feeling better. As long as she stops overthinking, the palpitations will pass in a while.
After Lin Xiao checked her pulse and found that she was indeed getting better, he finally gave up the idea of going to see Physician Lin.
He wanted to say something, but looking at the princess's pale and thin face, he swallowed his words.
Never mind, I'll tell Physician Lin about this later.
The charcoal in the room was burning brightly, making it somewhat stuffy and hot. Perhaps this was why the princess's heart palpitations recurred.
Lin Xiao walked to the window, intending to open the window wider to let the cool air from outside into the room.
Watching Lin Xiao's departing figure, Shen Panyan clenched her fingers, a gesture she made when nervous or at a loss.
Of all the people around her, only Lin Xiao listens to her, cares about her, and is mindful of her feelings.
She really likes Lin Xiao!
“Lin Xiao…” she said softly, looking up at him.
Lin Xiao opened the window and came in. "What are your orders, Princess?"
"Can you read?"
Lin Xiao was somewhat puzzled. "I recognize it."
Shen Panyan got up and handed him her favorite notebook, her almond-shaped eyes pleading, "Could you read it to me?"
She knew her request was a bit abrupt, but if she were left alone, she would easily start overthinking, and overthinking would make her heart palpitate.
She didn't want to cause trouble for the people around her, especially Lin Xiao.
Seeing that Lin Xiao didn't say anything, Shen Panyan became a little nervous, "Lin Xiao, is it not allowed?"
Lin Xiao looked at the notebook in his hand. It wasn't that he was unwilling, but rather that he only knew a few characters, and if there were any more, he wouldn't recognize them.
Shadow only taught him the most commonly used codes, so he only knew those few words.
He opened the notebook and stared blankly at it. From the densely packed words, he could only barely make out a few: today, tomorrow, have, tree...
Lin Xiao silently closed the book and returned it to her, his voice sounding somewhat embarrassed for the first time, "Princess, this subordinate doesn't recognize so many words."
Shen Panyan was completely taken aback by his answer. She blinked, a hint of surprise in her eyes.
Suddenly, she burst out laughing!
I thought it was because Lin Xiao was unwilling... I never expected it was for this reason.
Shen Panyan took the notebook and said with a smile, "It's alright, Lin Xiao, I'll teach you."
She stood up and walked briskly towards the study in the next room, beckoning to him, "Lin Xiao, come with me quickly!"
The princess wants to teach him to read?
Lin Xiao's pupils contracted slightly.
Secret guards are not allowed to know too many characters; they only need to know how to write coded words.
There are many ways to torture people in this world. Even if a secret guard has undergone various trainings in the secret guard camp and is a veteran of countless battles, it is still hard to guarantee that he will not leak secrets when he falls into the hands of others.
Therefore, in the Dark Guard Camp, everyone has different tasks. There are other people who collect information. He is the Dark Guard responsible for transporting and delivering messages. He occasionally protects the Emperor. Only Dark Guards of the fifth rank and above can read, and he is Dark Guard of the ninth rank.
But now, the princess wants to teach him to read...
Lin Xiao hesitated, as this seriously violated the rules set by the Dark Guard Camp.
Seeing Lin Xiao standing still, Shen Panyan turned around in confusion, "Lin Xiao, what's wrong?"
Lin Xiao hesitated for a long time before kneeling down. "Please punish me, Your Highness. I am illiterate."
Why?
The smoke from the sunken bank remained unconvinced.
Suddenly, she realized that Lin Xiao was her father's secret guard, and he needed to return to her father's side.
This rule against literacy must have been set by the Emperor.
Shen Panyan reached out to help him up, "I don't blame you, please get up."
Lin Xiao stood up.
Shen Panyan looked at Lin Xiao, bit her lip, and felt a little annoyed.
Why can't someone as good as Lin Xiao be literate?
She had always loved reading, and the books contained many interesting stories that sustained her through those difficult days in the palace.
When she was sad, she would read; when she was happy, she would read. Books held so many of her aspirations. If it weren't for books, she wouldn't have known how vast the world was, that besides the high palace walls, there were also the fertile water towns of Jiangnan, and the mighty Yellow River and Yangtze River...
Those colorful worlds were the world she longed for.
Lin Xiao was illiterate, and she felt genuinely regretful and saddened.
But she didn't want to harm Lin Xiao.
Shen Panyan pondered for a moment...
Suddenly, a thought flashed through her mind, and she came up with a compromise: "Lin Xiao, how about I read to you?"
Lin Xiao remained silent.
The snow outside the window was falling heavier and heavier, and the whole quiet world seemed to stand still.
Shen Panyan thought her idea was brilliant. Since Lin Xiao couldn't read, she would read to him.
She wanted to share the world she loved with Lin Xiao.
Thinking of this, Shen Panyan's eyebrows relaxed, and a smile appeared in her eyes. "Lin Xiao, come here, I'll read it to you."
She came to the window, and Lin Xiao covered half of it. Amidst the sounds of wind and snow outside, the princess's clear and gentle voice reached her ears.
She had Lin Xiao stand behind her, and her soft, delicate fingertips traced rows of vertical characters as she spoke.
From his perspective, it was crystal clear.
If he is willing, he can learn to read simply by doing this.
Lin Xiao stood behind the princess, his gaze not on the books, but on the princess.
The doubt in his eyes grew deeper.
He was just a bodyguard, a knife, a tool. Why would the princess want to teach him to read?
A sword doesn't need to have its own thoughts. In the Dark Guard Camp, Lin Xiao was suppressed by Dark Shadow time and time again because he was too ruthless and sometimes had his own ideas. Otherwise, he wouldn't be Dark Ninth, but would have become the number one person under Dark Shadow long ago.
Now, he is an exception compared to the other bodyguards.
A note from the author:
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