When Shen Yushu returned from his stroll, only Shen Qingyao was still sitting alone at the table. The tea in front of her had already gone cold, and she hadn’t replaced it. She sat motionless, appearing to be in a daze.
Shen Yushu found this odd and moved closer to take a look. He saw his sister’s pale face and dazed expression. He furrowed his brows and gently called her name, “Yaoyao?”
Shen Qingyao remained motionless. Shen Yushu couldn’t help himself and reached out to touch her forehead. She wasn’t running a fever, but her forehead was covered in cold sweat. Shen Yushu grew anxious. He sat down beside her and asked with concern, “Yaoyao? What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”
Shen Qingyao suddenly snapped back to reality and saw her Eldest Brother’s face, which had turned white with worry. She shook her head blankly, “I’m fine. What’s wrong, Eldest Brother?”
Shen Yushu breathed a sigh of relief and, unable to contain himself, flicked her forehead lightly. Still feeling lingering fear, he asked, “What did she say to you? Why were you in a daze? I thought… I thought Princess Yonghe had made you sick with anger!”
Well, she certainly was prone to getting angry. Shen Qingyao felt a mix of amusement and helplessness. In truth, she did feel a bit unwell, but seeing Shen Yushu’s worried face, she didn’t dare mention it.
“She didn’t say much. I’m fine, Eldest Brother.” She lowered her eyes. Although Princess Yonghe’s words didn’t directly concern her, they did affect her somewhat.
Shen Yushu frowned. Her expression didn’t look like she was fine. Shen Qingyao had always been bad at hiding her feelings. From the moment he saw her today, he noticed her lack of enthusiasm, which he initially thought was just the usual morning grumpiness. But now, it seemed to be something more.
“It’s not because of Princess Yonghe. Could it be… because of Lu Zhao?” He pondered, and the only person who could affect his sister’s mood like this was Lu Zhao.
“Did he argue with you? Bully you?” Shen Yushu’s face darkened as he continued asking, looking as if he would rush out to confront Lu Zhao with a knife if she nodded.
Shen Qingyao was puzzled by her Eldest Brother’s sudden leap in logic. While her bad mood was partly due to Lu Zhao, it wasn’t his fault. How could it be pinned on him?
Not to mention bullying her, Lu Zhao practically doted on her.
She couldn’t help but laugh, tugging at Shen Yushu’s sleeve earnestly, “No, it’s not. It has nothing to do with him.” After a moment’s thought, she added, “Eldest Brother, stop guessing wildly!”
So it wasn’t that he didn’t bully her, but that it wasn’t his fault? Shen Yushu’s frown deepened. To him, it seemed like Shen Qingyao was just covering for Lu Zhao. “So he really did bully you? Wait here! I’ll go teach him a lesson!”
Shen Yushu said this as he rolled up his sleeves, ready to stand up.
“Huh?” She thought she said it wasn’t a big deal? Shen Qingyao was utterly confused. Why was her Eldest Brother getting even angrier?
Seeing that Shen Yushu was about to leave, Shen Qingyao quickly grabbed him, “Eldest Brother! What are you doing! He didn’t bully me! Besides…” She took a breath, “Even if he did bully me, you wouldn’t be able to beat him…”
This was the truth. Shen Yushu was a pure scholar, a civil official with zero martial prowess, while Lu Zhao was proficient in both literary and martial arts. Though Lu Zhao rarely fought, Shen Qingyao hadn’t forgotten that Lu Zhao would one day become a victorious general.
“…” Shen Yushu’s fervor was doused by his sister’s unvarnished truth. He halted his steps, looking at the earnest Shen Qingyao with a sense of melancholy, suddenly feeling an urge to go and fight Lu Zhao anyway.
Shen Qingyao stifled her laughter and softly comforted her Eldest Brother, whose pride was bruised. Shen Yushu kept a stern face and chatted with her a bit more before leaving.
As he stepped out, he bumped into Lu Zhao, who had just returned to the residence.
Lu Zhao knew Shen Yushu would come today, so he wasn’t surprised at all. He nodded amicably at Shen Yushu, but when he tried to say a few more words, he saw Shen Yushu snort at him, glare, and walk away without looking back.
Lu Zhao was baffled by this glare. What was going on? Had the siblings quarreled? He frowned and quickly walked towards his courtyard. If that was the case, he needed to comfort his little girl quickly.
Shen Qingyao, who had been inexplicably ‘quarreled with’ twice : …
By the time Lu Zhao entered the courtyard, Shen Qingyao had already changed her clothes and was sitting idly in the courtyard. The wind was a bit chilly, and the discomfort she had endured all day was becoming more intense. Seeing Lu Zhao enter, she didn’t greet him as usual, but merely glanced up briefly before lowering her head again, looking like a wilting eggplant.
Sensing something was wrong, Lu Zhao walked up behind her and gently asked, “Yaoyao?”
“Elder Brother Lu Zhao…” As soon as he approached, the cool fragrance he carried alleviated her discomfort. Shen Qingyao couldn’t help but move closer to him. She tilted her head up, pulled Lu Zhao to sit beside her, then silently got up and sat on his lap, wrapping her arms around his waist and taking a greedy whiff of his scent.
There were still a few servants moving about in the courtyard. Seeing the couple’s actions, they quickly averted their gazes and walked away. Normally, although Shen Qingyao liked to act spoiled around Lu Zhao, she only did so when they were alone. This open display in front of the servants was a first.
Lu Zhao chuckled, gently hugging her and resting his chin on her head. “What’s wrong? It’s rare to see our Yaoyao being so forward.”
Shen Qingyao squirmed but didn’t answer his question. Instead, she softly asked, “What fragrance do you use, Elder Brother Lu Zhao? It smells so good.”
Lu Zhao, surprised by the question, raised an eyebrow and thought seriously before replying, “The fragrance was prepared by my mother long ago, and I’ve been used to it since childhood, so I haven’t changed it. I’m not really sure. If you like it, I’ll have some prepared for you tomorrow.”
But Shen Qingyao shook her head. If she truly wanted the fragrance, she could have gotten it herself. In fact, she had asked for it before, but fragrances were mysterious; on Lu Zhao, it smelled one way, but it was different on her. Shen Qingyao had tried several times, but the scent only alleviated her discomfort when it was on Lu Zhao; while on anyone else, it wasn’t pleasant at all.
Unable to help herself, Shen Qingyao smiled. Ultimately, it was Lu Zhao himself who was effective, not the fragrance.
“What are you smiling about?” Lu Zhao lowered his head. “Aren’t we talking about the fragrance?”
“I don’t want it.” Shen Qingyao buried her face in his chest, acting spoiled. “I only need you, Elder Brother Lu Zhao.”
Lu Zhao laughed. “So you’re treating me like your sachet?” Before Shen Qingyao could retort, he continued, “That is my honor! Come, get more of it.”
With that, he hugged her tighter.
Shen Qingyao chuckled again. If she discussed sachets and fragrances with an ordinary man, he might think she was mocking him for being effeminate and become furious. But Lu Zhao only cared if she liked it, not giving a second thought to anything else.
The two didn’t speak further. Lu Zhao held her quietly, and Shen Qingyao, having slept poorly the previous night, soon fell into a deep sleep.
When she woke up, she found herself in her own bed, with Lu Zhao sitting by her side, looking at her with a worried expression. Seeing her awake, he sighed in relief.
Shen Qingyao, still groggy and confused, murmured, “Elder Brother Lu Zhao…”
She tried to move but realized her body was sore. The movement triggered a sharp pain in her chest, causing her to frown immediately.
“How could you not even know your heart condition had relapsed? How careless!” Lu Zhao hurried over to help her sit up, his tone rarely carrying a trace of reproach, but more so of heartache. When he realized she had fainted from pain rather than just fallen asleep, his usually composed demeanor shattered for a moment. Now that she was awake, a wave of lingering fear washed over him.
Shen Qingyao finally grasped the seriousness of the situation.
Seeing Lu Zhao’s worried expression, she knew she had frightened him this time and felt a bit guilty. “I thought the pain would pass quickly…” she said, seeing his face darken again, and hastily added, “Actually… it wasn’t that painful this time…”
All day long, she had been distracted by the dream and Princess Yonghe’s words, not really feeling much pain.
Lu Zhao looked at her without speaking, clearly both frightened and angry.
He silently brought over a bowl of medicine, carefully blew on it to cool it down, and fed it to her spoonful by spoonful. Shen Qingyao didn’t dare to speak, nor did she try to refuse the medicine as she usually would. She glanced at the candied fruit next to the bowl, but Lu Zhao showed no intention of giving it to her. Pouting, she remained silent, not even complaining about the bitterness of the medicine. Yet as she drank, her eyes suddenly reddened.
“Elder Brother Lu Zhao…” she tugged at his sleeve, suddenly feeling a bit scared. “The medicine is too bitter…”
Lu Zhao paused, looking at her for a long moment before speaking, “Now you know it’s bitter? Why didn’t you say something when you were in pain?”
Shen Qingyao choked up, then opened her mouth to take another spoonful of medicine, her brows knitting tighter, looking increasingly aggrieved. Just as her tears were about to fall, Lu Zhao sighed, set the bowl down, and placed a piece of candied fruit in her mouth, ultimately unable to remain harsh. This illness was congenital, and its flare-ups were beyond her control. How could he blame her?
Seeing her on the verge of tears, Lu Zhao pulled her into his arms, comforting her gently. “I’m not blaming you. Just, next time you feel unwell, no matter if it hurts or not, you must tell me. Don’t hold it in, understand?”
“Mm…”
Because of this illness, the trip to Nanzhao that Shen Qingyao had finally persuaded Lu Zhao to agree to was almost postponed again.
When Shen Qinglin came to visit the second time, Lu Zhao, with a dark face, refused to see her. If not for her using the miracle doctor as an excuse, Lu Zhao might have immediately gone back on his word, refusing to let Shen Qingyao join the journey to Nanzhao.
Fortunately, this bout of illness, though severe, passed quickly. A few days later, when the delegation was ready to depart, Shen Qingyao was almost fully recovered. Though still a bit weak, her chest no longer felt discomfort.
“How are you? Are you alright?” On the way to Nanzhao, during a rest break, Shen Qinglin sneaked into the Great Liang delegation, pulling Shen Qingyao aside to talk. Being taller than Shen Qingyao, Shen Qinglin looked down at her, and seeing the lingering pallor on her face, Shen Qinglin felt a pang of sympathy. “You must take good care of yourself! Don’t go dying halfway through the mission!”
Afraid that Shen Qingyao might misunderstand, she quickly added, “No matter what, you’re my sister now. Even if you don’t help me this time, I don’t want anything bad to happen to you. You… you need to take care of yourself!”
Shen Qingyao smiled gently at Shen Qinglin’s awkward concern. “I know… Second Sister?”
Shen Qinglin had a tough image, and wasn’t used to showing care. Now, being teased by the person she was worried about, she glared at Shen Qingyao with feigned fierceness. After a while, she too couldn’t help but laugh.
She rubbed Shen Qingyao’s head, looked at the official road stretching into the distance, and said, “We’ll reach Nanzhao’s capital in less than two days. When we get there…” Shen Qinglin paused mysteriously, then as if she thought of something, she flashed a strange smile.
Shen Qingyao was taken aback, thinking Shen Qinglin was about to say something important. Then she saw Shen Qinglin suddenly blink and say ambiguously, “When we get to the capital, you better be careful.”
“Careful about what?” Shen Qingyao asked, confused.
She soon found out.
On the day they arrived at Nanzhao’s capital, the weather was fine. Under the sunlight, a tall and striking girl in a red dress was sitting upright on her horse. When the wedding procession arrived, the lively drumbeats startled the girl’s horse. With a neigh, the horse reared up on its hind legs. The girl, however, remained calm, raising her whip with a confident and dazzling smile, the curves of her body accentuated by the light and shadow.
Shen Qingyao was stunned as she watched through the curtain of her carriage. Just as she was marveling at the sight, she saw the girl who had tamed the horse walk straight toward them. The girl called out loudly to Lu Zhao outside the carriage, “It’s been years, how have you been, Young Master Lu!”
A subtle feeling arose in Shen Qingyao’s heart, as if she had seen that emotion in the girl’s eyes before.
Shen Qingyao turned her head dully, and through the crowd, she happened to meet the gaze of Princess Yonghe, who had also lifted the curtain of her carriage. Princess Yonghe was looking at her with a teasing expression.
Shen Qingyao suddenly recalled the palace banquet before her wedding, when Princess Yonghe, still pretending to be infatuated with Lu Zhao, looked at him with the same expression.
But the emotion in the girl outside the carriage seemed much more genuine than what Princess Yonghe had faked back then…
She only heard Lu Zhao’s distant voice: “Long time no see, Princess An’ya.”
Alarm bells rang in Shen Qingyao’s mind. Long time no see??? Didn’t we agree that you’re going to ignore all the princesses???!!!