Shen Changyin stopped walking.
The night wind of the imperial garden passed through her and blew toward the lake. Even in early summer, it carried a trace of chill.
Shen Changyin admitted that she hadn't always been this weak. Before the torment of her previous life, she had merely been bookish—not physically strong, but young, and rarely ill.
Only healthy, rarely sick young people could harbor that kind of grand, naïve ambition—to make sure no one in the world ever goes hungry.
After the imperial examinations, when she paraded through the streets, riding high along the spring riverbank, she sat atop a tall horse, gazing down at the crowd, at mountains and waters.
Back then, she was young and thought she would become the master of the world.
Later, she became a living medicine vessel. Those drugs destroyed her body completely. Endless bloodletting caused every organ to fail. Her outer shell still looked young, but her insides were worse than those of a dying old woman.
The snowy wasteland night when she died—so cold.
That cold crossed time itself. Even after rebirth, she never regained her former constitution. Weakness and sensitivity to cold clung to her like the afterglow of death, impossible to shake off.
She had many things to do. There were people who desperately needed to be avenged. Compared to all that, the Shen Liuzhen of her youth was utterly insignificant.
Let alone worth imitating.
She had always preferred plain colors and simple clothing. Her frailty was never intentional. Any resemblance between her and Shen Liuzhen now was nothing more than coincidence.
Yet Shen Liuzhen was still smug.
"Wasn't I right?"
"At the pier today, the Crown Princess clearly froze for a moment when she saw me. She noticed how similar we look."
"Shen Changyin, I can tell—she likes you now. If I insisted she didn't like you, you'd just find it laughable and wouldn't believe me."
She gradually calmed down.
"But if you weren't like this now, would she still like you?"
Shen Changyin glanced back slightly. Moonlight fell upon Shen Liuzhen's head, illuminating her delicate, gentle features like a moon-dwelling immortal.
Shen Liuzhen wasn't stupid. She enjoyed studying the human heart and genuinely possessed a talent for guiding and manipulating emotions.
But she devoted all her effort to that alone, blinding herself to more important, decisive matters.
She didn't understand that seduction was never Shen Changyin's greatest weapon.
What Shen Changyin truly excelled at was boldly seizing Xie Yu for herself.
"Foolish."
With those words, Shen Changyin returned to the banquet.
The grand hall was still dazzling with gold and jade, cups clinking in constant toasts. The dancers' long sleeves fluttered endlessly, overwhelming the eyes.
Shen Changyin returned quietly, drawing no attention—except from Xie Yu across the way, who had been buried in food. As if she had eyes on the back of her head, she suddenly looked up and waved.
She urgently pointed at a bowl of fish soup on the table and gave a thumbs-up.
This dish is delicious—don't forget to eat it.
Shen Changyin's brows softened slightly. She signaled that she understood and sat down.
Before long, Shen Liuzhen also returned to the hall.
Unlike her recklessness in the garden, she appeared much more docile at the banquet. Her bearing and etiquette surpassed all the noble ladies present. Even rigid officials praised her elegance.
After several rounds of wine, the atmosphere relaxed. Officials began chatting casually.
Shen Liuzhen loosened her straight posture slightly, turned to Xie Yu, and said softly,
"Third Highness."
"Hm?" Xie Yu instinctively put down her chopsticks and looked up.
With curved brows and smiling eyes, Shen Liuzhen whispered, "It's my first time in the capital. Could you take me around?"
Xie Yu paused.
Sorry—this question I know how to answer. Distance must be maintained.
She glanced at Shen Changyin. Her newlywed wife, with power firmly in hand, was watching them.
Xie Yu replied sincerely, "I'm sorry. I've been busy studying in the Eastern Palace lately. I don't have time to accompany you."
She rarely lied. Claiming she loved studying suddenly made her feel faintly guilty.
Shen Liuzhen's eyes were sincere, like a little deer just entering the human world—full of curiosity and expectation.
"Then can you tell me where it's fun? I can go by myself."
Xie Yu touched her forehead, her chest, and both shoulders—making a gesture of prayer despite not believing in any god.
Then she continued lying with a clear conscience.
"I don't like going out at all. I don't like having fun outside. So I don't know anything about what's fun in the capital."
Morning markets, flower and bird markets, antique stalls, Pan Family's buns, Zhang's circus—she knew nothing at all.
She glanced at Shen Changyin again.
She had wanted to signal, I did well, but then thought—it was a bit embarrassing to act so strictly already when they hadn't even officially defined their relationship.
In the end, she just gave Shen Changyin a neutral look.
But inwardly, she was very satisfied with herself.
Little Xie, you did great.
Shen Liuzhen raised a few more topics, all of which Xie Yu brushed aside lightly.
Eventually, Shen Liuzhen fell silent.
Xie Yu smugly rewarded herself with a piece of peach blossom pastry.
Then she heard a voice beside her—no longer deliberately sweet, cooler now, and therefore clearer.
"You know I was trying to seduce you just now, right?"
Xie Yu nearly choked on the pastry.
I know—but you really didn't have to be this honest.
She turned her head and nodded sincerely. "More or less guessed."
Shen Liuzhen quickly made a goofy face. The woman who had maintained flawless gentleness all afternoon suddenly looked much more real doing this.
After confirming that General Shen was talking with other officials, she leaned closer and whispered,
"You're the Crown Princess now. My mother told me to seduce you."
Xie Yu started coughing violently.
Way too direct.
But oddly enough, she felt relieved. Straightforwardness felt safer than beating around the bush, and her guard dropped.
Seeing Shen Liuzhen about to apologize, Xie Yu waved it off.
"I get it, I get it."
Young people unable to resist elders with power—she understood.
"Who wants to get engaged so young anyway? I haven't had enough fun yet," Shen Liuzhen complained.
"I just want to stroll the morning markets, do some woodworking in the courtyard, and research toys."
Xie Yu nodded enthusiastically. "Right? Single life is so much more fun."
With the elegant mask torn away, Xie Yu realized that Shen Liuzhen was really just a frail-bodied but lively young woman.
"There are several morning markets in the capital, but the one in the east is the best. I'm telling you—Pan Family's buns are the best in the whole city."
Now that Shen Liuzhen clearly wasn't trying to seduce her anymore, Xie Yu relaxed and made up for her earlier lie by sharing her favorite market.
"I'll go tomorrow morning. I'll tell my mom I went to seduce you—but actually I'll be at the market," Shen Liuzhen said quickly.
Xie Yu stared. "You're evil. Why are you framing me?"
Shen Liuzhen replied calmly, "Well, it's not like my mom would directly ask you whether I succeeded, and are you really going to expose me?"
Xie Yu leaned back, increasing the distance, and stopped talking.
She refused to communicate with evil people.
"By the way, in a couple of days, give that repeating crossbow back to me," Shen Liuzhen suddenly said. "I made it for myself. If my mother hadn't forced me, I never would've been willing to give it to you."
Xie Yu let out a cold laugh. "Not giving it back."
Did she look like someone who would willingly take a loss?
Shen Liuzhen said, "Why not?! I even thought you were a good person!"
She kept chattering away, animated and indignant, but Xie Yu ignored her completely and lowered her head to keep eating.
The thing was in her hands. If she said she wasn't returning it, then she wasn't returning it.
She felt smug inside, and a hint of that satisfaction even showed on her face.
Across from them, Shen Changyin watched the entire scene. Her expression gradually tightened until it became completely blank.
Both of them were young, vivid, full of life—without even a trace of weariness.
Even though they hadn't touched each other, hadn't even exchanged a glance, they still looked inexplicably well-matched.
They were like freshly sprouted plants, brimming with vitality, never once broken, eager to stretch out their branches.
There was no aura of being chased by death clinging to them.
An official came over to toast Shen Changyin. She lowered her eyes calmly, lifted her wine cup, and spoke as if nothing were amiss.
No one noticed that the fingers holding the cup had turned white from the force of her grip.
In the middle of her nonstop chatter, Shen Liuzhen glanced at Shen Changyin, then quickly looked away again.
"Give it back. I worked on it for three years. I'm warning you—I have methods."
"I definitely have ways to deal with you."
Xie Yu had finally eaten her fill. She put down her chopsticks and turned to look at her.
"If you provoke me, you're provoking Shen Changyin. If you provoke Shen Changyin, you're finished."
"If you have anything to discuss, please negotiate with my protector, Shen Changyin, first."
For a moment, Shen Liuzhen was left speechless. Her momentum collapsed, and after a long pause, she said resentfully,
"You're useless! You actually just lie flat and let someone else protect you!"
Xie Yu felt perfectly justified. She shot Shen Liuzhen a strange, worldly look.
"You've been single all these years, can't even live off someone else, so why are you attacking those of us who can?"
Before Shen Liuzhen could respond, the maids brought in another round of desserts.
This time, the pastries were extremely luxurious—made with royal tribute bird's nest. Soft pastry wrapped a filling containing bird's nest, shaped into delicate white swallows, resting quietly on pale blue plates.
This kind of tribute bird's nest was incredibly rare. Even the empress had little of it, so the quantity was strictly limited. Only the officials seated in the front rows received a small plate each, with just two pastries per plate.
Xie Yu quickly ate one. Her eyes lit up.
Sweet but not cloying. The outer skin and the filling had clearly defined textures, rich with layers. Besides the bird's nest, the filling likely contained adzuki beans and lily bulbs—fresh and elegant in taste.
It was her favorite dish of the entire banquet.
Unfortunately, there was too little of it. Before she could really savor it, it was already gone.
Still, it was stunningly delicious. She subconsciously lifted her head, wanting to signal Shen Changyin.
The pastry had been chilled and was perfect to eat now. She was worried Shen Changyin might be busy and forget to eat it, missing the best flavor.
But when she looked up, she saw Shen Changyin drain a cup of wine.
No one was even toasting her right now. Why was she drinking?
Xie Yu froze when she saw the faint flush on Shen Changyin's face.
At that moment, Shen Changyin seemed to sense her gaze. She lifted her eyes, her lashes damp, and looked straight at Xie Yu.
There was a trace of grievance in her expression.
—
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