Chapter Eighty-Six: Sweetness

After returning to the post station, Shen Hezhi immediately went back to Yan Heru's room. He simply did not have enough time at the moment; otherwise, he would have wished to remain with his little wife every hour of the day.

Yan Heru had been studying medicinal herbs in her room when someone suddenly came up behind her and wrapped her in an embrace, startling her. When she turned her head and saw that it was Shen Hezhi, she felt a helpless kind of exasperation. Ever since they had confessed their feelings for one another, she had come to feel that the Ninth Prince she liked was, more often than not, just like a child.

Before, he had been a handsome and refined man, outwardly cold, yet full of literary grace within. But why did he now seem like a child who had not yet grown up?

"My lord, why are you acting like a child the moment you return? Come now, do not make trouble. I am here trying to figure out how to treat your cold poison more effectively." Yan Heru smiled and gently slipped free from Shen Hezhi's arms.

Shen Hezhi felt the emptiness of his embrace at once and pouted in displeasure. Still, he also knew that his wife was occupied with serious matters and that he should not disturb her.

"My lady, from now on I may be very busy, and I will not have as much time to keep you company," Shen Hezhi said in a muffled tone.

When Yan Heru heard this, she froze for a moment. Though she felt sad in her heart, she still forced herself to shake her head as if it did not matter.

"My lord has many important matters to attend to. He should not be putting his mind on idle romantic matters."

As soon as she said this, the air around the Ninth Prince seemed to turn cold and sharp, though it soon softened again.

Shen Hezhi let out a long, helpless sigh. "It seems my lady truly does not like me at all. She will not even allow me more time to stay by her side. Alas, I do not know what meaning there is in staying alive if no one likes me. I really am so pitiful."

This display of his truly startled Yan Heru. Shen Hezhi was the dignified Ninth Prince, and yet not only had he become like a child, he had even learned to act spoiled and clingy.

She looked at him with both laughter and tears in her eyes. "Of course I hope my lord can spend more time with me. But right now, compared with accompanying me, my lord has more important things to do. Since I like my lord, how could I ever become a burden to him?"

Hearing this, Shen Hezhi felt a warmth rise in his heart. His little wife was truly too understanding, so understanding that it made him ache for her.

Though she was merely born of a concubine, she was still, after all, a young lady of a prominent household. How could she be so considerate that it made one want to cherish her?

No—Shen Hezhi suddenly remembered that his wife had once said she was a fairy. That meant she could not possibly be the Sixth Young Lady of the Yan household. Then curiosity began to stir within him. What sort of things had his little wife experienced before, to make her become the mature and thoughtful woman she was now?

He understood, however, that even if he asked now, Yan Heru would not tell him. So he would have to wait. Given enough time, Shen Hezhi believed his little wife would tell him of her own accord.

"Very well. Since my little wife is so reasonable, then as her husband, I naturally cannot be a muddleheaded man either."

"My lady, starting tomorrow I will probably need to stay in the military camp often, and I may even have to go into the enemy kingdom for some reconnaissance. I will have Shen Yi and Mo Yi protect you. Their martial skills may not be unmatched, but they are still enough to deal with most enemies."

"So no matter where you go, you must take them with you. If there is anything you do not want me to know, you can tell them not to say a word to me. I will make sure never to ask them about it."

"But I hope that whatever happens, you will always bring them along, because only then can I be certain of your safety."

Shen Hezhi's words made Yan Heru's heart ache. He truly loved her. At the same time, she was certain that he knew she was not the Sixth Young Lady of the Yan household; he simply chose not to ask. That alone proved how deeply he trusted her.

Her heart felt so warm, so very warm. To have someone like this caring for her, loving her—what else in the world could possibly not be worth it?

And yet she still did not dare tell Shen Hezhi that she had come here from another place. She feared that once he knew, he would become caught up in gain and loss. In truth, she was also afraid that she herself would become that way.

After all, she had come into this world suddenly, and there was no telling whether she might just as suddenly return to her former world. And if she did, it was very possible that she would return only as a corpse, meeting death at once.

At the thought of this, Yan Heru could only let out a helpless sigh.

"My lord, you need not worry about my safety. I am not going to any dangerous place. I will simply stay here at the post station and keep you company. So compared with me, it is you who need their protection more."

"If you truly worry about me and insist on leaving someone behind to protect me, then leave Mo Yi with me. As for Shen Yi, no matter what, you must keep him by your side and let him protect you. After all, the more people you have, the more strength you have." Yan Heru looked at Shen Hezhi with great seriousness.

Although Shen Hezhi wanted to refuse, seeing the grave expression on his little wife’s face made him worry that if he did, she would become upset. After thinking it over, he still did not refuse.

"Since my lady has said as much, how could her husband not obey?"

Shen Hezhi smiled, and the two of them embraced once more.

Yan Heru felt that such beautiful days were truly too unreal. Could it be that all the hardships, the suffering, and every bitter thing in her former life had been endured only so she might come here and find Shen Hezhi?

Although she had not known him for very long, the feeling between them seemed as though they had loved one another for ten or eight years already.

"My lord, since you may have to leave, I cannot stay at your side at every moment, and I know you would not agree to that either. So during these next few days, I must also hurry to prepare the medicines you need. What if your cold poison suddenly flares up? The consequences would be unthinkable."

Yan Heru's expression grew serious again.

Shen Hezhi nodded. He too understood how grave the matter was, and so he would not act willfully and stop her.

Yet if she continued preparing medicine, the time they could spend together would grow even less, and that made Shen Hezhi despise his imperial father and that empress even more.

Were there not plenty of troubles in the royal house of the Southern Sun Kingdom? Did that mean there were few in the imperial clan of the Northern Jade Kingdom?

Shen Hezhi restrained the look in his eyes and suppressed the sudden anger that surged within him.

As for the imperial clan of the Northern Jade Kingdom, he would certainly return one day and demand an explanation, whether for himself or for his deceased birth mother.