The small food stall was not large. It was covered by a canopy cloth whose age was unknown, forming a tiny world of its own for people to eat and rest.
As it just reached the hour of You, the lingering rays of the setting sun could still barely illuminate the world, yet everything was covered in a hazy layer, carrying a touch of blurriness.
Song Shiwei clutched a silk handkerchief in her hand while Shen Yu held the other end, walking ahead with their wide sleeves overlapping. Viewed from afar, it looked just like the two of them were holding hands.
Song Shiwei looked at the mystery beneath their sleeves while the surrounding crowd bustled with noise, plunging her into a momentary trance as if she had been instantly transported back to her wedding day.
They had walked hand in hand just like this back then; to say she was in a trance might be exaggerating a bit, seeing as only three days had passed after all.
Yet these three days felt as long as three autumns, making one lose track of what era or day it was.
Only back then they were on their way to pay respects to the elders, whereas now.
Song Shiwei gazed at the mortal hustle and bustle not far away.
Suddenly, a sense of belonging inexplicably welled up inside her.
Song Shiwei shook her head, muttering to herself whether she had lost her mind. To be reborn and actually have her brain factory-reset as well?
She looked at the handkerchief binding their hands together, a smile unconsciously pulling at the corners of her lips.
She did not know why Shen Yu had chosen not to run away this time, nor did she know whether this change would be the beginning of another possible future.
Yet she thought she liked this kind of change, as it at least brought other ripples to her otherwise unchanging life.
“Boss, bring one portion of beggar’s chicken.”
“Coming right up.”
The hearty and natural exchange pulled Song Shiwei back to her senses.
She watched as Shen Yu fished out a piece of cloth from who knows where, folded it over a few times, and then placed it onto a slightly pitted wooden stool.
The shabby wooden stool instantly gained a touch of elegance, making even this little patch of the universe look completely out of place with its surroundings.
The old man standing nearby watched and smiled so broadly his eyes crinkled; this young master was truly a refined person!
Song Shiwei followed Shen Yu’s lead and sat down on the stool she had prepared.
She sat with complete composure as evening approached and lanterns began to light up in the distance, resembling a string of dazzling tassels hanging from the edge of the sky.
The two of them sat quietly like that. Neither spoke, yet it was far from silent simply because the crowd was exceedingly noisy.
“Have you heard?”
A man at a nearby table patted another man’s shoulder, acting all stealthy and lowering his voice.
Yet no matter how much he lowered it, it still drew the attention of everyone around them.
“What is it? Why so sneaky?”
The other man, completely clueless, swept an obscure glance across the crowd.
The man appeared somewhat annoyed.
“It’s about that person!”
As he spoke, he pointed his finger upward with a meaningful expression.
Shen Yu’s eyelids lifted unostentatiously before falling back to focus on the distance.
Ever since they sat down, Song Shiwei had not uttered a single word. She knew Song Shiwei was not intentionally giving her the cold shoulder, but she still felt an inexplicable sense of awkwardness, especially when the surrounding din reached a fever pitch, making that awkwardness stand out all the more abruptly.
Clearly, she herself was not someone of a particularly warm disposition either, yet in front of Song Shiwei, she always found herself unable to resist wanting to perform.
Why was that?
Shen Yu’s hand instinctively went through the motion of holding a teacup.
Yet in a crude place like this, where would such refined items be found?
Shen Yu’s hand could only land empty, awkwardly freezing mid-air before she withdrew it stealthily amidst the crowd’s exclamations.
“I heard that on the day Shen Lan returned home to visit her parents, she wasn’t even allowed to stay for lunch at the Shen residence.”
A wave of whispered sighs rippled through the crowd.
Someone chuckled teasingly.
“The Grand Princess finally managed to catch such a prized catch, of course she has to keep a tight leash on him!”
Roars of laughter erupted, the clamor laced with a hint of cold malice.
“And besides, they say Shen Lan’s father, Shen Duan, has even fallen ill!”
“If my son were to marry that Grand Princess, forget falling ill, I’d dig my own grave right then and there! Bad luck!”
Indeed! Pure bad luck!
“Hush! Keep your voice down.”
Someone nearby warned anxiously.
“Don’t want your head anymore?! Even the Grand Princess you dare to gossip about!”
Another person looked rather disdainful.
“What is there to fear? With the Grand Princess’s precious status, could she possibly come all the way here just to eavesdrop?”
True Shen Yu and Song Shiwei eavesdropping right now.
Hearing this, Shen Yu glanced at Song Shiwei, running right into that gentle and bright pair of eyes.
In her heart, she instantly debated whether she should step forward and display a bit of her masculine majesty.
Yet before she could make a move, that soft hand covered her own.
Unlike Shen Yu’s distinct knuckles, Song Shiwei’s hands were as white as spring scallions, soft, slender, and delicate.
Her palms felt cool, acting as a fine relief against the scorching summer heat.
Shen Yu froze for a moment, looking at Song Shiwei with a blank pause in her actions.
“What is the Lord Husband planning to do?”
Song Shiwei opened her mouth, and Shen Yu knew immediately that Song Shiwei had heard it as well.
She did not bother pondering the plausibility of it; to Shen Yu, Song Shiwei hearing it was the most normal thing in the world.
“Did Your Highness not hear it as well?”
Shen Yu retorted with a question.
Song Shiwei smiled softly, wearing an expression that seemed to say as expected.
“What they said is not entirely wrong.”
With that, she cast a deeply meaningful look at Shen Yu.
“Yet as far as this subject is concerned, everything they said was wrong!”
Shen Yu had originally only feigned annoyance, but seeing Song Shiwei’s indifferent demeanor, her illusory anger suddenly solidified into something real.
A nameless fire abruptly clogged her throat.
Her words were even tinged with an indescribable irritability.
Her brows knitted tightly together. At that moment, Song Shiwei smiled brightly.
Her other hand reached out to smooth away the crease between Shen Yu’s brows.
“Why must the Lord Husband be like this? Outsiders are, after all, outsiders. Words grow on their mouths and we cannot control them. Even if you shut them up this time, what about the next?”
She took out her handkerchief, pried open Shen Yu’s tightly clenched fist, and meticulously wiped the sweat from her palm.
The surrounding noises were chaotic, yet this spot felt isolated from the world.
It was a realm unto itself.
Shen Yu’s heart instantly grew tranquil. She watched Song Shiwei’s lowered head, feeling a stir of deep emotion.
Her Highness was far more resilient than she had imagined.
She happened to notice by chance that as a Grand Princess, Song Shiwei’s hair ornaments were unexpectedly plain, almost to the point of being completely bare.
Her free hand involuntarily reached out to stroke Song Shiwei’s hair bun. Having married into a family as a wife, even the Grand Princess’s hair had to be put up.
The Grand Princess with her hair pinned up carried an extra touch of feminine allure, dignity, and grace.
She touched the sparse hair ornaments, her mind flooded with myriad thoughts.
The Grand Princess should not be like this.
She couldn’t help recalling the Grand Princess during the Myriad Eye riot on their wedding day.
Adorned with pearls and jade, clad in magnificent ceremonial attire, possessing an ethereal and divine beauty.
The Grand Princess ought to be high above.
She represented nobility, standing above all others under heaven.
She should be cherished and placed upon a lofty pedestal.
She should not be like this, wandering the dust in solitary desolation.
While Shen Yu was lost in thought, Song Shiwei continued wiping her hand.
They looked just like the most ordinary couple, nothing special about them.
Coming out for a hearty meal of meat and fish on a fairly decent day.
A simple reward for themselves.
“Coming through! Freshly baked beggar’s chicken! Young master, please be careful!”
The old man, who had been silent for a long time, carried over the beggar’s chicken still encrusted in mud. It was piping hot, emitting an alluring fragrance that awakened long-dormant appetites.
The tranquility was broken, yet not entirely broken.
It seemed as though something else had silently been added to the air.
Indescribable, unspeakable.
Song Shiwei withdrew her hand along with the handkerchief.
She raised her gaze slightly to look at Shen Yu, her burning gaze leaving nothing to the imagination.
Shen Yu offered a helpless smile; she knew there was no such thing as a free lunch in this world.
How could the Grand Princess ever show unearned hospitality without a purpose?!
She looked down at those two freshly wiped, pristine paws and shook her head, unable to suppress the overflow of doting fondness in her eyes.
Resigned to her fate, she bore the burden without a single complaint.
The Grand Princess was a branch of golden leaves and precious jade; how could she possibly do such rough work!
She picked up the small wooden mallet from the side while using her other hand to tap gently around the small mud package.
Spotting a particular section, she poised herself to strike, when out of the corner of her eye she caught the Grand Princess’s curious gaze and her slightly heaving chest, which practically screamed with eager anticipation.
Shen Yu’s movements abruptly halted. Song Shiwei hadn’t noticed Shen Yu looking, and a flash of eagerness unconsciously crept into her expression.
Why aren’t you continuing?!
The sight of her neck craned forward expectantly stirred up Shen Yu’s mischievous impulses.
She froze right where she was, looking at Song Shiwei with amused interest, feeling quite curious.
Perhaps her gaze was too scorching, as Song Shiwei finally realized her own abruptness. Trying to cover up her embarrassment, she straightened her posture, cleared her throat, and let her gaze flicker.
“Lord Husband, why did you stop?”
With that, she lowered her eyes as if trying to conceal something.
Shen Yu did not answer directly, instead tossing back a question of her own.
“Is Your Highness curious?”
Song Shiwei’s breath hitched slightly, as if her hidden, secret shyness had been poked at.
She bit down unconsciously on her lower lip.
Song Shiwei remained silent, but her meaning couldn’t have been clearer.
Shen Yu smiled knowingly and shifted closer to Song Shiwei.
The distance between them closed abruptly, wrapping the atmosphere in a searing heat.
Song Shiwei’s body stiffened involuntarily for a second, but it lasted only a second before she recovered her composure.
She looked at Song Shiwei uncomprehendingly, her bright eyes brimming with confusion.
“What is the Lord Husband doing?”
“Does Your Highness not want to try?”
Although Shen Yu phrased it as a question, her gaze was exceptionally firm, as if entirely certain that Song Shiwei would agree.
Did she want to?
Yes.
To be precise, she wanted to very much.
Song Shiwei was not one to put on false airs, and immediately nodded in earnest.
She looked extremely solemn, as though she were agreeing to some major state affair.
Shen Yu flashed a look that said as expected.
Then, holding the small mallet in one hand, she wrapped her other arm around Song Shiwei.
A scorching breath swept across the shell of her ear.
“Pardon the offense, Your Highness.”
Then.
For a fleeting moment, Song Shiwei felt as though her body no longer belonged to her.
It had completely slipped out of her control.
She felt as though she had been placed inside a water bubble isolated from everything else, watching her own hand guided by Shen Yu to grip the small wooden mallet and slowly tap away at a spot whose significance she couldn’t discern.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
She could no longer tell whether her heart was beating out of its chest or if the hammering sound was shaking her ears.
Everything was so, so heart-fluttering.
Thump-thump.
Thump-thump.
Thump-thump.
It was a heartbeat!
It was the scent of green bamboo.
It was Shen Yu.
Her own heart was beating as well.
Almost instinctively, she tilted her head back slightly, pressing almost flush against him, and heard it.
Thunderous heartbeats!
Was Shen Yu nervous as well?
So even Shen Yu could get nervous.
She lowered her eyelids and remained silent.
Yet very soon, her attention was captured by the beggar’s chicken before her.
Under Shen Yu’s taps, the mud crust cracked open, the fissures spreading and splintering apart.
The entire chunk broke away.
The beggar’s chicken, wrapped in lotus leaves inside, was finally revealed.
The meat was golden, tender, and juicy, releasing a plume of steam that drifted outward like some rare and exquisite delicacy.
Shen Yu stared in amazement, and Song Shiwei did the same.
The pair sharing virtually identical expressions of wonder brought a reluctant smile to anyone’s lips.