On this side, Wangye was comfortably enjoying the attentions of his Little Shadow Guard, completely unaware that Cheng Sijin had already imagined the scene of his grand wedding with the shadow guard—
The Little Shadow Guard, adorned in a phoenix crown and ceremonial robe, sitting delicately on the edge of the wedding bed. Wangye, with a gentle smile, holding the Xi Cheng to lift the bride’s red veil. The two of them, deeply in love, leaning against each other as they sleep…
Wait, that’s not right. They’re both men, so who would be on top isn’t certain!
Judging by their physiques, Wangye would naturally be the dominant one. But with his strikingly handsome appearance, he wouldn’t be out of place playing the bride beneath…
Oh my, she suddenly realized—no matter who was on top between Wangye and the shadow guard, it was absolutely delightful to imagine!
The more she thought about it, the more excited she became; the more she indulged in these thoughts, the happier she felt. In the end, she couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
It wasn’t until both master and servant across from her cast looks as if she were a fool that she realized she had lost her composure.
“Ahem, Shaozhu, this subordinate knows her mistake.” Cheng Sijin plopped to her knees.
“No matter.”
Xiao Yuheng glanced up at Shen Yue, signaling for her to stop, then said to Cheng Sijin, “You’ve heard everything. The antidote for Shen Er is now entrusted to you to prepare.”
“Yes! This subordinate will deliver the antidote to Wangfu as soon as it’s ready.”
What?
Shen Yue felt somewhat disheartened. After all her earnest efforts in massaging his shoulders, it turned out she still had to wait.
Still, having her antidote secured was ultimately good news, and most importantly, it wouldn’t cost her a single coin.
Though she didn’t understand why Xiao Yuheng was keeping her alive, at least she was safe for now. Until the antidote was in her hands, she needed to keep him pleased.
As for the future…
She’d deal with that when the time came. If worst came to worst, she could always run away again.
“What are you standing around for? Aren’t we leaving?” The man’s voice pulled her back to reality.
“Coming!”
Shen Yue instinctively moved to follow, but Xiao Yuheng halted, frowned at her, then glanced at the dagger on the counter.
“Do you hold the items I bestow upon you in such little regard?”
Only then did Shen Yue remember. She hurriedly retrieved the dagger, sheathed it, and scurried back to the man’s side.
“Hehe, this subordinate forgot. It won’t happen again.”
The man sighed softly but said nothing more. The two donned their masks once again and stepped out of Wanbao Pavilion side by side.
By the time they emerged from the Black Market, it was already late at night. Surprisingly, many shops and stalls along the street were still open, offering a full array of antiques, calligraphy and paintings, gold and silver jewelry, various types of clothing, and snacks.
Shen Yue had only glanced around a bit more when it drew a light scoff from the man.
“Those are all cheap, common items. What’s there to see?”
“…”
Shen Yue nearly rolled her eyes. Buddy, not everyone is as wealthy as you, okay?
But for the sake of the antidote, she held her tongue. She went straight to a stall, spent ten taels of silver on two sets of wrist guards, and picked out some pastries to take away.
The man raised an eyebrow. “The Second Bureau Chief is quite generous. Ten taels is two months’ worth of Yueyin for an ordinary shadow guard.”
“Oh, these are for Lao Zhang and A Fei. They’ve always treated me well. I can’t very well give them something too cheap.”
Shen Yue saw nothing wrong with it. After all, she no longer needed to save up for medicine, so spending a bit to repay her comrades was only right.
The man looked at her, nodded, and said nothing further, simply walking ahead in silence.
Whenever a young man in white passed by, he would glance over briefly before discreetly shifting his gaze away.
Shen Yue noticed his actions and couldn’t help but chuckle, “Wangye, stop looking—none of them are as handsome as you!”
Xiao Yuheng hadn’t expected her to say such a thing. His ears flushed instantly, and he subconsciously quickened his pace.
“Who… who said this prince was looking at their appearances?”
“Oh? If not their looks, were you perhaps admiring their clothes?”
Shen Yue scratched behind her ear, her short legs moving swiftly as she tried to catch up with the man.
“If you ask me, Wangye, with your striking looks, you’d appear even more dashing in white. There’s really no need to wear dark-colored clothing inside and out…”
“Shen Er!”
For some inexplicable reason, the man suddenly turned and halted.
Shen Yue, walking too fast, couldn’t brake in time and crashed into his chest. Her nose stung so sharply that tears nearly welled up.
Seeing her red-rimmed eyes beneath the mask, Xiao Yuheng frowned, yet the anger that had surged within him inexplicably faded.
“This prince… dislikes white.”
Slightly displeased, he flicked his sleeve and walked away, leaving the Little Shadow Guard utterly bewildered.
Shen Yue: Seriously, what did I do wrong this time?
So you don’t like white—fine, but was it a crime to flatter you? And you looked like you were about to blow up!
If it weren’t for the antidote, who’d bother praising you like this!
Once she was cured, she’d quit being a shadow guard for sure—not for any other reason, but mainly because this boss was so moody and hard to please!
Meanwhile, Xiao Yuheng strode ahead, his face burning. If not for the mask, he would have made a fool of himself in front of that kid just now.
Strangely, everyone who had ever seen him praised his peerless elegance, yet he’d been flustered by that kid’s compliments. Really…
He felt inexplicably irritable and uncomfortable all over.
Speaking of which, what was that kid doing, walking so slowly? Short legs are such a hassle…
Impatiently, he turned his head and saw the Little Shadow Guard trotting over, carefully holding two small plates.
“Wangye, if you have some of your subordinate’s Sushan, will you stop being angry?”
Even though your subordinate has no clue why the hell you’re upset.
The Sushan before him was pure as jade, exuding a faint fragrance, with a vividly red cherry perched on top like a dazzling ruby.
Xiao Yuheng never ate such things, but for some reason, he found himself inexplicably accepting it.
“Hehe, Wangye, try it—it’s really delicious. I usually can’t bring myself to buy it.”
Shen Yue said cheerfully, handing him a small spoon.
Then, she removed her mask, gently scooped a spoonful of Sushan into her mouth. Her petite tongue inadvertently brushed her lips, curling slightly as the cool sweetness melted on her palate.
Unlike modern ice cream laden with artificial additives, this Sushan was made from clarified butter and honey—sweet but not cloying. Shen Yue couldn’t be more satisfied eating it.
“Is it really that good?”
The man watched her, a tenderness he hadn’t realized creeping into his eyes.
“Yes, really! You should try it!”
The Little Shadow Guard nodded eagerly, helping him remove his mask and pulling him to sit on a nearby rock.
The man raised an eyebrow, skeptically scooping a spoonful of Sushan into his mouth.
“How is it? How is it?” Our Little Shadow Guard was full of anticipation.
The man nodded. “It’s acceptable, though a bit too sweet.”
Shen Yue: …Hah, “acceptable”? I know you don’t like sweets, but this was expensive! Would it kill you to say it’s delicious? Huh?
She kept grumbling internally. During the time they were eating Sushan, she had mentally criticized Xiao Yuheng countless times, completely failing to notice his unusual condition.
It wasn’t until she brought the horse over and handed the reins to Xiao Yuheng that she suddenly realized his hands had become as cold as ice, his face pale as paper, and he could barely stand steadily.
“Wangye, are you alright?”
“It’s nothing.”
Xiao Yuheng spoke weakly, preparing to take the reins, but ultimately swayed unsteadily and collapsed onto Shen Yue’s shoulder.
Shen Yue instantly grew more frightened. “Hey, what are you doing? Don’t try to fake an injury to extort me!”