The Shen Residence had been unusually lively since early morning.
There were no red lanterns hanging from the eaves.
No colorful silk banners fluttered in the wind.
No musicians had been invited, and there was no grand feast being prepared in the kitchens.
Yet anyone who stepped into the residence would immediately know that something joyful had happened.
The servants moved about with bright smiles.
The maids whispered excitedly among themselves.
Even the usually stern steward wore a rare smile as he instructed the younger servants to prepare the front courtyard.
The reason for all this happiness was simple.
Shen Ziheng was coming home.
After spending years training under the Grand Protector in the north, the young master of the Shen family had finally returned to the capital after winning a battle against one of the generals of the Hulan Kingdom, a small neighboring kingdom that shared a border with Yin.
The victory was not large enough to be considered a war-changing triumph.
But for a young man of eighteen who had left home three years ago...
It was an achievement worthy of pride.
And for the Shen family...
It was even more precious.
Their second son, their little brother, their beloved child who had been away for so long...
Was finally coming home.
Shen Xuan had been waiting impatiently since dawn.
She had barely finished her breakfast before she began asking when her second big brother would arrive.
By noon, she could no longer sit still.
She had gone to the main courtyard at least three times.
She had asked the servants standing at the gate whether the carriage had arrived.
She had even climbed onto a small stool to look down the road herself.
Each time, the answer had been the same.
"Not yet, Second Miss."
Now...
The moment a messenger finally announced that Shen Ziheng’s party had entered the capital, Shen Xuan immediately lost the last bit of patience she possessed.
"Second miss!"
She lifted the hem of her dress and hurried down the corridor.
"Second Miss, please slow down!"
Xiao Cao hurried after her.
"Please, Young Miss! The stone path is slippery!"
"How can I slow down?"
Shen Xuan turned around while still moving forward.
"Second Big Brother is coming home!"
Her face was glowing with happiness.
"He hasn’t come home in three years!"
"I haven’t even seen him properly since I was little!"
She took another excited step.
Then another.
"Second miss, watch where you’re—"
Bump!
Shen Xuan’s little body collided directly with someone.
She stumbled backward.
Fortunately, the person in front of her reacted quickly and caught her before she could fall.
A familiar hand steadied her shoulder.
A familiar voice sounded above her.
"Awu."
The voice was calm.
Warm.
And unmistakably indulgent.
Shen Xuan froze.
She slowly raised her head.
The first thing she saw was a familiar dark-blue robe.
Then a handsome face.
Then those familiar dark eyes looking down at her with a mixture of helplessness and amusement.
"Big Brother Jing!"
Her eyes immediately brightened.
Zhang Jingyuan looked at the little girl standing before him.
She had grown considerably over the past six months.
Although she was still only ten, her features had begun to lose some of their childish roundness.
Her cheeks were still soft and plump, however, and her bright eyes remained as lively as ever.
She was dressed in a pale blue winter gown, with a small jade pendant hanging from her waist.
Her hair was neatly arranged into two small buns, each decorated with simple jade hairpins.
She looked...
Adorable.
Zhang Jingyuan’s expression softened.
"Running without looking where you’re going again."
He lightly tapped her forehead.
Shen Xuan immediately covered it.
"Big Brother Jing!"
There was no real anger in her voice.
Only childish complaint.
Zhang Jingyuan’s lips curved slightly.
"I came to deliver an imperial edict."
Shen Xuan blinked.
"Oh."
She nodded.
Then she stared at him for another moment.
"...That’s why you’re here?"
"Mm."
Zhang Jingyuan nodded.
He had answered so naturally that Shen Xuan didn’t even realize he had responded to the question she had only been thinking.
"So the Crown Prince came here to deliver an imperial edict?"
"That’s quite normal."
"Although..."
"Why does he always appear whenever I’m around?"
Zhang Jingyuan’s eyes flickered.
He naturally kept his expression calm.
"Let’s go."
He reached down and took her small hand.
The movement was so natural that Shen Xuan didn’t even protest.
His palm was warm.
Her fingers were small enough to fit completely within his hand.
Zhang Jingyuan looked down at their joined hands.
A faint satisfaction settled within his heart.
He had originally come to the Shen Residence to deliver the imperial edict concerning Shen Ziheng’s military achievement.
The Shen family had welcomed him respectfully.
But when he discovered that Shen Xuan was not among them...
He had barely stayed in the main hall before asking where she was.
Upon learning that she had gone to wait for her brother, he immediately headed toward her courtyard.
Shen Ruiwen had even attempted to stop him.
"Your Highness, Awu will soon return."
But Zhang Jingyuan had merely smiled.
"This Prince is not in a hurry."
Yet...
He had still gone after her.
And now...
He had found her.
Six months had passed since that rainy evening when Zhang Jingyuan had appeared inside Shen Xuan’s room.
Since then...
His visits had become a strange and almost unavoidable part of Shen Xuan’s life.
At least once every week...
He would appear.
Sometimes he came openly.
He would arrive at the Shen Residence with an official reason, accompanied by palace guards and servants.
Other times...
He simply climbed over the walls.
The first time Shen Xuan discovered him sitting beneath the plum tree in her courtyard at night, she had nearly screamed.
"Your Highness!"
"How did you get here?"
Zhang Jingyuan had simply looked at her.
"I walked."
"He walked over the wall!"
"Does he think I’m stupid?"
He had smiled.
From then on, Shen Xuan slowly became accustomed to his presence.
He brought her strange storybooks from distant regions.
Sometimes he brought small toys made by craftsmen from other kingdoms.
Sometimes it was a box of candied fruits.
Sometimes rare pastries.
Once, he had even brought her a tiny jade rabbit because he said its expression reminded him of her.
Shen Xuan had stared at the rabbit for a long time.
"Does he think I look like a rabbit?"
Zhang Jingyuan had answered without hesitation.
"Mm."
"How rude."
She had accepted the rabbit anyway.
There were also days when he brought nothing.
He would simply sit in her courtyard and tell her about something interesting that had happened during his day.
An official who had fallen asleep during court.
A merchant who had tried to deceive the Ministry of Revenue.
A strange foreign envoy who spoke Yin’s language with an amusing accent.
A horse he had seen in the imperial stables.
Sometimes...
He would simply tell her about the weather.
It was almost like he was reporting his day to her.
As though her knowing what happened in his life was important to him.
Once, while listening to him recount something that happened during court...
Shen Xuan suddenly thought,
"This sounds strangely like a man telling his girlfriend about his day."
Her cheeks had immediately turned red.
She had nearly choked on her tea.
"What am I thinking?!"
"He’s fifteen!"
"I’m ten!"
"Absolutely not!"
Zhang Jingyuan had quietly looked at her flushed face.
He had smiled without saying anything.
Yichen, however, had disappeared.
The day after carrying Shen Xuan back to her room, he had left the Shen Residence.
Before leaving, he had looked at her and said,
"Wait for me."
"I’ll return soon."
Then he had left.
One day passed.
Then another.
Then another.
Shen Xuan eventually stopped thinking about it.
She wasn’t worried.
After all...
Yichen was obviously not an ordinary person.
And judging from the way her father had reacted when he first saw him, Shen Xuan knew that asking questions would probably only bring unnecessary trouble.
"If he wants to return, he’ll return."
"If he doesn’t..."
"That’s fine too."
"One less person disturbing my salted-fish life."
She had happily returned to eating snacks.
"Watch your steps."
Zhang Jingyuan’s voice brought Shen Xuan back to the present.
She had become distracted while looking toward the main courtyard and almost stepped onto an uneven stone.
His hand tightened slightly around hers.
Shen Xuan looked down.
Then up at him.
He was watching her carefully.
His eyes followed every movement she made.
Shen Xuan smiled.
"When he acts all sweet and tender..."
"It really melts my heart."
Zhang Jingyuan heard the thought.
For a moment...
His heart seemed to beat faster.
The faint smile on his face deepened.
His entire aura seemed to soften.
Even his grip on her small hand became gentler.
He lowered his gaze.
"She likes it when I treat her gently."
A strange satisfaction filled his heart.
He silently made a note of it.
By the time they reached the main hall...
The Shen family had already gathered.
Shen Ruiwen stood at the front with his wife.
His mother sat beside him.
Shen Yuerou was also present.
Several servants stood respectfully along the sides of the hall.
Only Shen Xuan’s second uncle and his family were absent because they had gone to visit the maternal family of his wife.
Mo Yunxiu, Shen Xuan’s elder brother’s wife, was also not present.
She was heavily pregnant and nearing her time of delivery, so everyone had insisted that she remain in her courtyard and rest.
The moment Shen Ruiwen’s eyes landed on his youngest daughter...
His expression changed slightly.
Not because Shen Xuan had done anything wrong.
His gaze had fallen upon the hand holding hers.
Zhang Jingyuan’s hand.
"Awu."
His voice carried a faint hint of sternness.
Shen Xuan immediately understood.
She looked down.
Only then did she realize that she was still holding the Crown Prince’s hand.
She quickly released him.
Then she ran straight toward her father.
"Father!"
Shen Ruiwen’s stern expression instantly softened.
He opened his arms and caught his daughter.
She wrapped both arms around his waist.
He looked down at her helplessly.
"You are already ten years old."
"And yet you still behave like a little child."
Shen Xuan pouted.
"I’m still Father’s daughter."
Her mother laughed softly.
"Look at you."
"You’re nearly old enough to become an aunt, yet you’re still behaving like a baby."
The entire hall erupted into laughter.
Shen Xuan’s cheeks puffed up.
"Mother is bullying me."
She immediately released her father and ran toward her grandmother.
"Grandmother!"
Her grandmother opened her arms.
"Come here, my little Awu."
Shen Xuan happily threw herself into her embrace.
"Grandmother, Mother is bullying me."
Her grandmother lovingly patted her head.
"Grandmother is here."
"No one dares bully you."
The room filled with laughter once again.
Shen Xuan smiled triumphantly.
She peeked over her grandmother’s shoulder at her mother.
"See?"
"Grandmother is on my side."
Her mother shook her head with amusement.
"You little thing."
Standing several steps away...
Zhang Jingyuan quietly watched the scene.
The Shen family was warm.
Loud.
Affectionate.
There were no stiff rules between them when they were alone.
They laughed together.
They teased one another.
They complained to one another.
And Shen Xuan...
She belonged completely among them.
She could run into her father’s arms without hesitation.
She could cling to her grandmother.
She could tease her mother.
She could joke with her siblings.
She was loved.
Deeply.
Without conditions.
For some reason...
A strange feeling slowly appeared inside Zhang Jingyuan.
Jealousy.
It was faint.
Almost imperceptible.
But it was there.
He wanted Shen Xuan to behave this freely around him too.
Although she called him Big Brother Jing now...
He could tell.
There was still a small distance between them.
A boundary.
She trusted him.
She liked his company.
She accepted the gifts he brought.
But she did not yet look at him the way she looked at her family.
Zhang Jingyuan’s fingers slowly curled beneath his sleeves.
A dark thought flashed through his mind.
"I want to lock her somewhere safe..."
"Somewhere only I can see her smile."
The thought appeared suddenly.
And disappeared just as quickly.
Zhang Jingyuan’s eyes darkened.
He remained silent.
He had no intention of becoming the person Shen Xuan feared.
Not now.
Not ever.
But...
He could not deny one thing.
The desire to keep her close...
Was becoming stronger with every passing day.
A/N: Please, drop a comment.