" Awu?"
Shen Yuerou’s voice came again.
This time, it was closer.
"Awu, what are you thinking about?"
Shen Xuan blinked.
The thoughts that had been racing through her mind slowly scattered, and she finally became aware of her sister sitting in front of her, watching her with concern.
"I’m fine, Big Sister."
She quickly forced a smile.
"Really?"
Shen Yuerou’s eyes remained doubtful.
"You suddenly became quiet."
Shen Xuan shook her head.
"Nothing important. Don’t worry about me."
She reached for a piece of fruit on the table and popped it into her mouth.
"See? I’m perfectly fine."
Shen Yuerou stared at her for a moment before finally smiling.
"You’re always like this."
"Like what?"
"You worry about strange things and then pretend you don’t."
Shen Xuan laughed awkwardly.
"Big Sister is thinking too much."
Shen Yuerou shook her head helplessly.
The two sisters eventually changed the subject.
They spoke about Jiangnan.
They talked about Shen Yuerou’s life with her husband.
Shen Yuerou complained playfully about how Jiang Rong’an had become increasingly busy with matters concerning the imperial clan.
Shen Xuan listened while occasionally teasing her sister.
For a while, the heaviness in the air disappeared.
The courtyard was filled with their laughter.
But beneath Shen Xuan’s smile, her heart remained unsettled.
Something was happening.
She didn’t know what.
And that frightened her more than anything.
That night, Shen Yuerou and her husband returned to their residence in the capital.
After seeing her sister off, Shen Xuan returned to her own courtyard.
She bathed, changed into her sleeping clothes, and dismissed most of the servants.
The night was quiet.
Moonlight filtered through the windows, painting pale patterns across the floor.
Shen Xuan sat before her dressing table for a while, staring at her reflection.
Her brows were slightly furrowed.
She couldn’t stop thinking about the imperial clan.
Finally, she sighed.
"Wei Zhou."
The room remained silent.
Shen Xuan waited.
Then a dark figure silently appeared near the window.
Wei Zhou bowed.
"This subordinate greets Mistress."
Shen Xuan’s lips twitched.
"I’ve told you many times not to call me Mistress."
Wei Zhou lowered his head.
"This subordinate understands."
"But you still do it."
Wei Zhou remained silent.
Shen Xuan sighed.
There was no point arguing with him.
She turned serious.
"Does your master know that the imperial clan has been summoned to the capital?"
Wei Zhou paused.
"This subordinate does not know."
Shen Xuan slowly turned toward him.
Her expression was one of pure disappointment.
"You don’t know?"
"No."
She stared at him.
"Then what do you know?"
Wei Zhou opened his mouth.
Then closed it.
A slightly awkward expression appeared on his usually emotionless face.
Shen Xuan narrowed her eyes.
"Wei Zhou."
"This subordinate..."
He coughed lightly.
"...knows that the Crown Prince is currently in the southern province."
"I already know that."
"He is handling an important matter."
"I know that too."
Wei Zhou fell silent.
Shen Xuan waited.
He waited.
She waited.
Neither spoke.
Finally, Wei Zhou gave an awkward smile.
Shen Xuan understood immediately.
He wasn’t going to tell her anything.
She waved her hand.
"Forget it."
Wei Zhou bowed.
"Yes, Mistress."
He disappeared into the darkness as quietly as he had appeared.
Shen Xuan stared at the empty space near the window.
She let out a long sigh.
"What’s happening?"
There was no one to answer.
She slowly climbed into bed.
Perhaps she was worrying unnecessarily.
Perhaps everything would be fine.
After all...
She had already survived fourteen years in this world.
She had changed countless parts of the original story.
Her sister was safe.
Her family was safe.
The Shen family was still thriving.
She was still living comfortably.
She had everything she wanted.
Shen Xuan pulled the blanket over herself.
"Don’t worry, Shen Xuan."
She closed her eyes.
"You’ve lived a salted-fish life for fourteen years already."
A small smile appeared on her lips.
"You can do it for many more years."
With that comforting thought, Shen Xuan slowly drifted into sleep.
The night deepened.
The entire Shen Residence gradually fell silent.
The guards patrolled the corridors.
The lanterns hanging beneath the eaves flickered gently in the night breeze.
Inside Shen Xuan’s courtyard, everything was peaceful.
Until—
A faint sound came from the window.
It was so quiet that even the guards outside failed to notice it.
The window opened slightly.
A dark figure slipped into the room.
His movements were light and careful.
Every step was controlled.
He moved like someone accustomed to moving through darkness without being noticed.
He paused several times.
Not because he was uncertain where to go.
But because he was afraid of waking the person sleeping inside.
Eventually, he reached Shen Xuan’s bedside.
He stood there quietly.
For several moments, he simply looked at her.
Then he slowly sat down on the edge of the bed.
His expression softened.
"Awu..."
His voice was barely above a whisper.
He reached out.
His fingers gently touched her shoulder.
Shen Xuan frowned in her sleep.
"Hmm..."
She turned away.
The figure smiled faintly.
"Awu."
He gently shook her again.
Shen Xuan’s brows knitted together.
"Who..."
She grumbled sleepily.
"Who is disturbing my sleep?"
Her eyes slowly opened.
At first, her vision was blurry.
She rubbed her eyes.
Then she looked again.
Her sleepiness vanished.
She sat upright.
Her eyes widened.
"Yichen!?"
The young man sitting beside her bed smiled.
"Awu."
His voice was warm.
Gentle.
Filled with unmistakable affection.
"I’m back."
Shen Xuan stared at him.
For a moment, she didn’t know what to say.
It had been four years.
Four whole years.
The last time she had seen him, he had been eighteen.
Now he was twenty-two.
After leaving the Shen Residence four years ago, Shen Xuan had heard absolutely nothing from him.
No letters.
No gifts.
No messages.
Not even a single word passed through the household.
At first, Shen Xuan had wondered about him.
Then she had assumed that perhaps he had simply become busy.
Eventually, she had stopped thinking about it.
After all, Yichen had always been mysterious.
And Shen Xuan had no intention of chasing after people.
If someone wanted to leave, then let them leave.
She had enough snacks and books to keep herself occupied.
But now...
He was suddenly sitting beside her bed in the middle of the night.
"Yes."
"You’re back."
"Wonderful."
"Amazing."
"Congratulations."
Shen Xuan stared at him blankly.
"But why did you have to wake me up?"
She almost wanted to lie back down.
Instead, she forced herself to sit properly.
"Welcome back."
Her voice was slightly reluctant.
Yichen’s smile became deeper.
"I’m sorry for waking you."
His voice was sincere.
"I just wanted to speak with you as soon as possible."
Shen Xuan’s expression softened.
Only now did she properly examine him.
The young man before her was completely different from the eighteen-year-old she remembered.
At twenty-two, Yichen had grown into a tall and handsome young man.
His features had become sharper.
His shoulders were broader.
His black hair was tied neatly behind his head, with several loose strands falling beside his face.
His clothing was dark and simple, but it suited him perfectly.
There was something dependable about him now.
Something that made people instinctively feel safe around him.
If Zhang Jingyuan’s presence made people unconsciously straighten their backs and bow their heads...
Yichen’s presence was completely different.
His aura made people instinctively want to rely on him.
He looked like someone who could stand between another person and danger without hesitation.
But Shen Xuan also noticed something else.
There were faint traces of exhaustion beneath his eyes.
His complexion wasn’t as lively as she remembered.
There was weariness in his face.
Four years had clearly not been easy for him.
Shen Xuan’s heart softened.
"Are you tired?"
Yichen’s eyes remained on her.
"A little."
"Then you shouldn’t have come here tonight."
"I wanted to see you."
His answer was immediate.
Shen Xuan fell silent.
Yichen smiled.
"You’ve grown."
Shen Xuan looked down at herself.
"Of course I’ve grown."
She was fourteen now.
Not the tiny ten-year-old he had known before.
Yichen continued looking at her.
His gaze lingered.
Not in an uncomfortable way.
Rather, it was as though he were trying to memorize every detail of her face.
As though he had spent four years wondering what she looked like now.
As though seeing her in front of him was something he had secretly longed for.
Shen Xuan noticed.
Her cheeks slowly became warm.
"Why are you staring at me?"
Yichen didn’t answer.
He simply continued looking.
His eyes were gentle.
Almost greedy.
As though he wanted to engrave this moment into his memory.
Shen Xuan shifted uncomfortably beneath his gaze.
"Uhh..."
Her cheeks became even warmer.
"Why is he looking at me like that?"
"Did I grow something on my face?"
"Or..."
She swallowed.
"Did he really miss me that much?"
Yichen’s eyes softened further as if sensing her thoughts.
For four years, he had been away.
Four years of silence.
Four years during which he had forced himself not to return.
And now that he was finally here...
He found that simply looking at her was not enough.
He wanted to make up for every year he had missed.
He wanted to know everything that had happened to her.
He wanted to hear her complain about trivial matters.
He wanted to hear her laugh.
He wanted to know who had been beside her while he was gone.
But most of all...
He wanted to make sure she was safe.
His fingers slowly curled against his knee.
"Awu."
He called her name softly.
Shen Xuan looked at him.
"Hmm?"
"I have something to tell you."
The warmth in his voice remained, but there was suddenly something more serious beneath it.
Shen Xuan’s expression changed.
"What is it?"
Yichen looked at her for a long moment.
Then his lips curved into a faint smile.
"I’ve missed you."
Shen Xuan’s heart unexpectedly skipped.
She stared at him.
For once, no strange thought immediately came to her mind.
Only one simple realization remained.
This person had really been gone for four years.
And now...
He was back.