The street had been lively only moments ago.
Merchants called out from their stalls, customers haggled over prices, and the fragrance of freshly steamed buns, roasted meat, and sweet pastries drifted through the cool afternoon air. Carriages moved slowly along the road while pedestrians made way for them.
Shen Xuan stood at the entrance of Delicious Pavilion, her attention divided between the approaching Zhang Jingyuan and Ning Yichen beside her.
Zhang Jingyuan was walking toward them.
His steps were hurried, yet there was still a calmness in the way he carried himself. Even from a distance, he looked completely different from the young crown prince Shen Xuan remembered from years ago.
At nineteen, Zhang Jingyuan had long since lost the softness of childhood.
His features had become sharper, his tall figure carried an imposing presence, and the dark robes he wore made his already noble bearing even more striking. The pedestrians who noticed him instinctively stepped aside.
His eyes, however, were fixed only on Shen Xuan.
"Awu."
His lips had just parted when—
BOOM!
A deafening explosion tore through the street.
The sound was so sudden that for a moment, Shen Xuan’s mind went completely blank.
The ground beneath her feet seemed to tremble.
A tremendous burst of smoke and dust erupted from the tea house across the street.
The building Zhang Jingyuan had stepped away from only moments earlier was suddenly swallowed by flames and shattered wood.
Windows exploded outward.
Roof tiles flew through the air.
Tables and pieces of furniture were thrown into the street like scraps of paper.
The decorative wooden sign hanging above the entrance snapped in half and came crashing down.
The guards who had remained near the entrance of the tea house were caught completely off guard.
Several were thrown backward by the force of the blast.
"AH!"
"Run!"
"There’s been an explosion!"
"Get out of the way!"
The peaceful street instantly descended into chaos.
People screamed and scattered in every direction.
Some merchants abandoned their stalls.
Others dragged their families into nearby shops.
A horse pulling a carriage panicked and reared violently, forcing its driver to struggle with the reins.
Smoke quickly filled the air, carrying with it the bitter smell of burning wood.
Shen Xuan’s eyes widened.
"What—?"
She didn’t even have time to finish.
Ning Yichen moved.
His arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her sharply against him as he turned his body, shielding her completely.
The next instant, pieces of shattered wood and stone struck his back.
Thud!
Bang!
Ning Yichen gritted his teeth but didn’t loosen his hold.
"Stay down!"
Shen Xuan was pressed safely against his chest, her face buried against his robes.
Her entire body trembled.
"What is happening?!"
Her mind was in complete chaos.
I just came out to eat!
I just wanted to eat!
Why am I caught up in an explosion?!
What kind of unlucky protagonist magnet am I?!
Across the street, Zhang Jingyuan wasn’t as fortunate.
The explosion had caught him just as he was approaching Shen Xuan.
A piece of shattered wood struck his shoulder with tremendous force.
"Urgh!"
The impact sent him staggering.
His knee struck the ground, and pain shot through his shoulder.
When he looked down, he saw a thick wooden fragment embedded in the flesh of his shoulder.
Blood quickly stained his robe.
For a brief moment, his expression hardened.
But instead of thinking about his injury, his first thought was—
Awu.
Zhang Jingyuan immediately forced himself back onto his feet.
His gaze swept through the smoke and debris.
"Awu!"
His voice carried across the chaotic street.
He saw Ning Yichen shielding Shen Xuan.
Only after confirming that Shen Xuan was unharmed did the tightness in his chest ease slightly.
But before he could move toward her, Shen Xuan’s mind suddenly went silent.
Not because she had calmed down.
Rather, because something had clicked in her mind.
Her eyes widened.
Wait.
Wait, wait, wait.
A memory surfaced.
A scene from the novel.
She remembered it clearly.
There had been an assassination attempt against the crown prince.
In the original story, Shen Xuan—the original Shen Xuan—had accidentally overheard several people discussing a plan to assassinate Zhang Jingyuan.
She had panicked.
Because she was secretly in love with the crown prince at the time, she had found an excuse to pull him away from the tea house.
Not long afterward, the tea house had exploded.
The incident had become one of the moments that deepened Zhang Jingyuan’s obsession with her.
It had been written as one of those fateful moments in the novel.
But there was one problem.
It had happened when the original Shen Xuan was sixteen.
Not fourteen.
Shen Xuan’s face went pale.
No.
No, no, no!
Why is it happening now?!
She slowly raised her head.
Smoke continued to rise into the sky.
The tea house had been reduced to a partially collapsed structure.
The surrounding shops had suffered damage as well. Wooden beams had fallen across the street, merchandise had been scattered everywhere, and several people were helping the injured.
Shen Xuan stared at the destruction in disbelief.
Dear author!
You’re being unfair!
Why did you move the plot forward?!
She almost wanted to cry.
I didn’t even do anything!
I didn’t expose myself!
I didn’t interfere!
Why are the events changing anyway?!
Then another thought struck her.
Oh.
Right.
She had been changing things from the moment she arrived in this world.
The original Shen Xuan had been sixteen when this happened.
But this Shen Xuan had spent years deliberately avoiding the original plot.
She had saved Shen Yuerou from her tragic marriage.
She had avoided the events that were supposed to destroy her family.
She had interfered with countless small things without even realizing it.
Perhaps the story had already begun changing beyond recognition.
Shen Xuan swallowed.
This is bad.
This is very, very bad.
Her eyes moved across the street.
Then they stopped.
Zhang Jingyuan.
He was walking toward her.
Blood was dripping from his shoulder.
The wooden fragment remained lodged in his flesh, and every step seemed to cause him pain, yet he showed no intention of stopping.
The sight immediately erased the humor from Shen Xuan’s face.
Her heart tightened.
"Big brother Jing!"
She pushed herself out of Ning Yichen’s protective embrace.
"Awu!"
Ning Yichen instinctively reached for her, but Shen Xuan had already run toward Zhang Jingyuan.
She stopped directly in front of him.
"Are you hurt?"
Her voice trembled.
Her eyes had already reddened, and tears were beginning to gather along her lashes.
Zhang Jingyuan looked down at her.
For a moment, the pain in his shoulder seemed insignificant.
Seeing the worry written so clearly across Shen Xuan’s face made a faint smile appear on his lips.
"I’m fine."
"You’re bleeding!"
Shen Xuan’s eyes immediately fell upon the blood staining his robe.
"You call this fine?"
Zhang Jingyuan almost laughed.
But the moment he opened his mouth, pain moved through his shoulder.
A metallic taste filled his mouth.
He coughed.
A thin line of blood appeared at the corner of his lips.
Shen Xuan’s expression changed immediately.
"Don’t laugh!"
She hurriedly reached for him.
"You’re bleeding from your mouth too!"
Zhang Jingyuan looked at her tearful eyes and felt something warm settle in his chest.
He had been injured before.
He had endured wounds far worse than this.
Yet somehow, seeing Shen Xuan worried over him made this injury feel strangely worthwhile.
Meanwhile, Shen Xuan’s thoughts were running wild.
I know main characters don’t die easily.
But I can’t help worrying.
He’s the Crown Prince!
If something happens to him, the imperial court will fall into chaos.
There will be a struggle over the throne.
And if the throne becomes unstable, my peaceful salted-fish life will be finished!
She sniffed.
Besides...
He always brings me rare gifts.
And delicious food.
I really can’t afford to lose that.
Zhang Jingyuan’s lips twitched.
So that was what she was worried about.
He almost laughed again.
But the moment he did, another small amount of blood escaped his lips.
Shen Xuan immediately glared at him.
"See?! I told you not to laugh!"
She hurriedly took out her handkerchief and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.
Zhang Jingyuan looked at the small hand holding the handkerchief.
His eyes softened.
"Awu."
"Hmm?"
"I’m fine."
"You keep saying that!"
Shen Xuan’s voice carried a hint of frustration.
"Look at your shoulder!"
Zhang Jingyuan glanced down.
"Just a small wound."
"A small wound?"
Shen Xuan almost exploded.
"There is a piece of wood stuck inside your shoulder!"
Her eyes became even redder.
"You need a physician."
Zhang Jingyuan was about to answer when a wave of dizziness passed through him.
He steadied himself.
The injury wasn’t actually small.
The explosion had thrown debris with tremendous force, and although he had managed to protect his head and vital points, the wooden fragment had penetrated deeply into his shoulder.
He had simply been ignoring the pain.
Now, with Shen Xuan standing so close to him, his body finally began demanding that he acknowledge it.
Zhang Jingyuan lowered his eyes.
Then, without hesitation, he allowed himself to lean slightly against her.
Shen Xuan stiffened.
"Big brother Jing?"
"I’m a little dizzy."
His voice was quiet.
Shen Xuan immediately forgot about everything else.
"Then don’t stand!"
She hurriedly supported him.
"Come, sit down."
She carefully guided him toward a relatively clear spot beside the restaurant.
Zhang Jingyuan obediently allowed her to lead him.
His guards, who had survived the explosion, were finally making their way toward him.
"Your Highness!"
Several guards rushed forward.
"Protect His Highness!"
"Call the imperial physician!"
"Search the ruins!"
The street remained chaotic.
Smoke drifted through the air.
People were crying.
Merchants were trying to salvage whatever they could from their damaged shops.
The guards immediately surrounded Zhang Jingyuan and Shen Xuan, creating a protective barrier around them.
Ning Yichen remained several steps away.
His clothes were dusty from shielding Shen Xuan, and his gaze remained fixed on Zhang Jingyuan.
For a brief moment, the two young men looked at each other.
Neither spoke.
Neither needed to.
Zhang Jingyuan’s eyes were calm but unmistakably possessive.
Ning Yichen’s expression remained gentle, but the hand resting at his side slowly tightened.
Then Zhang Jingyuan looked away.
His attention returned to Shen Xuan.
She was still fussing over him.
"Does your shoulder hurt?"
"A little."
"You’re lying."
Zhang Jingyuan smiled faintly.
"You know me well."
Shen Xuan froze.
Her cheeks warmed.
Why does he have to say things like that?
Zhang Jingyuan heard the thought clearly.
His smile deepened.
He lowered his head slightly and rested some of his weight against her.
It’s worth getting injured.
His gaze shifted briefly toward Ning Yichen.
Especially if it means I get to see Awu worry about me like this.
Ning Yichen’s eyes narrowed slightly.
He couldn’t hear Zhang Jingyuan’s thoughts.
But somehow, he felt that the Crown Prince was deliberately leaning on Shen Xuan.
And he didn’t like it.
Not one bit.
Shen Xuan, completely unaware that two powerful young men were silently competing around her, continued worrying about the wound.
"Big brother Jing, you really need to see a physician."
"I will."
"Promise?"
Zhang Jingyuan looked down at her tearful eyes.
"I promise."
Only then did Shen Xuan relax slightly.
But as she looked back at the destroyed tea house, a chill slowly crept into her heart.
This wasn’t supposed to happen yet.
And if one event from the novel had already shifted by two whole years...
What else had changed?
For the first time in many years, Shen Xuan couldn’t convince herself that simply being a salted fish would be enough to keep her safe.