Just like she speculated that Shen Yu intended to stir trouble in the capital.
“So, Miss Su, what do you think Shen Yu is scheming?”
Shen Yu lowered his gaze toward her. The soft orange of the setting sun turned her black hair into a beautiful glow; her profile caught the light, unreal in its beauty.
Shen Yu was a loyal minister. Loyal ministers naturally wished for the nation’s stability and the people’s well-being.
Generals guarded the frontiers; civil officials managed internal affairs.
Her body couldn’t go to the battlefield, so the only role left was to serve in the court.
Shen Yu’s goal was merely to have her take her father’s place, using her intellect to solve cases.
Su Yihan’s smile was faint, almost unreadable:
“For beauty, I suppose.”
“Yes,” Shen Yu agreed obediently. “Then what about the things hanging on that pear tree? Are they a secret?”
If it’s a secret, why hang it in plain sight atop the branches?
“A girl’s little thoughts,” Su Yihan said with a completely unashamed tone. “If a man sees them, he’s bound to feel embarrassed.”
“Is that so?” Shen Yu didn’t call her out, curiosity suppressed. “So you’re someone who can get obsessed with beauty?”
“Shen Yu.” Su Yihan called his name clearly, the final note rising slightly. “A girl like me—does she need to obsess over someone else’s beauty?”
“…”
“Yes,” Shen Yu laughed at her tease. “Miss Su, please take me around.”
The sky darkened, dim lanterns were lit along the path.
The Su residence was simple. Su Yihan’s courtyard was on the far west, beside a small stream. Following the stream led to an orchard.
The trees were now heavy with fruit. Shen Yu asked, “Can these be eaten?”
“General, that’s nonsense. If the fruit couldn’t be eaten, you wouldn’t need to breathe either,” Su Yihan replied casually, a hint of mockery in her tone.
It was exasperating.
“Miss Su,” Shen Yu raised an eyebrow, “there’s a lot of fire in your words. You’ve never been hit, right?”
“Hit me? Whoever does would go bankrupt trying to compensate,” Su Yihan shot back arrogantly. “General, want to experience losing everything over hitting me?”
If someone struck her fatally with a punch, they’d owe her everything.
Shen Yu thought it through carefully and shook his head seriously:
“Forget it.”
“Huh?” Su Yihan was surprised. “You actually considered it!”
Was he thinking whether he could afford it?
“Not really,” Shen Yu said calmly, as if stating a fact. “I was just thinking how much a beauty like you would be wasted if the peaches got damaged.”
Her words echoed her earlier self-flattery.
Having someone respond to her nonsense felt good. For the first time since knowing Shen Yu, Su Yihan smiled genuinely.
Her clear eyes curved into a beautiful arc; her full lips glowed; when she smiled, a gentle curve lifted her mouth, the laughter spilling soft and sweet.
“Peaches—go pick some peaches.”
“Peaches at this season?” Shen Yu asked in confusion.
“Late-ripening peaches,” Su Yihan explained. “Early-ripening ones are like boys your age—half-grown. But late-ripening ones, like you—half-grown boys may not even be married when they mature.”
“…”
“Miss Su, please show mercy and don’t use me as an example?”
“Then the general must bribe me,” Su Yihan said, pushing her luck.
“Fine. The general will personally pick the peaches for you.” Tao Chun had just brought out a basket from the house for them. Shen Yu lightly leapt onto the tree.
Tao Chun blinked in surprise.
Shen Yu chose two large, beautiful peaches, climbed down, roughly wiped them on his clothes, and handed them to Su Yihan.
Tao Chun hurried to take them:
“General, you can’t just wipe them like that and eat them. Who knows how many insects sat on them? And the fuzz isn’t clean.”
She quickly washed and cut the peaches into small pieces, placing them neatly on a plate for Su Yihan:
“Miss, eat—but not too much. They may upset your stomach.”
Raw fruit, unheated, is enough in small amounts.
Shen Yu didn’t mind. He bit directly into one:
“No harm eating it unwashed.”
After all, they usually ate sand mixed with food; a little unwashed peach wouldn’t matter.
The peaches were sweet and juicy—delicious.
“Tao Chun, pick a basket for the general’s residence too,” Su Yihan said, seeing Shen Yu’s satisfied expression, not caring much.
She wouldn’t finish them all anyway; each year many peaches were sold, and unsold ones were freely given to the people.
“Thanks,” Shen Yu accepted cheerfully.
After strolling around casually, a servant announced it was time for dinner, and they made their way inside.
Su Jin and Marquis Qing’an were still playing chess; the marquis was sweating.
No assistance needed—Su Jin’s skill was impressive. After three rounds, one loss and one win, the current game was undecided.
Su Jin was tense; this was the decisive round.
Su Yihan lightly said:
“Father, why don’t I and Shen Yu finish this game?”
If the fathers kept playing, her father would be embarrassed if he lost; if he won, the marquis would be embarrassed. Better to let the juniors settle it.
“Marquis, what do you think?” Su Jin was pleased with this idea.
“Fine,” Marquis Qing’an agreed, relieved to set down his pieces. Losing to Su Jin again would be humiliating.
“General, please,” Su Yihan gestured as she sat.
She took the black pieces, Shen Yu the white.
The game was currently locked—both sides surrounded, no openings—forcing new strategies.
Surveying the board, Su Yihan placed a piece in an unnoticed corner.
Her slender, graceful fingers holding the black piece made her skin appear even fairer.
“Surviving in the cracks,” Shen Yu said with a light laugh, placing his piece next to hers.
Su Yihan continued deliberately, calmly following her own plan.
She took unexpected paths yet never lost her rhythm.
Shen Yu, the brave and skilled general, was accustomed to controlling the battlefield—and the chessboard.
He pressed her move by move, trying to dictate her rhythm. After several exchanges, this game was essentially ruined.
“What a thoroughly satisfying match,” Su Jin said, heart racing.
The style was clear, no winner apparent—it was hard to imagine this was a game between a young girl and a slightly older boy.
“Miss Su is impressive,” Shen Yu exhaled.
Su Yihan had just reached maturity this year; if her health were fully restored, she would surpass any young man.
Shen Yu’s expression darkened slightly. If Su Yihan’s body could be healed…
The Divine Physician Gu had a medical tome, detailing treatments for various rare illnesses, even supposedly raising the dead.
Even if not that extreme, restoring her body to normal health would be a blessing.