Shen Jingyi sat upright in the carriage, her gaze resting on the man seated opposite her.
His features were sharp and well-defined, his handsome face carrying an irresistible charm, yet there was also a trace of stubbornness and awkwardness about him.
She knew he had come on purpose—to pick her up, to stand up for her, to give her support in front of others.
Although she did not know where this fondness came from, she accepted it nonetheless.
If he could always protect her like this… how wonderful that would be.
A faint smile appeared on Shen Jingyi’s lips.
Then she shook her head, pushing away thoughts she should not have.
This man did not belong to her alone. Having once possessed warmth like this was enough—she must not think further. Only by guarding her own heart could she live well.
“What are you thinking about?” Prince Xuan asked in confusion. “You’re smiling one moment and frowning the next.”
Shen Jingyi blinked. “Nothing at all. Just thinking randomly.”
Then she asked cautiously, “Your Highness, have you had lunch yet?”
“Not yet. I came to pick up this heartless little thing—only now do you remember?” Prince Xuan teased.
Hearing the bustle outside, Shen Jingyi’s eyes lit up with an idea. She smiled slyly and said,“Then… how about I treat Your Highness to a meal?”
“Oh?” Prince Xuan raised an eyebrow, interested. “And what does my consort plan to treat me to?”
“Well…” Shen Jingyi hesitated, then said, “I heard that Zuixiang Pavilion’s Eight-Treasure Duck, Crispy Chicken, and Braised Beef are exceptionally delicious. How about we go there?”
As she spoke, she secretly swallowed.
These were dishes her brother Shen Chenxi had promised to take her to eat when she first arrived in this world. Unfortunately, her health had recovered too slowly. By the time she was finally better, the imperial decree appointing her as a secondary consort arrived—and she was confined to the residence to embroider her dowry, forbidden to go out.
Speaking of embroidering her dowry… that was truly a tale of bitter tears.
Although the original Shen Jingyi had excellent embroidery skills, she didn’t. In the end, she relied on fragments of memory and practiced secretly for a long time before barely finishing the pieces. Her fingers were pricked full of needle marks.
When the servants saw her secretly burning failed embroidery, they thought she was resisting the marriage and grew worried, even secretly coming to persuade her.
Only after seeing her embroidering properly with their own eyes did they finally relax.
“And you can still eat?” Prince Xuan teased, the corner of his lips lifting in amusement.
“I’m doing it to accompany Your Highness,” Shen Jingyi replied.
She would never admit that she herself was craving the food.
Seeing how greedy she looked, Prince Xuan felt like teasing her further.“But I’m not really in the mood for those dishes.”
Shen Jingyi froze slightly.“Hehe… that’s fine. Then what does Your Highness want to eat? I don’t really know much else. Why don’t you take me wherever you like?”
Prince Xuan pretended to ponder, though his gaze never left her face.
After a moment, he sighed theatrically.“Aiya, I really can’t think of anything. Let’s just go to Zuixiang Pavilion after all.”
Shen Jingyi immediately knew she’d been played—but that didn’t matter. As long as there was food, she was satisfied. She was just that magnanimous.
She happily replied, “Alright! Then does Your Highness know what else there is that’s good there?”
Prince Xuan reached out and gently tapped her forehead, smiling indulgently.“You’re that happy? Everything shows on your face.”
She blinked and asked playfully, “Is that a bad thing?”
Prince Xuan smiled softly, brushing her hair.“It’s very good. It would be even better if you could always be like this in front of me.”
Shen Jingyi moved closer and rested her head on his shoulder, saying seriously,“As long as you continue to protect me, I won’t change.”
Prince Xuan pulled her into his arms, seating her on his lap, and made a solemn promise:“Good. I will always protect you.”
Then he ordered toward the carriage window,“Go to Zuixiang Pavilion. Have the carriages following us return to the residence.”
“Yes, Your Highness,” came the respectful reply from outside, followed by the sound of the carriage turning around.
The carriage rolled along with a steady da-da-da. Laughter from Prince Xuan and Shen Jingyi’s soft, coquettish protests drifted from within.
The two people driving outside exchanged glances.
One thought, When was the prince ever in such a good mood?
The other thought, This secondary consort is truly extraordinary.
Upon arrival, Prince Xuan stepped down first, then turned and reached out his hand to help Shen Jingyi descend.
The restaurant stood on a bustling street—a three-story building with a wide entrance and a striking signboard.
Inside, it was spacious and bright, wooden tables and chairs neatly arranged. Green plants adorned the corners, and elegant calligraphy and paintings hung on the walls, adding a refined atmosphere.
The hall buzzed with noise—laughter, chatter, and the clinking of cups mingled together. Servers hurried about, warmly attending to customers.
The moment they entered, a waiter greeted them enthusiastically.“Your Highness! Please come upstairs.”
The shopkeeper, who had been working the abacus, immediately tossed it aside and rushed over, his round face filled with smiles. Replacing the waiter, he personally led them to a private room on the third floor.
Shen Jingyi looked around curiously after entering, then walked to the window and opened it to glance outside.
The shopkeeper stood beside Chu Ba, who had followed in. He whispered quietly,“Which lady is this?”
Seeing that both masters were by the window, Chu Ba answered quickly,“This is Secondary Consort Shen.”
The shopkeeper carefully lifted his gaze.“So this is the one who entered the residence three days ago…”
Shen Jingyi had noticed their exchange, but she said nothing.
Soon, tea was brought in. While serving it, the shopkeeper asked,“Your Highness, what would you like today?”
Prince Xuan glanced at Shen Jingyi, then said casually,“Eight-Treasure Duck, Crispy Chicken, Braised Beef, Fermented Rice Dumplings, Osmanthus Pastries, White Jade Pearl Soup. Add two more light dishes as you see fit.”
“Yes, please wait a moment,” the shopkeeper replied, bowing before leaving.
Chu Ba tactfully stationed himself outside the door.
“Your Highness, you ordered quite a lot. We probably won’t be able to finish everything,” Shen Jingyi said softly.
“What? Are you worried about your silver?” Prince Xuan laughed.“Don’t worry—I’ll pay. Keep your money for yourself.”
“That’s not it,” Shen Jingyi hurried to explain. “Besides, I do have enough silver to treat Your Highness.”
“How could I let my woman pay when I bring her out to eat?” Prince Xuan joked. “What would that make me?”
Without thinking, Shen Jingyi blurted out,“A kept pretty boy.”
“Hm~~~?”
The moment the words left her mouth, she instantly regretted it. She lightly smacked her own lips, inwardly cursing herself, and quickly tried to recover.“Hehe… I meant Your Highness has fair skin and handsome looks…”
“Oh? Is that so?” Prince Xuan asked with interest.
“Yes, of course!” Shen Jingyi said, blushing and lowering her head.“What else did Your Highness think I meant?”
“Enough teasing,” Prince Xuan said warmly.“You like these dishes, don’t you? I’ll have you taste every one of them, so you won’t keep thinking about them.”
“I wasn’t thinking about them,” Shen Jingyi denied softly.
But her heart was filled with sweetness all the same.