Chapter 37: Why Does That Sound So Jealous?

“How do you feel now? Any better?” Su Jinshi asked.

“It’s a bit more comfortable, but still somewhat uncomfortable,” Shen Shilang replied honestly.

At this moment, he was like an obedient child, answering her questions slowly and directly.

Su Jinshi, feeling a twinge of pity, decided not to take advantage of his state. She helped him lie down and removed his shoes. “Just sleep then. You’ll feel better after some rest.”

Shen Shilang shifted on the bed, finding a more comfortable position.

His inner robe had loosened, revealing more of his chest. Su Jinshi could now faintly see the top of Shen Shilang’s abs.

Come to think of it, despite spending everyday with Shen Shilang, she hadn’t seen his abs since that first day when he was injured. After that, he had always kept himself carefully covered, refusing to let her see.

Even when he bathed, he used a wooden board to cover the top of the tub, preventing her from peeking.

This had frustrated Su Jinshi to no end. Shen Shilang was truly cautious!

Su Jinshi lacked self-control. Slightly tempted, she reached out and poked the small part of Shen Shilang’s abs visible beneath his robe.

She saw Shen Shilang’s abdomen visibly contract. Perhaps due to the alcohol, he wasn’t as tense and guarded as usual. When Su Jinshi poked him, he felt a soft, tingling sensation that made him involuntarily let out a small sound.

Just as Su Jinshi’s mischievous hand reached for the ties of his inner robe, Shen Shilang grabbed her wrist.

“Don’t… untie it…” Shen Shilang’s voice was soft and slurred.

If she continued touching him like this, he would have a reaction.

It was madness. He couldn’t even see Su Jinshi—a female ghost touching him all over should terrify him. Yet for some inexplicable reason, the image of a beautiful woman with fair skin and a clever, charming face appeared in his mind. It was as if Su Jinshi had materialized before him, making it impossible for him to remain calm.

Su Jinshi found Shen Shilang’s current state absolutely adorable. Taking advantage of his distraction, she quickly poked the spot she had always wanted to touch.

Shen Shilang’s eyes suddenly widened, as if instantly sobered.

Then his face turned bright red.

He quickly turned to his side and curled up, the blush spreading across his entire body. He now resembled a cooked shrimp, curled up and red all over.

“Jinshi!” Shen Shilang called out, both embarrassed and anxious. “You… you’re getting bolder and bolder!”

“Hey!” Su Jinshi gently poked Shen Shilang’s flushed cheek. “Are you angry?”

Shen Shilang buried his head, only his burning red ears visible as he silently shook his head. “But you can’t do this again in the future.”

“But I’m afraid I won’t be able to resist,” Su Jinshi said truthfully. With Shen Shilang looking so alluring, who could possibly hold back?

“You…” Shen Shilang flipped over and buried his face in the pillow.

“Alright, alright, I won’t tease you anymore tonight,” Su Jinshi said. “You have to attend the Lu Ming Banquet tomorrow, so you need to rest well. Don’t worry, I won’t do anything while you’re asleep.”

Shen Shilang: “…”

Su Jinshi left Shen Shilang alone. He remained on guard for a while but soon succumbed to the effects of alcohol and fell asleep.

Su Jinshi didn’t take advantage of the situation. What would be the point of teasing him while he was asleep? It was much more fun to tease him when he was awake and see his flustered reactions.

However, Su Jinshi soon faced the consequences of her mischief.

That night, Su Jinshi had a dream. In it, she somehow appeared before Shen Shilang.

Shen Shilang recognized her immediately.

But now that they were face to face, Su Jinshi found herself too shy to touch and tease Shen Shilang as she had before.

She became bashful, while Shen Shilang turned brazen.

Despite being dressed properly and conservatively, he did this and that to her.

Su Jinshi dreamed of Shen Shilang’s long, slender, fair hands on her lips, her body, her hands.

She dreamed of Shen Shilang’s face moving downward, his long hair falling across her lower abdomen^[1]👀.

When Su Jinshi woke up in the morning, her entire body was flushed red, and her mouth felt inexplicably dry.

At some point, she had tightly wrapped herself in the blanket.

Su Jinshi: “…”

What… What kind of dream did she have?!

Shen Shilang was the one who had been drinking last night, so how did she end up having such a dream?

When she looked at Shen Shilang on her phone again, she found she couldn’t meet his eyes.

To make matters worse, Shen Shilang was completely unaware of her dream and looked utterly innocent.

The more Su Jinshi saw Shen Shilang like this, the more uncontrollably those dream images flooded her mind.

“Slap! Slap!” Su Jinshi raised both hands and lightly slapped her cheeks. “Calm down, calm down, don’t let your mind be filled with such thoughts!”

Today, Shen Shilang was to attend the Lu Ming Banquet. Manager Yue had prepared a carriage for him at the entrance.

Su Jinshi accompanied Shen Shilang out the door and saw another carriage besides the one Manager Yue had prepared.

“Probably Wei Jianming’s,” Su Jinshi guessed.

As she spoke, Wei Jianming and Wei Ruyan came out together.

Seeing Shen Shilang, Wei Ruyan’s face immediately darkened. She coldly snorted, “How unlucky!”

Shen Shilang ignored them and got into his carriage.

Su Jinshi saw Wei Ruyan also board Wei Jianming’s carriage and asked curiously, “Is Wei Ruyan going too?”

Shen Shilang explained, “She’s going to attend the Flower Viewing Banquet, which is next to the Lu Ming Banquet.”

Su Jinshi snorted, “You seem quite informed about Wei Ruyan. You even know she’s attending the Flower Viewing Banquet and that it’s right next to the Lu Ming Banquet.”

Shen Shilang: “…”

Why did that sound so jealous?

Shen Shilang’s eyes curved slightly as he explained, “It’s been this way for many years. On the day of the Lu Ming Banquet, the wife of Governor Cheng hosts the Flower Viewing Banquet next door, partly to allow the noble ladies of Chong’an to choose potential husbands. Those attending the Lu Ming Banquet are all scholar candidates^[2]juren, likely to pass the imperial examinations in the future. Not all of these noble ladies can go to the capital to seek better husbands, and even if the examination results come out favorably, they might not be able to secure the best candidates. So they use the Flower Viewing Banquet to see if there are any promising scholar candidates they can secure in advance.”

“I see, they’re looking for potential stocks,” Su Jinshi nodded.

“Potential stocks?” Shen Shilang asked curiously. “You always come up with such strange terms. What does this mean?”

“It means what you said—people with promising futures,” Su Jinshi couldn’t explain the concept of stocks to him.

Shen Shilang nodded, “It’s an interesting term.”

“So is Wei Ruyan also going to choose a husband?” Su Jinshi raised an eyebrow. “Would she even consider those scholar candidates? Even if some have good family backgrounds, within Chong’an’s jurisdiction, they can’t compare to the status of the Great General of Guide, right?”

“She’s certainly not going to choose a husband. If that were the case, Madam Wei would accompany her,” Shen Shilang smiled. “She’s just going to show off. In Chong’an, her status is the most noble. Wherever she goes, people flatter her, and Wei Ruyan wouldn’t miss such an opportunity.”