Font Size:
“Let’s head down.”
Fei Yanchen snapped back to reality and followed Shen Yu’an as they made their way down the mountain together.
On their way back, Fei Yanchen recalled the disdainful expression Qi Yiran had when facing Shen Yu’an.
Furrowing his brow, he asked, “Has that woman mistreated you in the past as well?”
Even the thought of Qi Yiran mistreating Shen Yu’an in his absence filled him with anger, and he wished he could toss her to the wolves up the mountain.
Shen Yu’an shrugged it off, “She’s all talk, and she usually gets her way.”
“Despite the lessons she’s learned from the past, it seems her temperament remains just as stubborn. It appears she doesn’t learn from her mistakes.”
Fei Yanchen, puzzled, asked, “What happened last time?”
Seeing his curiosity, Shen Yu’an recounted the incident from her previous visit to the capital city with Bai Miaqing, when they had encountered Qi Yiran.
Upon finishing, she looked up at Fei Yanchen to gauge his reaction.
“Do you think I’m cruel for doing that?”
Fei Yanchen playfully tapped Shen Yu’an’s forehead and said, “Do you see me as that kind of person?”
“Setting aside that your actions were a response to that woman stirring up trouble in the first place, even if it weren’t, I’d still wholeheartedly stand by your side and support you.”
Fei Yanchen gazed deeply into Shen Yu’an’s eyes.
Shen Yu’an felt her heart racing.
Thump, thump, thump!
It felt like it was about to leap out of her chest.
A rosy flush spread across her face.
Fei Yanchen, his gaze fixed on her, toyed with the idea of pinching her cheek. With that thought in mind, he went ahead and did just that.
He lifted his hand, trailing it across Shen Yu’an’s cheek, then his fingertip landed near her ear, tucking a stray strand of hair behind it.
Time seemed to slow down, and the intense rhythm of a heartbeat resonated in their ears, but it was unclear whose it belonged to.
Not wanting to remain in the dark any longer, Shen Yu’an wanted to understand why Fei Yanchen was treating her family in such a special way. Was it because the Shen family had taken him to a safe place in the past, or did he have other intentions?
Almost on impulse, she blurted out, “Do you like me?”
Fei Yanchen suddenly burst into laughter, his entire demeanor softening considerably.
“Isn’t what I’ve done clear enough?” Fei Yanchen asked with a playful smile.
“I thought you had known all along.”
“What about your feelings, then?”
Shen Yu’an didn’t directly answer his question. Instead, she said, “I have high standards.”
“I’m not good at cooking.”
“We have a brilliant chef at my estate, and you can have whatever you like without lifting a finger.”
“I don’t bow down or submit.”
Shen Yu’an mentioned this, considering the prevailing gender roles of this era, where women often married into a family and had to endure not only submission to their husbands but also the scrutiny of their mothers-in-law.
Fei Yanchen raised an eyebrow and replied, “By my side, you, Yu’an, will naturally be the most esteemed woman, without the need to bow or submit to anyone.”
They engaged in this back-and-forth conversation, and it seemed that Fei Yanchen had an answer for everything Shen Yu’an said.
After a moment of seeing Fei Yanchen’s pleased expression, Shen Yu’an brought up her final and most fundamental question.
“I won’t accept having multiple wives and concubines. If you succeed, with three thousand beauties…”
The implication of success was understood by both, and Shen Yu’an spoke with a touch of frustration.
When Fei Yanchen heard that Shen Yu’an had such thoughts, he nearly raised his hand to swear. But then, he pondered if this indicated that Shen Yu’an might be feeling jealous.
Fei Yanchen’s mood instantly improved, and he repeatedly assured her that there was only room for Shen Yu’an in his heart.
Satisfied, Shen Yu’an managed a faint smile, and Fei Yanchen couldn’t contain his happiness.
In high spirits, he said, “After we descend the mountain, we’ll return, and I’ll come to propose at your house.”