Chapter 31 – A Little Secret

“Mystic art?”

Shu Ruohua nodded. “Mm, when I washed your feet last night, I added a mystic art into the water.”

Her lying skills had clearly improved.

Xiao Che frowned.

He had been married to Shu Ruohua for two years, and yet he had never known that she could use any mystic arts.

He found her words hard to believe, but the reality of his healed foot injury was right there in front of him.

Aside from her explanation, there didn’t seem to be a better one.

After all, not even the best medicine could relieve pain so instantly and scab over in just one night.

But—

Right now, he had a more pressing question.

“If you have such abilities, why are you staying by the Crown Prince’s side?”

He needed to know whether this woman in front of him was a blessing or a threat.

Without hesitation, Shu Ruohua answered directly.

“Who wants to stay by his side? If you hadn’t stopped me the last time I tried to run away, I would’ve escaped long ago!”

Xiao Che: “…”

Only then did he remember that night not long ago, when he returned to the palace and ran into Shu Ruohua.

If she had truly meant to harm him, she would’ve done so within the past two years—there would’ve been no need to wait until now.

Not to mention, she had even tried to flee the Eastern Palace.

He lifted his gaze and looked into Shu Ruohua’s eyes.

Her eyes were crystal clear, without a trace of deceit.

“Could it be… I really overthought things?” he murmured inwardly.

Perhaps he should try to believe her.

He exhaled lightly and said nothing more.

Just then, Qian Ning entered carrying breakfast.

Knowing the Crown Prince was present, she had specially stir-fried a dish of shredded potatoes that morning.

(Food supplies were scarce—they only had potatoes.)

Usually, they only made porridge.

Xiao Che didn’t mind. He walked over to the round table, picked up the rice bowl, and ate heartily with the shredded potatoes.

Shu Ruohua hurried over and protected her porridge like a mother hen guarding her chicks, afraid Xiao Che would snatch it again.

While they ate, Qian Ning brought back Xiao Che’s shoes and socks from outside.

After a night of wind and the morning sun, both the shoes and socks were completely dry.

After breakfast—

Shu Ruohua issued a direct order for Xiao Che to leave.

She said she didn’t have time to keep him company, and if he wanted to leave, he could do so on his own.

Xiao Che immediately felt as if he’d been cast aside.

He had been about to leave, but when he saw Shu Ruohua carrying vegetable seeds toward the backyard, he paused.

Suddenly, he remembered how she used to grow vegetables in the Cold Palace.

So, he followed her into the backyard.

Backyard.

Shu Ruohua was holding a hoe, working with Qian Ning to till the soil.

Today, they planned to plant the rest of the vegetable seeds in the ground.

Fortunately, they had already tilled one patch yesterday afternoon, so they finished the remaining plot fairly quickly.

Xiao Che stood to the side, stunned by Shu Ruohua’s skilled farming techniques.

He truly hadn’t expected that the dignified daughter of the Grand General of the State would be capable of such rough labor.

Only now did he realize that after two years of marriage, he had never really taken a good look at this woman.

…

Not far away—

Shu Ruohua and Qian Ning had already dug a neat trench to plant scallions.

Just as she was about to sow the seeds, Xiao Che suddenly walked over.

Xiao Che asked, “What are you doing?”

“Planting vegetables!!”

“Don’t you know you’re not allowed to grow vegetables in the Eastern Palace?”

“But if I don’t plant vegetables, I’ll have nothing to eat!”

Xiao Che: “You…”

He was just about to say, If you don’t have food, you can ask me for it, but then he remembered how stingy Shu Ruohua was.

So he gave up on that idea.

After a brief pause, he continued, “Even so, you still can’t grow vegetables in the Eastern Palace!”

Shu Ruohua was instantly at a loss for words.

Xiao Che was so stubborn—there was no point arguing with him.

Her black eyes turned, and she immediately sidled up to him with a fawning expression.

“In any case… heaven knows, earth knows, you know, I know. If you don’t say anything and I don’t say anything, no one else will find out—right?!”

Xiao Che curled his lips into a cold smile. “Heh…”

Before he could say another word—

Shu Ruohua quickly added:

“I knew it—you’re the most loyal. You’d never rat me out. So let’s just treat this as our little secret, okay?”

…

(End of this chapter)