Chapter 62

“Clang, clang, clang—”

Chang Liu forcefully pounded on the courtyard gate. Erya hurriedly ran over and opened the door. As soon as the door opened, Chang Liu squeezed in and asked, “Where’s Shi Yu?”

Erya looked up at him and replied, “She’s inside.”

Chang Liu rushed into the room and saw Shen Yu flipping through a book on the couch. He grabbed her arm and started dragging her out, saying, “Come with me.”

“Where are we going?” Shen Yu asked, getting up as he pulled her.

“To Qingpu Residence.”

“I’m not on duty today,” Shen Yu protested.

Chang Liu, impatient and agitated, forcibly dragged her out, insisting, “You are now! Xi Feng just called your name.”

“In that case, wait a moment.” Shen Yu broke free from his grip, turned back to grab the knife from the table, and then followed Chang Liu out of the door.

Xi Feng stood at the entrance of Qingpu Residence, accompanied by several guards, all of them looking resentful and aggrieved, as if their lady had been abducted.

“What happened?” Shen Yu asked, concerned.

Xi Feng’s expression turned solemn. “Since yesterday, His Highness hasn’t eaten a grain of rice after leaving the palace.”

“That doesn’t mean he’ll starve in a day. What happened next?” Shen Yu inquired.

“We tried to enter, but we were all driven out,” Xi Feng replied, pursing her lips.

“Why did you call me then?” Shen Yu asked instinctively.

Xi Feng shoved a food box into her hands. “You’re going to deliver this.”

“Why am I being asked to deliver it?” Shen Yu raised her voice.

“No reason,” Xi Feng replied curtly.

Chang Liu had already opened the courtyard gate. With tacit cooperation, Xi Feng pushed Shi Yu inside, and he swiftly closed the door behind them.

Shen Yu barely managed to regain her balance before the door shut behind her.

She turned to stare at the door for a moment, realizing that the feast the other day hadn’t won her any friends. When faced with trouble, they didn’t hesitate to push her aside.

She might as well be ignored.

Shen Yu sighed and resignedly carried the food box towards the study.

Finding no one in the study, she headed to Xie Tingzhou’s bedroom.

The bedroom window was half-open, and the door wasn’t fully closed. Shen Yu peeked inside and saw Xie Tingzhou lying on the low couch where he usually rested, his hand resting on his forehead, seemingly lost in thought.

Shen Yu raised her hand to knock on the door. After waiting for a moment without any response from inside, she knocked again.

“Who allowed you in?” came a cold voice from inside.

“Get out!”

Two consecutive icy reprimands made Shen Yu respond sullenly, “Okay.”

Inside the room, Xie Tingzhou slowly opened his eyes.

Shen Yu, carrying the food box, started to leave. She wasn’t in a hurry; after all, it wasn’t her who was hungry.

She had barely taken a few steps when the door behind her opened.

Shen Yu turned around to see Xie Tingzhou, his hair disheveled, standing at the door with his hands on the frame.

“Where are you going?” he asked.

Shen Yu turned back, “Chang Liu asked me to deliver food. Since you’re awake now, you should eat. Everyone outside is worried sick.”

She wasn’t in a hurry. As a grown man, he wouldn’t starve after missing a few meals. During the Yanliang Pass, didn’t the soldiers go hungry for days and still fight on with empty stomachs?

Shen Yu entered the room, placing the food on the table. Xie Tingzhou remained standing in place.

“Come and eat; it’ll get cold soon,” Shen Yu said.

Xie Tingzhou walked over and sat down. The dishes were all from Beilin, but he had no appetite now.

Shen Yu thought Xie Tingzhou must have been brought up very strictly, with meals as a serious affair, always silent during dining. He silently ate half a bowl and then put down his chopsticks.

The stove in the bedroom was cold, having burnt out long ago, leaving the room chilly. Xie Tingzhou’s pale fingers were turning red from the cold.

He was accustomed to enduring hardships, Shen Yu knew.

Watching her busy around, trying to light the stove, Xie Tingzhou observed her. She seemed well-traveled and generous in her actions, her calloused hands indicating martial arts practice, not from a humble background.

But who was she exactly? Xie Tingzhou wondered.

“Come sit closer,” Shen Yu called out.

Xie Tingzhou didn’t move. Today, he seemed like an emotionless shell.

In the coming year, three years, five years, or even ten years, he might be confined within this imperial city.

Shen Yu leaned on the table, looking at him, and said softly, “I understand how you feel. It’ll get better in a few days.”

Xie Tingzhou was somewhat surprised. “What do you understand?”

“I understand perfectly,” Shen Yu nodded knowingly, as if she had suddenly realized something profound.

“It’s just like being in prison. Those first few days are always uncomfortable, but you’ll get used to it with time.”

Yes, it was like being in prison, only the prison was much larger, encompassing the entire Shengjing, with a seemingly glorious but actually imprisoning nominal position.

Xie Tingzhou stared at her. “You’re quite good at metaphors.”

Shen Yu took his compliment in stride. “Not bad.”

Xie Tingzhou chuckled suddenly. “I’ve never been in prison, but I doubt the food in Zhaoyu Prison is as lavish as this.”

Shen Yu replied softly, “I’ve never tasted it either, but in a few days, after I’ve eaten and returned, I’ll tell you how it tastes.”

Xie Tingzhou remembered that the case at Yanliang Pass was currently under investigation, and it wouldn’t be long before it reached her.

“In a few days, the Ministry of Justice will come to question you. Have you thought about how to handle it?” he asked.

“Of course, I’ll tell the truth,” Shen Yu replied. The whip marks on her back still stung, and she jokingly added, “I’ll definitely tell them everything truthfully. Whatever you told me, I’ll tell them the same, hoping they won’t resort to torture. Being whipped hurts.”

Understanding her implication, Xie Tingzhou pursed his lips. “The beating you endured wasn’t in vain.”

He added, “Don’t worry, no one from the Ministry of Justice will harm you.”

With that, the room fell silent again.

Shen Yu thought for a moment, then looked down at the knife at her waist.

It was the one she had taken from Xie Tingzhou’s carriage in a moment of danger. She cherished the knife, so she had never returned it and even found a sheath for it.

Xie Tingzhou didn’t rush her. If she wanted to return it, she would, but ultimately, it was still his knife.

After a moment of hesitation, she removed the knife from her waist.

Xie Tingzhou watched as she placed it gently on the table and pushed it lightly towards him.

“What’s this for?” he asked.

Shen Yu didn’t speak. She just turned her body slightly, presenting him with her profile.

Xie Tingzhou furrowed his brows. It was clear she was reluctant. Before pushing it towards him, he had seen her run her hand over the blade.

So, what was she…

As Xie Tingzhou looked at her slightly awkward profile, a vague thought suddenly occurred to him.

Was she… trying to comfort him?

She saw he was upset, so she was trying to comfort him.

She must not have comforted anyone before, so she could only awkwardly offer her favorite thing to him, like a child offering candy.

The knife she hadn’t wanted to return before, she was willing to give now because he was unhappy.

A softness welled up in Xie Tingzhou’s heart.

He ran his fingertips over the sheath and said softly, “I’ll take it.”

Shen Yu stole a glance at him, feeling awkward. “It was yours to begin with.”