Chapter Forty: His Hidden Intentions

Madam Shen turned her head at the words, glancing over. Shen Nanyuan replied quietly, “...With Mother.” Shen Sinian patted her head gently. “If you want to go out at night again, call for me. Big Brother will take you around.” Before she could say anything, Madam Shen shot him a glare. “There will be no next time, understand?” Shen Sinian, cowed, replied, “There won’t be a next time.”

When Madam Shen was angry, not only Shen Nanyuan, but even Shen Sinian dared not utter another word. Fortunately, Madam Shen didn’t persist with the scolding, giving Shen Nanyuan a moment to catch her breath. She didn’t linger long; afraid Madam Shen would begin again, she slipped back to Shaohua Courtyard as quickly as she could.

She thought she’d managed to escape disaster, but on her way, Qingrui huffed, frustration clear in her voice, “Miss! When did you sneak out? I’m with you every day, how did I not notice a thing!” Shen Nanyuan was speechless. All this was the fault of that wretched Second Prince. If he hadn’t come, nothing would have happened. He had simply died too late.

After all this, Shen Nanyuan was exhausted. Back at Shaohua Courtyard, she intended to nap for a while. Jinzhu was chatting away with Qingrui, and Uncle Li had come up quietly beside her. “Miss,” he said softly, “Xiao Yan mentioned he wasn’t feeling well not long ago.”

Shen Nanyuan stopped in her tracks, brows creasing. “Unwell?” “Yes, he said it might be his old ailment flaring up. Shall I call for a physician to have a look?” Of all things, what she dreaded most was hearing that the male lead was unwell. She nodded at once. “Send for the physician.”

She could hear Qingrui and Jinzhu’s voices nearby, seemingly gossiping about the Second Prince. The thought made her head ache. In the original novel, most of the narrative followed the male and female leads; the Second Prince’s perspective was rare, and he had never crossed paths with Shen Nanyuan before. He only appeared after Xiao Yan returned to the palace. Now, not only had his appearance come ahead of schedule, but he was also interacting with her—enough to give her a splitting headache.

She sighed softly and, before entering the side room, suppressed the worry from her expression. “Uncle Li said your old illness was acting up. How are you feeling now? Still unwell? I’ve asked someone to fetch the physician.”

Xiao Yan paused briefly, then shook his head. “There’s no need. I feel better now.” “Let the physician have a look anyway. Such things mustn’t be delayed.”

Worried, Shen Nanyuan pressed on, “You’ve had so many injuries. I’ll feel at ease if the physician examines you.” The restlessness Xiao Yan had managed to suppress surged up again at the sight of her. Anxiety gnawed at him, a disquiet he had never felt before. He looked at her calm face, remembering she had returned after seeing the Second Prince. His tone, usually even, turned heavy, betraying a darkness he himself didn’t notice. “Jinzhu mentioned the honored guest at the Marquis’s manor today was the Second Prince.”

“Yes,” Shen Nanyuan answered, oblivious to the edge in his voice. “It was indeed him.” A wave of agitation passed through him, though his face remained impassive, his eyes as dark as ink. “What did he want?”

She shook her head. “I can’t guess his intentions. He’s up to something, I’m sure—certainly troublesome.” “Do you still remember what Young Master Jun once told you?” he asked.

“Of course I remember.” Shen Nanyuan braced herself on the table, heaving a sigh. “I never thought he’d come to the Marquis’s manor, but my father said nothing happened. The Second Prince wouldn’t dare act rashly. Still, we’ll need to be more careful when leaving the manor from now on.”

Hearing this, Xiao Yan’s tension eased a little, but he wanted to be sure. He lowered his lashes, an unspoken tension lacing his words, “Does Miss have any affection for the Second Prince?”

Shen Nanyuan was taken aback. She answered helplessly, “Why would you think that? Have I not made myself clear enough? I find him utterly vexing.” Absolutely infuriating. If not for his presence, her sneaking out would never have been exposed, Madam Shen wouldn’t have scolded her, and she wouldn’t be on edge, worrying about his hidden motives.

Especially since the Second Prince claimed it was their first meeting, yet everything he said hinted otherwise—his tone ambiguous, his gaze lingering, as if his eyes were tilted just for her. Anyone with sense could see they had met before. If word got out, her reputation would be ruined. What good was his handsome face when he acted so abominably?

She waved her hand, clearly exasperated. “Let’s not talk about him.” Xiao Yan’s eyes lingered on her face. He saw her furrowed brow relax, her whole expression brightening as if she’d recalled something pleasant.

“Oh, right. Tomorrow you can’t go train with my brother. We’re going boating with Chuyue.” Her mood improved at once. “It’s thanks to Chuyue’s ointment that your arm is healing.”

She’d mentioned that name often recently.

Xiao Yan only murmured a faint assent, saying nothing more. His attitude left Shen Nanyuan a little disappointed. She blinked, her gaze fixed intently on his always-composed face, searching for any other emotion. She stared so intently that Xiao Yan’s eyes darted away, flustered.

“...Miss?” He cleared his throat, unsure. “Why not invite the young master to go boating too? He’s spent so long teaching me martial arts, without any outings. He’d be happy to join.”

Shen Nanyuan considered this. Having too many people around would only be awkward—how would the two of them get along then? “If you’re not at his place tomorrow, I’m sure he’ll go amuse himself,” she said. “Shen Sinian never neglects his own enjoyment. No doubt he’ll be off to the tavern.”

Xiao Yan lowered his gaze, lips pressed together. He had other thoughts.

Soon, Uncle Li arrived with the physician. Fortunately, after an examination, the physician said Xiao Yan was fine, and Shen Nanyuan was finally at ease. She truly was tired, but looking at Xiao Yan, she couldn’t help but say, “You’re not going to train with my brother again, are you?”

Xiao Yan took martial training seriously—it was entirely possible. Seeing his nod, Shen Nanyuan rubbed her brow. Just as she thought.

“All right, take care. If you feel unwell, come back at once.” She stifled a yawn. “I’m sleepy. I need a nap.”

Truly, the life of a young lady was not half bad. She needn’t worry about her meals, and everything was cooked just the way she liked. There were always people to help her with whatever she needed. If not for the walking time bomb at her side, Shen Nanyuan would have thought this was early retirement.