Chapter Forty-Six: You Must Be Tired of Hearing It Too

Shen Sinian was puzzled. "Yuanyuan, you seem a bit nervous. Is there something else on your mind?"

It wasn’t just Shen Sinian; even Xiao Yan had noticed. From the moment she saw him, she had appeared uneasy, as if troubled by some unspoken worry, her demeanor flustered and uncertain.

What was she so anxious about?

Xiao Yan frowned slightly, his gaze fixed intently on Shen Nanyuan, only to see her force a smile. "I'm not nervous, just a little worried about his injury, that’s all."

Though she said this, Xiao Yan was certain there was something else weighing on her heart.

Shen Sinian shrugged. "Alright, then let’s wait until later, after dinner, to go out. The scenery may not match the daytime, but the night has its own charm."

Shen Nanyuan let out a breath and smiled. "Alright."

Her heart was still pounding from Shen Sinian’s earlier remark. She turned to the table and sat down. Qingrui poured some water and placed it before her. "I’ll go tidy up the clothes we brought. If you need anything, just call for me."

Shen Sinian returned to his own tent to rest. Shen Nanyuan glanced at the boy standing quietly at her side and asked, "Where will you sleep tonight?"

Xiao Yan lowered his eyes, as dark as ink. "Miss, there’s a tent for the servants."

Shen Nanyuan pursed her lips, still uneasy.

The servants naturally didn’t have the same accommodations; many would crowd into one tent, a mix of all sorts, and who could say what trouble might arise? She thought for a moment and called out, "Qingrui."

Qingrui set down the clothes in her hands. "What do you need, Miss?"

"Go fetch some bedding."

Qingrui glanced at the bed, puzzled. "Are you cold, Miss?"

Shen Nanyuan shook her head. "Take it to my eldest brother’s tent and lay it on the ground. Later, let Xiao Yan sleep there tonight, and you can sleep here with me."

Xiao Yan was momentarily stunned.

"It can’t be comfortable with so many people squeezed together. My brother will agree. Go on, then."

Qingrui looked at Xiao Yan, then curtsied and bowed her head. "Yes, Miss."

Shen Nanyuan had considered letting Xiao Yan sleep in her own tent, but with so many eyes around, if anyone saw, rumors would surely follow. In this era, a woman’s reputation was more valuable than anything else.

Still uneasy, she instructed, "Come to me every morning after breakfast."

Xiao Yan suppressed the rising pleasure in his heart, his features growing all the more refined and striking. "Yes."

The evening banquet required the presence of both the young gentlemen and ladies of the noble families. Shen Nanyuan felt a flutter of nerves as she accompanied Shen Sinian to the banquet grounds.

Beneath the princesses and princes sat the families of the Duke Protector and the Prime Minister. Shen Nanyuan quietly took her seat beside Shen Sinian, and when she looked up, she spotted Meng Chuyue across from her, who nodded and smiled in delight.

Below sat Gao Xueluo as well.

Once everyone had arrived, Shen Sinian leaned closer and whispered, "Just focus on eating. Don’t worry about anything else."

He chuckled after speaking. "I say this every year, and you must be tired of hearing it by now."

Shen Nanyuan thought to herself what a good brother she had. At this moment, nothing comforted her more than hearing she need only eat and ignore everything else.

She shook her head sweetly. "I’m not tired of it at all. You’re the best, brother."

Shen Sinian turned to her, startled by the sudden praise, his mouth opening slightly before he clicked his tongue. "...Hearing you say I’m good out of nowhere almost scares me."

Shen Nanyuan: "..."

Did he have a penchant for suffering?

The emperor had not yet arrived, so the banquet had yet to officially begin. The weather had turned cold, but a large bonfire at the center cast a golden glow on every face, keeping the chill at bay.

Shen Nanyuan sensed someone watching her. She frowned and, following her instincts, looked around, but saw nothing—only Jun Ci, who sat with his head lowered, drinking his tea, his profile solitary and cold.

She furrowed her brow and looked away, thinking perhaps she was imagining things.

When the emperor arrived, the banquet formally began. He was as imposing as Shen Nanyuan had imagined. She didn’t know how others felt, but she herself shrank in his presence, daring only to glance at him from the corner of her eye, then staring obediently at the teacup before her, lost in thought.

The flames flickered, and Shen Nanyuan, in a moment of distraction, looked up through the firelight and unexpectedly met the eyes of the Prime Minister, who sat beside Meng Chuyue.

Both were startled and quickly looked away.

She frowned slightly, recalling something from the original story.

In the book, it was the Prime Minister who, upon seeing Xiao Yan by chance, noticed his features were strikingly similar to the princes and began to suspect his true identity. Later, he would help Xiao Yan return to the palace.

This was why, apart from Xiao Yan and Meng Chuyue, the ties with the Prime Minister’s household were so close.

Shen Nanyuan clicked her tongue inwardly, resolving to keep Xiao Yan far from the Prime Minister during these three days.

The future could wait; for now, these two mustn’t cross paths.

Fortunately, nothing untoward happened at the banquet. The emperor departed after a short while, and Shen Nanyuan, remembering Shen Sinian’s words, quietly ate throughout. Before leaving, she exchanged a few words with Meng Chuyue and Gao Xueluo.

As night deepened, Xiao Yan obediently stayed in Shen Nanyuan’s tent, not wandering about.

Suddenly, a familiar voice sounded outside—it was one of Shen Sinian’s servants. "Come on out, it’s our turn to eat."

Before leaving, Shen Nanyuan had told him to return quickly after eating, so he stood up and walked out of the tent, his steps a little hurried.

The servant beside him shivered as a cold wind blew past. "Aren’t you cold?"

"Not at all," Xiao Yan replied calmly.

Some days before, Shen Nanyuan had someone make him several thick garments, which he wore now, warding off the chill.

The food here was nothing like what Uncle Li made in the Garden of Blossoms. Xiao Yan ate quickly, and in his haste to return, didn’t notice someone brushing past him.

But the Prime Minister paused, turning to watch as the figure disappeared from view. The face he glimpsed in that fleeting moment was now etched deeply in his mind; those strangely familiar features left him unsettled.

He frowned, then instructed the servant at his side, "Go find out who that person was who just passed by."

——

Shen Nanyuan hurried back, and only when she saw Xiao Yan did she finally feel at ease.

"Have you eaten?"

"Yes, Miss."

Shen Sinian appeared from behind Shen Nanyuan, grinning. "Perfect, let’s take a walk to help digest."