Chapter 51: Will He Make Things Difficult for You?

Xiao Yan took a cautious step back, his expression darkening.
“I don’t know you or your master. If there’s something you want, say it here.”
The guard looked troubled.
After a hesitant pause, he spoke, “My master is the current Prime Minister. He cannot meet you in such a public place. Please, come with me.”
With that, the guard produced a token. Xiao Yan’s gaze fell on it, and he frowned slightly.
It was indeed a token from the Prime Minister’s residence.
But why would the Prime Minister seek him out?
He was merely a servant, with no connection to the Prime Minister—nor could there ever be one.
Xiao Yan narrowed his eyes, his wariness growing.
The guard was caught in a bind, when suddenly, a calm and mellow voice sounded from nearby, “I guessed you wouldn’t come with him.”
Xiao Yan turned toward the voice and saw a man standing in the shadows not far away. The man was dressed in deep blue, his face half-hidden by the darkness, eyes clear and penetrating. He appeared to be around forty or fifty, his features commanding respect even in repose.
He fixed his gaze on Xiao Yan, and the longer he looked, the more shocked he felt.
He hadn’t looked closely the night before, but now, the resemblance startled him.
His suspicions seemed suddenly to gain substance. He continued, “If I’m not mistaken, you’re nineteen this year?”
Xiao Yan’s brows immediately furrowed, his eyes dark and inscrutable.
The Prime Minister knew he had guessed right. He regarded Xiao Yan intently, his voice almost mesmerizing, “Don’t you want to know who you truly are?”
As soon as these words fell, a storm surged in Xiao Yan’s heart, though his face remained calm and his voice steady, “You know who I am?”
The Prime Minister’s lips curved in a faint, unreadable smile, his figure shrouded in the gloom of night.
—
Shen Nanyuan could not help but step out of the tent, glancing about anxiously.
“Why hasn’t Xiao Yan returned yet?”
He usually came back quickly after meals, but today he had been gone a while. She continued worriedly, “Has something happened?”
“You’re overthinking, miss,” Qingrui replied. “What could possibly happen here? The area is heavily guarded, and Xiao Yan hasn’t been gone that long.”
Shen Nanyuan pressed her lips together and shook her head silently, sensing that something was amiss.
Footsteps approached—it wasn’t Xiao Yan, but rather a eunuch accompanied by a guard. The eunuch looked somewhat familiar and held a wooden box in his arms. He bowed slightly and said, “Miss Shen.”
Shen Nanyuan frowned in confusion.
“I serve the Second Prince. Today, during the hunt, the Second Prince claimed the top prize, and His Majesty rewarded him with many rare treasures. His Highness has asked me to deliver this to you, hoping you will like it.”
Shen Nanyuan: …
So that was why he looked familiar.
The eunuch beckoned, and the guard stepped forward, opening the box in his arms. Inside was a luminous pearl of pale blue, glowing softly in the night—a treasure of inestimable value. The guard presented it with both hands, bowing low: “Miss Shen.”
Shen Nanyuan was taken aback. She shook her head and stepped back, “This is far too valuable. I really can’t accept it. I appreciate His Highness’s kindness, but please take this treasure back.”
Given what had happened that afternoon, she thought the Second Prince would avoid her for a while, but he was already sending her gifts again before a day had passed.
Shen Nanyuan frowned slightly, feeling a tinge of displeasure.
The Second Prince seemed unusually persistent.
The eunuch stepped forward and urged, “Miss Shen, please accept it. The pearl itself is not the point; what matters is His Highness’s regard for you.”
That only made her even less willing to accept!
Shen Nanyuan retreated further and called out loudly, “Brother!”
She was summoning her backup.
Shen Sinian strolled out lazily, unaware of what was happening outside. He was about to speak when he caught sight of the eunuch standing before Shen Nanyuan, his eyebrows immediately knitting together as he strode over.
The eunuch bowed respectfully, “Captain Shen.”
Shen Sinian glanced at his sister’s troubled expression and the luminous pearl in the guard’s hands, and instantly understood.
He smiled, “His Highness is truly attentive to Yuan’er. But all these things were bestowed by His Majesty to His Highness, and now they are being given to Yuan’er. If the Emperor finds out and takes offense…”
The eunuch replied, “Captain Shen, there’s no need to worry. His Highness is thoughtful and has already spoken to His Majesty. Miss Shen may accept it with ease.”
“But it’s such a precious gift; our family really dares not accept it,” Shen Sinian said mildly. “If someone with ill intentions were to spread rumors, what would become of our family’s reputation? And what of Yuan’er’s name?”
The eunuch’s expression tightened. He paused, then changed the subject, “Previously, His Highness did not know that Miss Shen disliked live animals. He regretted it greatly afterward, so he chose such a rare gem as an apology. If you continue to refuse, His Highness will surely be…”
Shen Nanyuan could hear the threat in his tone and couldn’t help but sneer.
Just like his master—always resorting to threats.
Shen Sinian, however, remained unperturbed and courteous, “Then please trouble you to explain to His Highness on our behalf. We simply cannot accept, out of concern for Yuan’er’s reputation. We are grateful for His Highness’s kindness and will personally express our apologies another day.”
At this point, the eunuch knew that no matter what he said, they would not accept the gift.
He could only nod, “I will report Captain Shen’s words to His Highness. I’ll take my leave.”
The Second Prince had already been somewhat impatient that afternoon. This time, he would likely lose his temper.
But Shen Nanyuan felt no fear at all, perhaps because Shen Sinian and Shen Yi were by her side.
After a pause, she still asked, “Will the Second Prince make things difficult for you?”
“He won’t,” Shen Sinian replied. “He has his own plans and won’t damage relations with our family over this.”
Shen Nanyuan was somewhat reassured.
Just then, she caught sight of Xiao Yan approaching from not far away. She was about to call out to him when she suddenly paused, sensing that something was off.
Usually, even when calm, he never looked so dark and forbidding. Now, shrouded in night, there was an unapproachable severity about him that made Shen Nanyuan uneasy.
She hurried to meet him, her bright eyes fixed on his every move, watching him closely.
“Where did you go? Why are you only just getting back?”
It was as if her earlier concerns had been mere illusions; the young man before her appeared calm as always, unchanged.
He took out several persimmons from his sleeve and said softly, “I went to pick these.”