Chapter 7: Confession

I have no wish of my own, my lord. Please give the chance to someone who needs it more." Song Qingcheng drew Wang Meng over and nudged her forward.

"Ah, all right." Following the force of the push, Wang Meng stepped ahead to the crown prince's side. Remembering what he had said, her face turned bright red.

"Of course." The crown prince stepped back to make room. After Wang Meng finished writing, he moved forward and casually wrote four auspicious characters of blessing for favorable winds and timely rain.

Song Qingcheng stood a little behind, studying the crown prince with wary eyes. Everything felt wrong. Since her return, she had not spent any time with him at all.

In her previous life, their paths had only crossed after the imperial marriage decree, and even then his attitude had been cool and indifferent, nothing like his present warmth. Surely she had not been granted a second life only to encounter the ridiculous thing called love at first sight, and then love at second sight.

The crown prince, finding matters not to his liking, raised his hand and helped release another lantern. When it had risen, he turned back, intending to speak with Song Qingcheng, but before he could say anything, she cut him off.

"It is getting late, and my aunt and uncle must be worried. I should take my leave now, my lord." Song Qingcheng could not manage his company any longer and wanted to leave.

Seeing this, the crown prince did not press the matter. "Very well. Then I shall escort you."

"You may escort Miss Wang instead. There is no need for anything here with me, Young Master. We live together," Shen Runzhi said, stressing the last words.

The crown prince caught the implication as well, but could not take offense. "Very well. I shall escort Miss Wang."

Thus they parted. Song Qingcheng finally let the tension in her nerves ease a little. She had not expected the crown prince to be even harder to deal with than Shen Runzhi. She lifted a hand to her chest and sighed inwardly.

She wondered when she would finally obtain the medicine's key ingredient. She wanted to return to the valley.

Before she knew it, they had returned to the Shen residence. Song Qingcheng bade Shen Runzhi farewell. "Cousin, I am going back to rest now."

Men and women must keep their distance, and unmarried men and women were housed apart; from here on, their paths diverged.

"Then I shall come for you tomorrow, Yao Yao," Shen Runzhi said out of nowhere.

Song Qingcheng was baffled. "Tomorrow? For what?"

"Have you forgotten, Yao Yao? You promised to keep me company." Shen Runzhi lowered his lashes, and the usually elegant young master revealed a pitiful, wounded look.

Looking at him, Song Qingcheng felt a strange twinge of guilt. "But I did keep you company."

Yes, she had already settled it today. What was there for her to feel guilty about? Song Qingcheng lifted her chin with full confidence, but the moment she met those eyes, she immediately shrank back again.

Shen Runzhi's eyes shimmered with tears. "Do you mean the part where you were only halfway along before the crown prince joined us? How can that count as me being treated fairly..."

Song Qingcheng blinked. That did seem... to be the case...

Being stared at by those tear-bright eyes, she found it difficult to admit the truth. Clenching her teeth, she gave in. "What cousin says is right. That does not really count. I will wait for you tomorrow, then."

Very well. Since she was living in the Shen residence, avoiding each other face-to-face was impossible anyway. One more outing would not kill her. He could hardly actually eat her up.

Yes, that was right. Song Qingcheng kept repeating it to herself.

Shen Runzhi's eyes held a faint smile. "As long as Yao Yao agrees. I will come for you tomorrow." He touched her earring before turning to leave.

"Fine, all right." Song Qingcheng nodded with a fake smile and hurried away.

After taking only a couple of steps, Shen Runzhi glanced sideways at her retreating figure and curved his lips in a soft laugh. "Heartless little thing. Forgotten so quickly."

He kept watching until Song Qingcheng disappeared from view. He did not return to the residence, but headed out once more.

In a dim room, Shen Runzhi flipped through the intelligence report in his hand. "What a hard night for him. He really did put on an act for the whole evening."

Wang Xiaoshu, his trusted man, flicked the stray lock hanging over his forehead and shook his head in disdain. "With that sorry face of his, Miss Song would never look twice at him. Rest assured, my lord."

Shen Runzhi tapped the pattern on the tabletop with his fingertips. "He is drawing close to Yao Yao for the sake of that half of the imperial decree, no doubt. After all, without legitimate claim or proper standing, the seat beneath him will not stay secure."

"Rest assured, my lord. Miss Song is perfectly safe. That damn crown prince will not be able to lay a finger on her." Wang Xiaoshu patted his chest in guarantee. He was fully reliable in matters like this.

What worried Shen Runzhi was not that. "Keep a close watch on him. If open methods fail, I fear he may resort to the shadows."

Destroying a woman's innocence, staging a hero's rescue—there was no trick he might not use.

"Understood."

"Have you found the little prince yet?" Shen Runzhi touched the jade pendant at his waist. Its quality suggested it was old.

"Not yet, but that damned emperor is searching too. Should we employ some methods of our own?"

"Do not startle the snake. Just keep watch. We must find the little prince before he does." Shen Runzhi waved a hand. It was not yet time to be discovered.

"Yes."

The next morning, sunlight spilled through the window and woke Song Qingcheng. She stretched lazily, sat up, and called toward the door, "Peach Blossom!"

Peach Blossom came in with a washbasin. "Miss, you're awake. Young Master Shen has been waiting outside for quite a while."

Song Qingcheng poked her head out and looked, but saw no one. "Why didn't you wake me?"

Peach Blossom stifled a smile. "Young Master Shen was afraid you had not slept well, so he would not let this servant wake you. He said you should sleep until you woke naturally."

The more she looked, the more she felt that Young Master Shen truly treated her mistress well. If he became the future son-in-law, that did not seem bad either.

Song Qingcheng's eyes widened. Remembering how pitiful he had looked the night before, she felt even guiltier for some reason.

Hastily getting up to wash and dress, she changed into a pale yellow gown, arranged her ornaments, and stepped outside. As soon as she emerged, she saw Shen Runzhi waiting beneath a tree, with a few flower petals drifting around him.

Feeling slightly awkward, she touched her hair ornaments and approached in small steps. "Cousin, you have been waiting a long time, haven't you? Next time, there is no need to wait for me. Just wake me directly."

She always felt embarrassed making people wait.

"Yao Yao..."

"Miss, the crown prince is waiting for you in the front hall!" Peach Blossom ran over in a hurry.

Song Qingcheng felt a little exhausted. "I know. I will go shortly."

Then she turned to Shen Runzhi. "Cousin, I should go first. I will come find you later."

"Yao Yao, go ahead."

Song Qingcheng headed for the front hall. No sooner had she left than a figure dropped from the tree behind her, a basket in his arms. When the face was revealed, it was Wang Xiaoshu.

"That crown prince is really something else, always finding an opening. Such a fine marriage, and he had to ruin it." Wang Xiaoshu had every desire to kill him. He had crouched in the tree until his legs had gone numb, finally waiting for Miss Song to come out, only for the man to swoop in and steal the moment. What a waste of a whole basket of petals.

Shen Runzhi cast him a cold glance and touched the jade pendant at his waist. "Since you are so idle, find something for him to do."

Wang Xiaoshu understood at once. "Consider it done, my lord."

Shen Runzhi plucked a drifting petal from the air and strolled unhurriedly toward the front hall. Just as he reached the entrance, he heard the crown prince inviting her.

"Qingcheng, do you have time today? The weather is fine, so I prepared the riding grounds."

Song Qingcheng looked troubled. "Your Highness..."

The crown prince hurriedly interrupted her, his deeply affectionate eyes fixed on her as if she were a priceless treasure. "There is no need to call me Your Highness when we are outside. Just call me A Feng."

The crown prince's name was Rong Feng, and asking Song Qingcheng to call him A Feng was meant to draw them closer.

Song Qingcheng was startled and took two steps back, clutching her handkerchief. "Your Highness is of noble status. This common girl would not dare be so impudent."

Rong Feng moved closer. "Qingcheng, can you not see that I admire you? Since the last time we parted, your image has remained in my heart. I want to take you as my crown princess."

Song Qingcheng certainly did not dare. "No, no. Your Highness speaks too gravely. I am of humble birth; please do not mention such a thing again."