Shi Wei's face slowly revealed a gentle smile. "Your Highness, I will do my utmost to fulfill the task you've assigned me."
Shen Yue merely glanced at him indifferently, saying nothing.
One had to admit, Shi Wei's acting was superb. Those who didn't know him would truly believe he was exceptionally loyal and obedient. Yet, in secret, he had already aligned himself with Shen Yaojin, and could still feign sincerity before him without a trace of flaw.
The censer emitted faint white smoke, and the subtle aroma of tea was refreshingly invigorating.
Shen Yue sat kneeling, her back ramrod straight. Her fine, slender eyelashes drooped beneath her eyelids. She wore a cobalt blue brocade cloak adorned with cranes. Her long, clean fingers held a delicate, small teacup.
Her neck, as long and fair as a swan's, was slightly bowed. Her full, ruby-red lips pursed as she sipped her tea, savoring it with delicate attention.
Her movements were elegant, yet tinged with an air of casualness.
Shi Wei's gaze deepened. His eyes, dark and covetous, fell upon Shen Yue's beautiful, noble features.
With half-closed eyes, a destructive impulse, one he couldn't even control, suddenly surged within him.
When Shen Yue looked up again, Shi Wei had resumed the demeanor of a refined gentleman.
He was smiling, handsome and gentle, concealing all his foul, malicious intentions.
He said, "Your Highness, the snow has stopped. Would you like to enjoy the snow together?"
—
The snow had indeed stopped. The sun had risen, and the pale winter sunlight cast itself upon the layers of snow, radiating a blinding brilliance. Birds chirped incessantly on the branches.
Shen Yue declined Shi Wei's invitation to enjoy the snow.
The reason was simple: as the gauze curtain swayed in the cold wind, she saw a tall figure standing there, and she didn't know how long he had been there.
As night deepened, a cold wind swept through. The icy, clear moonlight shone mistily on the window paper. Patches of melting snow dotted the ground, and meltwater flowed down the layered yellow tiles.
Shen Yue opened a hidden compartment and took out a small wooden box concealed within. Using a key, she opened it, revealing the military tally within.
It lay there, completely uncovered, on the low table. Shen Yue toyed with it, her gaze toward the object everyone coveted, utterly placid and devoid of any emotion. Her complexion was pale and sickly, her lips plump and red.
The tear mole beneath her eyelid was vibrant and alluring.
Her faintly pink fingertips gently caressed the patterns on the military tally.
Everyone desperately sought this item, but in the end, it was merely an inanimate object.
Was it truly important?
Shen Yue picked up the military tally and examined it intently by candlelight. After a long while, she still couldn't discern anything significant.
She didn't know how long she had been looking until the door was silently pushed open, bringing Shen Yue back to her senses slightly.
Her eyelashes fluttered twice. Shen Yue looked up, the military tally in her hand still illuminated by the candlelight, as if it might ignite at any moment.
As Cheng Qian Gong entered, he almost immediately saw the military tally in Shen Yue's hand, pausing for half a second. His expression was cold and devoid of any flaws.
He closed the door and walked in.
Seeing the man approach, Shen Yue's expression remained unchanged. Her thin sleeping robe revealed a section of her fair collarbone, and her eyes held a detachment colder than the night itself.
She took the military tally away from the candlelight and clasped it in her palm. The ice-cold tally was warmed by her touch. She casually lowered her gaze.
The military tally was placed carelessly on the table. To her, this emblem that commanded tens of thousands of soldiers seemed like nothing more than a peculiar trinket, devoid of any preciousness.
Her voice was slightly hoarse. "What brings you here?"
Her tone clearly indicated her lack of welcome, audible to anyone with ears.
Shen Yue had been particularly cold to him these past few days. Even when he had left in obvious anger, Shen Yue hadn't come to appease him.
It was peculiar.
Given Shen Yue's usual disposition, this was uncharacteristic.
Cheng Qian Gong felt a prick from her indifferent gaze. He moved closer, attempting to take Shen Yue's hand, but she subtly evaded him.
She propped her chin on her hand, her sleeve slipping down slightly. Her wrist was slender and delicate, covered by a thin layer of fair skin, revealing clearly visible, bluish veins. She was even thinner and more frail than before.
Why had she lost so much weight?
Cheng Qian Gong's eyes darkened. His eyelashes drooped. For that moment, the reason for the young woman's emaciation overshadowed the military tally that lay before him.
He leaned in and embraced the young woman.
Shen Yue was seated, while the man stood. In this embrace, Shen Yue's head only reached his abdomen.
The man's fingers were broad and powerful, resting on her shoulders, seemingly capable of bestowing infinite security.
This time, however, Shen Yue did not wrap her hands around his waist as Cheng Qian Gong wished. Instead, she frowned and pushed him away, appearing genuinely impatient, and calmly repeated her question.
"What brings you here?"
Pushed away once more, Cheng Qian Gong struggled to maintain his calm expression. The hand hidden in his sleeve involuntarily twitched.
His face darkened, and he said coldly, "Can I not come if there's no particular reason?"
Shen Yue looked at him, her expression so indifferent that it seemed as though nothing in the world could stir her.
"You can. Of course, you can."
She said "can," but there was no emotion in her eyes. Her dark, moist eyes seemed to have already seen through the man before her, seen through everything, seen through his intentions.
At that moment, Cheng Qian Gong was suddenly struck by an inexplicable panic. His heart ached as if being wrung. Shen Yue was right before his eyes, yet she seemed miles away, separated by countless rivers and mountains, making him feel disoriented and anxious.
"Your Highness."
Shen Yue had already closed her eyes, as if sighing. "Carry me to rest."
Cheng Qian Gong pursed his lips. Standing with his back to the light, his face was obscured in shadow, his expression unreadable.
When he lifted Shen Yue, he discovered how terrifyingly light the young woman was. She was too thin, too thin.
Lying on the bed, Shen Yue's hand tightly clutched Cheng Qian Gong's sleeve, refusing to let go. She closed her eyes, her breathing even, and it was unclear if she had fallen asleep.
Cheng Qian Gong stood by the bedside, guarding her, until the charcoal fire had burned down by half.
Mist drifted from the incense burner in the room, possessing a calming effect. Shen Yue's eyes were closed, seemingly asleep.
Cheng Qian Gong stood rigidly for two hours, like a frozen statue. He quietly watched the fingers that clutched his sleeve, his brows furrowed, a shadow falling across his brow.
Though outwardly calm, his fingernails had dug into his palm, leaving behind mottled bloodstains, betraying his unstable emotions.
After a long time, the candlelight had long since burned out.
Cheng Qian Gong reached out to pull his sleeve free. He had expected Shen Yue to be holding on tightly, requiring some effort. To his surprise, as he pulled, the sleeve detached lightly and easily.
This simplicity was so profound that it caused Cheng Qian Gong to stare blankly for a long time.
Previously, His Highness would hold onto his sleeves very tightly, never willing to let go.