A woman like Shen Xihe would lead a smooth and successful life married to any ordinary man.
She didn't care about her husband's affection, nor did she need her husband to grant her authority as the mistress of the household—she could establish it herself through her own capabilities.
If her husband understood propriety and followed rules, they could coexist peacefully. If he didn't know his place and insisted on humiliating her, she had plenty of ways to become a widow and take charge of the household.
The prerequisite for this was the absence of emotional attachment—merely an ordinary couple showing mutual respect. What Xiao Huayong sought, however, was her heart and her affection.
"Your Highness, in my life, I have never failed to conquer what I set out to achieve," Xiao Huayong stated candidly. "Your Highness, rest assured, my feelings for Youyou are not driven by a man's desire for conquest, but by a genuine wish to unite with her forever."
"The fact that Your Highness came personally today, risking danger to assist me, shows your sincerity toward Youyou. I believe in that," Shen Yueshan nodded. "But human hearts are fickle. Can Your Highness guarantee that your feelings will remain unchanged?"
Upon hearing this, a sharp glint flashed in Xiao Huayong's eyes: "Your Highness has been widowed for many years. Why have you remained alone until now?"
"Do you think I never wavered?" Shen Yueshan didn't care how Xiao Huayong viewed him. "How many people in this world are truly steadfast in their affections? Though I had feelings for my late wife, I wasn't so deeply in love that I could remain solitary for the rest of my life after her death.
Moreover, given my status and influence, over the years, countless women of all kinds have come and gone around me—some even surpassing my late wife."
"But Your Highness never took that step," Xiao Huayong remarked.
"It wasn't due to profound love or exceptional self-control," Shen Yueshan picked up a stick and poked the fire. "It was because, in my heart, Youyou and Yun'an matter more. Whenever I felt tempted, I would ask myself: if I brought such a woman home, could I bear the cost of alienating my children?"
The answer was no—he couldn't bear it. Shen Yungan was his eldest son, the heir he had poured his heart and soul into nurturing. Shen Xihe was his beloved daughter. Because of his own negligence, she was born frail, and all his guilt and compassion were poured into her.
He raised her from a tiny infant to a graceful young woman. When she was little, she was so small, her cries intermittent, only tears rolling down like beads, without continuous sobbing. He feared she might stop breathing at any moment from crying, so he treasured her even more.
This nurturing care, as she gradually grew up, watching her thrive under his meticulous attention—the sense of achievement was no less than conquering cities and territories. Slowly, it became his habit: to care for her emotions, to cherish her smiles...
It was this habitual partiality that, as she grew, reciprocated with joy and warmth, making him value her more and more. So much so that he couldn't bear to see her hurt, and that alone was enough to restrain any impulse to do something that would cause her pain.
"As her father, I am like this—how much more so for you, who would only be her husband?" Shen Yueshan was more incisive and realistic than Shen Yungan. "Over the years, if not for seeing her grow day by day, becoming considerate, well-behaved, and endearing, I might not have been able to uphold this either."
At Shen Yueshan's age, he no longer believed in grand vows of eternal love or promises of forever. What he believed in was the mutual affection that flows between people.He wondered if, over the years, Shen Xihe had not grown into the person she was now but had instead become willful, disobedient, and unfilial, only knowing how to take from him and Shen Yungan without showing any care in return, whether he could still become the kind of father who indulged her in everything and protected her at every turn. Shen Yueshan's words left Xiao Huayong silent, a trace of bewilderment flickering in his eyes.
This bewilderment was not due to uncertainty about his own feelings, nor was it a doubt about the sincerity of his emotions. It was merely a reverence for the unknown future. He lacked Shen Yueshan's life experience and had not faced as many temptations as Shen Yueshan had. He did not know whether he, too, might one day become someone who wavered in his resolve.
Xiao Huayong's reaction pleased Shen Yueshan even more. If he had made bold declarations without any hesitation, such arrogance would have worried Shen Yueshan and suggested that Xiao Huayong had not truly considered Shen Xihe and their future with genuine thoughtfulness.
"If Youyou and you were mutually devoted, I might have fewer concerns. But Youyou's temperament..." Shen Yueshan sighed softly.
Xiao Huayong's gaze drifted to the heavy snow falling outside the window, shifting from distraction to focus, his eyes filled with an unshakable determination. "Your Highness's heartfelt words have moved me deeply," he said. Turning his head, he met Shen Yueshan's gaze without evasion. "Youyou has been determined since childhood to forsake love and emotions. Her will is strong, and she is not easily swayed. I understand the concerns of Your Highness and the Crown Prince—that I may one day persist in unrequited love, grow resentful, and hurt her as a result."
Shen Yueshan nodded.
"The Crown Prince once spoke to me of this as well. At the time, I vowed that my heart would remain unchanged and my feelings would know no regret." Xiao Huayong slowly curved his lips into a smile, gentle and warm as a spring breeze in the firelight. "Today, Your Highness has treated me with sincerity, and I say the same to you, though I know Your Highness will not believe me."
"I do not believe you," Shen Yueshan replied bluntly.
Xiao Huayong's smile deepened. "Then I make this promise to Your Highness: if the day comes when I am no longer able to pursue Youyou's heart, I will step back in time and let her return to the northwest. I will never harm her in the slightest because of this."
Shen Yueshan's eyes grew profound as he stared deeply into Xiao Huayong's, studying him for a long while. "Why?"
As a father, he naturally believed Shen Xihe was an impeccable young woman in this world, but he was not so deluded as to think everyone under heaven should see her in the same light.
So why was Shen Xihe worth such wholehearted devotion from Xiao Huayong?
Xiao Huayong pondered seriously for a moment before shaking his head with a wry smile. "If Your Highness asks me why, I cannot give a single reason. I do not know when I began to care for her, nor when I placed her in my heart. I do not know when I started wanting to hold her hand and never let go for the rest of my life..."
In the end, he could not pinpoint the exact reasons. He only knew that he had fallen for her, unable to restrain himself or break free.
Shen Yueshan observed Xiao Huayong for a while before bursting into hearty laughter. "Hahahaha..."
His laughter was unrestrained and bold, tinged with a sense of pride.
When he had laughed enough, Shen Yueshan patted Xiao Huayong on the shoulder. "Your Highness, perseverance wears away stone."
From Shen Yueshan's encouraging words, Xiao Huayong detected a hint of schadenfreude and the teasing amusement of someone waiting to see a good show.
Yet, even knowing that Shen Yueshan was merely waiting to see him make a fool of himself, Xiao Huayong dared not point it out. He could only say, "I firmly believe that sincerity can move even metal and stone."Shen Yueshan gave him an encouraging look. As the lamb soup finished cooking and dishes were served, Shen Yueshan, in high spirits, had someone bring wine so everyone could drink two cups to warm themselves and liven the atmosphere.
When Shen Yueshan took out his rattan fruit cup, Xiao Huayong stared intently without blinking.
Shen Yueshan assumed he was staring because the portrait on it resembled Shen Xihe, and boasted, "Youyou gifted this to me. She’s always been like this—whenever she gets something nice, she always thinks of her father."
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