Shen Xihe was so infuriated by Xiao Huayong that she stormed out of the Eastern Palace. She feared if she stayed any longer, she might lose her composure and resort to violence against this man.
"Hahahaha..." Xiao Huayong laughed heartily as he watched Shen Xihe leave in a huff.
Tianyuan cast a complicated glance at the Crown Prince. "Your Highness, the Duchess is angry."
"I know." The smile at the corner of Xiao Huayong's lips refused to fade. "I did it on purpose."
That's right—he had deliberately provoked Shen Xihe.
"Your Highness, you...?" Tianyuan was astonished.
He had thought His Highness was skilled at reading people's moods. The Duchess's displeasure and irritation were written plainly on her face, yet the Crown Prince had acted as if he hadn't noticed. Tianyuan had assumed His Highness had been too carried away by his triumph.
Never did he expect it was intentional. But since the Crown Prince clearly treasured the Duchess, why would he deliberately anger her?
Though filled with questions, Tianyuan didn't dare ask. However, Xiao Huayong was in high spirits. Strolling leisurely forward, he explained, "Youyou has always been aloof and steady by nature. Born into nobility, she's been surrounded since childhood by people who indulge and pamper her. This means that showering her with affection, flattery, and compliance won't move her heart."
"She has already experienced the most unrestrained doting this world can offer. Even Shen Yueshan and Shen Yungan would fight over a single dumpling for her back in the Northwest."
"No matter how much I spoil or indulge her, at best I could only match her father and brother. That wouldn't stir any ripples in her heart."
"Moreover, she's someone with both the means and resources to obtain anything she desires. Whatever she needs or wants, she can acquire on her own—with or without me."
Such a Shen Xihe, raised with the utmost privilege since birth, could never be easily moved by others.
With her character and appearance, she certainly never lacked suitors vying for her favor in the Northwest. There were undoubtedly those who would even lay down their lives for her.
Thus, it wasn't that she was cold or solely concerned with grand schemes, but rather that she had already experienced such reckless devotion from others, making it difficult to touch her heart.
Facing a heaven-blessed daughter like Shen Xihe, no man in this world held any inherent advantage.
Tianyuan suddenly understood. "So, Your Highness is taking an unconventional approach."
Xiao Huayong shot him an approving glance, amusement glinting in his eyes. "If she were still in poor health as before, unable to withstand strong emotions, I wouldn't dare do this. Now that she's healthy, I want her to experience the joys and angers of a living person. With these come the seven emotions and six desires."
He had deliberately provoked Shen Xihe with trivial matters—things she couldn't rightly accuse him of, yet couldn't ignore without him appearing shameless. Matters that left her helpless, making her emotions sway because of him.
In important affairs, he would naturally comply with and protect her. But in small matters, he'd tease her to add more spark to their lives.
He couldn't keep binding her with gratitude. Too much gratitude becomes a burden, driving people apart instead. He had saved her, retrieving the Snow Lotus for her; she had obtained the Jade Flower for him, and now she would surely exhaust all means to decipher its meaning for him.
This give-and-take, where neither feels indebted but only grateful and moved, is what allows two hearts to gradually draw closer.
Though Tianyuan didn't fully comprehend, he felt that since His Highness's confession to the Duchess, aside from those few days of anxiety and restlessness, the Crown Prince had become remarkably clear-headed after seeing her again. These days, the joy in His Highness's eyes was impossible to conceal.
As long as the Crown Prince was happy, they too were happy.
Unlike the cheerful master-servant pair of Xiao Huayong, Zhenzhu followed behind Shen Xihe, watching her displeased expression with concern in her eyes.The Crown Prince has too much influence over the lady's emotions. The lady has always been of a placid temperament. In the northwest, she only displayed her charmingly naive side before the Prince and the Worldly Son. Occasionally, away from the Prince and the Worldly Son, she would feel sentimental and sensitive, but for the most part, her heart was as calm as still water.
Never before has there been someone like the Crown Prince, who could provoke the lady's anger with just a few words.
What worries her most is that although the lady gets angry, she never thinks to warn His Highness or say hurtful things to harm him.
This silent indulgence is something the lady herself probably hasn't even noticed.
Zhenzhu's thoughts stirred: "My lady, if His Highness the Crown Prince keeps pushing his luck like this and you don't show some firmness, I'm afraid he'll only become more and more excessive."
Shen Xihe paused in her steps and turned to look at Zhenzhu. "The reason I get annoyed is that I find him unreasonable and childish, like a toddler. Why would I bother quarreling with him over such trivial matters? Wouldn't that make me just as immature and ignorant as him?"
If he acts shamelessly, should I also nitpick? How idle would that make me?
Hearing this, Zhenzhu couldn't help but glance at Hongyu.
Hongyu said, "My lady, your attitude toward Worldly Son Bu and His Highness the Crown Prince is different."
Bu Shulin also engages in minor mischief and often acts shamelessly. Although Shen Xihe indulges him, she still disciplines him when necessary and never holds back with sharp words when the situation calls for it.
"A Lin and I are close, so naturally, there's less formality and more ease between us." Shen Xihe saw nothing wrong with this.
"My lady..." Zhenzhu hesitated, but under Shen Xihe's probing gaze, she mustered her courage and said, "My lady, the way you treat His Highness... isn't about formality or politeness, but rather... indulgence."
"And what of it?" Shen Xihe didn't understand. "We are already betrothed, sincerely intending to unite our two families. If he acts inappropriately and I quarrel with him over trivial matters, how will we live together in the future?"
Isn't it only natural for her to be a little more accommodating and tolerant?
With so many important matters awaiting her planning, how could she waste her thoughts and time bickering and arguing with him?
So this was how Shen Xihe thought. Both Zhenzhu and Hongyu were half-convinced and half-doubtful. They had originally thought that perhaps the lady had some genuine feelings for the Crown Prince, which was why she got angry at his antics.
Shen Xihe's explanation was perfectly reasonable, yet the two of them felt something was off, though they couldn't quite put their finger on it.
Zhenzhu was fine; she had no particular reaction, as she had always followed Shen Xihe's lead.
Hongyu let out an almost imperceptible sigh. She had thought her hopes had come true.
So, Shen Xihe's attitude toward the Crown Prince was actually the kind of affection an elder shows a junior?
The magnanimity of being annoyed by a child but not bothering to argue with them?
Thinking this, Zhenzhu couldn't help but laugh out loud, drawing Shen Xihe's suspicious gaze. She quickly stifled her laughter and lowered her head.
If the Crown Prince were to find out, Zhenzhu wondered what expression he would make. It would surely be quite a sight.
Shen Xihe settled in the Hall of Eternal Peace. The Empress Dowager was a very easygoing person and did not insist on keeping her by her side. It was clear that the Crown Prince held an important place in the Empress Dowager's heart. She would often share amusing anecdotes from the Crown Prince's childhood with Shen Xihe, but more than that, she would praise him and speak of him with pride.
Apart from this, the Empress Dowager most frequently urged Shen Xihe to visit the Eastern Palace to see Xiao Huayong.Unable to refuse, Shen Xihe had no choice but to go to the Eastern Palace. This time, the eunuch at the Eastern Palace directly stepped aside for her and said, "His Highness has instructed that from now on, whenever the Princess visits the Eastern Palace, there is no need for an announcement. The Princess may come and go as she pleases."
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