Chapter 474: Growing Mental Rapport
"Go to the front and summon Zhenzhu," Shen Xihe instructed a maid from the Shen residence.
Having stayed at the Shen residence for some time with Zhenzhu and the others, the maids all recognized her. The maid immediately complied and left.
"There's no need to trouble the princess, I'll take the civet cat away," Yu Sangning said as she picked up the already bandaged cat and stood.
"It's better to have someone examine it. I also keep a cat, and whenever there's any issue, Zhenzhu takes care of it. She's no less skilled than the imperial veterinarians."
This wasn't an exaggeration from Shen Xihe. The notes left by Old Man with White Hair contained some basic medical principles for animals. Although Shen Xihe's Duanming had rarely fallen ill over the past year, Zhenzhu had been very diligent, spending time every day studying and going out during her leisure to treat abandoned cats for practice. She had indeed developed considerable skill.
Shen Xihe actually didn't want to interfere too much in Yu Sangning's affairs, but since Yu Sangning insisted on causing trouble at the Shen residence, she felt obliged to intervene as the host.
It would be best if even Zhenzhu couldn't save this cat—that would mean its fate was truly sealed. Otherwise, if Yu Sangning took it away like this, it would surely die. Only its death would make Xiao Changfeng feel guilty, and at the very least, he would compensate Yu Sangning with another cat.
With this back-and-forth, for someone as opportunistic and adept at seizing chances as Yu Sangning, it would be enough to gradually familiarize herself with Xiao Changfeng and attract his attention.
Shen Xihe wasn't intentionally trying to sabotage her. Yu Sangning meant nothing to Shen Xihe, nor did she find Yu Sangning's methods despicable and feel the need to uphold justice. She was simply doing what was reasonable as the host.
Zhenzhu arrived quickly, examined the civet cat, and shook her head at Shen Xihe. "This civet cat has damaged internal organs and won't live much longer."
As soon as Zhenzhu finished speaking, a tear instantly rolled down Yu Sangning's cheek, but she subtly concealed it, as if not wanting anyone to see her sorrow.
Xiao Changfeng felt guilty upon hearing this. "Second Miss, it was my lack of restraint that caused this. Please accept my condolences. Whatever compensation you desire, just name it, and I will do my utmost to fulfill it for you."
Hearing this, Shen Xihe couldn't help but glance at Xiao Changfeng again.
Logically, for nobles like them, not to mention the life of a cat, even a human life wouldn't matter much. Yet Xiao Changfeng didn't casually offer to find another cat for Yu Sangning, which showed he understood that life cannot be replaced, trampled upon, or taken lightly. Just this alone placed Xiao Changfeng's virtue above that of countless young masters from noble families.
Shen Xihe could discern Xiao Changfeng's character from a single sentence. How could someone as perceptive as Yu Sangning not realize he was a virtuous imperial clansman? She gracefully curtsied and said, "Your Highness need not blame yourself. It was my fault for not watching it properly and disturbing you. Your Highness was only defending yourself. That it suffered such a calamity was due to my negligence and has nothing to do with Your Highness."
What a understanding, tolerant, dignified, and charming young lady.
Shen Xihe raised an eyebrow slightly and remained silent.
Xiao Changfeng's expression remained unchanged. "Thank you for your magnanimity, Second Miss. The civet cat was indeed fatally wounded by me. Regardless, I should express my apology."
Meaning that if Yu Sangning asked for nothing, he would feel even more uneasy.Yu Sangning understood the underlying meaning in his words and said, "Although it was born a civet cat, it was still a living being. Today, it lost its life due to my negligence. I wish to hold a Buddhist ceremony for it and build a grave. If Your Highness has time, perhaps you could accompany it on its final journey."
Shen Xihe nearly applauded Yu Sangning's mental acuity and tactics—she was truly one of the rare young women skilled in psychological manipulation that Shen Xihe had ever encountered.
She simply watched quietly as they negotiated. Xiao Changfeng did not make things difficult: "When the time comes, Second Lady, send someone to inform me at Xun Wang's residence. I will personally attend."
No matter how intelligent and perceptive a man might be, how could he easily see through a woman's schemes? Especially those as unconventional as Yu Sangning's. Had Shen Xihe not already known Yu Sangning's true nature, and had she not detected the scent of spider lily, she might not have guessed that this was an ingeniously calculated plot.
It wasn't a chance encounter, nor was it an attempt to display her beauty or stage a crisis hoping for a heroic rescue. A cat, a touch of remorse, and a show of reasonableness—these were enough to penetrate deeply into one's heart.
After all, these cats were living creatures and couldn't be controlled indefinitely. Xiao Changfeng naturally wouldn't know when the scent of spider lily had been applied to him. The cat only needed to be placed here early, by whatever means necessary to keep it here, as long as it was certain he would pass by. It would then pounce. Yu Sangning's timing in arriving in the morning was also carefully calculated.
She knew that Shen Yingluo and Xiao Changfeng had met privately. To avoid suspicion, they couldn't return at the same time. By simply spotting Shen Yingluo, she could trace the direction from which Shen Yingluo had come and naturally run into Xiao Changfeng.
It seemed that during this period, while getting close to Shen Yingluo, she had visited the Shen residence frequently enough to have some familiarity with its layout.
Alternatively, she could have simply followed the cat to find Xiao Changfeng. As for how she managed to apply the spider lily scent to him and when she did it so discreetly—that was likely known only to her.
Such precise calculation was required to achieve such an unsuspicious effect.
The next day, when Shen Xihe went to the Eastern Palace, she couldn't resist sharing this incident with Xiao Huayong during their casual conversation.
During his convalescence at the retreat palace, Xiao Huayong often claimed he was bored, confined to his sickbed feigning illness, and would ask about happenings outside, urging Shen Xihe to recount them to relieve his monotony.
Unable to withstand his pleading, Shen Xihe would selectively share some stories she had heard from Ziyu. She initially thought that tales of young women's affairs would bore him, and he would lose interest after a few listens.
To her surprise, he seemed to listen with keen interest no matter what she spoke about, even earnestly offering his opinions and discussing them with her. This made it difficult for Shen Xihe to be perfunctory, and thus developed her habit of instinctively sharing everything she encountered with him.
She realized she had fallen into another pit he had meticulously dug.
The most frightening part wasn't that she had discovered this pit, but that after discovering it, she didn't find it unpleasant at all and had no desire to change.
"His Majesty does seem to have some genuine affection for Second Lady," Xiao Huayong's first reaction upon hearing the story was identical to Shen Xihe's.
Hearing this, Shen Xihe couldn't help but curl her lips into a smile. It seemed they were developing more and more spiritual understanding between them.
Her reaction made Xiao Huayong understand why she was smiling, and he too couldn't suppress a grin: "If Second Lady is interested, my cousin wouldn't be a bad match for her."Xiao Changfeng was the legitimate son of Xun Wang, two years older than Xiao Huayong. The reason he remained unmarried to this day was that he had once been betrothed to someone five years his junior. By the time she came of age, he would already have reached capping age. Unfortunately, she fell ill and passed away shortly after her coming-of-age ceremony.
(End of Chapter)
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