Chapter 512: Every Part of You Belongs to Me
The brilliant sunlight fell like a layer of golden radiance upon his palm. Shen Xihe smiled softly and raised her hand, gently placing it in his palm. He swiftly tightened his grip, leading Shen Xihe up the winding mountain path and descending from the other side, where a carriage awaited by the roadside.
Xiao Huayong helped Shen Xihe into the carriage and let her lean against his shoulder. "We're heading to Liangzhou. Rest for a while."
There was still some distance to Liangzhou. Xiao Huayong had stirred up chaos here, yet he himself was taking Shen Xihe straight to Liangzhou. Even if Xiao Changfeng hadn't been captured, facing such a mess, even if he guessed they had already left the city, he couldn't simply abandon everything to pursue them.
Considering the journey ahead, Shen Xihe nestled against Xiao Huayong without reservation and drifted off to sleep. Xiao Huayong turned his head to gaze at her serene, unguarded sleeping face, feeling as though he could watch her like this until the end of time. The tenderness in his eyes—so profound he himself seemed unaware—was enough to drown anyone in its depths.
However, this tenderness did not last long. Within half an hour, his expression darkened.
"Your Highness, shall I…" The carriage continued moving, with someone riding alongside outside, seeking instructions through the carriage walls.
Before the person could finish, Xiao Huayong took out the bone whistle and blew a sharp note.
Shen Xihe faintly heard the sound of the bone whistle and drowsily opened her eyes. Before she could ask anything, Xiao Huayong smoothed her hair. "The journey is still long. Rest a bit more."
His unwavering composure made the usually alert Shen Xihe abandon her habitual wariness. Trusting him completely, she found a comfortable position and fell asleep again without another thought.
Xiao Changying had caught up with the carriage carrying Xiao Huayong and Shen Xihe, and it was only then that he learned Xiao Huayong had arrived. At this point, he should have turned back reassured, yet for some reason, he felt compelled to follow.
Perhaps he merely wanted to understand their intentions, or perhaps he simply wished to catch another glimpse of her. He had been following for less than an hour when a massive bird descended from the sky, charging straight at him and knocking him off his horse.
This Haidongqing looked all too familiar—its plumage and majestic bearing were unforgettable.
Haidongqing never naturally inhabited such areas, nor would they attack humans without cause. Recalling the incidents at the hunting grounds two years prior, he knew without a doubt that this Haidongqing must have been tamed and was acting under someone's command. The only person capable of mastering such a creature was his elder brother, the Crown Prince—Xiao Huayong.
So, Xiao Huayong had discovered he was tailing them and sent the Haidongqing as a warning.
After seeing him fall, the Haidongqing soared back into the sky, seemingly without intent to harm him. Skeptical, Xiao Changying remounted and continued forward, only to be ambushed from behind by the Haidongqing. Its speed was terrifyingly fast, and Xiao Changying suffered a scratch on his shoulder.
The wound was shallow, likely just a minor punishment. If he dared to advance further, the bird would probably not hold back. Sitting atop his horse, Xiao Changying watched the Haidongqing circling in the sky, marveling at how his Crown Prince brother had trained a mere bird to be so remarkably perceptive.After watching for a moment, Xiao Changying looked ahead again toward the direction where the carriage had disappeared. He tightened the reins and turned his horse around. Though he still didn't know exactly what Xiao Huayong and Shen Xihe were up to, he felt certain they had already arrived here and shaken off Xiao Changfeng. They must be heading to the northwest, so he would simply turn around and wait for them there.
Having warned his ambitious younger brother, Xiao Huayong was in high spirits. His fingertips gently brushed aside Shen Xihe's hair as he gazed obsessively at her delicate, porcelain-like face. Unable to resist, he leaned down and gave her a light peck. Noticing a faint moisture mark on her unpowdered cheek, he covered it with his thumb and gently wiped it away. "You are mine," he murmured. "Only mine."
Shen Xihe had never imagined she could sleep so soundly in a carriage. When she awoke, they had already reached Liangzhou territory, though they were still two days' journey from where Shen Yueshan was stationed. Surprisingly, she found herself waking up in a bed.
She had no idea when Xiao Huayong had carried her into the bedroom. Moyu quickly entered upon hearing her movements. After washing up, Shen Xihe followed a tantalizing aroma to the courtyard—a modest single-courtyard house.
There she saw Xiao Huayong roasting a lamb in the courtyard. The lamb was already cooked to perfection, its skin golden and crispy. The sizzling sound of dripping fat hitting the charcoal below was particularly enticing, and the rich aroma filled the entire courtyard.
"Your Highness actually knows how to roast lamb," Shen Xihe remarked in surprise.
Having been married to Xiao Huayong for half a month, she knew full well he had no culinary skills whatsoever.
"I can handle roasting meat," Xiao Huayong replied with some awkwardness.
He did know how to grill—during his travels in previous years, he often had to make do with local ingredients. However, he only handled the actual roasting; tasks like cleaning and seasoning were always taken care of by Tianyuan and others.
Shen Xihe didn't probe further. Born into privilege, there were some things they simply couldn't be allowed to do. Shen Xihe wasn't particular about food either—she needed others to wash and prepare ingredients for her, and even basic knife skills were beyond her, as such tasks were always handled by servants.
Her role was limited to combining flavors and controlling the cooking temperature.
When she tasted the lamb roasted by Xiao Huayong himself, Shen Xihe offered high praise: "The skin is crispy and golden, the meat tender and succulent."
It was the most delicious roasted lamb she had ever eaten.
"Have some more," Xiao Huayong said happily, personally slicing meat from the lamb leg onto Shen Xihe's plate.
In the end, Shen Xihe ate until she was completely full. She never said no—every time she finished what was on her plate, Xiao Huayong would add more. Determined not to waste food, she ate everything, which unfortunately led Xiao Huayong to mistakenly believe she was still hungry.
When yet another large portion suddenly appeared on her plate, Shen Xihe truly couldn't eat anymore. She was about to swap for a clean plate and pass it to Moyu for help when Xiao Huayong stopped her.
"Full?" he asked.
Shen Xihe nodded.
Xiao Huayong naturally took her plate and began eating from it with his chopsticks. Shen Xihe's eyes widened in shock. "You...!"
How could he use a plate she had already eaten from!
Xiao Huayong ate with relish. "We're husband and wife. There's no need to stand on such ceremony."
As he spoke, he chewed a piece of meat with evident enjoyment, emitting a soft sound of satisfaction. After swallowing, he couldn't resist teasing Shen Xihe: "Food tastes better after Youyou has eaten from it."
"You—!" Shen Xihe flushed with embarrassment and annoyance.
She had never seen any husband use his wife's plate or eat her leftovers. This was truly... improper!"From now on, you may eat whatever you wish, and it's fine if you finish it all. But anything that ends up in your bowl can only be given to me." Xiao Huayong recalled Shen Xihe's earlier actions and gave this rather domineering instruction.
In truth, this was common practice in every household—servants were responsible for consuming leftovers from their masters. But Xiao Huayong would not permit anyone to eat what Shen Xihe had left behind. Everything related to her should belong to him alone.
Good night, see you tomorrow.
(End of Chapter)
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