SC Chapter16

Shen Yunjie’s illness kept him bedridden for three to five days before he slowly started to recover. During this time, Xiao Yuan grew much closer to Xiao Ning, he spent every day counting silvers with his little jar by Xiao Ning’s side. Whenever the local neighbors and residents had nothing to do, they would stretch their necks to look into the house, hoping to catch a glimpse of the rumored beauty with the fine looks and figure.

Xiao Ning had strictly forbidden Shen Yunjie from coming downstairs these days; he couldn’t stand the sight of Shen Yunjie looking sickly. When he first brought Shen Yunjie back to the Prince Mansion, they were inseparable, whether in the academy or the military school. Whatever Xie Junyi studied—rites, music, archery, charioteering, calligraphy, or mathematics—Shen Yunjie mastered them all just the same.

As for what the Tianyi Division had taught Shen Yunjie, Xiao Ning didn’t know, but the fact that Shen Yunjie could evade the Prince Mansion suggested he might be more unfathomable than Xiao Ning had imagined.

Xiao Ning thought to himself that he hadn’t let Shen Yunjie lack food or clothing, all he did was force him into bed a few times. Why is he putting on airs like he’s being tortured to death? He must be doing it on purpose to annoy him. Xiao Ning felt stifled, and his temper grew more volatile, resulting in him smashing two pots while cooking.

Shen Yunjie took his young master’s anger as displeasure with his uselessness and was no longer willing to lie down and rest. Since Xiao Ning disliked him appearing at the stall, he went to the backyard to sweep, tidy up, do laundry, and cook. At night, he would silently apply the ointment in front of Xiao Ning on his own accord.

Sometimes, Xiao Ning would force him to use his mouth instead. After only a few such instances, Shen Yunjie’s throat became so swollen he couldn’t speak, and he spent his days suppressing low coughs. He already ate little, and now the pain made him completely unable to swallow food.

Frustrated, Xiao Ning dragged him to see Old Zhou again.

Old Zhou looked helpless as he prepared medicine for Shen Yunjie. He pulled Xiao Ning aside and quietly advised, “Can’t you be a little kinder to him?”

Xiao Ning glanced at Shen Yunjie, who was sitting obediently by the door waiting for him. The last rays of the setting sun pooled at his feet. Clad in simple coarse robes, without a single ornament of value and only a wooden hairpin securing his hair, he leaned quietly against the doorway. Though still and unassuming, his presence carried an air of grace, like a jade tree standing tall in a celestial grove.

That is his beloved, who is also his mortal enemy.

Old Zhou shoved the balance scale into Xiao Ning’s hand and instructed, “The licorice root is drying in the backyard. Go weigh two qian[mfn]Roughly about 5 gram[/mfn].” Xiao Ning looked at Shen Yunjie again, then sullenly headed to the backyard.

In an instant, only Old Zhou and Shen Yunjie remained in the room. Old Zhou stepped closer to him and asked in a low voice, “Be honest, how many years do you have left?”

Shen Yunjie’s body stiffened as he looked up at Old Zhou.

Old Zhou rubbed his messy hair and sneered, “That look in your eyes, like you’re about to murder to silence me.”

Shen Yunjie lowered his gaze, reining in the murderous intent in his body, and said softly, “Zhou Yan, you’re after all Tian Nanxing’s junior uncle, how could I possibly kill to silence you?”

Old Zhou sat carelessly on a three-legged stool, swinging back and forth with his arms crossed. “Xiao Xingxing even told you that?”

Shen Yunjie looked outside and still spoke softly, “The last disciple of the Medicine King, reduced to this remote countryside after being expelled from the sect.”

Old Zhou laughed until he shook. “Look at you now, just a moment ago you were as meek as a little sparrow in front of that silly boy.”

Shen Yunjie sighed, lowered his head, and said, “I beg you, please don’t tell Young Master.”

The humble plea of a beauty always stirred pity. Old Zhou rubbed his chin, then clicked his tongue. “What happens between your affairs is none of my business. But knowing you don’t have many years left, why go and provoke him? When the time comes and you close your eyes for good, all your ties and grudges will be wiped away, leaving him alone behind. He’s clearly someone cold on the outside but warm within, while you, you’re the heartless one.”

Shen Yunjie’s heart ached, and his face became even paler. He murmured, “How could I ever want this…”

“What do you want?” Xiao Ning came in from the back, his face stormy as he threw the scale onto the table.

Shen Yunjie immediately fell silent. Old Zhou stood up, wrapped the medicine, and handed it to Xiao Ning. “Go, go, go! You’ve almost smashed my scale.”

Xiao Ning scoffed, holding the medicine in one hand before dragging Shen Yunjie out. Shen Yunjie stumbled along, barely managing to steady himself, only to trip and fall into Xiao Ning’s body.

Xiao Ning stopped and asked coldly, “What were you talking about with Old Zhou just now?”

Shen Yunjie rubbed his aching forehead while suppressing his cough with a lowered voice. “It was nothing…”

Seeing that he wouldn’t tell, Xiao Ning didn’t press him either but just said, “I forbid you from talking so much with other people.”

“En, I won’t talk anymore.” Shen Yunjie nodded in agreement.

Xiao Ning’s expression eased a little, and he went on walking home, still holding Shen Yunjie’s hand. After a long while, he heard Shen Yunjie quietly ask him, “Young Master, if I died one day, would you be sad?”

Xiao Ning stopped abruptly, and his face turned dark. “No. Shen Yunjie, remember your place. You are not my lover; you are nothing but my enemy. Just because I don’t kill you doesn’t mean I don’t hate you. If you died, it would be a settling of a debt of hatred for me.” He spoke with such finality, it was unclear who he was trying to convince.

Shen Yunjie looked at their long shadows standing so close together stretched by the setting sun.

Xiao Ning tightened his grip on Shen Yunjie’s slightly cool fingers and said, “Don’t ask such nonsense again.”

“Alright, I won’t ask anymore.” Shen Yunjie replied.