Chapter 59: Shared Banquet

Chapter 59: A Feast Shared

Shen Yuchao went completely rigid.

His lips parted slightly, his voice barely a whisper.

"Aren't you afraid of me?"

"Why would I be?"

Qiu Shuiyi asked.

Shen Yuchao took her small hand from his right cheek, a faint smile touching his lips.

"I'm a monster."

"Do you eat humans?" Qiu Shuiyi suddenly asked.

Shen Yuchao was visibly startled. "What?"

"Do you eat humans?" she repeated, her tone serious.

Shen Yuchao's brow furrowed slightly in confusion, then quickly smoothed out.

"No."

"Monsters eat people. You don't. So, you're not a monster."

Qiu Shuiyi's tone was extremely earnest.

Shen Yuchao stood there, stunned, his eyes drawn to the girl's face.

She tilted her face up, her expression as serious as ever.

Her watery apricot eyes reflected his image.

A storm surged in his heart, as if a stone had been dropped into a deep, still ancient well, sending ripples outward in endless circles.

It was like withered wood meeting spring, instantly covered in lush green shade, blooming with youthful splendor.

He heard the whisper of all things coming to life in spring.

Shen Yuchao lowered his gaze, all tumultuous thoughts hidden within.

But Qiu Shuiyi had already pulled away, stooping to gather up the drawing papers from the floor.

She weighed them in her hand, thinking, *With so many, he must have been drawing for ages.*

Grabbing a random bronze basin from the room, Qiu Shuiyi threw the papers inside. "Do you have a tinderbox?"

Shen Yuchao, of course, didn't have one on him.

He pushed open the window. "Zuo Yi, tinderbox."

Zuo Yi, standing guard under the pear blossom tree, swiftly patted his waist and tossed the tinderbox over.

Pointing at the bronze basin on the floor, Qiu Shuiyi said cheerfully, "Burn them."

Shen Yuchao looked down.

A soft sound, and a faint flame emerged from the tinderbox, quickly growing larger and larger.

The flames licked at the sheets of drawing paper, as if also burning away his unbearable past.

The fire blazed fiercely, white smoke curling upward, blurring his cold, sharp features.

...

Closing the door, she turned and met Zuo Yi's bright eyes.

Qiu Shuiyi chuckled. "You seem pretty happy, Guard Zuo?"

Zuo Yi cleared his throat lightly, reining in the laughter in his eyes.

When they reached the courtyard gate, Qiu Shuiyi suddenly spoke. "Guard Zuo, aren't you going to escort me back?"

Zuo Yi was slightly taken aback, then told Shang Ze to guard Shen Yuchao while he escorted Qiu Shuiyi back to her courtyard.

As they walked, Qiu Shuiyi asked, "How did the prince's wound reopen?"

Cheng Yu had probably been too shocked at the time and overlooked the matter of the wound reopening.

Zuo Yi's lips pressed into a tight line, his voice heavy.

"Back then, something went wrong—we don't know what. Although His Highness's injuries heal very quickly, each time he is wounded, he suffers pain a thousand times worse."

"Outwardly, his wounds have healed, but internally, they are already riddled with holes."

"His Highness's old wounds flare up once every ten days. When all his old injuries recur together, the pain is unbearable."

Zuo Yi lowered his head slightly. "Originally, it should have been next month, but after taking Physician Bai Li's medicine, for some reason it came early."

Qiu Shuiyi abruptly stopped.

It felt as if something was stuck in her throat, rendering her speechless.

She slowly closed her eyes.

No wonder.

She had wondered why his face had been so ashen the previous times he was injured.

So it was like this.

"Second Miss?"

Zuo Yi noticed Qiu Shuiyi hadn't kept up and turned back in surprise.

"Never mind."

Qiu Shuiyi smiled faintly. "Please continue."

But Zuo Yi didn't know what else to say.

Hesitating for a long moment, he said quietly, "Second Miss, our prince may seem deeply favored by His Majesty, but the first half of his life was too bitter. You..."

Zuo Yi's voice grew slightly hoarse.

He couldn't bring himself to say sentimental words, only adding, "When you are by his side, he is very happy."

Catching Zuo Yi's drift, Qiu Shuiyi smiled instead, "He is my betrothed. If I'm not by his side, where else could I go?"

...

Old Madam Fang's birthday banquet was a huge affair.

That day, everyone who was anyone in Hongliang City attended.

Qiu Shuiyi was pulled around to meet many relatives—one moment it was a maternal great-aunt, the next a maternal uncle.

By midday, her head was spinning, and she hadn't remembered a single one.

Mei Fangqing handed her a cup of water and whispered, "For anyone who isn't close family, just smile when you see them."

Qiu Shuiyi took small sips of water and quietly asked, "You don't remember them either, Third Cousin?"

"Relatives we see maybe once every few years, who even knows how distantly related they are—why bother remembering them?" Mei Fangqing pouted.

Catching sight of something, she leaned closer to Qiu Shuiyi, a hint of mischief in her brows. "If you ask me, Second Sister might not remember them either."

Qiu Shuiyi let her gaze drift to Mei Fangru.

The young lady sat with impeccable posture, a perfectly measured smile on her lips, flawless in every way.

But her eyes lacked their usual liveliness, even seeming somewhat dazed.

Qiu Shuiyi chuckled.

Mei Fangqing could hardly contain her amusement. "Don't be fooled by how Second Sister always lectures me about rules and etiquette. She's just putting on an act in front of Auntie."

A finger lightly tapped her from behind.

Mei Fangqing casually asked, "What is it, Third Sister?"

Mei Fangzhu breathed very softly, "Qing'er, Second Sister is looking at you."

Mei Fangqing glanced sideways and met Mei Fangru's blazingly bright eyes.

She stiffened immediately, straightening her posture, which made Qiu Shuiyi stifle a laugh.

The banquet was about to start, and maids began serving a feast of delicacies.

With the scent of food filling the air, Qiu Shuiyi found herself thinking of Shen Yuchao for some reason.

Because of his injuries, he hadn't attended the banquet in the mansion.

With so many delicious dishes, she wondered if he would get to enjoy any.

Qiu Shuiyi suddenly wanted to go see him.

Once the thought occurred, she couldn't sit still.

Since the banquet hadn't started yet, she simply said to Mei Fangqing, "Third Cousin, I just remembered there's something urgent I need to attend to. I'll be right back."

She left quickly, and by the time Mei Fangqing reacted, her slender hand had already brushed past her sleeve.

"Hey, the banquet is about to start. What could be so urgent?"

Mei Fangqing muttered.

As she neared the guest courtyard, Qiu Shuiyi suddenly slapped her forehead, unsure what she was doing.

Her eldest aunt was so thoughtful—she must have already arranged everything. Why would Qiu Shuiyi need to worry?

Was the shelf life of a soft heart this long?

Qiu Shuiyi felt inexplicably irritable.

She turned to leave.

"Second Miss!"

Shang Ze's boisterous voice called from behind, "Are you here to see His Highness?"

Qiu Shuiyi froze, her face filled with chagrin.

Shang Ze shouted inside, "Your Highness, Second Miss Qiu is here to see you."

Qiu Shuiyi sighed softly and reluctantly turned back.

The door was wide open, revealing Shen Yuchao sitting by the window on a daybed, a book in hand.

His expression was serene, his profile elegant, with stray strands of hair softening his facial lines, as if even the spring light had grown gentler.

Seeing him, the inexplicable irritation in Qiu Shuiyi's heart instantly dissipated.

Shen Yuchao looked up, his peach-blossom eyes shimmering like autumn water, tinged with slight surprise. "Why does Second Miss have time to come here?"

"I happened to be passing by."

Qiu Shuiyi glanced at the book in Shen Yuchao's hand and inexplicably felt relieved.

Good, he wasn't painting.

She was almost developing a phobia of Shen Yuchao painting.

On the round huanghuali wood table in the outer room was a full spread of dishes, no different from the banquet feast.

Her eldest aunt truly was incredibly thoughtful.

Qiu Shuiyi said, "It's almost noon. Isn't Your Highness going to eat?"

Shen Yuchao set the book down. "I got too absorbed in reading and forgot."

He rose from the daybed and walked toward the outer room.

"Would Second Miss care to join this prince for the meal?"

"My cousins are waiting for me. I should head back."

Shen Yuchao paused, then said gently, "Then Second Miss should hurry back. Don't keep the Mei ladies waiting."

Zuo Yi suddenly appeared from somewhere, standing by the window. "There are several Mei ladies, but His Highness is all alone."

His expressionless face paired with the slightly aggrieved words made Qiu Shuiyi marvel.

What a hefty pot of straight-man tea.

How had Zuo Yi become like this?

But saying no would seem kind of heartless.

Qiu Shuiyi had no choice but to sit down with Shen Yuchao.

Most of the guests attending the birthday banquet were from Hongliang, so the feast was full of spicy dishes to suit their tastes.

But considering Shen Yuchao's injury, Qiu Shi had ordered some lighter dishes specially prepared for him.

After eating vegetarian food for so many days, Shen Yuchao found his mouth felt pretty bland. He picked up a slice of lotus root.

As soon as it entered his mouth, the intense, numbing spiciness rushed in, making him cough uncontrollably.

Zuo Yi hurriedly poured him some water.

After three consecutive cups of water, the spicy sensation finally subsided.

Shen Yuchao smiled wryly, "It seems the flavors of Hongliang don't quite agree with me."

"You get used to it."

Qiu Shuiyi remained expressionless.

"So, Second Miss has already gotten used to it?" Shen Yuchao asked curiously.

"I wouldn't say that." Qiu Shuiyi smiled, "I'm not picky. As long as it can be eaten, any flavor is fine."

Flavor didn't make much difference to her.

In her previous life at the orphanage, having food to eat was a blessing; she had no right to be choosy.

After growing up, she had to budget carefully, prioritizing cheap and filling meals.

Even in this life, her grandfather's cooking wasn't exceptional—neither particularly good nor bad.

It was only after returning to the Marquis of Yun'an's residence that Qiu Shuiyi's dining standards improved significantly.

But after all these years, her habits were already ingrained.

If the food tasted excellent, she could eat a bit more; if it was average, it still filled her stomach.

Shen Yuchao sipped his water, his eyes thoughtful.

After the meal, Shen Yuchao wiped the corner of his mouth with a handkerchief. "Would Second Miss care to take a stroll in the courtyard?"

"But your injury..." Qiu Shuiyi hesitated.

"It's fine, it's almost healed."

He smiled gently, his eyes sparkling, and his complexion looked much better than it had days before.

Qiu Shuiyi nodded.

...

"The banquet is about to start, why hasn't Cousin returned yet?"

Mei Fangqing kept looking outside.

Seeing that Qiu Shuiyi still hadn't returned, she grew restless. "I'll go check."

"Qing'er!"

Over there, Luo Shi beckoned her over. "Come quickly and greet your aunt. It's been so many years, do you still remember her?"

Mei Fangqing clicked her tongue in annoyance.

She grabbed Mei Fangzhu's hand and hurriedly instructed, "Third Sister, go look for Cousin. I'll be right back."

"Huh?"

Mei Fangzhu pointed at herself. "Me?"

She looked troubled, but Mei Fangqing had already walked away. Mei Fangru was constantly by Qiu Shi's side and couldn't get away.

That left only her.

Mei Fangzhu reluctantly stood up and quietly left the banquet.

The Mei residence was so large, and Qiu Shuiyi hadn't mentioned where she was going when she left. Mei Fangzhu was at a loss for where to start, so she headed toward the inner courtyard.

Passing by a courtyard, Mei Fangzhu noticed unfamiliar guards at the entrance and quietly asked her maid, "Is that the esteemed guest staying in our residence?"

A few days ago, her eldest aunt had warned the sisters that an esteemed guest had arrived and ordered them not to disturb him.

Her fourth younger sister had tried several times to sneak a peek but was always dragged back by their mother.

If she weren't in a hurry to find her cousin and taking a shortcut, Mei Fangzhu wouldn't have come this way.

The maid didn't know either and said uncertainly, "Probably."

The courtyard gate was open, and Mei Fangzhu glanced inside curiously.

That one glance made her freeze.

A gentle breeze swept up the pear blossoms covering the ground, petals fluttering down like snow.

Under the tree stood a man and a woman.

The young woman was exquisitely beautiful, her smiling eyes bright.

The man's face was clearly visible.

Elegant as jade, gentle and refined.

He raised his hand and gently plucked a pure white petal that had landed in the young woman's hair.

As his peach blossom eyes curved, it seemed as if endless affection poured forth.

Mei Fangzhu stared blankly.

Her heart pounded, beat after beat, like a drum.