The prince longs for me every night after mastering thought-reading
Chapter 199 - 198: Too Embarrassing, Complimenting Her in a Roundabout Way

Chapter 199: Chapter 198: Too Embarrassing, Complimenting Her in a Roundabout Way

Shen Chuwei had been enduring for an hour and felt like she was about to die from holding it in.

They say there are three urgent needs of a person that can’t be held back.

And holding it in too long can easily cause illnesses.

Your Highness, your concubine needs the restroom, your concubine needs the restroom so badly!!!

If only she had known not to drink so much water earlier, she was about to explode!

Unable to hold it in any longer, Shen Chuwei turned her head to look at Xiao Jinyan, only to see him still asleep, and she hesitated to wake him.

Just then, a light cough was heard.

Shen Chuwei looked at Xiao Jinyan with surprise and delight, "Your Highness, you’re awake?"

Xiao Jinyan raised his head and pinched the bridge of his nose, then turned to look at Shen Chuwei, "Hmm, what’s the matter?"

Xiao Jinyan had actually woken up earlier and kept hearing Shen Chuwei say she needed the restroom, that the concubine needed the restroom...

At first, he didn’t realize what a restroom was.

It was only after he heard her mention drinking too much water that he understood; she needed a toilet break.

Shen Chuwei was somewhat embarrassed to speak up, but when she was about to burst, she couldn’t care about that anymore.

"Your Highness, your concubine needs to relieve herself."

Xiao Jinyan instructed, "Stop the carriage."

Soon, the sound of the coachman pulling on the reins could be heard from outside the carriage; with a "whoa," the horses gradually came to a halt.

Shen Chuwei, unable to wait any longer, got up and pushed open the carriage door to get out.

Taking Chun Xi along with her, she walked away.

This road was the Official Road, wide and spacious, surrounded by a small grove of trees, which was very suitable as a temporary bathroom.

At first, Chun Xi was confused but then realized her young mistress needed a toilet break.

She pulled out a piece of dark-colored cloth from her bosom and only shook it open to shield her mistress after reaching the bushes.

Shen Chuwei looked around, saw no one, and then quickly undid her belt with nimble hands. Fortunately, men’s clothing was much more convenient than women’s.

After squatting down, she let out a long sigh of relief.

Chun Xi kept watch, holding up the cloth, to prevent anyone from accidentally running into them.

After relieving herself, Shen Chuwei felt much more relaxed and got dressed.

Chun Xi took out a water flask, poured out some water to wash her hands, and after wiping herself clean, she got back into the carriage.

Shen Chuwei looked up at Xiao Jinyan inside the carriage and, feeling a bit embarrassed, lowered her head and slowly moved closer to him, picking up Xuetuan to cover her awkwardness.

Xiao Jinyan lightly coughed, "Next time, just tell this palace directly."

"Your concubine understands," Shen Chuwei let out a sigh of relief in her mind, resolving not to hold it in next time, as it was nearly lethal!

Xiao Jinyan turned his head, struggling to contain his laughter.

After her physiological needs were taken care of and she was well fed and hydrated, Shen Chuwei started to feel sleepy.

She turned her head to Xiao Jinyan and tugged at his sleeve.

Xiao Jinyan looked at her, "What is it?"

Shen Chuwei said, "Your concubine would like to sleep for a bit."

Xiao Jinyan nodded, "Go ahead and sleep."

Shen Chuwei leaned on the chair armrest and reclined against the chair back. With a soft pillow at her back, she found a comfortable position and closed her eyes to sleep.

Already tired, she fell asleep not long after closing her eyes.

Xiao Jinyan listened to her regular breathing and knew she had fallen asleep.

He took a sable fur blanket from behind him and covered her with it, to prevent her from catching a cold.

After a thought, he gently moved her head onto his shoulder and then, satisfied, started reading a book.

Shen Chuwei was awakened by Xiao Jinyan when they passed an inn, a perfect place for dinner and an overnight stay.

After getting off the carriage, Shen Chuwei rubbed her eyes and looked at the unfamiliar place, not knowing where they were.

However, the most important thing was being able to have rice for dinner.

On this side, Xiao Jinyu and Lady Han had also gotten off the horse carriage.

Xiao Jinyu had taken Lady Han out with him to alleviate her boredom. Even he, who had grown up in the Imperial Palace, felt the palace could be stifling at times—how much more so for Lady Han, who had always lived outside the palace?

"Brother," Xiao Jinyu said as he walked over with Lady Han,

Xiao Jinyan turned his head and saw a woman whose height was much like his own standing beside Xiao Jinyu. Her features were delicate, and she carried an air of elegance and allure amidst her cool demeanor.

The reason he agreed to Xiao Jinyu bringing Lady Han out was to see for himself what kind of person Lady Han was.

Having seen her now, he always felt there was something extraordinary about this woman, and her stature didn’t seem characteristic of people from the south.

Han Yan bowed, "This commoner pays respects to the Crown Prince."

Xiao Jinyan gave her a few looks before retracting his gaze, "Let’s go in."

The group entered the inn.

Weichi and Qin Xiao reserved the Tianzi No.1 room, then ordered dinner.

The shop assistant warmly tended to them, "Esteemed guests, please follow me upstairs."

Xiao Jinyan and his companions followed the shop assistant upstairs to the third floor.

The assistant saw many patrons every day and had a keen eye for people, quickly deducing that the group before him was made up of noblemen based on their clothes and demeanor.

He first escorted Xiao Jinyan to the Tianzi No.1 room, then led Xiao Jinyu and the others to another room.

After Shen Chuwei followed Xiao Jinyan inside, she saw Weichi come in to brew a pot of fresh tea, then leave.

Shen Chuwei had not had water for a long time at the back of the horse carriage and was already very thirsty.

She picked up the teapot, poured a cup for Xiao Jinyan first, "Your Highness, have some tea to quench your thirst."

"Mm," Xiao Jinyan picked up the teacup and took a couple of sips to moisten his throat.

Seeing him drink, Shen Chuwei finally poured herself a cup and started sipping it as well.

At that moment, the shop assistant brought in dinner, saying cheerfully, "Thank you for waiting, esteemed guests."

As he spoke, he laid out the dishes one by one on the dining table.

"Please enjoy your meal at your leisure, and do not hesitate to summon me if you need anything."

Xiao Jinyan said indifferently, "You may leave."

"Understood." The shop assistant left the room with a smile on his face.

Manfu Building was the largest restaurant nearby, and its dishes needed no advertisement.

Xiao Jinyan glanced at the dishes before him but didn’t feel a big appetite, probably because he was used to the cooking of Shen Chuwei and Chun Xi.

He ate slowly and sparingly.

Having woken up and already feeling hungry, Shen Chuwei was glad to see a meal ready, even though it didn’t taste as good as Chun Xi’s cooking; it was still not bad.

She took hold of her chopsticks and began to eat the meat.

After a few bites, noticing that Xiao Jinyan wasn’t moving his chopsticks much, she asked with bulging cheeks, "Your Highness, does the meal not suit your taste?"

Xiao Jinyan didn’t hide his thoughts, "It’s not as delicious as what you make."

Shen Chuwei thought this was normal, as it wasn’t unusual for Xiao Jinyan, the Crown Prince, to be choosy about food.

"Shall I make you two different dishes instead?"

Xiao Jinyan shook his head, "No need to trouble yourself, I’ll make do."

With that, he picked up some vegetables and chewed slowly and thoughtfully.

"Oh," Shen Chuwei continued with her meal.

It was rare that Shen Chuwei only had two bowls of rice this time.

Xiao Jinyan found this odd; she usually had at least four bowls of rice as a base. Was she starting to eat less?

Xiao Jinyan himself hadn’t eaten much, and there was still some rice left in his bowl.

Shen Chuwei noticed this, so when Weichi came to clear away the leftovers, she followed him out.

Weichi saw the same puzzlement in Shen Chuwei that he had seen in Xiao Jinyu. The Shen siblings and Lady Shen were indeed blood relatives; otherwise, how could they look so similar?

Having seen Lady Shen several times, Weichi refrained from looking too closely, as she belonged to his master.

"You and Lady Shen are relatives, right?"