Time Travel: Pampered by the Aloof Prince
Chapter 160: What If I Care?

Chapter 160: Chapter 160: What If I Care?

Shen Xiheng felt a burning sensation in his ears upon hearing these words and took a small step back, glaring at her with anger in his face.

Does she have no shame at all? Since when does an unmarried girl speak to a stranger in such a way?

Shi Zhou hugged her sword and huffed, "Our ladies in Tuyun Village are nothing like those from the capital city!"

With that, she turned around, opened the door, and left.

Shen Xiheng followed a few steps behind her, unsure of what to say.

He had not meant to belittle her just now.

But he had never in his life seen such a brazen and reckless woman before.

Oh, that’s not true—he had seen one other.

Except that person was still lying in bed.

If Qi Yu were awake, she would surely get along very well with this girl, Shi Zhou.

They were both as shameless as each other!

Thinking this, Shen Xiheng felt his annoyance dissipate somewhat.

Shi Zhou, leading the way, kept glancing back discreetly.

Seeing a hint of a smile in Shen Xiheng’s eyes and his lips slightly curved upward, she felt a stir in her heart.

Surely a man from the capital is handsome by birth.

The sum of all the people she had seen from childhood to adulthood couldn’t compare to this man’s attractiveness.

So handsome, in fact, that she wanted to hide him away, better yet in their mountain fortress, never to let him out for others to see.

Shen Xiheng had no idea he was being watched; he took the medicine and quickly returned to the room.

"I’ve brought the antidote," he said as he handed the bottle to Li Mingjue.

Shi Zhou, embracing the sword, leaned against the door frame and watched.

Li Mingjue took the medicine and nodded at her, "Thank you, Miss Shi."

Shi Zhou chuckled lightly, said nothing, turned away, and gazed out the door with her head tilted.

Shen Xiheng suddenly felt a little guilty.

It was improper for him to have taken the medicine and then snapped at her.

While Li Mingjue was busy feeding Qi Yu the medicine, Shen Xiheng stepped forward and gave Shi Zhou a bow, saying, "I was wrong earlier; I hope Miss Shi will overlook it."

Zhou Hong stood aside, turning from one to the other, feeling out of place no matter how he looked at it.

Even though there were five people in the room, one seemed to fit less than the others.

This was the first time in Shi Zhou’s life that she was treated with such grand respect, and she found it unexpectedly unsettling.

In the village, everyone was informal and never concerned with rules or propriety.

Having grown up in this environment, she learned to wield a sword as soon as she could eat, and she was utterly unfamiliar with the feminine crafts of needlework that ordinary girls were taught.

She had lived this way for over a decade and had never felt there was anything amiss.

But now, looking at the young man in blue with a handsome face and a gentle, cultured manner, bowing to her, a strange feeling welled up inside her.

She pursed her lips, challenging him, "What if I do mind?"

Shen Xiheng was taken aback for a moment, then a smile suddenly spread across his face.

Shi Zhou stared at his smiling face, feeling it was even more radiant than the loveliest peach blossoms in the village.

Shen Xiheng’s gaze met hers directly, and he asked warmly, "Then what can I do for Miss to not be angry?"

He changed his words because it always sounded odd to him otherwise.

Shi Zhou’s arms, holding the sword, began to quiver slightly, reluctant to admit that her heart, tough as iron, had been softened by such a simple question.

She knew she had a bad temper and a chilly disposition; even her father, Shi Fuyou, said that anyone who married her would be committing a sin.

Shi Zhou had never taken those words to heart before; it was better not to get married. She didn’t want to be at someone’s beck and call.

What’s wrong with a life spent wielding weapons?

Yet, at that moment, an absurd thought came to her.

If I could just...

A few weak coughs from inside the room interrupted her thoughts. When Shi Zhou regained her focus, Shen Xihe had already rushed to the bedside to check on Qi Yu’s condition.

Medicine King Valley’s fame was indeed well-earned; a single antidote later, and in just a moment, Qi Yu slowly came to.

She coughed a few times, feeling completely drained.

Barely opening her eyes, she saw both Li Mingjue and Shen Xihe looking at her with surprised joy, which puzzled her.

"What... happened to me?" Qi Yu felt weak and sore all over, and then she remembered she had fainted after taking a couple of bites of the candied lotus seed pods.

Li Mingjue carefully propped her up, gently rubbing her flawless cheek with the back of his hand, and said softly, "You scared me to death."

It was the first time Qi Yu saw him like this. She tried to smile and say something, but she had no energy to do so.

Suddenly, a cool female voice by her ear said, "You’ve just woken up and still need to rest for a few more days before you can get out of bed."

Qi Yu looked up to see a girl about her age, hair tied up simply like a man’s, dressed in plain, neat black clothes, and immediately felt as though she had met a kindred spirit.

Although she didn’t know what had happened after she fainted, it seemed most likely that this woman had saved her.

She said weakly, "Thank you."

"No need to be courteous," Shi Zhou replied, slightly raising her eyebrows. She then turned to the three people gathered nearby and said, "She needs a few days of peace to recuperate. Whatever matters you have, wait until she’s better."

Upon hearing this, Li Mingjue asked Zhou Hong and Shen Xihe to step out first, leaving him alone in the room with Qi Yu.

Seeing that the Princess was awake, Zhou Hong said to Shen Xihe, "Since she’s awake now, how about we set off for Gusu first?"

Shen Xihe pondered for a moment but did not respond.

However, Shi Zhou beside him coldly glanced at Zhou Hong and scoffed, "You can leave if you wish, but he cannot."

"Why not?" Zhou Hong felt a strong hostility from this woman and watched her warily.

Shi Zhou suddenly placed her sword across Shen Xihe’s waist and declared boldly, "Because this man belongs to me now!"

Her crisp voice echoed across the valley, not only startling Shen Xihe but also Shi Fuyou and Zhou Ruhai, who had just hurried over.

For the first time in his life, Shi Fuyou felt an urge to throttle this rebellious daughter of his.

His beard quivered with rage, and he said to Shi Zhou, "Go back to your room this instant!"

Shi Zhou turned her head away, ignoring his words.

Father and daughter were at an impasse for a long while until Zhou Ruhai, massaging his temples, said to Shi Fuyou, "Let’s go save people first."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Shi Zhou touched her nose and said somewhat sheepishly, "I’ve already given them the antidote, and they’ve woken up by now."

"Shi Zhou!" Shi Fuyou was so furious he almost fainted, gritting his teeth as he shouted.

Shi Zhou, realizing trouble was brewing, started to run.

But Shi Fuyou was one step ahead of her, seizing her hands behind her back, forcing her to kneel on one knee, and subdued her.

Raising his palm, he was about to discipline his daughter.

"If I don’t teach you a lesson today, I’d be letting down your late mother!" he declared.

Shi Zhou, used to being beaten by him, was tough and didn’t even try to dodge.

With her eyes closed, waiting for Shi Fuyou’s strike, she retorted defiantly, "Then hit me already—what’s with all the talk!"

This enraged Shi Fuyou even further, so much so that he sent Zhou Ruhai, who had come to intervene, flying with a push.

The villagers couldn’t bear to watch the bloody scene unfold and turned their heads away.

Every time the village chief hit Miss Shi, it was like tearing down the house.

But this time, Shi Fuyou’s palm did not land on Shi Zhou; instead, it hit Shen Xihe, who was protecting her.

The force of the blow was not small—it would have required at least half a month to recover, even if it had landed on Shi Zhou.

Falling on Shen Xihe, it immediately drew blood.

Shi Zhou, still with her eyes closed, was waiting to be beaten. She was not afraid of Shi Fuyou’s discipline; she just found it somewhat embarrassing.

She didn’t expect someone would shield her and take the blow for her.

Shi Zhou broke free from Shi Fuyou’s grip and caught the man as he staggered backward, seeing his face turn deathly pale and his lips stained with blood. She asked, trembling, "Are you alright?"