Time Travel: Pampered by the Aloof Prince
Chapter 224 What is the Prince doing?

Chapter 224: Chapter 224 What is the Prince doing?

Qi Yu did not take this episode to heart; her mind was preoccupied with the capital city and Tuyun Village.

In the capital, they had managed to avoid the selection of concubines by pretending Li Mingjue was ill.

But the Empress would certainly not let the matter rest there.

According to the message from Heifeng, the people sent by the Empress were already on their way to Gusu.

Or perhaps, they had already arrived.

She read the letter from the capital several times before she put it down with an uneasy heart.

"Cousin-in-law, I’ve finished planting!" Song Ting’s cheerful voice carried over, and Qi Yu looked up to see his face smeared with dirt and his body covered in mud.

Originally, she had intended to have the servant scatter the seeds, but Song Ting refused to let anyone else do it and insisted on planting them himself.

Qi Yu was worried that he would ruin the seeds and did not immediately agree.

But she couldn’t do anything when Song Ting, the mischievous child, began howling with a "Waah" and crying loudly.

To those unaware, they might think she was mistreating him.

Reluctantly, Qi Yu let him be and had the servants watch over him.

"Once you’ve finished, go wash your face and change your clothes, you look like a little flower cat now," Qi Yu said with a smile.

Song Ting stuck out his tongue and made a face, then was led away by the servants.

Qi Yu stepped forward to look at the ravaged flowerbed and silently shook her head.

Never mind, she wouldn’t be staying in Gusu for long anyway. It was best to let him be.

After the evening meal, Zhou Hong brought back a letter that had been sent.

Qi Yu accepted it, opened it, and quickly scanned through.

The letter had no superfluous words, simply stating that the old village chief was ill, and they would have to stay a few more days in Tuyun Village.

It seemed unremarkable, but Qi Yu furrowed her brow and said to Li Mingjue, "The village chief Shi’s illness seems strange, I fear there might be more to it."

Upon hearing this, Li Mingjue instantly understood her implication, "You mean to say that village chief Shi’s illness is man-made?"

Qi Yu nodded, analyzing, "It’s been only a month since we last saw village chief Shi, and judging by the power of his palm strike back then, his Inner Strength is much stronger than that of an ordinary person. How could he suddenly become so seriously ill?"

"Moreover, Tuyun Village has no shortage of elixirs, yet Zhou Hong said that they are seeking a famous healer."

With just a simple thought, this matter was riddled with holes.

Following her line of reasoning, Li Mingjue asked, "Do you want to go there in person?"

With a grave expression, Qi Yu nodded, "Yes, I fear someone has already begun to take action against Tuyun Village. And village chief Shi is not someone who can be easily schemed against, I think there must be a traitor within the village."

She began to feel uneasy, sensing that she might be overlooking something.

Lost in thought, she suddenly found herself in a warm embrace.

Qi Yu raised her eyes and met Li Mingjue’s deep gaze.

She was startled at first but then smiled, "What are you doing, Prince?"

Li Mingjue gazed at her with serious intent, uttering each word carefully, "Comforting you."

Qi Yu’s throat tightened, and she swallowed the joking remark she was about to make.

This man, talk is just talk, why be so affectionate?

Li Mingjue’s fingertips trailed across her smooth, fair cheek as he spoke in a low voice, "Let’s sleep now, and we’ll make plans for tomorrow."

Qi Yu sighed, "Alright."

In the pitch darkness, aside from fretting, there was nothing she could do.

It was best to wait for the daylight.

After putting out the light, she rolled into Li Mingjue’s arms and slept soundly through the night.

At this time, in Tuyun Village, Shi Zhou looked at Shi Fuyou, who lay on the bed with a sallow, dark complexion, feeling very heavy-hearted.

For the first time in her life, she felt utterly helpless.

Shi Fuyou had been poisoned right under her watch, yet she was completely oblivious, unable to identify the true culprit.

The door was pushed open from outside, and Shi Zhou mechanically lifted her head to look.

It was Shen Xiheng, carrying a bowl of porridge, which he brought over to Shi Zhou. His tone was gentle as he said, "Eat something first. If you go on starving, the old village chief won’t even recognize you when he wakes up."

His voice was tender like the spring breeze in March. When it reached Shi Zhou’s ears, it stirred ripples in the stagnant pond of her heart.

She moved her lips, wanting to say something, but had no energy to do so.

All she could do was blink her eyes, letting a hint of a smile appear in them.

Seeing her like this made Shen Xiheng feel uncomfortable too.

He sighed inwardly, though he dared not show it.

At that moment, the whole of Tuyun Village was in a state of anxiety. If even Shi Zhou fell, it would truly be letting those villains succeed.

And he, as Shi Zhou’s mainstay, could not afford to falter so easily.

Neither of them said anything, but both could sense each other’s sentiments to some extent.

Shi Zhou’s expression subtly shifted, and she was about to reach for the still-steaming bowl of porridge when Shen Xiheng stopped her.

She looked at him with confusion, not understanding his actions.

Shen Xiheng smiled, finding her expression very different from her usual ice-cold demeanor. She seemed more like a girl in her teens, her naivety on full display.

He picked up the spoon and brought the warm white porridge to her lips, indicating with his eyes that she should drink it.

Shi Zhou was stunned for a moment before she dryly opened her mouth and swallowed the white porridge.

Soon, the bowl of white porridge was empty.

Shen Xiheng took the empty bowl away, and did not forget to close the door behind him, to keep the cold night air at bay.

Shi Zhou dumbly watched him go, her lips lingering with the taste, feeling a little unsatisfied.

For the first time, she felt that even bland white porridge could taste as good as the finest delicacies in the world.

On the bed, Shi Fuyou’s eyes moved slightly, but Shi Zhou did not notice.

She tucked her father’s rough hand back under the blanket, propped up her head with one hand, leaned against the bedpost, and closed her eyes.

When Shen Xiheng pushed the door open again, he was met with such a scene.

He took off his outer robe and draped it over the thinly clad girl.

Then he stepped out quietly.

At this time, if Shi Zhou were not by his side, he would feel uneasy.

Moreover, no one knew when those people might strike again, so everyone in Tuyun Village was on edge.

Shen Xiheng stood in the courtyard for a while, then ran into Zhou Ruhai, who had just returned under the cloak of night.

He made a formal bow, and Zhou Ruhai returned the gesture.

The two sat down at the stone table in the courtyard, and Zhou Ruhai called someone from the village to warm up a pot of wine and bring it over.

Shen Xiheng seldom drank. He usually only had mild drinks at taverns since his alcohol tolerance was average.

But he was feeling down and figured a few drinks couldn’t hurt.

Zhou Ruhai chatted with him, sizing up the elegantly poised man with subtle scrutiny.

After drinking some wine, Shen Xiheng’s overly pale face became flushed, and his eyes started to blur, making him resemble the scholar from tales who would encounter spirits in the deep woods and old forests.

Zhou Ruhai secretly sighed in his heart, thinking that all the commotion Shi Zhou had made for him wasn’t for naught.

Such a countenance, even in the capital city, would be outstanding.

Just as he was thinking this, a sudden noise startled Zhou Ruhai, who turned his head to see Shen Xiheng had collapsed, his head even hitting the stone table.

It sounded quite painful.

Zhou Ruhai’s heart skipped a beat. If the young lady found out, he’d be lucky to escape with just a layer of skin peeled off.