Chapter 418
**Chapter 416: Have You Missed Me?**
Rustle—
The razor glided over stubble, bringing a slight itch. Shen Wei's fingers were warm, gently brushing against Li Yuanjing's skin. He wanted to tilt his head and nuzzle against her fingers.
"Don't move," Shen Wei reminded him.
So, Li Yuanjing stayed still.
His heart fluttered. He believed that Shen Wei still had some affection for him, even if it was little.
Outside, the night deepened, and the wind over Luoyue Lake was soft. After finishing shaving Li Yuanjing, Shen Wei washed her hands and put the razor back in its case.
Feeling drowsy, she returned to the inner chamber to rest.
Just as she lay down, Li Yuanjing entered the room with familiar ease, wrapping his arms around her waist.
After a long, cold winter, he could finally hold Shen Wei again. He lowered his head, inhaling the scent at her neck, and couldn't help but ask tentatively, "Wei Wei, have you missed me these days?"
Shen Wei fell into thought.
In the months apart, she had thought of many people.
Naturally, she had thought of Li Yuanjing.
But those thoughts were fleeting, mere flashes in her mind, not the deep longing one might expect. However, seeing Li Yuanjing's pitiful appearance, with a streak of white at his temples, she replied, "I have."
Li Yuanjing smiled.
In the first half of her life, Shen Wei had won his affection through a false persona.
In the latter half, she captured his heart once more with her true self.
Li Yuanjing knew he was completely ensnared by Shen Wei in this lifetime.
No matter whether Shen Wei truly loved him, as long as she remained by his side, it was the greatest blessing in the world.
...
Li Yuanjing devoted himself to accompanying Shen Wei for over half a month, never leaving her side. Until someone from the palace arrived, seeking help from his son, Li Chengtai, regarding important state matters.
Li Chengtai had recently ascended the throne, and with the new emperor of Nanchu, many complex political issues arose that were difficult to navigate. He chose to seek assistance from his father.
With no choice, Li Yuanjing had to enter the palace to help his son with state affairs. He secretly resolved that once Shen Wei's health improved, he would take her to Jiangnan.
Far away from court politics.
Shen Wei was pleased with the leisure, and after some exercise, she returned to her study to continue reviewing the Nanchu territorial plans sent by the merchants. Cai Ping entered the room to report that Mo Xun, the physician, requested an audience.
With the new emperor of Nanchu on the throne, Mo Xun had successfully extricated herself and initially planned to return to Qingguo with Li Yuanjing. However, due to her poor health, she chose to take her time returning alone.
Shen Xiuming, not knowing how he got her news, had prepared a comfortable carriage early and was waiting at the border between the two countries to bring Mo Xun back.
"Shen Wei, I'm back!" The voice arrived before the person did.
Shen Wei stepped out of the study to personally welcome Mo Xun.
The two embraced.
After more than a month apart, Shen Wei noticed that Mo Xun looked even more haggard, her complexion pale and her spirit low.
Shen Wei led her inside, where the palace servants brought fresh fruit and tea. Mo Xun, with a jujube in her mouth, took Shen Wei's pulse.
After a moment, Mo Xun withdrew her hand and continued munching on the fruit. "Your complexion is rosy, and your pulse is steady. If you take good care of yourself, you’ll definitely live to eighty."
For anyone else, the back-and-forth of the soul would have left them weak and sleepless.
But when Mo Xun took Shen Wei's pulse, she found that Shen Wei had already regained her health. Mo Xun was deeply impressed; after all, this was Shen Wei, who always managed to take good care of herself.
Mo Xun bit into another jujube and began to chatter about the gossip from Nanchu: "When they found you and Li Yuanli's bodies in the cave, Li Yuanjing thought you were dead. He coughed up blood on the spot—he looked so pitiful. As soon as he learned you returned to Qingguo, he rode back immediately."
"I stayed in Nanchu for a while. The ninth prince of Nanchu took Li Yuanli's body back for burial. The funeral was grand, and many citizens came to pay their respects. During the sealing of the tomb, a fat fox reportedly burrowed into the grave and wouldn’t leave. It curled up next to Li Yuanli's coffin and fell asleep, never to come out again."
Mentioning Li Yuanli made Mo Xun sigh.
He truly was a product of Zhang He'an's genes, mad and obsessive to the core. Like a moth drawn to a flame, he would throw himself into danger at the slightest hint of light.
Even being burned to ashes would be a welcome fate.
Shen Wei recalled the fat fox she encountered in the Nanchu harem and murmured, "That fox was indeed fat."
Li Yuanli had taken good care of it.
When it came to Li Yuanli, Shen Wei felt little emotional turmoil, but she knew that for the rest of her life, she would likely never forget this madman.
The study was quiet, the aroma of tea mingling with the scent of lotus flowers. Mo Xun seemed to enjoy the flower tea Shen Wei brewed, downing two large cups in one go.
Noticing Mo Xun's gloomy demeanor, Shen Wei spoke up, "Now that you've escaped Nanchu, why not return to Yueguo? You might find the national master."
Yueguo was Mo Xun's homeland.
The national master was powerful; perhaps he was not dead, and Mo Xun still had a chance to reunite with him.
But Mo Xun merely shook her head, lowering her gaze to observe the tea in her cup. "There's nothing worth searching for. The world is unpredictable; there's no need to force it."
She had been entangled with Zhang He'an for two lifetimes; perhaps their fate had long since run its course.
A hundred years ago, she had died young, leaving Zhang He'an alone in Nanchu.
A hundred years later, Zhang He'an had left this world before her.
Mo Xun thought she wouldn’t feel sad, but as the days passed, the emotions buried deep within her could no longer be suppressed.
Mo Xun murmured, frowning with a bitter smile, "Shen Wei, this feeling is really strange. When I was with Zhang He'an, I thought he was cunning, cold, full of schemes, and stubborn. I wanted nothing more than to distance myself from him. But after he really died, I suddenly remembered his good qualities..."
The fruit sown a hundred years ago was only now bearing bitter fruit for her.
Realizing too late, it was far too bitter.
Shen Wei didn’t know how to comfort Mo Xun, so she had the palace servants prepare a boat. The scenery at Luoyue Lake in early summer was splendid, perfect for a leisurely outing. She hoped to take Mo Xun to see the sights, perhaps helping her temporarily forget her sorrows.
The palace servants were highly efficient.
The water shimmered as a beautifully crafted boat glided into the depths of the lotus leaves. The young lotus buds were just beginning to show, and the scenery was indeed beautiful, lifting Mo Xun's spirits a little.
Holding a wine jug, Mo Xun leaned over the railing to catch dragonflies resting on the lotus flowers, getting tipsy. She told Shen Wei, "Zhang He'an once built me a lotus pond, and it was hideous."
Worried she might get drunk, Shen Wei took the wine jug from her. "You should eat some fruit first."
Mo Xun hiccupped, "I don’t want to eat. I want to jump into the lake and catch fish."
With that, she clambered over the railing with agility.
Splash—
She fell into the water and began to dog paddle.
Shen Wei felt a headache coming on, regretting taking Mo Xun out for a distraction. She quickly ordered the guards, "Hurry, save her!"
The guards jumped into the water one after another, but found nothing.
In the end, Mo Xun was rescued by a kind passerby.
The passerby, drenched in his brocade robe, wiped the water from his face and stood on the deck of the boat, respectfully bowing to Shen Wei behind the beaded curtain.
"Miss, I am the Wang of Donglin Wu. Today, I was fortunate enough to save your friend. I seek no wealth or fame, only the chance to meet you and forge a connection."
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