The meal didn't last long. Once both were finished, Shen Changyin waved for the dishes to be cleared.
Xie Yu stretched her neck, feeling strength return to her body, and was just about to walk around to digest when she saw a maid bring in a large bowl of medicine.
Thick as porridge, with a bitterness that stung the tongue even from across the room.
Following routine, Shen Changyin had it placed on the table.
But she didn't drink it. Instead, she picked up the court bulletin and started reading.
Xie Yu's gaze drifted between the medicine bowl and Shen Changyin behind the paper.
She asked, "How many times a day do you have to drink that?"
"Two or three, depending on the physician." Shen Changyin replied calmly.
"Oh."
Xie Yu stood and walked around her new residence—only to notice something strange.
Her eyes dropped downward, nose twitching. She followed the scent toward the potted plant in the corner.
It was an old sago palm, tall and lush, the leaves long and stiff, giving off a faint, refreshing fragrance.
The ceramic pot holding it was large, filled with dark soil.
But some patches of the soil were even darker, looking damper than the rest.
Xie Yu crouched down, pinched a bit of the soil, and sniffed carefully.
Even though the whole house carried a mild smell of medicine, this spot was especially strong.
She stood up and couldn't help laughing. "Aha!"
"Shen Changyin, I caught you. You definitely haven't been drinking your medicine. You dump it into the soil every day!"
"And here I thought you were so resilient. Turns out you're just afraid of bitterness!"
Shen Changyin set down the bulletin. "Your Highness, one shouldn't make reckless accusations."
"How did I accuse you recklessly? I discovered this through meticulous investigation."
"You've been secretly dumping the medicine every day. Admit it!"
Shen Changyin tilted her head slightly, chin lowering just a bit as she regained composure. "Yes, I dumped it. And what of it?"
"I'm telling everyone! Shen Changyin isn't nearly as impressive as she pretends!"
"Will anyone believe you?" Shen Changyin gave a faint smile, elbow resting on the table, her hand supporting her cheek.
"Would anyone believe that a powerful regent fears bitter medicine? Or would they just say Your Highness is slandering me in a childish way?"
Xie Yu was stunned. "Ah—! Shen Changyin! You wicked villain!"
To think that when she first met Shen Changyin, she believed she would be a thin-skinned, cold beauty.
"Thank you for the compliment."
Shen Changyin pointed at the bowl of medicine. "Since Your Highness has discovered it, please dump it for me."
"How could you dream such a beautiful dream?"
Of course Xie Yu refused.
Failing to intimidate Shen Changyin, she retreated to the room that had just been assigned to her.
Though called a bedroom, it was actually quite deep, divided into several sections—essentially a suite.
At the entrance was a small private sitting room, with a soft couch and low table on the left, and a square table with two chairs on the right.
Further in was a study, several cabinets, a long desk by the window, layers of curtains like waves, perfect for privacy.
And at the back was the bedroom, simple in arrangement: a canopy bed draped in violet gauze, a small round table, a wardrobe, and a dressing table.
Xie Yu fiddled around, only to discover that the bedroom wasn't the final section. A small door behind a screen led to a bathroom.
A bathroom with what looked like a fine huanghuali wooden bathtub.
Realizing her living conditions were comparable to a modern studio apartment, Xie Yu felt quite pleased.
She spent the entire next day recuperating.
First, she requested hot water and enjoyed a long bath.
Then she slept on the soft bed she had missed dearly.
When she woke, all her doubts about her abilities were gone, replaced with renewed confidence in her next escape plan.
She spent the whole day eating, sleeping, and stretching the muscles she had overused.
And she also noticed something: Shen Changyin was truly busy.
She attended court in the morning, and after returning she held meetings with her subordinates.
Her power base was now split in two. One faction had entered the capital with her and was busy taking over the authority the emperor had divided out. The other remained in their northwest stronghold, sending reports daily that required her attention.
From morning to night, aside from breakfast, people came to report nonstop.
Sometimes Xie Yu would be doing sit-ups in her little lounge while listening to the muffled sounds of reports from Shen Changyin's side.
She couldn't make out the details, but the tone alone was enough to make anyone anxious.
Xie Yu became even more convinced that she was meant to live as an ordinary citizen.
The greater the power, the heavier the responsibility. More meetings, more work.
Someone like Shen Changyin, already in charge, had to shoulder all risks and consequences alone.
Even after such a long day, Shen Changyin still made time to eat an uninterrupted dinner with her.
And she didn't even try to hide dumping the medicine this time, doing it right in front of her.
Xie Yu felt sorry for the poor sago palm. At this rate, it might die from medicinal poisoning.
Dinner passed in a calm, comfortable atmosphere because Xie Yu had fully made peace with her current life.
Wasn't it essentially the same as finding a roommate outside?
Perfectly normal.
After dinner, she glanced at the maids lingering in the courtyard, visibly excited for some reason, and felt utterly puzzled.
What were they excited about?
It wasn't like she was living with Shen Changyin. At most, she had found herself a landlord.
A very competitive, overachieving landlord.
Near midnight, Xie Yu watched the subordinates still waiting in the hall for Shen Changyin's decisions and ground her molars.
After dinner, Shen Changyin had sat down at the table, listening to reports for almost three hours, brow furrowed, giving instructions one after another.
Those subordinates didn't help make decisions. They only brought problems, explained difficulties, then stared at Shen Changyin pitifully, waiting for her to give them a solution.
Did they even deserve the salaries she paid them?
Seeing that it was about to pass midnight, Xie Yu could no longer endure it.
She rushed out like a mother hen, placed herself between Shen Changyin and her subordinates, and began waving them toward the door like someone herding ducks.
"Closing time, closing time. Go think on your own."
"Even you don't know how to kiss up to your own boss. If you can't even consider her health, how are you ever going to get promoted or get a raise?"
Shen Changyin watched her snap at the others, apparently finding it amusing, and let out a quiet laugh.
Xie Yu immediately turned around, clearly displeased. "You're really something, Shen Changyin. You won't drink your medicine, and you insist on staying up late."
"With habits like that, how did you even manage to raise an army and rebel? Your vitality must be stronger than mine."
The academy had been strict about student schedules, so Xie Yu directly repeated the dorm supervisor's scolding back at Shen Changyin.
Sure enough, even the fearsome Shen Changyin couldn't withstand the invisible authority of a dorm supervisor. She obediently rose to her feet and returned to her room.
Xie Yu went back to her own room, collapsed onto the bed in a starfish shape, and felt her limbs and back—abused by days of sleeping in trees—crying out in gratitude.
She slept well, as always, and drifted off quickly.
But soon after, she woke up again.
Maybe the alertness from keeping watch for wolves these past two nights hadn't faded yet. Even with layers of screens and curtains between them, footsteps outside were enough to jolt her awake.
What on earth was Shen Changyin doing awake in the middle of the night?
Xie Yu lay still, waiting for her to settle back down.
But instead, after lying down for a short while, Shen Changyin got up again and opened the window.
The old windows of the former Chancellor's residence hadn't been oiled in years. The creak when they opened was loud enough to erase Xie Yu's sleep entirely.
Was this woman insomniac?
Xie Yu slipped on her shoes, threw on a robe, pushed open Shen Changyin's door, and asked, "You can't sleep?"
"Ah, did I wake you?"
Shen Changyin stood by the window. Her long black hair slid smoothly down her back. Her lashes cast a faint shadow in the moonlight. Her skin was paler than snow, and for a moment she looked like an otherworldly immortal.
She turned her head.
Anyone with normal social instincts would deny being woken up.
So Xie Yu said, "I'm fine. You can't sleep?"
"Your Highness, you just moved here today, and you've already adapted to the environment?"
"Of course. I've never had trouble adjusting to a new bed. But you've lived here almost ten days already. You should be used to it by now."
"But isn't there a new change today?"
Shen Changyin looked at her. Her dark pupils were deep and still, like a small quiet pool.
She tilted her chin slightly, as if hinting at something.
"I don't snore. Don't blame your insomnia on me," Xie Yu replied honestly.
Shen Changyin froze for a moment, then let out a soft laugh. "Of course it's not your fault. Go rest. I won't bother you again."
"Alright."
Xie Yu slowly returned to her room.
Having a roommate was always troublesome. Living with the landlord was even worse. If she planned to stay long-term, she would definitely need to set some house rules.
But she was going to run away anyway, so she decided to endure it.
For the rest of the night, she heard nothing more from Shen Changyin.
Early the next morning, she slept in. When she woke, Shen Changyin had already left for court and had left breakfast for her in the sitting room.
Xie Yu asked someone to warm it up and ate while planning her next escape. She couldn't be reckless this time.
Before she finished, two maids arrived to announce, "Your Highness, you have a guest."
"Oh, then I'll go eat in my room," Xie Yu said, rising with her bun in hand.
"It is your guest."
Her guest?
The Third Princess had never been popular, had no friends, and over the past two days the rumor that she offended Shen Changyin had spread through the capital like wildfire. Most people avoided her.
She had a guest?
"Let them in."
A moment later, the Second Princess burst in—braids swinging, hair glittering with jeweled ornaments.
"Third!"
Her voice arrived before she did. "Why are you living here?!"
"It's easier to escape from here than from the palace," Xie Yu answered honestly.
"You make it sound like living in a tiger's den makes it easier for you to pick mushrooms in the wild."
The Second Princess plopped herself down heavily.
"You've already forgotten how dangerous Shen Changyin is, haven't you?"
Xie Yu shrugged.
The Second Princess rarely looked this serious. "Third, I know. After spending some time with Shen Changyin, anyone would start thinking she's elegant, even gentle."
"When she betrays you and stabs you in the back, she'll be just as gentle—just without hesitation."
"Do you know how many people she executed in court today? Seventy-three members of a single family. And they were her own followers."
"Three days from now, they'll be publicly beheaded in the marketplace. Is that the ending you want for yourself?"
—
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