Tanhualang

Wei Zheng nodded and went in.

Shen Jing stood in the corridor and waited.

After Wei Zheng came out, he looked at Shen Jing with some embarrassment: "Your Highness said...it's late at night, so it's inconvenient to see guests."

Shen Jing smiled wryly, thanked her in a low voice, and still stood there: "Then I'll just wait here for a while."

In the middle of the night, there was no wind or moon in the courtyard, only the silence standing under the eaves, and Wei Zheng guarding the door.

In the room, Zhao Heng paced back and forth, his figure was sometimes dark and sometimes shallow, and his shadow was vaguely reflected on the window paper.

After watching quietly for a while, he moved silently and continued to stand.

After standing for an unknown amount of time, he gradually felt that his feet were numb, and he stomped his feet quietly on the ground.

At this time, there was a faint rumbling sound of thunder in the sky.

A gust of wind swept across the courtyard, and the air was filled with the smell of damp dust.

The wind was getting stronger and stronger, a bolt of lightning struck across the air, followed by a strong wind, and raindrops hit the eaves one by one.

The door and windows of Zhao Heng's half-closed room were slammed open by the wind.

Wei Zheng rushed over to Zhao Heng's room to close the door and window.

After a thunderstorm, heavy rain poured down instantly.Shen Jing carefully avoided the long corridor, trying to avoid the rain splashed in by the wind, but the hem of the shirt was still wet by the swaying rain.

After a while, Wei Zheng came out of Zhao Heng's room, and nodded to Shen Jing: "His Royal Highness welcomes you."

Shen Jing thanked him, moved his numb foot, entered the room, and saluted Zhao Heng: "...Your Highness."

Zhao Heng was wearing a snow-white jacket, and was sitting on the couch under the window, his eyes were hidden in the shadows, and he looked haggard.Seeing Shen Jing coming in, he sneered and said: "Shen Tanhua has always been very strict with himself. When I visited the palace late at night today, aren't you afraid of criticism from others?"

Shen Jing looked at Zhao Heng, and said warmly: "His Highness's old wound... let me have a look."

Zhao Heng snorted softly, turned his face to the side: "No need. I'm very lonely. If there is any discomfort, I will go to the imperial doctor. It rains heavily at night, Shen Tanhua should go back early."

Hearing the words quietly, he didn't know what to say for a while.

The heavy rain outside the door covered all the hustle and bustle, leaving only the quiet flickering candles in a room.

The two stood in silence for a long time, then sighed quietly: "...It was my mistake, Your Highness."

Zhao Heng turned his head and looked at Shen Jing in astonishment.

Shen Jing sighed softly and said again: "...I shouldn't contradict Your Highness in front of everyone, let alone trample on His Highness's heart by presumptuousness, and hurt His Highness's heart."

He took a step forward, half-knelt in front of the couch, and said softly, "Please don't argue with me, Your Highness, and don't be angry anymore...let me see the injury."

Zhao Heng frowned and looked at Shen Jing, hesitant to speak: "Shen Jing, you—"

He looked at the silence for a long time, and he sighed helplessly: "...it's up to you."

In the middle of the night, Shen Jing finished acupuncture on Zhao Heng's old wound, and finished it with herbal hot compress.

After washing his hands, he whispered farewell to Zhao Heng who was leaning on the couch with his eyes closed.Zhao Heng closed his eyes halfway, and said slowly, "It's raining heavily outside. Let's go after the rain stops."

Shen Jing politely declined: "I have to rush to the Imperial Academy tomorrow morning, I'm afraid it will be too late."

Zhao Heng snorted coldly when he heard this, and stopped talking.

Xiao You sent him to the door, but still wanted to keep him: "It's raining so heavily, and the sky is dark, why bother. It's the same when going from the palace to the Imperial Academy tomorrow."

Shen Jing smiled: "The identities are different now. If someone with a heart sees it, I'm afraid it will cause trouble for His Highness."

Xiao You knew that what he said was reasonable, so he didn't stop him anymore.

Wei Zheng drove the carriage himself, braved the rain and took Shen Jing to the entrance of the alley outside the yard.

Shen Jing picked up the lantern, opened the umbrella and thanked her, got out of the carriage, turned around and stepped into the rain.

The rain was pouring down like a river, but after only three or five steps, the half of Shen Jing's body was already soaked, and the lantern was also wet, with a little candle inside flickering on and off.

As soon as he walked to the front of the courtyard, a fast horse followed closely in the rain, and rushed into the alley.

The rain was so loud that Shen Jing heard the sound until the steed came up to him.Looking back, he vaguely recognized Zhao Heng wrapped in a cloak and leaping off the horse.

Shen Jing was stunned, and almost dropped the lantern in his hand on the ground: "Your Highness——"

Zhao Heng was drenched all over, strode across the rain curtain and came under Shen Jing's umbrella.

The faint light flickering in the lantern illuminated his face covered with rain and his deep eyes.

He looked down at Shen Jing, his tone hoarse: "Shen Jing...Gu came to ask you for the last time. If you still decide not to agree, from now on, Gu will not bother you a word."

Shen Jing answered "Your Highness" in a low voice, and looked up at Zhao Heng.

Thin oil-paper umbrellas trembled in the rain.Zhao Heng raised his hand to hold Shen Jing's hand holding the umbrella, his Adam's apple heaved, and after a long time, he said in a low voice, "Since you miss me so much, you can't bear the pain of my injury. I don't believe you don't have any affection for me in your heart."

He paused, then lowered his head and said: "You were able to have such deep affection for Mu Junhuai back then, and now that you have parted ways with him, why can't you give anything to Gu? As long as you have the heart, half-divided Gu will not be too little. As time goes on, I can always wait until the day when you deliver your love."

I don't know if it was cold or scalded by Zhao Heng's clenched hands, Shen Jing's body trembled slightly, and he sighed: "Your Highness..."

The cold rain slapped his shoulders and back, but he felt that his heart, which had been cold for a long time, was now melted by the pouring rain.

Seeing that he was silent for a long time, Zhao Heng gritted his teeth, and clenched Shen Jing's hand tightly again, almost hurting him: "... If you still think that I am not good enough for you, then take advantage of this moment and talk to me." Tell me clearly. From now on, you and I have nothing to do with each other, and you don't want to provoke me again."

Shen Jing listened, looked up at Zhao Heng, sighed, and said helplessly: "Is there anything you can dislike about Your Highness? If you really say that you are not worthy, it must be that I am not worthy of Your Highness. Your Highness has repeatedly conceded, let I don't even know how to repay, so I can live up to this affection."

When Zhao Heng heard this, he was puzzled at first, and then looked at Shen Jing in disbelief: "You——you mean——"

Shen Jing helplessly dragged Zhao Heng up the stone steps in front of the door to avoid the heavy rain: "Your Highness doesn't care about your body."

As he spoke, he raised his hand and patted the door panel, avoiding Zhao Heng's fiery gaze: "...Let's go in and talk about it."

Xiao Meng has not fallen asleep, waiting for Shen Jing to come back.Hearing the knock on the door, he immediately ran to open the door. Seeing Shen Jing who was drenched all over, he quickly stepped forward to take the lantern and umbrella, frowning and muttering: "It's raining so hard outside, sir, why... Your Highness, Your Highness?"

He watched Zhao Heng, who was drenched all over, let go of Shen Jing's hand as if nothing had happened, and calmly followed Shen Jing into the door, almost suspecting that his eyes were dazzled: "This, this..."

Shen Jing wiped the water from her face, and said to Xiao Meng: "Your Highness came here in the rain, I'm afraid he got cold. You go and boil a bucket of hot water."

Xiao Meng nodded in a daze: "Oh... I, I'm going right now, right now!"

After talking, holding the umbrella and lantern, I rushed to the kitchen.

Shen Jing took Zhao Heng to her bedroom, took out a clean shirt and towel from the cupboard, placed them neatly on the table, and said to Zhao Heng: "Your Highness, wipe it off, and change the wet clothes first. There are only my clothes here. , Your Highness will wear it first."

After finishing speaking, he took another set of clothes, turned around and was about to go out.

Zhao Heng stopped him: "...Miao'an."

Seeing that Shen Jing's face was pale, water was dripping all over his body, and his wrist was cold, he let go of his hand: "Go and change your clothes first."

As soon as Zhao Heng changed his clothes here, Xiao Meng knocked on the door and poked his head in: "Your Highness, the water is ready. Sir, please take a hot bath first."

Zhao Heng came out of the room in response, and saw Shen Jing waiting on the porch outside the door.Seeing him come out, he said in a warm voice: "His Royal Highness soak for a while, and sweat."

Zhao Heng glanced at him, responded with a long voice, and followed Xiao Meng out with his mind uneasy.

After washing, he came out with wet clothes, but he saw Wei Zheng was already guarding under the eaves, and when he came out, he cupped his hands and said with a smile: "Congratulations, Your Highness."

Zhao Heng was startled when he heard the words, and then softly reprimanded: "What did you say?"

After finishing speaking, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curled up, and he said in a low voice: "Just talk in front of Gu. Don't make jokes with Shen Jing."

Wei Zheng cupped his hands and laughed, "Understood. Don't worry, Your Highness." Shen Jing is actually much more generous than you.

"Where is silence?"

Wei Zheng quickly moved out of the way: "It's in the study."

When Zhao Heng entered, Shen Jing was sitting in the room in a daze.

He quietly went in and sat down opposite Shen Jing, wanting to say something, but for a moment he didn't know where to start.It was quiet, seeing him coming in, picked up a towel from the side, and walked to Zhao Heng: "Your Highness, don't you feel anything about your legs?"

"It still hurts on the road. After soaking in hot water, it will feel better." After a pause, pointing to the hem of his shirt, he couldn't help but said, "Your clothes are a bit too short."

While drying Zhao Heng's hair, Shen Jing said with a smile, "Your Highness, let's do it first."

Zhao Heng hummed, and let him carefully rub his hair with a towel bit by bit.

There was silence in the room, only the sound of the rain outside.

Because of this heavy rain, the humidity and heat in the air were swept away.

Last year when she was with Zhao Heng in Changzhou, Shen Jing also helped Zhao Heng wash up, but she didn't think much of it at the time.

But right now, the candlelight was dimly lit, and although the two of them did not speak, there was a charming atmosphere in the quiet air.

Shen Jing gradually found out, and couldn't help feeling a little embarrassed, loosened the towel and said to Zhao Heng: "...I'll go make a pot of tea, Your Highness will drink a bowl of hot tea to keep you warm."

Just as he was about to turn around, Zhao Heng pulled him back to his side: "... Miao'an."

Zhao Heng looked down at Shen Jing, and his smiling eyes shone like starlight: "Gu this is considered, the wish has come true, right?"

Shen Jing also smiled slightly, and met his gaze: "Shen Jing is grateful for His Highness's love, and will definitely repay it in the future."

Zhao Heng held his wrist, slowly moved down, pinched his fingertips, and kneaded inch by inch.

There was a thin blush on Shen Jing's face, and he lowered his eyes.

Seeing his appearance, Zhao Heng couldn't help himself for a moment. He lowered his face and kissed those thin lips. After kissing for a long time, he raised his head, stroked the corners of his bright red lips with his fingers, and whispered in Shen Jing's ear:

"One word from a gentleman, one whip to the horse. I will remember your words alone."