Chapter 108: Preparing for Secluded Healing

Just when Yan Yi thought he would say nothing, Shen Hezhi spoke up.

"I understand. You could have told me about these things much sooner," Shen Hezhi said with a smile.

His reaction caught Yan Yi completely off guard. Surprised, Yan Yi asked, "Are you saying you believe everything I tell you?"

Shen Hezhi shook his head. "It is not that I believe everything you say, but that I can see your sincerity. You are not lying."

Shen Hezhi paused, then continued, "Besides... I have memories of it. I always felt like someone was watching me when I was younger. At the time, I assumed it was someone sent by my father, the Emperor. I never imagined... Thank you."

Shen Hezhi truly remembered the sensation. Although he was just a child, he could sense a presence constantly watching over him. Yet, he had never felt any malice from that gaze, which was why he had always found it so puzzling.

Hearing this, Yan Yi felt a warmth spread through him. He hadn't realized how deeply Shen Hezhi trusted him.

Yan Yi lowered his head and smiled. "Your Highness, thank you for trusting me so much."

"However, there is one thing I do not understand," Shen Hezhi said, suddenly changing the subject. "Given all of this, why did you pretend to be ignorant when you first woke up? I don't get it."

Yan Yi looked at Shen Hezhi helplessly and replied, "Because I did not want you to know these things. I did not want to make you feel obligated to me."

If he had told Shen Hezhi everything, the Prince might have felt moved by his actions, and that was something Yan Yi wanted to avoid.

After understanding the full story, Shen Hezhi felt there was no need to dwell on it further. Although what Yan Yi had done was indeed moving, it ultimately remained a debt of life-saving gratitude.

Shen Hezhi did not believe he was entitled to such devotion, but he silently resolved to arrange some matters for Yan Yi in the future. For now, however, he had to rely on his little Princess Consort to treat the cold poison still lingering in his body.

The matter seemed like a passing storm; though it began with heart-stopping urgency, it dissipated once the truth was laid bare.

With many affairs in the military camp requiring his attention, Shen Hezhi did not stay at the post house for long before hurrying back to handle his duties.

Having promised his wife he would stay for treatment, he was determined to finish his work as quickly as possible so he could be by her side.

He reorganized the camp with ruthless efficiency. Although Dongfang Ming tried to cause trouble during this period, Shen Hezhi blocked him at every turn; he had no patience to play games with Dongfang Ming now.

In a surprisingly short time, he resolved the issues at the camp and returned to the post house.

At that moment, Yan He Ru was in the kitchen preparing some desserts. Since arriving here, she had found many things to be quite interesting and had decided to try them one by one.

When Shen Hezhi returned, he saw his wife busy at work. Watching her, he was suddenly overwhelmed by a sense of happiness, and he slowly approached her, wrapping his arms around her from behind.

Startled, Yan He Ru instinctively tried to pull away, but the person holding her spoke, causing her to stop.

"My lady, I have missed you so much."

Yan He Ru turned to face him and noticed that Shen Hezhi looked utterly exhausted, as if he hadn't rested properly in days.

And indeed, that was the case. Driven by the desire to return to her sooner, Shen Hezhi had compressed his workload into seven days of frantic labor.

"I missed you too," Yan He Ru said. "But how did you return so quickly? I thought your business would take at least half a month to resolve."

Shen Hezhi shook his head with a smile and suddenly swept her up into his arms, drawing a gasp of surprise from her.

"Because I missed my wife dearly, I finished everything at hand so I could come back to you as soon as possible." He carried her into the bedroom and set her down on the bed.

This bold move startled Yan He Ru. She stepped back, her face flushing crimson. "Your... Your Highness... you..."

Seeing her reaction, Shen Hezhi realized she wasn't rejecting him, which made his heart soar. Yet, he had no intention of forcing her; he would not take such liberties until she had fully accepted him in her heart.

Instead, he simply kissed her. "My lady, if your face remains this red, I am not sure I can hold back my restraint."

Shen Hezhi's words didn't calm her down; instead, she flushed all the way to her ears.

"I! You... get up! Now that you are back, let us begin the treatment for your cold poison." Yan He Ru quickly pushed him away.

Shen Hezhi chuckled and released her, sitting aside with a sudden, feigned obedience, as if he weren't the one who had just been teasing her.

"Very well. By the way, how is Yan Yi doing? Has the cold poison in his body improved?" Shen Hezhi asked.

Yan He Ru nodded, a look of confusion crossing her face. "I am certain his cold poison was much more severe than yours, yet his treatment has been remarkably simple. Most of it has already been cleared, far faster than your recovery. I find it very strange."

Shen Hezhi frowned slightly upon hearing this. "Oh? Could it be because I have other toxins in my body that have aggravated the cold poison, or perhaps some other external factors?"

"That is exactly what I was thinking," Yan He Ru replied, nodding. "I considered many possibilities, and that seems the most likely. But are there truly other poisons in your body?"

She raised an eyebrow at him. It was bad enough that he suffered from a deadly cold poison; could there really be others?

Shen Hezhi nodded solemnly. "Yes, and there is more than one. I have been poisoned repeatedly over the years, with all sorts of substances, so I am not even sure what exactly is in my system."

Yan He Ru was rendered speechless by his calm admission. How could anyone speak so nonchalantly about being filled with poison?