Your Highness, your wife has had her virginity mark applied and married someone else.

"Ming Shu!"

Wei Yuan pushed open the door and entered. Shen Mingshu hurriedly wiped away her tears and forced a smile as she stepped forward: "Ah Yuan, you—"

"Don't talk, let me hug you." Wei Yuan hugged Shen Mingshu tightly, and the unease and restlessness that had been lingering in his heart were relieved at this moment.

He said with deep remorse, "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, it's all my fault. I made you suffer. Let me see how badly your face looks—"

Wei Yuan took out the ointment and was about to apply it to her face when he realized that the ointment was already on her face.

The same as what he had came from the Gowado, a shop specially supplied to the nobility.

Thinking of the slight difference in Lu Yanzhi's attitude towards Shen Mingshu, Wei Yuan's brows furrowed slightly, and his eyes lowered a little: "This is... Lu Yanzhi's medicine?"

Looking at Wei Yuan's long, drooping eyelashes, which held a faint sense of loneliness and wariness, Shen Mingshu remained expressionless and nodded: "Headmaster Lu is a kind person, and this is compensation he gave me."

As she spoke, Shen Mingshu took out a tube of ointment from her bosom: "This jar is open, let's use this one first—hey!"

The ointment in Shen Mingshu's hand was ruthlessly thrown into the wastebasket. Wei Yuan, expressionless, opened his own ointment and gently applied it to Shen Mingshu.

With her jaw clenched and her thin lips pressed together, Shen Mingshu subtly curled her lips into a smile: "Young Master Wei's jealousy is quite expensive; this ointment isn't cheap."

"Your husband will compensate you double." After applying the ointment, Wei Yuan hugged Shen Mingshu tightly again: "From now on, whatever you need, you can only ask for your husband, do you hear me?"

A familiar emotion stirred up in a corner of her heart that no one had ever set foot in. Shen Mingshu's gloom of the day vanished. She smiled and nodded.

"Okay, whatever my husband gives me."

……

Less than two days after the peace was restored, Wei Ziye was back to full strength and continued attending classes.

This was also the first day that Wei Yuan and Shen Mingshu were not late in the morning.

Despite this, Wei Ziye still managed to find reasons to torment her.

Wei Yuan's classmate gave him a pastry from Yu Lu Xuan. Since Wei Yuan didn't like sweets, Shen Ming Shu took it and gave it to Zhang San.

Consider it a thank you for his reminder that night.

Zhang San was flattered and impressed, and said with admiration and envy: "Brother Mingzhu, your young master is so kind. He not only protected you, but also rewarded you with such exquisite food. The taste is amazing. It must not be cheap."

People struggling to make ends meet don't understand the rules of Yu Lu Xuan.

Shen Mingshu didn't say much and continued eating, explaining, "There's a reason why it's expensive, but I don't really like this kind of food. You can have the rest."

Shen Mingshu doesn't actually like sweets. Her obsession with Yuluxuan's crab roe pastry is more of a stubborn one—because her mother used to love it.

A large bag was stuffed into his arms, and Zhang San's mouth dropped open in surprise: "This, this is too much... can I take it back for my family to try?"

Shen Mingshu nodded with amusement: "Whatever."

The next moment, seeing Wei Ziye walking towards her, Shen Mingshu's smile froze, and she instantly became alert: "I'm leaving first—"

"stop."

Upon hearing Wei Ziye's voice, Zhang San nearly choked. He hurriedly stuffed the pastries into his undergarment, wiped his mouth, and greeted him, "Greetings, Master Wei."

Wei Ziye didn't look at him; his cold eyes were fixed on Shen Mingshu.

"Go and pack the weapons."

Shen Mingshu: "???"

"Master Wei, I'm just helping the Second Young Master change his clothes. I'm not doing this out of boredom. Besides, I don't do these kinds of chores."

Zhang San immediately tried to curry favor: "Master Wei, how about I go and help?"

Shen Mingshu is so small, even thinner than him who has just eaten his fill. The weapon is so heavy, she definitely couldn't lift it.

Wei Ziye simply turned his gaze to him and said quietly, "Since you're so free, you can help out in the woodshed from now on."

"Ah—" Just as Zhang San was about to beg for mercy, Shen Mingshu gave him a look, signaling him to accept her kindness.

Although the ordination hall is usually quieter than the woodshed, it is full of important people and it is easy to offend them.

Zhang Sancai had just arrived and didn't understand these things. It didn't matter if he couldn't think of this aspect for a moment, but fortunately he still believed Shen Mingshu.

"Yes, sir."

As soon as Zhang San left, Wei Ziye revealed his mean and malicious side.

"A few pastries and a smile are all it takes to make him obey. Shen Mingshu, your methods have improved, haven't they?"

Shen Mingshu ignored him, looked him up and down for a while, and suddenly asked with concern, "Where did you get that old injury?"

"..." Wei Ziye's Adam's apple bobbed a few times, and he snorted with a hint of arrogance, "What? Regretting not taking the opportunity to kill me these past three days?"

"baffling."

Not noticing any injury on him, Shen Mingshu didn't bother to say anything more and resigned herself to going to the playground to move weapons.

Anyway, once she reaches Wei Yuan, she won't have to move anymore.

As Wei Ziye gazed at her retreating figure, his mind was filled with scenes from his dream. An indescribable flutter of emotion lingered in his heart, a bittersweet feeling that made him unable to resist wanting to get closer to her.

Torn between reason and desire, he slowly walked towards Shen Mingshu...

Shen Mingshu, with her stance in a horse stance and her buttocks sticking out, was preparing to lift the heavy bow in one go. Just as she had gathered her strength, the weight in her hands suddenly lightened.

She glared at me and immediately fainted!

"Hmm!"

The bow in his hand almost slipped from his grasp, but a large hand held him firmly by the waist.

Shen Mingshu turned her head and saw Lu Yanzhi supporting her, steadily guiding the bow into the storage box with one hand.

"Are you alright?"

The gentle and refined aura emanating from Lu Yanzhi made her instantly embarrassed by her earlier rudeness. "No, it's nothing, thank you, Headmaster."

Shen Mingshu stepped out of his embrace, and out of the corner of her eye, she seemed to catch Wei Ziye withdrawing his hand.

Lu Yanzhi asked, puzzled, "Aren't there dedicated servants to do chores? Why are you the one cleaning up here?"

As the dean of the academy, Lu Yanzhi managed the atmosphere of the academy well, and there were very few incidents of bullying.

So when he saw Shen Mingshu doing work that wasn't hers, his expression became somewhat serious.

Shen Mingshu dared not openly complain, so she gestured to Wei Ziye, but accidentally saw Wei Yuan behind Wei Ziye.

Wei Yuan's eyes darkened, his gaze falling coldly on Shen Mingshu's waist. He deliberately pretended to have seen what had just happened, his face showing a sour expression.

Shen Mingshu's heart tightened. Before she could explain to Lu Yanzhi, she hurriedly ran towards Wei Yuan, trying to appease him.

Her skirt fluttered in the wind, and Shen Mingshu, her eyes filled with the light of the sky, rushed towards him with the same unwavering determination and heartfelt devotion as she had three years ago.

Wei Ziye stared intently as she drew closer, his Adam's apple bobbing wildly. Just as he was about to reach out to her, he saw her throw herself into Wei Yuan's arms...

"Second Young Master, are you done with your work? Are you tired? Would you like some water? I just checked, and the canteen has some delicious food today! I guarantee it'll be your favorite!"

The sweet voice faded into the distance, just as the beauty of a dream grew increasingly hazy and indistinct.

Wei Ziye stood frozen in place, unable to move or turn his head.

Finally, Lu Yan stepped forward, patted Wei Ziye on the shoulder, and reminded him, "The Emperor has summoned you to the palace. Don't be late."

The two had broken up because of Shen Mingshu, but that did not prevent them from having the tacit understanding they should have now.

After saying that, Lu Yanzhi left.

Wei Ziye suppressed the emotions surging in his heart for a long time before leaving the spot.

……

the other side.

Wei Yuan was not appeased by Shen Mingshu's sweet words.

During the meal, he would occasionally glance at Shen Mingshu, and when Shen Mingshu looked at him, he would subtly look away.

Finally, his tone was calm, as if he were asking a casual question.

"There's a ten-day holiday tomorrow. The headmaster has prepared a banquet at Yulu Pavilion, inviting teachers and students to a gathering. Mingshu, would you like to go?"