Chapter XXII - Sharing a Pillow
Snow continued falling for three days after the wedding.
The capital streets quieted beneath white frost while Prince Rui's estate became heavily guarded enough to resemble a military fortress rather than a noble residence.
No visitors entered without inspection. No servants moved freely without permission.
And every night, shadow guards patrolled the rooftops until dawn.
The assassination attempt had changed everything.
Yet strangely-
inside the inner residence, life became softer.
Warmer.
As though the outside danger only pushed Prince Rui and Shen Li closer together.
-
On the third evening after the wedding, Shen Li sat inside the plum blossom courtyard pavilion reviewing household ledgers while candlelight flickered softly across the table.
Prince Rui had not returned yet.
Military matters. Court investigations. Interrogations regarding the Third Prince.
These past few days, he barely rested.
Shen Li noticed.
Because even when he returned late at night, exhaustedness lingered visibly beneath his calm expression.
And yet-
every evening, no matter how late-
Prince Rui still came first to the plum blossom courtyard before handling anything else.
As though confirming she remained safe became instinctive.
Dangerous man.
Qingyu approached quietly with fresh tea. "Princess Consort should rest too."
Shen Li looked toward the dark courtyard entrance unconsciously.
"He still hasn't eaten dinner."
Qingyu nearly smiled emotionally again.
Because their princess consort now waited for Prince Rui every night without realizing it herself.
Before she could tease further, footsteps echoed beyond the snow-covered corridor.
The guards outside immediately straightened.
Prince Rui had returned.
Shen Li looked up instinctively.
Then frowned immediately.
Prince Rui entered beneath drifting snow wearing black military robes dusted white at the shoulders. His expression remained calm as always-
but he looked pale again.
Too pale.
The moment he sat across from her, Shen Li noticed faint blood staining the bandages beneath his collar.
Her expression cooled instantly.
"You reopened the wound."
Prince Rui paused slightly.
Caught.
Qingyu immediately sighed like someone exhausted by difficult children. "This servant will prepare medicine."
Then she fled before Prince Rui could escape treatment.
The pavilion quieted again.
Shen Li reached toward the teapot calmly. "How badly?"
"It's nothing serious."
She looked up slowly.
Prince Rui immediately understood.
Wrong answer.
After several dangerous seconds of silence, he corrected himself:
"...The physician said it reopened slightly."
"Why?"
"Interrogation became troublesome."
Shen Li nearly closed her eyes in disbelief.
Of course.
Prince Rui probably ignored pain entirely while terrifying prisoners half to death.
She poured fresh tea silently before speaking: "Your Highness promised to rest."
"I promised not to kill anyone immediately."
Shen Li stared.
Then unexpectedly-
laughed.
Soft. Helpless. Beautiful.
Prince Rui stilled quietly watching her.
Because recently, she laughed more often around him.
And every single time-
he wanted to hear it again.
Shen Li shook her head lightly. "Your Highness twists words terribly."
Prince Rui answered seriously: "I learned from court officials."
The deadpan response nearly made her laugh again.
For a moment, the tension dissolved completely.
Warm lantern light. Falling snow. Quiet conversation.
It felt dangerously domestic.
Then Shen Li noticed something else.
Prince Rui had not touched the dinner laid beside him.
"You still haven't eaten."
"I wasn't hungry."
"That is not an acceptable answer."
Prince Rui looked at her quietly.
Then, after one pause too long:
"Will you eat with me?"
The question carried strange softness beneath it.
Shen Li blinked slightly.
Because despite being married now, Prince Rui still asked gently instead of assuming.
Always asking. Always giving her space to choose.
Her chest softened immediately.
"...Mm."
The servants quickly arranged additional dishes while snow drifted softly beyond the pavilion.
And for the first time in many years-
Prince Rui ate dinner with someone beside him.
Not military officers. Not court officials.
Just her.
At first, silence lingered naturally between them.
Then gradually-
small conversation emerged.
Shen Li asked about military border conditions.
Prince Rui asked whether the estate servants behaved properly.
At one point, Shen Li quietly placed more food into his bowl after noticing he favored certain dishes.
Prince Rui noticed immediately.
Then afterward, every time servants approached with those dishes again-
his gaze unconsciously shifted toward her first.
Qingyu nearly cried watching from outside.
They already acted like a real married couple.
-
Much later that night, snowstorms intensified across the capital.
The wind became strong enough to rattle windows violently throughout the estate.
Prince Rui remained inside the plum blossom courtyard reviewing military documents while Shen Li read nearby beneath warm candlelight.
Peaceful.
Quiet.
Then thunder cracked suddenly across the sky.
The next second-
the pavilion lanterns extinguished entirely.
Darkness swallowed the room.
Qingyu squeaked somewhere outside.
Several servants scrambled immediately to relight candles while storm winds swept through the courtyard.
Inside the darkness, Shen Li instinctively shifted backward slightly at the sudden thunder.
Then paused.
Because someone's hand had already reached hers first.
Warm. Steady. Protective.
Prince Rui.
"You dislike thunder."
Not a question.
A realization.
Shen Li froze softly.
"...How does Your Highness know that?"
Another flash of lightning illuminated the pavilion briefly.
Enough for Shen Li to see Prince Rui watching her quietly across the darkness.
Then thunder echoed again.
This time, Prince Rui's fingers tightened gently around hers before answering:
"You moved closer every time the sky became loud."
The observation felt unbearably intimate somehow.
Because it meant he noticed even this.
Tiny unconscious movements. Tiny fears.
The lanterns slowly relit one by one afterward.
Yet neither released the other's hand immediately.
Warm candlelight returned softly across the pavilion while snowstorm winds continued outside.
And somehow-
the atmosphere became even quieter than before.
Prince Rui looked down briefly toward their joined hands.
Then back toward her face.
His voice lowered slightly.
"Will the thunder keep you awake tonight?"
Shen Li hesitated.
Then honestly: "...Probably."
Another silence followed.
Dangerously quiet.
Then Prince Rui said calmly:
"Then this prince will stay awake too."
Her heartbeat nearly stopped entirely.
Before Shen Li could recover, Prince Rui added in the same steady tone:
"Sharing fear alone is inefficient."
The excuse was terrible.
Absolutely terrible.
And somehow-
that made it worse.