Silent Lover (The Silent Concubine) - Chap 141

Chapter 141 – Tiger and Rabbit

On a pleasantly warm morning, Jun Xuanxiao was personally organizing his package while chatting with Shen Yu.

“Yu’er, today I’ll take you out of the palace. Haven’t you always hated being confined in the imperial palace? If you want to go anywhere in the future, just tell me.”

Jun Xuanxiao, dressed in plain clothes and short sleeves, looked like an ordinary warrior, but his robust figure made even the simplest attire look distinguished and commanding. He stood out in any crowd.

“Yu’er, I’ve brought some snacks for you, but don’t eat too many; it will spoil your appetite… Do you want to bring an extra cloak? Although the weather has warmed up, it might get windy and you could catch a chill. Better to bring one.”

Sitting quietly by the bed, Shen Yu tilted his head slightly, looking at Jun Xuanxiao’s busy back with mild confusion.

How did the mighty Prince Zhenbei, who could summon the wind and rain, become more chatty than a mother?

Shen Yu couldn’t quite grasp what Jun Xuanxiao was mumbling about. Most of the time, Shen Yu was lost in thought after waking up, and his mind seemed somewhat foggy. Jun Xuanxiao often spoke to himself, with Shen Yu only occasionally catching a word or two.

Shen Yu remembered this man clearly and knew well their complicated relationship of love and hate. Yet, it felt like something from a past life, always distant and separated.

It was as if his heart had a locked box that kept all memories and feelings related to Jun Xuanxiao sealed away. Shen Yu would not touch it, and when he thought of it, it felt like reading someone else’s story, as if it were unrelated to him.

Only when Jun Xuanxiao was close did Shen Yu instinctively feel resistance and fear.

“Yu’er, the carriage is outside. Let’s go.”

Jun Xuanxiao’s chiseled face leaned in, showing a face full of tenderness, but Shen Yu couldn’t look directly at him. Thus, when Jun Xuanxiao took his hand to help him into the carriage, Shen Yu’s expression was like someone going to their execution.

The carriage was spacious. Shen Yu and Jun Xuanxiao sat across from each other. Shen Yu kept his head turned, watching the bustling cityscape outside. Only when his neck ached did he change positions, noticing that Jun Xuanxiao was not looking out the window but kept his gaze fixed on Shen Yu’s face.

Jun Xuanxiao seemed to treat Shen Yu as the most beautiful scenery.

“Yu’er, that’s a wine house, over there is a tea house, that one is a pawn shop, and that’s a cloth store…”

Jun Xuanxiao inched closer, their fingers lightly touching. Shen Yu was absorbed in the city’s splendor and didn’t notice. Jun Xuanxiao was overjoyed but didn’t dare to advance further.

“That person with the pole is selling tofu pudding… Stop!”

Jun Xuanxiao instructed the servants to buy a bowl of tofu pudding and handed it to Shen Yu. He didn’t really know how to treat someone well, so he clumsily offered whatever he saw, thinking that Shen Yu was too thin and needed to be fed until he was plump to feel reassured.

Shen Yu didn’t take it. He had never seen tofu pudding before, with its watery, medicinal look.

He had had enough medicine, and his throat was bitter. Now that he was finally out of the palace, he didn’t want to drink more.

“What’s wrong? It’s very sweet; try it.”

Jun Xuanxiao leaned over, gently persuading him. Shen Yu’s pupils contracted, quickly taking the bowl and gulping down the contents without tasting it.

He was frightened.

Even though Jun Xuanxiao’s demeanor was gentle, his image in Shen Yu’s mind was too terrifying. Even a kind smile felt scary.

Just like a tiger tossing a bloody piece of meat in front of a rabbit, the rabbit would not feel grateful but would tremble, fearing it might be the next piece of meat.

Gulping down the tofu pudding, Shen Yu choked and coughed.

“Ha ha ha, no one is competing with you, Yu’er. You didn’t even taste it properly, did you?”

Jun Xuanxiao wiped the white tofu pudding from Shen Yu’s lips with his finger and then licked it. Although Jun Xuanxiao did not like sweet things, he found it especially delicious.

Shen Yu kept his eyes wide open, his body tense and unmoving.

When the carriage finally left the outskirts of the capital and stopped outside a village, Jun Xuanxiao jumped down from the carriage, and Shen Yu finally relaxed.

Jun Xuanxiao turned back, lifted the curtain, and instructed, “Yu’er, wait here in the carriage. I’ll be right back.”

Finally, he was leaving…

What did he just say?

Shen Yu sighed with relief. Whenever he faced Jun Xuanxiao, he was so flustered that he couldn’t even pay attention to what Jun Xuanxiao was saying. He never felt this way with others.

At this moment, Bian Shisi and Hong Lian also came down from the back carriage and squeezed into Shen Yu’s carriage.

“Ah, Prince Zhenbei, you have such a spacious carriage with cushions, and my backside is about to break from the bumps…”

Hong Lian and Bian Shisi chattered as they squeezed in, taking the most comfortable places.

“It was probably already cracked,” Bian Shisi scoffed.