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Shen Chuwei was stunned for a while before trotting over.

Xiao Jinyan slowed his steps, calmly watching the petite figure running toward him, her eyes filled with joy and excitement. The scene in front of him left him somewhat dazed as if he had experienced a similar moment before.

Shen Chuwei ran up to Xiao Jinyan and stopped, glanced at the wild chickens and rabbits in his hands, and smiled delightedly, "Your Highness, you’re so fast. We’ll have wild rabbit and chicken tonight."

Xiao Jinyan ordered, "Weichi, deal with them."

"As you wish, Master." Weichi took the wild chickens and rabbits towards the lakeside. Before leaving, he glanced back at Shen Chuwei’s happy smiling face. She really looked incredibly like Lady Shen...

Xiao Jinyan went to the lakeside to wash his hands.

Shen Chuwei followed with a light step, delighted by the thought of roasted rabbit and chicken that evening.

The lake was not far from here; just a few steps and they arrived.

There was an extra-large stone by the lake. Xiao Jinyan squatted on the stone and washed his hands with the water from the lake.

Shen Chuwei also squatted beside him, taking out a handkerchief from her sleeve. She always forgot to carry a handkerchief when she first arrived and was tirelessly reminded by Chun Xi numerous times.

Now she was accustomed to carrying a handkerchief, which also came in handy to cover her face and steal a laugh without anyone noticing.

After Xiao Jinyan finished washing, she handed the handkerchief to him.

"Your Highness, wipe your hands," she offered.

Xiao Jinyan looked at the pink handkerchief in front of him and said warmly, "You do it for me."

Without thinking, Shen Chuwei agreed, "Alright."

She looked down at the pair of hands before her; in the sunset, the hands, wet with droplets of water, looked exceptionally pale, the joints long and well-defined.

With one hand holding the handkerchief and the other gripping Xiao Jinyan’s hand, she conscientiously wiped them clean, seizing the opportunity to subtly get a bit more touch.

Xiao Jinyan’s hands were not only good-looking but also nice to touch~

Shen Chuwei’s subtle actions were all caught by Xiao Jinyan, "I remember that painting; it included my hands as well."

Shen Chuwei hesitated in her movements, inwardly marveling at the Crown Prince’s memory—which apparently was remarkably good, to remember such a detail~

Truth be told, she wasn’t just a face admirer; she was somewhat fascinated by hands as well.

Without looking up, she blurted out, "Your Highness is unaware, but hands are considered the second face of a person. Since the face is painted, naturally the hands should be as well."

Xiao Jinyan looked up at her, "How come I have never heard such an opinion before?"

"Because it’s a conclusion I came up with. If I don’t tell Your Highness, of course, you wouldn’t have heard it, so there’s no need to be surprised," Shen Chuwei said and then laughed, somewhat admiring her own quick-witted bluff.

Xiao Jinyan let the comment pass without affirmation.

Shen Chuwei withdrew her hand, "Your Highness, it’s done."

Xiao Jinyan didn’t hurry to leave, but instead, sat down on the stone.

Seeing this, Shen Chuwei also sat down next to Xiao Jinyan, shoulder to shoulder on the stone.

The evening sun cast a warm glow on the lake, making it shimmer.

"Chuwei," he called.

Shen Chuwei raised her head when she heard Xiao Jinyan calling her and saw him looking at her with a tender gaze, "Your Highness?"

Of course, the tender look must have been an illusion~

Xiao Jinyan looked at her, his gaze moving downward, resting on her soft lips. He had held back for days, but this time he couldn’t resist any longer; it must have been beyond his control.

Shen Chuwei blinked her attractive eyes a couple of times, watching the handsome face drawing closer, and couldn’t help but think that she had just eaten chocolate and whether kissing would be affected by it.

Xiao Jinyan was, after all, a person with a strong sense of cleanliness~

"Master, something bad..." happened...

Qin Xiao dashed over and saw this scene, with the rest of his words stuck in his throat.

His mouth agape in surprise, he definitely must have seen wrong. How could his Master possibly, right?

Just as Xiao Jinyan’s lips touched the soft ones, the sudden shout startled him, and his face darkened ominously.

Shen Chuwei wore an awkward expression.

Xiao Jinyan looked up at Qin Xiao on the shore, his gaze sharp as an ice blade, "What is it?"

Qin Xiao felt a chill running down his spine, and bracing himself, he reported, "Master, the Luozhi County official suddenly fainted; he may be in grave danger."

Although the Luozhi County official was currently a criminal, he had yet to be stripped of his rank and was still a county official.

The Luozhi County official was a key figure in the corruption case and had yet to be thoroughly interrogated at Dali Temple before something happened, meaning subsequent leads could be severed.

"What?" Xiao Jinyan immediately stood up from the stone.

Shen Chuwei followed suit, standing up, and seeing the dust on Xiao Jinyan’s bottom, she flicked it off—

Qin Xiao: "..." To think she dared to touch the Master’s bottom, what audacity!

Xiao Jinyan’s body stiffened, and as he turned his head, Shen Chuwei had already finished flicking, now patting her own rear in an casual manner, no different than what she had done previously.

It was then he realized Shen Chuwei was just helping him brush off the dust~

When Xiao Jinyan reached the prison cart, the Luozhi County official had already been laid down by the guards, flat on the ground.

Since there was no Imperial Doctor accompanying them, the guards were at a loss for what to do after putting the official down.

Xiao Jinyan stepped forward, squatting down in front of the Luozhi County official, examining his complexion carefully and asking coldly, "When did you discover he had fainted?"

"Replying to Master, after traveling the road for so long, I tried to give the Luozhi County official some water when I found out he had fainted," the subordinate answered.

Xiao Jinyan asked further, "What did he eat before this?"

The subordinate answered, "At lunchtime he had a steamed bun and drank some water."

Shen Chuwei squatted down too, taking out disposable gloves from her sleeve, lifting the Luozhi County official’s eyelid. Aside from some eye discharge, she noticed nothing else, then she forcefully gripped his jaw, making him open his mouth. A foul stench assaulted her, almost sending her reeling.

At this moment, Shen Chuwei deeply regretted not wearing a mask!

The Luozhi County official, nearly fifty years of age and not very diligent in his cleanliness, combined with sitting in the prison cart for days without proper washing, the smell could be imagined.

Xiao Jinyan was almost sent away by the stench as well, given his proximity. Such a sudden and intense odor was certainly unbearable for someone with his level of cleanliness.

Xiao Jinyan watched Shen Chuwei’s movements with a serious gaze, knowing she had some medical knowledge and there might still be hope.

It just seemed somewhat unfair to let a woman handle such matters.

Shen Chuwei didn’t find any issue and quickly released the Luozhi County official’s jaw to escape the stink.

She then took his wrist, placing a silk scarf over it before checking his pulse.

All those details displayed by Shen Chuwei were noted by Xiao Jinyan, the gloves, the silk scarf...

Who says she doesn’t know manners and etiquette?

She not only addressed the issue but also avoided any potentially compromising situations.

What Xiao Jinyan didn’t know was that Shen Chuwei actually despised touching the Luozhi County official because she found him highly repulsive.

On the day she moved into the county residence, she happened to encounter the Luozhi County official and his lecherous gaze lingered on her unabashedly, as if he wished to devour her.

Fortunately, justice prevails and doesn’t overlook the wicked.

Seeing Shen Chuwei retract her hand, Xiao Jinyan couldn’t help feeling worried, "Chuwei, is there any hope for the Luozhi County official?"