n

n

nXu turned ashen after hearing what Shi said.

n“I didn’t seem to offend anyone of Sky Hermit Fort. Why does someone want to kill me?”

nShi shook his head. “I don’t know, either.”

n

n

nXu said with a bitter smile, “I didn’t find out I was so unlikable before.”

nShi sighed. “Well, what kind of person is the girl his mother let him be betrothed with?”

n“You meant Zhou Yu’er?” Xu was in a trance. “She? She’s good. What’s wrong with her?”

n“Did you meet her?” asked Shi again.

n

n

n“I met her twice. She seems gentle. What’s wrong with her? She’s timid, too.”

n“Oh?” Shi picked his brows. “A gentle girl?”

n“Yes, that’s how I feel about her.”

nShi explained slowly, “Few of the people around you have interest conflicts with you, but Zhou Yu’er has the motive to kill you, on the premises that she likes Fang Shuoyang and eagers to marry him.”

n

n

nXu fell into a daze again. “Well…”

nHaving pondered over it for a while, Xu suddenly remembered that he seemed to see her run out of Fang’s study with tears…

nHe also asked Fang about this that that time, but Fang said nothing to worry about.

nHe even joked with Fang why Fang made her cry and the like…

nThus, Zhou actually liked Fang, didn’t she?

nHowever, Fang never told him about this…

n

n

nShi clearly understood it upon seeing Xu’s appearance and slightly shook his head. “Do you know her background?”

n“I know nothing about her except that she’s the niece of Fang’s mother.”

nShi felt somewhat wordless. How could a person be so careless?

n“She’s your rival in love. How can you know nothing about her?”

nXu felt aggrieved. “Fang doesn’t like her, so she’s technically not my rival.”

nShi twisted the corners of his lips and really got nothing to say.

nXu turned more aggrieved. “I only consider Fang’s parents as my rivals. The others mean nothing to me.”

n“She may marry Fang. Does this also mean nothing to you?”

n

n

nFang flattened his mouth. “I don’t think Fang will marry her. After all, Fang likes men like me, doesn’t he? So if I really have rivals in love, they must be men.”

nShi, “…”

nOkay, he admitted that Xu’s mind was too…he didn’t know how to put it. His mind was rather “normal”, so he couldn’t understand Xu.

nXu felt extremely aggrieved. “Elder Brother Shi…am I very stupid?”

nShi feigned coughing. “It can’t be said in this way. You’re utterly pure.”

nXu asked, “…doesn’t it mean I’m stupid?”

nShi shrugged. “I didn’t say that. But, I don’t mind if you say so.”

nHearing this, Xu glared at Shi with accusation in his eyes. “Elder Brother Shi, you’re so bad. I’ll tell elder brother on you.”

nShi said with a faint smile, “You bet. I also wanna know whom he favors.”

nXu, “…”

nAfter finishing the morning session, Long returned the Qiankun Palace and saw this.

nIt looked like one person bullied the other. Xu looked very aggrieved, but his empress was quite composed as if he did nothing.

nLong walked over with a chuckle and put an arm around Shi’s shoulders.

n

n

n“What’s up?”

nShi replied with a smile. “It’s all right. By the way, what about the morning session?”

nXu said ahead of Long, “Elder brother, I have something to tell you! Elder Brother Shi bullied me.”

n“Eh?” Long then asked with his brows raised, “Shouldn’t it be like this?”

nXu turned livid. “Elder brother, aren’t you cruel? This is an outrage.”

nLong shrugged his shoulders. “So what? I think you understand love is more important than friendship.”

nXu got very furious with a pale face and directly left away.

nLong smiled.

nShi looked at Long with a faint smile, “You sent him away in this way?”

n“My husband is more significant than my little brother,” Long said naturally.

n“Husband?” Shi picked his brows even higher.

n“Yes.” Long smiled and blew a kiss on Shi’s forehead. “You’re my husband and I’m yours. Am I right?”

n“Well…” Shi nodded and smiled. “You’ve made your point.”

nAfter that, Long held Shi’s hand and led Shi to the table. Suddenly, Long found that he loved holding Shi’s hand.

nSoft and tender, Shi’s hands got long and fair fingers, looking comfortable and also feeling good when Long held them.

nNot as delicate as women’s, Shi’s hands were more likable, making Long always want to behold.

nWith his hand held, Shi walked toward the table.

nShi asked again after sitting by the table, “How about the morning session?”

nLong curled his lips. “Several ministers in favor of First Wangyeh went crazy and almost wanted to hold everyone accountable.”

nShi raised his brows. “Oh? Have they exposed themselves? It seems they wagered all they had.”

n“Eh,” Long said with a nod. “But…Qingzhou, I feel an invisible eye hidden in the dark is watching us. The moment we found someone sneaking into the mansion of First Wangyeh might have something to do with Muzar’s death, the big fire broke out there…it’s so coincident that I’d rather believe someone is watching us especially.”

nShi pursed his lips. “I think so, too. ”

n“There is more than this,” Long muttered to himself. “In addition, I get this faint feeling. The backstage conspirator or the eye wants us to do so… ”

nShi paused upon hearing this and said, “You mean…”

nLong shook his head. “I don’t know. Just a feeling.”

nShi thought about it for a few moments and said, “Then stop thinking. Let’s have breakfast first.”

nAfter breakfast, the wet nurse brought the little prince over whom Long and Shi then played with for a while.

nWhen the little prince got tired, the wet nurse took him back. Long started to handle government affairs, accompanied by Shi.

nAlthough Shi was there to accompany Long, Shi actually did a lot of things. As he read the reports for Long, he circled the key points and made comments.

nAs a matter of fact, Shi did more that Long.

nThey worked together to handle the reports.

nSoon, it was lunchtime.

nAs they were about to have lunch, the Shadow Guardian in charge of questioning the people of Sky Hermit Fort came over.

nLong asked, “What the hell is this? Tell me in detail.”

nThe Shadow Guardian replied, “One of the two left died from the torture and the other said Holy Lady ordered them. When I asked who Holy Lady was, he bit his tongue and killed himself.”

n“Killed himself?” Long felt a little dissatisfied.

n“I dislocated their jaws after catching them. But, as the men of sacrifice, they had taken poison. As long as they could swallow their saliva in a special way, they would die.”

nOnly then did Long learn of the twists and turns therein. He frowned.

nShi asked, “Did only one of them say about Holy Lady?”

n“Yes.”

nShi looked at Long. “I trust the interrogation methods of the Shadow Guardians, so there is a Holy Lady who directed an order to kill Xu You. It’s a pity we didn’t elicit why from them.”

nLong stroked his chin. “What a pity!”

nAfter the Shadow Guardian left, Long ordered lunch to be delivered. Soon, lunch was placed on the table.

nOver lunch, Long picked up Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs for Shi.

nShi ate them with a smile.

nAfter lunch, Long looked at the reports that were almost finished in the morning, so he didn’t plan to spend all the time on them today.

nThus, Long wanted to take Shi out of the palace.

nShi agreed with Long, so they went out under the protection of several Shadow Guardians.

nIt was very bustling in the streets of the imperial city except for midnight.

nAs Long strolled, he bought two gadgets that could be worn on the clothes.

nIt was no doubt that the emperor shouldn’t have cared about them, but Long was different from others.

nHe found them interesting.

nBut, he preferred dressing others up than himself.

nThereby, the gadgets ended up given to Shi.

nIn addition, one of the jade pendants was hung on the lower hem of Shi’s clothes already.

nShi touched the little fish-shaped jade pendent and said with a smile, “It’s adorable.”

n“It is.” Long smiled proudly. “It also depends on who wears it. It’s beautiful when you wear it.”

nShi glanced at Long with a faint smile. “Is that so?”

n“Of course.” Long smiled. Boom! A huge explosive noise arose right at this very moment. Long and Shi got astonished first and looked at the direction in unison where the noise came from…

n“Over there…it seems to be the direction of First Wangyeh’s mansion?” Long murmured.

nShi said with a nod, “Yes, it does. Let’s go and have a look.”

nThey hurtled there after Long said yes to Shi.

n