Chapter 0170: Xie Chengze’s Confident Vows and Shen Yuan’s Teasing Banter
“Then this subject shall not disturb Your Highness further.” Sheng Shihai raised his hands in a bow, smiling faintly as he said, “I take my leave.”
Watching Sheng Shihai depart, the tense Xie Chengze finally let out a soft sigh of relief, lowering his head to discover his palms were drenched in sweat.
Though he knew the other wouldn’t kill him, the thought of how effortlessly the martial arts expert could crush a life like an ant still made Xie Chengze unavoidably nervous.
Patting his chest to calm himself, Xie Chengze gazed at the lone remaining dumpling and egg drop soup in the food box. Whispering a silent apology, he closed the lid and returned to his chamber.
Inside, Shen Yuan was sipping tea. Hearing the movement, he turned his head. “Your Highness took so long? I almost thought you’d fled out of guilt.”
His eyes fell upon the familiar food box in Xie Chengze’s hands, and he raised an eyebrow. “Don’t tell me the gift Your Highness intended to present was pastries made by someone else?”
“Of course not!” Xie Chengze placed the food box on the wooden table, declaring righteously, “These are dumplings I made with my own hands! Even the Emperor hasn’t tasted them—you’re the first to have this honor!”
Hearing this, Shen Yuan was momentarily stunned. He never expected Xie Chengze would choose to cook personally.
And… he was the first to receive it.
A faint smile touched his lips as Shen Yuan lowered his head, eagerly lifting the lid of the food box.
The next second, his smile froze.
…What an ugly dumpling.
Appearance aside, the key issue was… “Why is there only one? You were gone for so long and only made one?”
Shen Yuan’s tone was incredulous.
“Ahem, isn’t one enough?” Xie Chengze raised a fist to cover his mouth as he coughed twice. “You should be grateful I made you anything at all. Don’t be so picky.”
“But this plate…” Shen Yuan narrowed his eyes at the lingering dumpling stains on the dish. “It looks like several dumplings were placed here before?”
“Eh?” Xie Chengze hadn’t anticipated Shen Yuan’s sharp observation. Leaning in for a look, he confirmed it was true and stammered, “Oh, th-they were just too ugly, so I threw a few away.”
“Hurry up and eat! They may look unappealing, but they taste wonderful!” Xie Chengze tried to mask his guilt with an urging tone, retrieving the egg drop soup from the food box. “Here, have some soup too.”
“Is that so…” Shen Yuan touched the bowl containing the egg drop soup, feeling its lukewarm temperature before casting a calm glance at Xie Chengze. “Then I shall partake.”
Placing the dumpling in his mouth, he bit through the wrapper, releasing a burst of richly fragrant meat juices. Though cooled, the flavor was exceptional—proof that dumplings shouldn’t be judged by their appearance.
“How is it?” Xie Chengze asked expectantly.
“Your Highness didn’t try one?” Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow.
“I did, I did,” Xie Chengze replied instinctively, only to have Shen Yuan grasp his chin the next moment.
The man leaned in, sniffing lightly. “Really… Then why does Your Highness carry no scent of dumplings?”
“…” Xie Chengze quickly covered his mouth, guiltily averting his gaze. “Why so many questions over a dumpling! Where’s my New Year’s gift?”
Shen Yuan leaned back, releasing his hand with a light laugh. “Why is Your Highness so nervous? This humble subject wouldn’t dare devour you. It’s merely a dumpling—even if Your Highness offered it to someone else first, at most I’d feel a twinge of jealousy. What could I possibly do to you?”
These words only deepened Xie Chengze’s guilt. He pushed the egg soup toward Shen Yuan and urged, “Drink it quickly. No one has touched this either.”
Shen Yuan took a sip. The flavor of the dumpling broth overpowered the egg’s slight fishy taste, making it palatable enough. After finishing the soup, he slid the New Year’s gift from the table toward Xie Chengze.
Xie Chengze pressed his hand against the small box, his heart fluttering slightly.
What would Shen Yuan give him?
With that cunning mind of his, surely it would be a self-defense weapon? Judging by the box’s size, perhaps a dagger?
Xie Chengze eagerly lifted the lid—only for his expectant smile to freeze on his lips the next second.
“Shen! Yuan!” the young man roared. “What kind of New Year’s gift is this?”
Shen Yuan had already covered his ears, responding with unshakable calm. “What’s wrong, Your Highness? I heard this Snow Jade Cream is an exquisite product reserved for nobility—refreshing and gentle on the skin. Your Highness must remember to use it well~”
“This is what I gifted you!” Xie Chengze gripped the jade cream container, teeth clenched.
Even those exact words were what he’d said when presenting it to Shen Yuan back in Yi Province!
“Wouldn’t dare, wouldn’t dare. The Snow Jade Cream Your Highness gave me is right here!” Shen Yuan patted the sachet at his waist, smiling meaningfully. “I’ve kept it with me at all times, never entrusting it to others.”
Xie Chengze:…
Damn it.
Don’t be angry, don’t be angry—after all, I only gave him one dumpling… but I made it with my own hands!
It’s not like I lack Snow Jade Cream!
Xie Chengze pursed his lips and sulked, “Fine. I’ll save it for my future crown princess.”
At the mention of “crown princess,” Shen Yuan’s eyebrow twitched almost imperceptibly. The next moment, Xie Chengze felt the jade cream vanish from his hand.
“What are you doing?” Xie Chengze glared at the cream now resting in Shen Yuan’s broad palm. “Changed your mind already?”
“Upon reflection, gifting Your Highness Snow Jade Cream was indeed inappropriate.” Shen Yuan produced another small wooden box from his sleeve. “This would be more suitable.”
This was the real New Year’s gift he’d intended to give. He’d only brought out the jade cream to tease Xie Chengze after noticing his evasiveness and the lone, clumsily wrapped dumpling left for him.
“Hmph, I knew it!” Xie Chengze immediately brightened, eagerly opening the new box. Inside lay a pair of silver ball earrings with tassels, the silver threads hammered thin as cicada wings. The tiny silver spheres were engraved with intricate patterns—clearly the work of a master artisan using inner energy, far beyond ordinary craftsmanship.
“Don’t tell me you made these…” Xie Chengze glanced at Shen Yuan. Though the earrings demonstrated advanced technique, their design was strikingly simple, reminiscent of straight male aesthetics rather than a meticulous artisan’s touch.
Shen Yuan took a sip of tea, his tone casual yet laced with amusement. “These are earrings I crafted personally. Even the Emperor has never worn anything I made—Your Highness is the first to receive such an honor!”
Xie Chengze:…
This man is insufferable!
Did he have to expose himself like that?
Xie Chengze snorted in displeasure, yet couldn’t resist picking up the earring again. Almost immediately, he noticed something unusual. He shook it gently. “There’s something inside this silver bead?”
“Poison.”
“!!!”
Xie Chengze jolted in surprise, hurriedly examining the silver bead more closely. “But that can’t be right. Shouldn’t silver turn black when it comes into contact with poison?”
“Not all poisons can be detected by silver needles.” Shen Yuan took the earring from his hand, tilting the young man’s face downward before gently inserting the earring through his earlobe. His thumb lightly flicked the dangling tassel, inadvertently brushing against the soft flesh behind the earlobe, causing the young man to tilt his head slightly.
“What I’ve prepared for Your Highness is a rare, odorless lethal poison that ordinary methods would never detect,” Shen Yuan murmured slowly by his ear. “Since Your Highness enjoys sending Wuhen and Wuji away so much, leaving yourself alone is inherently unsafe. If someone captures you, this might come in handy.”
“Then why not gift me a dagger instead?” Xie Chengze always felt poison was less practical than a blade. “What if they tie my hands? How would I administer the poison?”
Shen Yuan chuckled. “I trust Your Highness possesses the wit to coax captors into untying you.”
“But…” He paused, teasingly staring at Xie Chengze, “I certainly don’t believe Your Highness—in such a debilitated state—would have the strength to overpower kidnappers with a dagger.”
Xie Chengze: …
Xie Chengze roared: “Shen! Yuan!”