She remarried a cold-faced, powerful man, and the scumbag regretted it and cried his heart out.

When Shen Jingshu returned to her room, she felt as if all her strength had been drained. She leaned softly against the couch, gently rubbing her throbbing brow with her fingertips, her weariness obvious.

Most of the ice in the ice chest had melted, and the heat inside the room rose again. Jinse picked up a round fan embroidered with mandarin ducks playing in the water and gently waved it.

After seeing Fu Zijin off, Jiang Jin'an immediately noticed Shen Jingshu's languid appearance. He silently approached, took the fan from Jinse's hand, and quietly instructed her to prepare two more ice chests before waving her away.

After Jinse left, Jiang Jin'an sat by the couch and fanned her with a round fan.

After a while, the room was completely silent.

He whispered, "Tired?"

Shen Jingshu opened her eyes and saw it was him. She said, "When did you come in, sir? I didn't hear a sound."

Jiang Jin'an leaned down and kissed her cheek. "You look tired, I didn't want to disturb you. Are you exhausted?"

I am indeed quite tired.

It's the kind that leaves you physically and mentally exhausted.

Shen Jingshu sighed, "Dealing with him has truly exhausted me."

The word "he" is self-evident and needs no explicit mention; both parties understand it implicitly.

Jiang Jin'an put down his fan, pulled her onto his lap, and nestled her in his arms in the most comfortable position to give her support. Then, with a flick of his palm, the jade lock appeared before Shen Jingshu's eyes.

Shen Jingshu glanced at it only once before frowning and looking away. "Why did you bring this thing back again?"

"Since it's given to you, it's yours to do with as you see fit."

He didn't ask any more questions, but simply placed the jade lock in her hand.

Having experienced this twice, Shen Jingshu knew that Jiang Jin'an wasn't entirely indifferent; he simply chose to give her the utmost respect and freedom, which made her feel very comforted.

She sighed softly, stroking the patterns on the jade lock. "It's supposed to be a wedding gift, but it's really... ironic."

Jiang Jin'an raised an eyebrow, settled Shen Jingshu, took the jade lock back from her hand, got up and walked to the window, intending to discard it without hesitation.

Shen Jingshu couldn't help but find it amusing, "What are you doing now? How childish."

Jiang Jin'an turned around and said seriously, "It's an eyesore."

The jade lock was thrown into the flowerbed outside the window, disappearing into the flowers and leaves, never to be seen again.

Jinse and Yaoqin placed several basins of ice, and directed Lin Yu and Wuchen to move them to Yulu Garden. They also prepared the fruit and brought it in together.

The ice basin was placed properly, and the cool breeze dispelled the summer heat.

The peaches were carefully cut into even small pieces and neatly arranged on a white jade plate, with a few bamboo forks stuck in the plate.

Shen Jingshu picked up a bamboo fork, speared a piece of peach, and was about to put it in her mouth when she felt a burning gaze fixed on her from the side.

Jiang Jin'an sat beside her, his eyes deep and unfathomable, staring at her intently, as if anticipating something.

Just moments ago, Fu Zijin had kept her on edge, but now she felt strangely relaxed.

Shen Jingshu's heart softened suddenly, and for some reason, she inexplicably offered the peach to Jiang Jin'an's lips.

Her actions were faster than her thoughts; before she could react, Jiang Jin'an had already taken the peach from her hand and put it in his mouth.

He chewed slowly, his gaze still fixed on her face, his eyes growing increasingly deep.

Shen Jingshu felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze, and her heartbeat became somewhat erratic. She picked up another fruit and continued to feed him.

Jinse and Yaoqin, watching from the side, couldn't help but chuckle. They exchanged a glance and quietly nudged Lin Yu and Wuchen. The group understood and suppressed their laughter before silently leaving the room.

After eating five or six pieces of peach, Jiang Jin'an seemed finally satisfied.

He took the bamboo fork from Shen Jingshu's hand and said gently, "It's my turn to serve you, Madam."

Shen Jingshu had no choice but to let him have his way.

Jiang Jin'an picked up a peach with his fork, but instead of handing it to her, he put it to his lips and leaned forward slightly, pressing down on her with the scent of peaches.

His breath was warm, and he carried a faint medicinal fragrance that mingled with the sweet scent of peaches, making Shen Jingshu feel somewhat dazed.

The peaches were put into their mouths, and the sweet taste spread between their lips and teeth.

Caught off guard, Shen Jingshu blushed at the sudden intimacy. She pushed Jiang Jin'an away and scolded him, "What are you doing? You're so unseemly."

Jiang Jin'an said with a serious expression, "Eat peaches."

He picked up another piece of peach with his fork and this time properly brought it to her lips. Shen Jingshu didn't dodge and slowly ate it with his hand.

Jiang Jin'an looked at her, his smile deepening.

After eating two more pieces, Shen Jingshu shook her head at the outstretched hand, "I'm not eating anymore, it's too sweet."

Jiang Jin'an looked at the remaining peaches on the plate and felt quite sorry for them. He put down the bamboo fork in his hand, hugged Shen Jingshu tighter, and whispered in her ear, "How about we get some other sweet treats?"

Shen Jingshu's cheeks burned even hotter. She reached out and pushed him away. "Stop fooling around. It's time to change the dressing."

She got up and walked to the low cabinet next to her, took out a medicine box, turned around and saw Jiang Jin'an still sitting on the couch, and couldn't help but urge, "You, you should take off your clothes."

Jiang Jin'an chuckled softly, stopped teasing her, and unbuttoned his clothes.

After removing the white silk, the wound had scabbed over, but the surrounding skin was still red and swollen. She then looked at his arms, back, and waist, where there were old scars of various sizes and crisscrossing patterns.

Shen Jingshu used a cotton swab to apply ointment carefully to the wounds. "How did you get these injuries?"

Jiang Jin'an looked up at her and said, "It's just an injury from training when I was young. It's nothing serious."

His tone was nonchalant, and Shen Jingshu recalled something Gu Shiyi had once said.

He entered the training camp of the Commandery at the age of thirteen, fighting wild beasts and battling villains. At sixteen, he fought his way through mountains of corpses and seas of blood. Over the years, he has risen step by step to the position of Commandery Chief. What storms hasn't he weathered?

Around the same age as Yuanzhou, still a naive young boy, he had already begun to live a life of danger, crawling and struggling to survive in the darkness.

What good is the emperor's favor if he loves you so much?

Power, fame, wealth, and honor—how can they ever make up for the suffering he once endured?

Shen Jingshu felt a pang of sadness in her heart. He had come a long way, and the world said he was cold and ruthless, a living devil, yet he had given all his tenderness to her.

She paused for a moment, then suddenly asked, "What is your relationship with His Highness the Crown Prince?"

“My father and mother passed away early. His Majesty, remembering our past relationship, graciously allowed me to enter the palace as a companion to the Crown Prince. During those years, Prime Minister Lu was our teacher.”

"then you……"

Shen Jingshu hesitated, but the Empress's words in the palace today were clear enough, and she had to remind Jiang Jin'an.

“I grew up with the Crown Prince, so there is naturally some affection between us, but I am also His Majesty’s subject.”

Jiang Jin'an seemed to see her confusion and took the initiative to explain: "Everything I have done is for the sake of the country and the people, and for His Majesty's wise decision-making."