My Years in the Jianghu with the Prince: A Time of Unethical Conduct

Seeing Xie Yan's shy expression, Shi Hanxi smiled knowingly and then reached out and gently stroked his face with her finger.

Xie Yan: "..." I'm not clean anymore.

I never imagined that Shi Hanxi would be so different in public and in private. On the surface, he appears to be a virtuous gentleman who is only devoted to art, but in private, he is a hypocritical lecher.

Xie Yan remained outwardly calm, but in reality, she clenched her fist tightly in her sleeve.

Fortunately, Shi Hanxi didn't linger for long. He looked outside, seemed to see something, and paused for a moment. Then, as if to cover his tracks, he glanced at the sky and said, "It's getting late, and the city gates will be closing soon. Let's stop here for today."

Xie Yan immediately nodded shyly, "Okay."

After he left, Xie Yan immediately turned around and leaned out the window to look down. Before long, she saw Shi Hanxi, who had left, and Yanru, who was waiting there, bump into each other.

It was unclear how long Yanru had been standing there. When she saw Shi Hanxi walking towards her, her face was filled with sorrow, and tears streamed down her face before she could utter a word.

To Xie Yan's utter surprise, Shi Hanxi's face, which should have been extremely indifferent, showed absolutely no sign of coldness.

On the contrary, his expression at this moment was exactly the same as when he was facing Xie Yan. His eyes were filled with endless tenderness and affection, as if they could melt a person into them; he looked so deeply affectionate.

It's unclear what the two said, but Yanru pitifully wiped away her tears and was then pulled into Shi Hanxi's arms.

The two embraced tenderly for a while before parting, looking reluctant to leave. An uninformed observer might have remarked that they were a perfect couple.

Xie Yan took everything in, and began to make some plans.

This is interesting. He had initially thought that Yanru, like Huaran, was in unrequited love for Shi Hanxi. But what just happened proved him wrong; the two of them seemed to be mutually in love.

What's even more interesting is that this famous Master Shi doesn't seem to be faithful at all; on the contrary, he seems to be having affairs everywhere.

In the following days, Shi Hanxi came almost every day without fail to complete the painting that Xie Yan had not finished.

But rather than painting, this guy actually spent most of his time deliberately flirting with Xie Yan, like right now—

Xie Yan sat at the table drinking tea and resting when Shi Hanxi silently walked behind him, bent down, placed her hands on the table, and half-encircled him in her arms.

He bent down, his warm breath brushing against Xie Yan's ear.

Unlike her reaction to Chu Ling's approach, Xie Yan felt a chill run down her spine at Shi Hanxi's advances, and almost couldn't resist elbowing him in the face.

Xie Yan's temple veins throbbed as he saw Shi Hanxi's other hand about to reach out again. He immediately stood up and, feigning an accident, headbutted Shi Hanxi hard.

"Oh dear! Master Shi, I didn't mean to! Are you alright?"

Xie Yan exclaimed and immediately stepped forward to help Shi Hanxi, whose chin was swollen from the impact.

"No, it's nothing, it's alright."

Despite saying this, Shi Hanxi's face still darkened, and she brushed away Xie Yan's outstretched hand.

Upon seeing this, Xie Yan's eyes immediately filled with tears, and her tone was pitiful: "Master Shi, are you angry with me? I was just trying to see your paintings, that's why I got up in such a hurry."

Given his behavior, Shi Hanxi naturally felt embarrassed to admit that he had actually just been a little angry.

He covered the increasingly swollen lump on his chin, forcing a smile, and said, "I'm not angry with you, it's just that this painting isn't finished yet, so it's not appropriate to show it to others. You can see it when it's finished."

Xie Yan's eyes darted around, and she feigned a guilty expression as she slowly approached Shi Hanxi. "Then let me take a look at your injury." As she spoke, she reached out to touch Shi Hanxi's chin.

Shi Hanxi stepped back slightly. "No need, it doesn't hurt."

Xie Yan, not wanting him to, grabbed Shi Hanxi's hand and said, "Let me see."

Shi Hanxi was afraid that this guy would go too far, so she immediately got up and hurriedly went outside. "No need to trouble you, Miss. I'll just go and borrow some medicine from Mama Mo."

Xie Yan watched his retreating figure with regret, wishing she could give his bag another scratch.

He then got up and walked to the rolled-up scroll on the table.

Although Shi Hanxi was not a good person, he did have an extraordinary skill, which is why he was known as a national master.

The unfinished portrait of the beauty was opened and placed quietly on the table. His brushwork was superb, and the parts he depicted were indistinguishable from the real thing.

And indeed, it was only a few strokes away from being completely finished.

But the difference was precisely in Xie Yan's face after she disguised herself as Xia Yan'er.

A faceless portrait instantly changed the initial stunning feeling of the entire picture, instead revealing a strange and eerie meaning that made it seem terrifying no matter how you looked at it.

Before Xie Yan could examine the painting any further, he heard rapid footsteps approaching from outside the door. He quickly put the painting away and got up to walk away.

The footsteps were even lighter than those of an ordinary person; if Xie Yan hadn't possessed profound inner strength, he probably wouldn't have been able to hear them. The next second, Shi Hanxi walked in, looking slightly impatient.

Upon closer inspection, it became clear that the man hadn't bothered to treat the wound on his face. Furthermore, the time between his return and arrival was extremely short, as if he had only gone halfway before suddenly changing his mind and turning back.

Shi Hanxi's expression was somewhat gloomy and solemn, as if a heavy boulder was pressing on his heart. As soon as he stepped into the room, his gaze shot straight at the scroll placed on the table, like two sharp lightning bolts.

But the painting lay quietly on the table, still in its original state, without any trace of being touched or unfolded.

Seeing this, Shi Hanxi's tense expression relaxed slightly, and she breathed a faint sigh of relief.

Seeing Xie Yan looking over with a puzzled expression, he immediately composed himself, stepped forward to put the painting away, and said calmly, "I'm not feeling well today, so I'll take my leave for now."

Xie Yan stepped forward in surprise and said, "Master Shi, are you leaving already? It's all my fault. Let me apply the medicine for you."

"No need!" Shi Hanxi waved her hand and quickly stepped back. "I'll just go home and rest for a while. Please stay, young lady."

Xie Yan stood by the window, opened it a crack, and waited. Soon, Shi Hanxi appeared as he expected.

He didn't leave as he said he would; instead, he changed direction and walked towards the backyard.