An Unexplained Change

When Xiao Jinyi heard that Shen Shixu was taking him to meet his older brother, he suddenly grew nervous—more nervous than he had been the first time he went into battle.

Only after arriving in the Capital did Shen Zexi learn from Xiaoshi that his younger brother had not only become the Top Scholar, but was now the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, and had cracked a major case as soon as he took office.

He was bursting with pride, happier than if he had become the Top Scholar himself. He even launched a promotion at his shops: for the next three days, everything purchased from a business under the Shen Corporation would be thirty percent off.

When he heard that his brother would come home to see him after work, he brought a chair out to the entrance and sat there eagerly waiting, chatting with the neighbors as he waited—or, more accurately, showing off to them.

He told them how wonderful his younger brother was: not only obedient and sensible, but now the Top Scholar and serving at the Court of Judicial Review.

The elderly men and women gathered around him were filled with envy, and all asked Shen Zexi how he had managed to raise such a fine young man.

When Shen Shixu returned with Xiao Jinyi, he saw his brother sitting among a group of older men and women, holding a handful of sunflower seeds and chatting away with great enthusiasm.

"Brother!"

Shen Zexi did not even hear Shen Shixu call him. At the sight of Shen Shixu's speechless expression, Xiao Jinyi could not hold back a laugh.

It was bad enough that his brother was ignoring him, but now Xiao Jinyi was laughing at him too. Shen Shixu's face flushed with indignation.

"Brother! I'm home!"

Only then did Shen Zexi hear Shen Shixu calling him. His eyes lit up when he saw his precious younger brother. Abandoning his conversation with the neighbors, he picked up the chair he had been sitting on and hurried over.

"Shixu, you're back! Oh, is this the friend you told me about?" Shen Zexi ran over carrying his chair. His precious younger brother was the first person he noticed, followed by Xiao Jinyi at his side.

After looking Xiao Jinyi over, Shen Zexi nodded inwardly. As expected of his brother's friend, he was every bit as outstanding as his brother.

He was tall and well-built, with handsome features. Judging by his clothes, he came from a wealthy family too. He looked about Shen Shixu's age, so Shen Zexi guessed he was another scholar who had come to the Capital for the imperial examinations.

Once his brother came over, Shen Shixu had him follow them into the courtyard, then introduced the two men.

"Your Highness, this is my older brother, Shen Zexi!"

After introducing Shen Zexi to Xiao Jinyi, he turned to his brother, who had been startled by the way he had addressed their guest. "Brother, this is a new friend I made after coming to the Capital, His Highness Prince Jing, Xiao Jinyi!"

Xiao Jinyi took the initiative to greet him. "Brother Shen!"

Shen Zexi nodded blankly, then turned to Shen Shixu a moment later and asked, "Should I pay my respects? Do I need to kneel?"

Hearing this, Xiao Jinyi hurriedly said, "Brother Shen, I'm here today as Shixu's friend, not as Prince Jing. You don't need to be so formal with me, much less bow."

Shen Zexi did not dare take him at his word. He glanced at Shen Shixu again, and only relaxed a little after seeing him nod.

Shen Shixu knew that his brother would feel uncomfortable if Xiao Jinyi stayed, so he spoke up. "Brother, His Highness and I have arranged to have lunch together, so I won't be eating at home. Don't prepare anything for me. We'll be off!"

After they left the courtyard, Shen Shixu stole a glance at Xiao Jinyi. Seeing that his expression was calm and that he had taken no offense at Shen Zexi's behavior, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"I haven't been in the Capital long. I've heard of the Heavenly Fragrance House, but I don't know what its signature dishes are."

Once they boarded the carriage, Shen Shixu brought up a topic himself. Otherwise, they would have had nothing to do but sit in silence on the way to the restaurant.

Xiao Jinyi answered honestly, "Actually, I don't know either. The Heavenly Fragrance House opened while I was in the Borderlands, and I've never been there. Today will be my first visit too.

"I wanted to treat you to a meal, so I made a point of asking around. People spoke highly of the Heavenly Fragrance House, which is why I chose it.

"I don't know whether it'll suit your tastes. If it doesn't, we can go somewhere else."

Shen Shixu shook his head. "I'm sure it will. I'm easy to feed—I'll eat anything. I just can't really handle sour food."

Hearing that, Xiao Jinyi felt they really did have something in common. He could not handle sour food very well either.

"Really? Neither can I. There's not much I won't eat, but I have a low tolerance for sour flavors. I prefer spicy food. I like the kick."

Shen Shixu was a little surprised. "I thought you'd prefer lighter food. I didn't expect you to like such strong flavors, but our tastes are actually the same. It looks like we can eat together more often, or recommend our favorite restaurants to each other."

Xiao Jinyi was delighted that he and Shen Shixu shared the same tastes.

Then he sensed that something was not quite right. He seemed to care too much about Shen Shixu. Just as he had inexplicably grown nervous about meeting his brother earlier, he was now happy simply because they liked the same food.

It was a strange feeling, and Xiao Jinyi, who had never experienced it before, found it a little frightening.

Once he recognized what he was feeling, Xiao Jinyi could not help thinking it absurd. He had felt no fear when facing three thousand enemy cavalrymen alone, yet now he was afraid.

When he remained silent for a long time, Shen Shixu could not resist waving a hand in front of his face. "Why did you suddenly stop talking? Your expression looks a little off too. Are you feeling unwell? Should we stop at a clinic first? Or go to the palace and see an imperial physician?"

Xiao Jinyi caught the hand waving in front of him. Looking into Shen Shixu's suddenly flustered eyes, he said, "I'm not feeling unwell. I was just lost in thought for a moment."

As he spoke, Xiao Jinyi had no idea how frightening his gaze was. He was like a wolf that had set its sights on its chosen prey, his eyes filled with a longing and possessiveness he did not recognize himself.

Looking into those wolfish eyes, Shen Shixu grew so flustered that he forgot to pull his hand free.

Silence fell between them. Only when Mo Yu announced from outside that they had arrived at the Heavenly Fragrance House did the frozen atmosphere slowly begin to thaw.

Only then did Xiao Jinyi realize he had been holding Shen Shixu's hand all this time. He quickly let go, only to feel reluctant to part with it.

"I'm sorry. I held your hand the whole way. I didn't hurt you, did I?"

Shen Shixu tucked the hand Xiao Jinyi had held behind his back and shook his head. "It's fine. Let's hurry up and eat. I'm getting a little hungry."

Xiao Jinyi nodded and followed a step behind Shen Shixu, watching his back with a predatory gleam in his eyes.