I Have Nothing to Repay You With, So I Can Only

The study.

Incense smoke curled gracefully.

"Miss Shen, please have some tea."

Fang Heng had Aunt Yun prepare tea for Shen Qiushui, secretly observing her, a silent murmur in his heart.

Shen Qiushui actually came to visit?

He had been startled when the servant reported her arrival.

For the dignified legitimate daughter of the Martial Prime Minister to come alone to see him...

It was truly a bit unbelievable.

He wondered if the Martial Prime Minister knew about this.

He'd heard the Martial Prime Minister was a complete doting father.

"This humble maiden apologizes for intruding, Your Highness, please forgive me."

After some pleasantries, Fang Heng proactively asked, "May I ask, Miss Shen, what brings you here today?"

Shen Qiushui glanced at Yun Menglan, pursed her red lips, and hinted at something.

Fang Heng understood immediately and gave Yun Menglan a look.

"This servant will wait outside. If Your Highness needs anything, just call for me."

With that, Yun Menglan moved with light, graceful steps and exited the study.

Only when it was just her and Fang Heng left in the study did Shen Qiushui slowly begin to speak.

Her voice was soft and sweet, stirring an urge to protect her.

"This humble maiden came today to thank Your Highness for your guidance that day."

"Miss Shen, you're too kind. It was merely a small trick."

Fang Heng said indifferently. He hadn't truly taken the guidance he offered that day to heart.

Shen Qiushui, however, disagreed, shaking her head.

"Your Highness, you are too modest."

"If I hadn't known that method was your doing, this humble maiden would have thought it came from some chancellor living in seclusion in the mountains, with a heart for the common people and clean hands."

Fang Heng's mouth twitched. He quickly took a sip of tea to compose himself.

A heart for the common people?

Clean hands?

Living in seclusion?

A chancellor in the mountains?

None of these four phrases had anything to do with Lord He.

This Miss Shen's judgment was truly... too sharp!

"Also..." Shen Qiushui pursed her soft, pink lips, her expression hesitant and conflicted, "It's... there's just one thing I'd like to ask for Your Highness's permission for."

"What is it?"

Shen Qiushui's bashful demeanor piqued Fang Heng's curiosity.

In Fang Heng's mind, although Shen Qiushui was a lady from a prominent family, she was always graceful and composed. He had never seen her act like this.

Shen Qiushui seemed to make some great decision, taking a deep breath, and slowly said, "The matter of you teaching me to distribute porridge, Your Highness, this humble maiden wants to write it into a storybook. Please grant your permission, Your Highness."

A storybook?

Fang Heng's eyelids lifted slightly, and he looked at Shen Qiushui in surprise.

Shen Qiushui seemed a bit embarrassed to be looked at.

It felt like a web novel author being recognized offline.

"Your Highness, what do you think?"

Shen Qiushui's voice lowered slightly, bringing Fang Heng back to his senses.

"May I ask what storybook you're writing, Miss Shen?"

"The Legend of Heroine Shen. I've brought the latest manuscript."

With that, Shen Qiushui, clearly prepared, pulled out a stack of manuscripts from her Sumeru Ring.

This time, Fang Heng was even more shocked.

Though he hadn't read The Legend of Heroine Shen, he had certainly heard of it.

This was currently the most popular storybook in Yujing City.

People could be heard discussing this storybook in every street and alley, in restaurants and markets.

Even his own imperial mother was a fan of The Legend of Heroine Shen, which showed its influence.

He hadn't expected it to be written by Shen Qiushui.

Fang Heng quickly scanned the latest installment of The Legend of Heroine Shen.

It described Shen Qiushui dispensing porridge, and his own guidance during the event.

"Miss Shen, this storybook... it couldn't possibly be based on you, could it?"

Shen Qiushui's pretty face flushed, as radiant as peach blossoms in February, having been seen through so easily by Fang Heng.

How embarrassing!

Shen Qiushui felt as if she had been completely exposed.

"Your Highness, The Legend of Heroine Shen was something I wrote in secret. My family doesn't know about it, so please help me keep it a secret."

Shen Qiushui clasped her hands together, giving Fang Heng a pleading look.

Compared to her usual dignified demeanor, there was a unique cuteness and playfulness about her.

"Don't worry, Miss Shen, I'll help you keep it a secret."

Fang Heng understood Shen Qiushui's mindset very well.

In his previous life, he had also written web novels, but he never discussed them with his family. In fact, his family didn't even know what he wrote.

Mainly, it was too easy to be mortified.

Upon hearing Fang Heng's promise, Shen Qiushui let out a long sigh of relief.

"Thank you, Your Highness."

"Your Highness, please take a look. Are there any parts that need correction?"

"I believe there's one part that needs to be changed."

"Where?"

Fang Heng pointed to the content on the manuscript.

"The storybook says that Heroine Shen received guidance from a prince while dispensing porridge. That's not appropriate."

"But... Your Highness, you did guide me?"

Confusion appeared in Shen Qiushui's bright eyes.

"Cough, cough!"

"When writing a storybook, artistic embellishment is necessary."

"You can't just copy the original events exactly."

"How could a young prince possess such astonishing wisdom?"

"It's too contradictory and illogical."

Fang Heng said with a serious expression.

The Legend of Heroine Shen was too popular. If it were truly written according to the initial draft, with a certain prince guiding the method of dispensing porridge...

Fang Heng was certain that it wouldn't be long before the identity of the "certain prince" in the book was revealed.

He didn't want to be burdened with the title of "Virtuous Prince."

The title of Virtuous Prince offered no benefits whatsoever.

It would only incur further animosity from the Crown Prince and others.

"Then, Your Highness, how do you think it should be changed?"

"Change it to a retired prime minister giving guidance. That would be much more reasonable."

"After all, didn't you yourself say, Miss Shen, that sand in the porridge seemed like the work of a prime minister in the mountains?"

Fang Heng's reasoning convinced Shen Qiushui.

Shen Qiushui nodded repeatedly, her eyes filled with admiration.

She felt that her visit to the Ninth Prince today had been absolutely the right decision.

"Your Highness is absolutely correct."

"Your Highness, you have guided this commoner multiple times. I have no way to repay you, but I carry some inexpensive trinkets. Please condescend to choose one as a reward."

"Aren't you supposed to offer yourself?"

Fang Heng teased her with a playful tone.

Shen Qiushui's pretty face immediately turned crimson, as if blood might drip from it.

Her head slightly lowered, she stared at her toes, not daring to look directly at Fang Heng.

Her red lips parted slightly, and her voice trembled.

"Your Highness, you... you shouldn't talk nonsense."

Seeing Shen Qiushui's bashfulness, Fang Heng felt embarrassed to keep teasing her.

If he made her cry, he'd incur the wrath of the Martial Prime Minister, who was a doting father, and then he'd be in serious trouble.

"Hahaha!"

"Miss Shen, you're too kind. I merely offered a few pointers; there's no need for any reward."

Fang Heng originally wanted to decline Shen Qiushui's kind offer, but she was very persistent.

"No!"

"If Your Highness doesn't accept, I'll feel uneasy."

"Please, Your Highness, choose one item to put my mind at ease."

Since Shen Qiushui had gone so far, Fang Heng could only reluctantly agree.

A flash of spiritual light appeared on the Sumeru Ring.

Bottles and jars materialized on the desk.

Fang Heng glanced at them and saw that the items Shen Qiushui collected were indeed quite varied.

There weren't many things related to cultivation; instead, most were miscellaneous items.

Suddenly, a black chess piece caught Fang Heng's attention.

Destiny!

This black chess piece contained Destiny.

If Fang Heng hadn't personally touched Destiny multiple times, he wouldn't have been able to sense it at all.

"I'll take this chess piece then."

Fang Heng took the black chess piece, and the moment he held it, his Fate Map reacted.

Destiny Points +20!