Silent Lover

c004. overturning seas and rivers

By the time Shen Yu awakens, the sun is high in the sky and the Northern Garrison Prince has long departed.

Shen Yu is in a great amount of agony; he feels as though every bone in his body is falling apart. Actually, because the Northern Garrison Prince had forcefully grabbed and twisted his left hand behind his back, his wrist is already broken.

His lower body is inflamed and stinging with heat. Shen Yu intends to inspect himself, but merely a touch induces pain similar to that of being pricked by needles.

This single night practically stole away half his life.

During the moments in which he hurt so badly that it was unbearable, he could do no more than shed tears. Yet in the Northern Garrison Prince's eyes, his tears of anguish were like raindrops adorning a pear blossom, amplifying beauty and inviting only more relentless abuse.

Shen Yu passed the latter half of the evening in a stupor and cannot not remember it too clearly. Every time when he would sober up from his muddleheaded daze, there was the Northern Garrison Prince still unceasing atop his body.

Compared to the aching pain and soreness of his body, the dryness of his eyes is an insignificant concern.

Trembling, Shen Yu straightens his body to get up and at last sees the gray-colored traces marking the bed's mattress. His thighs are still damp and sticky.

Shen Yu wants to get off the bed, but—due to weakness—he tumbles to the ground. The strength from both his legs has been sucked out, preventing him from standing steadily, so he supports himself along the bed and makes his way over to the dressing table.

Using the clean water in the copper basin, Shen Yu soaks the face towel and wipes his hands and face, carefully washing away any filth. Afterwards, he begins to dress in fine clothing, shoes, and socks; whenever Shen Yu touches certain places on his body that pain him, he sucks in a breath of cold air.

"This is fine too. I cannot make use of those things that the granny taught me."

Shen Yu finds some cheerfulness within the bitter suffering and comforts himself—the Northern Garrison Prince was the one who took the initiative to assail and overwhelm him. There was no need at all for him to attend, and thus all those tactics to seduce a man did not need to be used.

Moreover, the Northern Garrison Prince is an inexhaustible and fierce man who is not fond of fancy tricks, a fact that had allowed Shen Yu to escape the danger of his male identity being found out.

"Lady Shen, following the morning meal, you ought to go pay respects towards the Princess Consort,"someone outside reminds him quietly.

In an anxious hurry, Shen Yu finishes dressing carefully and properly. The servant that enters is around twenty years of age and wearing a set of green robes; this person is even fitted with a sword, indicating that they are not an ordinary servant.

"This slave Song Qing will attend to Lady Shen's application of medicine."

Shen Yu sits motionlessly and blinks his eyes.

"Oh, the maidservants from Lady Shen's dowry were all dispatched by the Princess Consort to do manual labor. Lady Shen need not be stunned, for this has always been the dictate within the prince's mansion."

No wonder there were no maids who had arrived to attend in the early morning; on the contrary, a male servant came.

Shen Yu takes the handful of medicine vessels from the salver; some hold powder and some hold ointment, but he is not sure how to differentiate between them.

"Song Qing has attended His Highness for upwards of ten years, and each woman who His Highness has had relations with is able to make use of these medicines. Therefore, this slave has them prepared and available at any time."

So he was not only this violent and cruel to Shen Yu; the servants had even developed a practice of preparing medicine for the aftermath of the events in the bridal chamber.

Although Shen Yu did not pin his hopes on the Northern Garrison Prince viewing him in a favorable and exceptional light, he still hopes that the Northern Garrison Prince had commanded Song Qing to deliver the medicine. But of course this could not be the case at all.

He is a mute slave who was chosen as a marriage substitute: in what world would he ever befit or deserve the care of the Northern Garrison Prince? From the beginning, he should not have had such extravagant and excessive fantasies.