The Little Princess's Secret Guard - Chapter 6

Chapter 6: The Outburst

Shen Panyan noticed Lin Xiao was distracted.

“Lin Xiao, are you listening?” She turned to look at him.

Lin Xiao snapped back to attention, his gaze smoothly shifting away. “Reporting to Your Highness, I am listening.”

Shen Panyan pouted. She didn’t believe him.

He was clearly distracted.

He shouldn’t think she didn’t know; his gaze had been fixed on her for quite some time.

Shen Panyan was a little upset. “Lin Xiao, don’t you like the journal I’m reading?”

“There is nothing to dislike,” Lin Xiao lowered his head.

“Then why aren’t you listening? Instead, you keep looking at me!” Shen Panyan spoke in a rush, accidentally blurting out her true thoughts. Realizing this, she immediately felt she had spoken rashly, and her cheeks flushed crimson.

She quickly turned away, covering her face with the book, her voice stammering. “You, you mustn’t look at me again. Listen carefully to my reading. I’m going to test you later, and if, if you can’t answer, I, I…”

She originally wanted to say “punish you,” but thought it was too harsh. So, the words twisted on her lips, turning into a soft, sticky, and utterly weak threat.

“I will get angry…”

Lin Xiao: “…”

That threat, to him, was essentially non-existent.

Looking at the Princess burying her face in the book, Lin Xiao suddenly found it amusing.

“…Understood.”

Though the Princess was timid, she truly was a very special Master.

Lin Xiao was, after all, a man, and could not stay in the same room with the Princess for too long. Shen Panyan couldn’t read for long before he had to bow out.

Watching Lin Xiao’s figure disappear, a flicker of disappointment rose in Shen Panyan’s heart, but she also knew Lin Xiao hadn’t truly left, merely concealed himself. The disappointment faded, and she quietly returned to reading.

The snow outside slowly stopped. After an unknown amount of time, the door suddenly creaked open.

Qiushuang walked in hurriedly. “Your Highness.”

“What happened?” Seeing her anxious look, Shen Panyan stood up and put away the journal.

“Your Highness, the snow just now was too heavy, and the storage room for the charcoal collapsed. Now all the silver charcoal has been soaked by the snow!”

The storage room collapsed?!

Shen Panyan almost fainted from shock. Anxiety tinted her eyes. “How could this happen? Was anyone injured?”

“No one was injured, but all the silver charcoal is unusable, Your Highness!!”

“Your Highness, your health is already poor. How can we manage without charcoal in this snowy weather?” As she spoke, tears began to fall from Qiushuang’s eyes.

Qiushuang had been caring for Shen Panyan since the Princess was ten years old. Although they had experienced some unpleasantness recently, Shen Panyan still cared for her.

“Qiushuang, don’t cry.” Shen Panyan quickly took out her embroidered handkerchief to wipe her tears, speaking gently, “The snow has just stopped; there’s still time.”

We can quickly send someone to the capital to buy some charcoal, and it will be fine.

To her surprise, Qiushuang wept even harder. “Your Highness, Little Jinzi, who is in charge of procurement, fell and broke his leg while sweeping snow earlier. He is now lying in bed, unable to move.”

There were few people willing to follow Shen Panyan when she left the palace. Little Jinzi was the only one in charge of purchasing for the West Courtyard. Now that he was injured, where could they find a strong person to go to the capital to buy charcoal in such heavy snow?

Shen Panyan felt a headache coming on. “What about the steward of the Retreat?”

Aside from the West Courtyard, other areas had their own palace servants for cleaning and maintenance. She was separated from the other areas simply because she resided in the West Courtyard.

“The snow is heavy now, making carriage travel difficult, and the Retreat’s steward is unwilling. He said they have black charcoal and can spare some for the Princess.”

“Black charcoal produces a lot of smoke and can easily cause coughing. Your Highness, your health is already poor. How can you use black charcoal?” Qiushuang spoke with both anger and worry.

“Your Highness, what should we do now…”

Shen Panyan felt a bit helpless, but she didn’t have a better solution either.

Seeing Qiushuang’s panic and anxiety, Shen Panyan comforted her first. “Qiushuang, don’t worry. This is only one snowstorm. Once it passes and the weather clears up, we can ask the steward to send someone to the capital to buy charcoal. If we offer more silver, he will definitely be willing.”

“But then Your Highness’s charcoal supply will be cut off…” Qiushuang did not agree with her idea.

Suddenly, Qiushuang seemed to remember something, and her eyes lit up. “Wait! Your Highness, although Little Jinzi fell, didn’t His Majesty send a guard over? Your Highness, you can summon that guard named Lin Xiao to make a trip to the capital to buy some charcoal.”

Lin Xiao?!

Shen Panyan looked at the snow outside, pursing her lips. She was reluctant to let Lin Xiao leave.

The snow was heavy, making carriage travel difficult. Lin Xiao would likely need at least two days to return.

Moreover, the snow had only just stopped. What if it started snowing heavily again after Lin Xiao left?

“Don’t we still have the black charcoal?” Shen Panyan hesitated.

“Qiushuang, talk to the steward and ask him to spare some black charcoal. I’ll use black charcoal in my room for the next few days.”

Qiushuang’s heart sank. Her eyes were filled with astonishment. She had not expected the Princess to say that.

Qiushuang couldn’t understand why the Princess had become so dependent on that guard Lin Xiao after only a few days of his presence.

“But Your Highness, your health is poor, and that black charcoal produces a lot of smoke…” Qiushuang had been with Shen Panyan the longest and understood her character best.

Her temperament was soft, but occasionally she was stubborn. Whenever this happened, if Qiushuang spoke a few more words and persuaded her a little more, the Princess would slowly compromise. It just required a little extra effort.

Shen Panyan turned away, nervously kneading her embroidered handkerchief. A feeling of frustration and powerlessness surged in her heart again.

The more Qiushuang persuaded her, the less she wanted Lin Xiao to go. Unable to refute her, she turned her back and ignored Qiushuang’s nagging.

Qiushuang was determined to send Lin Xiao away and wouldn’t compromise just because the Princess acted like an ostrich.

So, wherever Shen Panyan hid, Qiushuang followed.

“Qiushuang, stop talking.”

Her soft words had absolutely no deterrent effect.

“Your Highness, this servant is only thinking of you. Your health is poor…”

The nagging increased Shen Panyan’s inner turmoil, so she fled into the study. Qiushuang followed closely. For a moment, Shen Panyan didn’t notice the bookshelf ahead and slammed into it violently.

“Bang!”

Shen Panyan’s body fell backward heavily.

The bookshelf was extremely close to the desk. Falling backward like that would certainly cause her head to strike the desk, with unimaginable consequences.

“Your Highness!!” Qiushuang’s pupils contracted sharply.

She wanted to get rid of Lin Xiao, but she hadn’t intended to harm the Princess.

If anything serious happened to the Princess, she would surely be held accountable.

Fortunately, a figure in black appeared just in time and caught Shen Panyan.

“Lin Xiao?!”

Shen Panyan tightly gripped his clothes, looking at him with both surprise and relief.

If not for Lin Xiao, she would have surely… The fear rushed through her. Shen Panyan tightly clutched his clothes, but Qiushuang was still nearby. If Qiushuang saw it, she would start talking again, so Shen Panyan quickly released him, turned her head away, and the earlobe hidden beneath her hair was faintly red.

Lin Xiao steadied her, his gaze falling upon Qiushuang.

His eyes were as sharp as blades. Qiushuang dared not look and quickly turned her head away.

Lin Xiao didn’t waste any words with her. He stepped forward and grabbed her by the throat, his eyes icy cold.

An intense sensation of suffocation and severe pain in her throat followed!

Qiushuang realized in terror that this guard named Lin Xiao genuinely intended to kill her; she was truly going to die…

She didn’t want to die!

Qiushuang immediately began to struggle violently, her gaze falling on Shen Panyan.

“Your… Highness, save…”

Shen Panyan turned around, terrified by the sight. Hearing Qiushuang’s choked cry for help, she rushed forward, tugging at Lin Xiao’s clothes. She looked up at him, her voice anxious. “Lin Xiao…”

“Does Your Highness wish this subordinate to spare her?”

Lin Xiao’s gaze settled on Shen Panyan.

He stated a fact with extreme composure. “Just now, had this subordinate not appeared in time, Your Highness would have certainly struck your head. Given your current health, even Imperial Physician Lin might not have been able to pull you back from the brink of death.”

“She has repeatedly offended you. Is Your Highness certain you wish to keep her?”

Shen Panyan’s face paled.

But Qiushuang had been with her for many years… Shen Panyan bit her lip, ultimately unable to be ruthless. “But Lin Xiao, I’m fine now…”

Lin Xiao: “…”

His eyes became indifferent. With a forceful move, he threw Qiushuang away.

“Cough, cough, cough…” Qiushuang fell to the floor, coughing uncontrollably.

Shen Panyan looked at Lin Xiao, a sense of unease gradually rising.

She could feel that Lin Xiao seemed angry.

She gently tugged at the corner of his sleeve, her voice soft and coaxing, looking up at him. “Lin Xiao, are you angry?”

Lin Xiao: “No.”

Lin Xiao pulled a small blue porcelain bottle from his sleeve and handed it to Shen Panyan.

“This is medicine Imperial Physician Lin gave to this subordinate. It can suppress Your Highness’s heart palpitations.”

Shen Panyan took the still-warm bottle dazedly. Only then did she notice that Lin Xiao’s hair and martial robe were dusted with fine snow.

He is just a Shadow Guard. How dare he question his Master’s decision?

Seeing the Princess accept the bottle, Lin Xiao bowed. “This subordinate takes his leave.”

“Lin…”

Shen Panyan tried to call him back, but his figure vanished extremely quickly.

Shen Panyan gripped the porcelain bottle, a heavy, stifled feeling in her chest.

She wasn’t stupid. She naturally knew how the medicine was acquired.

It must be because of her palpitations earlier. Lin Xiao must have gone to Imperial Physician Lin to ask for the medicine.

The frost and snow still clinging to him meant he had just returned.

He cared for her so much, yet she…

Qiushuang finally felt she had won over Lin Xiao after days of conflict. Feeling she had gained control of the Princess, she stumbled up from the floor and quickly said, “Your Highness, that Lin Xiao is so arrogant! He dared to attack this servant right in front of you. He clearly doesn’t respect you…”

Who exactly doesn’t respect whom?

Shen Panyan smiled bitterly, a huge sense of powerlessness and anger suddenly surging up.

“Your Highness, please listen to this servant’s advice…”

Shen Panyan’s fingers tightly gripped the porcelain bottle. Lin Xiao’s indifferent figure before he left remained in her mind.

She was already feeling intensely miserable, and Qiushuang was still chattering incessantly. The suffocation, helplessness, and fury in her heart finally erupted at this moment.

“Shut up! Stop talking!!”

Shen Panyan trembled, pointing her arm directly at the door. “Get out! Get out now!!”

Tears slowly rolled down her cheeks.

Qiushuang had not expected Shen Panyan to treat her this way. The Princess was always soft-spoken towards her. For a moment, she didn’t recover and reverted to her old ways.

“Your Highness, this servant…”

“Are you the Princess or am I the Princess? If you continue to disobey me like this, how about I write a letter back to the palace right now and have you return to Imperial Mother’s side?” Shen Panyan trembled, crying while struggling to control her emotions.

Qiushuang’s face turned pale with horror.

She wanted to leave the Princess’s side, but not like this… So, Qiushuang quickly knelt down and bowed her head. “This servant knows her mistake. This servant will withdraw immediately.”

Watching Qiushuang’s retreating figure, Shen Panyan could finally hold back her emotions no longer and burst into loud sobs.