Chapter 46

“Thump… thump… thump, ” Shen Qing could almost hear her own heartbeat.
“Bang.”
Li Daoxuan tossed the files onto the desk. As he stepped forward, he suddenly stopped.
He noticed the empty floor where a chair should have been. Returning outside, he summoned someone to bring a stool.
Shen Qing had considered escaping but the only door was blocked, and the archive was entirely exposed. Her only hiding place was the desk corner, forcing her to freeze in place.
Soon he returned, leaning against the desk while reading a file.
The room was deathly silent, save for the rustle of paper.
Shen Qing hoped he would leave soon, wiping sweat from her chin.
The heat in the unventilated archive made it feel like an oven, her skin nearly melting from the oppressive warmth.
Remaining crouched so long left her back drenched in sweat.
She cursed silently, this “dog” had chosen the worst possible time to arrive.
Little did she know, the “dog” held the files, yet his gaze fell on her green robe visible on the floor.
Soon, a guard carried a heavy Taishi chair. “Your Highness, here’s the chair you requested.”
Li Daoxuan smiled faintly, placing a foot on the edge of her robe. “Put it in.”
Shen Qing held her breath.
Not just because of the command, but because his foot rested on her robe.
The guard strained to move the heavy chair inside, each step pressing on Shen Qing’s heart, rhythmically echoing her pounding pulse.
Finally, just as Shen Qing’s mind was about to fray from the tension, perhaps seeing the guard struggle with the heavy chair, Li Daoxuan’s unusually benevolent side emerged. “Enough, just leave it here.”
The guard set down the Taishi chair, visibly relieved. “Thank you, Your Highness.”
Li Daoxuan flipped a page with his fingers.
Seeing the guard still dawdling in place, he said, “Why are you still standing there? Go on, leave.”
“Oh, yes! Yes, Your Highness! I take my leave!” The guard hurriedly retreated.
Silence suddenly fell over the room.
Shen Qing moved her sore eyes, trying to peek out to see if his foot was still pressing on her robe. But the moment she lifted her eyelids, she unexpectedly collided with a pair of half-lidded, peach-blossom eyes.
“Ugh, ”
The startled gasp was muffled by his hand over her mouth.
Li Daoxuan grabbed her collar with the other hand and yanked her out entirely. The force lifted her off the ground, and she felt weightless. By the time she landed, their eyes met.
She realized he had plopped her onto the desk to sit, their eyes level, and her neck was lightly held in his hand.
Seeing a familiar face, the initial caution in Li Daoxuan’s gaze shifted to something unreadable. Drawing out his words, he said slowly, “Speak, Lady Shen. Commoners are forbidden in the Dali Court. How does a delicate young lady like you come here? Could it be… with ill intent?”
Shen Qing swatted his hand away, letting out a dismissive click of her tongue. “Stop pretending to be obtuse. You know perfectly well why I’m here, Your Highness. Why play these games?” Seeing that he had seen through her, Shen Qing threw caution to the wind, bristling with defiance.
Had he caught her earlier, she might have panicked. But under the torment of this sweltering weather, she had grown increasingly irritable.
Recalling his foot on her robe earlier, she realized he likely noticed her then but, indulging his own amusement, deliberately ignored it, playing cat and mouse with her.
Li Daoxuan smiled at her puffed-up expression and, arms crossed, said, “Oh… then we’ll drop this topic. But trespassing in the Dali Court is a serious offense. You acknowledge being caught today, yes?”
Shen Qing frowned. “Why should I? Besides, I came here for, ”
“For what?” he pressed when she suddenly fell silent.
Shen Qing’s voice went quiet. “Nothing.”
She had wanted to explain that she came at the request of the Dali Court officials to gather energy for Madam Liu’s soul-anchoring, but what energy could a record archive hold? Moreover, Madam Liu and Liu Siqing had allowed her, an outsider, in, already a crime of concealment. With a prince before her, speaking would be openly admitting guilt.
Her head nearly melted from the stifling heat.
Shen Qing fell silent, but Li Daoxuan wasn’t pleased.
“Why, feeling guilty? Gone mute?”
“Hmph.” She turned her head.
Seeing her subdued like a cat with its neck caught, Li Daoxuan’s playful streak sparked. He suddenly turned and walked toward the door. “Shi Qinglan.”
Hearing the commotion, Shi Qinglan hurried in.
Shen Qing, restraining her urge to curse, slid off the desk and ducked underneath, taking care to pull her robe in after her.
Li Daoxuan glanced out of the corner of his eye and then said to Shi Qinglan, “It’s so stuffy in this archive. Have someone bring a few basins of ice.”
Shi Qinglan bowed silently. “Yes, Your Highness,” and left respectfully.
Seeing him sent away, Shen Qing popped her head out from under the desk, expressionless, watching him.
Li Daoxuan returned to the desk, picked up a case file, and sat on the chair to review it.
Interrupted like this, Shen Qing suddenly recalled her task. She exhaled and bent to pick up the file she had hidden on the floor.
Seeing two files already on the desk, she glanced at them. The dates and nature of the cases were similar to hers. Frowning, she asked, “Why are you reviewing these? Are you seriously going to handle this matter?”
She had assumed he had taken the files just to irritate her, but it seemed he actually intended to investigate.
Li Daoxuan looked at her with a faintly mysterious expression. “If you can, why can’t I?”
Shen Qing paused, then he added, “Shen Qing, who do you think I am? I am a prince. Should I really stand by while a great demon emerges, wreaking havoc on the Li Dynasty, and do nothing?”
Shen Qing forced a smile. “Of course not.”
Seeing her half-smile, he knew she didn’t believe him, so he continued to examine the files in silence.
His reputation in Chang’an was mixed, and she likely held a similar opinion; explaining or not made little difference.
He finished one file, which clearly detailed the deceased’s features, place of death, and burial. None matched the Bai Shuisha he had seen. He put it down and picked up another from the desk.
Seeing him take the task seriously, Shen Qing lost the urge to banter and obediently leaned against the desk, reviewing her file.
Li Daoxuan, noticing her earnest focus, asked, “If Bai Shuisha is so dangerous, why not ask your senior brother for help instead of coming here to suffer?”
Shen Qing pouted. “The Bai Shuisha appeared mysteriously. Someone must be manipulating it. Besides, you saw that day on the painted boat, someone tried to harm me. My senior brother only focuses on exorcism, unaware of the risk of alerting the culprit. It’s better to find Bai Shuisha’s body first, then investigate the root cause.”
Though she could have dispelled Bai Shuisha without the corpse, the cost would have been far higher. Shen Qing didn’t want her senior brother to take the risk.
Li Daoxuan fell silent.
Shen Qing glanced up. He had become serious with the files.
Halfway through, a voice came from outside: “Your Highness, I’ve sent someone to fetch the ice.”
Li Daoxuan didn’t look up. “I don’t need it. Handle it yourselves.”
Outside, Shi Qinglan and the guards exchanged confused glances, holding the ice basins.
An experienced official, stroking his long beard, smiled. “Junior Master Shi, the prince means for you to handle the ice yourselves.”
Seeing their confusion, he explained: “A year ago, the prince visited here in winter. The cold was harsh. He ordered the guard to bring warm coals, then suddenly said not to use them, handle it yourselves. Since then, he has sent ice and warm coals regularly for the staff.”
Even so, ice was precious in the Li Dynasty, and the staff seldom used it.
The official said, “Accept the prince’s favor without worry.”
Shi Qinglan was shocked, seeing a different, more considerate side of Li Daoxuan. He had expected the prince to be reckless and self-indulgent, but this was unexpectedly humane.
All the guards wiped their sweat and bowed toward the archive. “We thank Your Highness for your generosity!”
A voice rang through the archive: “While I am here, you need not appear before the You hour.”
“Yes!”
Shen Qing didn’t understand. Seeing him call for ice but not use it, she wiped her sweat. “Truly strange.”
Li Daoxuan paused, looking at her. “Lady Shen, are you hot?”
Shen Qing replied, “You should know better than me.”
He smirked teasingly, “I happen to have mastered skills at Dongshan Temple. My internal energy handles heat and cold easily. I wonder if your poorly learned swordsmanship can resist the heat.”
“…”
He suddenly smiled mysteriously, beckoning her. “Come here.”
Shen Qing hesitated, suspicious. “Why?”
“Come, and you’ll see.”
She stalled, fearing he might have another trick.
Losing patience, Li Daoxuan strode forward.
Shen Qing stepped back repeatedly. “What are you doing? I warn you, don’t come closer!”
“Do you think I’ll eat you?”
He caught her hand.
“Ah, ”