The item looked familiar. Shen Wei, unsure what he was thinking, walked over and saw it was indeed his human skin mask.
He reached up and touched his face, then turned to look at Li Yue Shu, who was sitting not far away.
Li Yue Shu had already noticed his actions and met his gaze calmly.
Shen Wei stared directly into her eyes, and after a moment of silence, suddenly asked, "A Shu, how do you think this face of mine compares to Wei Zi Mao's?"
The sudden question caught Li Yue Shu off guard.
Why were they talking about Wei Zi Mao again?
Seeing her silence, Shen Wei placed the human skin mask back on the shelf and slowly walked over. "A Shu, do you think Wei Zi Mao is more handsome, or do I have the upper hand?"
He stood about a step away from Li Yue Shu, leaning slightly towards her, getting closer.
His deep, resonant voice vibrated through her eardrums, inexplicably making Li Yue Shu shiver.
After a long while, she suddenly reached out and placed her hand on Shen Wei's forehead. "You don't have a fever. Why do you seem to have lost your mind?"
Shen Wei: "..."
He pulled down the soft hand from his forehead and pouted slightly. "If A Shu doesn't say, does it mean you think Wei Zi Mao is better than me?"
Li Yue Shu pulled her hand away and rolled her eyes ungracefully. "You're handsome, you're handsome, alright?"
She couldn't help but mutter, "You're already a father of four, and you're still comparing your looks with someone else. How childish!"
Even more childish than before he recovered his memory!
Shen Wei narrowed his eyes, looked thoughtfully at Li Yue Shu for a moment, and then suddenly said, "The children are not mine."
Li Yue Shu, who was about to turn away, stopped abruptly and looked at him in surprise. "What did you say?"
Shen Wei seemed to have made up his mind. He looked directly into her eyes and said, "None of those four children are mine. I am twenty-seven years old, but I have never been married."
His words left Li Yue Shu stunned, unable to react for a long time.
Shen Wei paused and continued, "A Min is the son of Consort Rong in the palace. A Wen and A Yi are the children of the Eldest Princess. In terms of辈分 (bèi fen - generation/lineage), they are my nephews and nieces. For some reasons, the outside world believed they were dead, so I used Shen Wei's identity to hide them in Tong Mu County."
"As for A Yu, you should have noticed that he looks very much like the face I usually use. He is the son of the real Shen Wei. Since I borrowed this identity, I naturally had to take care of his child."
These few sentences felt like heavy blows to Li Yue Shu's heart.
She truly never expected that none of the four children were his, and even less that their backgrounds would be so extraordinary.
Regarding the children's backgrounds, the original book had never mentioned Consort Rong or the Eldest Princess.
But upon reflection, she could understand.
What she saw in the book was only a part of the story. This was a complete world, and some things would naturally be rationalized.
For example, Zhang Lao San, Wei Niang, and the villagers were all people who didn't exist in the original book, yet those she had encountered were all flesh-and-blood, conscious living beings.
This was for the best. With such backgrounds for the children, they would have a better chance against Li Xiang Ru, the chosen one, in the future.
Thinking this, Li Yue Shu felt a bit more at ease.
But why was Shen Wei suddenly telling her this?
She looked at Shen Wei in confusion. "Why are you telling me this?"
Shen Wei was somewhat nervous.
Perhaps because he had just woken from unconsciousness, his mind couldn't process too much. He just wanted to follow his instinctive impulse and express his true feelings.
During the days he guarded the unconscious Li Yue Shu, he slowly understood his own feelings.
He liked her and wanted her to stay by his side!
But he had made a mistake.
He had to rectify his mistake before he was qualified to hold her hand.
So, what he should do now was to be honest and no longer hide anything.
Shen Wei made up his mind, his deep eyes gazing at Li Yue Shu as if they could only contain her.
"A Shu, my name is Qin Mo Yuan."
Li Yue Shu was somewhat dazed by his words. Her gaze met his bottomless eyes, which seemed to draw her in.
"Qin... Qin Mo Yuan?"
Li Yue Shu had heard this name from Hong Dai before, but for some reason, hearing Shen Wei tell her directly felt different.
She savored the three words, a flicker of light seeming to dance in her eyes.
Her voice was very soft, like a feather brushing against Shen Wei's... or rather, Qin Mo Yuan's heart.
For the first time in over twenty years, he found the name he so detested to be incredibly pleasant to hear.
"Actually, I am..."
Just as he was about to say something, Li Yue Shu suddenly pushed him away and stepped back, turning her body. "Of course I know your name is Qin Mo Yuan. Who in this world doesn't know the great name of the Regent of Chen Nan Kingdom!"
A flicker of surprise crossed Qin Mo Yuan's eyes.
Hadn't she thought there were many princes in Chen Nan Kingdom before? Why...
Suddenly, Qin Mo Yuan thought of Hong Dai and understood.
This was for the best; he wouldn't have to meticulously explain his identity.
However, some things still needed to be clarified.
"A Shu, I'm sorry."
The sudden apology caught Li Yue Shu off guard, making her instantly forget her unease. She turned back to him in surprise.
Qin Mo Yuan's eyes were filled with sincerity, and every word he spoke was earnest. "You poured your heart and soul into us, expending so much effort for us, yet while enjoying your kindness, we doubted and deceived you. No matter the reason, we were wrong."
A man standing in this world acknowledges his mistakes. Apologizing is not shameful.
So, he solemnly said again, "A Shu, I'm sorry."
Li Yue Shu stood in place, her face a mask of unreadable emotions.
After a long silence, she finally spoke, "From your perspective, I can understand and accept your apology, but... I still cannot forgive you."
Qin Mo Yuan lowered his gaze slightly and nodded. "I know. If you could forgive so easily, you wouldn't be you."
Although he had expected it, Qin Mo Yuan still felt a pang of sadness.
However, it was only for a moment before he spoke again. "I never expected to gain your forgiveness with just a few words. A Shu, I will use my actions to show you my feelings."
Li Yue Shu looked into his sincere eyes and at his exceptionally handsome face, her lips involuntarily curling into a smile.
But she quickly suppressed the curve of her lips and turned away. "I'll go prepare lunch. You tidy up, and we'll leave after eating."
She didn't directly answer Qin Mo Yuan's words, but her actions implicitly agreed to his intention to prove himself through his deeds.
Qin Mo Yuan naturally understood this, and a smile appeared on his face, making his already perfect features even more breathtaking.
Perhaps it was because they had spoken their minds honestly, but the subtle tension that had existed between them seemed to dissipate, replaced by a sense of harmony.
After eating, the two of them set off.
Both Li Yue Shu and Shen Wei had ventured out to find a way, taking turns, which showed a kind of unspoken understanding.
Even more coincidentally, the paths they found led in the same direction.
But the area was vast and densely wooded. They walked until dark without finding an exit, even feeling as if they were wandering in circles like in a maze.