After finishing his story, Chen Xuan allowed the pain of separation from his beloveds to show perfectly on his face. If there were judges present, even after dropping the highest and lowest scores, Chen Xuan’s acting performance would still earn a perfect ten.
Chen Xuan knew that Shi Xuanlong would certainly investigate his background, so he kept the entire story extremely simple to avoid revealing any flaws. Shi Xuanlong immediately displayed a look of sympathy, though he was intentionally—or perhaps unintentionally—observing Chen Xuan’s emotional expression. As the heir to the Prince of Xian, Shi Xuanlong had seen far too many high-ranking officials and nobles throughout his life; his skill at reading others had been honed to perfection. Yet, he found Chen Xuan’s emotional display to be entirely natural, without a hint of fabrication. If this were a performance, it would be more impressive than the most cunning high officials in the imperial court, and Shi Xuanlong did not believe Chen Xuan capable of such a feat.
Thus, in a mere instant, Shi Xuanlong was more than half-convinced, with only a few minor details left to verify later. Seeing Chen Xuan’s lovesick appearance, Shi Xuanlong felt a surge of delight. If Chen Xuan desired women, things would be much easier. Although it would be difficult to help Chen Xuan attain a woman from the Marquis of Wu’an’s estate, Shi Xuanlong actually hoped Chen Xuan’s request would be challenging; that way, it would be easier to recruit h…
Chapter 2653