Chapter 133: That Is Because I Like You

Qingyue looked around and saw no one else to give orders to, so he could only nod. With a slight frown, he scooped her up into his arms and headed in the direction she pointed.

Fortunately, they did not have to walk far before finding the princess's attendants, and Qingyue handed her over to a guard with a sense of relief.

"Thank you."

"You are too kind, Princess. If there is nothing else, I shall take my leave." With that, Qingyue turned and walked away.

Watching his figure disappear ahead, Yunshang quietly said, "Put me down," and the guard carefully lowered her to the ground. Shortly after, the group left the Crown Prince's Palace.

"You'd better stay away from her." As Qingyue stepped up the stairs, Shiyuan's low and indifferent voice came from the side.

"I don't need you to remind me of that." Qingyue glanced at him, turned away on his own accord, walked over to the nearby railing, and leaped up to sit on it once more. Leaning his back against a pillar and resting one foot on the railing, he gazed silently in a certain direction.

"Why isn't Jin'er back yet?" Qingyue's words sounded as though he were asking Shiyuan, yet also as if he were merely talking to himself, for he expected no answer from Shiyuan.

True to form, the surroundings remained completely silent.

The Crown Prince's health was improving day by day; yesterday, he had actually managed to get out of bed on his own. Although his steps were still somewhat unsteady, for someone who had been bedridden for months and pronounced incurable, this was absolute rebirth. The news had exploded across the State of Tu, and the miraculous female physician residing in the Crown Prince's Palace had become a nationwide sensation, spoken of with absolute awe.

Naturally, a high-ranking official at court had sent someone to invite Jin'er to treat his paralyzed elderly father, offering an astonishing reward. Jin'er felt this was a fantastic opportunity to greatly expand her wealth, so she had readily accepted and had not yet returned.

Recalling her earlier expression—her eyes sparkling and practically turning into pure gold—Qingyue could not help but curl his lips into a smile.

"What are you foolishly grinning about by yourself? You wouldn't be thinking about that princess, would you?" Jin'er walked over from the side, teasing him with a hint of sourness. She had seen the princess's entourage leaving the Crown Prince's Palace from a distance.

"You're back?" Qingyue leaped down and reached out to wrap his arms around her waist.

"Go on, go on." Jin'er feigned displeasure as she pushed at him, only to be pulled firmly into his embrace and held tight.

"I've noticed your jealousy is stronger than most." With that, Qingyue chuckled softly. "However, I like it."

Jin'er bit her lip and smiled silently. Just as she was about to speak, an angry shout interrupted them.

"What are you two doing?!"

Hearing this, Jin'er hurriedly pulled away from Qingyue's embrace. Turning to look at the Crown Prince, whose face was the color of a bruised liver as he stood supporting himself against the doorframe, she said tartly, "Since Your Highness's health is only just improving, you really shouldn't fly into a rage so often, lest you accidentally end up back in bed."

"Hmph! Don't assume that just because you have a few tricks up your sleeve, you can engage in such scandalous behavior in my palace!"

"Hey! Watch your mouth!" Annoyed, Jin'er made to step forward, but Qingyue pulled her back. "Jin'er, let it go. He is the Crown Prince..."

"So what if he is the Crown Prince? I'm a princess myself!" Jin'er cast a disdainful glance at He Lingfeng and lifted her chin.

"You? A princess of the State of Li, perhaps?" He Lingfeng showed no weakness in return.

"You!! Yue, Stone, drag him inside for me! Don't let him stay out here and be an eyesore!" Jin'er commanded, waving her little hand in anger, looking every bit the person in charge.

"You dare?!" He Lingfeng widened his eyes and roared. Feeling better truly made a difference; his imposing manner had returned in full force.

"Yue!" Turning to see Qingyue standing hesitatingly in place, Jin'er shot him a resentful glare before turning to Stone on the other side. "Stone, drag him inside for me! If you don't listen, I'm not curing this jerk anymore!"

Seeing that she was thoroughly enraged, Stone sighed helplessly, straightened up, and walked toward the Crown Prince.

"What do you want—" Before the words fully left his mouth, a shadow flashed by like a streak of lightning. In the next second, the doorway was completely empty.

The two maidservants waiting not far from the entrance stared with wide-open jaws, taking quite a while to recover their wits. They considered calling for help, but they were already too used to the bickering between the Crown Prince and the divine physician—it wasn't as if the two hadn't thrown blows before. Yet if they didn't call for help, it seemed... well, never mind, they might as well just keep watching.

Qingyue smiled helplessly and shook his head, but when he turned back, he found Jin'er glaring at him with extreme dissatisfaction.

"You actually didn't help me!" Jin'er complained angrily.

"Jin'er, this is the imperial palace. We can't be too willful," Qingyue gently pacified her with a helpless smile.

"So what if it's the imperial palace? If you provoke this young lady, I'll set a fire..." Before she could finish, Qingyue raised a hand to cover her mouth, glancing cautiously around. "I know my Jin'er is amazing, and I will do everything in my power to protect you. But the imperial palace is crawling with experts. If we get surrounded, the three of us might not be able to escape safely. I cannot let you come to any harm, do you understand?"

Gazing into his tender, watery eyes, Jin'er's agitation slowly dissipated. In truth, she was well aware of the situation. Moreover, she considered herself relatively restrained most of the time, but that black-hearted Crown Prince was simply too infuriating, always managing to trigger her fiery temper...

Seeing the anger vanish from her eyes, Qingyue finally lowered his hand. Twirling his finger, he hooked her chin and leaned down to capture her cherry lips in a tender, passionate kiss, offering it as compensation for making her unhappy.

Meanwhile, inside the room, the Crown Prince had been dragged back to the bed by Shiyuan and forced to sit down. Just as he was about to vent his fury and order someone to drag this audacious servant out to be beaten to death, he heard the man speak.

"Your Highness, please calm down. Aside from her, no one else can cure Your Highness's illness."

He Lingfeng smiled dismissively. "I am already more than half-recovered. Even without her, the imperial physicians in the palace will suffice."

"Does Your Highness truly believe you were merely ill?" Shiyuan said in a deep voice.

He Lingfeng was startled, not understanding what he meant. If he wasn't ill, what else could it be?

"Your Highness's chronic poor health was never an illness. You were poisoned with a chronic toxin."

Upon hearing these words, He Lingfeng's expression changed drastically. "How is that possible?!"

"Your Highness probably doesn't remember me, but I used to be a guard in this imperial palace. I fled the State of Tu years ago after a major upheaval. Sometime ago, I crossed paths with Miss Jin'er and learned that she is deeply versed in toxicology, so I asked her to help come and treat the Crown Prince."

"Are you saying you came to help me on purpose?" He Lingfeng asked, eyeing Shiyuan suspiciously. "Why would you want to help me?"

"I simply do not wish to see a villain succeed." At this, a profound hatred flashed in Shiyuan's eyes.

"You know who poisoned me?" He Lingfeng asked, his expression tightening.

"Yes."

***

At the third watch of the night, the Emperor of Tu was sleeping deeply when he was suddenly awakened by a harsh, grating sound outside, immediately followed by shouts of "Catch the assassin!" Shocked, he scrambled out of bed and grabbed his precious sword. By the time he stepped out of his bedchamber, the assassin was already fleeing into the distance.

At the same time, the Western Palace was engulfed in an identical uproar, with torchlight flashing and frantic cries of chasing an assassin echoing through the air.

The Emperor of Tu frowned, his eyes narrowing slightly. An assassin?! Ever since he ascended the throne, no assassin had ever dared to target him.

"What is happening in the Western Palace?" the Emperor asked in a deep voice, turning to a young eunuch who had come running up.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, the Princess was ambushed and injured. Fortunately, her injuries are not serious, and the assassin escaped while wounded."

"What?!" The Emperor was utterly shocked. He turned to head toward the Western Palace, but his foot accidentally kicked against something, producing a crisp, metallic clatter.

He looked down and saw a bamboo flute. Bending down to pick it up, he turned it over in his hands, finding nothing particularly unusual about it, before hurrying off toward the Western Palace once more.

"Yunshang, how are you?" The Emperor strode into the room, asking with profound worry.

"Your Majesty," Concubine Zhen greeted him with a bow.

"Imperial Father!" Yunshang sniffed aggrievedly, tears instantly welling up and filling her eyes.

"There, there, Yunshang, are you alright? Once I catch that assassin, I'll have him hacked into a thousand pieces!" the Emperor said angrily as he sat down on the edge of the bed to examine her wound.

"Your Majesty, please don't worry too much. Yunshang's arm was grazed by a blade, but it's not very deep. There's no major harm," Concubine Zhen stepped forward and said gently.

"Imperial Mother! Yunshang has never suffered a blade wound before; it hurts so much, and you're saying it's no major harm! Wuwuwu... Imperial Mother doesn't pity Yunshang at all, wuwuwu..." As Yunshang spoke, heavy tears rolled down her cheeks.

"You child, you've truly been spoiled rotten. Wasn't I just trying to keep your Imperial Father from worrying too much?" Concubine Zhen said with a helpless sigh.

"Alright, alright, Yunshang, be good, don't cry. Imperial Father will avenge you. Look at you, you won't look pretty if you keep crying."

Hearing this, Yunshang finally broke into a tearful smile. Lifting a hand to wipe away her tears, her gaze drifted inadvertently to the bamboo flute clutched in his hand, and a look of shock crossed her face.

"Imperial Father, where did you get this flute?" Yunshang asked, perplexed.

The Emperor looked down at the flute, his expression turning gloomy as well. "I was also targeted by an assassin just now, but the guards intercepted them right at the door. I found this flute dropped at the entrance; it was likely left behind by the assassin."

"No way!" Yunshang suddenly exclaimed in agitated denial, startling both the Emperor and Concubine Zhen.

"Yunshang, do you know whose this is?" The Emperor grabbed her other arm, asking with a stern expression.

"This child... this child isn't certain either..." Yunshang lowered her head, her eyes darting restlessly from side to side.

"Yunshang! This person tried to assassinate your Imperial Father! They are most likely in cahoots with the one who attacked you! Will you speak at once?!" the Emperor rebuked sharply.

"Your Majesty, please don't frighten her..." Concubine Zhen murmured softly from the side. The Emperor ignored her, keeping his gaze locked on Yunshang, waiting for her to speak.

"Imperial Father, this child previously saw... the Crown Prince's retainer, Young Master Qingyue, with a bamboo flute just like this. The color and texture were... very similar," Yunshang said with uneasy hesitation.

"Qingyue?" the Emperor frowned, puzzled.

"He's a friend of that female physician," Yunshang stammered, twisting the hem of her sleeve.

"Him? Why would he attempt an assassination?" The Emperor knitted his brows, speaking almost to himself.

"Your Majesty, you must not be soft-hearted. Those people might have been sent by another country, using the guise of treating the Crown Prince to sneak into the palace and commit murder," Concubine Zhen said with a worried frown.

***

The Emperor nodded thoughtfully. "I shall investigate this matter thoroughly myself. However, why would they want to assassinate Yunshang?"

Seeing the Emperor turn his gaze back to her, Yunshang lowered her eyes, pouting aggrievedly. "This child has no idea either. I was terrified out of my wits at the time; I truly thought I would never see Imperial Father and Imperial Mother again. Wuwuwu..." She began to cry sorrowfully again, and Concubine Zhen hurried forward to comfort her.

"Sigh! Yunshang has been startled, get some rest early. I will send more guards to protect you both. Leave the rest to me to handle. If this was truly their doing, I will certainly spare no one!" With that, he stood up, patted Concubine Zhen lightly on the shoulder, and turned to leave.

***

"Tap, tap, tap..." A faint sound came from the rear window. Jin'er's eyes snapped open. After listening for another two seconds, she rolled out of bed and crept quietly toward the window.

"Who is it?!" she whispered demandingly.

"Jin'er, it's me."

Startled, Jin'er quietly pushed the window open. "Why are you tapping on my window in the middle of the night?"

Qingyue's expression held a hint of anxiety as he lowered his voice. "Shiyuan is in my room, and he's badly hurt."

"What?!" After letting out a gasp of surprise, Jin'er turned back into the room, fumbled to put on her outer robe, grabbed her medical pouch, and leaped out through the back window, following Qingyue toward his quarters.

"How is he bleeding this much?!" Crouching beside Shiyuan, Jin'er told Qingyue to help him take off his upper garments while she retrieved the hemostatic powder and clean bandages from her pouch to dress his wounds. After a flurry of activity, Qingyue and Jin'er managed to lift him off the floor and seat him in a nearby chair.

"Alright, tell me what happened," Jin'er said, crossing her arms over her chest as she frowned at his pale face.

Shiyuan pressed his lips together, staring silently at the floor and shaking his head, clearly unwilling to tell them.

Jin'er exchanged a glance with Qingyue, finally curling her lips in helpless resignation. "Fine, if you really don't want to say, so be it. Make sure you get some rest, I'm leaving."

Returning to her room, Jin'er closed the window with light, practiced movements. As she turned around, she crashed directly into a solid chest. "Ah!" Letting out a startled cry, she used the dim moonlight filtering through the window paper to make out who it was.

"Visiting your lover in the middle of the night?" A mocking voice laden with repressed anger came from directly above her.

"None of your business!" Because she was used to the room—and despite his health improving, he had been well-behaved at night—she hadn't thought about changing where she slept. It seemed she would definitely need to relocate tomorrow.

After a restrained, deep breath, He Lingfeng compromised with a helpless tone: "Why are you always so fierce with me?"

Jin'er was taken aback, not expecting him to suddenly ask such a question. But did that even need to be asked?!

"You're just asking to be scolded," Jin'er shot him a sideways glance.

"You!" He Lingfeng forcibly suppressed the fire in his chest, gritting his teeth to keep his voice as calm as possible. "The problem isn't me, it's you. I am the Crown Prince; what I say goes, and no one has ever dared to disobey. You were the one who contradicted me time and time again first!"

"Ha!" Jin'er let out a scoff of derision. "I am your savior, your great life-saving benefactor! Don't you know the least bit of gratitude? You actually wanted me to be buried with you?!"

When her words fell silent, the person opposite her remained quiet.

Just as Jin'er was feeling satisfied that he had finally come to his senses, she heard him speak softly: "That's because... I like you." She could tell he had mustered an immense amount of courage just to say those words.

"What—what kind of nonsense are you spouting?!" Jin'er said, a mix of shock and panic flooding her as she raised her hands to push him aside, intending to return to her daybed. Unexpectedly, he lunged forward, forcing her backward until her body was pressed firmly against the wall and window behind her.

"If you don't move away right now, don't blame me for sending you flying out the front door with a single palm strike!" If not for the fact that he was finally able to walk around, she would have struck him right then and there.

"You're different. You're like a burst of vibrant light in my gloomy life."

Jin'er shuddered involuntarily. Goodness, since when had he started talking like this? It didn't sound like him at all. Was he sleepwalking? Or possessed?!

"Thank you for saving me," He Lingfeng said earnestly, gripping her shoulders. "And thank you for appearing in my life. My world has only ever been as large as this palace, but your arrival has made me stop feeling lonely, hesitant, and devoid of purpose. Don't leave, alright? I will treat you well."

His words actually filled Jin'er with a trace of inexplicable emotion, especially that final gentle yet firm "I will treat you well." Although these words made him seem slightly less detestable, such a confession still felt intensely awkward to her.

The transformation was simply too drastic...

Just as that thought crossed her mind, a cool sensation brushed across her cheek. The fellow in front of her had actually reached out to stroke her face.

Jin'er hurriedly brushed his hand away. Looking up into his eyes, she adopted an equally serious tone and said, "I know how you survived these past ten-odd years, and I know you're usually lonely and bored. But don't worry, once your illness is fully cured, I'll prescribe a few formulas to properly condition your body, and you'll regain the physique of a normal person. At that time, the vast world outside will be yours to roam as you please."

With that, she smiled at him, shoved him away with all her might, and marched resolutely toward her sleeping quarters.

This time, He Lingfeng did not stop her, allowing himself to be pushed aside as his mind replayed her words and that gentle, charming smile. When all was said and done, had she rejected him?

"I only want you!" he turned toward her direction and raised his voice.

"That's just an illusion. Once you get out more in the future, you'll know what it is you truly want. Go to sleep." Jin'er burrowed beneath the covers, pulled the blanket up, closed her eyes, and ignored him completely.

Honestly, why did the mere three words "want you" make her break out in shivers?

He Lingfeng stood alone by the window until he heard her steady breathing. Then, with a helpless frown, he turned, walked back to the inner chamber, and lay down on the bed. Sleep eluded him for a long time as he pondered her words.

Was it really just an illusion? Or was it as she said—that having experienced too little of the world, he still had no idea what he truly desired?

Yet, when he had seen her acting all lovey-dovey with that Qingyue fellow earlier, he had felt as though he were going mad with rage. In that instant, he had truly wanted to snatch her away and forbid anyone else from touching her.

That feeling had been far too intense; how could it possibly be an illusion?

***

Early the next morning, Jin'er and He Lingfeng sat at the table for breakfast. Finding him uncharacteristically quiet, Jin'er felt distinctly out of sorts. Unable to help herself, she lifted her gaze to watch him eat in silence, suddenly realizing that he was actually quite handsome.

Uh... not because of his confession last night! It was simply that she was a bit slow on the uptake.

Previously, he had been terribly emaciated and pale, making him truly unattractive. But as his health improved day by day, his sunken face had gradually filled out. Perhaps because they were always bickering, she had never noticed, nor had she ever looked at him this closely before. Now, with a calm mind and a careful inspection, she saw that he didn't look bad at all.

His refined face, still slightly lean; his sword-like brows, neither too thick nor too thin; a high bridge of the nose; attractive single-lidded eyes with slightly upturned corners; a skin tone that remained pale yet possessed a crystalline, translucent quality; and lips of moderate thickness...

"Satisfied? Once I'm fully recovered, I'll look even better than this." He Lingfeng looked up at Jin'er with an amused expression, unable to hide his smugness.

Jin'er snapped out of her trance, the corner of her eye twitching slightly. Recovering quickly, she feigned nonchalance and said, "I was just checking your complexion to see if I needed to add a couple more herbs." The moment the words left her mouth, Jin'er secretly praised herself for becoming quicker on her feet.

"You can look closer." As He Lingfeng spoke, he lifted his face and leaned it closer to Jin'er.

Jin'er rolled her eyes with an amused snort. "I've looked enough, eat your food." With that, she smiled to herself, scooped a spoonful of porridge into her mouth, and chewed twice. Then, her brow furrowed slightly.

"What's wrong?" He Lingfeng asked, noticing her strange expression.

Without answering, Jin'er picked up a steamed bun, took a bite, chewed it a couple of times, and ultimately forced it down. Her expression then returned to normal, and she went back to eating.

He Lingfeng watched her for a moment. Seeing that she seemed fine, he resumed eating his own meal. A moment later, however, a sharp slap of sound echoed through the room. He looked up to find that Jin'er had collapsed facedown across the table.

"Hey! Hey! What's wrong with you?! Someone! Come quickly!" He Lingfeng shouted anxiously toward the door, and a flurry of footsteps soon sounded outside.

"Imperial Father? Why are you here? What is the meaning of this..." He Lingfeng asked, his confusion mounting as he looked at the large contingent of guards following the Emperor.

"In the middle of the night, an assassin broke into my palace, and Yunshang was injured. I suspect these three are involved, which is why..."

"Which is why you used such cheap tricks to drug me unconscious?!" Before the Emperor could finish, Jin'er, who had been slumped over the table, slowly straightened up, propped her cheek in one hand, and turned to look at him with a lazy expression.

"You! How can you still..." The Emperor looked at her in astonishment, then down at the food on her table, more than half of which she had consumed.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk... To think the imperial family of the State of Tu would resort to such unrefined methods," Jin'er said with a look of disappointment.

"I only had suspicions. Furthermore, considering your merit in saving the Crown Prince, I wished to avoid bloodshed. You see, shedding blood ruins harmony," the Emperor recovered from his surprise and offered a somewhat awkward explanation.

"Oh, is that so? Since you didn't want to ruin harmony, wouldn't it have been better to just ask? The Crown Prince's illness isn't fully cured yet; is Your Majesty afraid I would run away?" Jin'er smiled innocently, yet deliberately emphasized the words "the Crown Prince's illness," sending a shiver straight down the Emperor's spine.

This girl was far too audacious and reckless. She hadn't even stood up to greet him, spoke to him in such a manner, and was even threatening him?!

"Imperial Father, there must be some misunderstanding here," He Lingfeng stood up and frowned.

"Perhaps, which is why I came to ask personally, isn't it? Guards, bring in Young Master Qingyue." The Emperor issued his majestic command.

Jin'er's expression shifted, a bad feeling rising in her chest. It looked like Stone had probably fallen for the trick as well; indeed, open spears were easy to dodge, but hidden arrows were hard to guard against.

Soon, an unconscious Qingyue was dragged in by two guards. Another guard pressed a cloth soaked with an antidote to Qingyue's nose and mouth, and after a moment, Qingyue gave a soft groan and regained consciousness.

"Could it be that Your Majesty is reluctant to part with those hundred thousand taels and deliberately staged this trick?" Jin'er remained seated, entirely unruffled.

"Hmph! I am not as base as you think!" With that, the Emperor fished a bamboo flute out of his sleeve, turned to the newly-revived Qingyue, and demanded, "Is this yours?"

Qingyue froze, puzzled. "Why is this in Your Majesty's hands?"

"Hmph! So you admit it? This was left behind by last night's assassin."

At these words, both Qingyue and Jin'er were startled. An assassin? What assassin?!

"Reporting to Your Majesty, this bamboo flute does indeed belong to me. However, I lost it yesterday afternoon or evening, and only realized it when I went to sleep last night. At the time, I figured I would look for it the next day, so I didn't pay it much mind."

"Don't give me that! How could there be such a coincidence?!" the Emperor raged. "I should have known better! Not only is this female physician suspicious, but she also keeps two martial arts experts by her side whose skills are obvious at a glance!"

Just as Jin'er was growing exasperated by his logic, a guard came running inside.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, that person has injuries on his body, matching the wounds on the assassin who attacked the Princess last night."

Hearing this, Jin'er and Qingyue were shocked once more. Assail the Princess?! Had Stone lost his mind?!

"Hmph, what else is there to quibble about? Confess—which country sent you?!" The Emperor narrowed his eyes, casting two murderous glares toward Jin'er and Qingyue.

***

"Imperial Father, there must be some misunderstanding in all of this. Besides, even if last night's assassin truly was one of them, I can guarantee that Jin'er was never involved!" He Lingfeng urged anxiously.

Although the situation was too sudden and he hadn't yet figured out how to explain things clearly to the Emperor, he absolutely could not let Jin'er be dragged off to the imperial dungeon. That place was a living hell; no one ever came out of it without suffering.

"Guarantee? How do you intend to guarantee that?"

"Last night... she slept with me!"

As those words dropped, everyone present froze in disbelief. Jin'er's jaw dropped entirely, completely at a loss as to what nonsense he was spouting. Seeing the strange looks everyone was casting her way, Jin'er could no longer maintain her nonchalance.

Glancing sideways, she saw Qingyue looking at her. Far from showing the anger or heartbreak she might have expected, he was actually quite calm and shot her a subtle, knowing look.

"Jin'er, what time is it now? There's no need to be shy," He Lingfeng's voice rang out again, and Jin'er felt a fierce urge to march over and cover his mouth. Still, she wasn't completely dim-witted; by now, she realized He Lingfeng was trying to save her, and Qingyue clearly understood as well.

Therefore, Jin'er had no choice but to bite her lip, glare at He Lingfeng, and turn away with a feigned, bashful blush, refusing to look at the crowd by the door.

The Emperor frowned as he looked between the two of them, knowing deep down that he could not afford to deal with this girl harshly just yet. After all, Lingfeng's illness was not completely cured; he still needed her.

Clearing his throat, the Emperor issued a deep, stern command: "Throw both of them into the imperial dungeon! We shall deal with them after the matter is thoroughly investigated!"

"Yes!" The guards escorted Qingyue away, leaving only the Emperor and a few guards in the room.

"Imperial Father, please calm your anger. This son has something to tell you."

"There's no need to say any more! The facts are right before our eyes, what misunderstanding could there possibly be?!" With that, the Emperor turned his gaze back to Jin'er, who had turned around again with a heavy frown on her face as she stared toward the doorway. "Jin'er, even if you truly were not involved last night, it does not mean you are not accomplices. However, since Lingfeng is vouching for you so strongly, and you have merit in treating him, I will let it go this once. As long as you can thoroughly cure Lingfeng, I will consider sparing their lives." With a cold snort, he turned and swept out of the room.

"Imperial Father! Imperial Father..." He Lingfeng chased him to the door with some difficulty, but the Emperor was already striding away without the slightest intention of stopping.

"Sigh!" He Lingfeng sighed with a frown, then turned and walked over to sit beside Jin'er. "Don't worry, I will save them."

Jin'er turned to look at him. "How? The evidence is conclusive. If it weren't for that flute and Stone's injuries, I'd almost suspect Your Majesty engineered this whole setup just to avoid paying those hundred thousand taels." While Stone might conceivably attack a princess, Qingyue had no reason to. What on earth was going on here?

"I suspect someone did engineer this setup, but it was someone else entirely." At this, He Lingfeng's narrow eyes narrowed slightly, wearing a rare, profound expression that made him quite captivating.

"What do you know?" Jin'er frowned. "Could it be..." A sudden thought flashed through her mind, connecting to the mastermind behind the attempts on He Lingfeng's life.

"Fortunately, Shiyuan told me about the poisoning yesterday, otherwise today's situation might have been even more chaotic."

"You knew about being poisoned?" Jin'er asked in surprise.

Lingfeng nodded. "After you had Shiyuan carry me inside yesterday, he told me. I had intended to speak with my father when he came to visit me today, but I never expected such a sudden turn of events."

"You knew? Then just now..." Jin'er wanted to scold him for not explaining earlier, but remembered that he had indeed tried his hardest to keep the old Emperor there.

"My father is in the middle of a fit of anger right now. I'll go find him once he calms down. Rest assured, he still depends on you to cure me, so he won't do anything to them for the time being."

"Sigh, I hope so. But I have a bad feeling in my stomach." Jin'er frowned.

"Don't worry. Tomorrow happens to be my birthday, and my father will come over after handling matters in the afternoon. I will make him understand everything then."

"Your birthday?" Jin'er was startled.

"Mmm. The ninth day of the tenth month." He Lingfeng said with a faint smile.

"Oh. Wait?! The ninth day of the tenth month?!" Jin'er's jaw dropped.

"What's wrong? Is something incorrect?" He Lingfeng asked, puzzled.

"What a coincidence, my birthday is also the ninth day of the tenth month." Jin'er smiled, then her expression dimmed. "Though I haven't celebrated my birthday in many years."

"Many years? Didn't your family celebrate with you?" He Lingfeng asked, perplexed.

At these words, Jin'er recalled how her imperial mother used to celebrate with her every year back in the palace. Though there were no lavish feasts or expensive, extravagant gifts, she had always been immensely happy on those birthdays. Ever since her mother passed away... Thinking of the past, thinking of her mother, Jin'er couldn't fight back the tears welling in her eyes.

"Hey, don't cry." Before he could finish, a tear slipped from Jin'er's eye, thoroughly startling He Lingfeng and leaving him at a loss.

"I... s-sorry, I won't ask anymore."

Jin'er turned her face away, quietly wiping away her tears, and stood up, intending to go out for a walk to clear her head. As she rose and turned, she almost crashed directly into He Lingfeng.

She looked up at him to find his brows furrowed as he looked down at her, a trace of heartache hidden deep within those narrow, starry eyes.

Feeling a slight flutter of nervousness, she tried to step around him. Before she could move, he raised a hand, his thumb gently wiping away the residual tear at the corner of her eye. "Don't be sad anymore. From now on, I'll celebrate your birthday with you."

Jin'er stared dazedly at his gentle expression. In that instant, she truly wondered if the man before her was the same black-hearted Crown Prince who used to bicker with her until his face turned red.

Coming to her senses, she saw him lower his head as his attractive lips slowly moved closer. Startled, Jin'er instinctively raised a hand to cover her mouth, causing He Lingfeng's slightly damp lips to land squarely against the back of her hand instead.

Their eyes locked in a mixture of shock, embarrassment, unease, and vexation...

After a long moment, He Lingfeng lifted his head, his face flushed. Pressing his lips together, his brow immediately furrowed. "Why does this taste salty? Did you wash your hands before breakfast?!"

Jin'er froze, then burst into a sudden peal of laughter. "Hahahaha... Serves you right! I forgot to tell you, I went to use the facilities before breakfast and forgot to wash my hands."

"What?! You can forget something like that?!"

Seeing He Lingfeng's exaggerated expression, Jin'er found herself thoroughly amused. What an absolute idiot—if she had just wiped away tears with them, of course they would taste salty!

Without missing a beat, He Lingfeng hurried over to pour a cup of water to rinse his mouth and wash his lips. Once finished, he marched back, grabbed the still-giggling Jin'er by the wrist, dragged her to the washbasin, and shoved her hands right into the water.

"Hey! Whether I wash my hands or not is my own business, why are you meddling?!" Feeling like a toddler being forced to wash up by a teacher, Jin'er was torn between annoyance and laughter.

"Diseases enter through the mouth, don't you know that?!" He Lingfeng said with absolute solemnity.

"I'm a physician, do I need you to lecture me? You must be terrified of getting sick again! Besides, I wasn't going to lick my own hand." The moment the final sentence slipped out, Jin'er instantly regretted it.

Seeing him look down at her with a raised brow, Jin'er felt an unexplainable flush heat up her face. Violently wrenching her hand back, she rubbed it casually against her clothes, dropped a quick "I'm going to brew the medicine," and bolted out the door.

Watching her swift escape, He Lingfeng couldn't help but chuckle softly, a novel and unprecedented warmth rippling through his heart.

***

In the dark, damp imperial dungeon, Shiyuan sat huddled in the corner of a cell, looking pale and haggard with heavy shackles weighing down his wrists and ankles. In the adjacent cell was Qingyue.

The dungeons of the State of Tu were somewhat unique; rather than wood, they were constructed from thick, sturdy blocks of mud and stone, with only the doors made of heavy timber, effectively isolating Shiyuan and Qingyue from one another.

"Clang—!" With the scrape of colliding chains, the cell door opened.

Shiyuan slowly lifted his head, his expression completely indifferent as he watched the beautiful, graceful figure step inside, looking entirely unperturbed.

"Who are you?" A lovely voice, an innocent face—traits that could easily deceive anyone in the world, yet they could no longer fool him.

"Do you think that staying silent will make everything go away?" A trace of mocking amusement curled the corner of her lips.

Shiyuan looked at her and laughed soundlessly. Yet the lovely figure merely frowned and turned her face away. "So ugly and yet you still smile, it simply pollutes this Princess's eyes."

"Is that so? What about now?" Shiyuan said, slowly raising a hand to peel away the fake scar on his face.

Yunshang turned back with a hint of perplexity, her gaze catching upon that familiar, long-lost face. Her expression froze in shock, and she involuntarily staggered backward two steps...

"You're alive?"

"Thanks to the Princess's blessing, I managed to hang onto my life and return to see her once more," Shiyuan said with a cold smile.

A moment later, "Hahahaha..." Yunshang lifted her sleeve to cover her smile, her voice clear and melodious, her expression mesmerizing and enchanting. "Tell me, why must you do this? To fall out with this Princess over two dead people... Having narrowly escaped with your life, you run right back here to throw it away?

"You should know I've always liked you, and I've always valued you. Think back to our very first meeting—how wonderful it was. Even now, I can still recall the feeling of it. It's just a pity... the past has already become the past.

"And now, I can only let you... die!" The final word drifted from Yunshang's lips laden with biting frost. With a wave of her hand, the three guards behind her stepped forward, one of them already pinching a lethal pellet between his fingers.

Shiyuan's eyes turned ruthless as he prepared to stand and fight them to the death, but a familiar voice echoed from outside the cell door.

"Stone, it seems you're quite popular in this palace."

Hearing this, Yunshang's expression froze in alarm, and the guards halted their movements.

"You?" Yunshang turned back, quickly slipping back into her usual facade, though she was visibly startled to see He Lingfeng following closely behind Jin'er. "Imperial Father, why have you come out? And to a filthy, unlucky place like this—aren't you afraid of falling ill again?"

He Lingfeng smiled. "With her around, what is there to fear about falling ill?" He glanced toward Jin'er as he spoke.

Yunshang shot Jin'er a sidelong glance, then smiled. "This criminal slashed me with a blade yesterday, so I came specially to interrogate him. But his mouth is truly stubborn, heh. Never mind, I'll leave him for Imperial Father to deal with. Imperial Father, please go ahead." With that, she turned back, offered He Lingfeng a gentle, winsome smile, and bypassed the two of them to head outside.

As they brushed past one another, the smile vanished instantly from her lovely face, leaving behind only a gaze filled with vicious malice. [End of Chapter 1/3]