Yan Shisheng’s scheme wasn’t complicated. Mu Wanyao had told him that without someone’s support, he likely wouldn’t receive a spot to go to the capital after the provincial examinations.

Yan Shisheng hadn’t told Mu Wanyao that he already knew this, without needing anyone’s hint. After studying for so many years, he knew well that the dynasty’s examinations emphasized poetry and prose—precisely his weakest skills. Challenging the examinations with his weakest talents left him with almost no chance of success.

Thus, his path would differ from that of the young genius Liu Wenji.

Liu Wenji might enter Chang’an on talent alone, but Yan Shisheng would need to employ other methods… such as becoming the Princess of Danyang’s lifesaver.

Personally demonstrating to the princess how White Bull Tea could dissolve copper coins was premeditated, probing to confirm Mu Wanyao’s identity as the princess was premeditated, drawing a map to the tea trees but not personally guiding the princess to find them in the wild was also premeditated… He gambled that the princess would want those tea trees and try to take them.

Near where the tea trees grew, Yan Shisheng knew there were snake nests and soul-bewitching grass. With the princess’s guards present, Yan Shisheng didn’t think she would face any mortal danger. But under the influence of the soul-bewitching grass, getting lost in the wilderness for a few days was only natural.

Someone would certainly notice the princess’s disappearance, and someone would certainly need Yan Shisheng’s help to find her.

As the princess’s savior, even if the princess herself didn’t mention it, Yan Shisheng believed the officials of Lingnan, to curry favor with the princess, would surely grant him a spot to go to Chang’an.

Since this year’s provincial examination had already passed, and news of the princess’s arrival in Lingnan was well-concealed and might not spread in time, Yan Shisheng calculated that while this year’s spot would be Liu Wenji’s, next year’s spot should be his.

He had given Liu Wenji this year’s chance to showcase his talent. He hoped Liu Wenji would make good use of it.

This was an open strategy. Whether to seek the White Bull tea trees, whether to search for them, whether to search personally… those were all Mu Wanyao’s own decisions. Yan Shisheng couldn’t force her to search for the tea trees or bind her to get lost.

Even if someone later noticed this strategy, they couldn’t blame Yan Shisheng.

Unfortunately, while Yan Shisheng had calculated everything else, he hadn’t anticipated Mu Wanyao’s collapse.

The princess’s fainting exceeded his expectations and left him at a loss—Lingnan was full of miasma, truly a “land of poisonous vapors.”

The Princess of Danyang hadn’t fallen prey to snakes.

Instead, she had collapsed in the heavy miasma of the wilderness.

Only she had succumbed to the poisonous fog—her accompanying maids and guards were all fine.

This could only mean… the princess’s constitution was weaker than ordinary people’s.

This unexpected situation left Yan Shisheng feeling ashamed and frustrated—

Because he felt it was his failure to anticipate this situation that had caused the princess’s illness, when the princess was brought back to the nearest Yan family residence to recover, Yan Shisheng personally prepared her medicine.

In such a remote area of Lingnan, they couldn’t quickly find any skilled physicians. After the princess fell ill, guards had already galloped to Guangzhou to find doctors, but fortunately, since it was miasma poisoning, even before the doctors arrived, local people like the Yan family naturally had some medicines that could help outsiders recover.

Thus, when the guards sent by the Nanhai County Magistrate saw the princess return to the Yan residence to recover, they hurried back to Nanhai to report the news.

After learning Mu Wanyao’s true identity, the Yan family nervously emptied their rooms again for the princess’s use. This time, they not only cleared out the largest room the princess had previously stayed in but the Yan family also specially selected the second-best room for the unconscious maid Chunhua.

After all, Chunhua had been poisoned by snake venom.

In truth, Chunhua’s condition was much more serious than the princess’s.

In the dim afternoon sun, Yan Shisheng crouched in the corridor fanning the flames, coughing from the smoke while brewing medicine for the princess. The serving maids watching through the curtains saw Young Master Yan’s efforts and sighed that he was truly a good person.

Yet the maids were also worried, as the princess remained unconscious and delirious.

As the maids fretted, they saw Yan Shisheng enter from outside carrying medicine. Coughing, he said, “Please give this medicine to Her Highness. We locals usually drink this to counter miasma poisoning. If it works well, Her Highness might wake before the doctors even arrive.”

The maids took the medicine from him, repeatedly thanking him: “Young Master, you’ve been busy since returning last night, without a moment’s rest—please go get some sleep!”

Yan Shisheng said gently: “Once Her Highness drinks the medicine, I’ll be at ease and leave.”

The maids nodded and carried the medicine in to feed Mu Wanyao. Yan Shisheng hesitated, but instead of withdrawing, he followed them into the inner chamber, clearly wanting to see the situation. The maids only glanced back at him curiously, but thinking of him as a local, they didn’t stop him.

After all, he was such a gentle and kind young master—who could bear to order him out of the princess’s chambers?

The maids sat beside the princess’s bed, attempting to give her medicine. Through the bed curtains, Yan Shisheng watched them whisper among themselves, maids trying one after another, yet none could get the medicine into her. Watching from behind, Yan Shisheng’s gaze flickered, but being a man, it was already improper enough for him to stand there—he couldn’t say much.

Finally, the maids emerged from behind the curtains with the medicine, sighing: “Young Master, it’s no use—the princess refuses to take the medicine.”

Yan Shisheng asked: “May I try?”

One maid hesitated, but thinking Yan Shisheng likely couldn’t succeed either, handed him the medicine bowl. After conferring briefly, the other maids walked toward the door, saying: “This won’t do—we need to hurry people along, get the doctors here faster.”

Yan Shisheng thought to himself: Your Highness’s problem is refusing medicine—what use will bring doctors to be?

Yan Shisheng lifted his robes and the curtain, looking down at the lady lying within.

Her eyes were closed, black hair spread thick as ink across the pillow, her face flushed with fever-like applied rouge, incomparably lovely. As she lay within the curtains, perhaps suddenly sensing someone’s gaze, she opened her eyes to look at him.

Her thick lashes fluttered lightly, ink-black eyes gazing hazily at Yan Shisheng.

So docile and fragile.

Yan Shisheng’s heart warmed, but he steadied himself against further thoughts. He said softly: “Your Highness, you’re awake?”

Mu Wanyao only looked at him, not speaking.

Yan Shisheng glanced at the maids standing outside, then tried offering a spoonful of medicine, but as the maids had said, she pressed her lips together, refusing to drink. After several attempts, he smiled gently and, without a word, quickly pulled a piece of candy from his sleeve when the maids weren’t looking, offering it to her lips.

Mu Wanyao’s eyes widened slightly, round as a cat’s.

She opened her mouth for the candy.

Yan Shisheng understood. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he watched her eat the candy, then negotiated quietly: “…Your Highness, I gave you candy behind your maids’ backs—you can’t betray me. Since you ate my candy, drink the medicine. Otherwise, there won’t be any candy next time, alright?”

Mu Wanyao lowered her eyes, just chewing the candy with puffed cheeks, ignoring him.

Yan Shisheng wasn’t sure if she planned to listen, but when he tried offering medicine again, she turned her head away, still refusing.

Yan Shisheng: “Your Highness?”

Yan Shisheng surrendered.

With so many maids watching, he could hardly pinch her cheeks to force her to drink the medicine.

Yan Shisheng stared at her for a moment, then stood to think of another way. But as he rose, Mu Wanyao caught his sleeve. He froze, looking back at her.

Mu Wanyao lay under the heavy blankets, her voice hoarse and weak: “Don’t go.”

Her eyelids drooped, eyes neither fully open nor closed, peaceful yet frail: “Don’t leave me.”

Yan Shisheng stared at her, having never seen her like this before.

He said softly: “What use is my staying if you won’t drink the medicine?”

Mu Wanyao: “You don’t call me properly, so why should I drink the medicine?”

Yan Shisheng was puzzled: “How have I not called you properly? Haven’t I been calling you ‘Your Highness’ all along?”

Mu Wanyao wouldn’t look at him, her eyes clear as spring water, only watching her hand clutching Yan Shisheng’s sleeve. Her empty eyes were quiet and weak.

She even had a childish sulkiness: “You haven’t called me. I’m not ‘Your Highness.'”

Yan Shisheng’s heart stirred, and he said softly: “Mu Wanyao?”

She closed her eyes, still holding his sleeve, but said nothing.

But Yan Shisheng was quite clever.

He sat back down and began testing: “If I call you Princess Mu Wanyao, will you drink the medicine?”

Mu Wanyao opened her eyes: “I’m called Mu Wanyao, not Princess Mu Wanyao.”

Yan Shisheng hesitated: “Mu Wanyao?”

Mu Wanyao said softly: “But as a princess, how can you call me by my given name?”

Yan Shisheng: “…”

He couldn’t help but smile.

He sighed, realizing her current state was different from her usual self. Usually proud and forceful, now she was so weak. Yet also so docile.

He chuckled softly, calling gently: “Yaoyao.”

Mu Wanyao’s lashes trembled as she opened her eyes, and after a moment, she nodded with a soft “mm,” giving him a faint smile. So gentle, like snow-white crabapple blossoms in the wind, incomparably beautiful.

Yan Shisheng gazed at her for a long while before suddenly saying: “…I just hope that after calling you this, you won’t settle accounts with me when you wake up, won’t kill me.”

Mu Wanyao looked at him bewildered.

She felt him reach out and pinch her cheek as if venting frustration.

When Yan Shisheng leaned down, his cool clothes brushed her face, covering her eyes. In the darkness, she heard him lift her, saying softly: “Alright, Yaoyao, stop being difficult and drink your medicine.”

When the maids returned from their discussion, they saw within the curtains the young scholar holding their princess, successfully getting her to drink the medicine.

The maids: “…”

Yaoyao.

He coaxed and tricked her this way.

He called her that for two whole days, feeding Mu Wanyao medicine many times. And Mu Wanyao was truly silly—she’d open her mouth when he gave her candy, smile when he called “Yaoyao,” hardly protest anything he said. She even clutched his sleeve, refusing to let him leave, causing the maids to constantly try to persuade her.

The princess would tear up at their persuasion, inspiring pity.

Yet it was also amusing.

As she took the medicine, Mu Wanyao’s condition gradually improved, bringing relief to everyone.

One evening, Mu Wanyao woke from her delirium, rubbing her forehead, suddenly remembering how Young Master Yan had been calling her “Yaoyao” these past days.

Mu Wanyao froze, overcome with intense embarrassment—

Had she gone mad during her illness?

Since she was fifteen, no one had called her that.

Mu Wanyao pondered whether she should kill Yan Shisheng to hide this shameful secret.

At dawn, the maids began rising to wash and dress. Mu Wanyao still sat on the bed deep in thought, until she heard Yan Shisheng’s refined voice from outside: “Yaoyao, time for your medicine.”

Mu Wanyao sat cold-faced behind the curtains: “…”