Yan Shang’s condition wasn’t difficult to understand. Initially, when Mu Wanyao had been pressed down by him as they sat together in the rain, she was at a loss because he was unconscious. But after the Princess Manor’s people brought Yan Shang back to the residence and Second Young Master Yan lay dying in bed, Mu Wanyao stood by the bedside and glanced at him a few times, immediately understanding what had happened.

His body was burning hot, and his handsome face flushed beyond recognition. Mu Wanyao lifted the quilt, glancing down at his waist and abdomen, and the corner of her lips curved slightly.

The other maids standing behind the princess were both shocked red-faced by Second Young Master Yan’s state and extremely worried.

After following the princess out of the chambers and closing the door, they anxiously said to the princess: “Your Highness, that Princess Imperial is too cruel! How could she give such a strong dose to Second Young Master?”

They were indignant: “Second Young Master is so proper and well-mannered. If he gave in to that Princess’s wishes, his reputation would truly be ruined.”

They looked at Mu Wanyao expectantly: “Your Highness, what should we do?”

Mu Wanyao gazed into space and said: “Wasn’t Wei Shu wandering around the palace? Quickly send someone to notify him, tell him to stop wandering, and just enter the palace directly to find a medical officer from the Imperial Pharmacy. Say… say… hmm, that I’m feeling unwell and need them to send someone quickly.”

One maid curtseyed and hurriedly left following the princess’s instructions.

Mu Wanyao walked along the corridor.

She had just returned from outside and removed her face-covering veil, but hadn’t had time to change her clothes yet. At this moment, Mu Wanyao’s clothes were still somewhat wet, not as magnificent as her usual attire, but light and nimble.

She thoughtfully took a few steps, then turned back to look at the other maids still following her: “Why are you still following me?”

The maids looked at each other before sending a representative to carefully say to Her Highness: “Your Highness, by the time we send someone to chase after Young Master Wei, wait for him to enter the palace to find the medical officer, and wait for the medical officer to return… during all this time, Second Young Master will… will… he might not make it.”

Mu Wanyao said: “This is his fate.”

After speaking, she fell silent.

Then showed some hesitation.

She had already saved Yan Shang… thinking that if he died because of her negligence, she felt somewhat uneasy.

As a woman, she didn’t understand how strong a man’s desires could be. However, she knew that the few ounces of flesh on a man’s body usually weren’t controlled by their reason. Their emotions and physiology were sometimes separate.

A man’s fascination with women was often something they couldn’t control themselves.

Mu Wanyao thought, Yan Shang probably couldn’t control it either.

Even if he wanted to be a saint, he wasn’t a saint.

If she left him like this without doing anything, he might die from the restraint… Mu Wanyao slowly said: “Find two beautiful and bold maids to go in. He’s unconscious and can’t move. The ones sent in shouldn’t… wrong him.”

The maids were stunned, never expecting that after Her Highness’s contemplation, she would say such things.

Her Highness wanted maids to serve Second Young Master Yan…

Mu Wanyao said nothing more and quickly left, leaving the maids behind. Returning to her chambers, Mu Wanyao first changed clothes and combed her hair, then had maids add water to the bath vessel, arranging for the princess to bathe.

During the wait, Mu Wanyao sat on her couch, drinking cup after cup of water, her mind in turmoil.

The more water she drank, the more disturbed she became.

Her mind uncontrollably went to thoughts of Yan Shang’s flushed face as he lay dying in her arms.

Then to thoughts of beautiful maids blushing, boldly pulling open his collar, kissing him, embracing him…

Mu Wanyao couldn’t bear it and “bang!” threw down her cup, startling the serving maids in the room. The maids came to check on the princess and saw tea water and stains on the floor covering, while Mu Wanyao suddenly stood up and pulled open the door to leave.

“Your Highness!” The women followed.

Mu Wanyao pushed open the door to Yan Shang’s chambers. Inside burned fresh, mood-altering cool incense and two maids were crouching by the bedside, about to reach out toward the young master.

The curtain was suddenly pulled aside, a small breeze swept in, and a delicate white wrist reached from behind, grabbing and pressing down the hand of the maid who was about to touch Yan Shang’s arm.

The grip was so hard the maid immediately burst into tears.

The two maids turned back in alarm to see Princess Her Highness with a frost-like expression.

Mu Wanyao said coldly: “Don’t touch him!”

The maids: “But… but… Second Young Master won’t make it!”

Mu Wanyao glanced at the bed where the young man’s face, besides being completely red, had taken on a layer of grayish pallor. His forehead was covered in sweat, and even in sleep he was unstable, his body occasionally trembling lightly…

Mu Wanyao couldn’t bear to look away, only saying: “Don’t touch him.”

Mu Wanyao first led the maids who were worried about the Second Young Master out. Just as she was fretting over what to say, a maid ran in anxiously from outside: “Your Highness, Your Highness, Young Master Wei has returned!”

As soon as the words fell, Mu Wanyao was stunned.

The maid explained with a dejected face: “Just as this servant was arranging to send someone to find Young Master Wei, he returned…”

Thinking of Wei Shu, Mu Wanyao suddenly had an idea.

She told the maids: “Don’t tell Ju Yuan about Yan Shang’s situation inside. If he knows I wanted to send you in to serve Yan Shang, Ju Yuan will argue with me again, saying I’m humiliating people.”

The maids silently nodded.

Mu Wanyao then scolded the maid who had come reporting “Young Master Wei has returned” with a dejected face: “What are you panicking about? Since he’s back, just have him go out again! Just because he just returned, we shouldn’t summon the medical officer?”

Having received their orders, the maids hurried off to their tasks.

And so Wei Shu, anxious and worried about Yan Shang’s condition, had hurriedly returned but was urged to leave again before he could even see the princess and Second Young Master Yan.

After instructing the maids to brew some soup and wait for the medical officer, Mu Wanyao sent all her attending maids away. She paced a few steps outside the chambers, looking left and right to see no one waiting there.

Mu Wanyao bit her lip and pushed open the door to enter herself.

She closed the door somewhat guiltily, afraid the maids would question why she went in. Mu Wanyao quickly lifted the bed curtains, sat by the bedside, and leaned down to lightly pat the face of the sleeping Yan Shang.

She called out twice: “Yan Er? Yan Shang? Yan Shang… you really can’t hear anything from outside anymore, right?”

She leaned down and with difficulty embraced him. His burning body pressed against her, his rapid heartbeat making Mu Wanyao feel like a thief, her heart racing.

She took a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from his face. He only leaned weakly against her shoulder, completely listless, his breath faint.

Mu Wanyao spoke as if to herself: “I can’t give you to other women. Because you finally got away from my aunt, and even in this state you didn’t touch any women. If I easily handed you over, wouldn’t that go against your wishes?”

She looked up at the flowing flowers and grass on the bed canopy, murmuring: “You collapsed when you saw me. It shows you trustingly placed yourself in my hands… even if I don’t want to take care of you, since you trust me so much, I can’t harm you.”

She said softly: “The medical officer won’t arrive for a long while. I won’t let others touch you… I can only help relieve you a bit myself. I hope when you wake up, you won’t remember any of this.”

“Let’s each go our own way, neither caring about the other, alright?”

Speaking thus, her eyes showed flowing light, as if misty.

Thinking about not dealing with this person anymore, rationally she knew this was right, and when not seeing him she also felt she could do it… after all, with her poor memory, she didn’t love anyone.

But when she held him sitting on the couch, when she embraced his shoulders, when she lowered her head to press their foreheads together and saw his face… she still felt a desolate sensation in her heart, giving rise to countless times more reluctance to part.

He was such a good person, taking care of everyone… but why wasn’t he best to her?

Mu Wanyao suppressed her emotions and gripped the handkerchief in her hand. She closed her eyes, unable and unwilling to look more. Through the layer of the handkerchief, she pulled at his collar and undid his belt.

The handkerchief covered him, touching him, while her hand was on the other side, gripping this handkerchief.

He couldn’t control his gasping… hearing it, Mu Wanyao’s closed eyelashes trembled, and her cheeks uncontrollably turned red.

She couldn’t help opening her eyes to look once.

Then immediately closed them again.

Only her hand moved, letting the burning liquid flow—

Mu Wanyao stayed inside for a very long time. Outside, the maids heard intermittent hoarse gasping from the man. They stood like wooden people, not daring to think more or ask questions.

About half an hour after Wei Shu returned in the rain, a maid finally gathered the courage to inquire inside: “Your Highness, the medical officer has arrived.”

After a while, when the young man’s gasping stopped, they heard the princess’s languid voice with a hint of hoarseness: “Have someone come in to burn some incense, open the windows for a bit, then wait for the medical officer to enter.”

A maid asked dumbly: “But isn’t Second Young Master ill? Is it good to open the windows?”

Mu Wanyao said coldly: “Since things are already like this, what difference does opening the windows a bit make?”

The maids heard a trace of embarrassed anger in the princess’s voice and immediately dared not say more.

And after a while longer, Mu Wanyao finally pushed open the door and came out.

The maids secretly glanced and saw that though the princess still maintained her elegant appearance, at this moment Mu Wanyao’s face was like peach blossoms, her eyes brimming with moisture.

Mu Wanyao asked them for a handkerchief to wipe her hands, and the maids hurriedly provided one. However, even after wiping her hands, Mu Wanyao still frowned, wearing an expression of disgust and hatred.

She finally said: “You all take Wei Ju Yuan to look after Second Young Master Yan. The night is already deep, let Ju Yuan rest in the manor. I’m going to wash up, don’t look for me tonight for anything. Oh, and let the medical officer rest in the manor too, just say… the roads are slippery in the rain, I’m worried about the elder’s safety, so I won’t let him return to the palace.”

Princess Danyang turned and left, not even meeting with the medical officer again. Everyone thought the princess was so willful and cold, actually no longer caring about Second Young Master Yan… but after all, she was the princess, what could they say?

The medical officer the Princess Manor had summoned wasn’t summoned in vain.

In the first half of the night, the medical officer applied acupuncture to Yan Shang, finally allowing him to sleep. In the second half of the night, the maids woke the medical officer again, saying Second Young Master had developed a high fever.

The medical officer stroked his beard, expressing understanding. After all, being drugged and caught in the rain… a fever was normal.

Moreover, this young master’s endurance was too strong, he had held out for so long… after holding out for so long, his body finally couldn’t take it anymore. Young people are so reckless.

The medical officer didn’t ask why this drugged young man was in Princess Danyang’s manor. As a palace physician, he naturally understood long ago that many things shouldn’t be questioned—only treating illness could keep one safe.

Wei Shu came to check on Yan Shang the next day. Yan Shang was still unconscious, but that layer of deathly gray pallor had disappeared from his face.

Mu Wanyao urged Wei Shu to go study instead of staying in her manor, ruining her reputation. Wei Shu was surprised by what a good reputation she had but was ultimately driven out of the manor by Mu Wanyao, driven to the Hongwen Academy to study.

Mu Wanyao originally wanted to move Yan Shang out of her Princess Manor and move him across the street, but the medical officer said Yan Shang’s condition was unstable now—it would be best not to move him carelessly. And when Mu Wanyao suggested throwing Yan Shang out, all her attendants begged her not to be so heartless…

Mu Wanyao was speechless, hating how well-liked Yan Shang was while also having to endure letting this person recover from illness in her Princess Manor.

Then because Mu Wanyao was annoyed by the maids constantly checking if Second Young Master Yan had awakened, she simply took over the task of administering medicine herself.

Thus in everyone’s eyes, Mu Wanyao personally cared for the ill Second Young Master Yan, administering medicine and inquiring about his condition each day… Her Highness’s treatment of the Second Young Master was so different from others.

Unfortunately, after Mu Wanyao had only carefully tended to Yan Shang for two days, she fell ill herself, causing quite a commotion in the Princess Manor—

Chunhua knew nothing of what had happened to Yan Shang at the Princess Imperial’s place, or about him staying at the Princess Danyang’s manor to recover.

Chunhua had asked for leave from the princess early on to go see her relatives.

In her childhood, her family had met with misfortune and she had become a palace servant. Through coincidence, she went to serve Princess Danyang. Princess Danyang was a mistress who treated her maids very well, and after some years, bit by bit, Chunhua found her family again.

Her father had already passed away from illness, but her mother was still alive; she had an elder brother who spent his days stealing chickens and dogs, uneducated and without skills.

This elder brother had also taken a wife, and after marriage, the couple fought and quarreled. It was only thanks to Chunhua’s occasional assistance that her brother’s family could live quite well.

Originally when Chunhua followed the princess for the arranged marriage, this family thought they would never see her again. They cried, sold their house in Chang’an, gave the money to Chunhua for travel expenses, and dejectedly left Chang’an.

Now that Chunhua had returned, this family could see that the princess she served apparently would not be going through with the arranged marriage anymore, so Chunhua probably wouldn’t be leaving either.

After discussion, the family planned to move back to Chang’an to live, so they could also come and go to visit Chunhua regularly.

Chunhua was moved.

Her brother was a wastrel who never studied properly, and her sister-in-law was calculating and fierce, but her brother and sister-in-law had helped take care of their mother for so many years. Previously when she saw no future ahead, her brother and sister-in-law had still given her all the family’s money.

Her family had some minor faults, but these were just small problems that all common people might have. Once they lived better lives, they would gradually correct these faults.

And Chunhua also needed relatives by her side.

This time leaving the Princess Manor, Chunhua went to help her brother and sister-in-law build a house. Though she said she was helping, her role was nothing more than providing money.

Her sister-in-law was usually fierce, and her nephew was mischievous, but after seeing Chunhua, they were extremely attentive, not letting Chunhua do any work at all or touch any daily necessities.

Her sister-in-law said: “Our Chunhua serves the princess! At the Princess Manor, she eats and dresses well, and doesn’t do hard labor, how could she come home and do work? Chunhua, you just rest well, we’ll handle these things.”

Chunhua felt especially embarrassed, so she could only help her brother and sister-in-law look after their children for a few days.

But on this day, while Chunhua was walking with her niece and nephew along the country field ridges, she encountered an old acquaintance.

That acquaintance was riding in a carriage, sitting properly within, putting on airs of caring for common people like all nobles did. However, when he looked carefully from the carriage, he saw the beautiful young woman standing in the fields, her clothes flowing in the wind.

He was startled, came out from the carriage, and exclaimed in surprise: “Chunhua?”

Chunhua turned around, and was stunned for a moment before curtseying: “Prince Jin.”

She said: “Why has Prince Jin come here?”

Prince Jin sighed: “I oversee the Ministry of Works. Recently the Crown Prince had the Ministry build water wheels, so I had to personally come to the countryside to look at potential sites.”

He gazed at Chunhua and said: “Fortunately I came, otherwise I wouldn’t have known I could see you. Why are you here, could it be that little Danyang came here to play?”

Chunhua politely answered His Highness, then because Prince Jin was here, she had to lead her niece and nephew to walk with His Highness through the countryside, answering Prince Jin’s questions about the local terrain and soil.

Prince Jin glanced at Chunhua from time to time, the corner of his lips holding a slight smile.

Among the Six Ministries of the Department of State Affairs, the Ministry of Works was the weakest. After all, the status of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants had been thus since ancient times—the scholars never took the Ministry of Works seriously. Only those without status or prospects would be thrown into the Ministry of Works.

Prince Jin overseeing the Ministry of Works was also because his two elder brothers fought too fiercely and he couldn’t get involved, so naturally he could only retire to the Ministry of Works. Who knew that such a boring ministry would let him encounter Miss Chunhua again… Prince Jin’s heart stirred with desire.

His temperament was gentle and mild, but however mild, he was still a man. Now he felt meeting Chunhua in the countryside was his destiny, he absolutely couldn’t miss this chance.

That night, Chunhua had no choice but to bring Prince Jin to her brother and sister-in-law’s home to have dinner together.

Prince Jin was warm and friendly, making her brother and sister-in-law less afraid. During dinner, Prince Jin kept looking at Chunhua, making the family thoughtful…

After dinner, Chunhua was forced to sit outside with Prince Jin to talk. Her sister-in-law was washing dishes in the courtyard and said to her husband: “That Prince Jin seems to like our Chunhua. If this works out and Chunhua enters Prince Jin’s manor as a consort, wouldn’t that be a better future than following a princess as a maid?”

Her husband hesitated and said: “But…”

The sister-in-law said: “Chunhua is literate, cultured, and beautiful. Look around, among the people we know, who would be worthy of your sister? It would be a waste to let someone else take advantage of her. Since that’s the case, why not become in-laws with Prince Jin? I see Prince Jin is kind and approachable, very courteous.”

Her husband asked: “But we can’t make this decision…”

The sister-in-law smiled and said: “Put some sleeping medicine in their drinks, lock them in a room together. I don’t believe that Prince Jin doesn’t like your sister. By dawn, your sister could enter the prince’s manor!”

The husband asked: “Where would we get sleeping medicine?”

The sister-in-law said: “Remember when mother-in-law sprained her ankle and was afraid of pain, didn’t that quack doctor give us a packet of sleeping medicine? Don’t worry, it’ll be fine. Chunhua will thank us.”

The husband hesitated for a long time but ultimately couldn’t resist his wife. And thinking about how if his sister became someone in Prince Jin’s back courtyard, their family would become Prince Jin’s in-laws, it really would be a good thing…

Seeing him nod, his wife immediately stopped washing dishes, wiped her hands, and went to find the medicine, arranging this beautiful affair.

Once people develop greed, they will be tempted, and will convince themselves that they are right—

At Princess Danyang’s manor.

After being dizzy and drifting in and out of consciousness for two days, Yan Shang’s fever broke and he could finally rise from his sickbed.

After waking, Second Young Master Yan was cultured and elegant, politely asking the maids about the current situation.

The maids very much liked Second Young Master Yan’s temperament after he woke up, naturally competing to answer, recounting like family treasures the events of him collapsing on the road and being brought into the manor by the princess.

Yan Shang had just awakened and still sat on the couch with his hair half-loose. Hair strands clung to his face, and having been seriously ill, his face had become much thinner.

Looking at him, the young man’s robes were loose, and as he rose gracefully, he seemed like an immortal, even more handsome than usual.

Yan Shang asked: “Her Highness… fell ill because of taking care of me?”

The maids: “Yes. But it’s nothing serious, Her Highness just has some dizziness, she’ll be fine after taking medicine for a couple of days.”

Yan Shang asked: “May I go visit Her Highness?”

The maids looked at each other for a long while, but ultimately couldn’t resist Yan Shang’s clear and bright bearing, and nodded: “…Her Highness is sleeping, Second Young Master can just take a look. Don’t do anything, otherwise Her Highness will blame us when she wakes up.”

Yan Shang said gently: “Ladies, please don’t worry, I know proper etiquette and won’t cause you trouble.”

The maids said with blushing faces: “We naturally trust Second Young Master’s character. We also hope Second Young Master can make our princess’s temper better… We’re afraid Her Highness will find reasons to get angry at us after she wakes up.”

Yan Shang nodded.

He was elegant as jade, standing out brilliantly. Compared to the dying Second Young Master Yan when he was unconscious, everyone naturally preferred this person who was polite and considerate to everyone—

After returning to his residence next door to change clothes and wash up, Yan Shang came back to the Princess Manor.

Living close by had this advantage—turn a few corners and you could see someone.

Yan Shang knocked on the door from outside, but no one answered. He pushed open the door to the princess’s chambers himself, sat by her bedside, and leaned down to look at the young princess who was still sleeping.

Yan Shang looked down at her and called softly: “Your Highness?”

Mu Wanyao was indeed asleep, quiet and docile, lying on her side with her head pillowed on her arm, her dark hair spread across the bed. Yan Shang reached out, touched her forehead with the back of his hand, and only relaxed slightly after confirming she didn’t have a fever.

Yan Shang sat lost in thought by her bed, just watching her like this.

He intently examined her, examined his relationship with Mu Wanyao, and examined each scene of their association.

That day when he had forced himself to walk back to his residence, he encountered Mu Wanyao outside the manor gate. By then his mind was already hazy, but when he fell… he felt he was safe.

Then she truly did save him.

She went to the Princess Imperial’s manor to demand his return, and afterward didn’t abandon him but brought him back to the Princess Manor. Yan Shang didn’t remember what had happened during these days while he was unconscious, but he at least knew that Mu Wanyao had fallen ill from taking care of him.

Because of him.

But why?

For someone like him who took sages as his model, helping anyone without reason was understandable. Seeing someone fall and reaching out to help… that was something he, Yan Shang, would do.

This wasn’t something Mu Wanyao would do.

Why exactly did she treat him this way?

Yan Shang slowly reached out his hand and placed it on top of Mu Wanyao’s, looking down.

Yan Shang said softly: “My friendship with Your Highness was half because Your Highness is truly lively and lovable, and half because of ambition and benefit.

“I don’t cut ties with Your Highness or become enemies with Your Highness, half because I pity Your Highness’s difficulties, and half because I’m unwilling to give up the advantages of associating with Your Highness.

“Even when I’m good to Your Highness, I carry utilitarian intentions. But Your Highness… why do you help me again and again, treat me well again and again?

“How can I ever repay Your Highness’s great kindness?”

He held her hand, talking to himself, his emotions already somewhat unstable. Otherwise, how could someone as guarded as he possibly sit by a sick person’s bedside holding their hand and speaking his heart?

His inner thoughts were something he would never normally speak aloud.

As Yan Shang gazed dazedly at Mu Wanyao, he saw her eyelashes trembling lightly.

She was about to wake up.

Yan Shang calmly moved his hand away, no longer holding hers. He tucked the blanket around her properly and brushed away the long hair scattered across her face.

In the dim curtained light, Mu Wanyao opened her eyes and saw Yan Shang sitting by her bed.

Mu Wanyao: “…”

He sat quietly watching her, so peacefully that Mu Wanyao was momentarily dazed, wondering when their relationship had become so close… that he would sit by her bedside.

Because Yan Shang was so calm, Mu Wanyao didn’t react immediately. When he helped her sit up, Mu Wanyao let him help her up obediently, confused, and quietly.

Yan Shang looked down at her and said: “Your Highness fell ill from taking care of me, so I came to check on you.”

Mu Wanyao blinked, understanding the current situation.

She immediately turned her face away from him and said coldly: “Now that you’ve seen me, you can leave. Since you’re already better, there’s no need to sit here.”

Yan Shang gazed at her and said slowly: “Your Highness’s health seems not very good, falling ill so easily.”

It was the same before in Lingnan—after walking in the wilderness for just one day, everyone else was fine, only she collapsed from miasma.

Now it was the same.

She had only taken care of him for two days and fell ill.

Mu Wanyao looked at him in surprise, not expecting him to notice such small details that others missed. But then she thought about how he was Yan Shang after all—with his careful and thorough mind, discovering such things wasn’t difficult.

Even though since her return from the arranged marriage, besides Yan Shang, no one had noticed this problem.

Mu Wanyao said perfunctorily: “Just some old ailments, nothing serious.”

Yan Shang said gently: “Then Your Highness should rest well.”

Mu Wanyao grew somewhat annoyed.

His sitting here greatly affected her; his soft-spoken voice also irritated her; even his long eyelashes when he looked down reminded her of his fragile appearance that night when he leaned against her shoulder… she really couldn’t take any of this.

Mu Wanyao started driving him away: “What business is it of yours? Why don’t you stop putting on this fake act? Don’t you get tired of being like this all day? I know your good intentions, I understand, now hurry up and leave, go rest.”

Yan Shang silently watched her.

After a while, he said: “Your Highness seems very unwilling to see me now, have I done something wrong?”

Mu Wanyao said: “No. You’re very good.”

Yan Shang said softly: “How could I be as good as Your Highness?”

Mu Wanyao: “…”

She couldn’t help turning to look at him, saw his gaze fixed on her, but felt chills down her spine and said: “Are you alright? Do you think I’m better than you? Ask how the world evaluates you and me, then don’t say such laughable things anymore.”

Yan Shang smiled slightly.

He said: “Actually this serious illness made me think about many things, and I have some words I want to tell Your Highness.”

He glanced at her.

Mu Wanyao’s back immediately stiffened, because the force in that glance made her instinctively feel he was going to say something terrible.

Yan Shang said: “I haven’t treated Your Highness well enough before, I plan to change from now on. Please give me this chance.”

Mu Wanyao watched him lean forward, watched him take her hand. She had already been stupefied by him, only staring blankly at his eyes, her heart in complete panic—

His manner.

Tender as water, eyes seemingly full of emotion.

He wasn’t going to confess to her, was he?

It couldn’t be that because she looked after him for two days, he was deeply moved and wanted to dedicate himself to her.

No, no need to be so polite, no need to treat people so well—

Yan Shang held her hand and said gently: “Before, I wasn’t attentive enough to Your Highness, because I only saw Your Highness as a friend I’d met a few more times than others. I was also hesitant, unwilling to bear the reputation of pursuing the princess, so I always deliberately kept my distance from Your Highness, perhaps indirectly hurting Your Highness.”

Mu Wanyao’s face was expressionless, enduring the panic in her heart—

He was confessing.

Her heart pounded, her face red to her ears, wanting to refuse, yet wanting to hear what he would say. Wanting to pull her hand away, yet not having the heart to.

She was extremely conflicted, her gaze at him indescribable.

Yan Shang said: “But it won’t be like this anymore. Before, I helped Your Highness for the sake of duty. From now on when I help Your Highness, besides duty there will also be friendship.”

Mu Wanyao heard “friendship” as “love.”

Her face was completely red, and her palms beginning to sweat. She was extremely uneasy, frowning deeply, looking down and not daring to look at him anymore.

She didn’t want to accept his confession.

But, but… he was such a good person.

After all, so good.

Yan Shang released her hand, lifted his robes, and knelt by her bed. Under Mu Wanyao’s shocked gaze, he said: “I am willing to pledge allegiance to Your Highness from now on, to strategize for Your Highness, to truly help Your Highness. I am willing to be Your Highness’s vassal, holding nothing back from Your Highness.”

His gaze at her was gentle yet powerful, his friendship sincere and from the heart:

“Willing to be Your Highness’s bow, from now on to serve my lord.”

Mu Wanyao: “…”

She was silent for a while, her heart that had almost jumped out of her chest returning.

She said: “…That’s it?”

Yan Shang, kneeling before her, looked up at her in confusion.