Zhang Cang had withdrawn at some point and was now sitting on the stone steps with his sword across his lap, looking like a fierce door guardian statue, vigilantly preventing others from approaching.

Penglai Hall was quiet, with shadows of bare branches cast on the window panels like flowing ink prints.

Zhao Yān’s voice was extraordinarily clear. Because of her determination, her breathing trembled slightly. Hot blood surged with each pounding heartbeat, making her body feel neither cold nor hot.

Wenren Lin remained seated in the chair, the hand resting on her waist seemed to curl slightly.

Zhao Yān tightened her embrace, pressing her somewhat feverish cheek against his cool lapel, not knowing how Wenren Lin would react.

If he were to bring up his previous rhetoric about “This prince is not a good man,” she would definitely grab his collar and give him a good scolding.

In this stillness, a very light laugh suddenly sounded.

Zhao Yān’s ear tingled, her rapid breathing calmed, and she incredulously loosened her arms to look at him.

Wenren Lin’s chest heaved as he laughed so freely that he began to cough, forcing him to press his fist against his lips. As he turned his head away, his shoulders still shook, with mirth filling the corners of his eyes and brows.

Zhao Yān had never expected such a reaction from him. She blinked, then slowly furrowed her brow.

…

…

Was it… That funny?

She even began to wonder if her timing for revealing her feelings was wrong, or if the setting wasn’t beautiful enough, causing her hasty confession to sound like a child’s jest.

Zhao Yān stood there helplessly, feeling somewhat embarrassed and annoyed. Just as she was about to turn away and pretend none of this had happened, she felt a tug on her hand.

She was pulled backward one step, falling into Wenren Lin’s lap.

The next moment, arms encircled her from behind, holding her tightly in his embrace.

“Ouch… too tight.”

Zhao Yān could hardly breathe and patted Wenren Lin’s arm.

Wenren Lin buried his face in the crook of her neck, his nose affectionately nuzzling her neck, placing a light yet cherished kiss. This time, Zhao Yān understood his breath filled with laughter, not mockery, but genuine joy.

Zhao Yān had never seen him laugh so heartily. Her heart floated up again, so she relaxed into his embrace.

“What’s so funny? Wenren Shaoyuan, besides wanting you to pity and respect me, I also want you to love me. Am I being too greedy?”

She elbowed Wenren Lin’s solid midsection and asked indistinctly, “Did you hear what I just said?”

“Not clearly enough.”

Zhao Yān turned her head suspiciously, but Wenren Lin pecked her lightly-reddened ear tip, his voice carrying a trace of hoarseness, “This prince is currently ill, with dim vision and poor hearing. Perhaps Your Highness could say those words again, louder this time.”

Zhao Yān would be a fool to believe this nonsense.

Wenren Lin lowered his voice: “Say it again.”

Zhao Yān’s ear was tingling, forcing her to say firmly: “I have feelings for you… You scoundrel.”

Wenren Lin laughed again, apparently ignoring the last three words.

He knew well his vileness. He knew that the one who should “restrain himself and return to propriety” was him, yet he repeatedly pulled her down with him.

He was not a slow-witted person. Having spent so much time with the young princess, he naturally perceived the emotional fluctuations she unconsciously revealed.

Now, hearing this confession unexpectedly with his own ears, he still felt uncontrollable joy, as if receiving a great treasure.

Wenren Lin said, “Not greedy at all. I fear Your Highness is not greedy enough for me.”

Zhao Yān was momentarily stunned, then realized this was his answer to her previous words.

Her lips moved slightly as she felt the cool, solid embrace behind her. She couldn’t help but ask: “Are you cold?”

“Tolerable.”

“Are you in pain?”

“Not anymore.”

Wenren Lin leisurely called to her, “Your Highness.”

Zhao Yān turned her head to respond: “Hmm?”

“Little Princess.”

“What?”

“Yān’er.”

“…”

Zhao Yān finally noticed that something was off with Wenren Lin.

Whatever components were in the poison affecting his body, they could make his organs and bone marrow suffer unbearable cold pain, and also cause him to become excited and lose control. Usually, he was steady and composed, elegant yet formidable, rarely calling her so affectionately.

Zhao Yān felt a mixture of sweetness and sourness, unsure whether this was good or bad. She twisted her body with difficulty, trying to turn around to see Wenren Lin’s complexion, but was held firmly and couldn’t move.

“Don’t move, let me hold you a while longer.”

Wenren Lin’s hand traced up along Zhao Yān’s delicate waistline and caressed her cheek.

Zhao Yān felt that if she didn’t do something, Wenren Lin would keep her locked in his embrace for an entire day.

She held onto Wenren Lin’s fingers, thought for a moment, and then turned to face him. Sitting on his lap, she cupped his cold face and slowly pressed her warm lips to his, trying to warm his icy breath.

It began with light, tentative kisses, until Wenren Lin’s eyes showed deepening excitement, gradually intensifying from gentle to passionate, turning and grinding against each other.

It was a comforting yet lingering kiss, tongues meeting, bodies pressing against each other. Just before losing control, Zhao Yān, panting heavily, stopped him.

“You need to recover, we can’t continue.”

Those “health cultivation” books hadn’t been read in vain; she knew well that during recovery, one should especially abstain from sexual activities, as they would harm the vital essence.

Wenren Lin looked at her with half-closed eyes, his dark gaze bewitching. His thin lips appeared increasingly crimson, showing a strangely bewitching charm as he said hoarsely: “This prince needs to recover, but Your Highness does not.”

Zhao Yān froze, understanding his meaning, immediately feeling both helpless and annoyed.

“I don’t need it either.”

She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, her breathing unsteady as she said softly, “You… you should calm yourself down.”

She then stood up and sat some distance away, trying to stay far from him.

Wenren Lin also rose and followed her, his crimson royal robe particularly eye-catching in the dim room.

He stood behind the chair, his cool fingertips touching Zhao Yān’s nape. She immediately shrank back, turning to look at him warningly. However, having just been kissed until her lips were red and her face hot, this glare had little intimidating effect.

Wenren Lin looked down at her and laughed: “Your hair is loose. This subject will re-tie it for Your Highness.”

Whenever he referred to himself as “this subject,” Zhao Yān had no way to handle him. She reached back to feel her hair, which indeed had been disheveled by his fingers, with hairpins askew.

In the past, when impersonating the Crown Prince, her male topknot was tight and simple, without these small troubles. So she didn’t refuse, allowing Wenren Lin to remove the loose hairpins and slowly comb through her hair with his long fingers.

Wenren Lin watched the silky long hair flow through his fingers, the extreme contrast of black and white creating a magnificent scene. He couldn’t help but bend down to place a kiss on the top of her head, then her forehead, and her brow, moving downward to touch her nose tip.

Zhao Yān was forced to tilt her head back, nearly losing consciousness. In her dizziness, she still couldn’t understand how they had ended up kissing again.

This hair-styling session took about half an hour, intermittently, but the final result was quite good.

This time, Wenren Lin had styled a double-spiral returning heart bun for her. Zhao Yān took the small diamond-shaped copper mirror from the desk to examine it from all angles and found it identical to the hairstyle Shi Lan would create for her. Without careful inspection, one couldn’t tell the difference. She couldn’t help but exclaim: “You did learn how to do hair?”

“After learning the techniques for several common hairstyles, it’s quite simple.”

Wenren Lin inserted the pearl hairpin diagonally into the bun. His face, like cold jade, now had a bit more color as he bent down to ask, “Is Your Highness satisfied with this subject’s service?”

Why did he have to make simply doing hair sound so intimate and ambiguous?

“What, does the Grand Tutor require a reward from me?”

Zhao Yān looked at him through the mirror, raising the corner of her eye in response.

“This prince doesn’t lack silver, but a different reward would be acceptable.”

Wenren Lin said leisurely, “Put it on account, and I’ll collect it next time.”

Zhao Yān’s fingertips trembled as she belatedly realized that she seemed to have dug herself into a hole.

Seeing her unwilling yet unable-to-refute expression, laughter welled up in Wenren Lin’s eyes.

He had smiled an unusually high number of times today, which had also dissipated much of the coldness throughout his body. Zhao Yān didn’t know if he was feeling better now, but with mixed emotions, she decided not to quibble over such minor matters.

After some thought, she said: “Grandmother Empress used the case of the deposed Crown Prince from years ago to pressure Father Emperor, who has promised not to kill me. But judging from today’s conversation, Wu Que seems certain that if I stay in the capital, something will happen. He seems to know something.”

Wenren Lin’s fingers paused slightly. Zhao Yān put down the mirror, turned to face him, and said seriously: “I have found flaws in the Northern Wu envoy’s group. Don’t worry, don’t confront Father Emperor. Eat and sleep well, and don’t wander around during your recovery period.”

Looking at her bright smile, Wenren Lin felt a warm pain in his chest, which also soothed the cold irritability. In his high position, with a mixed reputation, no one else had dared to constrain him like this.

But this feeling wasn’t bad; it was even warm.

“Your Highness will be safe with the Empress Dowager.”

Wenren Lin said, “Take good care of yourself.”

“I will.”

Zhao Yān nodded, then unexpectedly circled back to the previous topic: “So do you like me?”

Her ink-drop-like eyes were lively as she maintained an interrogative attitude.

More than just like?

Wenren Lin gazed at her, and after a long while, replied softly: “Your Highness is my reason for living.”

Zhao Yān’s eyes curved slightly. For someone who wanted to destroy this world and himself as well, this was truly the best answer.

Outside, Shi Lan had prepared tea and snacks but couldn’t find Zhao Yān after searching all around Penglai Hall.

“Hmm, where did Her Highness go?”

She walked along the corridor toward the side hall, turned a corner, and nearly collided with a thick wall.

She let out a small cry, looked up, and realized it wasn’t a wall at all but a rough warrior with knotted muscles.

Zhang Cang had his hand on his sword as he gestured for her to stop. Shi Lan recognized him as one of Prince Su’s men and quickly stepped back, bowing as she asked: “Sir, have you seen Princess Changfeng?”

Just as she finished speaking, the door of the side hall opened, and Zhao Yān and Prince Su walked out one after the other. They must have said something to each other, as both wore faint smiles.

“Your Highness!”

Shi Lan wanted to step forward, but Zhang Cang firmly blocked her path. She could only try to stand on tiptoe behind his shoulder, waving her hand: “Your tea is ready.”

Zhao Yān smiled, said something to Wenren Lin, and then followed Shi Lan to pay respects to the Empress Dowager.

In the corridor, Shi Lan followed behind Zhao Yān, who held her hands together and walked with light steps, constantly stealing glances at her.

“Your Highness, you look so sweet.”

Shi Lan looked at the curve of Zhao Yān’s lips and said, suppressing a smile.

Zhao Yān curved her eyes and said slowly: “Sweet? This princess will reward Sister Shi Lan with a catty of Coptis chinensis to counteract the sweetness.”

“No, no, please don’t.”

Shi Lan covered her mouth and shook her head repeatedly, but after remaining quiet for less than a moment, she couldn’t help but lean in again.

“In the year and more since Your Highness returned to the capital, many things haven’t been shared with this servant. But having grown up eating and living with Your Highness, even without being told, this servant can see. That Prince Su isn’t as frightening as the rumors say! He’s handsome, has excellent bearing, and today he even came to Your Highness’s rescue, severely dampening that Northern Wu person’s spirits.”

Speaking thus, she wrinkled her brow, seemingly unsure how to express her thoughts clearly. “Before, this servant used to think that young Master Zhou, as a noble family’s son, wasn’t bad, but ultimately too rigid. With Your Highness’s free-spirited nature, you might not be able to endure those constraints… This servant isn’t suggesting anything improper; this servant just feels for the hardships Your Highness has endured these years. Having someone who indulges and cherishes you isn’t bad either. Whatever choice Your Highness makes, this servant will support you, truly!”

“I know, in this world, you care the most about my happiness.”

Zhao Yān smiled like a newly bloomed lotus. “Don’t worry, I’m not struggling with this.”

Wenren Shaoyuan was her first choice, and now, her only choice.

In the rear hall, Empress Wei and Liu Ying were attending to the Empress Dowager as she ate vegetarian food.

Zhao Yān paid her respects, then heard the Empress Dowager say gently: “I’m accustomed to tranquility and don’t need so much ceremony. You may all withdraw.”

“Yes.”

Empress Wei rose and paused slightly as she passed by Zhao Yān.

Zhao Yān understood and followed Empress Wei out of the hall.

“This Empress cannot come to see you often. Is there anything you lack here?”

Empress Wei looked at her daughter in bright clothing, her tone unusually gentle.

Zhao Yān pondered for a moment, then said softly: “Mother Empress need not worry, everything is fine for this daughter here. However, the music house frequently visited by the Northern Wu envoys needs more investigation. I suspect there’s something suspicious about it.”

Empress Wei nodded. Sunlight fell on the courtyard, appearing slightly white. The imperial guards sent by the Emperor to protect the Empress Dowager stood not far away.

After a long silence, Zhao Yān opened her mouth several times before finally speaking: “Father Emperor, back then, did not approve of Brother’s admonishments and reform proposals.”

Zhao Yān spoke euphemistically, but it was enough for Empress Wei.

She had always thought that the Emperor tolerated Wei Yan out of consideration for the Empress, but it wasn’t so. How much of the Emperor’s protection of Wei Yan was to cover his guilt?

Empress Wei closed her eyes, her vermilion-painted nails digging deep into her palm.

Her red lips trembled as she said hoarsely: “This Empress understands now.”

“Mother Empress…”

“Rest assured, this Empress is not an impulsive person and won’t attempt the impossible.”

When she opened her eyes again, Empress Wei had regained her composure. “He favors Concubine Zhen and rarely sees me. To investigate closely, there’s another way.”

“When the Son of Heaven is unwell, the Empress has the right to attend to his illness.”

“Correct. This Empress must first find out what exactly he has done.”

…

Prince Su’s Mansion.

Physician Sun sat upright in the hall, his beard reaching his shoulders. After waiting for an hour, he finally saw the person who was supposed to be soaking in a medicinal bath stroll in.

“It seems the prince has no understanding of his condition. This poison, old man, cannot be cured anymore.”

Physician Sun made a move to stand up. “Your Highness should seek another skilled physician.”

Few people in the world could show such an attitude to Prince Su, but Wenren Lin seemed to be in an extremely good mood and replied with a smile: “Please don’t be angry, old sir. It’s not worth damaging your health over a youngster like me.”

As the saying goes, “One doesn’t strike a smiling face.” Physician Sun’s stern expression softened considerably as he sighed: “You’ve been poisoned for a long time. Without crafting an antidote, we can only suppress it for now. The medicine’s effectiveness is unstable, and life and death are uncertain. There’s no room for error. No matter how skilled a doctor is, the patient must cooperate.”

“Your admonishment is correct. This prince now values his life greatly.”

Physician Sun hadn’t been angry; he was just maintaining the rigor expected of a physician. Seeing his unprecedented good temper, he didn’t nag further and instructed his apprentice to fetch silver needles and bring the prepared medicinal bath to the inner chamber’s purification room.

Wenren Lin remembered something and draped his removed red robe over the folding screen. “I’ve heard that the ancient text ‘Shangfang’ records a prescription for a pill that allows men to engage in normal relations without causing women to conceive. May I trouble the Physician to prepare some for this prince?”

“Indeed, there is such a contraceptive pill for men. However, due to its complicated process and rare ingredients, it has been lost to time. It’s not as convenient as those taken by women.”

Physician Sun became suspicious and put down the silver needle in his hand. “What does Your Highness need this for?”

Ordinary men tend to have some degree of arrogance, all hoping to have numerous women and many children. Who would lower themselves to take such a thing?

But Wenren Lin was no ordinary man.

Behind the screen, his voice was casual yet gentle: “The one in my heart occasionally suffers from a cold womb and fears pain greatly. This prince cannot bear to see her suffer.”