Coming out of the room, Zhu Yao was lost and dispirited, her eyes red. She seemed to have lost all her strength. Her feet and soul seemed no longer to belong to her. Her entire person walked out uncontrollably.

Seeing her come out, Cai’er was frightened by her appearance. She hurried over to support her and carefully inquired, “Miss, are you… alright?”

Cai’er didn’t know what her young lady and the heir apparent had discussed, but it must have been words her young lady didn’t want to hear.

“Miss?”

Zhu Yao didn’t speak. Her gaze was haggard and hollow as she looked ahead, walking out of Water Moon Pavilion step by step.

She finally understood why a person wouldn’t cry when most heartbroken!

After the elite soldiers in the courtyard saw them leave, they returned to outside the room and saw Li Shiyan sitting inside dejectedly. They originally wanted to ask, but still swallowed back their words and silently closed the door…

After leaving Water Moon Pavilion, Zhu Yao kept walking forward aimlessly.

Cai’er silently accompanied her. After walking for a while, she asked, “Miss, let’s go back. You’re like this—this servant is very worried.”

Zhu Yao paid no attention.

“Miss, please don’t frighten this servant, alright? Say something.”

“…”

“If you’re unhappy about anything, tell this servant.”

Zhu Yao suddenly stopped, gently pushed away Cai’er’s hand that was supporting her, and said, “You don’t need to follow me anymore.”

“This…”

Zhu Yao continued walking forward… She felt top-heavy, her complexion terrible. Her lips were extremely pale. She felt everything before her eyes blur, with spots appearing. Her body grew increasingly weary, her head swelling with pain!

Finally—

Her legs couldn’t support her, and her entire person collapsed.

She lost consciousness!

Seeing this, Cai’er rushed over urgently, shouting loudly, “Miss, Miss! Someone come quickly! Save my young lady!”

…

News of Zhu Yao’s collapse quickly spread throughout the estate!

When Minister Zhu heard, he was terrified and rushed over in a panic, then quickly summoned Wen Cong to treat his daughter.

Fortunately, there was nothing seriously wrong. She had just been momentarily stimulated, combined with heartbreak and disrupted energy flow, which caused her to faint.

The young ladies in the courtyard, to display their kind-hearted side, all came running over to take a look. Even Qiu Shu came over to look with seeming concern and spoke a few words with Minister Zhu, expressing her care.

Each one was quite the person who knew how to conduct themselves!

Wen Cong comforted Minister Zhu, “Your daughter is fine. She’ll be alright after resting a while.”

Minister Zhu still looked worried and said, “I only have this one daughter. If something happens to her, I… what would I do? How would I explain to her mother?”

“Young ladies inevitably have somewhat frailer constitutions, but there’s really nothing seriously wrong. Rest assured.”

“Thank you, Divine Physician Wen.”

“You’re welcome!” Wen Cong instructed the attending maid to fetch medicine, sat for a while himself, then left.

Minister Zhu paced back and forth in the room for a long time. Seeing his daughter’s complexion gradually improve somewhat, he felt relieved. Then he pulled Cai’er aside to ask, “What exactly happened?”

Cai’er frowned, “Master…”

“Speak quickly!”

“This servant doesn’t know either.”

“Don’t know?” Minister Zhu’s expression turned stern. “Weren’t you with Miss the whole time? How could you not know?”

“Miss said she wanted to see the heir apparent. This servant couldn’t stop her, so I followed Miss to Water Moon Pavilion. After that, the heir apparent and Miss stayed in the room for a while. After coming out… Miss seemed to have lost her soul, then she fainted.”

“Did your young lady and the heir apparent say anything?”

Cai’er shook her head blankly, “This servant doesn’t know.”

“Useless thing!” Minister Zhu was angry.

Cai’er shrank back!

At this moment, Zhu Yao woke up. Minister Zhu immediately rushed over and quickly asked, “Yao’er, Father is here.”

Zhu Yao rubbed her forehead and called out, “Father?”

“Is there anywhere else uncomfortable? Tell Father.”

She sat up from the bed, her eyes lifeless, showing no sign of sadness—her heart was as dead and silent as ashes.

She didn’t say a word.

“Yao’er! Father knows you’re very worried and anxious about the heir apparent’s situation, but you can’t harm your own body because of this.”

She still didn’t speak.

“Did the heir apparent bully you?”

“…”

“Yao’er?”

Her eyes moved slightly as she said weakly, “Father, I want to be alone for a while.”

Minister Zhu had originally wanted to say something more, but in the end swallowed his words, “Alright, then rest well. If there’s anything, you must tell Father.”

She nodded.

When Minister Zhu left, he instructed Cai’er, “Take good care of Miss. If anything happens to Miss, I’ll take your life.”

Cai’er trembled, “Yes, this servant will definitely watch over Miss carefully.”

After Minister Zhu left, the maid in charge of serving brought over the brewed medicine. After Cai’er took it, she brought it before her young lady and said, “Miss, drink the medicine while it’s hot.”

She said nothing.

“Miss?”

“Get out!”

“Please drink the medicine. Your health is most important.”

Zhu Yao said again, “Get out!”

Cai’er’s face was full of worry, yet she was extremely helpless. She could only sigh and go out. But just as she reached the door, she ran into Ji Yunshu.

Ji Yunshu glanced inside, then took the medicine from Cai’er’s hands and said, “Leave it to me.”

Cai’er, as if grasping a lifeline, quickly entreated, “Miss Ji, you must help my young lady. Her health is already not good—she must drink the medicine.”

“I know. You wait outside.”

“Yes!”

Ji Yunshu entered carrying the medicine, sat by the bed, and asked Zhu Yao, “You went to see the heir apparent?”

Zhu Yao’s eyes flickered slightly. She turned to look at her and asked, “Tell me, was I right? Or wrong?”

“What do you think?”

“I don’t know. I really don’t know.” Her eyes reddened. “I don’t know if I was right or wrong.”

Ji Yunshu understood her thoughts and asked another question, “Then do you regret it?”

“No, I don’t regret it!”

“Since you don’t regret it, then it was worth it! Since it’s worth it, there’s no right or wrong.”

Huh?

At this moment, Ji Yunshu’s words seemed to untie the knot in Zhu Yao’s heart. Her tears fell uncontrollably…

…

It was already dusk.

Taking advantage of this, Luo Yang changed into a servant’s outfit and went to Zhao Quanzhi’s courtyard, deliberately carrying food to his room.

Zhao Quanzhi sat inside playing with a jade pendant in his hands, wiping it continuously with a dry cloth.

“Young Master Zhao, your meal.”

“Put it down.”

“Yes!” Luo Yang set down the vegetarian dishes, smiled secretly, then deliberately splashed the food onto Zhao Quanzhi.

With a “crash,” everything splashed onto Zhao Quanzhi’s fine robes.

Zhao Quanzhi stood up abruptly, looked down at the stains on his body, and rebuked, “What are you doing? Don’t you know how to serve people? Or do you have no eyes?”

Luo Yang’s scheme succeeded. He quickly bowed his head and said, “Young Master Zhao, this lowly one didn’t do it on purpose.”

“Useless thing.”

“Let this lowly one wipe it for you.” Luo Yang rolled up his sleeves and wiped at his body, deliberately touching his arm.

Zhao Quanzhi seemed to become aware and hid his arm behind his back, saying, “Get out.”

Luo Yang said, “How about this lowly one fetch water for you to bathe?”

Zhao Quanzhi had always loved cleanliness. Seeing himself in this state, he felt very uncomfortable. His two eyebrows furrowed deeply. Really having no choice, he waved his sleeve, “Then why aren’t you hurrying?”

“Yes!”

After Luo Yang went out, using Zhao Quanzhi’s orders, he instructed the estate’s servants and maids to prepare bath water. Once the door closed, he crouched by the window to peek.

However, there was a screen between the bathtub and the window, so he couldn’t see at all whether Zhao Quanzhi’s body had traces of dog bites.

He found a long bamboo pole, reached it in through the window, and one by one secretly hooked away the several pieces of clothing draped over the screen. Then he hid the clothes in the grass and quickly circled around to the front door.

After Zhao Quanzhi finished bathing, he turned around and discovered his clothes were gone. He thought: Could it be that the servants took my clothes away?

He shouted toward the door, “Someone come!”

Hearing this, Luo Yang quickly entered, bowed his head, and asked through the screen, “Young Master Zhao? What’s the matter?”

“Where are my clothes?”

“Your clothes were already dirty, so this lowly one took them to wash.”

“Then hurry and fetch new ones!”

“Yes! This lowly one will go immediately!”

Luo Yang found a set of clothes in the cabinet in his room. Just as he was about to hang them on the screen, suddenly his eyes rolled cleverly. He pretended to slip, falling straight toward the screen in front of him…