A palace maid slipped quietly into the inner chamber and murmured a few words in Female Official Ye’s ear.

Female Official Ye gave a nod and stepped forward to report, “Your Highness the Crown Princess, Imperial Physician Wei has finished treating Young Master Ling and has departed. The members of the Ling family have come to express their thanks — they are waiting outside at this moment. Does Your Highness wish to receive them?”

If she did not wish to, a convenient excuse could be made and the Ling family sent away.

The Crown Princess first furrowed her brow. “I will not see them.”

Before Female Official Ye could receive the order and withdraw, the Crown Princess suddenly changed her mind. “Very well — let them come in after all.”

Earlier, the Crown Prince had specifically gone to the guest quarters, and his manner toward Ling Jingshu had been reasonably cordial. Word of what had taken place at the time had naturally been relayed to the Crown Princess.

Female Official Ye received the order and withdrew, and very soon led Ling Jingshu and the others inside.

The Crown Princess’s gaze fell on Ling Jingshu’s flawlessly delicate face, and inwardly she gave a cold sniff.

Nothing but a slightly prettier face — beyond that, one truly could not see any particular virtue. How could she compare to the scholarly, bookish refinement of Second Young Miss Su? Nor did she have the innate noble bearing of Third Young Miss Jiang.

And yet A’Yao, in his youthful infatuation, had been so bewitched by that face……

Everyone stepped forward together to pay their respects.

Jiang Shi spoke respectfully, “We have intruded greatly upon you today by coming. Imperial Physician Wei has already treated A’Xiao with acupuncture. We have come specially to offer our thanks for Your Highness the Crown Princess’s gracious favour.”

The Crown Princess smiled with elegant composure. “It is a trifling matter not worth mentioning. You are all far too courteous.”

“To Your Highness the Crown Princess, it may be a trifling matter. But to the two of us siblings, it is a matter of the utmost importance.” Ling Jingshu stepped forward, her expression earnest and sincere. “We are deeply grateful to Your Highness the Crown Princess.”

It is precisely this show of sincerity that has deceived A’Yao. And now it seems even the Crown Prince is about to be taken in.

The Crown Princess continued to sniff inwardly, yet her face wore an expression of perfectly amiable warmth. “Enough of these formalities. Come now, rise quickly. You will be coming every few days — if every single time is like this, you will wear yourselves out, and I shall tire of it as well. In future, once the acupuncture is done, you may leave directly. There is no need to come and pay thanks.”

This was precisely the answer she had been hoping to hear.

Ling Jingshu put on a face of gratitude and accepted the arrangement.

The Crown Princess still showed no intention of offering a meal, and everyone was naturally too tactful to press the matter. They immediately paid their respects and withdrew.

By the time they returned to the Ling residence, it was just noon.

The midday meal had long been prepared. Sun Shi was in no hurry to ask about the events of the morning and first invited Ling Jingshu and the others to sit down and eat. Only after the meal, when everyone had moved to the inner chamber, did she begin to ask in detail: “A’Shu, how did this trip to the Crown Prince’s residence go? You met Imperial Physician Wei, I take it?”

“We did!” Ling Jingyan answered first, rushing ahead. “Imperial Physician Wei is truly, strikingly handsome — I nearly lost my composure staring at him today.”

Sun Shi gave Ling Jingyan a reproachful look. “You are an unmarried young woman — you ought to speak with a little more restraint and propriety.” Then she looked at Ling Jingshu. “A’Shu — Imperial Physician Wei performed the acupuncture for A’Xiao, did he not?”

“Of course he did! And it went on for a full half hour. The gold needles, each one longer and finer than the last — they were quite frightening to look at. Before long, A’Xiao had been turned into a hedgehog……”

Needless to say, the one rushing to answer again was Ling Jingyan.

Ling Jingshu laughed despite herself, and simply stopped bothering to speak at all. She let Ling Jingyan recount the day’s events with animated enthusiasm, from beginning to end.

When it came to the part about the Crown Prince having personally come to the guest quarters, Sun Shi’s face lit up at once. “Is everything you are saying true? His Highness the Crown Prince actually came to visit you in person?”

Her voice rose. She was brimming with delighted surprise.

Ling Jingshu frowned slightly and quickly took hold of the conversation. “The Crown Prince most likely heard Imperial Physician Wei mention A’Xiao’s eye ailment and was momentarily curious. He simply stopped by to have a look.”

Stopped by? He had clearly come specifically.

Ling Jingyan was about to argue the point. But Ling Jingshu had already sent her a meaningful glance.

All right — if she was not allowed to say, she would not say. Ling Jingyan pressed her lips together with some sulkiness.

Yet Sun Shi was shrewd and worldly-wise — not so easily deceived. She turned to smile at Jiang Shi. “Yüniang, you are a few years older than A’Yan and A’Shu — surely you see things more clearly than they do. Do you think His Highness came by chance today, or did he come specially?”

Jiang Shi weighed the matter briefly, then cast Ling Jingshu an apologetic glance, and answered honestly: “In my view, His Highness most likely came specifically. Moreover, His Highness appeared to take particular notice of A’Shu, and his manner was very warm.”

Sun Shi took note of these words and drew her own conclusions. She pressed no further, and instead gave instructions. “You have all been running about all morning. Now go back to your rooms and rest. In particular, A’Xiao — you are in the middle of treatment for your eye ailment, and must not fall behind on your medicine.”

Everyone answered in agreement and withdrew.

Back in the room, Jingyu had already prepared and brought in the medicine. Ling Jingshu took the medicine bowl and fed it to Ling Xiao.

When Ling Xiao had finished the medicine, his face was all weariness — yet he refused to lie down and rest. He held Ling Jingshu’s hand and said, “A’Shu, I have something I need to say to you.”

“You have been on your feet half the day, and you have just taken your medicine. You must be exhausted.” Ling Jingshu clasped his hand in return and coaxed him gently. “Whatever it is, you can say it after you wake from your nap.”

But Ling Xiao was unusually insistent. “No — I need to say it now.”

It was rare for Ling Xiao to be so stubborn.

Ling Jingshu pressed her lips into a smile and sat down on the edge of the bed. “All right, all right — I will listen, does that satisfy you? Go on then — I am listening.”

But Ling Xiao found himself not knowing where to begin. After a long while, he finally squeezed out a few words. “A’Shu — the Crown Grandson clearly has some feeling for you. Why did you not respond to it today?”

With the Crown Grandson’s exalted station, if A’Shu could one day marry into the Crown Prince’s household — that would be no bad thing.

Ling Jingshu let the smile fade from her face and answered his question with one of her own. “A’Xiao — do you truly believe the Crown Grandson would make a good match for me?”

Without waiting for Ling Xiao to respond, she continued in an unhurried voice, “As you said yourself, the Crown Grandson’s standing is supremely exalted. His marriage concerns the future of the Eastern Palace — it is entirely beyond his own control. Even if he has some feeling for me, it would be impossible for him to take me as his principal consort.”

“Given our Ling family’s background and standing, at most I could only be a secondary consort. I have no desire to share a husband with other women, and I have no desire to resign myself to a diminished life. Setting that aside — even if I were willing to accept such a life, the Crown Princess may not be satisfied with me.”

“You must have seen something of the Crown Princess’s attitude today. On the surface she appeared reasonably cordial — but in truth she was on guard against me at every turn. It is evident she holds no goodwill toward me. If I truly were to marry the Crown Grandson, I do not know how much hardship I would have to endure in the years ahead.”

“With all of that in mind, do you still think I ought to accept the Crown Grandson’s goodwill?”

In truth, there was one further reason, the most important of all, that she left unspoken.

She had contracted a strange ailment that prevented her from drawing close to men. In this life, she neither could nor would marry and bear children. She had no wish to draw any man’s attention.

Whether the Crown Grandson was good or not — it had nothing to do with her.