Autumn scenery painted the Zhongshan Prince’s Mansion in rich colors.

However, the mansion lacked its former liveliness. The Zhongshan Prince’s family members had been confined, awaiting exile, and the servants had already been sold off.

Walking through it was quite peaceful.

“Your Majesty, look, there’s even a hot spring here,” A-Le exclaimed excitedly, pointing ahead.

Currently, the commanders and officials were working at the commandery city government office, while the Empress had moved into the Zhongshan Prince’s Mansion. Although the Empress had more matters to handle, compared to warfare, things were much easier now, allowing her to explore the Zhongshan Prince’s Mansion.

During their previous two visits, they hadn’t had this opportunity.

Chu Zhao shifted her gaze from a nearby rockery to look at the hot spring, smiling: “The Zhongshan Prince certainly knew how to enjoy life.”

A-Le hurried over and tested the water with her hand, saying: “Should we let A-Jiu soak in the hot spring? Would it be good for his body?”

Chu Zhao shook her head with a smile: “It’s still best for him to stay in his room out of the sunlight to recover. Put him in water now and he’ll just faint.”

Then she added, “He should be awake by now.”

With that, she turned and walked away.

“Let’s go back and check. It’s time for his medicine.”

A-Le quickly stood up from the hot spring pool: “Miss, you just came out—he can take medicine by himself!”

But Chu Zhao had already walked away without looking back.

A-Le stomped her foot in resignation, then looked around at the beautiful scenery again: “We’ve stayed in the Zhongshan Prince’s Mansion for so many days, yet I haven’t even seen what the mansion looks like. Seems I won’t have the chance this third time either.”

She sighed and hurried after Chu Zhao.

The mansion’s rooms were even quieter. Xie Yanlai slowly opened his eyes, his gaze unfocused, seemingly unable to distinguish whether he was in a dream or reality. A strong smell of medicine wafted to his nostrils…

While hiding under Deng Yi’s bed, to conceal the presence of an extra person and to provide him with medicine, Deng Yi had used his assassination injury as an excuse to fill the room with medicines.

“How long has he been sleeping?”

“Which medicines are for today?”

“Is the congee prepared? Is today’s chicken soup ready? Let me taste it first. He complained that yesterday’s was too salty.”

The women’s voices drifted in fragments from outside. Xie Yanlai’s unfocused eyes gradually sharpened, sparkling with awareness. His throat felt slightly itchy, and he coughed once. The fragmented voices immediately ceased, followed by hurried footsteps approaching the bedside.

“You’re awake.”

Chu Zhao bent over with a smile to look at him. Without waiting for a response, she turned and ordered, “Bring the medicine quickly.”

Xie Yanlai frowned: “Taking medicine right after waking up? Medicine all day long. I’ve taken more medicine these past few days than in the entire month. I was better off under Deng Yi’s care.”

Chu Zhao smiled as she sat on the edge of the bed, deftly yet gently helping him sit up against the pillows, saying: “Deng Yi had no choice. He couldn’t let a physician examine you, so he could only give you whatever medicine he had. He couldn’t use too much either, fearing discovery. The fact that his medicines didn’t kill you was thanks to your strong constitution.”

A-Le brought over a bowl of medicinal soup and handed it directly to Chu Zhao. She didn’t offer to help, knowing it would be pointless; she wasn’t needed here. She set up a small table and arranged a row of small plates filled with dried and fresh fruits, then backed away.

Chu Zhao held the medicine bowl and fed Xie Yanlai, then snorted: “And you’re grateful to him? He wasn’t taking care of you; he was using you as a bargaining chip. He didn’t give me any information beforehand. If I had killed him outright, what about you? You would have suffered alone and eventually died under his bed. Also, I spared his life, and the first thing he asked was whether his mother was still alive. After learning his mother was alive, he then said ‘a life for a life’ and revealed your whereabouts. If I had told him his mother was gone, you would have died in that bed too.”

The woman’s voice chattered in his ear; Xie Yanlai seemed to hear it, yet didn’t quite catch everything. In his mind, he was fixated on one phrase.

Back then, Deng Yi had said, “You’re fortunate to have met her.”

Logically, he should have said his good fortune was meeting Deng Yi, since Deng Yi had saved him.

Now he understood what Deng Yi meant.

Because Deng Yi knew she would show him mercy, and certainly wouldn’t harm his mother, so he saved him to repay…

Hmm… Deng Yi had only revealed his whereabouts after confirming his mother was still alive. For Deng Yi, his mother’s life was most precious, so was he exchanging his most precious for her most precious?

Deng Yi believed he was her most precious.

Uh, he was her most precious?!

He—

“Oh my, you’re so obedient today,” Chu Zhao said happily. “You finished the medicine so quickly.”

Whether it was from being lost in thought or from the medicine itself, Xie Yanlai began to cough.

“I didn’t feed you too much at once, did I? Did you choke? Is it because it’s bitter?” Chu Zhao quickly patted his back, then picked up a preserved fruit from the table and tried to put it in his mouth. “Have some candy.”

Xie Yanlai, both annoyed and amused, grabbed her arm to block her: “I’m coughing right now! Are you trying to make me choke even more by feeding me?”

Chu Zhao laughed: “I don’t know how to do this. I’ve never taken care of anyone before.”

Glib and smooth-talking, thought Xie Yanlai as he snorted.

Seeing his coughing subside, Chu Zhao wiggled her hand—her wrist still in Xie Yanlai’s grip—and said: “Take a bite. The medicine doesn’t taste good.”

Xie Yanlai looked at the hand swaying near his mouth and instinctively opened his lips, then noticed he was still holding her wrist. This wrist was slender and soft; gripped in his hand, it seemed as if it could break with just a little pressure…

He released her hand as if burned, then took the preserved fruit from her and tossed it into his mouth, turning his gaze away.

“Are you tired?” Chu Zhao stood up to help him again. “Lie down.” Then she asked, “Would you like to eat something? We’ve made chicken soup, small wontons…”

She softly listed what food had been prepared.

Xie Yanlai turned to look at her, frowning: “Isn’t the Empress busy? Why are you here all day long?”

Chu Zhao replied: “This Imperial One’s most important task right now is taking care of General Xie.”

She spoke with a smile at the corner of her lips, similar to her playful smiles from before, yet somehow different… Or perhaps it wasn’t her that was different, but his own heart had changed. Xie Yanlai turned his gaze away again: “Thank you for Your Majesty’s divine grace.”

He paused.

“I didn’t kill Xiao Xun for you.”

So, she didn’t need to treat him this way.

“I know,” Chu Zhao said softly. “You did it for yourself, because your heart told you to.”

Xie Yanlai glanced at her, but as always, talking with her made him want to smile. Suppressing his smile, he said: “So you don’t need to be grateful to me.”

“I’m not being grateful to you,” Chu Zhao placed her hand over her heart, saying with a serious expression, “I’m taking care of you for my heart’s sake as well.”

Her heart! What did her heart want? Xie Yanlai’s heart skipped a beat, and he exclaimed: “What? What nonsense are you talking about? What does your heart have to do with me?”

After saying this, he felt regretful.

He was the one talking nonsense. What was he even saying?

Chu Zhao pressed her lips together in a smile, not pursuing the topic further, nor answering what her heart had to do with him. She said: “Alright, lie down first. I have something to tell you.”

More to say? Xie Yanlai didn’t refuse, allowing Chu Zhao to help him lie down slowly.

Neither spoke, and the room was quiet. It was rare for them to be together so peacefully. Xie Yanlai felt the atmosphere was somewhat strange, because she had come to help him lie down, and they were very close. His gaze couldn’t avoid her face.

Fair, beautiful, with clear, transparent eyes like rare jade in the world—no longer resembling that foolish girl from the posting station.

She had grown up…

Four years had passed already. How quickly time had flown.

A hand touched his face, startling Xie Yanlai back to awareness. He heard another soft sigh; this girl was also studying his face.

“You’ve grown so thin you look different,” she said. “Not as handsome as before.”

Xie Yanlai felt both irritated and amused: “Nonsense! Young Master is handsome at all times!” Then, embarrassed, he pushed her hand away. “Stop touching me.”

Chu Zhao withdrew her hand with a smile and sat down.

“I’ve been thinking about some things these past few days,” she said, looking at him with gentle eyes. “Xie Yanlai, you should still be dead this time.”