Yan Ningshuang stared at Xiao Jingyue for a long while, her eyes showing fear, unease, but more than anything else, relief.

She took several deep breaths to steady herself, then planned to have someone fetch a physician to examine Xiao Jingyue’s condition. Yan Ningshuang had previously heard that the medicine she’d given Xiao Jingyue wouldn’t show any clear symptoms even when examined by a physician, who would only treat it as an ordinary fever.

However, after glancing at Xiao Jingyue, Yan Ningshuang still gritted her teeth and first dressed him. Otherwise, with Xiao Jingyue’s current naked state, anyone could guess what had happened between them the previous night. For Yan Ningshuang, submitting to Xiao Jingyue was the greatest humiliation of her life.

When the physician was summoned, Yan Ningshuang still felt somewhat anxious. The physicians at Yanbei Prince’s Manor were not ordinary people, and Yan Ningshuang feared they might notice something suspicious. Fortunately, after taking Xiao Jingyue’s pulse, the physician still concluded that Xiao Jingyue had caught a cold and developed a high fever.

Yan Ningshuang breathed a great sigh of relief. Without realizing it, her inner garments had become soaked with sweat. After sending away all the unnecessary people, Yan Ningshuang finally collapsed weakly into a chair. She glanced toward the bed but ultimately couldn’t bear to get even a little closer to Xiao Jingyue.

Soon after, a maid brought in medicine. Yan Ningshuang personally took the medicine bowl and sent the maid away to fetch honey. She stared from a distance at Xiao Jingyue lying on the bed for a long while, then gritted her teeth and took out the porcelain bottle, adding the poison she’d obtained from Zhao Yingqiu into Xiao Jingyue’s medicine bowl.

When the maid returned with the honey, Yan Ningshuang handed her the medicine bowl and had her feed it to Xiao Jingyue, while she kept her distance from the bed throughout.

After the maid finished giving Xiao Jingyue his medicine, Yan Ningshuang looked at the sky outside. It should be around the chen hour now, and Xiao Jingxi should be leaving Yanbei Prince’s Manor in a few hours. Xiao Jingyue had received secret orders from the court to ambush Xiao Jingxi on his way to Wuzhou. Now that Xiao Jingyue had been drugged unconscious, he naturally couldn’t carry out this mission. The Empress Dowager was far away in the capital and couldn’t immediately send someone else to assassinate Xiao Jingxi, so Xiao Jingxi’s journey would be safe.

Thinking of this, Yan Ningshuang’s heart swelled with satisfaction. Her previous guilt about harming someone also lessened considerably. As long as Xiao Jingxi could be safe, she didn’t mind staining her hands with blood for his sake. Besides, a shameless scoundrel like Xiao Jingyue didn’t deserve to live in this world at all. Yan Ningshuang glanced at a blue-purple bruise on her wrist and expelled any remaining compassion from her heart.

Yan Ningshuang wanted to personally see Xiao Jingxi off and tell him she had already solved his biggest problem for him. But thinking of the bruises on her neck and hands that couldn’t be concealed no matter how she tried to cover them, Yan Ningshuang still didn’t go out, only having her maid deliver a letter to Ren Yaoqi.

When Ren Yaoqi received Yan Ningshuang’s letter and saw the words “The trouble has been resolved, Master Xiao can rest assured,” she was momentarily stunned. Frowning, she had someone inquire about the situation and learned that Xiao Jingyue had suddenly developed a high fever and was now bedridden.

When Xiao Jingxi came by, Ren Yaoqi told him about this matter. Xiao Jingxi frowned slightly but said nothing.

After thinking for a moment, Ren Yaoqi still advised: “I always feel things aren’t that simple. You should remain vigilant and prepared throughout your journey.”

Xiao Jingxi’s frown relaxed. He looked down at Ren Yaoqi for a long while, then solemnly pressed a kiss to her forehead, as if making some kind of promise: “Don’t worry, I value my life greatly.”

Though Ren Yaoqi was very worried about Xiao Jingxi’s safety, she also knew she couldn’t prevent a man’s decisions, so she didn’t say anything about asking him to stay. She simply stepped forward and actively embraced Xiao Jingxi.

Seeing Ren Yaoqi nestled in his arms, more docile than usual, Xiao Jingxi was momentarily stunned before his heart softened. He deliberately teased her with a smile: “Do you miss me this much? Then kiss me of your own accord and let me feel your sincerity?”

Xiao Jingxi’s words were just a joke, but as soon as he finished speaking, he felt something soft and moist cover his lips. Though he could still feel those lips trembling, they were warm enough that he couldn’t refuse. Xiao Jingxi’s heart pounded rapidly, and then he cupped Ren Yaoqi’s head and deepened the kiss.

When their lips parted, Xiao Jingxi gently caressed Ren Yaoqi’s soft lips with his thumb.

“I’m leaving.”

Ren Yaoqi didn’t speak, only taking Xiao Jingxi’s outer robes and carefully helping him put them on, even thoughfully smoothing out the wrinkles in his clothes.

“Go early and return early. We’ll be waiting for your return,” Ren Yaoqi said with a warm smile as she looked at Xiao Jingxi.

Ren Yaoqi saw Xiao Jingxi to the door, only watching as his departing figure disappeared from the courtyard.

Xiao Jingxi left Yunyang City with a small contingent of his men, heading for Wuzhou.

It was only after Xiao Jingxi’s departure that Ren Yaoqi learned that Master Pei had also gone to Wuzhou, having left Yunyang City together with Xiao Jingxi.

Pei Zhiyan had remained in Yanbei without leaving. Neither the court in the capital nor Pei Zhiyan’s family clan had sent anyone to urge his return to the capital. Some speculated that Pei Zhiyan had fallen from the emperor’s favor and had been effectively exiled.

Pei Zhiyan maintained a calm attitude about settling down in Yanbei. However, he wasn’t always idle and staying indoors. On the contrary, Pei Zhiyan took this opportunity to thoroughly tour Yanbei’s beautiful landscapes, spending very few days actually in Yunyang City.

Others might think this was Pei Zhiyan trying to ease his disappointment over his career setbacks, but Ren Yaoqi knew that touring beautiful landscapes was Pei Zhiyan’s greatest lifelong wish. Ren Yaoqi believed he would never feel melancholy about unrecognized talent while enjoying his travels.

Ren Yaoqi also inquired and learned that the court had issued an edict for Pei Zhiyan to accompany Xiao Jingxi to Wuzhou. While worrying about Xiao Jingxi, Ren Yaoqi couldn’t help but feel concerned for this mentor as well.

Because of his sudden illness, Xiao Jingyue indeed didn’t leave Yanbei Prince’s Manor. From then on, Yan Ningshuang rarely went out, staying by Xiao Jingyue’s side to care for him daily. Those who had previously spread rumors about the discord between the Third Young Master and Third Young Madam of the Xiao family couldn’t help but slap themselves in the face.

Hearing this news and remembering Yan Ningshuang’s previous letter, Ren Yaoqi naturally developed suspicions about Xiao Jingyue’s sudden illness. She didn’t doubt that Yan Ningshuang had schemed against her husband for Xiao Jingxi’s sake, but rather wondered how Yan Ningshuang had managed to make Xiao Jingyue “fall ill.” It wasn’t that Ren Yaoqi looked down on Yan Ningshuang, but she truly felt this young woman didn’t have such capabilities.

So Ren Yaoqi took advantage of the Princess Consort frequently having physicians check her pulse and specifically requested the physician who had previously been called to treat Xiao Jingyue.

When Yan Ningshuang had summoned a physician for Xiao Jingyue, she had made the request randomly without specifying which physician to call. After asking Xiao Jinglin, Ren Yaoqi learned that this physician who had treated Xiao Jingyue should be considered one of the Prince and Princess Consort’s people, so she could be much more direct in her questioning.

Ren Yaoqi carefully inquired about Xiao Jingyue’s condition and pulse symptoms, finally concluding similar to the physician’s—Xiao Jingyue had caught a cold and developed a high fever.

This conclusion didn’t ease Ren Yaoqi’s vigilance; instead, it made her even more suspicious.

After thinking it over, Ren Yaoqi had someone investigate Yan Ningshuang’s movements over the past few days and whom she had met.

With Ren Yaoqi’s status, investigating these matters wasn’t difficult, and Yan Ningshuang never tried to conceal her comings and goings.

Thus Ren Yaoqi quickly learned that Yan Ningshuang had met with Zhao Yingqiu the previous day, and when Yan Ningshuang left the manor, she had been frowning with worry, but when she returned, her face showed nervous anxiety.

Involving Zhao Yingqiu didn’t surprise Ren Yaoqi; rather, she felt this was quite reasonable.

She then discovered that the previous two times Yan Ningshuang had come to see her, she had also had contact with Zhao Yingqiu beforehand.