He had never embraced her so proactively before.

Yet this embrace made her feel that all she had yearned for over these many years was precisely such an embrace—warm and powerful, hard and unyielding, sufficient to allow her to lean on with peace of mind.

He thought she would cry endlessly, but after only a brief bout of quiet sobbing, she buried her head against his chest. Her wet, long lashes drooped slightly, and her breathing gradually softened, as if her strength was completely spent.

This night she must have been both frightened and terrified, undoubtedly extraordinarily exhausted.

He sat motionless, his arm curved around her waist, letting her fall asleep against his chest like this, his lowered eyes watching her seemingly serene face.

The moment he saw those glaring marks from fingers and palms, the flames in his heart began to flicker subtly.

With so many injuries visible on the skin exposed outside her clothes, he could almost imagine how she had been abused earlier.

The hand supporting him on the bed clenched involuntarily.

Thankfully, she was not seriously hurt.

Otherwise…

She seemed able to sense his anger. Being a light sleeper, her eyelids moved slightly, and she opened her eyes again. Her black pupils still misted with tears looked up at him.

He slowly laid her down flat and covered her with the quilt again. “Sleep.”

She frowned when her head touched the soft pillow. He immediately realized that he had touched her wound again, and his expression darkened as he shouted toward the door, “Someone come here!”

Shen Zhili pushed open the door. Seeing the situation inside, she unconsciously took half a step back before lowering her head and saying, “Your Highness.”

He scowled, “Send someone to the palace to summon the Imperial Physician.”

Shen Zhili withdrew silently, gently closing the door.

Meng Tinghui lightly tugged at his sleeve. “Why must Your Highness trouble Minister Shen?” She shifted her body and smiled, “A physician had already examined this official before I woke up,” she pointed to several small medicine boxes placed at the bedside, “The physician said they are all external injuries. Applying these medicines for a few days will heal them.”

Seeing her slightly smiling face, his features grew increasingly cold and stern, his expression darkening completely. Without a word, he reached over to take the medicine boxes, opening them one by one and carefully smelling each. Only then did his tightly knitted brows relax slightly. He selected a light cream-colored ointment among them, scooped a layer with his finger, and with his other hand cupped her face, then carefully applied it to her injuries.

The ointment was cool and soft, but his fingers were extremely hard and warm. Though careful, he was still unaware that his touch was somewhat heavy. The places where he touched her were painful, but she endured without speaking, just staring at him intently.

She knew he had always been meticulous and focused, doing anything in his hands to unparalleled perfection, but she had never imagined he would be so attentive and focused… in treating her.

His expression was dark, cold, and displeased, yet his gaze upon her was gentle and detached, causing her heart to gradually beat faster until her face actually flushed red.

She recalled that night when she had bared her heart to him, how he had turned his head away, refusing to look at her.

She remembered how she had felt earlier that day when she received the night market snacks he had sent her—that mixture of surprise and joy.

She had not yet asked him how he truly felt before this incident occurred; but looking at him now, she suddenly felt that some things didn’t require verbal confirmation.

Just like this, it was enough.

He applied medicine to the wounds on her face, ear, and neck, then closed the medicine box lid. Placing his hands on his knees, he stared at her for a long while before finally asking in a hoarse voice, “…Did you get a clear look at those men?”

Hearing this, her expression instantly turned cold.

She knew he would not lightly forgive those people, and knew that he must have restrained himself for a long time before asking this question, yet she had nothing to tell him.

The night had been so dark. During her struggle, she had been knocked unconscious before she could see anything. By the time she woke up, she was already in the Shen residence, not even knowing clearly what had happened afterward.

After a while, she finally shook her head.

He noticed the complexity in her gaze but did not know what she was thinking. Assuming she was recalling those terrifying events, he couldn’t help but reach out to stroke her hair before standing up and saying, “Stay at the Shen residence for these few days. Wait until your body has recovered before returning to court.”

But her expression remained composed, not looking like someone recalling unbearable events. Seeing he was about to leave, she suddenly spoke up to stop him: “Your Highness.”

He turned back, raising an eyebrow.

She propped herself halfway up. “Your Highness, this official has a request.”

Seeing the bright shimmer in her eyes, he knew she must be calculating something in her mind. He couldn’t help but frown, not understanding how she could still have the presence of mind to formally make requests of him at this moment. So he stared at her coldly for a long time, but in the end, could not bear to refuse her, and merely said, “Speak.”

Her voice cooled as she said word by word: “This official requests Your Highness’s permission to participate in the investigation of Wang Qi’s case.”

“Preposterous!” He rejected her without even thinking, his expression angry.

Not to mention that she was currently covered in injuries and should be more concerned about her health, but the Wang Qi case had already been entrusted to a joint investigation by the Court of Judicial Review, the Ministry of Justice, and the Censorate. How could the Chancellery be allowed to intervene?

Seeing his expression change, she did not say more, just quietly tucked the thin quilt around herself. Her eyelashes lifted and fell, her face pale and ashen.

Even if she were foolish, she would know that tonight’s incident must be related to the Wang Qi case—previously, the Censorate supervising censor Yan Sou’s memorial impeaching her had been suppressed by him, but surely the people at the Censorate must have privately discussed how the Crown Prince showed her excessive favor, and she could not escape the reputation of being a flatterer. Today, Wang Qi was imprisoned in the Censorate jail because of her memorial, and in others’ eyes, this would be seen as another result of her skilled flattery.

Those Eastern Faction ministers…

As she thought about it, her temples began to ache.

She had been too naive, thinking that by not engaging in evil conflicts, she could remain safe and sound. Little did she know that while she had no intention of harming others, others would not spare her because of this.

Ultimately, this incident must have been carried out to intimidate her—Wang Qi alone was probably not worth the Eastern Faction’s revenge, but because rumors suggested she was quite favored by the Crown Prince, they worried she would become even more powerful in the future. So they wanted to use such methods to teach her a lesson, to not constantly focus only on flattering those above her.

Her expression grew colder, her hand lightly clenching under the quilt.

If they were going to push her to this extent, then they shouldn’t blame her for not taking the path of kindness.

She raised her eyes to look at him and said, “Your Highness’s visit tonight must have been without concealment. I imagine everyone in the Forbidden City already knows by now. The group of officials at the Censorate have already claimed this official is highly favored. How will this official ever recover her reputation?”

He met her gaze, his tone displeased: “You are dissatisfied?”

She suddenly smiled, saying softly, “How could this official be dissatisfied? This official only…” Her delicate eyebrows slightly raised, her voice lowering: “This official only feels that, having already been labeled as a flatterer and a favored minister, if Your Highness does not grant this official’s request, then these injuries would be suffered in vain.”

He was speechless, his stern expression softening.

Suddenly, he felt somewhat like laughing.

He knew her little scheme, knew she was trying to play a small trick, but seeing her like this, he found himself unable to refuse her anymore.

Moreover, those who had hurt her deserved no forgiveness.

Though he would investigate thoroughly on her behalf, he also knew she would not be content with that.

If that’s the case, so be it.

He tilted his brow and glanced sideways, saying softly, “I grant it.”

She pressed her lips together, watching him push open the door to leave, her heart suddenly trembling.

Who had once said that the Crown Prince was rarely seen smiling, yet little did they know that the Crown Prince’s smile was also intimidating…

Indeed, it was not false.