“Yan Shiyao, even if this hall struck first, he still had no right to strike back.” Qi Qingchen closed his eyes and refused to look at her again.

“Can you… please don’t… throw him in jail — I’ll compensate you with silver for your wound.” Yan Shiyao said haltingly.

If Xuan Yanyu were thrown in jail, he certainly wouldn’t go quietly — and the moment his identity came to light, the fact that their Chief Minister’s household had harbored an enemy nation’s prince for over a year would mean Emperor Qi would never tolerate them again.

Xuan Yanyu, out of consideration for Ningning, would very likely ask the whole family to come to Xuanzhao — but she didn’t want to go. She had not the slightest wish to go and live in Xuanzhao.

Not the slightest…

Qi Qingchen clenched his fist, then burst into slow, deliberate applause. “Yan Shiyao, beg this hall — and this hall will think it over.”

Xiao Shi quietly slipped out of the dining hall.

She had seen and heard too much — the Third Prince might have her silenced.

Yan Shiyao said nothing. She stood, reached into her pouch, and took out the medicinal ointment Yan Yunning had given her last time. She scattered it over Qi Qingchen’s wound.

It both removed scars and stopped bleeding. She had been saving it all this time unused — and now she had given it to Qi Qingchen. It stung a little in her chest.

“Qi Qingchen.” Yan Shiyao crouched down and met his eyes squarely. “Don’t pursue the matter with Xuan Yanyu, all right? If anything, you might end up being the one framed — after all, the dagger was yours, not Xuan Yanyu’s.”

Qi Qingchen forced a smile. “Yan Shiyao, he took your little sister — and even Xuanzhaoarn — and walked away without a thought for you. Why should you plead on his behalf to this hall?”

“Qi Qingchen, what would it take for you not to pursue him?” Yan Shiyao’s brow furrowed. She was running low on patience.

“Do you have feelings for him?” Qi Qingchen forced each word through his teeth.

“Nonsense!” Yan Shiyao’s frown deepened.

Qi Qingchen kept his eyes on her for a moment, then said, “Come back with this hall to the Third Prince’s residence. Stay until this hall’s wound heals, and this hall will let the matter with him go.”

Yan Shiyao cast her eyes down. Simply caring for Qi Qingchen in exchange for not having to go to Xuanzhao — that wasn’t entirely impossible.

“All right.”

Qi Qingchen’s eyes flickered. “Yan Shiyao, this hall is asking you one more time — are you certain?”

His conditions for letting it go couldn’t be reduced to merely nursing him until his wound healed.

Yan Shiyao answered his question with another. “When are you heading back to the Third Prince’s residence to recuperate?”

Why was he wasting so many words?

“Once Wuan returns, we leave immediately.” Qi Qingchen’s lips curved faintly.

“Then let me go tell Ningning.” Yan Shiyao stood and made to leave.

“No need.” Qi Qingchen pulled her back by the arm. “This hall will have Wuan let her know in a moment. You stay here and keep this hall company.”

Yan Shiyao belatedly realized something. “Staying at your residence for several days — wouldn’t that be improper?”

“It’s fine. When we return to the capital, take a covered carriage. Once we reach the residence, if you don’t go out, no one inside this hall’s residence would dare let it leak.” Qi Qingchen’s tone was laden with undertones.

Yan Shiyao’s brow creased. “Qi Qingchen, why must you have me look after you? Don’t you have maids and manservants in your household?”

Qi Qingchen released her arm, indifferent. “You’re free to refuse — only then, Xuan Yanyu wounded this hall, and this hall must have him sent to the provincial magistrate.”

Yan Shiyao fell silent. She didn’t want to go to Xuanzhao, and nursing Qi Qingchen would take about seven or eight days at most. It wasn’t as though she hadn’t looked after him before.

“Put a little more on for this hall.” The man drew her hand over and pressed the ointment into her palm.

He didn’t know if it was just that the pain had gone numb — but after the ointment was applied, it felt considerably better.

Yan Shiyao, reluctantly, pulled aside the cloth covering his shoulder and, with some unwillingness, dusted a little more on.

The girl’s head was bowed as she applied the ointment. Her hair, hanging loose before her, brushed across his throat. Qi Qingchen stared at her fair, delicate little face, and his throat instinctively bobbed.

The restless feeling in his chest grew clearer and clearer.

“Yan Shiyao, is it really for Xuan Yanyu’s sake that you’d follow this hall back to the residence?” Qi Qingchen asked again in a hoarse voice.

Yan Shiyao deliberately pressed her fingertip against his wound. “Why are you so long-winded??”

“Yan Shiyao!” Qi Qingchen bit down hard against the pain.

Well, he had asked for it — she had better not regret this later!

Yan Shiyao looked with distaste at the blood on her fingertip, hesitated a moment, then wiped it on Qi Qingchen’s brocade robe.

Qi Qingchen pretended not to notice.

He had no energy to bicker with her right now — once he had a couple of days to recover, he’d settle accounts with her then.

Yan Shiyao saw him turn his head away as though he hadn’t seen, and her boldness grew. “Qi Qingchen — once I’m at your residence, I want the most comfortable bedchamber to sleep in. No sending me to some palace hall draped in cobwebs, and absolutely no musty quilts.”

In the dream memory, he had told his manservants to dump her in a leaking bedchamber and then come by from time to time to mock and sneer at her. She had spent ten years in Prince Xuan’s Palace — when had she ever suffered like that?

Xuan Yanyu may have had no affection for her, but her food and lodging had always been of the finest quality.

“You’ll be staying together with this hall. You sleep on the floor. You’re here to care for this hall — and you’re still making demands?” Qi Qingchen’s lips curved ever so slightly.

Sleep on the floor — impossible. She was going to sleep in the bed. If anyone was sleeping on the floor, it was Qi Qingchen!!

“Also, your side consort — don’t let her come making trouble for me. Otherwise, I won’t put up with her.” Yan Shiyao laid the condition out in advance.

“Mm.” Qi Qingchen nodded, his meaning deep. “She will respect you.”

Yan Shiyao didn’t think too much of it, and sat down on a nearby wooden chair, cupping her face in both hands, waiting for Wuan.

Qi Qingchen’s eyes narrowed slightly. With Yan Shiyao at his side in the days to come — such days would not be bad at all.

Interesting, and useful to him besides.

· · ·

Once out of the dining hall, Yan Yunning shook off Xuan Yanyu’s hand. Xuan Zhaoarn quietly stepped forward and linked her arm through Yan Yunning’s. “Ningning, what’s going on between you and the Crown Prince?”

Behind them, Ye Chen and Ye’an pricked up their ears as well.

Yan Yunning’s eyebrow arched slightly. In an unhurried tone, she said, “Your brother wouldn’t give me his…”

“Yan Yunning!” The man halted and snarled under his breath. “Close your mouth.”

Xuan Zhaoarn blinked. What was it?

What wouldn’t the Crown Prince give her??

Ye’an recalled how Yan Yunning had chased him and Ye Chen out of the guest room — his mind turned it over. Could it be “sleep”???

But that didn’t add up either. If the Crown Prince was unwilling, that would mean he had no interest in Second Miss Yan — so why had Second Miss Yan walked out of the room and the Crown Prince immediately drawn himself a cold bath?

Ye Chen curled his lip. Whatever it was the Crown Prince wouldn’t give Second Miss Yan — she had everything she asked for. Second Miss Yan still wasn’t satisfied.

Xuan Yanyu’s gaze, laden with warning, settled on Yan Yunning.

Yan Yunning stared back at him, then slowly raised her hand and directed a middle finger at him. “Can’t do it, Xuan Xixi.”

Ye Chen, Ye’an, and Xuan Zhaoarn all instinctively retreated several steps in unison.

Ye’an had a rough guess at what it was.

Ye Chen and Xuan Zhaoarn had no idea why — they only felt that Xuan Yanyu’s aura had gone ice cold without warning, and it was enough to make them take several steps back and put as much distance as possible between themselves and Yan Yunning and Xuan Yanyu.

Xuan Yanyu was so furious he almost laughed. Fine, fine, fine — after the wedding, she had better not regret it. He would settle accounts with her one by one!

Watching Xuan Yanyu storm off in anger, Ye Chen and Ye’an quickly fell in behind him and left together.

“Ningning, you… the Crown Prince is angry.” Xuan Zhaoarn murmured haltingly.