A’Chen looked at Yan Yunning for a moment, his voice slightly hoarse. “Little Lemon, I don’t know what has made you think all of this of me. But I truly did not tell Xuan Yanyu anything about sending the porridge. Little Lemon, you know Xuan Yanyu’s nature.”

At that, A’Chen suddenly gave a quiet, low laugh. “Has it never crossed your mind that he deliberately set you up — that he finds Lu A’Po a nuisance? After all, she said she would never agree to you and Xuan Yanyu being together.”

“You say I’ve hidden Lu A’Po. Little Lemon, think about it — where would I even hide her? Why would I hide Lu A’Po in the first place? Why would I not tell you and just quietly stash her away on my own?”

The young man raised his voice, a faint nasal quality creeping into the end of his words.

Yan Yunning pressed her lips together. That part she genuinely couldn’t work out either — how could A’Chen have hidden Lu A’Niang by himself?

Where could A’Chen possibly have taken her?

“Little Lemon, Lu A’Po is already gone. She is no longer in Qilan. Don’t let Xuan Yanyu deceive you!” A’Chen said in a low, urgent voice.

“You don’t believe me, do you? Come then — I’ll take you to where Lu A’Po has been laid to rest.” Before he could reach out to take Yan Yunning’s arm, A’Chen clutched his chest in pain and slowly crumpled to the floor.

“A’Chen, what’s wrong?” Yan Yunning rushed to steady him.

“Lit… Little Lemon, don’t misunderstand me — it wasn’t me…” The young man’s lips were turning faintly purple.

“A’Chen, what’s happening? Don’t frighten me.” Yan Yunning’s breathing came fast and ragged. The image of A’Chen lying peacefully on a bed flashed through her mind, and a trembling sound rose in her throat. “A’Chen, I’m going to fetch the physician. You have to wait for me.”

Yan Yunning stumbled out and dragged Imperial Physician Wen to A’Chen’s side chamber. By then, A’Chen had already fainted on the floor.

“Imperial Physician Wen, quickly — please hurry.” Yan Yunning grabbed a soft pillow from the bed and tucked it under the back of A’Chen’s head.

“Second Miss Yan.” Imperial Physician Wen caught his breath and smoothed his wind-scattered beard. “You’ve dragged this old servant here, but without the Crown Prince’s permission, this old servant cannot treat him.”

Second Miss Yan had come into his room without a word of explanation and simply seized him and run. Had he known it was A’Chen, he wouldn’t have made this trip.

Yan Yunning’s lips trembled as she pleaded, “Imperial Physician Wen, please just take a look at him — he’s already fainted. Just examine him first, and I’ll speak to Xuan Yanyu right away. Please, just take a look.”

“I’m sorry, Second Miss Yan. Without the Crown Prince’s permission, this old servant cannot intervene.” Imperial Physician Wen bowed slightly and withdrew from the side chamber.

He had heard that A’Chen had falsely accused His Highness. Otherwise, with Second Miss Yan present, he would have been willing to take a preliminary look. But as things stood — A’Chen had wronged His Highness, and without His Highness’s word, he did not dare act.

Yan Yunning bit her lip and ran to Xuan Yanyu’s side chamber without wasting another second.

Xuan Yanyu’s side chamber.

Yan Shiyao stood beside Xuan Yanyu with a warm, gentle smile, pouring him tea.

The man raised an eyebrow and did not take the teacup she offered.

Yan Shiyao set the cup down and sat close beside him, smiling softly. “Elder Brother Yu, could you do me a favor?”

That day, Wushan had taken advantage of her moment of inattention and bolted. Qi Qingchen was deliberately avoiding her and she couldn’t get near him. After much deliberation, Xuan Yanyu was the only one left who could help her.

“What kind of favor?” Xuan Yanyu was being quite courteous with her at this moment.

“My marriage, Elder Brother Yu — is there any way you could help me? I don’t want to marry Elder Brother Qi.” Yan Shiyao’s voice was very gentle.

The man turned the jade thumb ring on his finger and gave a low laugh. “Why don’t you want to marry him now? Weren’t you just chasing after Qi Qingchen on your own not long ago?”

Yan Shiyao came up with an answer without missing a beat. “Elder Brother Yu, you don’t know — the favored consort, she… she won’t tolerate me. I have no desire to live in constant fear for my life every day.”

Xuan Yanyu propped his cheek on one hand, his gaze settling on her face with quiet depth. “Is that so? The Emperor of Qi issued the decree. What makes you think I can help you? What’s this — trying to get me in trouble?”

The look he gave her made her scalp prickle. “I thought that since you even dared to discipline Elder Brother Qi, you could… you might be willing to help.”

Xuan Yanyu drawled lazily, “How exactly would I help? That decree was issued by His Imperial Majesty Qilan.”

Yan Shiyao’s brows curved into a smile. “Elder Brother Yu, think of something. If you can help me, I’ll grant you one request in return.”

“Grant me a request?” The fingers Xuan Yanyu had resting on the teacup stilled.

“Mm.” Yan Shiyao smiled cheerfully and added a little more tea to the cup.

The man’s brow arched lightly. “You have nothing I would want from you.”

The implication being: he wouldn’t help.

Yan Shiyao’s smile stiffened. “Elder Brother Yu, you really can’t help?”

She was Lingning’s older sister — didn’t that make her his elder sister too?

Was he really going to give her no face at all?

Xuan Yanyu hooked the corner of his lips in what passed for goodwill and offered one word of explanation: “It’s not that I’m unwilling to help — I genuinely lack the ability. That was, after all, a decree from His Imperial Majesty of Qilan. How would I dare offend His Imperial Majesty?”

Yan Shiyao pinched her fingers together. In that scene she had read, he had dared — so why was he afraid now?

If he was so afraid of offending His Imperial Majesty, how had he still managed to strike Qi Qingchen?

“Elder Brother Yu.” Yan Shiyao used a coaxing tone. “Could you at least go and give Qi Qingchen another beating and make him petition His Imperial Majesty to annul the marriage?”

Xuan Yanyu glanced at her sidelong. “Why don’t you find someone else to do it?”

Yan Shiyao answered plainly, “No one else has the nerve you do.”

“Tsk.” The man shook his head. “I don’t have the nerve for it anymore either. I’m also afraid of being hauled off to the Governor’s office by Qi Qingchen.”

Yan Shiyao’s expression went stiff, then stiffer still. No nerve?

He simply couldn’t be bothered with her — that was all.

What kind of excuse was that?

“Elder Brother Yu, could you at least think of some way to dissolve this engagement?” Yan Shiyao wanted to try one more time.

“No idea.” Xuan Yanyu appeared to rack his brains.

Yan Shiyao gripped her fists, fighting down the urge to slap him.

She repeated silently to herself: I cannot slap him. I cannot slap him. I could not bear the consequences.

After repeating it several times, Yan Shiyao had just started to rise to her feet when the wooden door was pushed open by Yan Yunning.

“Lingning.” Yan Shiyao spoke.

Yan Yunning gave a brief nod, then ran to Xuan Yanyu and took his hand. “Xuan Xixi, could you let Imperial Physician Wen take a look at A’Chen? A’Chen has suddenly fainted.”

“Suddenly fainted?” The man brushed back the loose strands of hair that had scattered across her face from running.

“Mm.” Yan Yunning pressed down the panic in her heart. “Xuan Xixi, let Imperial Physician Wen see A’Chen first, and you can settle accounts with him after — alright?”

“Don’t panic.” Xuan Yanyu turned his head toward Ye Chen. “Go and have Imperial Physician Wen attend to A’Chen.”

“Yes, my lord.”

Seeing Ye Chen leave the side chamber, Yan Yunning’s heart settled by half.

“Lingning, how did A’Chen suddenly faint?” Yan Shiyao asked with a frown.

Yan Yunning shook her head. They would know once Imperial Physician Wen finished his examination.

“Let’s go and see.” Xuan Yanyu had barely finished speaking before Yan Shiyao darted to Yan Yunning’s side, grabbed her hand, and pulled her running out of the side chamber.

If he wouldn’t help, then he wouldn’t. He was petty — and he couldn’t blame her then.

“…” Xuan Yanyu narrowed his eyes.

What was that about?

What was Yan Shiyao trying to do?