“Xuan Yanyu!” Yan Yunning threw back the brocade quilt and grabbed his arm. The man turned his hand over and folded her hand into his palm, asking with an easy smile, “Crown Princess, what is this?”

“You’re tired. You should rest.” Yan Yunning patted the bed.

“I haven’t done a thing — how am I tired?” The man’s voice dropped to a low, suggestive murmur. “Even if I were to make the most of this evening, when have I ever grown tired? I am not as delicate as you.”

“…” Yan Yunning reminded him kindly, “Don’t you have to rise early for morning court tomorrow?”

The man stroked her palm. “Mm,” he said softly.

Yan Yunning: “…?”

“Knock knock.” Someone rapped at the bedchamber door. Xiao Wan said respectfully, “Your Highnesses, we are coming in.”

“Mm.” Yan Yunning opened her arms and looped them around Xuan Yanyu’s neck, calling softly, “Crown Prince…”

“Understood.” The man smiled and carried Yan Yunning to the sandalwood chair by the round table.

Yan Yunning giggled. “Such a clever Crown Prince — he’s truly one of a kind.”

Xuan Yanyu brushed aside the strand of hair falling across the girl’s cheek, his voice lazy and unhurried. “Oh? Praised again by my little lazybones.”

“Mm? Who’s the lazybones?” Yan Yunning propped her chin in her hand, watching the man stir the dark, murky medicine.

She no longer wanted to walk — Xuan Yanyu carried her. She no longer wanted to eat — Xuan Yanyu coaxed her. When she refused to get out of bed in the mornings, Xuan Yanyu carried her to wash up…

Yan Yunning clicked her tongue. Thinking it over carefully — had she really become this helpless?

Well! It was probably due to the pregnancy. It had little to do with her personally. She was a very self-disciplined person!!

“This Crown Prince has no idea.” Xuan Yanyu gave a quiet laugh. He blew on the medicine in the porcelain spoon and brought it to the edge of Yan Yunning’s lips.

Yan Yunning: “…”

The man’s lips curved with patience. “Once you’ve drunk it, the nausea will stop. Eat a little, wash up, and go straight to rest.”

Yan Yunning wrinkled her nose. It smelled so awful~

“Xuan Yanyu, I’ll do it myself — you go rest.” Yan Yunning said helpfully. “Otherwise, if I end up throwing up on you…”

“You won’t. Once you drink it, the nausea will stop. Imperial Physician Wen’s medical skills are adequate.” Xuan Yanyu said with confidence.

Xiao Wan’s mouth twitched. Imperial Physician Wen’s medical skills were exceptionally accomplished, yet in the Crown Prince’s words they were merely “adequate.” She finished arranging the food and, along with the other maids, withdrew from the bedchamber.

Xuan Yanyu set down the medicine, looped one long arm around Yan Yunning’s waist, drew her into his arms, and said idly, “Little lazybones — tomorrow, the Empress Dowager wants you to join her for a meal. Will you be able to get up early enough?”

Yan Yunning: “…!!”

“Crown Prince~” Yan Yunning leaned in and pressed her lips to the man’s.

“Stop. This Crown Prince is not getting involved.” His tone was perfectly at ease. He reclined lazily against the sandalwood chair, hands laced behind his head, his dark eyes full of amusement resting on Yan Yunning.

No matter what Yan Yunning did, no matter how she coaxed him, he refused to relent.

“Xuan Yanyu!” Yan Yunning tried to wipe away the red mark on his throat, but it would not come off. She said crossly, “Next time, remember to tell me sooner.”

The man let out a low, husky laugh. “How about this — if you drink the medicine right now, eat a little something, and go to rest immediately, I’ll speak to the Empress Dowager on your behalf. Agreed?”

“All right.” Yan Yunning tilted her face up, and a warm kiss landed on the man’s cheek. Then she picked up the medicine, clenched her teeth, tipped her head back, and drank it down in one breath.

The corners of Xuan Yanyu’s eyes crinkled with a triumphant smile. “So my little procrastinator can drink medicine quickly after all.”

Without a little trickery, that bowl of medicine would take at least an hour.

“Ugh~” Before she could push Xuan Yanyu away, the medicine she had just managed to swallow in one go came right back up.

The man’s throat bobbed. He looked down at his sleeping robe and drew a sharp breath.

“Didn’t you say I wouldn’t be sick once I drank it?” Yan Yunning stepped back, retreating to the edge of the bed and putting as much distance between them as possible.

“You were the one who told me to go rest, but I was the one who said drink it and you won’t be sick anymore… ” The girl hung her head and muttered quietly to herself.

Xuan Yanyu resigned himself and took a steadying breath.

Yan Yunning pressed her lips together, then raised her eyes — and met the man’s deep, intense gaze. She bit down on her finger, aggrieved, and sobbed, “Xuan Yanyu, you’re glaring at me — I feel awful, and you’re still glaring at me.”

The man said, startled, “When did I glare at you?”

“Other men surely wouldn’t be like this. Once they have someone, they become this contemptuous.” Yan Yunning let the tears fall, looking utterly pitiful.

“No — I absolutely did not.” Xuan Yanyu pulled off his sleeping robe and tossed it on the floor, then stepped forward and cupped her face in his hands. His handsome face wore an expression of helpless resignation. “I would never blame you for this — and yet you’ve already started feeling wronged in advance.”

Yan Yunning blinked, her voice soft and sweet at the edges. “Then go and bathe. It’s not early anymore.”

“Mm.”

Xuan Yanyu coaxed Yan Yunning until her tears were gone, then picked up his brocade robe, dressed, and walked out of the bedchamber.

The moment Xuan Yanyu left, Yan Yunning walked to the sandalwood chair and sat down, leisurely taking a small sip of the medicine.

Fafa said in surprise: [Master, were you pretending?]

[?] Yan Yunning picked up her chopsticks and took small bites of a couple of dishes.

Fafa clicked her tongue: [Xuan Yanyu is so foolish~ He couldn’t tell you were pretending? Why did you do that??]

[What do you know!] Yan Yunning rolled her eyes.

Xuan Yanyu would have coaxed her even if he had seen through the act.

She knew he wouldn’t blame her. But in the future, when she annoyed him, he would mutter: “Yan Yunning, you threw up on me twice.”

“Yan Yunning, tell me — how are you going to make it up to me?”

“Yan Yunning, only someone as tolerant as me would put up with you. So you mustn’t leave my side.”

“…”

“…”

Picturing the expression on Xuan Yanyu’s face as he said all those things, Yan Yunning curved her lips into a smile. To spare herself from being pestered by him later, she had put on a little performance — and now he would not dare bring it up again.

The next day, just before dawn.

Xuan Yanyu woke up drowsy, went behind the dressing screen to wash up, put on his court robes, and sat at the edge of the bed. His fingertip lightly traced the girl’s beautiful sleeping face. He murmured, “Only because I am so kind-hearted — otherwise, I would certainly wake you up and have you help me dress.”

Yan Yunning felt something tickling at her cheek. Half-asleep, she reached out and grabbed Xuan Yanyu’s finger, tugging him down onto the bed.

——

At morning court, after all matters had been reported, Xuan Yanyu — arriving a quarter of an hour late — finally appeared.

Prince Xuan had not yet said a word when the Chancellor, who had been seething for some time, stepped out of rank and declared, “Your Majesty, the Crown Prince has far too little sense of decorum. He was late to morning court by a full quarter of an hour without cause. If there is no punishment, we, your subjects, will not accept it.”

Did he think no one knew that His Majesty had deliberately thrown his younger sister into the cold palace and then stripped her of her rank??

Because of this, he had become the laughingstock of the court. He had even been put under house arrest for over a month — something that had never happened to any Chancellor in all of Xuanzhao’s history!!

The moment the Chancellor’s cold voice rang out, every other official in the great hall fell silent at once, their very breathing slowing.

The sovereign cast a glance down at Xuan Yanyu. His face was as fine as jade. Aside from a certain unhurried drowsiness, he appeared perfectly composed — most likely the thoughtlessness of sleeping in.