“You won’t find it.” Xuan Yanyu’s voice carried unmistakable impatience. “Move aside.”

Without his permission, how could Imperial Physician Wen ever examine Qi Qingchen?

Yan Shiyao pressed her lips together, hesitating as she reached out her hand…

Xuan Yanyu watched her with an expression that had turned slightly cold.

Yan Shiyao’s ears flushed red, and she withdrew her hand. Wasn’t this too abrupt? What if her brother Yanyu pushed it away?

“Brother Yanyu, could you not — for the sake of me having saved you — save Elder Brother Qi?” A bitter feeling welled up in Yan Shiyao’s heart.

She didn’t want to use the debt of that favor to make him yield, but she had no other way.

Xuan Yanyu lazily cast her a sidelong glance. Saved him?

That had merely been a scheme to gain entry to the Prime Minister’s estate.

Still, one couldn’t deny it — even though his wound had been a ruse, Yan Shiyao had indeed “saved” him back to the Prime Minister’s estate.

In her understanding, it counted as saving him.

“Brother Yanyu.” Yan Shiyao’s voice dropped lower. “Can you?”

Xuan Yanyu curved his lips slightly, unhurried in his reply. “First Miss Yan, at Clear Language Stronghold I saved you from Mu Shiqing’s blade, and at Peach Spring Manor I saved you again when you had been struck by the Manzhu fragrance — so you have no standing to invoke saving me as grounds for demanding anything of me.”

A complicated mixture of feelings stirred in Yan Shiyao’s heart. First Miss Yan? When had Brother Yanyu ever addressed her like that?

“However, if you wish me to save him, that can be arranged.” Xuan Yanyu paused, the rest of his words catching in his throat.

What he had originally intended to say was that she should marry him, as an explanation he could offer to the Emperor.

But Yan Yunning had said she would never share a husband with any other woman.

“Brother Yanyu, what would it take for you to save him?” Yan Shiyao’s heart tightened. She was afraid he might make some unreasonable demand.

A flash of irritation crossed Xuan Yanyu’s eyes. After a long silence, he finally forced out a single sentence: “From now on, keep your distance from Qi Qingchen.”

“Why?” Yan Shiyao was puzzled.

Xuan Yanyu’s brow furrowed.

He feared that if Yan Shiyao were one day to truly marry into Xuanzhao, rumors would again spread about her and Third Prince Qilan.

Yan Shiyao bit her lip, fighting back tears. “Brother Yanyu, I promise you.”

Xuan Yanyu glanced at her, and the more he looked, the more troubled he felt.

If he truly married her, Yan Yunning would certainly no longer stay by his side…

Then he could only ask his father the Emperor to forgive him…

Outside the side room, Yan Yunning had been tiptoeing away. That morning, she had recalled that her elder sister had come to find her the night before, and that she herself had murmured something half-asleep.

She feared her sister had angered Xuan Yanyu, and had come rushing over without even stopping to eat breakfast.

The moment she arrived, she had heard Xuan Yanyu telling her sister to keep away from Qi Qingchen — her worries had been unnecessary.

On the surface Xuan Yanyu seemed indifferent to her sister, and had acted reluctant to accompany her here to look for her sister, but it was all an act.

Watching her sister tend to Qi Qingchen day and night — wasn’t he practically green with envy?

The dining hall.

Ye Jian greeted her with a smile. “Lady Physician Nuo, we have truly imposed upon you these past few days at the clinic.”

Nuo Xi shook her head with a sigh. “Not at all. If my medical skills were more accomplished, Young Master Qi would have recovered by now, and you would not have had to linger here so many days. Think nothing of it.”

Ye Jian said languidly, “Lady Physician Nuo, it isn’t that your skills lack — perhaps Qi Qingchen’s fate simply runs this course.”

If he remained unable to recover, unconscious, with the Emperor of Qi’s favored candidate for Crown Prince lost — that would be a fortunate turn for Xuanzhao.

Nuo Xi raised an eyebrow slightly. Taking pleasure in another’s misfortune? Just how many enemies had this Qi Qingchen made?

Yan Shiyao had no appetite, and since Xuan Yanyu had not touched the food she had prepared for him either, she made her way to the dining hall.

She had just taken her seat when Yan Yunning walked in side by side with A’Ci, a candied hawthorn skewer in hand.

Xuan Yanyu’s brow creased. First thing in the morning, eating candied hawthorn before even having a proper meal — what if her stomach acted up?

“You all eat first, I’ll go check on Young Master Qi.” Nuo Xi smiled and rose from the wooden chair.

Yan Yunning chewed on a piece of hawthorn and mumbled a vague sound of acknowledgment.

Nuo Xi glanced at A’Ci, pressing her lips into a smile. “Out of the clinic first thing in the morning, just to buy candied hawthorn for a young lady.”

She had heard the apprentice mention it, and had thought he had something important to attend to.

A’Ci raised his fist to his lips and gave a light cough. Last night in casual conversation, little Yunning had mentioned she wanted candied hawthorn, and he had been unable to wait and had gone to buy it first thing in the morning.

Just as little Yunning had once looked after him, now that he had recovered, it was his turn to act as the elder brother and look after little Yunning.

“All right, go and eat.” Nuo Xi curved her lips. Any more teasing and he would get annoyed.

After Nuo Xi left the dining hall, A’Ci found a seat and settled down.

Yan Yunning passed the empty seat beside Xuan Yanyu and sat down next to Ye Jian instead.

Ye Jian’s brow gave a slight twitch, and he shifted subtly to the side without drawing attention.

Yan Yunning licked the candied sugar that had stuck to the corner of her mouth, and A’Ci naturally took the bamboo skewer from her hand and tossed it into the wastepaper basket.

“Yan Yunning.” Xuan Yanyu’s voice was low and muffled.

The man leaned back against the sandalwood chair, looking somewhat aggrieved.

Yan Yunning smiled at him. “What’s wrong?”

Xuan Yanyu pressed his thin lips together, visibly displeased.

She could still smile at him, which meant he hadn’t upset her — then why wasn’t she sitting beside him?

“Little Yunning, eat quickly and stop chatting. When you’re done we still need to visit A’Ye and A’Nai.” A’Ci added some dishes to Yan Yunning’s bowl.

“All right.” The smile lingered at the corners of Yan Yunning’s lips.

A’Ci said helplessly, “Why are you smiling so much today?”

“We’re going back to see Maternal Grandfather and Maternal Grandmother — of course I’m happy.” Yan Yunning’s beautiful eyes curved with delight.

“Are you going to Cha Xi Town?” The hand Xuan Yanyu had resting at his side tightened into a fist.

Yan Yunning had been brought back to the Prime Minister’s estate from Cha Xi Town. If she was going back, why hadn’t she told him? Why hadn’t she asked him to accompany her?

“Yes. Since Elder Brother Qi doesn’t seem like he’ll recover anytime soon, A’Ci and I are going to check on Maternal Grandfather and the others. We’ll be back early the morning after tomorrow.”

“I’ll go with you.” The words left the man’s mouth before he could stop them.

Yan Yunning looked at him with a furrowed brow. “What would you go there for?”

It was as if a needle had pricked Xuan Yanyu’s heart. Was he not allowed to go?

Ye Jian kept his head down and quietly scooped up his rice. Better to eat more — in case the Prince became angry and left abruptly, he would still need to follow.

Yan Yunning didn’t eat much. She set down her bowl and chopsticks, and from the corner of her eye caught a glimpse of a certain someone — who also set down his wooden chopsticks in the same moment. Ye Jian handed over a handkerchief, and Xuan Yanyu unhurriedly dabbed the corner of his mouth.

Yan Yunning looked away and propped her chin in her hand, watching A’Ci.

A’Ci tapped her on the forehead. “What are you staring at?”

Yan Yunning pursed her lips. “Watching you eat so slowly.”

A’Ci curved the corner of his mouth and let out a quiet laugh.

Xuan Yanyu gritted his teeth, grabbed Ye Jian by the collar, and pulled. Ye Jian stumbled and spun in place, wooden chopsticks still in his mouth, staring blankly as Xuan Yanyu sat himself down in his chair.

In the next instant, the wooden chair beneath Yan Yunning spun around without warning — she found herself face to face with the man’s ink-dark pupils. Yan Yunning gripped the armrests and shot him a glare. “Xuan Yanyu, what are you doing?”

Xuan Yanyu’s brow furrowed slightly. “Didn’t you promise me that day?”

Yan Yunning pressed her lips together and cast her mind back. Yan Yunning, I do not wish to see today’s events repeat themselves.

I understand.