“I’ve already tried. My sister won’t listen.” Yan Yunning took a small bite of pastry and said helplessly. “As far as I can tell, if Elder Brother Qi doesn’t get better, my sister is going to keep looking after him indefinitely.”

Her sister nursing Qi Qingchen day and night — she really was devoted.

Ye Jian’s mouth twitched. He leaned in a little closer to Yan Yunning. “Miss Yan the Second, don’t you think His Highness has been behaving very strangely these past two days?”

Yan Yunning narrowed her eyes, turned it over carefully in her mind, and gave a nod. “A little, yes.”

His mood had been unusually good these past two days.

Could he have actually lost his wits from the exasperation of seeing her sister with Qi Qingchen?

Ye Jian said uncertainly, “Miss Yan the Second, it seems like His Highness’s mood took a turn for the better starting from the day we came back from the market. Isn’t that right?”

“You mean Xuan Xixi was bewitched at the market?” Yan Yunning pursed her lips.

A’Chen let out a sudden laugh.

Xuan Xixi?

Bewitched?

Yan Yunning gave his arm an indignant pat.

A’Chen lowered his head and laughed in silence.

“Miss Yan the Second, His Highness is of noble status — how could he possibly be bewitched?” Ye Jian was at something of a loss.

Yan Yunning touched her nose. “Then what’s happened to him?”

Ye Jian creased his brow. “Miss Yan the Second, you spend every day with His Highness — don’t you know?”

“His Highness is your His Highness. How would Little Lemon know?” A’Chen glanced up at him.

Ye Jian muttered under his breath, “His Highness doesn’t let me stay at his side every day.”

A’Chen: “…”

Was that a reason?

Xuan Yanyu’s chamber.

“Yanyu Brother, the last time you found Physician Wen — could you find him once more?” Yan Shiyao said weakly.

These past two days nursing Elder Brother Qi, her body was beginning to give out.

Elder Brother Qi still hadn’t woken up. If the Emperor took them to task over it, none of them would be able to escape the consequences.

Physician Nuoxi had already fetched several physicians from neighboring towns, and none of them could do anything.

Physician Wen had been able to break the Mandarin Duck Incense poison, and had healed Yanyu Brother’s sword wound — surely he could treat Elder Brother Qi’s unconscious state as well.

“He can’t be found.” Xuan Yanyu’s tone was flat.

Yan Shiyao’s lips dipped slightly. “Yanyu Brother, tell me where you found him last time and I’ll go look for him myself.”

The man raised his teacup and took an unhurried sip.

“Yanyu Brother, if something truly happens to Elder Brother Qi, we’ll all be held to account by the Emperor. Could you please stop being so stubborn?” Yan Shiyao’s nose reddened.

Why couldn’t he understand? Elder Brother Qi’s status was too distinguished. If something truly happened to him, none of them could escape.

“It doesn’t matter.” Xuan Yanyu was becoming somewhat impatient.

Yan Shiyao’s fingers curled into a fist. “Yanyu Brother, how can you say it doesn’t matter — given who Elder Brother Qi is, do you really think we could escape if something happened to him?”

Xuan Yanyu gave a light laugh, his tone deliberately grating. “I can escape. As for you — you really should be worried about whether you can.”

That time she’d hired beggars to send little Ranran away — even though she’d instructed them only to send her away and not harm her, who could say what might have happened if they’d turned out to be bad people? Not to mention that she’d inadvertently swept Yan Yunning into it as well.

He hadn’t let go of that anger yet.

Yan Shiyao’s hand jerked slightly around her handkerchief. “Yanyu Brother, what do you mean by that?”

He could escape?

How could he possibly escape?

Xuan Yanyu lazily narrowed his eyes. “It’s getting late. I need to rest.”

The implication was plain: you may leave.

Yan Shiyao was reluctant to give up. “Yanyu Brother, think about Ningning. Think of Ningning.”

Even if he could escape, what about Ningning?

Didn’t he care so much about Ningning?

Was he really done looking after her too?

“Ningning? As for her — she’s not something you need to worry about.”

Pronouncing the name “Ningning” felt somewhat unfamiliar on his tongue.

Yan Shiyao felt a chill settle over her heart. What he meant was that he wasn’t going to help, and that if something truly happened to Elder Brother Qi, he’d keep Ningning safe but leave her to fend for herself.

She naturally hoped nothing would happen to Ningning — but there was an ache of disparity in her chest.

She and Yanyu Brother had known each other for more than a year. Throughout that year he had cared a great deal about her safety, but this time he didn’t anymore…

Yan Shiyao said no more. She turned around and left the chamber.

The sky outside was overcast. Yan Shiyao walked along the narrow path with her arms crossed, her thoughts a tangled mess. She didn’t want anything to happen to Elder Brother Qi, and she didn’t want anything to happen to herself either.

Right now her only option was to find a way to get Yanyu Brother to help locate Physician Wen. If Elder Brother Qi were sent back to the palace in this state, the Emperor would certainly implicate them all.

“Miss Yan.” A’Chen had just parted ways with Yan Yunning when he came face to face with Yan Shiyao.

“A’Chen.” Yan Shiyao turned her head aside and wiped the tears from the corner of her eye. “It’s so late — why haven’t you gone to rest yet?”

A’Chen’s lips curved lightly. “I was chatting with Little Lemon and didn’t notice the time.”

Yan Shiyao’s eyes shifted faintly. “Has Ningning gone back to her chamber?”

A’Chen gave a small nod.

Yan Shiyao sniffled quietly. “A’Chen… I said I’d buy you a lot of pastries…”

And then both of them ended up getting hurt that time.

A’Chen’s voice was mild and even. “Miss Yan, that was a long time ago. You needn’t think about it.”

Yan Shiyao looked at the young man standing before her, her lips pressed lightly together. A’Chen was no longer the guileless boy who used to call her “A’Yao Sister.”

“Miss Yan, I’ll be heading back to my chamber.” A’Chen gave a faint smile and a slight nod.

Yan Shiyao rubbed her tired eyes and walked toward Yan Yunning’s chamber.

Inside the chamber, Yan Yunning’s little head was bobbing with drowsiness. Having barely kept her eyes open through her nightly wash, she had just collapsed onto the sleeping couch when a knock sounded at the wooden door.

Yan Yunning turned over irritably and yanked the brocade quilt up over her ears.

“Ningning.” The knocking continued.

Yan Yunning’s brow furrowed with displeasure. Who was coming to pester her at this hour?

She flung the quilt aside, swayed unsteadily to the door, and pulled it open.

“Ningning, go and talk to Yanyu Brother for me. Ask him to find Physician Wen so he can save Elder Brother Qi.” Yan Shiyao clasped her hand, her voice choked.

Yan Yunning’s voice was thick with sleep. “Sister, go yourself.”

“I went. Yanyu Brother didn’t agree.” Yan Shiyao’s eyes were misted over.

Yan Yunning said without a second thought: “Coax him — if you coax him, he’ll agree.”

Yan Shiyao was momentarily taken aback and hesitated before asking, “Ningning, how do you coax him?”

Yan Yunning struggled to pry her eyes open. How did she coax him — what had she actually done?

“Hold his hand…” she said hazily.

Yan Shiyao let out a quiet sigh, reached out to touch her small face, and said, “Go get some rest.”

Her eyelids could barely stay up and her voice was soaked in exhaustion — she wouldn’t press her further.

Yan Yunning gave a dazed nod, and Yan Shiyao pulled the chamber door closed behind her.

“Coax Yanyu Brother? Hold his hand? How would Ningning know about that?” Yan Shiyao murmured to herself.

The next morning.

Yan Shiyao carried a food box to Xuan Yanyu’s chamber door and knocked.

“Yanyu Brother, I made these myself — please try some.” Yan Shiyao smiled sweetly.

Before Yan Shiyao could even open the food box, Xuan Yanyu stepped past her toward the door.

“Yanyu Brother.” Yan Shiyao reached out and blocked his path. She lowered her eyes to the hand hanging at his side, her gaze flickering.

“Coax him — hold his hand.” She wasn’t sure whether what Ningning had said would work.

It should work — evidently Ningning had tried it herself.