Mu Yunjin nodded and moved outward a bit, her entire body now directly facing the female physician, extending her left arm.

The female physician smiled slightly, unwrapped the bandage that had been applied to Mu Yunjin the day before, and began carefully applying new herbs.

Chu Li had been standing behind the female physician. Now, seeing Mu Yunjin facing him wearing only her undergarments with large areas of skin exposed, he suddenly felt awkward and looked away, the roots of his ears turning slightly red, his body tense.

Mu Yunjin paid no attention to Chu Li. As the female physician changed her dressing, she looked at her wound.

“The wound is very deep, almost cutting to the bone. It’s best not to move around too much these days to prevent the wound from reopening,” the female physician advised carefully while bandaging Mu Yunjin.

Mu Yunjin nodded, and seeing that the female physician had finished bandaging, she picked up her outer garment, preparing to put it on.

“Wait,” the female physician raised her hand to stop her.

“Hmm?” Mu Yunjin looked at the female physician.

The female physician smiled faintly. “The bandage was just applied. Let the herbs dissipate a bit first, then put them on later.”

…

…

Mu Yunjin nodded in understanding.

“Then this servant will take her leave. I’ll come back in a couple of days to change the Prince’s Consort’s dressing,” the female physician tidied up her medicine box, seemingly suppressing a smile, bowed to Mu Yunjin, and quickly walked out.

Stepping out the door, the female physician who had been holding back for a long time burst into laughter.

Ding Xian looked at the female physician with a bewildered expression. “Sister Qingmeng, what’s so funny?”

The female physician named Qingmeng smiled mysteriously. “I’ve arranged something nice for His Highness. I wonder how much reward I’ll get later.”

With that, Qingmeng walked away smiling.

Ding Xian scratched his head, still not understanding Qingmeng’s meaning.

…

In the room, Mu Yunjin had strangely believed the female physician’s words and didn’t put on her outer garment for the time being.

She had just seen the wound herself, and it was indeed serious. This time she wanted to follow the doctor’s instructions carefully. If her arm were ruined, it would be disastrous.

“Chu Li, is this female doctor from a medical clinic in the city?” Mu Yunjin asked idly, turning to look at Chu Li.

Chu Li’s gaze remained elsewhere. Hearing Mu Yunjin’s words, he merely gave a faint “Mmm.”

“Which clinic is she from? She seems quite skilled. I should look for her again if anything happens in the future,” Mu Yunjin said, her lips curving slightly.

Chu Li glanced at Mu Yunjin, saw her still sitting stiffly in bed, sighed softly, walked over to her, and helped her put on her outer garment.

The process of dressing her was undoubtedly a torment for Chu Li. Having never helped a woman dress before, after pulling the robe around her, an inexplicable fire welled up within him. His eyes darkened slightly as he helped her fasten the buttons, though his technique was somewhat clumsy.

Several buttons took a long time to fasten.

“Done,” Chu Li said after finishing with the buttons.

Mu Yunjin lowered her eyes. While Chu Li was fastening her buttons, she had been nervously sitting up straight, biting her lip without saying a word.

Now that Chu Li had suddenly spoken, Mu Yunjin also relaxed a bit, lowered her gaze to look at the fastened buttons, and her mouth twitched.

“They all seem to be buttoned crookedly…”

Mu Yunjin raised her eyes to carefully look at Chu Li, then tugged at her outer garment that had been fastened in a crooked manner.

“Let’s redo it,” Chu Li said, equally helpless, his gaze cool as he reached out to undo the buttons one by one.

The pink undershirt came into view again.

Mu Yunjin pouted. Now facing Chu Li so directly, she also felt somewhat embarrassed and said in a soft voice, “Hurry up.”

Chu Li’s face alternated between pale and flushed, his eyes growing increasingly dark as he quickened his movements to fasten the buttons. But Mu Yunjin’s clothes were specially made from a tailoring shop, the buttons designed to be small and delicate, with only tiny buttonholes on the side.

The more Chu Li couldn’t calm down while fastening the buttons, the more he couldn’t get a single one through.

Seeing Chu Li like this, Mu Yunjin suddenly couldn’t help laughing. The next second, noticing Chu Li’s fiery gaze, she immediately covered her mouth.

Blinking her eyes at Chu Li, she said, “Why don’t we switch to a nightgown with ties instead?”

“Why didn’t you say so earlier!”

Chu Li shouted angrily at Mu Yunjin, seeming to have endured for a long time. He yanked off the button he was holding, threw it to the ground, and turned to leave the room.

After Chu Li left, the room was filled with Mu Yunjin’s wild laughter.

Hearing the laughter, Chu Li’s face darkened even more. For a moment, he truly wanted to cut this little fox Mu Yunjin into pieces and eat her up one by one!

…

Mu Yunjin waited in the room. After a while, the door opened. She thought it was Chu Li coming in, but only saw an outer garment fly in through the door before it was slammed shut again.

After changing into the clothes, Mu Yunjin felt drowsy, lay down, and quickly fell into a deep sleep.

At that moment, in the hot spring pool outside the small door.

Chu Li leaned against the pool wall. The originally misty hot spring pool was replaced with ice-cold mountain spring water after he pressed a mechanism.

Soaking in the ice-cold mountain spring water, Chu Li’s heart did not calm down. His mind was filled with images of Mu Yunjin’s every smile and frown from earlier, which he couldn’t dispel.

For the first time, he felt a desire to keep a woman by his side.

…

In the days that followed, Mu Yunjin did not see Chu Li at all. The female physician Qingmeng, however, came frequently, not only changing her dressing but also bringing her tea, water, and meals, taking over the tasks done previously.

“Prince’s Consort, have some pastries,” Qingmeng placed two plates of pastries to the side.

Mu Yunjin glanced at the pastries but didn’t eat them. She felt somewhat depressed inside and cursed Chu Li, the heartless one, countless times.

Qingmeng was a clever woman and naturally noticed that Mu Yunjin’s mood was somewhat unusual. She didn’t force her to eat the pastries, but poured a cup of water and handed it to Mu Yunjin.

“The night the Prince’s Consort was injured, I had never seen him look so flustered. I imagine your relationship must be very good?” Qingmeng said with a smile.

Mu Yunjin looked at Qingmeng, who was about the same age as Su Biqing had been, and curved her lips slightly. “You don’t need to call yourself ‘servant.’ It sounds strange to me.”

“A servant is a servant, and a master is a master. The Prince’s Consort will get used to it,” Qingmeng smiled slightly.

Mu Yunjin pursed her lips slightly, took a sip of water, and said, “Chu Li and I, what feelings could we have? We’re just bound together by a marriage contract.”

Thinking about not having seen Chu Li for days, Mu Yunjin spoke somewhat petulantly.

“The Prince’s Consort’s words aren’t quite right, but it’s not my place as an outsider to say. I believe time will naturally prove everything,” Qingmeng said with a smile.

Mu Yunjin nodded and looked at Qingmeng. “You’re probably not a female doctor from some medical clinic, but one of Chu Li’s subordinates, right?”

“Why do you say that?” Qingmeng raised her eyebrows. Before coming, Chu Li had already warned her to claim she was a medical clinic. She hadn’t expected Mu Yunjin to see through it.

“You seem very familiar with Chu Li, as if you’ve known each other for a long time,” Mu Yunjin said.

Qingmeng smiled. “The Prince’s Consort needn’t rush to know these things. With time, you’ll know everything.”

Mu Yunjin seemed to understand yet not understand, nodded, and yawned. “I’m tired. I’ll sleep for a while.”

“Mmm, then this servant won’t disturb you.” Qingmeng tucked in Mu Yunjin’s blanket and walked out.

…

Outside the door, Chu Li was sitting at a stone table in the courtyard drinking tea, his eyes deep in thought. Hearing the door open, he looked intently at Qingmeng. “How is she?”

“The wound is healing well. She’s gone to sleep now,” Qingmeng walked to the stone table and sat down.

“Why hasn’t Your Highness gone to see the Prince’s Consort these past few days? Just now, the Prince’s Consort chatted with me for a long time and seemed somewhat unhappy!” Qingmeng said with a hint of cunning in her eyes as she looked at Chu Li.

Chu Li spoke indifferently, “We’ll talk about it in a few days.”

“People are most vulnerable when they’re sick or hurt. If you don’t comfort her properly now, it will be difficult later…” Qingmeng smiled and left Li Quan Pavilion.

Chu Li’s eyes flickered. He lowered his gaze, digested Qingmeng’s words, and then, as if possessed, rose and walked into the room.

Inside the room, Mu Yunjin was sleeping soundly and hadn’t noticed someone entering.

Chu Li approached Mu Yunjin’s bedside, his gaze falling quietly on the soundly sleeping Mu Yunjin. He reached out to lift a strand of her hair, gently rubbing it in his palm, his eyes full of tenderness.

“Mmm…”

Mu Yunjin suddenly turned over in bed. Chu Li was still holding a strand of her hair in his palm. Suddenly, Mu Yunjin cried out in pain in her sleep and reached up to cover her head.

Frowning, she looked to the side. The “culprit” was still standing there dumbly, seemingly not having reacted, still clutching her hair in his hand.

Mu Yunjin, who had a severe case of morning grumpiness, instantly exploded. She sat up, glaring at Chu Li. “What’s wrong with you? Not showing your face for days is one thing! But you secretly pull my hair while I’m asleep!”

“Chu Li, I never realized you were so childish before!”

“No way, you have to let me pull yours back…” Mu Yunjin jumped out of bed, extending her right hand, making as if to remove the jade crown on Chu Li’s head.

Chu Li grabbed her right hand, looking at her puffing and glaring with anger. The hint of apology that had just welled up immediately subsided, and amusement filled his eyes.

“If you hadn’t turned over, how would your hair have been pulled?” Chu Li countered.

“What does this have to do with whether I turn over or not? You pulled my hair, and now you’re justifying it? Chu Li, you’re not only childish, you’re shameless!” Mu Yunjin glared fiercely at Chu Li.

Hearing this, Chu Li’s eyes revealed innocence, yet he spoke solemnly, “Your arm is injured now. It’s not good to move around too much while sleeping. What if you hit your wound?”

“This Prince did this to remind you of your sleeping posture, afraid you’d turn over recklessly and hurt your arm.”

“If the wound opens up, you’ll be the one suffering.”

These words were spoken very seriously and sincerely. Mu Yunjin pouted, sat down, and shrank her neck slightly.

What Chu Li said seemed reasonable…

It seemed she had wrongly accused him.

Thinking this, Mu Yunjin lowered her eyes guiltily. Her scalp still tingled a bit. She reached up to rub it and immediately changed the subject. “Where have you been these past few days?”

“Always in the residence,” Chu Li said leisurely.

Hearing this, Mu Yunjin sighed heavily and spoke somewhat dejectedly, “When can I go out?”

“Forget about going out, even a bath would be good. I’ve been lying in bed for seven or eight days. I can hardly stand it myself…” Mu Yunjin finished, blinking her eyes pitifully at Chu Li.

Seeing her like this, Chu Li couldn’t help but smile. He bent down close to Mu Yunjin’s face. “You want to bathe?”

“Mmm.” Mu Yunjin nodded solemnly.

“Your hand is injured and inconvenient. Who do you want to help you wash? Hmm?” Chu Li spoke slowly, watching Mu Yunjin’s gradually changing expression.