Medicinal herbs steeped in hot water to dispel the cold, soaking her feet. The warmth quickly climbed up from her soles, causing Zhao Yān to curl her toes involuntarily.

She propped herself up on the couch, secretly observing Wenren Lin’s expression.

Though she was the one with the stomach pain, Wenren Lin’s face looked even colder than hers. She keenly sensed something was amiss, yet couldn’t identify the source of this discord.

Lost in thought, Wenren Lin grabbed a neatly folded cotton cloth nearby to wipe his hands, then rose and mercilessly undid the jade belt buckle at Zhao Yān’s waist.

With a faint tearing sound, her clothes suddenly loosened, and Zhao Yān’s heart, which had just settled, tensed up again.

“My monthly cycle has come…” she said hesitantly in a small voice.

Wenren Lin glanced at her, lifting his robe to sit beside her: “This Prince has no interest in Your Highness’s disheveled state.”

Zhao Yān was embarrassed, focusing intently on the amber-colored rippling water in the wooden tub when she felt Wenren Lin’s palm embrace her thin shoulders, gently pulling her.

Zhao Yān was startled as her upper body tilted involuntarily toward him, leaning against Wenren Lin’s chest.

…

…

Before she could comprehend what was happening, a large hand warmed by the water slipped through her loosened garments, covering her lower abdomen, applying pressure in circular motions, neither too light nor too heavy.

Zhao Yān’s lower abdomen was cold and painful, and the initial massage was uncomfortable, as if pressing directly on a stagnant wound inside. She instinctively tried to prop herself up but was easily restrained by Wenren Lin.

“Such resistance?”

Wenren Lin’s hands continued kneading, focusing on acupoints to promote blood circulation and dispel stagnation. “If Your Highness regrets this, there’s still time.”

“It hurts,” Zhao Yān bit her lip in defense, It wasn’t what he thought.

Wenren Lin grunted very softly, but the pressure of his palm noticeably lightened.

“It’s uncomfortable at first, bear with it. This Prince has no women around, but massaging these acupoints is particularly effective for the cold constitution. I imagine it works similarly for women’s blood stagnation.”

Their posture brought them extremely close, his deep voice pressed right against her ear. Zhao Yān could even clearly feel the slight vibration of his chest as he spoke.

Zhao Yān was no longer rigid, gradually relaxing her body, leaning softly in his embrace.

Wenren Lin appeared leisurely, but Zhao Yān still keenly detected a subtle incongruity: “How does Prince Su know about remedies for those with cold constitutions?”

Wenren Lin did not answer.

Though he seemed carefree, he was as deep as the sea, never showing emotions on his face. Things he chose not to speak of, no one could discover in the slightest. Zhao Yān, having spent much time with him, could only discern faint emotions from those unfathomable eyes of his.

Before long, the abdominal pain gradually eased, warmth spreading from the acupoints, dispersing the cold.

Zhao Yān felt as if she had finally emerged from an icy cavern, the warmth of the summer night gently enveloping her, thin sweat beginning to seep from her back.

Her delicate feet, immersed in hot water, crossed and pressed down, shattering the water’s reflection. The comfort amplified the doubts in her heart.

Unable to hold back any longer, she tentatively asked: “Why does Prince Su… sometimes treat me so well?”

Was this considered treating her well?

Wenren Lin couldn’t help but laugh, recalling when he first entered the room, the little princess…

He wondered how the Empress had raised her daughter. Other girls could nestle in their parents’ arms, crying out in pain, but she could only clutch her stomach and endure alone…

Of course, that wasn’t the only reason.

He had long chosen his ending. The current scene was merely a delicate butterfly that had wandered into the spider’s web he had woven. It was quite amusing to watch her struggle and transform before he closed the net.

He appreciated this beauty and stubborn spirit; she was his prey alone.

Wenren Lin lowered his gaze, withdrawing his massaging hand to rest it casually on her slender waist, saying: “What else could it be? Of course, it’s because Your Highness looks beautiful and interesting when falling into my trap. This Prince happens to find that quite endearing for now.”

Zhao Yān turned her head from his embrace, eyes looking up, as if trying to distinguish the truth in his words.

“Endearing enough to have me accompany you in death?”

She recalled Wenren Lin’s tender yet heavy whisper from last night when they kissed in Prince Su’s mansion.

Wenren Lin paused, then laughed softly, his chest vibrating.

Firelight danced in his eyes as he looked down, examining Zhao Yān’s exquisite, beautiful face. He reached out to pinch her waist, “Pity Your Highness isn’t content to remain trapped in the net, always fluttering those wings. In the future, when I tire of you, Your Highness will beg for my mercy to no avail.”

Wenren Lin seemed to have private matters to attend to and didn’t stay long.

Once Zhao Yān’s hands and feet were warm, he adjusted her clothes for her and departed, leaving Zhao Yān alone, hugging her knees on the couch, pondering his final meaningful words.

The next morning, as usual, she had to attend lectures at Chongwen Hall.

Zhou Ji was his old self, his eyes filled with nothing but mountains of books and documents, his mind focused. Only at the end of the class, as he bowed in farewell, did he casually mention: “While Your Highness was recuperating at Yuquan Palace for half a month, this official returned to Huayang.”

Zhao Yān’s heart tightened, but she pretended to be normal and smiled: “Had I known Attendant Zhou was going to Huayang, I would have written a letter for you to deliver to my sister.”

Having learned the truth, now speaking as Zhao Yǎn and showing concern for herself, she inevitably felt sad and lonely.

Fortunately, Zhou Ji didn’t seem to notice her fingers lightly curled in her sleeve, simply saying: “Princess Changfeng is quite well, Your Highness need not worry.”

Although he immediately recognized that the “Princess Changfeng” in Huayang was a fake.

His mentor, Left Chancellor Li, had once admonished him: “Wanlan, I know your nature is pure and unblemished. However, not all matters in the world require insight to be considered intelligent. Knowing what can be said and what cannot be said may well be a form of great wisdom.”

Zhou Ji took this to heart. Therefore, although he had suspicions about Princess Changfeng’s whereabouts, he only hinted at it.

His expression was peaceful and forthright, withdrawing with sleeves folded, his blue robe like bamboo in the sunlight, without a hint of gloom.

Zhao Yān knew Zhou Ji was also investigating the death of his junior fellow Shen Jingming, but she hesitated to tell him the truth. After all, the Zhou and Li families were backed by centuries of a Luoyang aristocratic foundation. If they learned that Shen Jingming was killed for assisting the Crown Prince’s new policies, which would first target these aristocratic families, it would be hard to say they wouldn’t develop a rift with the Eastern Palace…

But Zhao Yān soon had no mind to consider this matter. For the next martial arts class, Wenren Lin did not come.

Not just today, but for four or five consecutive days of martial classes, he was replaced by Tutor Jin, a peculiar man who taught military strategy as if reciting heavenly books.

Zhao Yān listened until her head spun, inevitably recalling Wenren Lin leaning in the teacher’s chair, making the obscure art of alliance formation clear and engaging with his elegant demeanor… She found herself missing him.

According to Pei Sa, Prince Su had claimed illness these past days, even declining to attend court discussions at Taiji Hall—quite arrogant.

Zhao Yān received this news with skepticism.

Could someone as robust as Wenren Lin fall ill, or was it merely an excuse?

Was he planning to stop serving as the Eastern Palace’s tutor?

Zhao Yān was full of doubts, still pondering this matter after returning to the Eastern Palace.

Only now did she suddenly realize that Wenren Lin knew almost all her secrets, while she never saw through Wenren Lin’s thoughts, knowing nothing of what he was thinking or doing.

Just as she was thinking, Liu Ying came to report: “Your Highness, Imperial Physician Zhang has come to check your pulse.”

Zhao Yān glanced at the time; it wasn’t yet the hour for pulse checking.

She knew Zhang Xu must have discovered something about the poison she had asked him to investigate. She quickly composed herself and said, “Show him in.”

Zhang Xu paid his respects. Zhao Yān dismissed all attendants, keeping only Liu Ying at her side, then asked: “What are the results?”

Zhang Xu replied: “The pill formulas Your Highness provided all have effects of strengthening yang energy and aiding conception. This subject followed the formulas to make two pills, including all ingredients except the boy’s heart blood medicine primer. Afterward, I discovered that the refined pills contained a faint fragrance, seemingly related to the poisonous scent found in that book.”

“Poisonous?” Zhao Yān pondered.

“I initially suspected so, but after several examinations, I determined that the source of the fragrance is the gland of a candle snake from the Southern Frontier. This substance is extremely yang and hot, capable of both curing and harming people, depending on how the medication is prepared.”

Zhang Xu placed the pill formulas that Zhao Yān had found in the pill room of Jinyun Mountain Villa on the table, pointing to the unusual medicine circled in vermilion ink. “However, this substance has a distinctive fragrance that no other medicinal ingredient can mask, so whether made into a secret yang-restoring medicine or poison, it will leave this scent. Additionally, this item is extremely rare. I exhausted all my connections and only managed to buy enough from an old Taoist in the black market to refine two pills.”

This thing was priceless, yet Zhao Yuan’yu had refined dozens of pills. How did he have such connections?

Zhao Yān examined the small black pill handed to her by Zhang Xu and cautiously asked: “Is this pill poisonous?”

Zhang Xu replied: “This humble subject has personally tested the medicine; it is not poisonous.”

“…”

Zhao Yān admired Zhang Xu’s courage and ordered Liu Ying to give him a bag of gold leaves as a reward for “testing the poison with his own body.” Then she carefully took the remaining pill, brought it to her nose, and gently fanned with her hand.

A very faint cold fragrance surrounded her nostrils. Zhao Yān suddenly froze.

The slightly familiar scent seemed to be one she had encountered somewhere before, very similar.

Zhao Yān recalled the small red-lacquered wooden box she had seen in Prince Su’s mansion, her gaze concentrating: Was it that scent?

Zhao Yān wasn’t entirely certain and gestured for Zhang Xu to take his leave.

Wenren Lin had vanished for several days, and Zhao Yān pondered his last words before disappearing: “In the future, when I tire of you, Your Highness will beg for my mercy to no avail…”

Surely he couldn’t have tired of her?

Zhao Yān stared at the black pill emitting that faint cold fragrance between her fingers, frowned, then casually placed the pill in a small medicine bottle and sealed it tightly. She rose and said: “Prepare the carriage, I’m going to Prince Su’s mansion.”

Prince Su’s mansion, deep in the night.

Zhang Cang heaved a long sigh of relief, shaking the fresh blood from his hands: “After taking the antidote, it’s finally under control… Nearly killed me too, terrifying.”

Cai Tian remained silent, looking toward the brightly lit clean room.

Just then, someone knocked on the main gate of the mansion.

Cai Tian was alert, instinctively pressing his hand against his knife hilt and hiding behind the door, signaling Zhang Cang to open it.

Zhang Cang cautiously opened the door a crack, hiding his bloodstained hand behind his back, exclaiming in surprise: “Crown Prince?!”

Zhao Yān sat waiting on the long couch in Prince Su’s study, with a thin mattress beneath the bamboo mat, making it slightly less uncomfortable.

Before long, the water sounds from next door stopped. After doors opening and closing, Wenren Lin arrived with his hair loose and clothes disheveled, bringing the moisture of water with him.

Seeing Zhao Yān instinctively stand straight, he didn’t seem surprised at all. He carried a candle to light all the lamps in the study before sitting in the chair opposite her and asking: “What favor does Your Highness seek this time?”

Zhao Yān seemed to smell that extremely faint frost-snow scent again. Observing Wenren Lin’s usual expression, she responded with her question: “Can’t I come find you without a reason?”

Wenren Lin slightly raised the corner of his eye, and after a long moment, said with an unchanged expression: “Then it must be that Your Highness is lonely in bed and wishes to make use of this Prince’s body.”

Zhao Yān choked, heat climbing up her cheeks.

“I merely heard the tutor was ill at home, refusing both court and Chongwen Hall, so I came to see.”

Zhao Yān pressed her lips together and said, “It seems I’ve only brought humiliation upon myself.”

Wenren Lin’s composed demeanor showed no sign of illness whatsoever.

Seeing Zhao Yān turn away her exquisite face, the tear mole at the corner of her eye tinged with a thin redness of anger, Wenren Lin, having teased enough, finally laughed deeply with great satisfaction.

He raised his arm slightly, suggestively saying: “These past days have been somewhat uncomfortable. Perhaps if Your Highness condescends to embrace me, this Prince might recover.”

After all, he slowly lowered his arm again, resting it on the armrest, tapping: “I almost forgot, if Your Highness were to embrace me, you’d have to drink a couple more bowls of medicinal soup afterward.”

Why bring this up again?

“I drank that extra bowl of medicine only because I thought it would be safer. Otherwise, if something happened later, no one would help me…”

Zhao Yān said irritably, “I don’t understand these things. I thought my body could endure it.”

The resilient little princess was still not skilled at showing weakness, her voice growing increasingly soft.

But Wenren Lin still heard clearly, softly responded “Mm”: “This Prince’s fault.”

He thoughtfully said: “Next time, this Prince will bring two books to the Eastern Palace and personally teach Your Highness, not to waste Your Highness calling me ‘Tutor.'”

…What books?

Zhao Yān stared blankly at Wenren Lin’s serious expression, an ominous feeling rising in her heart.