Yan Shisheng stood outside with the medicine bowl, requesting permission to enter from the princess.

But Mu Wanyao, being ill, wouldn’t answer him.

When Yan Shisheng entered, he found the chamber quiet, with maids attending to their duties—some dusting with feather dusters, others carefully trimming flowers by the window… all deeply focused, perhaps a bit too focused.

Walking past the screen, he saw the luxuriant green bed curtains hanging low, with fragrant sachets and golden ornaments adorning the corners. The entire inner chamber had the rosy freshness of a young woman’s quarters. Today, however, incense seemed to be burning.

He lifted the curtain to see Mu Wanyao sleeping with closed eyes, her rosy face half-hidden in the bedding, only her milk-white forehead visible. The light from his lifting the curtain disturbed her, and she clutched the bedding, gradually revealing her face. Her eyes were black as lacquer and clear as water, her nose tip delicate and lovely.

Yan Shisheng sat on the edge of the bed, reaching out to help her up. His voice was gentler than usual: “Yaoyao, you’re awake so early today? Did you sleep well last night? It’s time to take your medicine.”

Mu Wanyao stared at him without speaking.

Since she had been like this the past two days, Yan Shisheng didn’t think much of it and continued coaxing her softly to get up. The princess slowly emerged from her warm nest of bedding, and perhaps feeling stifled, when he drew her into his arms, her entire face was slightly flushed.

Yan Shisheng looked down, seeing under her thick black hair her lashes curled upward, and then just a bit of her pink face—he couldn’t make out her expression at all.

Like performing a magic trick, he pulled a piece of candy from his sleeve, slipping it into her mouth as she opened it.

Mu Wanyao suddenly found her mouth full: “…”

Her cheeks were puffed out.

When she was about to rage at his impropriety, her good breeding prevented her from spitting out what was in her mouth. She could only furiously chew the candy in her mouth, finding it sweet but not cloying, with a hint of sourness…

What kind of candy was this?

Yan Shisheng scooped up a spoonful of the thick black medicine to feed her.

The lady in his arms was now fully awake, having only been pretending earlier to test what exactly he had done to her. Being awake now, Mu Wanyao naturally refused the medicine. She said darkly: “So this is how you deceived a poor ill person into taking medicine?”

Yan Shisheng’s hand holding the medicine spoon trembled slightly.

Leaning against his shoulder, refusing the medicine, Mu Wanyao slowly raised her eyes, fixing him with a gaze that conveyed both cold anger and an ambiguous languor.

She was quite imposing.

If not for the unswallowed candy making her speech unclear, the Princess of Danyang should have been even more imposing.

But Yan Shisheng remained calm inside.

He had guessed she was awake—otherwise, the maids wouldn’t have been trying so hard to act normal.

But since the princess wanted to test him, he could only satisfy her and let himself be tested.

Yan Shisheng changed his form of address: “Your Highness.”

Mu Wanyao’s lips curled, and as Yan Shisheng rose to apologize, her hand swept up, knocking over the medicine bowl, and smashing it to the ground. The bowl shattered, medicine splashing on the floor, startling the maids outside who rushed in anxiously to apologize.

As Yan Shisheng stepped back, the rough hem of his clothes was also splattered with medicine.

Yet he only bowed deeply, not even glancing at the medicine splashed by his feet, saying joyfully: “Seeing Your Highness awake finally puts me at ease.”

Mu Wanyao slapped the bed: “Puts you at…”

Being unladylike, she didn’t finish the word “ass.” But she sat on the bed glaring at Yan Shisheng imperiously, clearly ready to settle accounts.

Yan Shisheng said gently: “Actually, I had already thought about this—though I cared for Your Highness’s health, I also indirectly overstepped. Your Highness would surely want to settle accounts upon waking. Since I couldn’t abandon Your Highness, nor sit waiting for death, I wracked my brains and thought of a way to help Your Highness settle accounts.”

Mu Wanyao sat disheveled on the bed, her soft shoulders half-exposed, jade neck slender, breasts hidden beneath long hair, half visible. She leaned forward, asking with interest: “You have another way to resolve my doubts?”

Yan Shisheng immediately averted his eyes, not daring to look at her further. He said: “As for punishment, it’s a choice between long pain and short pain. For short pain, Your Highness could kill me with one stroke and be done with it; for long pain, Your Highness could torment me for several days until your anger subsides.”

Mu Wanyao’s gaze was inscrutable.

She said: “You think I’ll choose long pain?”

Mu Wanyao smiled: “I choose short pain.”

Yan Shisheng froze.

From the corner of his eye, he saw her step down from the bed, snow-jade feet touching the floor covering before her skirts fell to hide them. She walked toward him this way, step by step. Wisps of fragrance approached, her footsteps stopping before him.

A “ting” sound—the drawing of a sword.

Yan Shisheng remembered there was indeed a sword hanging by the bed curtain. It would be easy for Mu Wanyao to draw it.

He suddenly looked up at her. Sure enough, Mu Wanyao had drawn the sword, and under his gaze, she rested it on his shoulder.

Mu Wanyao said languidly: “This sword was given to me by His Highness the Crown Prince, who said that with this sword, he would take responsibility for whoever I killed. I’ve tested it—it can split a hair, and cut through ox hair. It’s incomparably better than Guard Fang’s sword. I hung it by my bed to guard against those who would disrespect me.”

Yan Shisheng met her gaze.

Between man and woman, such was their game.

Yan Shisheng said: “The Crown Prince giving Your Highness this sword shows both protection and warning. I believe Your Highness should be careful in using it—minor matters need not be elevated to such importance.”

Mu Wanyao: “Calling me ‘Yaoyao’—is that a minor matter?”

Yan Shisheng sighed: “Your Highness forced me to call you that—you wouldn’t take medicine unless I did, and I couldn’t watch you die, I truly had no choice.”

While Yan Shisheng worried about the sword at his shoulder, Mu Wanyao was relaxed: “Speaking this way shows you’re certain I won’t kill you. What makes you think I won’t?”

Yan Shisheng looked at her.

He said slowly: “I am indeed gambling.

“Gambling that Your Highness… takes pity on me.”

Mu Wanyao: “…”

Yan Shisheng knew when to stop.

He grasped her wrist, taking away her sword and throwing it far aside. He bowed: “Please spare my life, Your Highness. Though killing me would be easy for Your Highness, the aftermath would be troublesome. Wouldn’t it be better to let me live and serve Your Highness with ‘long pain’?”

His voice was gentle, eyes smiling, half joking, half truly apologizing.

This attitude made it hard for Mu Wanyao to stay angry.

Because… it was a small matter.

Mu Wanyao kept a stern face: “My behavior while ill…”

Yan Shisheng: “I won’t speak a word of it.”

Mu Wanyao: “And calling me ‘Yaoyao’…”

Yan Shisheng: “I’ll never dare do it again!”

Mu Wanyao’s expression cooled slightly, as if angry, though it wasn’t clear about what. Finally, she said sullenly: “Then let’s consider this matter settled, but don’t let it happen again.”

Yan Shisheng sighed in relief.

The maids watching carefully outside also sighed in relief.

Having resolved this matter, Mu Wanyao’s expression improved considerably. She raised her chin at Yan Shisheng: “I plan to visit Chunhua.”

Yan Shisheng understood her meaning immediately: “Then I’ll accompany Your Highness. Miss Chunhua has awakened and should be out of danger.”

Mu Wanyao nodded.

She said: “I need to change clothes.”

Yan Shisheng turned to leave.

Mu Wanyao shouted: “Why are you leaving?!”

Yan Shisheng’s back stiffened, and he turned back hesitantly: “…Surely you don’t mean for me to help you dress?”

Mu Wanyao grew furious, about to speak, but then pressed her lips together, not knowing what to say for a long while. Yan Shisheng watched her with puzzled concentration, waiting quietly. After some time, Mu Wanyao’s gaze flickered upward slightly.

She said: “The candy you gave me…”

Yan Shisheng understood.

He asked softly: “Do you want more?”

Mu Wanyao: “…No.”

Yan Shisheng said nothing, just walked back and placed the candy pouch from his sleeve on the small table by the bed, within Mu Wanyao’s reach. After another bow, he truly left this time.

After he left, Mu Wanyao reached for the pouch, taking out candy to eat from the well-worn, plain-looking bag.

Still sweet and sour.

Mu Wanyao sat alone in the room eating candy for a while.

Her gaze drifted to the window, where she could faintly hear her maids concernedly asking Young Master Yan if the princess had frightened him, while Yan Shisheng answered gently.

Mu Wanyao snorted while chewing the candy, internally calling him false.

Someone like him, so considerate in every way, made it too easy for people to fall for him—

The sun had just risen as Chunhua sat basking in the sunlight before her room.

Liu Wenji approached hesitantly, seeing her snow-white face in the sun making his steps unsteady. After fidgeting for a while, he came forward blushing, placing a small grass-woven doll on the steps.

Liu Wenji said softly: “I heard you were awake… I brought this for you to play with.”

Chunhua looked up at the handsome scholar in surprise. Her trembling fingers accepted the grass doll. Chunhua blushed, lowering her head without speaking.

Liu Wenji stammered: “I know you’re the princess’s maid, and someone of my common status can’t match you now. But just wait a while, after I pass the metropolitan examination…”

A lazy female voice came: “Wait for what?”

Chunhua immediately stood up anxiously: “Your Highness!”

Liu Wenji looked over in confusion—

The lady came around the corridor corner, fanning herself, wearing a high hairdo with ornamental pins. Her skirts trailed the ground, her silk scarf floating.

And following behind her, wearing a narrow-sleeved scholar’s robe with a cloth headband, his gaze refined and elegant, was Yan Shisheng.

Yan Shisheng glanced at Liu Wenji, signaling him to quickly pay his respects and not offend the Princess of Danyang.

But Liu Wenji was lost in thought: Why was Young Master Yan following the princess?

How had Young Master Yan become so familiar with the princess?

If Young Master Yan was so familiar with the princess, then he and Chunhua might…

Before he could finish this train of thought, hurried footsteps approached. Mu Wanyao looked over to see guards stopping people trying to rush through. The people rushing in were Yan Shisheng’s eldest brother and third brother.

Mu Wanyao was surprised.

But Yan Shisheng’s heart stirred.

The eldest and third Yan brothers hastily paid respects to the princess before saying with complex expressions: “The provincial examination results are out… this year’s spot goes to Young Master Liu, Liu Wenji.”

Yan Shisheng said nothing.

The eldest Yan brother didn’t know what to say, only trying hard to suppress his sympathy: “…Second Brother, it’s alright, we still have next year.”

Yan Shisheng came to his senses, smiling: “We should congratulate Brother Liu. Elder Brother, Third Brother, I’m not sad.”

Because this was exactly as he had predicted.

But a cloud of gloom descended on everyone around—except for Liu Wenji and the princess, everyone else seemed to care for Young Master Yan and no one was happy—

“Young Master Yan, don’t worry, you’ll surely make it to Chang’an.”

“Second Brother, don’t be sad.”

“Second Brother, why don’t you ask someone?”

The last suggestion was Chunhua hinting for Yan Shisheng to seek the princess’s help. Yan Shisheng responded to everyone’s concerns one by one, looking quite busy.

Mu Wanyao leaned against a pillar, fanning herself as she watched them.

She truly didn’t understand why they were sad.

She asked curiously: “Wasn’t his failure expected? What are you all worried about?”

The others dared feel angry but did not express it.

Mu Wanyao didn’t care about any of this at all. She looked at Yan Shisheng: “What fragrance are you wearing?”

Yan Shisheng: “Huh?”

Mu Wanyao looked at him: “I want it.”

Among everyone present, perhaps only Mu Wanyao wasn’t at all sad about Young Master Yan’s provincial examination failure. Yan Shisheng looked at her helplessly with a slight smile.