Yu Jingfeng gave a light cough and held out the leaves cupped in his palm to Feng Jiu’er.

“Miss Jiu’er, it’s ready. Should I feed it to Jian Yi?”

“Mm.” Feng Jiu’er nodded. “You feed it to him.”

“Me?” Yu Jingfeng’s gaze landed on Jian Yi’s thin lips, and he swallowed involuntarily.

Him, feed it? Was this the same as when Miss Jiu’er fed medicine to the Prince?

How could that be? He’d never even kissed a woman — how could he possibly kiss a man? Absolutely not!

“Feed it to him now.” Feng Jiu’er’s voice rang out again.

Crouched there, Yu Jingfeng’s hand, still holding the leaves, trembled slightly.

“Miss Jiu’er, I can’t — I… I just can’t.” Yu Jingfeng swallowed again, looking at Feng Jiu’er with a pleading gaze.

After applying another needle to the top of Jian Yi’s head, Feng Jiu’er turned and met Yu Jingfeng’s baffling expression.

“What do you mean? What exactly can’t you do?”

It was just feeding him medicine — did this fellow really need to look so wronged over it?

“I…” Yu Jingfeng glanced down at Jian Yi, his brow tightening.

“This isn’t proper — and besides, if Jian Yi wakes up and finds out I fed him, he’ll definitely never let me off for it.”

“Miss Jiu’er, why don’t you do it instead?”

The moment Yu Jingfeng carefully held out the medicine in his hand, he immediately regretted it.

If the Prince ever found out he’d let Miss Jiu’er kiss Jian Yi, the Prince would certainly never let him off either.

After a moment’s deliberation, Yu Jingfeng decided Jian Yi was still the lesser evil — even if it meant wronging himself.

With a face full of misery, he slowly raised the herbal juice he had gathered.

“Miss Jiu’er, when Jian Yi wakes up, please, whatever you do, don’t let him know it was me who fed him the medicine.”

With the medicine right at his own lips, Yu Jingfeng’s movement froze.

“Oh, and one more thing — I don’t want a third person to ever know about this. Thank you, Miss Jiu’er!”

Just as Yu Jingfeng, looking like he was about to down a vial of poison, was about to drink the medicine himself, Feng Jiu’er seized his wrist.

“Yu Jingfeng, what are you doing? I said for Jian Yi to drink it, not you.”

This fellow — surely he hadn’t thought she meant for him to feed Jian Yi mouth-to-mouth?

Feng Jiu’er let out a faint sigh, on the verge of shaking her head.

“Give it here.”

When she reached out, Yu Jingfeng actually pulled his hand back.

“Miss Jiu’er, I can’t let you kiss Jian Yi — if the Prince found out, I’d be done for, completely done for.”

“Give it here!” Feng Jiu’er stared at Yu Jingfeng.

But Yu Jingfeng still wouldn’t hand it over.

He pulled his hand back again, nearly spilling the juice.

Seeing that none of it had spilled, Feng Jiu’er let out a breath of relief.

“Yu Jingfeng, when I said I’d do it, I didn’t mean mouth-to-mouth — and you don’t need to either.”

She picked up a silver needle and placed it on a certain acupoint on Jian Yi’s neck.

“Now — pour it in.”

“I just need to press lightly here, and he’ll swallow it on his own.”

“Hurry!” Feng Jiu’er glared up at Yu Jingfeng. “If this delay worsens Jian Yi’s condition, I’ll hold you responsible!”

“Oh.” Yu Jingfeng finally understood. “Right, right, right, I understand.”

So it hadn’t needed to be mouth-to-mouth after all — he’d been scared out of his wits for nothing!

Thankfully, he wouldn’t have to kiss another man.

Yu Jingfeng let out a deep sigh of relief, but he didn’t dare waste any more time either.

As Yu Jingfeng poured the herbal juice into Jian Yi’s mouth, Feng Jiu’er pressed the silver needle in.

With a gulp, Jian Yi swallowed the juice down.

Not daring to get too excited, Yu Jingfeng glanced at Feng Jiu’er and poured the rest of the juice into Jian Yi as well.

“Good, that’s done.” Yu Jingfeng said, sounding utterly relieved.

“By the way, Miss Jiu’er, do we need more? I can go gather some.”

“No need.” Feng Jiu’er shook her head. “Help him sit up — let me try channeling energy into him.”

“Alright.” Yu Jingfeng helped Jian Yi sit up.

But he didn’t step aside — instead he pressed both palms directly against Jian Yi’s back.

“Miss Jiu’er, let me channel the energy instead — you can keep an eye on Jian Yi’s condition the whole time.”

“Alright.” Feng Jiu’er didn’t object.

Yu Jingfeng straightened his back, closed his eyes, and began channeling his energy into Jian Yi.

Feng Jiu’er crouched in front of Jian Yi, gently steadying his arm.

As Yu Jingfeng’s internal energy entered Jian Yi’s body, his breathing, far from steadying, grew increasingly erratic.

Without an order from Feng Jiu’er, Yu Jingfeng kept channeling his energy into Jian Yi, even as beads of sweat had long since formed at his temples.

Not knowing exactly what was happening inside Jian Yi’s body, Feng Jiu’er applied several more needles.

His breathing settled somewhat with the placement of her needles.

But when Feng Jiu’er looked up, she found Yu Jingfeng drenched in sweat.

It had only been the time it takes for a single incense stick to burn — that shouldn’t be happening.

“Yu Jingfeng, how are you feeling right now?” Feng Jiu’er asked softly.

“Miss Jiu’er, I feel like Jian Yi keeps rejecting my internal energy. I’m a bit… strained, but I can manage.”

“Is he… any better?”

Feng Jiu’er’s round eyes flicked over, and she reached out, pressing her slender fingers against Yu Jingfeng’s wrist pulse.

“Stop.” She quickly grasped Yu Jingfeng’s arm.

“Yu Jingfeng, I said stop.” Feng Jiu’er’s voice rose without her meaning it to.

Yu Jingfeng’s brow furrowed tightly as he withdrew his energy.

He drew his palms back, set them on his crossed legs, and took deep breaths to settle his internal energy.

Feng Jiu’er sat beside Jian Yi, catching him as he slumped.

With one arm she held his body, and though she couldn’t quite manage his full weight, she held him tight all the same, while her other hand gripped his wrist to check his pulse again.

A pulse this chaotic — Feng Jiu’er had never encountered anything like it before.

The pulse wasn’t weak — if anything it was stronger than usual — but it was utterly disordered.

Feng Jiu’er set down Jian Yi’s wrist, moved behind him, and pressed both palms against his back.

She closed her eyes, attempting to channel her own internal energy into Jian Yi’s body, hoping to better pinpoint the source of his affliction.

But the energy that had just left her body was immediately repelled back.

Refusing to give up, Feng Jiu’er raised her output by another tenth of her strength.

She used roughly two-tenths of her power, but it still wasn’t enough; finally she tried three-tenths.

It was only once Feng Jiu’er had committed three-tenths of her power that her energy finally began to enter Jian Yi’s body.

Just as Yu Jingfeng had said, there was indeed a force within Jian Yi’s body constantly rejecting her energy.

“Yu Jingfeng, how much of your strength did you use earlier?” Feng Jiu’er asked quietly, still straining at her task.

“About seven or eight-tenths.” Yu Jingfeng steadied his breath and slowly opened his eyes.

“Miss Jiu’er, what do you think? Doesn’t it feel like there’s some energy inside Jian Yi rejecting both our internal power?”

“Mm.” Feng Jiu’er nodded.

No wonder Yu Jingfeng had looked so strained earlier.

Feng Jiu’er raised her energy output to four-tenths, and Jian Yi’s body began to tremble.

Not daring to push further, she withdrew her palms.

With nothing to support him, Jian Yi began to fall backward, but Feng Jiu’er reacted quickly and caught him.

Holding him close, she took a deep breath, pulled out a handkerchief, and wiped the sweat from his brow.

“Jian Yi, when will you finally be willing to wake up?”