"Your Highness, this servant has something to request an audience for!" A maid's voice came from outside.
It was one of Feng Ling's maids.
Upon hearing this, Feng Ye Xuan's gaze inadvertently fell on Chu Qian Li.
"You... have no one serving you?" Suddenly, he noticed this issue.
Chu Qian Li was studying the proportions of two herbs, not even lifting her head.
"Do Xi Jiu and Shi Yi count?" Originally, there was Fu Ning, but Fu Ning was currently taking care of the injured Lan Qing and was unavailable to accompany her this time.
"Naturally, they don't count," Feng Ye Xuan glanced at Xi Jiu.
Xi Jiu shrugged, "It's the Princess who doesn't need service, not that this subordinate is being harsh to her."
It seemed as if he was being blamed.
Was this Prince Xuan finally starting to care about their Princess again?
Xi Jiu didn't understand these romantic entanglements and didn't think much of it.
"I have hands and feet, I don't need anyone to serve me," Chu Qian Li said casually.
Even when Fu Ning was around, she didn't always have Fu Ning serving her.
Not to mention the current harsh environment, where any extra hands were busy with tasks, leaving no time to serve her.
Feng Ye Xuan said nothing, but for some reason, he felt a comparison forming in his heart.
"Your Highness, the young lady is feeling unwell. Please return and check on her," the maid outside pleaded again.
Chu Qian Li finally stopped her work and looked up at Feng Ye Xuan, who was sitting not far away.
He seemed to be hesitating.
"Since you're worried, then go back and check on her," Chu Qian Li couldn't articulate her feelings at this moment.
It wasn't sarcasm, exactly.
But if he stayed here with his mind constantly on that woman, it wouldn't be good either.
Feng Ye Xuan finally finished packing the last packet, stood up.
Without looking at anyone else, he left.
Xi Jiu sighed silently, "Princess, do you truly not care about Prince Xuan?"
"Why should I care about him?" Even if she wanted to save him, it was just that she wanted to save him.
The two of them could never go back to how they were.
"Princess, I can see that Prince Xuan has no desire to return to that woman named Feng Ling."
It wasn't that Xi Jiu was being nosy, but this was indeed very obvious.
"Moreover, Princess, you know he's been poisoned by a蛊 (gu), and you're letting him go back. Isn't that like sending a lamb into a tiger's den?"
"Don't worry, with Prince Xuan's power, no one can force him to do something he doesn't want to do."
"What if it's an action triggered by the蛊 poison, making him do something he originally didn't want to do?"
Xi Jiu couldn't believe she didn't care at all.
A flicker of gloom crossed Chu Qian Li's eyes.
But she quickly returned to her work, not dwelling on it further.
She couldn't think about it, or her heart would ache.
Even if his蛊 poison was cured, there was still a vast distance between them.
Even before he was poisoned, he no longer had feelings for her.
Why overthink it?
"Furthermore, feelings develop over time. You let him stay by Feng Ling's side all the time. Who can guarantee that his heart won't have already moved on from that woman?"
Prince Xuan didn't want to go back just now, but when he heard that Feng Ling was unwell, he still showed concern.
Xi Jiu saw this clearly as well.
"If I stop him, will he listen to me?"
Chu Qian Li glanced at him, her mood complex. "Xi Jiu, you don't understand him, and I don't understand him either. I can only find ways to remove the蛊 poison for him, but whose heart he belongs to, I cannot cure or control."