The Grand Tutor's Mansion.
Shen Qingyun paced anxiously in Lin Ruoyan's room.
The jade token was lost, and his first suspicion fell on Shen Muzhou's people. However, the Darknight Guard was operating as usual tonight, with no apparent anomalies.
He clutched the short flute in his hand, his gaze fixed on Lin Ruoyan. The people sent to retrieve the jade token were all dead, indicating the culprit was ruthless. Yet, they had only knocked Lin Ruoyan unconscious, not harmed her life.
Furthermore, the thief was intimately familiar with the Grand Tutor's Mansion's layout and even knew about the secret compartment where the Grand Tutor hid his valuables. He already had a deduction.
Now, he only needed to wait for Lin Ruoyan to wake up to confirm if that person was Lin Yanxi.
The imperial physician arrived overnight. After administering two needles, he bowed and said, "Reporting to Your Highness the Crown Prince and Grand Tutor, Third Miss is not in serious danger. She was merely startled and knocked unconscious. With these two needles, she will wake up within half an incense stick's time."
Lin Ze nodded and said, "Thank you, Master Li. I apologize for troubling you to come to the mansion so late. I will escort you out personally."
The person who arrived was the top imperial physician of the court, Master Li. It was fitting for the Grand Tutor to escort him out.
After collecting his needles, Imperial Physician Li bowed to the Crown Prince and said, "Your Highness the Crown Prince, I shall take my leave."
Shen Qingyun was a man adept at navigating social circles and was very polite. Normally, he would have accompanied Lin Ze to escort Imperial Physician Li out of the mansion. However, guarding Lin Ruoyan was the most important matter now.
He nodded and said, "Ruoyan has not yet awakened. I must stay here to care for her and cannot escort Master Li out."
Imperial Physician Li smiled faintly and said, "Your Highness the Crown Prince, please do not worry. Third Miss will awaken soon. Your Highness need not trouble yourself."
With that, he followed Lin Ze out of the courtyard.
Imperial Physician Li remarked, "Congratulations, Grand Tutor. It seems the wedding with the Eastern Palace will proceed as planned."
No one had expected that after Lin Ruoyan rejected the Crown Prince's proposal, the Crown Prince would then show such particular interest in the Grand Tutor's youngest daughter.
Lin Ze smiled noncommittally. After escorting Imperial Physician Li to the gate, he walked back alone. A servant sweeping the ground approached and followed beside Lin Ze.
The servant glanced around to ensure no one else was present and whispered, "News from Sugar Stir-fry reports that Second Miss has just returned to the Prince's Mansion, covered in injuries."
Lin Ze froze for a moment, his brow furrowed. He asked, "How severe are her injuries?"
The servant, feigning the motion of sweeping, remained vigilant. "Superficial wounds."
Lin Ze continued to walk forward calmly. The sweeping servant remained in place, continuing to sweep the ground. Neither of them drew any attention from others.
Since the Crown Prince had obtained the jade token, he had placed it temporarily in the Grand Tutor's Mansion. This led to an increase in the number of personal guards. Ostensibly, these guards were to protect the jade token, but in reality, they were monitoring every movement within the Grand Tutor's Mansion.
Lin Ruoyan, lying on the bed, coughed twice. Her eyeballs rolled beneath her eyelids, and she awoke.
Upon seeing her wake, Shen Qingyun leaned in and softly said, "Yan'er, you're finally awake."
Lin Ruoyan's mind was a little hazy. Shen Qingyun gently helped her up, and she leaned into his embrace.
Shen Qingyun, inwardly eager to question the jade thief, outwardly displayed concern for Lin Ruoyan, asking, "How are you feeling? Is there anything uncomfortable?"
He quickly checked Lin Ruoyan's body to ensure there were no other wounds.
She slowly came back to her senses. Eldest Sister stole the jade token...
She tentatively asked, "Crown Prince Gege, did something happen in the mansion?"
Shen Qingyun's expression changed slightly. He embraced her tightly as if she were a treasure and said, "Yes, something very important was lost. Fortunately, you are unharmed, Yan'er. I'm sorry, I failed to protect you."
His voice was gentle, and his handsome eyes held a trace of guilt.
Lin Ruoyan shook her head and said, "It's not your fault."
It was she who had wronged him.
She asked, "Then, Crown Prince Gege, if this item is lost, will you be punished?"
The Crown Prince paused, then said helplessly, "The jade token was under the custody of my Eastern Palace. Now that it has been found and lost again, His Majesty will likely hold me accountable. According to the law, I would be punished with fifty strikes and imprisonment."
"However, as long as I know you are safe, I will be at ease even if I am beaten and imprisoned."
"From now on, I cannot visit you often, and you should not seek me out. You should stay far away from a sinner like me."
"No! Crown Prince Gege, nothing will happen to you... I am not worth you being so good to me." Lin Ruoyan's eyes welled up with tears. Hearing this, her heart was filled with both worry and joy.
Crown Prince Gege's kindness towards her was genuine. But Eldest Sister had harmed him. What should she do?
Seeing her moved to tears by a few words, Shen Qingyun inwardly scoffed. This young girl was so easily fooled.
The guilt in her eyes piled up. Shen Qingyun, seeing that the time was right, asked softly, "Speaking of which, did you see the face of the jade thief? Was it a man or a woman?"
"If you saw that person, perhaps retrieving the jade token from them could still turn things around."
Lin Ruoyan froze, her tears flowing even more, her expression flustered. She stammered, "I... I... was..."
Just then, the door was suddenly pushed open, and Lin Ze entered.
Shen Qingyun's attention was entirely on Lin Ruoyan, and he did not turn to look at Lin Ze.
After entering the room, Lin Ze shook his head at Lin Ruoyan.
Lin Ruoyan hesitated for a moment, then finally lowered her eyes and said softly, "I didn't see. That person knocked me out directly from behind."
Didn't see? Shen Qingyun's eyes dimmed, and disappointment clouded his face.
After a long while, he said, "Very well, you rest now. I have matters to attend to."
His tone grew colder. He turned and left. Lin Ruoyan called out tearfully, "Crown Prince Gege."
The Crown Prince's steps faltered, but he did not linger. He walked out of the room, not even looking back at her.
After he left, his personal guards also departed the Grand Tutor's Mansion. The mansion returned to a brief state of quiet.
Lin Ruoyan looked at Lin Ze and cried, "Father, it was Sister, Eldest Sister who stole the jade token."
Lin Ze sighed and said solemnly, "Ruoyan, remember this: do not tell anyone that you saw Zhaozhao that night."
Lin Ruoyan nodded hesitantly. Thinking of Shen Qingyun's indifferent expression just now, her heart ached unbearably.
"Father, what about Crown Prince Gege? We must save him; he cannot be beaten and imprisoned."
Shen Qingyun was the Crown Prince born of the royal lineage. Not to mention the Empress, even His Majesty would not truly punish the Crown Prince by imprisonment. The imprisonment of the current Crown Prince would bring turmoil to Nanmin.
"Rest assured, the Crown Prince's position in court is stable, and he is favored by His Majesty. He will not be punished."
Hearing Lin Ze's words, Lin Ruoyan's anxious heart was slightly eased.
"I'm going to the Prince Mu's Mansion to find Eldest Sister and tell her not to be so stubborn and oppose the Crown Prince."
Lin Ze frowned, "You cannot go anywhere now. The Grand Tutor's Mansion is full of the Crown Prince's spies. If you go to the Prince Mu's Mansion, you will be telling the Crown Prince that your Eldest Sister did this. Do you want your Eldest Sister to die?"
Lin Ruoyan was startled by his words and nodded blankly and stiffly. Of course, she didn't want anything to happen to her Eldest Sister...
"Yan'er, you must not go anywhere these few days. Let the mansion calm down for now."
After Lin Ze finished speaking, he left. At the entrance, he signaled to the servants. Several guards appeared in front of Lin Ruoyan's room. She tried to leave the mansion several times to see the Crown Prince, but was unsuccessful.
---
Prince Mu's Mansion.
Lin Yanxi's abdomen was wrapped several times with white cloth, her arms and back were also covered in white cotton bandages. Only her fair little face remained intact.
Shen Muzhou had stayed by her bedside all night. Her wound was slightly inflamed, and her forehead was burning hot. Shen Muzhou continuously replaced the handkerchief on her forehead.
She was groggy and drowsy. Occasionally, when she opened her eyes, she could see Shen Muzhou gazing at her with worry.
After being unconscious for a day and a night, she woke up as night fell again. Shen Muzhou was sitting by the bed, his eyes closed, resting as if asleep.
A similarly pale profile, with sharp and defined coldness. His eyelids were lightly lowered, his nose was high-bridled, and his lips were devoid of any color. He seemed to blend into the endless night.
His stray hair fell on his forehead, and his brow was tightly furrowed.
Why was he always frowning?
Lin Yanxi's arm was wrapped in several layers of white bandages, leaving only her fingers able to move. She unconsciously reached out her arm, wanting to touch his profile.
When her finger was less than half an inch from his face, he suddenly caught her hand. His pair of tired peach blossom eyes looked at her. Upon realizing it was her who had woken up, the wariness on his face instantly softened.
He asked, "Does it still hurt?"
The small hand caught by him was disobedient and struggled, wanting to retract. It pulled on her wound, causing pain. "Hiss—"
"Don't move around."
Seeing her in pain, he felt an ache in his heart. He eagerly leaned his face forward, offering it to her hand.
Her fingertips touched his firm face. His face was cold and soft.
Lin Yanxi blushed. Recalling him kissing her hand yesterday, the tips of her ears grew hotter, and her heart pounded.
Her mind went blank, and she shyly turned her head away, not looking at him.
Shen Muzhou asked, "Does somewhere else hurt?"
Lin Yanxi shook her head and whispered, "I'm hungry."
So she was hungry. He put down the new handkerchief and pinched her cheek, saying indulgently, "Alright, let's eat something light. How about porridge?"
She nodded, then whispered, "Sugar porridge."
"You just had a fever, and your whole body is injured. You can't eat anything too sweet," he patiently reasoned with her.
The young girl glared at him, her voice娇娇 (jiāo jiāo - delicate and charming), stubbornly saying, "I want sugar porridge."
Shen Muzhou was amused by her naive and charming demeanor. He shook his head, conceding to her.
His fingertips traced her elastic cheeks a few more times, saying, "Alright, alright, I'll add just a little bit of osmanthus honey for you."
Only then was she satisfied. She grinned and smiled obediently.
Seeing her smile, his mood also improved significantly.
Shen Muzhou turned and left the room. As he reached the courtyard, his body swayed, and he almost fell. Fortunately, Xiao Liu caught him.
"I'm fine. Tell the cook to make some plain porridge, sprinkle some osmanthus honey on it, and prepare some easily digestible side dishes."
Xiao Liu quickly went to prepare the dishes after receiving the instructions.
While Lin Yanxi was unconscious, he had been personally taking care of her, attending to every detail. Coupled with his worries, his body was starting to falter. After Xiao Liu left, he coughed up a small mouthful of blood.
Staring at the blood on the ground, his gaze gradually deepened again. He took out a small black pill from his sleeve.
Rebirth Pill.
He hesitated for a moment. After taking the Rebirth Pill, his insides felt as if they were burning with intense fire. He clenched his hand, suppressing the painful groans in his throat.
"Shen Muzhou?"
Lin Yanxi saw him standing in the courtyard, his back to her.
Hearing her voice, he gasped for breath a few times, carefully hiding the blood-stained handkerchief in his sleeve.
He turned and entered the room.
"The porridge will be here soon. You should rest for a while," Shen Muzhou said.
Lin Yanxi blinked and asked, "Just now, outside the room, what were you eating?"
Shen Muzhou's body trembled. She had seen him take the Rebirth Pill.