Tigers Sniff the Rose - Chapter 42

Chapter 42

Yan Shang’s problem was, in truth, not hard to discern.

Initially, when Mu Wanyao had been pinned down by him and they had sat together in the rain, she had been at a loss only because he was unconscious. But once the people from the Princess’s residence brought Yan Shang back, and she saw the Second Young Master Yan lying on the bed, hovering between life and death, Mu Wanyao stood at the bedside for a few moments and immediately understood the situation.

His body was burning, his handsome face flushed to an unrecognizable shade. Mu Wanyao lifted the quilt, glanced once or twice at his lower abdomen, and the corners of her lips curled slightly upward.

The other maids standing behind the Princess were simultaneously shocked into blushing by the Second Young Master’s state and filled with urgency.

When the maids followed the Princess out of the room and closed the door, they spoke to her with worry: "Your Highness, isn't that Princess Luling too vicious? How could she use such heavy medicine on the Second Young Master?"

They were indignant: "The Second Young Master is so upright and honorable; if he truly yielded to that Princess’s intent, his reputation would be truly ruined."

They looked eagerly at Mu Wanyao: "Your Highness, what should we do?"

Mu Wanyao looked into the void and said: "Hasn't Wei Shu gone to wander around the palace? Send someone with all haste to notify him. Tell him to stop wandering and go straight into the palace to find the physician from the Imperial Medical Bureau. Just say... just say... well, that I am feeling unwell and need them to dispatch someone quickly."

A maid curtsied and hurried off to follow the Princess’s orders.

Mu Wanyao walked through the corridor.

She had just returned from outside and removed the veil that concealed her hair and face, but she hadn't yet had time to change her clothes. At this moment, Mu Wanyao’s garments were still somewhat damp; they were not as magnificent as the attire she usually wore, but they had the advantage of being light and agile.

She walked two steps while lost in thought, then turned to look at the other maids who were still following her: "Why are you still following me?"

The maids looked at each other, and after a moment, they sent a representative to speak cautiously to Her Highness: "Your Highness, we have sent someone to chase after Seventh Young Master Wei, but by the time he enters the palace, finds the physician, and brings the physician back... after all that time, the Second Young Master might, might... perhaps he really won't be able to hold on."

Mu Wanyao said: "That is his fate."

Having said this, she fell silent.

She felt a bit hesitant.

She had already saved Yan Shang, after all... The thought that she might truly cause Yan Shang’s death due to her own negligence left her feeling uneasy.

As a woman, she did not truly understand how strong a man’s desire could be. However, she knew that the flesh of a man was usually not controlled by his reason. Their emotions and their physiology were sometimes separate.

A man’s obsession with a woman was often something he himself could not control.

Mu Wanyao thought, surely Yan Shang couldn't control it either, right?

Even if he wanted to be a saint, he was not, in the end, a saint.

If she just let him be, he really might end up suffocating... Mu Wanyao said slowly: "Find two beautiful and bold maids to go inside. Since he is unconscious and cannot move, make sure the people sent in... do not wrong him."

The maids were stunned, never expecting that after such deep contemplation, these would be the words their mistress would utter.

The Princess was actually going to let maids go and serve the Second Young Master Yan...

Mu Wanyao said no more and hurried away, leaving the maids behind. Upon returning to her own chambers, Mu Wanyao first changed her clothes and combed her hair, while maids went to add water to the bathtub to prepare for the Princess’s bath.

While waiting, Mu Wanyao sat on her couch, drinking cup after cup of water, her heart in turmoil.

The more she drank, the more chaotic her heart became.

Her mind uncontrollably went to the image of Yan Shang, his face flushed red as he lay dying in her arms.

She then imagined a beautiful maid, face blushing, boldly pulling open his lapels to kiss and embrace him...

Unable to bear it, Mu Wanyao "thumped" her cup down, startling the maids serving in the room. When they looked at the Princess, they saw tea and stains scattered on the floor mats, and Mu Wanyao suddenly stood up, opened the door, and walked out.

"Your Highness!" the maids followed.

Mu Wanyao pushed open the door to the room where Yan Shang lay. The room was filled with the scent of refreshing, mood-soothing cold incense, and two maids were crouching beside the bed, just about to reach out toward the young man on the couch.

The curtain was ripped open. A small gust of wind blew in, and a slender, white wrist reached out from behind, pinning down the hand of the maid who was about to touch Yan Shang’s arm.

The force was so great that the maid burst into tears on the spot.

Both maids turned back in fear, only to see the Princess, her face as cold as frost.

Mu Wanyao said coldly: "Do not touch him!"

The maids replied: "But, but... the Second Young Master is going to die."

Mu Wanyao glanced toward the bed. Seeing that the youth’s face was not only flushed crimson but also took on a grayish, listless hue, she looked away, unable to bear it. His forehead was soaked in sweat, his sleep was restless, and his body trembled intermittently...

Mu Wanyao simply said: "Do not touch him."

Mu Wanyao first led the concerned maids out. She was just fretting over how to explain herself when a maid ran in from outside in a panic: "Your Highness, Your Highness, Seventh Young Master Wei has returned!"

As the words fell, Mu Wanyao was startled.

The maid explained with a mournful face: "This servant had just arranged for someone to find Seventh Young Master Wei, and the Young Master has already returned..."

Thinking of Wei Shu, an idea suddenly struck Mu Wanyao.

She told the maids: "Do not tell Juyuan about Yan Shang’s condition inside. If he knows I was going to throw you inside to serve Yan Shang, Juyuan would argue with me again, saying I was humiliating people."

The maids nodded silently.

Mu Wanyao then scolded the maid who had come in a panic to report that "Seventh Young Master Wei has returned": "What is there to panic about? Since he has returned, just let him go out again. Is it because he just came back that we don't need to ask for a physician?"

The maids received their orders and scattered to get busy.

Thus, Wei Shu, who was flustered and worried about Yan Shang’s health, had hurried back only to be urged out once again before he could even see the Princess or the Second Young Master Yan.

After Mu Wanyao instructed the maids to brew some soup and wait for the physician, she sent all the maids around her away. She paced twice outside the room, looking left and right to ensure no one was waiting there.

Mu Wanyao gritted her teeth and pushed the door open to enter the room herself.

She closed the door feeling as though she had a guilty conscience, terrified that the maids would wonder why she had to go inside. Mu Wanyao quickly lifted the bed curtain, sat on the edge of the bed, and leaned over to lightly pat the face of the unconscious Yan Shang.

She called out twice: "Yan Er? Yan Shang? Yan Shang... you can’t hear anything from the outside at all, can you?"

She leaned over and struggled to pull him into an embrace. His burning body pressed against her, and the sound of his rapid heartbeat made Mu Wanyao feel as anxious as a thief.

She took a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from his face, but he only leaned weakly against her shoulder, utterly dejected, his breath shallow.

Mu Wanyao spoke as if to herself: "I cannot give you to other women. Because you finally made it out of my aunt’s place, and you didn't touch a woman even when you were in such a state—if I handed you over so easily, wouldn't that go against your own wishes?"

She looked at the flowing, floral patterns on the bed canopy and murmured: "You only collapsed after seeing me. This means you trust me enough to put yourself in my hands... even if I didn't want to bother with you, since you trust me this much, I cannot harm you."

She whispered: "It will still be a long time before the physician arrives, and I will not let anyone else touch you... I can only help you relieve this a little. I hope that when you wake up, you will not remember any of this."

"Let us go our separate ways after this; let neither of us bother the other, alright?"

As she said this, her eyes shimmered with light, as if clouded by mist.

Thinking that she should stop paying attention to this person, she knew it was the right thing to do intellectually; even when she wasn't seeing him, she felt she could manage... she had a terrible memory anyway, and furthermore, she didn't love anyone.

But when she held him on the couch, when she draped her arms over his shoulders, and when she bowed her head to press her forehead against his, seeing his face... a sense of desolation still arose in her heart, along with a thousandfold unwillingness to let go.

He was such a good person, taking care of everyone... but why couldn't he be best to her?

Mu Wanyao suppressed her emotions and gripped the handkerchief in her hand tightly. She closed her eyes, unable to bear looking more, not wanting to look more. Through the layer of the handkerchief, she pulled at his lapels and loosened his belt.

Covered by the handkerchief, she pressed against him, while her hand grasped the cloth from the other side.

He couldn't help but gasp... As this sound reached Mu Wanyao’s ears, her closed eyelids trembled, and she couldn't control the flush rising to her cheeks.

She couldn't help but open her eyes to look for a second.

And immediately closed them again.

Just the movement of her hand, letting the burning magma sear—

Mu Wanyao stayed inside for a long time. Outside, the maids heard the intermittent, hoarse gasping of a man. They stood like wooden statues, not daring to overthink or ask questions.

After about an hour, when Wei Shu returned again through the rain, a maid finally summoned the courage to ask inside: "Your Highness, the physician has arrived."

After a long moment, the young man’s gasping stopped, and only then did they hear the Princess’s lazy, husky voice: "Let someone come in to burn some incense, open the window for a while, and then wait for the physician to enter."

A maid asked blankly: "But isn't the Second Young Master ill? Is it good to open the window?"

Mu Wanyao said coldly: "He’s already in this state anyway, what difference does opening the window make?"

Hearing the flash of embarrassment and anger in the Princess’s voice, the maids did not dare to say another word.

A while later, Mu Wanyao pushed the door open and emerged.

The maids stole a glance and saw that although the Princess still held her usual elegant posture, her face was flushed like a peach blossom, her eyes brimming with moisture.

Mu Wanyao asked them for a handkerchief to wipe her hands, and the maids quickly obliged. However, even after wiping her hands, Mu Wanyao remained frowning, with an expression of disgust and hatred.

Finally, she said: "Take Wei Juyuan to look after Second Young Master Yan. The night is deep; let Juyuan stay at the estate for the night. I am going to bathe; do not bother me with anything tonight. Oh, and let the physician stay as well. Tell them... the road is slippery in the rainy night, and I am worried about the old man’s safety, so I will not have him return to the palace."

The Princess of Danyang turned and left, not even sparing a look for the physician. Everyone felt that the Princess was being incredibly willful and cold, and she had completely stopped caring about the Second Young Master Yan... but since she was the Princess, what could they say? —

The physician invited to the Princess’s estate was not invited in vain.

In the first half of the night, the physician administered acupuncture to Yan Shang, allowing him to finally fall asleep. In the second half of the night, the maids woke the physician up again, saying the Second Young Master Yan had developed a high fever.

The physician stroked his beard, expressing understanding. After all, he had been drugged and then caught in the rain... a fever was very normal.

And this young man had an incredibly strong endurance; he had actually managed to hold on for so long... after holding on for so long, his body simply couldn't take it anymore. He was young, after all, to be so reckless.

The physician did not ask why this drugged youth was at the Danyang Princess’s estate; having served as a physician in the palace, he naturally understood that many things were better left unasked, and only by focusing on medicine could one ensure their own safety.

The next day, Wei Shu came to take a look at Yan Shang. Yan Shang was still sleeping, but the grayish, deathly aura on his face had vanished.

Mu Wanyao urged Wei Shu to go study and not hang around her estate, as it was ruining her reputation. Wei Shu was surprised at how she could claim to have a good reputation to begin with, but in the end, he was driven out of the estate by Mu Wanyao to study at the Hongwen Pavilion.

Mu Wanyao had originally wanted to move Yan Shang out of her Princess’s estate and over to the opposite side, but the physician insisted that Yan Shang’s condition was currently unstable and it was best not to move him easily. When Mu Wanyao suggested throwing Yan Shang out, the attendants around her begged her not to be so heartless...

Mu Wanyao was speechless. While hating Yan Shang for being too popular, she had to endure having this person recuperate in her own estate.

Then, because Mu Wanyao found it annoying that the maids were always checking to see if the Second Young Master Yan had woken up, she simply took over the task of feeding him medicine herself.

Thus, in the eyes of everyone, Mu Wanyao was personally taking care of the ailing Second Young Master Yan, feeding him medicine and checking on him every single day... Her Highness treated the Second Young Master Yan in such a unique way.

It was a pity that Mu Wanyao had only carefully taken care of Yan Shang for two days before she herself fell ill, causing the Princess’s estate to fall into chaos—

Everything that happened to Yan Shang at the Princess’s estate and his stay at the Danyang Princess’s residence to recuperate were things Chunhua knew nothing about.

Chunhua had taken leave from the Princess early on to visit her relatives.

She had suffered an incident in her family when she was young and had become a government slave, only to later end up, by coincidence, serving the Princess of Danyang. The Princess of Danyang was a master who treated her maids quite well, and over the years, bit by bit, Chunhua had managed to find her family again.

Her father had already passed away from illness, but her mother was still alive; she had an older brother who spent his days stealing chickens and dogs, completely unlearned.

This brother had also taken a wife, and the couple spent their days bickering. It was thanks to Chunhua’s occasional financial support that her brother’s family could live passably well.

Originally, Chunhua had followed the Princess to the marriage alliance, and the family had assumed they would never see her again. They had cried, sold their house in Chang’an, and given all the money to Chunhua for travel expenses before leaving Chang’an in despair.

Now that Chunhua had returned, the family saw that the Princess she followed was clearly not going to be married off in an alliance anymore, and Chunhua likely would not be leaving either.

After discussing it, the family planned to move back to Chang’an to live so they could visit with Chunhua more often.

Chunhua was deeply moved.

Her brother was a wastrel, and her sister-in-law was overbearing, but they had helped her take care of her mother for so many years. Previously, when she had seen her prospects vanish, her brother and sister-in-law had given her all their savings.

Her family had some small faults, but these were merely problems common to those in the lower classes. Once they lived better, they would slowly change.

And Chunhua, too, needed her family by her side.

Leaving the Princess’s estate this time, Chunhua had gone to help her brother and sister-in-law build a house. While she said it was to help, her actual role was merely providing the money.

Her sister-in-law was usually overbearing, and her niece and nephew were naughty, but upon seeing Chunhua, they were exceptionally attentive, not letting Chunhua do a lick of work, not letting her touch a single bit of firewood, rice, oil, or salt.

Her sister-in-law said: "Our Chunhua serves the Princess! You have good food and clothes at the Princess’s estate and don't have to do rough labor. How could you come back home and do chores? Chunhua, you just rest well; we will handle these things."

Chunhua was exceptionally embarrassed, so she could only help her brother and sister-in-law take care of her niece and nephew for a few days.

It was on this day, as Chunhua was walking along the ridges of the fields in the countryside with her niece and nephew, that she encountered an old acquaintance.

That acquaintance was driving a carriage, sitting upright inside, posing and comforting the commoners just like any other nobleman in the world. However, when he looked closely from the carriage, he saw the beautiful young girl standing in the fields, her sleeves fluttering in the wind.

 

He was startled. He stepped out of the carriage and asked in surprise: "Chunhua?"

Chunhua turned back, stunned for a moment before curtsying: "Your Highness, Prince of Jin."

She asked: "Why would Your Highness be here?"

The Prince of Jin sighed: "I am in charge of the Ministry of Works. Recently, the Crown Prince has asked the Ministry of Works to build waterwheels, so I had no choice but to come to the countryside to inspect the selection of sites myself."

He gazed at Chunhua and said: "Fortunately, I came; otherwise, I wouldn't have known I could see you. Why are you here? Could it be that the girl Danyang has actually come here to play?"

Chunhua answered the Prince politely. Then, because the Prince of Jin was here, she had no choice but to lead her niece and nephew to walk through the countryside with this nobleman and answer the Prince’s questions about the terrain and soil of this area.

The Prince of Jin looked at Chunhua from time to time with a faint smile on his lips.

Among the Six Ministries of the Secretariat, the Ministry of Works was actually the weakest. After all, the status of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants had been as such since ancient times, and scholars had never held the Ministry of Works in high regard. Only those without status or future prospects were thrown into the Ministry of Works.

The Prince of Jin was in charge of the Ministry of Works also because his two older brothers were fighting too fiercely; he couldn't get a hand in, so he naturally had to spend his days in retirement at the Ministry of Works. Who could have known that such a boring ministry would allow him to encounter this Lady Chunhua once again... The Prince of Jin’s heart began to stir.

His personality was gentle and soft, he was still a man. He now felt that meeting Chunhua in the countryside was his destiny and that he absolutely must not miss it.

That night, Chunhua had no choice but to bring the Prince of Jin to her brother and sister-in-law’s home for dinner.

The Prince of Jin was kind and gentle, which eased much of the family’s fear. During dinner, the Prince of Jin constantly looked at Chunhua, leaving the family in deep thought...

After the meal, Chunhua was forced to accompany the Prince of Jin to talk outside. While the sister-in-law was washing dishes in the courtyard, she said to her husband: "That Prince of Jin seems to like our Chunhua. If this comes to fruition and Chunhua enters the Prince of Jin’s residence as a consort, wouldn't that be a much greater prospect than serving as a maid for a princess?"

Her husband hesitated and said: "But..."

The sister-in-law said: "Chunhua is literate, cultivated, and beautiful. Look around—among the people we know, who is worthy of your sister? She’s just going to be ruined for nothing. Since that’s the case, we might as well make the Prince of Jin our kin. I see the Prince of Jin is kind and amiable; he seems like a very sensible person."

Her husband asked: "But we can't decide this matter..."

The sister-in-law laughed: "Slip them some medicine and lock them in the same room. I don't believe that Prince of Jin won't like our sister. When dawn comes, our sister will be able to enter the Prince’s residence!"

The husband asked: "Where would we get medicine?"

The sister-in-law said: "Didn't that wild physician give us a packet of medicine when Mother sprained her foot and was afraid of the pain? Don't worry, it will be fine. Chunhua will thank us."

The husband hesitated for a long time, but eventually, he could not resist his wife. And when he thought that if his sister became a woman in the Prince of Jin’s rear residence and his family became the Prince’s in-laws, it would indeed be a good thing...

Seeing him nod, his wife immediately stopped washing dishes, wiped her hands, and went back to find the medicine to arrange this "wonderful affair."

Once a person develops greed, they will naturally be tempted, and they will naturally convince themselves that they are doing the right thing—

At the Danyang Princess’s estate.

After being drowsy and drifting in and out of consciousness for two days, Yan Shang’s fever had broken, and he was finally able to rise from his sickbed.

Upon waking, the Second Young Master Yan was gentle and elegant, politely asking the maids about the current situation.

The maids were very fond of the temper of the now-sober Second Young Master Yan and naturally vied with one another to answer, recounting everything from his collapse on the road to him being brought into the estate by the Princess.

Yan Shang had just woken up and was sitting on the couch with his hair still half-loose. Strands of hair clung to his face, and because of the severe illness, his features looked much thinner.

In appearance, the youth’s robes were loose, and as he rose with grace, he seemed almost like an immortal, even more handsome than usual.

Yan Shang asked: "Did Her Highness... fall ill because she was taking care of me?"

The maids replied: "Yes. But it is of no concern; Her Highness only has a slight dizziness and will be fine after drinking medicine for two days."

Yan Shang asked: "Can I go visit Her Highness?"

After the maids looked at each other for a long time, unable to resist Yan Shang’s clear and bright demeanor, they nodded: "...Her Highness is asleep; just take one look. Don't do anything, or Her Highness will blame us when she wakes up."

Yan Shang said warmly: "Young ladies, rest assured. I, Shang, am still a man of courtesy and will not make things difficult for you."

The maids blushed and said: "We naturally trust the Second Young Master’s character. We also hope the Second Young Master can make our Princess a bit better-tempered... We are afraid that after Her Highness wakes up, she will find reasons to lose her temper at us."

Yan Shang nodded.

He was as elegant as jade, brilliant and shining. Compared to the dying Second Young Master Yan from when he was unconscious, everyone naturally preferred this person who was polite and considerate to everyone—

After returning to his own residence next door to change clothes and wash up, Yan Shang returned to the Princess’s estate.

Living close by had this one advantage: with just a few turns, one could see the person they wanted.

Yan Shang knocked on the door outside, but no one inside answered. He pushed the door open himself and entered the Princess’s bedroom, sat by her bedside, and leaned over to look at the sleeping young Princess.

Yan Shang gazed down at her and called softly: "Your Highness?"

Mu Wanyao was indeed asleep; she was quiet and well-behaved, lying on her side, pillowing her head on her own arm, a head of raven-black hair spread across the bed. Yan Shang reached out and used the back of his hand to press against her forehead. Seeing that she didn't have a fever, he finally relaxed a little.

Yan Shang sat by her bed, lost in thought, just watching her like this.

He intently scrutinized her, scrutinized the friendship between himself and Mu Wanyao, and scrutinized scene after scene of their acquaintance.

That day, he had stubbornly held on to walk back to his residence and had met Mu Wanyao outside the gate. His mind had already been fading, and when he collapsed... he had felt that he was safe.

And then she had truly saved him.

She had gone to the Princess Luling’s estate to demand him, and afterward, she had not discarded him but had brought him back to her own estate. Yan Shang did not remember what happened during his coma over the past few days, but he at least knew that Mu Wanyao had fallen ill because she was watching over him.

Because of him.

But why?

For someone like him who took the path of a sage as his goal, it was understandable to help anyone for no reason. Seeing someone collapse and then stepping in to help... that was the kind of thing he, Yan Shang, would do.

This was not the kind of thing Mu Wanyao would do.

Why on earth was she treating him like this?

Yan Shang slowly reached out, placed his hand on Mu Wanyao’s hand, and looked down.

Yan Shang said softly: "My acquaintance with Your Highness is half because Your Highness is truly lively and cute, and half because of ambition and profit."

"I do not break off relations with Your Highness, nor do I turn hostile toward Your Highness, partly because I pity the difficulties Your Highness faces, and partly because I am unwilling to give up the benefits of our association."

"Even though I treat Your Highness well, it carries a utilitarian heart. Yet Your Highness is... why do you help me time and again, and treat me well time and again?"

"How can I ever repay such great kindness from Your Highness?"

Holding her hand, talking to himself, his emotions were already unstable. Otherwise, how could a person as flawless as him talk about his innermost thoughts while holding someone else’s hand at a patient’s bedside?

His secrets were supposed to be things he would never speak of, not even a single sentence.

While Yan Shang was staring blankly at Mu Wanyao, he saw her eyelashes tremble slightly.

She was likely about to wake up.

Yan Shang calmly removed his hand, no longer holding hers. He tucked the blanket back in for her and brushed away the long hair scattered across her face.

In the dim curtains, Mu Wanyao opened her eyes and saw Yan Shang sitting by her bedside.

Mu Wanyao: "..."

He sat there quietly watching her, so calm, which made Mu Wanyao feel momentarily dazed, as if wondering when the relationship between the two of them had become this good... he was actually sitting by her bed.

Because Yan Shang was too composed, Mu Wanyao didn't react immediately. When he supported her to sit up, Mu Wanyao obediently let him help her up, feeling dazed and quiet.

Yan Shang looked down at her and said: "Your Highness fell ill because of taking care of me, so I came to take a look."

Mu Wanyao blinked, understanding the situation now.

She turned her face away immediately, not looking at him, and said coldly: "You’ve finished looking, so you should go. Since you’re better, you don't need to sit here with me."

Yan Shang looked at her and said slowly: "Your Highness’s health seems not very good; you always fall ill so easily."

It was the same before in Lingnan; having walked through the forest for a day, everyone else was fine, only she had been struck by the miasma and collapsed.

And now it was the same.

She had only taken care of him for two days, and she fell ill.

Mu Wanyao looked at him in surprise, not expecting him to notice even such a small thing that others wouldn't notice. Yet when she thought about how he was Yan Shang, after all, with his meticulous and complex mind, it wasn't difficult for him to discover such things.

Even though since she returned from the marriage alliance, no one except Yan Shang had discovered this problem.

Mu Wanyao brushed it off: "Just some old ailments, nothing of concern."

Yan Shang said warmly: "Then Your Highness should recuperate properly."

Mu Wanyao was getting annoyed.

Him sitting there really bothered her; the sound of his soft, gentle voice also made her heart restless; even his long eyelashes when he lowered his eyes made her think of the forlorn appearance he had had when he leaned on her shoulder that night... she truly couldn't bear these things.

Mu Wanyao began to drive him away: "What has it got to do with you? Could you stop putting on this hypocritical, pretentious act? Aren't you tired of doing this all day long? I understand your kindness, and I understand it very well, so hurry up and leave; go back and rest."

Yan Shang watched her in silence.

After a long while, he said: "Your Highness seems very unwilling to see me now. Did I do something wrong?"

Mu Wanyao said: "No. You are very good."

Yan Shang said softly: "How am I as good as Your Highness?"

Mu Wanyao: "..."

She couldn't help but look back at him. Seeing his gaze fixed on her, she felt a chill creep into her heart and said: "Are you alright? You actually think I’m better than you? Ask the people of the world about their evaluation of you and me, and don't ever say such laughable things again."

Yan Shang smiled slightly.

He said: "Actually, this major illness made me think about a lot of things. I have some words I want to tell Your Highness."

He looked at her.

Mu Wanyao’s back immediately stiffened; the intensity of his gaze gave her the intuition that he was going to say something terrifying.

Yan Shang said: "I didn't treat Your Highness well enough before. I plan to change from now on. Please give me this opportunity."

Mu Wanyao watched him lean in, watched him take her hand. She had already been rendered foolish by him and could only stare blankly into his eyes, her heart in a panic—

This appearance of his.

Tender as water, eyes filled with affection.

He wouldn't be confessing his feelings to her, would he?

It couldn't be because she looked after him for two days, he was so moved that he wanted to pledge his life to her, could it?

No... no need to be this polite, no need to be this good to people? —

Yan Shang held her hand and said warmly: "Before, I was never attentive enough toward Your Highness because I only viewed Your Highness as a friend I had met a few more times. And I was hesitant in my heart, unwilling to carry the reputation of ‘marrying a princess,’ so I always intentionally kept my distance from Your Highness, which perhaps indirectly hurt Your Highness."

Mu Wanyao’s face was expressionless, resisting the panic in her heart—

This was a real confession.

Her heart pounded, her face flushed red. She wanted to refuse, yet she wanted to hear what he had to say. She wanted to pull her hand away, yet she couldn't bear to.

She was caught in extreme internal struggle, and the way she looked at him was indescribable.

Yan Shang said: "However, it will not be like this in the future. In the past, I helped Your Highness for the sake of a little righteousness. From now on, when I help Your Highness, besides righteousness, there will also be affection."

Mu Wanyao heard "affection" as "deep love."

Her face was already flushed crimson, and her palms began to sweat. She was extremely uneasy, her brows furrowed tightly, and she lowered her eyes, not daring to look at him anymore.

She didn't want to accept his confession.

But, but... he was such a good person.

After all, he was so good.

Yan Shang released her hand, lifted his robes, and knelt by her bed. Under Mu Wanyao’s shocked gaze, he said: "I wish to defect to Your Highness from now on, to devise strategies for Your Highness, and to truly help Your Highness. I am willing to be your retainer, and from now on, I will have no reservations toward Your Highness."

His gaze as he looked at her was gentle and powerful, truly affectionate, and from the bottom of his heart:

"I am willing to be Your Highness’s crossbow; from now on, I will be driven by you."

Mu Wanyao: "..."

She remained silent for a long time, the heartbeat that had almost jumped out of her chest finally returning to normal.

She said: "...That’s it?"

Yan Shang, kneeling before her, looked up at her in confusion.