Chapter 32: Serious Illness for Three Days

at you like my own older brother."Yun Muhuan's thin lips suddenly tightened.Cloud Qianyue fell silent; she had said all that needed to be said and now it was up to Yun Muhuan to come to terms with his...Chapter Thirty-Two: Ill for Three Days

Yun Qianyue came out of the Southern Liang capital city with Gu Shaoqing and walked through mountain paths all night. After that, they didn't stop to rest and traveled over two thousand miles back to the capital city. Not only would the horse not be able to handle it, but even someone with the best martial arts skills wouldn't be able to endure it either. She held her breath and made it back, but now both the horse is exhausted and she herself has fainted.

She felt a familiar warm embrace catch her. She wanted to open her eyes but found it very difficult to do so. After trying several times with no success, she gave up and allowed herself to fall into darkness.

The last thought in her mind before falling into the darkness was that seeing him would be fine, whether he scolded or hit her, as long as she was here, it would all be up to him.

She sank into the darkness and lost consciousness. Naturally, she didn't know that after catching her, the person who caught her stared at her intensely after taking her pulse.

The next time she woke up, her whole body ached and her brain regained awareness. She first listened to the sounds around her and found it extremely quiet, not even a thread of wind was heard. After a moment, she opened her eyes in confusion.

It was pitch black all around, but after struggling for a short while to adapt, she could see things inside the room in the darkness. The familiar environment wasn't the Purple Bamboo Courtyard in Prince Rong's residence as she had imagined, where Rong Jing lived; rather, it was her own Shallow Moon Pavilion in Yun王府的翻譯應保持為“Yun Manor”或直接使用拚音“Yun Wang Fu”，避免出現不準確的英文表達。這裡保留原有HTML標簽及內容，不做修改。

閣自己的房間。她自己躺在自己床上，屋中除了她外，再無彆人，看起來是黑夜，她伸手揉揉額頭，啞著嗓子喊了一聲，“有誰在？淩蓮？伊雪？”

"Miss, you're awake" An immediate response came from outside.

“恩！”雲淺月應了一聲。

The door was pushed open from the outside and Ling Lian and Yi Xue rushed in. In a few steps they were at her bedside; Ling Lian reached out to lift the curtain, looking at Yun Qianyue with relief, "Miss, you've slept for three days and finally woke up."

Yun Qianyue's heart sank upon hearing this, "How could I have slept so long"

"You're asking You were exhausted from riding the horse back to the capital city and fainted at the entrance of Prince Rong’s residence. The horse was also overworked until it died. You lost consciousness completely and caught a fever that wouldn't go down, scaring us half to death," Yi Xue immediately replied.

Yun Qianyue was taken aback, "It's really that serious"

"Of course! They say Prince Jing's face turned black back then. Qing Shang said she’s been by Prince Jing's side for over ten years and has never seen his face turn that dark…" Ling Lian somewhat fearfully recounted: "Fortunately, Prince Jing is a great doctor with excellent prescriptions; otherwise, you might have ended up like the horse that died from exhaustion, never waking again."

"Pah! Pah! Ling Lian, what nonsense are you talking How could Miss not wake up" Yi Xue smacked Ling Lian.

Ling Lian realized she had spoken ill words and immediately shut her mouth.

Yun Qianyue frowned. She thought back to how she left the Heavenly Saint capital city with her mother for Southern Liang, then changed course to head southward to Nanyou, after which she hurriedly returned to Southern Liang without proper rest and care of her body. Later, she helped Nan Lingrui act out a play, used the river water and rode off with Gu Shaoqing. They walked through mountain paths all night long, probably contracting cold then; however, she didn’t pay much attention to it at that time. Then they traveled back nonstop on horseback, exhausting her body completely. Coming back in such a state made sense. She couldn't help but sigh and carefully asked: "Where is Rong Jing now"

Ling Lian and Yi Xue exchanged glances without speaking.

“Hmm” Yun Qianyue had already anticipated the worst outcome, “Come on, talk! It's okay, I can handle it!”

Ling Lian immediately spoke up with a somewhat gloomy tone, "Since that day when you fainted outside Prince Rong’s residence and Prince Jing took your pulse and gave you medicine, he had someone bring you back here. He hasn't appeared since."

"Yes, at the time you just drank the medicine and were still burning with a fever," Yi Xue said.

Yun Qianyue thought that Rong Jing must be furious! She clearly wanted to return quickly to admit her guilt, yet she ended up fainting before him. Not only did it fail to win back his goodwill, but now she probably even went below zero in terms of positive feelings. She felt somewhat regretful; she realized that sleeping for three days was not as effective as slowly walking.

"Speaking of which, Young Lord Jing is truly heartless. Back then you were already like that, still delirious from a fever and holding onto his sleeve tightly with both hands, yet he had the heart to break your grip and send you back in such a grim manner." Ling Lian complained, "It’s a waste of what Miss cares for him; even though the horse died from exhaustion, it was all for nothing."

Yi Xue also chimed in, "After you returned, you were still running a high fever. We were terrified and went to the Yong王府 to invite Young Lord Jing several times but he didn’t show up, saying that you wouldn’t die. All we could do was return here. Fortunately, Young Lord Feng came to see you and assured us not to worry. He said following Young Lord Jing’s prescription would take care of everything. We finally relaxed."

"So to put it simply, after I fainted that day, he felt my pulse, prescribed some medicine for me, and sent the unconscious me back here And since then, he hasn’t given a damn about me" Yun Qianyue summarized their words.

The two of them nodded in unison; they all agreed that Young Lord Jing’s heart was truly cold.

Yun Qianyue sighed, feeling gloomy. She thought such actions were indeed something Rong Jing could do! Nothing strange about it. If he really got to the point where he was extremely angry with her, his actions might even be crueler than Feng Jin throwing her off a cliff.

Ling Lian and Yi Xue saw that she didn’t speak; they exchanged glances once more. Ling Lian said, "Miss, shall we bring your food now You haven't eaten for three days, you only drank some water."

Yun Qianyue moved her body slightly, feeling extremely sore everywhere—the arms and legs hurt; it seemed like she had injured herself from riding a horse, with the skin in between her thighs rubbed raw. The injury was treated but still painful now. She managed to sit up with some effort and nodded, "Bring it over."

Ling Lian immediately went down to get the food.

Yi Xue only then remembered she hadn’t lit a lamp, so she hurriedly did so and came to help Yun Qianyue stand up.

Yi Xue brought over the meal. Yun Qianyue sat weakly at the table; although she had not eaten for three days, she didn't feel much of an appetite. Whatever she ate tasted bitter. Nonetheless, she forced herself to eat a bit; in this feeble state, even looking into a mirror made her uncomfortable—she could only guess that her face was probably as pale as death.

Unable to eat anymore, Yun Qianyue put down her chopsticks and weakly leaned against the soft couch.

"It’s only three in the morning now. Miss, do you want to sleep for a bit more..." Ling Lian looked at Yun Qianyue.

“I’ve already slept for three days; if I sleep any longer, I’ll become an idiot.” Yun Qianyue shook her head.

"Or shall I go to the Yong王府 and tell Young Lord Jing you're awake" Yi Xue looked at Yun Qianyue and試探性地問道試探ly asked, "Or are you planning on going yourself"

Yun Qianyue rubbed her forehead with one hand, muttering under her breath, "I wonder if he’s cooled down yet"

Ling Lian and Yi Xue glanced at each other but didn’t say anything.

"Probably not. Let’s wait until morning and see." Yun Qianyue shook her head; earlier she had been determined to see him, but now after all this折騰折騰, she didn't want to pass out in front of him again when just waking up, so it was likely worse.

The two nodded. "Then shall we keep you company and chat for a while"

Yun Qianyue smiled and nodded. "Alright, I wanted to ask you both about what happened in the capital during my absence."

The two of them sat down; Ling Lian spoke first, “After that day when you left, Young Lord Jing informed us that he and his lordship went to Southern Liang. He announced publicly that you had contracted a chill outside the Imperial Hall on the day of the meeting and fell ill, staying at the Purple Bamboo Courtyard in Yong王府. The Regent didn’t inquire about it either. Later, when news came from the South Frontier that Lady Chu appeared, we found out you had detoured there.”

"Reports of the battles in South Nian are coming back frequently. It's said that there is chaos at court, with some people advocating sending troops to support Princess Ye and Marquis Yun of South Nian, while others argue that Chancellor Qin has made many contributions to Heavenly Saint and should be supported since he now belongs to the royal family of South Nian."

"Both sides are equally divided, and arguments continue without resolution. In the end, it was Prince Jing who calmed everyone down by pointing out that although Chancellor Qin once contributed greatly to Heavenly Saint, he has since retired and is no longer part of the court but a member of the Southern Liang royal family as Ye Xiao. As such, there's no reason for the Heavenly Saint court to intervene in his affairs. Furthermore, South Nian remains an affiliate state of Heavenly Saint; if they were to help Ye Xiao, wouldn't that be undermining the authority of Princess Ye and Ye Qian Therefore, it is best for Heavenly Saint to observe from the sidelines rather than get involved in this internal strife within South Nian," Ling Lian explained.

"Indeed. Afterward, when the ministers found these arguments reasonable, even Regent Wang agreed with Prince Jing's viewpoint and thus an agreement was reached," I Xue continued. "However, your presence in South Nian has caused some at court to voice complaints about the Ten Great Families potentially having ulterior motives by intervening in South Nian's affairs, requesting that someone be sent there for investigation. Regent Wang didn't comment, but Prince Jing said it wasn't urgent and they could wait and see."

"Initially, everyone thought this was going to be a protracted power struggle, with widespread suffering expected in South Nian. But nobody anticipated how quickly the conflict would end. In just two days, Ye Xiao died, leaving Princess Ye victorious upon her return to the capital. All seemed peaceful afterward, except that Ye Xiao's daughter Ye Lingge is now missing. The princess has issued a reward for information about her whereabouts or capture – ten thousand ounces of gold if she is found alive and one hundred thousand if presented with her head," Ling Lian added.

"At court, the ministers were quite impressed by this rapid resolution to the conflict in South Nian. They attribute it largely to the efforts of Lady Chu of the Ten Great Families. Without her assistance at Fen Shui City's gates, without her leading the troops and dividing them into three groups with Princess Ye against Ye Xiao’s forces, and without her using a successor of the Southern Liang royal family to kill Ye Xiao with magic, this battle would not have ended so swiftly. Therefore, they all petitioned for recognition of Lady Chu's prowess," I Xue reported.

"Two days later, news from Southern Liang spread that Lady Chu had healed Prince Wang’s illness there and was immediately smitten by a young general who commands 300,000 troops. The Crown Prince defended his adopted sister against the general, leading to a fight between them. On the day of the tenth prince's birthday, the general used water magic to kidnap Lady Chu; in retaliation, the Crown Prince led an attack on the army camp for a whole day before retreating back to the capital," Ling Lian continued.

"The next day after the Crown Prince was carried back to the capital, it seemed that Master of House Chu couldn't hold back any longer and set out towards Magic Mountain's military headquarters. The young general clarified their relationship as sworn siblings without romantic involvement and said Lady Chu had left before his arrival at the headquarters; Southern Liang’s troops witnessed her departure. Master of House Chu accepted this explanation, and he and the young general shared a drink, becoming close friends," I Xue added.

"The ministers then advised Regent Wang that with House Chu now seemingly aligned with Southern Liang due to Lady Chu's influence, they could pose a threat, especially as Southern Liang has not paid tribute for three years and might seek independence soon. Moreover, the Feng family is closely connected to them," Ling Lian explained.

"The ministers agreed this was no minor matter. When Regent Wang asked Prince Jing about House Chu's involvement, he responded that only Houses Chu and Feng have close ties with Southern Liang; his own subordinates represent equal halves of the situation, so there’s no immediate cause for concern," I Xue said.

"Six days ago, Regent Wang inquired about Miss Shallow Moon from Cloud Manor, who has been ill for a long time. Prince Jing mentioned she was usually quiet when sick but restless now that she's recovered. As soon as he finished speaking, the miss went to meet him at the council chamber and sewed his clothes outside in the cold – much to Regent Wang’s displeasure," Ling Lian said with amusement.

Cloud Shallow Moon blinked her eyes, recalling how six days ago she was still chatting with her brother and uncle in Southern Liang's imperial residence. She looked at Ling Lian and asked, "Who impersonated me Didn't Night Tianyi notice"

"Think about it, Miss. Who else could mimic you so perfectly" I Xue smiled.

"Xiyuan Yue is busy learning governance in Cat Mountain; even his disguise skills wouldn’t fool Night Tianyi. You mean my mother disguised herself as me" Shallow Moon thought back to her awakening and the absence of her mother, who must have rushed back upon her recovery from illness.

"You're right, it was indeed Master," Ling Lian confirmed with a smile. "Even I mistook her for you! She looked so much like you that nobody could tell them apart. Hence the rumors about your disguise were debunked."

"She fell ill again from catching cold while waiting outside the council chamber and Prince Jing was furious, sending her back to her quarters without further ado," I Xue explained.

"Now people are spreading rumors that you feigned illness for Regent Wang's benefit because he barred entry to Princess Fenghua’s palace and the Department of Punishments. Since you've been through too much lately, you fell ill from worry; but Regent Wang remained silent and the restrictions still stand," Ling Lian added.

Shallow Moon nodded as I Xue and Ling Lian recounted recent events at court.

"What about Feng Jin and Shen Zhao Are they back in the capital" Shallow Moon asked.

"Oh, we forgot to mention. Master Feng brought Shen Zhao here upon Lady Chu's request. He’s currently staying with Prince Rong, after which he left for his home," Ling Lian replied. "It seems that Shen Zhao intends to take the imperial examinations."

"What about Night Qingran What has he been doing" Shallow Moon inquired.

“The triennial imperial examination is scheduled for year-end, two months away. Prince Rong will oversee it," I Xue reported.

"And my aunt" Shallow Moon asked further.

"The Empress heard that you were ill and sent many tonics over. Now, while in the palace for your pregnancy, things have been quite stable," Ling Lian added: "His Highness has come to see you every day these past two days, and Yun Li Crown Prince and Seventh Princess also visit daily."

Yun Qianyue nodded; indeed, the world would continue spinning whether she was there or not. She hadn’t been in Heaven’s Holy for more than a month, yet everyone seemed to be doing fine. It felt like half a year had passed instead of just a fortnight. Smiling, she rubbed her forehead and waved her hand at them: "You guys go get some sleep! I’ll stay here for a bit."

Ling Lian and Yi Xue nodded as they rose to their feet, tidied up the table, added charcoal to the brazier, and left.

Yun Qianyue sat lazily on the chaise lounge, suddenly missing Nanyang and Nan Lingrui; without his teasing or indulgent words, she felt a bit disoriented.

The next thing she knew, it was already morning.

"Dead brat, you woke up" A familiar voice came from outside the room. The door opened immediately after and Yu Qingqing walked in.

Prince Yun followed behind her: "Three days of sleep is enough to wake even a corpse. This kid really scares people."

Yun Qianyue sat on the chaise lounge without moving, looking at them—Father in official robes and Mother still dressed as an attendant but looking like one. She glanced at both of them with little energy left: "Dad, Mom!"

"Look at your state; you look abandoned," Yu Qingqing came over, rapping Yun Qianyue’s forehead. "You have no backbone. Wanting a man shouldn’t mean that you neglect yourself like this. That damn Xiao Jing is really heartless to leave you alone for three days without a care. Back in the day when I did something to make your dad angry, he was only mad at me for two days."

"What did you do to anger my father" Yun Qianyue asked Yu Qingqing.

Yu Qingqing coughed and glanced uneasily at Prince Yun: "We lived in a place called Peach Blossom Town. Once, your dad wasn’t around so I went out on the streets alone. Later on, someone proposed to me, but your father was furious, not speaking to me for two days."

"Just that little thing That means my mother has some allure," Yun Qianyue looked at Prince Yun disapprovingly.

Prince Yun glowered at Yu Qingqing and said slowly: "That’s because she didn’t say no to the proposal, but smiled happily and accepted his betrothal gifts."

Yun Qianyue turned her gaze to Yu Qingqing; thinking that she had a lot of guts!

Yu Qingqing blushed red again and coughed: "Isn’t it because no one has ever proposed to me, so I wanted to experience it"

Yun Qianyue laughed out loud, remembering how her mother was brought to the capital by his father’s word alone for a fake marriage without seeing any betrothal gifts. She looked at Yu Qingqing and nodded in agreement: "You’re not wrong."

"Damned brat!" Prince Yun patted Yun Qianyue’s head, "I regret that I didn’t leave her out for two more days to teach her a lesson. Xiao Jing is better than me—he can be heartless with you. You’ll see if you’re still going to act like this after this."

"It was because I was in a hurry to come back and see him; isn’t rushing to see someone right My mother receiving the gifts was wrong, but what about my actions this time I was extremely cautious when I left out of fear that His Majesty would be displeased. Yet, it’s me who ended up causing trouble. He abandoned me for three days without a care in the world. We had many arguments and once he caught a cold from being drenched by rain, I forgave him. But this time, despite my feverish state and exhaustion, he still left me alone."

"How can your actions be compared to those of your mother She only played around without injuring herself or causing any danger; there was no need for others to worry about her. You, however, have used Spirit Techniques multiple times, slept in Nanyang’s palace for two days, fell into water and caught a cold after that, traveling day and night on horseback until even Qingying got left behind, exhausting a horse to death, while you fainted from exhaustion yourself. Your health was already poor, but this time it caused everyone much worry. Tell me, how could Xiao Jing not be strict with you" Prince Yun glared at her, lecturing sternly.

"That’s true; this time you did something wrong. Mother only had fun and played around," Yu Qingqing immediately agreed.

"You still have the nerve to compare it Like mother, like daughter; she really is just like you!" Prince Yun glared at Yu Qingqing disapprovingly.

Yü Qīngqíng's demeanor dropped, and she glared: "I thought you'd forgotten about the old grudge I have against her Her personality is nothing like mine. I think it’s more like yours. You forgot that time when you rushed back to East Sea in a desperate state, fainted at the gate of our home, leaving me so frightened that my soul almost left my body, and I stayed up for three days and nights without sleep until you woke up."

"Wasn't it because you were angry with me That's why I rushed back" Prince Yun immediately retorted.

Yü Qīngqíng also glared back, "That’s also because you and that Jianghu Jade Maiden caused rumors to fly all over the place. I…" “Enough! Don't let our daughter laugh at us!” Prince Yun's demeanor dropped as well. He grabbed Yü Qīngqíng's hand, stopping her words.

Yü Qīngqíng immediately stopped speaking.

Cloud Shallow Moon watched the two with a hint of amusement; after waking up and being thrown by Rong Jing for three days, she was now feeling better. She said to Yü Qīngqíng: "You really lack backbone Even though he did that, you still stayed up for three nights without sleep, looking after her Shouldn't you have just left him like Rong Jing"

"After he woke up, I didn’t talk to him for a month. That’s why he couldn’t see me even the slightest bit." Yü Qīngqíng replied.

Cloud Shallow Moon sighed and looked at Prince Yun.

Prince Yun coughed and said to Yü Qīngqíng: "It's time, I need to go to court now. Let’s leave." “You’ve seen that Xiao Jing’s medicine is effective; she’ll recover in two days. As for their relationship issues, we can’t do anything about it.”

"With you looking like this, why don't you rest for a couple of more days If Xiao Jing's anger has just subsided and sees you pale as a ghost again, he might get angry all over again. You won’t have any good outcome." Yü Qīngqíng left with a sentence, following Prince Yun out.

Cloud Shallow Moon watched the two leave; her plan to immediately head to Prince Rong’s residence was once again doused in cold water.

Not long after, hurried footsteps could be heard outside. Cloud Shallow Moon looked through the window and saw Yun Li and Princess Seven walking quickly over, clearly having received news that made them rush here with haste.

"Sister!" Yun Li rushed in and asked Cloud Shallow Moon as soon as he saw her: "How do you feel Are there any discomforts left Why are your face still so pale"

"Has Prince Maple come today Does he know that you woke up Your face is indeed very pale." Princess Seven also rushed over quickly.

Cloud Shallow Moon looked at the two of them; their concern and anxiety were evident on their faces. She felt a warmth in her heart, but shook her head: "I’m fine."

"You’re still saying you’re fine! You scared us half to death. Prince Jing is angry because you don’t take care of yourself. Fortunately, Prince Maple has been coming these two days; your fever made your face red like an apple. Now that the fever’s gone, it looks even paler and you’ve lost a lot of weight." Princess Seven held Cloud Shallow Moon's hand tightly: "Even if you’re angry with Seventh Brother, you still need to take care of yourself. Exposing yourself to cold wind caused this sickness. It was好不容易，已經翻譯了大部分內容。最後幾句如下："You scared us half to death. Prince Jing is upset because you don't look after yourself properly; fortunately, Prince Maple has been visiting these past couple days. With your fever making your face red like an apple and now that it's gone, your face looks even paler. You've also lost a considerable amount of weight." Princess Seven held Cloud Shallow Moon’s hand tightly: "Even if you’re upset with Seventh Brother, you still need to take care of yourself. Exposing yourself to cold wind caused this illness; after barely recovering at Prince Rong's residence, running off to the Hall of Council Affairs again and being exposed to cold air is why Prince Jing could be angry. Now that you are sick once more, it’s even worse than before.""Fourth Prince Yun has been sulking due to your destruction of the imperial decree. Knowing you care about Auntie and Fourth Prince, he issued an edict prohibiting anyone from entering Prosperous Palace or the Department of Punishments without his permission. Yet you went against him again, exhausting yourself with illness for so long that now look at you—sigh…" Yun Li sighed: "Sister, your health is crucial. Some things must be handled gradually. Auntie is safe in the palace and carrying her child, Fourth Prince is fine in the Department of Punishments; there's no need to worry.""Indeed, even a calm person like Prince Jing was angered by you so much that he hasn't entered Cloud Prince Residence for several days. He’s likely upset over your disagreement with Seventh Brother rather than your concern for Auntie and Fourth Prince. After all, your health is paramount," Princess Seven sighed: "Seventh Brother can be stubborn; it seems he dislikes only you now. With you and Prince Jing being in love, who knows what the future holds Though politics seem peaceful on the surface, even I can sense something unusual going on. One can imagine how intense their battles are both overtly and covertly."Cloud Shallow Moon didn't know what to say, nodding silently."Sister waking up is great news; seeing your poor complexion, you should rest," Yun Li looked at Princess Seven: "She just woke up and lacks energy. Don’t disturb her now. You should go back shortly, let her rest properly. I need to attend court.""I understand, you may go ahead," Princess Seven nodded.

Yun Li left.

The Seventh Princess, seeing Yun Li leave the Shallow Moon Pavilion, turned to Yun Qianmo and said, "My brother and I originally thought that you were pretending to be sick out of anger towards your seventh cousin. But when we saw you unconscious on that day, we were scared stiff. I went to find him after that but... it's not easy to resolve a long-standing grudge.

Yun Qianmo remained silent; the atmosphere of relaxation brought about by her parents' visit had vanished because of what the Seventh Princess said.

"I've been overly talkative. Those words would only upset you and are not conducive to your recovery. You should rest properly. I will go to pay my respects to Grandpa, who is worried sick over you despite saying that you're fine! He's also unwell these past few days due to the cold weather. I'll tell him about your recovery so he can be at ease." The Seventh Princess stood up.

Yun Qianmo nodded and smiled, "I'm a poor granddaughter; I haven't been able to visit Grandpa for months. Sister-in-law, you should take care of him more."

"You silly girl! As the wife of Yun Wangfu, it's my duty to be filial towards Grandpa and Father King," said the Seventh Princess with a reproachful glance before leaving.

Yun Qianmo thought that the Seventh Princess had changed significantly since she entered Yun Wangfu. She was no longer the young girl who would cry over Rong Jing; instead, she had transformed into a mature and composed woman managing Yun Wangfu's household. The transformation was remarkable.

Everyone around her seemed to be changing, yet she remained the same, which made her feel somewhat inept!

"Miss, should we prepare a carriage Are you going to Yong王府" Ling Lian asked softly as she walked in. Although she was unhappy that Prince Jing had left Miss behind without a care for three days, she understood that it was because he was angry with Miss.

Yun Qianmo leaned on her forehead and shook her head after some thought, "No."

"You don't want to see Prince Jing" Ling Lian asked in confusion.

"Let's see how long he can be heartless," Yun Qianmo smiled bitterly. "Encountering Shen Zhao was an accident; I couldn't stand by and watch the life of the Southern Border's Imperial Uncle hang in the balance, so I had to use my spirit technique. It was inevitable. Later, when Ye Xiao performed his spell, causing a dam breach and putting eight thousand people at risk, including Ye Xiao's troops, I couldn't let them all perish, so I used my spirit technique again to build up the embankment. That was necessary. After that, in Southern Liang, the hypnotism cast on Uncle by Shen Zhao was too powerful for me not to use my spirit technique once more; it was unavoidable. Later, due to fatigue and weakness, I didn't want Gu Shaqing to take advantage of my vulnerable state and bite me, only to learn that the little boy I saved from the swamp when looking for a pangolin to treat him with medicine years ago turned out to be Gu Shaqing. Because of the evil martial arts book I gave him, he survived but needed women's blood during full moon nights as medicine, so biting me was his way of venting his frustration over five years. To help my brother and Gu Shaqing act, I used the water from Jade Maiden River to escape. After that, in order to return quickly for him, I didn't stop day or night on the journey back, exhausting not only the horse but myself as well. If given another chance, I would still do it even if it means falling ill again.

Upon hearing this, Ling Lian immediately said, "Miss, these things aren't your fault! You should explain to Prince Jing; he wouldn't remain angry after knowing the truth."

"He knows everything!" Yun Qianmo shook her head and suddenly felt melancholy. "My brother says I'm not good enough, Feng Jin also said so, even Gu Shaqing who barely met me twice thought so. Being at Prince Jing's mercy, fearing him in every way, and being cautious abroad but still making mistakes despite it all, even I think I'm not good enough. Now, I wonder if I should prove to them that I can be better."

Ling Lian remained silent; she knew Miss had pushed herself day and night for Prince Jing, exhausting the horse and collapsing at Yong王府's gate because of it. Even though he was angry with her, it wouldn't do to leave her alone for three days. He was furious over her disregard for her health. She supported Miss but didn't dare to advise her, fearing she might upset matters.

"Alright, you look so worried; your small face is all scrunched up," Yun Qianmo looked at Ling Lian with a smile and waved her hand. "Go now. I'm tired of sitting here and will lie down again for a bit more rest tomorrow. I'll stay in the room without doing anything.

Ling Lian saw that she decided not to seek Prince Jing out, and thought even if Miss went, her pale sickly appearance wouldn't win him over; she didn't want Miss to suffer such humiliation either, so she nodded and left.

Yun Qianmo lay back on the bed, feeling neither sleepy nor bored. She stared at the ceiling and played a counting game.

A short while later, footsteps approached again; Ling Lian's surprised voice rang out, "Prince... Prince Jing"

-- Interlude --

My dears, if you have votes, please give them to me. I can't bear torturing the characters anymore. You understand. o（∩_∩）o~o, wanting to see if you would miss me or not; but then you made yourself sick instead. I thought about being determined not to come back, yet could not control my legs. On the way from Rong王府to Yun王府...