Didn’t anyone outside know that the Crown Prince was so badly injured?

Rong Rong was taken aback and then understood.

The Crown Prince, being high-ranking, had many eyes on him.

If it were known that he was seriously injured, those with ill intentions might take the opportunity to cause more trouble or attempt another assassination.

With both hands injured, he might not be able to defend himself against a skilled attacker.

Moreover, the previous assassination attempt had caused quite a stir.

Rumors varied widely: some said the Crown Prince’s life was in danger, some claimed he had lost a hand, and others spread tales of him being stabbed for abducting a commoner woman.

Even though he generally had a good reputation, rumors involving scandal spread much faster.

It was no wonder he had his bandages wrapped so tightly and wore such a conspicuous red robe, preparing for any situation.

In such a position, one indeed has little control over their own circumstances.

As Rong Rong observed the bloodstains seeping through the bandages, she sighed silently and lifted his hand to cut away the bandages.

Just as she was about to set his hand down, his elbow accidentally hit her forehead with a “thud.”

“Ah!” Rong Rong was momentarily dazed by the impact and exclaimed.

When she came to her senses, she realized she had bumped into his right arm and quickly asked, “Your Highness, are you alright?”

The question seemed redundant.

His elbow had left a noticeable red mark on her forehead, which was growing visibly.

Feeling guilty, Rong Rong lowered her head and stayed silent.

“Does it hurt?”

“What?” Rong Rong was momentarily confused by his question.

“Are you asking if your head hurts?”

She was stunned.

The Crown Prince was asking her if she was in pain?

But in the brief moment of her astonishment, he lifted his left hand and gently rubbed her forehead.

Her heart raced wildly at his gesture.

This man… is he actually concerned about her bump?

During all their previous encounters in Yu Hua Palace, he had never asked her if she was in pain.

He was always reckless and self-willed. Now, after a minor bump on her forehead, he showed such care and concern?

Ah, it seems that what one can’t have is always the most desirable.

Rong Rong pushed his hand away from her forehead and said, “I’m fine, Your Highness.”

She then guided him to sit down and took a seat beside him on a cushion, focusing on removing his bandages.

The bandages had been tightly wrapped around his arm for most of the day, making them difficult to remove.

Although he didn’t make a sound, Rongrong noticed beads of sweat forming on his forehead, showing that he was enduring a lot of pain.

As she was working, she suddenly heard him ask, “Who is the scholar from Linxi?”

The scholar from Linxi? Why was he suddenly mentioning Yang Tong?

Rongrong looked up abruptly, realizing where she had left the manuscript she had been searching for over the past ten days.

The day she left Wutong Lane, she had taken the manuscript of “The Dragon Maiden,” but when she returned to the East Palace the next day, she couldn’t find it.

She even suspected she might have left it behind at Wutong Lane.

Hearing the Crown Prince mention “Linxi scholar,” she realized the manuscript must have been left at that estate.

“Is my manuscript here with Your Highness?” Rongrong asked hurriedly.

“The Dragon Maiden” was Yang Tong’s first attempt at writing a legendary story.

It was short but different from his usual detective and suspense style.

Rongrong had been so desperate to find the manuscript that she even considered rewriting it from memory.

Hearing about the manuscript from the Crown Prince was a pleasant surprise.

“Your Highness, did you… bring the manuscript back to the East Palace?”

The Crown Prince remained impassive and continued to ask, “You still haven’t said who the Linxi scholar is?”

“He’s a friend of mine who writes storybooks to make a living,” Rongrong explained.

“From his handwriting, it seems he’s a man?” The Crown Prince’s voice was low, carrying a hint of something suggestive.

Rongrong’s face turned red, and she couldn’t bring herself to meet his gaze, only nodding.

“Why did he give you his manuscript?”

Since the manuscript was in his possession, Rongrong could only answer his question: “He’s not very good at writing the emotions of the main characters, and his manuscript has been rejected by the publishing house several times. So he asked me to help him revise it to avoid having his hard work go to waste.”

Rongrong kept her head down, and as soon as she finished speaking, she heard him let out a soft laugh.

“So, you’re quite skilled at writing emotions?”

Rongrong’s face turned a deep red.

Seeing her silence, the Crown Prince’s smile grew warmer. “It seems you’re quite an expert, which is why he came to you for help.”

As Rong Rong listened to the Crown Prince pressing her, she gritted her teeth and said, “I’m not an expert. It’s just that he has few friends and couldn’t find anyone to help, so he came to me. Your Highness, this manuscript isn’t mine. Please return it to me.”

The Crown Prince frowned. “The bandages aren’t fully removed yet!”

Seeing he wasn’t going to discuss the manuscript further, Rong Rong had no choice but to continue unwrapping the bandages.

As she removed each layer, her shock grew.

The wound on his right arm, stretching from his shoulder to his wrist, was horrifying.

She couldn’t help but imagine if the assassin had been more forceful or closer, his arm might have been severed completely.

“Are you scared?” The Crown Prince’s tone softened as he noticed her stunned expression.

Rong Rong snapped back to reality, instinctively nodding before denying, “I… I just think the assassin was too skilled.”

The Crown Prince’s skills were high; it was unsettling to see him injured so severely.

Who was this assassin?

Unfortunately, Rong Rong was too focused on tending to the bleeding wounds to notice the Crown Prince’s face darkening.

“He was skilled? I caught him alive,” he said disdainfully, with a heavy snort. “It’s only because his sword was sharp. If there’s a next time, he won’t even get close to me.”

Rong Rong remained silent, her mind racing.

She was still processing what Shi Yuanchu had said to her when they met that day.

The assassin had aimed directly for Yuanbao, and the Crown Prince had been injured while protecting him.

At that time, because Yuanbao wasn’t hurt, she hadn’t thought much of it.

But now, seeing the Crown Prince’s wounds, she was overwhelmed with fear.

If the assassin had been so formidable that the Crown Prince’s arm was wounded like this, what if Yuanbao had been caught in the sword’s path?

Yuanbao could have been cut in half on the spot!

Had she missed this chance, even if her son were to be reincarnated in the future, she would never find him again!

She had nearly lost her son forever.

Tears streamed down Rong Rong’s face uncontrollably.

The Crown Prince, usually calm, couldn’t stay composed upon seeing her cry so deeply.

His right hand was too injured to move, so he reached out with his left hand, pulling Rong Rong into his embrace.

“Stop crying. There won’t be such things in the future.”

His shoulder was broad and warm, and Rong Rong leaned into him, her tears soaking his shoulder.

He had a faint dragon’s saliva fragrance, not overpowering, added by the palace servants only when drying his clothes.

This scent was only noticeable when close to him.

As Rong Rong wept, the subtle fragrance helped her regain some clarity.

Rongrong suddenly froze, hurriedly pushing him away and stepping back a few paces.

“I’ve been rude. Please forgive me, Your Highness.”

“Rude? What for?”

“I… I…”

The Crown Prince smiled slightly. “Finish applying the medicine.”

He was actually smiling at her?

Rongrong had seen him smile at Yuanbao when they reunited at the hot springs estate after his rebirth, but now that Yuanbao wasn’t in Yuhua Palace, he was smiling at her?

No, no… Rongrong struggled to calm her emotions and returned to her seat on the embroidery stool, drying the blood on his arm and carefully applying the ointment.

Just get the medicine applied quickly. Rongrong repeated this in her mind.

The Crown Prince didn’t know how Rongrong was feeling, but seeing her diligently applying the medicine with tear stains on her face, his heart softened slightly.

“The manuscript is with Fuquan. You can ask him for it when you see him later.”

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

“There’s no need to thank me for such a small matter. You took good care of me at the estate. Rongrong…” His voice seemed to tighten, each word spoken softly, “…from now on, stay in the Eastern Palace and don’t worry about other matters. I will protect you.”

Protect you…

Rongrong’s eyes suddenly welled up.

Words she had longed to hear were so easily spoken by him?

How ridiculous!

Could there really be such a ridiculous thing in this world?

“Why are you silent?” The Crown Prince asked.

Rongrong’s heart trembled.

What did he want to hear?

Did he want her to express her deep gratitude and cry with thanks?

She took a deep breath and smiled. “Your Highness’s words are indeed confusing. As the Crown Prince and future heir, you will naturally protect your subjects. What you’ve said seems unnecessary.”