Liu Yin felt her body suddenly lifted into the air, leaving her in a state of alarm. Startled, she instinctively reached out to grab Sixth Princess’s arm. Yet, instead of offering support, the people around them stepped back, wearing peculiar expressions. Confused, she slowly raised her head. What met her gaze was a sharp, refined face, cold and distant in its elegance.

“……”

Was she hallucinating from the snake bite?

The person cradled in his arms was incredibly light. Her pale face showed nothing but fear—no hint of relief or happiness. Qin Yan cast her a fleeting glance, his indifferent gaze flickering subtly.

The onlookers stood frozen in place, dumbstruck. Were their eyes deceiving them? The Crown Prince himself carrying the second Miss Liu back to the palace?

“Xiyun… just now…” Sixth Princess was still rooted to the spot, her face etched with disbelief, clearly unable to process what had just happened.

Xiyun fared no better. She stood there, stiff as a board, her mind utterly blank, eyes wide open in shock.

Fortunately, the group was already close to Xiefang Hall, but along the way, they encountered several palace servants. Liu Yin, suddenly feeling self-conscious, turned her face away, flustered. It wasn’t until a sharp pain radiated from her ankle that her expression shifted dramatically, fear overtaking her features.

“How… how poisonous was that snake?” she asked, her voice trembling with panic, her face contorted with worry.

“With so many patterns on it, it must be incredibly venomous. What if the Imperial Physicians can’t cure it?”

The more she thought about it, the more anxious she became. The increasing pain in her ankle only heightened her dread. Her heart sank like a stone. She hadn’t even properly enjoyed life yet, and now a snake bite might be her undoing. What kind of misfortune was this?

“The red-banded snake. It’s not lethal,” he said calmly.

Hearing this, Liu Yin immediately raised her head, adopting an earnest expression. “But I feel so dizzy and weak—I’m sure it’s a deadly poison!”

Ignoring her dramatic outburst, he carried her into Xiefang Hall. Inside, the palace attendants were left wide-eyed and slack-jawed as the Crown Prince brought the young miss in his arms straight through the doors.

He casually set her down and made no move to linger. Just as he was about to leave, though, he felt a tug on his robe. Turning back, he saw the person on the bed leaning forward, clutching onto the fabric.

Liu Yin squeezed out two crocodile tears, gazing up at him with all the exaggerated longing she could muster. “No matter what happens to me, Yin’er will never forget you, dear Crown Prince gege.”

The room collectively gasped in silent awe. This young miss was so devoted!

Qin Yan met her gaze, his voice low and measured. “Cousin, such profound affection truly leaves me overwhelmed with honor.”

With that, he turned to leave. As he stepped out, he came face to face with Sixth Princess and a group of imperial physicians, all of whom were panting from their hurried arrival. Without sparing them a glance, he brushed past and walked off without a word.

The imperial physicians quickly bowed in greeting. “Your Highness!”

“Brother!”

Sixth Princess called out, wanting to say something, but her concern for her cousin won out. She waved urgently at the physicians, gesturing toward the bed. “Why are you just standing there? Go and check on her already!”

Liu Yin lay sprawled on the bed, her expression slightly odd. What exactly did the Crown Prince mean by that remark earlier? Somehow, it sounded vaguely sarcastic. Was her display of devotion not earnest enough?

“Cousin, are you alright?”

The hall erupted into chaos, the noise making Liu Yin’s head throb. Before long, her aunt arrived in a hurry, her expression as dark as a storm. Her niece had gotten into trouble in her domain—how was she supposed to explain this to her brother?

As soon as the Empress entered, the entire inner chamber fell silent. No one dared to breathe too loudly. The imperial physicians, who had been taking turns checking her pulse, suddenly huddled together at the bedside. Their gazes turned strange as they looked at Liu Yin.

“Miss Liu… might we ask you to remove your outer garment?” one of the physicians asked deferentially, their voices full of caution.

Liu Yin frowned and glanced at the Empress, who gave a slight wave of her hand. Two palace maids quickly stepped forward to draw the bed curtains. Moments later, a green outer robe was tossed out from behind them.

The imperial physicians took the garment, sniffing and examining it closely while whispering among themselves. The Empress’s face darkened as she spoke in a low, commanding tone. “What’s going on here?”

Immediately, the physicians dropped to their knees and responded respectfully, “Your Majesty, the snake that bit Miss Liu appears to have been a red-banded fire snake. Its venom is mild and not lethal. It typically causes swelling around the bite area or may induce dizziness or temporary fainting. We shall prepare a few medicinal prescriptions for internal and external use. With a few days of treatment, Miss Liu will make a full recovery.”

Upon hearing she wouldn’t die, Liu Yin felt an enormous weight lift from her chest. At least the Crown Prince hadn’t lied to her. But then a troubling thought surfaced—how did a snake even get into the imperial garden?

The Empress clearly shared her concerns. Her sharp gaze darted to the palace maids standing behind her, and her voice turned icy. “How are the people in charge of the imperial garden doing their jobs? Summon Steward Liu here immediately!”

As she spoke, the imperial physicians exchanged hesitant glances until an elderly physician finally spoke up. “Your Majesty, upon closer inspection, we detected traces of finely ground qiantenghua powder on Miss Liu’s outer garment. This flower’s scent is highly attractive to snakes. It’s likely the snake bit Miss Liu because it followed that scent.”

Liu Yin almost jumped out of bed. She had suspected this incident wasn’t so simple—and now it seemed like a deliberate act of malice!

“How could Cousin have qiantenghua powder on her clothes? I was with her the entire day and saw no sign of anyone tampering with her belongings,” Sixth Princess said with a deep frown, her tone bewildered.

The Empress narrowed her phoenix eyes, her expression unreadable. After a long moment, she waved her hand to dismiss the attendants, though her demeanor was calmer than before. The earlier stormy anger had given way to a strange serenity.

Leaning against the bed, Liu Yin stretched her leg out while Xiyun applied medicine to her swollen ankle. Her foot, once pristine, was now inflamed, with the two sinister-looking puncture marks from the snake’s fangs glaring back at her.

If this was an attempt to kill her, why use a snake with such mild venom? Clearly, this wasn’t meant to be fatal—just to make her suffer. That meant it wasn’t part of some high-stakes political intrigue but rather the work of someone simply out to torment her. Who could it be, if not that Princess Mingyue or Fifth Princess?

“Aunt—”

“Yin’er.” The Empress met Liu Yin’s hesitant gaze with a firm yet low voice. “Some things are better left unspoken. Until you’re absolutely certain of your chances to strike a decisive blow, do not act rashly.”

Their eyes met, and Liu Yin’s expression sobered. Indeed, what could be done even if she found out the culprit? Both Princess Mingyue and Princess Five had powerful backing. And with the snake being non-lethal, even if the matter reached the emperor, at most they’d receive a light reprimand.

“But… am I just supposed to take this lying down?” she muttered, furrowing her brow in frustration.

The Empress chuckled lightly and stepped closer, taking Liu Yin’s hand in hers. A glimmer of calculation flashed in her eyes. “You’re still just a child. This is nothing more than petty squabbling between children. As your aunt, I cannot intervene directly, but if you wish to act, do as you see fit. As long as it’s not too excessive, I’ll be here to back you.”

Liu Yin’s eyes lit up instantly. If those troublemakers had dared to use a snake against her, what was stopping her from sending spiders or centipedes their way in return? If things escalated, she’d still have the moral high ground—it wasn’t like she struck first.

Having grown up in the palace, Sixth Princess was far from naïve. She easily caught the undertone of their conversation and became visibly irritated. Those people had gone too far!

“Enough for now,” the Empress said, gently patting Liu Yin’s head. “Rest for the next few days and don’t worry about attending the academy.” With that, she turned as though to leave.

Suddenly, something seemed to occur to Sixth Princess, and she followed after her mother. Smirking mischievously, she glanced back at Liu Yin on the bed and said with a teasing lilt. “Mother, I suppose you haven’t heard yet—just now, it was the Crown Prince who carried Cousin back here.”

The Empress froze mid-step, her expression instantly shifting. “What did you just say?”

Liu Yin, still leaning against the bed, immediately waved her hands in alarm. “It’s not like that! I was bitten by the snake, and cousin just happened to be passing by, so he kindly helped me back. That’s all!”

“Not at all! The Eastern Palace is in the opposite direction,” Sixth Princess shot back, trying hard not to laugh. “Brother only brought Cousin back because he saw her injured and couldn’t bear to ignore her. Otherwise, with his usual temperament, why would he go out of his way to help?”

Sixth Princess finished her earnest declaration, then hesitated, fiddling with a strand of hair. “And… let’s be honest—Cousin, it’s not like this is the first time you’ve pretended to be injured in front of the Crown Prince. But he’s never been this attentive to you before.”

Liu Yin glared indignantly at the pesky girl. Great. Now her aunt would definitely double down on pushing her to become the Crown Princess.

The Empress, however, didn’t look particularly elated. Her expression was thoughtful, even measured. Was the Crown Prince acting this way because he’d finally accepted the Liu family’s overtures, or had his opinion of her niece genuinely changed? Such a drastic shift in behavior was suspicious—after all, this was the same man who previously wouldn’t have spared Liu Yin so much as a word, much less carried her back to the palace. It seemed she’d have to test his attitude carefully when the opportunity arose.

Collecting her thoughts, a subtle trace of delight appeared in the Empress’s eyes. She brushed a strand of hair from Liu Yin’s forehead. “This is good news. Look at you, getting all shy now.”

“I am not!” Liu Yin protested, sulking as she lay on the bed, lips pouting.

The Empress’s gaze softened. “Your cousin helped you this time. Tomorrow, I’ll have Liu momo accompany you to the Eastern Palace to thank him properly.”

^_^