“Why aren’t you drinking?” Xuan Yanyu raised the corner of his eyes slightly.  

[Drink what?! Fafa, what do I do?!] Yan Yuning’s ears buzzed with panic.  

Fafa: [Master, don’t worry, drink it. I’ll help purify it for you.]  

[Are you sure?] Yan Yuning was still uneasy.  

Fafa: [I’m sure, Master. Please trust me.]  

Yan Yuning hesitated, then took the bowl from Xuan Yanyu’s hand. Her throat tightened, and she swallowed hard, her mouth dry.  

Gritting her teeth, she tilted her head back and downed it in one go.  

[Fafa, Fafa, Fafa!] Yan Yuning squeezed her eyes shut, taking deep breaths.  

Fafa: [It’s fine, Master. Relax.]  

Yan Yuning let out a sigh of relief.  

“Master Xuan, Miss Yan has woken up. She’s out of danger now,” the physician said, pushing the door open as he stepped out.  

Xuan Yanyu nodded and took out a silver ingot from his sleeve, handing it to the physician.  

“I’ll go check on my sister,” Yan Yuning said, darting into the room.  

Xuan Yanyu brushed his sleeves lightly.  

“Your Highness.” Yechen appeared silently behind him.  

Xuan Yanyu glanced at him indifferently. “What is it?”  

Yechen hesitated, then lowered his voice. “Your Highness, Yan Yuning bought two packets of arsenic from the medical hall.”  

“What does she need arsenic for?” Xuan Yanyu turned the jade ring on his finger, his expression unchanging.  

“She must have just ingested it. She’ll start showing symptoms of poisoning in about fifteen to thirty minutes. Your Highness, why would Yan Yuning… Huh? Your Highness—”  

Before Yechen could finish, Xuan Yanyu’s face darkened. In a flash, he rushed into the inn.  

Yechen stood frozen in place, bewildered. What was wrong with His Highness?  

“Sis, do you have any idea how scared I was when you fainted?” Yan Yuning held Yan Shiyao’s hand, her voice soft and sweet.  

Yan Shiyao looked at her with mixed emotions. Why did Ningning have to fall for the Third Prince too?  

“Come with me.” Xuan Yanyu slammed the door open, grabbing Yan Yuning’s wrist.  

Yan Yuning’s heart skipped a beat. She gulped—had he found out?  

Panicking, she tightened her grip on Yan Shiyao’s hand. “I… I need to stay with my sister.”  

“Out.” Xuan Yanyu tightened his hold and dragged her out by the arm.  

“Sis, sis, save me!” Yan Yuning turned pale, struggling desperately.  

“Brother Yu, let Ningning go!” Yan Shiyao was also flustered—she had never seen Brother Yu act like this before.  

“I won’t hurt her.” Xuan Yanyu paused, glancing back at Yan Shiyao.  

“Phew, you should’ve said so earlier. You scared me!” Yan Yuning exhaled in relief, patting her chest to calm her racing heart.  

“You’re scared?” Xuan Yanyu scoffed.  

She wasn’t afraid of death, but she was afraid of him?  

Yan Yuning stiffened, then retorted confidently, “Of course I’m scared!”  

Xuan Yanyu shot her a glance and dragged her into his room. Releasing her, he turned to pick up a bowl of medicinal soup and handed it to her. “Drink.”  

Yan Yuning frowned, catching a faint metallic smell. Her stomach churned, and she covered her mouth, stepping back. “Take it away. I won’t drink it.”  

Xuan Yanyu advanced, gripping her chin with one hand while raising the bowl to her lips with the other, forcing it toward her mouth.  

Yan Yuning pressed her lips together, staring at him in terror.  

[Fafa, what is he making me drink?! He’s trying to kill me!!!]  

Fafa: [Master, it’s raw duck blood. It helps counteract the poison.]  

[He… knows?] Yan Yuning’s pupils dilated in shock.

Fafa: [He knows, Master. Good thing he didn’t make you drink it earlier, or you’d be dead by now.]  

Yan Yuning: […]  

Xuan Yanyu’s slender, well-defined fingers tightened around her chin.  

Yan Yuning shoved him away with all her might. “You—you—I won’t drink it!”  

Staggering back from the force, she bumped into the table behind her.  

“Want to die? Then how about I help you with that?” Xuan Yanyu drew his sword and pressed the blade against her neck.  

“I… You can’t kill me! You just said you wouldn’t hurt me!” The cold steel touched her skin, and Yan Yuning trembled, her fingers inching toward the blade to push it away.  

If not for the table behind her, she would’ve collapsed to the floor by now.  

“Come here.” With a flick of his wrist, Xuan Yanyu sheathed his sword.  

The man stood tall in his exquisitely embroidered deep purple robe, his handsome features icy. His fair, slender fingers traced the hilt of his sword.  

Yan Yuning shivered.  

[Fafa, this is all your fault! You encouraged me, and now look—is he really going to make me drink that… that bowl of raw duck blood?!]  

Fafa: [Master… maybe just drink a little?]  

Yan Yuning pressed her lips together stubbornly. [No way!]  

Fafa: […]  

“Come here.” The man’s brows furrowed, impatience written all over his face.  

Yan Yuning swallowed hard and shuffled toward him, dragging her feet reluctantly.  

“Drink.” He shoved the bowl against her lips.  

“Why… why are you forcing me to drink this?” Yan Yuning’s eyes were full of resistance.  

Xuan Yanyu glanced at her as if she were nothing more than an insignificant object. “Your death doesn’t matter, but Ah Yao would be heartbroken.”  

Yan Yuning sucked in a sharp breath, gritting her teeth in silent fury. [Fafa! This lunatic knows my sister would be sad, yet he still ends up killing me in the end!]  

Fafa: […]  

“Don’t worry, I won’t die. Just spare me that disgusting concoction of yours.” Her cheeks puffed up in anger, her distaste completely unconcealed.  

Xuan Yanyu studied her—her face was flushed with healthy color, not a trace of weakness to be seen. She didn’t look poisoned at all.  

What a shame. The antidote he’d prepared wouldn’t be of any use now.  

“May I leave now?”  

“Get out.”  

Yan Yuning pouted, her eyes landing on a plate of delicate pastries on the round table. She casually picked one up and took a bite, the sweet flavor melting on her tongue.  

“Hey, these are really good. Where’d you get them?”  

“Who said you could eat that?” Xuan Yanyu looked at her with a faint, mocking smile.  

Under his stare, Yan Yuning’s courage wavered. “Then… then I won’t eat it.” She held out the half-eaten pastry to him.  

Xuan Yanyu glanced at the bitten pastry in front of him, his brow twitching. “Get out.”  

“Don’t be mad, fine, I’ll go out.” With that, she stuffed the pastry into her mouth and bolted for the door.  

Xuan Yanyu slammed his sword onto the table with a loud bang! The blade struck the surface, knocking over the plate of pastries.  

“Your Highness, what’s going on with Yan Yuning? I clearly saw her drink it,” Yechen said, dropping down from the rafters.  

Xuan Yanyu’s eyes flashed with irritation. “How should I know?”  

Yechen’s gaze drifted to the pastries scattered on the floor. Gathering his courage, he asked, “Your Highness, should I… buy another plate?”  

Xuan Yanyu’s brow twitched again.  

“Your humble servant greets His Highness, the Third Prince.” A newcomer bowed respectfully.  

Xuan Yanyu arched an eyebrow, his gaze drifting toward the window with indifference. “So Qi Qingchen summoned the magistrate?”  

“Your Highness, this was bound to happen. Qi Qingchen is the favored crown prince candidate of the Qilan Emperor. Of course the magistrate would rush to curry favor with him.”