Yin Yin blinked and forced a smile at Ling Long, though it could hardly be called radiant.

Ling Long took the damp towel from Yin Yin’s forehead and placed it into the basin beside the bed. Then he extended the back of his hand to feel Yin Yin’s forehead. “The fever seems to have gone down. I’ll go get Jia Qing.”

Just as Ling Long was about to get up, he felt a tug on his sleeve.

“What…… happened to me?”

Yin Yin’s voice was hoarse— so hoarse that even she was startled by it.

Ling Long gently brushed aside the strands of hair on Yin Yin’s forehead. “You were poisoned. The fever lasted for three days and nights.”

“Poisoned?!” Yin Yin was clearly surprised. She had somehow been poisoned?

“You just woke up, don’t talk too much. I’ll have Jia Qing take a look at you.” Ling Long patted Yin Yin’s head soothingly, then gently pulled his sleeve free and went off to find Jia Qing.

Jia Qing arrived quickly, followed by Sang Ze and Du Qianqian.

Seeing that Yin Yin had woken up, Sang Ze looked delighted. Du Qianqian, on the other hand, her expression was clearly one of disappointment.

Damn it!

Yin Yin silently cursed Du Qianqian in her heart.

Jia Qing sat down at the bedside and began checking Yin Yin’s pulse. “The poison has been purged, and the fever is gone. A few more days of rest and you’ll be fine.”

“That’s great, Master!” Sang Ze exclaimed and was about to pounce on Yin Yin, but Ling Long held him back.

“Miss Yin just woke up. Her body is still weak and she needs quiet rest.” Jia Qing said.

So Sang Ze was sent away, and Du Qianqian also left under the pretext of preparing food for Yin Yin.

Like hell I’d eat anything you make, Yin Yin thought as she watched Du Qianqian’s departing figure.

“How are you feeling?” As a physician, Jia Qing dutifully carried out his responsibilities.

“I’m…… starving……” Yin Yin murmured weakly.

Jia Qing: “……”

That was outside his scope of expertise.

“Why was I poisoned?” Yin Yin suddenly remembered. Compared to eating, that question seemed more pressing now.

“You were poisoned by flowerbee venom. Most likely, you were stung while collecting herbs on the mountain. Think carefully, were you pricked by anything?”

Yin Yin tilted her head and thought for a moment. Suddenly she let out an “Ah!” and said, “Right! When you found the seven star grass, I did feel something sting me.”

“Where?”

“My ankle. Right foot.”

Jia Qing thought for a moment, lifted a corner of the blanket, and gently took her right foot in his hands, removing her sock.

Yin Yin’s foot was fair and delicate, like a little white steamed bun— quite adorable.

Ling Long’s brows furrowed instinctively, while Jia Qing remained oblivious and began examining Yin Yin’s foot.

Sure enough, on her ankle, there was a small red dot, no larger than the eye of a needle.

“It’s definitely a flowerbee sting.” Jia Qing was about to put her sock back on when Ling Long reached out and stopped him. “I’ll do it.”

Jia Qing paused, then awkwardly withdrew his hand with a sheepish smile.

Ling Long carefully slipped the sock back onto Yin Yin’s foot and pulled the blanket up to cover her properly.

Jia Qing looked at Yin Yin and asked, “Why didn’t you tell me about it at the time?”

“I…… forgot.”

That was the truth.

She had been so overjoyed at finding seven star grass that she hadn’t even cared about such a small sting.

Jia Qing sighed and looked at her with a faint, wry smile. “Please take better care of your body in the future, Miss Yin. Otherwise, I might need ten lives to keep you alive.”

Yin Yin looked at him, puzzled. “What do you mean?”

Jia Qing didn’t reply. Instead, he gave Ling Long a meaningful glance.

Ling Long shot him a cold look. “You just said the patient needs quiet rest.”

Jia Qing stood up awkwardly. He suddenly felt like a matchmaker who was tossed over the wall right after leading the couple into the bridal chamber.

(｀ω´)

What did she miss while she was unconscious? Why does the atmosphere between these two feel…… off?

Yin Yin turned to look at Jia Qing’s departing figure, and a sudden searing pain flared up in her neck.

“Ow!” She couldn’t help but yelp.

“Careful.” Ling Long stepped forward and opened Yin Yin’s collar. “Your neck’s injured. Don’t move around too much.”

Right! That bastard Mo Lingya!

Yin Yin finally recalled that before blacking out, she was being held hostage by Mo Lingya!

“But don’t worry. I already chopped him back for you.”

Yin Yin: “……”

At that moment, she just wanted to ask— was Mo Lingya’s head still attached to his body?

If not…… she might consider doing a celebratory dance.

“Where’s Miss Gu?”

Ling Long looked at Yin Yin, who was lying pale-faced on the bed yet full of curiosity, and shook his head helplessly. “You still have the mind to worry about others?”

“……” Well, I’m curious.

“Gu Chenyan is still in Shigu Town.”

Still in Shigu Town?

That clearly wasn’t the answer Yin Yin expected.

Mo Lingya hadn’t taken her back with him? Didn’t he act like ‘if you don’t come with me^[1]爷 – yé – lit. grandfather; an arrogant way of addressing oneself, I won’t let you go’?

Nowadays, anyone who addressed themselves like that was clearly not someone to be trifled with.

Just look at her current condition. 🙁

────ρя


Sure enough, Gu Chenyan was still in Shigu Town. Three days later, after Yin Yin had recovered enough to get out of bed, she finally saw her.

Gu Chenyan looked somewhat apologetic upon seeing Yin Yin, and Yin Yin also noticed her discomfort. So she took the initiative to greet the other party casually, as if nothing had happened, “Good morning~”

“Good morning.”

……

That was a conversation with no room for follow-up. Epic fail.

“Uh, you and Mo Lingya……”

“We’ve called off the engagement.” Gu Chenyan lowered her eyes, thick lashes casting a faint shadow over her cheeks. “He’s returned to the capital.”

He figured it out that quickly with his emotional intelligence? Impossible.

Yin Yin increasingly felt she had missed out on a lot of gossip while she was unconscious.

Heartache.

“Then…… the two of you, it ended just like that?”

“Ended?” Gu Chenyan suddenly laughed. “We never even started.”

……

Never even started, and you were already discussing marriage?

Ancient people were really passionate and bold.

……Heh.

“Master, Master, you can get out of bed now~” Sang Ze came running over, full of joy, looking just like that stray puppy Yin Yin once picked up. “Look! I carved a doll and I’m giving it to you!”

Yin Yin took the small wooden doll from Sang Ze. The craftsmanship was extremely rough— barely resembling a human shape— but it was clear that a lot of effort had been put into it.

“This one is me! When I get better at it, I’ll carve one of Master and also give it to you.” Sang Ze wagged his big tail, eagerly awaiting praise.

Yin Yin patted his head approvingly. “Did Xue’er teach you this?”

“Mhm!” Sang Ze nodded vigorously. “Sister Xue’er is amazing! She can even carve big ships!”

Gu Chenyan smiled and said, “Xue’er learned woodworking from her father since she was young. Naturally, her skills are top-notch.”

Suddenly, Yin Yin’s hand trembled as she held the doll. Why does this doll look so much like the one from her dream?

But…… that was impossible.

Sang Ze had only carved this recently, so there was no way she could’ve seen it before.

Seeing her complexion turn pale, Gu Chenyan asked in concern, “Miss Yin, are you feeling unwell?”

Yin Yin calmed herself inwardly. “It’s nothing, maybe I’m just still a little weak.”

“Then let me help you back to your room to rest.”

She nodded without another word.

As soon as she lay down on the bed, Ling Long walked in with a bowl of medicine.

Even from a distance, the bitter herbal scent wafted over. Yin Yin instinctively frowned.

She hated drinking medicine!

Staring at the pitch-black bowl placed in front of her, she clamped her mouth shut.

“Open up.” Ling Long ordered, short and to the point.

She shook her head.

Ling Long frowned slightly. “Yinyin.”

A strong sense of threat lingered in the air.

Still, she shook her head.

Ling Long narrowed his eyes. “You want me to feed you again?”

Yin Yin instantly broke into a cold sweat.

Ling Long’s version of ‘feeding’ wasn’t the affectionate, mouth-to-mouth kind people saw on TV. It involved pressing acupuncture points to pry open her mouth and forcefully pouring it in!

That was not how it happened in dramas!

As she silently sang, Fairy tales are all lies, in her mind, Yin Yin downed the medicine with tears in her eyes.

She would rather die than go through the trauma of being force-fed again.

Ling Long looked satisfied as she finished drinking, and his frown finally relaxed. “Your body’s almost healed. I’m going to escort Du Qianqian to Prince Luo Manor.”

“Oh.” Yin Yin was still wiping her tears.

After a pause, Ling Long asked, “Are you going back to Yin Manor?”

Yin Yin’s hand froze mid-wipe. Was her crush…… going to abandon her?

No!!! [Er Kang hand.jpg^[2]a meme from the drama 《My Fair Princess》]

With tearful puppy eyes, she looked at him pitifully. If she’d known this would happen, she wouldn’t have wiped her tears so clean earlier. “Can I not go back?”

Ling Long looked at her and couldn’t help but chuckle softly. “Then where do you want to go?”

“Uh……” Yin Yin scratched her nose. “I suddenly feel like visiting the capital.”

“Oh.” Ling Long nodded lightly. “Prince Luo Manor is also in the capital.”

“What a coincidence.” She offered a fawning grin.

Ling Long lowered his eyes and chuckled again, then carried the empty bowl out.

Yin Yin blinked. Was that…… an approval?

She wasn’t kicked out by her crush?

Oh yeah! (^o^)/

────ρя


The day they were set to depart, Ling Long suddenly remembered he had forgotten someone.

“Li Li?!” Yin Yin gasped as she spotted a man bound tightly like a zongzi^[3]a traditional Chinese rice dish made of glutinous rice stuffed with different fillings and wrapped in bamboo leaves, curled up miserably in the woodshed. “Why are you here?”

“He’s the one who kept following us.” Ling Long replied. “Later, Mo Lingya just casually caught him.”

“……” Yin Yin stepped forward to untie Li Li. “Even so, you didn’t have to lock him up.”

“Mo Lingya did it. I just forgot about him later.” Ling Long answered without the slightest hint of guilt.

Yin Yin: “……” You’re really too careless.

“Eldest Miss! I can’t believe I get to see you again!” Li Li’s eyes welled up with tears.

Yin Yin’s lips twitched. “Why were you following us?”

“It was the master who sent me!” Li Li looked like a wronged little wife. “He was afraid you’d be in danger, so he asked me to protect you secretly.”

Yin Yin: “……”

She realized Yin Dongjiang truly was the perfect scapegoat for everything.

Even if she could only believe 30% of what Li Li said, Yin Yin didn’t press him further.

As long as he stayed close, his fox tail would show eventually.

Just as the group was preparing to leave, Gu Chenyan came running out of the house with a bundle in hand.

“Wait! I’m going to the capital with you!”