Imperial Physician Wen cleared his throat. “Your Highness, lay her down on the couch first.”  

Xuan Yanyu walked to the couch and sat down, letting Yan Yuning lean against his shoulder while his arm naturally wrapped around her waist. “This prince thinks that since the Second Miss Yan is yet to be married, and you’ve already lain on this bed, it would be improper for her to lie on it as well. Let’s just have her lean like this for the examination.”  

Physician Wen’s eye twitched.  

Yejian took a bite of his pancake, giving his master a look of utter speechlessness.  

Not only did their Xuanzhao Kingdom have no such custom, but even the Qilan Kingdom didn’t have such a rule either.  

Xuan Yanyu found a handkerchief from somewhere and draped it over Yan Yuning’s wrist, coughing lightly. “Hurry up with the examination. This prince has matters to attend to. Don’t waste time.”  

Physician Wen: “…”  

Yejian: “…”  

Physician Wen stepped forward and carefully took Yan Yuning’s pulse through the handkerchief. “Your Highness, allow me to check the young lady’s eyes to confirm…”  

Under Xuan Yanyu’s icy gaze, Physician Wen pursed his lips. “Your Highness, this young lady was previously poisoned. She must have taken something to forcibly suppress it…”  

“Get to the point,” the man’s thin lips pressed together.  

“I’ll prescribe a dose of medicine for her. Once she takes it and vomits out the poisoned blood, she’ll recover.”  

“Her body is very weak.”  

“Your Highness, that’s just an illusion. Once the medicine forces out all the poisoned blood in one go and no residual toxins remain, she’ll be fine.”  

Xuan Yanyu lowered his head to look at the girl in his arms, his voice slightly hoarse. “What poison did she take? How long has it been?”  

“Your Highness, only the young lady herself would know that. She took an antidote to suppress the poison, so I can’t detect what kind of poison it was.”  

Xuan Yanyu’s Adam’s apple bobbed a few times. “Yejian, take the medicine to Taoyuan Manor.”  

With that, he picked up Yan Yuning and strode out of the inn.  

“Understood, Your Highness.” Yejian bowed respectfully to Xuan Yanyu’s retreating figure.  

“So this is our future Crown Princess? She’s truly beautiful, a perfect match for His Highness. His Majesty the Xuan King has excellent taste.” Physician Wen stroked his beard with a smile.  

Yejian’s face fell. “It’s over, it’s over. Physician Wen, it’s over.”  

Physician Wen raised his hand and smacked Yejian’s shoulder, glaring in irritation. “I’m perfectly fine! What do you mean it’s over?!”  

“Not you—it’s me! When we return, His Majesty the Xuan King will surely have me and Yechen executed!” Yejian took a big, miserable bite of his pancake, chewing listlessly.  

Physician Wen’s expression shifted. “This young lady isn’t the Crown Princess?”  

“No, she’s the Crown Princess’s younger sister.” Yejian frowned deeply, his appetite for the pancake completely gone.  

“There’s no need to worry too much. As long as the eldest Miss Yan is still here, His Highness would never marry someone else as Crown Princess, no matter how much he likes this girl. At most, she’d become a concubine. Why the fuss?”  

Yejian sighed, his expression shifting again. “Quick, quick! The medicine—go prepare it now. If we’re late, His Highness will grow impatient.”  

He pushed Physician Wen toward the door. Physician Wen stumbled, nearly falling. “What’s the rush? Stop shoving me, you—”  

…

Yan Yuning felt a suffocating pressure in her chest while dreaming. Her eyes flew open, and she leaned over the edge of the bed, vomiting a mouthful of black blood.  

“Pah! Pah!” Yan Yuning wiped her mouth roughly with her sleeve.  

She shook her head, feeling no dizziness at all. [Fafa, I’m not dizzy anymore. I feel much better.]

Fafa: [? Master, that shouldn’t be the case. Logically, you should still be vomiting for a few more days.]

Yan Yuning slipped on her shoes, poured a cup of water, and rinsed her mouth. [Where’s Xuan Yanyu? Wasn’t he looking for me before I passed out?]

Fafa: [Master, you were in a deep coma. I lost connection with the outside world—how would I know?] 

Yan Yuning: […]

Fafa: [Right now, he’s searching for Yan Shiyao. He doesn’t have time for you.]

[What happened to my sister?] Yan Yuning grabbed a cloth and began cleaning the floor.

Fafa: [She was locked in a secret chamber by Luo Xuan.]

[??? What does she want?] Yan Yuning pressed her pink lips into a thin line.  

Fafa: [Master, don’t worry. She won’t hurt Yan Shiyao. Her target is Qi Qingchen.]

Yan Yuning let out a sigh of relief. [What’s the plot? How was it written in the book?]

Fafa: [She wants to marry Qi Qingchen!]

Yan Yuning: […] 

“Second Miss Yan.” The door was pushed open, and Luo Xuan stood there, her red lips curving into a smile.  

Yan Yuning tossed the cloth in her hand aside and looked up at the newcomer. “Clan Leader Luo, do you need something from me?”  

“Second Miss Yan, Young Master Xuan is currently searching frantically for your elder sister.” Luo Xuan giggled. “Don’t you think it’s despicable of her? She clearly has feelings for Brother Qingchen, yet she keeps entangling herself with Young Master Xuan.”  

Luo Xuan had thoroughly investigated the Yan sisters. Both were legitimate daughters of the Prime Minister’s household, yet one was doted on by her parents while the other had been abandoned at her maternal grandparents’ home, neglected and ignored. There had to be resentment festering in her heart.  

That day, when Yan Yuning had fainted, she had come out of Xuan Yanyu’s room—proof enough that her feelings for him were anything but ordinary. With just a little provocation, Luo Xuan was sure Yan Yuning could be used to her advantage.  

“Second Miss Yan, if Yan Shiyao truly treated you as a sister, she wouldn’t have entangled herself with Young Master Xuan knowing full well that you have feelings for him. She clearly doesn’t see you as family.”  

Yan Yuning nearly choked on her own saliva. What? She had feelings for Xuan Yanyu?  

Feelings for Xuan Yanyu???

Wasn’t this pure slander???  

She, Yan Yuning, had feelings for Xuan Yanyu???  

What kind of joke was this!!!  

She was determined to return home—how could she possibly develop feelings for a fictional character? If she suddenly went back one day, falling for someone in a book would only bring her pain!  

No way!  

Especially not Xuan Yanyu! Just thinking about how she’d eventually be killed by him sent shivers down her spine. How could she ever have feelings for him?  

Ridiculous!  

Though she didn’t understand why she had transmigrated into this novel in the first place, she firmly believed she could return—just as suddenly as she had arrived. Maybe one day, she’d wake up back in her own world.  

“Second Miss Yan, let’s cooperate.” Luo Xuan smiled enchantingly.  

Yan Yuning blinked.  

…

After Luo Xuan left, Yan Yuning lazily sprawled across the round table, idly toying with a teacup, her gaze distant.  

[Fafa, are you sure Luo Xuan won’t harm my sister?]

Fafa: [Positive.]

Yan Yuning dipped her finger in the tea and traced a cross on the table. [Fafa, her offer is… very tempting.]

Fafa: [? Master, aren’t you afraid your sister will stop eating again?! Besides, didn’t Luo Xuan fail in the original plot?]

[She can’t just starve herself forever. In the book, Luo Xuan failed because Xuan Yanyu rescued my sister, and she stopped the wedding.]

Fafa: [Then what do you plan to do? In the original story, the male lead, Qi Qingchen, trusted Luo Xuan completely, which was why he carelessly drank the “tea” she prepared, giving her the opportunity to force this wedding.]

Fafa: [Luo Xuan wanted to act first and seek forgiveness later, but the female lead, Yan Shiyao, stopped it. Master, no matter what happens, this wedding is destined to fail.]

Yan Yuning blew her bangs out of her face. [What if it succeeds? If it does, even if my sister is willing, Chu Wantang would never allow her to marry Qi Qingchen as a concubine. That means Xuan Yanyu’s chances would rise, and I’d be safe!]

Fafa: [Master, have you considered that the Qi Emperor would never allow an ordinary woman to become the principal wife of his most favored prince?]

[Tch, that’s up to Luo Xuan’s skills. Didn’t you understand her meaning? She’s dead set on having Qi Qingchen—how could she possibly let anyone else take the position of principal wife?]

Yan Yuning pinched the medicine packet Luo Xuan had given her between two fingers, examining it thoughtfully.