Chapter 11: Second Wear

Wei Tingchun absolutely refused to drink the medicine.  

Being tormented was one thing, but she couldn’t die like this.  

Eunuch Ruyi had always disliked the original owner of Wei Tingchun’s body. Seeing her refusal to drink the medicine, his aged face darkened, and without hesitation, he called out, “Someone! Can’t you see the old nanny can’t hold the bowl steady anymore? Help her.”  

Immediately, two young eunuchs seized Wei Tingchun by the arms, one on each side.  

Wei Tingchun nearly blurted out, *Godfather, do you still remember your godson by the Daming Lake?!*  

Having spent so many years in the palace, even rising to serve by the side of an unfavored imperial son, Eunuch Ruyi was ruthless and decisive in his dealings—cruelty and cunning were inevitable.  

Wei Tingchun wasn’t the type to resign herself to fate either. Most importantly, she had to at least preserve the story’s climax!  

So she abandoned all pretense of dignity, howling and thrashing. Taking advantage of her burly frame, she knocked one eunuch over, scrambled up, and bolted outside.  

Running was strictly forbidden in the palace, let alone sprinting. On the way here with Eunuch Ruyi, Wei Tingchun had already noted some of the Imperial Guards’ patrol points.  

She figured if she ran out now, spotted the Imperial Guard commander, and started screaming like a madwoman, she might just get an arrow through her chest in no time.  

Thus, she ran with purpose and reckless determination, even shoving the old eunuch aside as she passed him.  

Some of the palace servants rushed to help Eunuch Ruyi, while only a few gave chase.  

From behind, she heard Eunuch Ruyi yelp, then shriek in his shrill voice, “Quick, catch her! All of you, go!”  

Wei Tingchun flew like the wind, her flabby flesh jiggling wildly. Who would’ve thought? She shot out like a cannonball, so fast that even the two guards at the Imperial Son Courtyard couldn’t react in time.  

And just like that, she escaped.  

She sprinted straight toward the watchtower where the Imperial Guard commander was most likely stationed, putting every ounce of strength she had into it. But while her dreams were grand, reality was harsh.  

This body was old and sickly. After half a lane, her vision blurred, her legs turned to jelly, her stomach twisted in agony, and a metallic taste rose in her throat.  

Seeing the flock of “ducklings” chasing after her like a mother duck, Wei Tingchun gritted her teeth and pushed on.  

But soon, darkness swallowed her vision, and she collapsed face-first onto the ground.  

Instinctively, she tried to break her fall with her hands—only to hear a sickening *crack*.  

Then, she lost consciousness.  

Since her death and her soul’s employment under the main system, her career had never suffered such a crushing defeat.  

And it all started because she wanted to save a “cat.”  

When Wei Tingchun woke again, she found herself lying on a warm, soft bed.  

For a moment, she thought she’d returned to the System Space. But before she could even open her eyes, her nose twitched at a rich, soothing fragrance—so intoxicating it made her bones melt, as if she could sink into the bedding forever.  

The bedding… embroidered with gold and silver threads, its satin surface blooming with vibrant flowers.  

Above her, the Auspicious Beast Brazier exhaled curling wisps of smoke, while the half-drawn bed curtains hung in layers, opulent and heavy.  

Wei Tingchun tried to prop herself up—only to find her wrist shackled to the exquisitely carved bedpost.

Wei Tingchun’s pupils trembled violently.

This shouldn’t be happening to her!

Soon, the excruciating pain jolted her fully awake.

She found her left hand clamped between wooden splints, wrapped in layer upon layer of bandages. The pain radiated from her wrist, reminding her of the moment before darkness swallowed her vision during her escape attempt—her left hand had hit the ground first, accompanied by that sickening crack…

So the bandages were likely to prevent her from moving recklessly.

The bindings were loose, tied with slipknots that could be easily undone.

Wei Tingchun undid them and was about to get out of bed when two maidservants emerged from behind the folding screen.

Seeing her rise, they hurried forward attentively, one on each side, swiftly assisting her while asking gently, “Has Madam woken? Do you need to relieve yourself?”

Wei Tingchun: “…”

She wasn’t stupid. She knew she must have been recaptured by the Eleventh Prince—this was his territory now.

Honestly, she’d been foolish to pity him!

No matter how miserable or neglected he might be, he was still a privileged imperial prince. Any prince who survived in the palace was undoubtedly formidable. What business did a wretched, ailing old servant like her have feeling sorry for him?

A wave of exhaustion washed over Wei Tingchun, mingled with a profound sense of betrayal.

With the world already so derailed, she just wanted to die quickly and return.

In her anger, she stopped thinking of him as “kitten” or even Xue Ying in her mind, reverting to “the Eleventh Prince.”

Waving the maids away, she sat heavily on the edge of the bed and demanded bluntly, “No food, no drink, no pissing. I want to see the Eleventh Prince.”

The maids’ expressions remained unchanged. One gestured to the other, who soon returned from the outer chamber with a bowl of medicinal broth.

Wei Tingchun: “…”

“I won’t drink it. I want to see the Eleventh Prince!”

The maids exchanged glances before carrying the bowl back out.

Soon, they all withdrew from the room.

Wei Tingchun immediately bent to search for her shoes. Finding none, she simply strode barefoot toward the door.

Though she didn’t understand how the plot had collapsed into this mess, she truly couldn’t stay in this world any longer.

But when she reached the door and pushed, she found it locked!

Ah! Those two maids had locked her in—what nonsense was this?

This wasn’t how the story was supposed to go!

Wei Tingchun shook the door vigorously, her face a picture of despair.

Meanwhile, next door, the maids passed through a small entrance into a room identical in layout to Wei Tingchun’s.

Kneeling before a folding screen, one raised a tray and reported, “Your Highness, the Madam still refuses to take the medicine.”

No sound came from behind the screen, but a shadow shifted upon it. Then a calm, aged voice spoke: “His Highness’ health is stable. However, the Blazing Fire Poison in that servant’s body—had it been treated when first contracted, there might have been hope. But after festering for years, the toxins have penetrated her organs, forming a Flesh Tumor like a Volcano. Her swollen belly and frequent agonizing pains mean medicine can no longer cure her.”

“Your Highness, at this stage, we can only alleviate her suffering and delay the ‘Volcano’s’ eruption within her abdomen.”

Silence lingered after these words until a slightly hoarse voice finally responded, “I understand. Imperial Physician Chen, you may retire.”

“As you command.” Imperial Physician Chen rose and stepped out from behind the screen, revealing his advanced age.

Once a retainer of Consort Qing, he had become the Eleventh Prince’s man after her death.

With a goatee, he didn’t look like an imperial physician at first glance, but rather had the dignified appearance of an incorruptible civil official.

Carrying his medicine chest, he left without understanding why the Eleventh Prince, who had initially ordered him to find such a torturous poison to make someone suffer a living death, had suddenly changed his mind and now demanded he spare no effort in treating that convict slave.  

But as an imperial physician, he had long learned to turn a blind eye to all doubts and confusion, simply following orders.  

Only after Imperial Physician Chen left did movement come from behind the screen.  

A figure dressed in plain brocade robes, wearing a white jade crown, stepped out from behind the screen.  

Unlike the disheveled state he had been in when he was framed and sent to the Cold Palace, he was now impeccably dressed, with jade pendants chiming at his waist. Though his robes were plain, the shifting light upon them as he moved resembled flowing clouds and changing hues, exuding nobility.  

Just as Wei Tingchun had thought—after all, he was still a prince. No matter how much the emperor disliked him, for the sake of his own dignity, he wouldn’t mistreat him in terms of clothing, food, or lodging.  

Yet, even fine silks and embroidered robes couldn’t conceal the excessive pallor of his delicate face.  

His refined features and gaunt frame made him appear truly emaciated, his complexion sickly, and his eyes as still as stagnant water.  

The entire person resembled a carefully cultivated seedling in a greenhouse—untouched by wind or sun, yet still withering away.  

From head to toe, the only spot of color was the faint red between his brows, like a drop of cinnabar fallen onto ink wash, barely lending him a trace of vitality.  

He stood before two maids, looking down at the steaming bowl of medicine on the tray, its wisps of white vapor curling upward.  

“Did she say anything?”  

One of the maids replied, “Your Highness, the matron woke up and immediately asked to see you.”  

After a moment, he reached out and took the tray, murmuring softly, “You may leave. I’ll deliver it myself.”  

The two maids promptly bowed and retreated, exiting the room.  

Xue Ying carried the tray and slowly walked to the hidden door connecting the two rooms, nervously pressing his lips together before activating the mechanism and entering.  

Meanwhile, inside the room, Wei Tingchun was holding a vase, ready to hurl it at the window in an attempt to smash her way out.  

But she hesitated slightly—after all, this was ancient times, and these vases, especially those displayed in a prince’s quarters, couldn’t possibly be fakes…  

In her past life, she had lived frugally—no, not just frugally, but in outright poverty.  

She had lived poor, and even her death had been tied to money. She had never been one to waste it.  

The vase was too exquisite. Wei Tingchun lifted it a couple of times but didn’t throw it at the window. Instead, she cradled it and moved closer to the light to examine the intricate patterns.  

Gilded, no less! In the modern world, this would easily fetch… a few hundred thousand?  

“If you like that one, I’ll give it to you.”  

Wei Tingchun’s hands trembled, nearly dropping the vase.  

She spun around in alarm to see Xue Ying standing behind her, holding a tray, looking every bit the proper noble.  

Her first thought was—the doors and windows were locked, so how had he gotten in? He couldn’t have been hiding in the room the whole time, could he? Why hadn’t she heard a sound?  

Her expression immediately soured as she remembered how he had deceived her, stirring a flash of anger—but that anger deflated as quickly as a punctured tire.  

Instead, she felt a strange fascination.  

This was the first time she had seen Xue Ying looking like a proper person, not the pitiful, bullied wretch she was used to.

The young man’s figure was slender and upright, like jade carved to perfection, like a painting or a poem.  

Standing there, he looked just like a little kitten that had been washed clean and had its fur fluffed up. He was gentle and harmless to the extreme, with a hint of cautious hesitation in his eyes.  

Wei Tingchun’s anger dissipated with a soft *pfft*, vanishing without a trace—utterly and embarrassingly.  

Ah, forget it.  

Why should she pick a fight with a little kitten?  

What bad intentions could a little kitten possibly have?