Jiang Yanyi stopped in her tracks. “If you don’t drink the medicine, I won’t come over.”

“If this prince doesn’t drink, then this prince will just stay here and drink it!”

Seeing that she had no intention of approaching, Feng Shuo tilted his head back and swallowed the entire concoction.

Despite the distance, his sense of taste was still sharp, and for the first time, he drank something so bitter while still conscious.

The taste was so awful that it twisted his entire face.

Jiang Yanyi looked at him in alarm. “Are you okay?”

Feng Shuo squeezed out two words between his teeth, “I’m fine.”

Jiang Yanyi thought to herself, based on your expression, you seem anything but fine.

However, she didn’t have the courage to say it out loud.

Feng Shuo strode back to the stone table, picked up the teapot, and prepared to rinse his mouth out.

Jiang Yanyi noticed his intention and quickly pressed down on the teapot. “Tea neutralizes the medicine. I’ll boil you some water instead.”

Once she had boiled the water, Feng Shuo felt like he might die from the taste.

He glared at Jiang Yanyi. “You did that on purpose!”

Although his expression was fierce, strangely, Jiang Yanyi didn’t feel scared at all.

In fact, she felt a bit amused and couldn’t help but smile.

Feng Shuo’s face darkened further. “What are you laughing at?”

Jiang Yanyi took out a pack of pine nut candy she had bought at the market when she went to buy the ginseng.

She had picked it up for Qiu Kui, who loved sweet treats, but now it was coming in handy.

“The medicine is a bit bitter. Here, have some sweets to counter it.”

Feng Shuo turned his face away. “Do you think this prince is a three-year-old child?”

Jiang Yanyi directly took a piece of candy and ate it. “Who said only children can eat candy?”

Feng Shuo turned his head and suddenly grabbed her hand, pulling her half-eaten piece of pine nut candy away from her.

He bit into it, crunching it as if he were chewing not on the candy but on her instead.

Jiang Yanyi was taken aback by his sudden action and stood there in shock.

Feng Shuo’s gaze was full of mischief. “You know this prince’s feelings for you, but if you’re not prepared for it, don’t provoke me!”

He pushed aside the gauzy curtain, and after feeling embarrassed, Jiang Yanyi suddenly found the courage to meet his gaze. “Prince… what do you see in me?”

Her autumn water-like eyes were extremely beautiful, and when she focused on someone, it gave the impression of deep affection.

Feng Shuo’s grip on her wrist didn’t loosen; instead, it seemed to tighten further.

He gazed into her clear, shimmering eyes. “If this prince knew, it would be great.”

The delicate and soft wrist he held felt so fragile that it seemed he could break it with a gentle twist.

The warmth he felt extended into his heart like tender shoots, causing his heartbeat to race uncontrollably, and his mind filled with wild thoughts.

Feng Shuo irritably withdrew his hand and turned his face away from Jiang Yanyi. “You can leave now.”

Jiang Yanyi suddenly got angry as well. “Just because you’re a prince, I must respond if you show interest in me?”

“Perhaps you’re just feeling impulsive, but I have to pay a lifetime of consequences. I’m timid and don’t dare to aspire to such heights.”

Feng Shuo picked up on the nuance in her words and shouted, “Who said this prince is being impulsive?”

He stared at Jiang Yanyi. “If you just say you’re willing, I’ll immediately send someone to propose marriage and marry you.”

Jiang Yanyi almost choked on her own saliva.

What kind of train of thought was this? Why did it suddenly jump to marriage?

“You’re a prince; you can’t choose your princess so casually.”

The formal proposals and rituals were reserved for marrying a main wife.

In his position, his primary and secondary wives would undoubtedly be carefully chosen by his advisers, either for their political ties or military support.

It was impossible for him to marry a woman who could offer him no advantages.

Feng Shuo understood the implication behind her words and scoffed, “Back when I had nothing, I still managed to lay the foundation for what I have today. If I can’t even make my own decision about marriage now, then all my efforts over the years would have been for nothing.”

His gaze deepened as it landed on Jiang Yanyi. “Whether you agree or not, it’s up to you.”

Jiang Yanyi was stunned.

She had thought she was going to deal with a confession, but now it had somehow turned into a marriage proposal.

Things were getting more complicated by the moment, so she raised her hand to stop Feng Shuo from saying more. “Wait… let’s sort this out first.”

Feng Shuo remained silent, waiting for her to speak.

Jiang Yanyi, feeling both confused and dazed, pointed at herself. “You… like me?”

Feng Shuo gave a small “hmm,” his ears turning slightly red.

Jiang Yanyi continued, “But you’ve never formally expressed your feelings to me before. Let’s consider today the first time.”

Feng Shuo rebutted, “I’ve asked you before.”

Even though that time had been a misunderstanding.

Jiang Yanyi also remembered the “asking” he referred to, but before she could say anything, Feng Shuo cut in directly, “Fine, consider today the first time.”

Jiang Yanyi nodded and went on, “So, you’ve expressed your feelings, but I haven’t even had time to process them. Don’t you think it’s a bit sudden to jump straight to marriage?”

Feng Shuo thought to himself, How was I supposed to know liking someone was this complicated?

He figured if they liked each other, then things should just fall into place.

After all, he had already set his heart on her.

Still, he knew women tended to be shy, so it was probably best to give her some leeway.

Wait a minute!

Feng Shuo’s eyes suddenly lit up like stars in the night sky. “So, you’re saying we’ll discuss marriage later?”

Translated, didn’t that mean there was hope?

Jiang Yanyi, feeling pressured by his intense gaze, hurriedly added, “That’s not the same as agreeing to anything! We can… take our time getting to know each other better, see if we’re compatible, and then consider the future.”

Perhaps it was because of the sweet pine nut candy earlier, but now Feng Shuo didn’t find anything bitter at all.

He was sharp.

Even though Jiang Yanyi spoke vaguely, he still pressed for the answer he wanted. “So, you have feelings for me too?”

Jiang Yanyi, not as thick-skinned as he was, blushed furiously and glared at him in frustration.

How could she not be moved?

It’s just that she had too many secrets, and that had kept her from getting too close.

Feng Shuo, in a rare moment of pure joy, laughed heartily.

Without hesitation, he grabbed her hand and began to drag her out. “You haven’t met my mother yet. I’ll take you to meet her!”

Jiang Yanyi almost fell to her knees.

Who does things like this?

Jumping straight to meeting the family without any mental preparation whatsoever!

She clung tightly to his hand. “Your Highness… this is way too fast. I haven’t even agreed to your feelings yet!”

Feng Shuo was momentarily stunned, his brows furrowing again. “But don’t you like me too?”

Perhaps because she now knew he wasn’t as fierce as he appeared, Jiang Yanyi found the courage to speak up. “There are many in this world who care deeply for one another, yet they can’t always be together. I’m honored by your affection, and I do respect you, but… I’ve been keeping things from you, Your Highness. I feel guilty about it.”

“Please give me a little more time. When I’ve sorted things out, I’ll tell you what I’ve been hiding and give you a proper answer.”

Feng Shuo frowned, finding this all very troublesome. “What could you possibly be hiding from me?”

The only thing he could think of was her concealed identity.

He had planned to tell her right then that he had already known all along, but Jiang Yanyi said, “There’s a lot.”

“When I’ve thought things through, I’ll tell you everything.”

Hearing the words “a lot,” Feng Shuo swallowed the truth he had been about to reveal.

Instead, he replied, “You’ll need to give me a deadline.”

Jiang Yanyi thought for a moment and said, “How about one month?”

One month—enough time to spend with him and figure out whether he was truly someone she could entrust her life to.