Exiting the dark dungeon, the guard Cheng Huai came forward to report. “Your subordinate returned to Chengxian Street, but did not find the Princess Consort’s earring.”

Yan Xuecuī chuckled softly. “Someone picked it up?”

Cheng Huai speculated. “Perhaps the maids by the Princess’s side noticed and took it back, or perhaps a passing commoner found it.”

“Perhaps?” Yan Xuecuī repeated.

Cheng Huai’s back broke into a cold sweat. Knowing his master disliked such ambiguous statements, he immediately cupped his hands. “Your subordinate will investigate at once!”

…

Chi Ying soon finished washing Prince Zhao’s silk handkerchief, pondering when she should send it back to him.

Baoshan volunteered to run the errand for her, but she was stopped by the guards at Yangui Tower.

The armored guard, with his sharp brows and hawk-like eyes, showed no mercy. He raised a hand to turn her away. “His Highness is not at the estate today. You should return, girl.”

It didn’t matter that Baoshan was the Princess Consort’s personal maid; even if Chi Ying herself had come, the guard would have said the same.

Judging by the Prince’s absence on the wedding day, it was clear the Princess was not favored. Moreover, they couldn’t be sure she wasn’t a spy sent from the outside. The estate guards naturally could not lower their vigilance.

Over the years, many women had tried to approach the Prince. Without his explicit permission, they would not accept or pass along any sachets, handkerchiefs, or other items sent by women.

Baoshan wanted to ask more, but the guard’s fierce gaze frightened her into retreating.

Upon her return, Baoshan spoke the truth. Chi Ying took back the handkerchief, her expression showing no disappointment.

If she hadn’t used Prince Zhao’s handkerchief and promised to wash and return it, she would never have wanted to initiate contact.

Xiangqin added, “It is just a single silk handkerchief. Surely Prince Zhao does not lack them, and he likely forgot about it long ago.”

She was Madam Yin’s trusted maid, and she had been instructed to ensure the substitution was never exposed. She had to help smooth things over at every turn. Now that Prince Zhao was not only alive but also involved with Chi Ying, and given his bloodthirsty nature, Xiangqin was terrified. Every time she thought of the corpses littering Chengxian Street that night, she couldn’t help but shudder.

Chi Ying remained silent for a moment. Just as she was about to put the handkerchief away, Auntie Fangchun walked in and caught sight of it.

“Is that His Highness’s handkerchief?”

Chi Ying’s fingers paused. Seeing she couldn’t hide it, she explained the origin of the cloth. She thought of asking Auntie Fangchun to deliver it, as she was a veteran of the estate and would not be stopped at Yangui Tower.

Unexpectedly, before she could speak, Auntie Fangchun said, “Why doesn’t the Princess deliver it herself?”

Chi Ying hurried to reply. “His Highness is busy with affairs and is injured. How could I rashly disturb him?”

“How could it be a disturbance?” Fangchun stared at the silk, her eyes full of lingering astonishment. “You are new here, so you do not know that His Highness’s personal garments are handled by specific people. He never lets outsiders touch his private items. Since he was willing to let you use his own handkerchief, it means he regards you as someone close to him.”

Chi Ying felt that the woman might have a misunderstanding about Prince Zhao, but she couldn’t show her reluctance. She made an excuse. “Another day… When His Highness returns to the estate, I will go personally.”

She intended to delay, but Auntie Fangchun took it to heart. The next day at noon, after hearing that Prince Zhao had returned, she immediately went to the room to pass the news.

The implication was clear: she could return the handkerchief now and use the chance to check on the Prince’s injuries and grow closer to him.

Chi Ying was helpless and could only agree. After all, in a normal marriage, there was no reason for a wife to stand by while her husband was heavily injured without visiting.

After a brief preparation, the mistress and her servants headed toward Yangui Tower.

Yangui Tower featured flying eaves and bracket sets, standing five stories tall. It was seven rooms wide, covered in colorful paintings on the beams and rafters. The golden glazed tiles on the hip-and-gable roof were as beautiful as clouds, and the golden bells under the eaves tinkled in the wind.

Auntie Fangchun introduced the place. “The estate’s library and His Highness’s study are located here. There are also places for quiet cultivation within. His Highness often stays here for short periods.”

Chi Ying nodded at everything.

Seeing it was Auntie Fangchun, the guards were much more polite. They glanced at the Princess and Baoshan, whom they had seen that morning, but said nothing before turning inside to report.

Chi Ying stood at the steps and waited quietly. Her mind replayed the man’s elegant yet dangerous words from the carriage. Especially after he caught her looking at him several times, she felt her scalp tingle with lingering fear.

Before long, a guard returned. “His Highness invites the Princess Consort and Auntie Fangchun inside.”

Chi Ying took a deep breath and slowly stepped onto the white marble stairs.

Baoshan and Xiangqin were about to follow, but the guard blocked them. “His Highness only said the Princess and Auntie Fangchun may enter. No one else is permitted.”

The two maids had to step aside.

Prince Zhao’s personal eunuch, Yuan De, met them at the door with a smile. He bowed. “Wishing the Princess Consort ten thousand blessings and peace.”

Seeing he was pale and beardless with a soft voice, Chi Ying guessed he was a servant brought from the palace. She quickly told him to rise.

Auntie Fangchun was familiar with Yuan De. As they entered, she asked, “I heard Court Physician Lin came to the estate today. Is His Highness’s injury alright?”

Yuan De replied, “His Highness is recovering well. The previous wounds are showing signs of improvement, and his eyes have been treated with fresh medicine, but…”

His gaze shifted, secretly scanning the silent Princess. Out of caution, he did not reveal the true state of the Prince’s eyes.

Chi Ying did not care. She climbed the stairs. Gradually, the faint scent of medicine and Galan incense wafted into her nose.

Upon reaching the top-floor bedroom, they saw a man leaning against a daybed. He wore frost-white sleepwear, his eyes covered with snow-white gauze, and his robes half-open. A section of white bandage was visible on his chest. His arm rested casually on a red sandalwood table while an attendant dressed his wound.

Yuan De announced, “Your Highness, the Princess Consort has arrived.”

Chi Ying lowered her eyes, not daring to look too much. She bowed and carefully returned the handkerchief.

Yan Xuecuī’s lips curled slightly. “It is just a handkerchief, yet the Princess has troubled herself… Did you wash this personally?”

Chi Ying didn’t know why he asked. She assumed he was naturally clean and didn’t want coarse-handed old women touching his things.

Thinking of this, she answered truthfully. “Yes.”

The handkerchief was delivered, and she didn’t want to stay. Just as she was looking for an excuse to leave, she heard Prince Zhao let out a sharp hiss of pain.

Everyone in the room instantly tensed up. The attendant dressing the wound, Qing Ze, felt his hand shake. He immediately knelt to confess his crime. “Your Highness, forgive me! This servant did not know the proper weight…”

Yan Xuecuī’s brow furrowed slightly, but he only said, “It is fine. You may leave.”

Cold sweat broke out on Qing Ze’s forehead; his whole body was trembling. He was always meticulous, which was why he was kept by the Prince’s side. Dressing wounds was something he was used to, and he had been using light pressure. He didn’t know what had gone wrong to cause the Prince pain.

One must know that in the past, the Prince wouldn’t make a sound even if he were stabbed multiple times or had an arrow pulled from his flesh.

Could it really be that he had a momentary lapse in focus?

Yuan De was about to step forward to take over, but Auntie Fangchun caught his eye. “Since the Princess is here, why not let her dress the wound for His Highness?”

Chi Ying was caught completely off guard. She instinctively wanted to use her lack of skill as an excuse, but she didn’t expect Prince Zhao to open his thin lips and utter a single word. “Very well.”

She was now trapped. “This concubine has never done this before…”

Fangchun smiled. “There is a first time for everything. The Princess is gentle and attentive. Why worry about not being able to do it?”

Yuan De stole a glance at Prince Zhao. Seeing his master smiling without a word, he understood. He handed over the medicine. “Please try, Princess.”

Chi Ying had no choice. She took the ointment, her fingers gripping the porcelain bottle tightly. She slowly stepped forward and leaned over Prince Zhao.

The sweet scent of neroli quietly drifted past his nose. Her warm breath, sometimes close and sometimes far, brushed against the wound on his forearm. It stirred a dull itch that came with healing. Yan Xuecuī inconspicuously tightened his palm.

In that moment, Chi Ying even thought about pretending to be clumsy and hurting him. If she did, Auntie Fangchun would likely give up the idea of pushing her forward to serve him.

But thinking of Prince Zhao’s gloomy and bloodthirsty nature, she feared the retaliation she might face for offending him. She abandoned the thought.

As her gaze fell on the mangled wound on the man’s arm, her pupils shook. She snapped back to her senses.

The wound was jagged, showing signs of having been stitched with fine thread. The edges of the flesh were red and twisted, looking terrifying. It was hard to imagine the danger he had been in.

Chi Ying remembered Auntie Fangchun saying that Prince Zhao had been injured by Consort Zhuang. The wound was not smooth like a sword cut; it looked as if a sharp object had been stabbed in and then violently torn, creating this ugly, centipede-like scar.

Prince Zhao lowered his head slightly toward the source of the warm breath. He could feel, quite clearly, that she was holding her breath.

He pondered for a moment before asking with a smile, “Is my wound very ugly?”

Chi Ying’s fingers trembled as she hurried to pull her thoughts back. “No, it is not ugly…”

Her mind was a mess. It seemed every time he spoke, he caught her unprepared.

Yan Xuecuī asked, “Not ugly?”

Chi Ying said softly, “As long as Your Highness continues to apply the medicine, the wound will heal quickly. The scar will eventually fade.”

Yan Xuecuī seemed to laugh. “Is that so?”

Chi Ying nodded, the tassels on her hair ornaments swaying. But then she heard Prince Zhao laugh. “My apologies, I cannot see. Are you nodding or shaking your head?”

Chi Ying could only say, “I am nodding. Please do not worry, Your Highness.”

She lowered her head and focused all her attention on applying the ointment.

Fortunately, she had dressed her mother’s wounds before. In the years her mother had been bedridden, Chi Ying had looked after her daily. Her hands were steady and gentle. She barely touched the man’s skin, and she soon finished applying the medicine and bandaging the arm.

As she tied the final knot in the gauze, she let out a soft sigh. She did not notice the unnoticeable tremor in the man’s knuckles.

The Court Physician Lin, seeing her handle it well, couldn’t help but praise her. “The Princess’s method is gentle and efficient, with just the right amount of tension. It is no less than that of my own pupils.”

Yan Xuecuī smiled. “I thought the Princess was born to nobility and would not be skilled in such things. I didn’t expect her to be so adept. It is my good fortune.”

Chi Ying hadn’t noticed anything wrong with the physician’s praise, but hearing Prince Zhao’s words, her mind exploded with a roar of panic. Cold sweat began to pour.

Yes, Chi Yingyue had never worked a day in her life. While her skills in music and painting weren’t the best, her daily life consisted of elegant activities like burning incense, tasting tea, and arranging flowers. She had never dressed a wound.

She was so afraid of her movements being unsteady and displeasing the Prince that she had been too skillful.

Chi Ying’s heart raced. She gripped her fingers, trying to calm herself down.

Perhaps it was just polite small talk. Would a normal person suspect her identity based on this? She was just feeling guilty and losing her composure.

“It… it was a female physician my mother hired to teach me,” Chi Ying explained after a moment of thought. “Before the wedding, my mother heard Your Highness was heavily injured. She specifically invited a female physician to the estate to teach some simple medical principles and bandaging techniques. I am dull and have only learned a few things. I have made a fool of myself before Your Highness.”

Yan Xuecuī captured the flaw in her words with precision. “But didn’t the Princess just say she had never done this before? One might think you simply didn’t want to be close to me.”

Chi Ying’s heart went cold. Her back felt a lingering chill.

Hearing her erratic breathing, Yan Xuecuī couldn’t help but laugh. “It was just a joke. Did I scare you?”

Chi Ying swallowed. “N-no.”

Yan Xuecuī said, “The Marchioness was thoughtful. You need not be humble, Princess. You did very well just now.”

He paused, then suddenly reached out his hand toward her. Chi Ying didn’t understand his intent; her face went white, and she instinctively dodged backward.

Yan Xuecuī’s fingers met only empty air. He paused for a long time before slowly withdrawing his hand. He seemed to let out a lonely laugh.

“The Princess is not wearing the earrings from the night she returned home?”

Chi Ying was stunned. She instinctively touched her earlobe. Could he really tell the difference between her earrings just by sound?

“Those earrings… were lost.”

She didn’t say he had shot them off. Losing half of them counted as losing them, she figured.

Yan Xuecuī was not surprised. He asked again, “Were they lost that night?”

Chi Ying nodded and added a soft, “Mm.”

“It was my fault for letting you face such a disaster and lose your jewelry,” Yan Xuecuī said. “In the future, I will find a better pair to compensate you.”

Chi Ying didn’t want to be too involved with him. “It was just a pair of earrings. Your Highness need not worry about it.”

Yan Xuecuī replied, “The Princess’s matters are my matters. How can I be dismissive? By the way, is your injury alright?”

Chi Ying answered, “It is just a superficial wound. It is not a problem.”

She had already removed the gauze today.

Yan Xuecuī gave an order. “I must trouble Court Physician Lin to check on the Princess.”

The physician bowed and gestured toward a seat. “Princess, please sit.”

Chi Ying had no choice but to sit at the table.

There was only a thin, scabbed line on her neck. After checking it, Lin said, “The Princess is fine. If you continue to use the ointment, you will be fully recovered within two months.”

Yan Xuecuī added, “I have heard that the Imperial Academy of Medicine has a ‘Snow-Skin Cream’ that is favored by the palace concubines. It is exceptionally effective at fading scars.”

The physician nodded immediately. “Yes. I will have someone send it over once I return…”

Yan Xuecuī waved his hand. “No need for such trouble. Bring it with you when you come tomorrow. You can personally instruct the Princess on the dosage.”

Before Chi Ying could react to what was happening, she saw Prince Zhao “look” in her direction. “The Princess will be coming tomorrow, right?”

Hearing this, she nearly tied her tongue in a knot. “I… this concubine…”

Yan Xuecuī said pleasantly, “Since the Princess specifically studied medicine for me and is so skillful at dressing wounds, why don’t you handle my bandaging and medicine from tomorrow onward?”

Chi Ying: “…”

She felt a sudden wave of powerlessness, as if she had lifted a stone only to drop it on her own foot.

If someone said Prince Zhao was interested in her, she wouldn’t believe it for a second. If he had even a shred of respect for the Marquis’s estate or her, he wouldn’t have used his injury as an excuse to miss the wedding ceremony.

But since he didn’t care about the marriage, why did he keep saying such ambiguous things and insisting she dress his wounds?

Was it a joke, or a test?

Everything was different from what she had imagined. Perhaps the rumors were false, or perhaps her father and Madam Yin had lied to her. But now, there was no way to turn back.

Prince Zhao’s health was improving; he was even being treated by the Imperial Physician for his eyes. That meant there was a chance his sight could be restored.

If he lived on in good health, would she ever have the hope of leaving?

Chi Ying let out a silent sigh.

For now, all she could do was play the part of the Marquis’s legitimate daughter with absolute caution. She had to fool everyone and survive.

And then, she would wait for a turning point.

…

Late at night.

Yan Xuecuī dismissed everyone and stayed alone in his bedroom.

He held the silk handkerchief in his hand, slowly bringing it to his nose. Finally, he caught that familiar scent.

But this time, it was free of those heavy cosmetic fragrances. There was only the scent that belonged to the woman: the pure, warm, and sweet scent of neroli that remained after she had washed away the “lead and powder.”

The scent was extremely faint, yet it tunneled into his skin like a parasite. It seeped into his blood inch by inch along his meridians, diving into his heart and lungs, filling the sensory void that had been empty for so long.

Yan Xuecuī tightened his grip, letting the soft silk twist and deform in his palm. Yet it still wasn’t enough. His Adam’s apple rolled as he pressed the handkerchief tightly against his face. From the tip of his nose to his lips, he greedily seized every trace of the aura she had left behind.

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