Yuan De was the first to notice that his master’s expression was off. The faint pulsing of the veins in the Prince’s neck was a clear sign of suppressed emotion and endurance.

However, the Prince did not call for a halt.

Yuan De did not dare to interrupt rashly. After the palm and forearm were bandaged, he tried to gauge the Prince’s thoughts and asked tentatively, “Perhaps the Princess Consort could trouble herself a bit more and handle the wound on His Highness’s chest as well?”

Chi Ying felt as though she had been struck by a heavy blow. She froze in place, not knowing what to do. When she had arrived yesterday, Qing Ze had already bandaged his chest, which had caused her to forget that particular injury.

“His Highness’s chest wound is too severe. This concubine does not dare to touch it…”

She looked at Prince Zhao with trepidation, hoping his legendary cleanliness and aversion to strangers would kick in. After all, the chest was far more intimate than an arm. It was a matter of propriety; she was not, after all, the real Princess Consort.

To her surprise, Prince Zhao gave a faint smile and agreed quite readily. “It doesn’t matter.”

His voice, like shattering jade or snapping bamboo, carried a slight huskiness. There was a faint hint of something seductive in his tone.

Chi Ying’s ears grew hot for some unknown reason. Seeing him fully dressed, she felt even more at a loss.

Yan Xuecuī said, “Undress me then.”

Chi Ying was momentarily stunned.

Wasn’t he capable of moving freely? Didn’t he handle his own dressing usually? Could he really not undress himself?

After a moment of internal struggle, she saw that he was waiting leisurely with no intention of doing it himself. Chi Ying had no choice but to brace herself and slowly move forward. She stopped only half an arm’s length away from the man and leaned in.

At such a close distance, she could see every intricate pattern on his waist belt.

Yan Xuecuī’s eyelashes were lowered as he “looked” at her.

Chi Ying knew he was blind, yet she could not ignore his powerful presence. The scent of Galan incense enveloped her completely. The man’s hands, hidden beneath his wide sleeves, rested casually at his sides. From a certain angle, it looked as if she were being gathered into his embrace.

Chi Ying’s cheeks were flushed crimson. Her throat felt tight. Suppressing the urge to retreat, she carefully raised her eyes. The man’s exquisite, breathtaking face was right before her.

His jawline was sharp and smooth. His lips were a pale pink. His skin was very white, possessing a jade-like luster. Higher up, the bridge of his high nose was half-covered by the snow-white gauze. A clear, elegant woody fragrance drifted with his breath.

Chi Ying was dazed for a long time. It wasn’t until his Adam’s apple rolled slightly that she snapped back to her senses. With trembling fingers, she reached out to unfasten his belt.

Auntie Fangchun had taught her these things, but at the time, she hadn’t expected to have such close contact with Prince Zhao. The instructions had gone in one ear and out the other; she only remembered the basics. Furthermore, being so close, the man’s body heat wrapped around her almost suffocatingly.

Chi Ying was so nervous that her hands were shaking. After fumbling for a while, she finally found the hidden clasp. With a kacha sound, the jade belt loosened. She let out a sigh of relief. She kept her eyes almost entirely closed as she forced herself to unbutton his lapel and undo the bandages.

Unintentionally, a strand of her hair fell, brushing past the man’s waist and abdomen.

Yan Xuecuī’s world was pitch black. Outside of his vision, all his other senses were heightened to an extreme. The girl’s fragrance was everywhere. The soft strand of hair grazed the muscles of his waist, bringing a distinct wave of numbness.

She seemed very nervous. The rustling of fabric was mixed with a heartbeat as loud as a drum. Her soft fingertips lingered at his chest as she carefully undid the knot in the gauze. She slowly lowered the sleeve from his left arm, her slender, jade-like arms reaching around his waist to unwind the bandages from his shoulder to his back, circle by circle.

Despite her extreme caution, those delicate, smooth fingers brushed against his body again and again.

By the time the bandages were completely removed, the woman’s slightly erratic breath fell unimpeded onto his chest. Yan Xuecuī’s Adam’s apple rolled once more. His body tensed.

He lowered his gaze, yet he could still feel her eyes lingering on him.

What was she looking at? His chest, or his waist?

Yan Xuecuī felt that her gaze was incredibly hot. It was like the flicker of flame that had licked his palm the previous night: clearly soft and small, yet it branded his flesh with power. That searing pain made him instinctively lose his composure.

Chi Ying’s forehead was slightly damp with sweat. She only wanted to finish applying the medicine and leave as quickly as possible. However, when the man’s lean, powerful, and well-defined upper body was exposed before her, she couldn’t help but stop breathing for two heartbeats.

The dark red scar on his chest was terrifying. The flesh was twisted and jagged. Along his waist and abdomen, old, faded scars crisscrossed one another. He looked like a piece of cold jade covered in chisel marks, possessing a breathtakingly sharp intensity.

Chi Ying’s mind went blank. Her cheeks and neck were stained scarlet. She couldn’t quite describe the feeling she had.

She forced herself to snap out of it. Using a silver spoon to scoop the ointment, she carefully applied it to his chest. Perhaps because her hand was unsteady, a muffled grunt escaped his throat.

Chi Ying was instantly thrown into a panic. The silver spoon nearly fell from her hand. The traces of shyness on her face vanished, replaced by deep terror.

It was only then that she saw the pulsing veins on his forehead. Her voice trembled. “This concubine is clumsy. I have hurt Your Highness…”

Yuan De saw that she was white as a sheet with fright. He couldn’t figure out why his master insisted on the Princess handling the medicine. Finding himself in a difficult spot, he stepped in to smooth things over. “Your Highness, the Princess Consort does not look well.”

Yan Xuecuī inconspicuously tightened his palm.

After a long silence, his cool, clear voice rang out. “In that case, return and rest first.”

Chi Ying felt an immediate sense of relief. She didn’t notice that his voice was slightly raspier than usual. She whispered, “Thank you for your understanding, Your Highness. This concubine takes her leave.”

The agitation in Yan Xuecuī’s chest slowly subsided. Hearing her brisk footsteps as she retreated, a smile returned to his lips. He said kindly, “I have troubled the Princess today.”

Chi Ying had already reached the door. Hearing this, her spine jerked. She turned around stiffly and bowed once more before leaving.

Auntie Fangchun had seen everything. On the way back, she consoled her. “Princess, do not blame yourself. Even Qing Ze, who has served His Highness for years, has moments of carelessness. Besides, the Prince’s wounds have already scabbed over. With so many people serving at Yangui Tower, you need not worry.”

Chi Ying nodded gently. Her face was still somewhat pale.

Auntie Fangchun smiled again. “Do not be afraid. After these two interactions, I’m sure you can see that our Prince is not some flood or fierce beast. He is usually refined and always smiling.”

Chi Ying bit her lip. “…Mm.”

Auntie Fangchun was delighted to see the Prince and Princess getting along. She pondered asking the Prince to return to Shuyu Pavilion to live in a few days. How could a newly married couple live in separate quarters? If Consort Zhuang found out later, she would worry again.

Unexpectedly, the Princess caught a cold that night. When she rose in the morning, her face was deathly pale, and her forehead was covered in a cold sweat.

Fangchun was terrified. She immediately sent for a doctor and passed word to Yangui Tower that the Princess was unwell and could not come to change the medicine today.

A dark, thick herbal soup was brewed and brought to her. Chi Ying frowned as she drank it. Her mouth was bitter, but her heart was relieved.

Perhaps the long-standing anxiety and uncertainty in her heart had finally accumulated. Last night, she had tossed and turned, unable to sleep. When she closed her eyes, her mind was filled with Prince Zhao’s bloody palms, his scarred chest and abdomen, and… and the way his slow, hot breath had fallen on her forehead when she reached around his waist. The heat of their bodies meeting had made her very bones feel weak and numb. She had eventually sat by the window for a while and drank two cups of cold tea to let the heat on her face subside, which resulted in the cold.

It could be considered a blessing in disguise. Though she felt unwell, she could stay peacefully in Shuyu Pavilion for a few days. Anything was better than seeing Prince Zhao every time she turned around.

Later, Physician Lin came to check her pulse. He gave her several instructions, all of which Chi Ying noted down.

After leaving, Physician Lin went straight to Yangui Tower to report.

“The Princess has indeed caught a cold. Fortunately, the symptoms are mild. As long as she takes her medicine on time, she will recover within half a month.”

Yan Xuecuī rubbed the engravings on his teacup. He gave a faint “Mm.”

Physician Lin continued, “I have also confirmed just now that the incense and cosmetics used by the Princess are common items favored by noble ladies in the capital. There is nothing improper about the incense burned in her room. Furthermore, judging by her pulse, there are no ‘dirty’ things like Gu-worms that could confuse a person’s mind.”

Seeing Prince Zhao lowered his eyes in thought, Lin pondered for a moment before saying, “Your Highness cannot see, so you are naturally sensitive to smells. If the Prince does not like the incense used by the Princess, you can ask her to change it or stop using such strong scents altogether. I have observed that Your Highness’s pulse has been agitated lately. The symptoms of emotional dysregulation seem more severe than before.”

Since Prince Ding died on the battlefield, the world only knew that Consort Zhuang couldn’t handle the shock and fell into hysteria overnight. They didn’t know that Prince Zhao’s situation was even more difficult. He was constantly on edge, always on guard and calculating. This led to long-term stagnation of Qi, excessive thinking, lack of sleep, and mental exhaustion. After losing his eyes, his five senses went out of control and his emotions became extreme. Yet, in front of others, he was always calm and indifferent, suppressing everything. He could only find release through hurting himself or others. Physician Lin was currently at his wit’s end.

“It is not that I dislike it.”

The feeling was hard to describe. Yan Xuecuī said, “It is very strange.”

It was as if driven by primal physical desire; he had an instinctive craving for her.

However, since there was nothing wrong with the incense, he didn’t need to tell others about these feelings.

Yan Xuecuī changed the subject and asked about Emperor Yongcheng. “How is Imperial Father’s health lately?”

Lin replied, “It is the same as before. However, he summons the National Teacher every day. Compared to the prescriptions of the Imperial Academy of Medicine, His Majesty trusts the pills refined by the National Teacher more. Those pills do indeed have the effect of nourishing essence and blood and strengthening the body. His Majesty appears to be in good spirits.”

Emperor Yongcheng had reigned for over twenty years. Now in his fifties, he had begun to follow the example of ancient kings, recruiting alchemists with heavy gold to seek the method of longevity. The current National Teacher was Dongyangzi, whom he had invited from the Qingxu Temple on Lingtai Mountain. Dongyangzi was known among the commoners as an “Immortal Dao” and was skilled in alchemy and feng shui, earning the Emperor’s deep trust.

Yan Xuecuī took a casual sip of tea. He nodded slightly and dismissed the physician.

Physician Lin bowed to take his leave. Before he left, he couldn’t help but say, “Your Highness’s emotions are dysregulated, and the ‘dry fire’ in your body is hard to extinguish. Now that you have married the Princess, perhaps you should perform the rites of Dunlun early. This, too, could serve as a method of release.”

“Physician Lin, you speak too much.”

The smile on Yan Xuecuī’s lips slightly faded. The air pressure around him turned cold and heavy.

Physician Lin was terrified. Not even stopping to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead, he hurriedly bowed and retreated.

Footnotes:

Dunlun (敦伦): A very formal and slightly archaic term for the “act of the bedroom.” It emphasizes the moral and social duty of a married couple to produce heirs.

Gu-worms (蛊虫): Venomous insects used in traditional folklore for various purposes, including poisoning, control, or causing someone to fall in love.

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