The daughter of the Marquis is too delicate, the abstinent prince pinches her waist and loves her

Chapter 161 Another Choice
Zhi Xing raised her other hand, wanting to touch his face to make sure she wasn't dreaming.

The trembling hand was gripped tightly in mid-air.

"You're risking your life to force me to show myself?" Ye Jingnian sneered angrily, gritting her teeth as she said, "Miss Xie, you've got some impressive skills."

Zhi Xing looked at him quietly and said, "I like it when you call me Zhi Xing."

“Zhi Xing is dead!” Ye Jingnian stared at her with bloodshot eyes and said in a low voice, “Remember, you are a young lady of the Xie family, Ye Jinlan’s betrothed.”

Looking into his fierce eyes, Zhi Xing remained calm and said, "Didn't Your Highness say that besides marrying Prince Xian, I have another option?"

With a cold face, Ye Jingnian grabbed the medicine box, ripped off the blood-soaked gauze, and roughly changed her dressing.

The moment the gauze was tightly wrapped around the wound, Zhi Xing trembled with pain, but bit her lip tightly to keep quiet.

"Remember to cut deeper next time." Ye Jingnian tightened the gauze, his voice icy, and said, "Half an inch won't damage an artery."

"It's enough that I can hurt you."

If he didn't care, why would he rush over like this?
Zhi Xing frowned, watching his every move.

Ye Jingnian suddenly stood up, his sleeve flipping over the medicine bottle, shattering porcelain shards all over the floor, and a strong, pungent smell of medicine spread out.

"Prepare well for your marriage," he said, tightening his slightly loosened cloak as he turned his back to her. "Don't upset me any further."

The moment the figure disappeared, Zhi Xing grabbed the blood-stained scissors and pressed them against her heart: "Your Highness! Your Highness!"

The screams pierced through the courtyard outside the house. Ye Jingnian's steps faltered slightly, but he eventually disappeared at the end of the corridor.

Three days later, at dawn.

The sky was overcast, and a rumble of thunder could be heard in the distance.

In recent days, Jinlan has visited the Xie residence several times, but Zhixing has refused each time, claiming to be ill. The pharmacy is overflowing with the tonics that have been delivered.

In the main hall of the Xie residence, the Imperial Censor unfolded the letter in his hand.

"Prepare a banquet tonight, and make sure the matter is accomplished. The medicine will arrive with this letter."

He looked at the seal of the Eastern Palace, swallowed hard, and his hands behind him trembled so much that he couldn't light the fire when he tried to burn the letter.

Working for His Highness is like living with your head on the line every single moment.

Sweat soaked through the whip marks on his back, and waves of burning pain shot through him.

He hissed, a chill running down his spine, and muttered, "Offending Prince Xian is better than offending the Crown Prince..."

In the evening, the Xie family hosted a banquet and specially invited Ye Jinlan.

Ye Jinlan understood the Imperial Censor's meaning; he was fond of Miss Xie and was naturally very happy to attend the banquet.

In front of the dressing mirror, Zhixing was asked to change into a rouge-colored gauze dress. The long sleeves covered the white gauze on her wrists. The maid gently applied perfume powder to her body to mask the pungent smell of medicine.

While doing her hair and makeup, she stared blankly at the unfamiliar noblewoman from the capital reflected in the bronze mirror, her expression indifferent.

"Miss is so beautiful." The maid praised with a smile, inserting the last gold hairpin into her hair, saying, "This hairpin was sent by Prince Xian this morning. If you wear it, Prince Xian will surely be pleased."

Zhi Xing felt a headache coming on from the maid's constant chatter in her ear, so she let out a irritated sigh and closed her eyes.

During the banquet, a beautiful woman performed a graceful dance, and Zhi Xing drank her wine, her expression momentarily dazed. If she had held back her anger at the Empress Dowager's banquet a few days ago, she would certainly still be by Ye Jingnian's side offline…

With a slight throbbing pain in her head, she frowned and got up, leaving her seat on her own as usual, without giving Ye Jinlan a single glance.

Seeing that Zhi Xing had already left, Ye Jinlan's eyes showed a hint of disappointment. Looking at the gloomy sky, he said to the Imperial Censor, "It's getting late, so I'll take my leave now."

As soon as he finished speaking, the Xie family steward stepped forward and said, "Your Highness, it looks like a downpour is about to begin. Why don't you rest here for a while?"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than large raindrops began to pelt the bluestone slab.

Ye Jinlan frowned; the rain had come so suddenly and violently.

"If Your Highness doesn't mind, why not stay at my humble abode for the night?" The Imperial Censor walked up to Ye Jinlan and said with a smile, "Hot tea has been prepared in the west wing."

A bright white lightning bolt struck, illuminating Ye Jinlan's hesitant face. In that instant, he caught a glimpse of a crimson figure in the corridor—it was Zhi Xing.

At that moment, Zhi Xing was being helped away by her maid, and seemed to be feeling unwell.

"What's wrong with Miss Xie?" Ye Jinlan blurted out, her furrowed brows full of worry.

Upon hearing this, the Imperial Censor sighed and said, "My daughter has suddenly fallen ill and was just about to go back to her room to rest. It's quite a coincidence that her courtyard is right next to the west wing."

Upon hearing this, Ye Jinlan's eyes showed a momentary change of emotion, and she unconsciously clenched her drooping hand.

Zhi Xing closed her eyes and rubbed her temples, feeling dizzy and disoriented. Was there something wrong with the wine?

"Miss, watch out for the steps." The maid pushed open the carved wooden door and said, "I'll go and fetch a doctor right away."

The moment she closed the door, Zhi Xing sensed something was wrong. She looked around and frowned. This wasn't her room.

A tall figure stood by the window. Hearing the noise, he turned around and it was Ye Jinlan.

Ye Jinlan was also stunned: "Miss Xie, you..."

Zhi Xing's heart skipped a beat. She glared at him irritably, turned to open the door, but heard the sound of the door being quietly locked from the outside.

She bit her lip in anger, about to kick the door hard, when a sharp pain struck her, and she grabbed the door frame to keep from falling to her knees.

"Hmph... a mere trick..." she muttered to herself, making hand gestures and trying to unlock the copper lock on the door, only to find that she had no spiritual power at all...

She trembled involuntarily, her eyes wide with shock. Had she just drunk not only medicine, but also talismanic water to suppress spiritual power?!
In an instant, her whole body became hot, and even her breath was burning hot.

"You've been drugged." Ye Jinlan quickly stepped forward, wanting to help her up.

"Don't come any closer!" Zhi Xing glared at him fiercely, reaching out to remove the gold hairpin he had given her. The hairpin had already pierced her palm, and bright red blood trickled down her wrist.

As her sleeve slipped down, he noticed the bandage wrapped around her wrist and frowned, his thoughts swirling in confusion: "You... your wrist is injured? Why?"

Zhi Xing's voice was hoarse: "If you come any closer, I'll die right here!"

Ye Jinlan's pupils contracted sharply. Even though he had seen countless noble ladies, he had never seen one with such a strong temperament. The drug had already taken effect to this extent; an ordinary woman would have already lost her senses, but she was still able to remain conscious...

"Alright, I won't go over." Ye Jinlan stepped back to the window, took out a clean handkerchief from her sleeve, and said, "But please allow me to bandage your wound?"

"No need!" Zhi Xing gritted her teeth and glared at him, shrinking by the door with a wary look on her face. "Why are we having a banquet today, with such heavy rain?"