With her delicate face and slender waist, the royal uncle lost control.

Qin Jiuchen's blunt question was like a dagger tempered with ice, unexpectedly tearing away Yun Nian's carefully woven disguise.

Yun Nian's heart suddenly tightened.

This Prince Ningxiang was indeed as terrifying as the rumors suggested.

He is meticulous and surprisingly suspicious.

Indeed, Qi Luo's "chance encounter" with Chen Sha and her tearful "accusation" were all pre-arranged.

Yun Nian's heart was in turmoil, but her face remained increasingly calm.

Her pale face still held just the right amount of fragility and bewilderment, as if she truly couldn't understand this earth-shattering question.

She tilted her head slightly, her eyes filled with utter confusion. "Your Highness... what are you saying? Nian'er... really doesn't understand."

Qin Jiuchen's smile deepened, but his eyes held no warmth, instead appearing as cold as ice.

He didn't repeat the question, but simply took a step forward, the oppressive feeling like a mountain collapsing.

Yun Nian instinctively tried to back away, but her back pressed against the cold, hard pillar, leaving her with nowhere to retreat.

Qin Jiuchen braced himself against a pillar beside her ear, his tall figure completely enveloping her.

His cool, refreshing scent, mixed with a faint hint of alcohol, created an extremely aggressive presence, trapping her firmly in this small space.

He looked down, scrutinizing her face so close to his.

He scoffed coldly and replied sarcastically, "That old fox Yun Chengming certainly knows how to pick people."

Yun Nian's heart sank heavily.

She raised her head, the tears that had been welling up in her eyes were washed away by this emotion, leaving only a stubborn red.

She met Qin Jiuchen's scrutinizing gaze directly, her voice hoarse, "Your Highness, Nian'er knows her own limitations, whether in the Prime Minister's residence or the Ningxiang Prince's residence."

She paused, took a deep breath, and continued, "If I have offended you in any way before, please be magnanimous and forgive me, and do not make things difficult for Nian'er again. Nian'er takes her leave."

After saying that, she pushed hard against his arm that was bracing against the pillar, trying to break free from the suffocating distance.

However, the feeble force was like an ant trying to shake a tree in front of Qin Jiuchen, failing to budge an inch.

Qin Jiuchen narrowed his eyes, the dangerous glint in them intensifying.

He stared intently at her, as if trying to see right through her, inside and out.

Yun Nian met his gaze without flinching, her eyes devoid of tears or weakness.

In the midst of intense confrontation, time seemed to stand still.

Finally, Yun Nian broke the silence.

Her voice regained its calmness, "Please, Your Highness, move aside. This distance might cause unnecessary misunderstanding."

These words were spoken with a sense of distance and finality, as if drawing a clear chasm between the two of them.

Qin Jiuchen stared at her intently for a few moments, his expression complex and unreadable.

Finally, he slowly lowered his arm that was blocking her side.

As soon as he loosened his grip, the oppressive pressure vanished.

Yun Nian felt a slight sense of relief, but dared not linger for a moment. He immediately turned to the side, trying to quickly leave through the gap between him and the pillar.

However, the intense emotional turmoil and exhausting confrontation she had just endured had already drained the last bit of strength she had mustered.

She had just taken a step when a dizzying darkness swept over her.

His body, like a puppet with its strings cut, slumped limply to the ground.

Qin Jiuchen instinctively stretched out his arm and steadily pulled her into his embrace.

The surface was extremely hot to the touch.

Qin Jiuchen's face instantly darkened.

He instinctively tightened his arm, and quickly reached up to touch her forehead with his other hand.

The area where it was touched was also incredibly hot.

"Damn it!"

Qin Jiuchen cursed under his breath.

The person in his arms had their eyes closed, their breathing was weak and rapid, and their body was burning hot. In his arms, they felt as light as a feather.

Qin Jiuchen bent down, slipped one hand under her knees, and picked up the unconscious Yun Nian in his arms.

The sudden movement seemed to aggravate the injury on her back. Even in her unconscious state, she unconsciously furrowed her brows and let out a soft groan of pain.

"Chensha!"

He said in a deep voice.

Chen Sha immediately appeared: "Master!"

"Go and fetch Physician Chen immediately."

Qin Jiuchen continued walking towards Canglang Pavilion without stopping.

The chaotic darkness enveloped the ebb and flow of consciousness.

After an unknown amount of time, some indistinct sounds intermittently reached Yun Nian's ears.

"The whip marks and burns on this young woman's body were not treated in time and properly, and there were signs of ulceration and inflammation. The pathogenic heat invaded her body, which caused her persistent high fever."

"If it is not treated carefully and properly recuperated, it may really damage its foundation, and even endanger its life..."

An old and serious voice, like that of a doctor.

Next, Qin Senyao asked in surprise, "Qiluo, what exactly happened? How did Yun Nian's injury get so bad?"

Qi Luo, unable to contain her sobs, cried out, "Young Master, the day Miss returned from the Princess's residence, the Prime Minister summoned her to the ancestral hall to kneel as punishment. For three days and three nights straight, she was not given any food, only two sips of water to keep her alive."

"Forget about calling a doctor, they won't even let me lie down and rest properly. I had no choice but to secretly take my savings and buy the cheapest wound ointment on the street. I applied some to it under the cover of night, but that medicine..."

Qi Luo choked back tears, "That medicine is completely useless. Miss's back injury just won't heal, and she even has a high fever at night..."

"Is this really true?"

Qin Senyao raised his voice slightly, "That day, Father clearly punished Yun Wei and Madam Yun, proving that they harbored ill intentions. Why then did Yun Chengming punish Yun Nian so severely?"

Qi Luo's crying paused for a moment, as if she were secretly glancing in a certain direction, her voice lowering, "It's because Prince Ningxiang whipped the Second Miss and Madam..."

She continued cautiously, "The Prime Minister believes that it was Miss who caused the trouble, making the Prime Minister's family lose face at the Princess's banquet and airing their dirty laundry in front of the Prince. So he blames everything on Miss, saying that she was ignorant and implicated the Prime Minister's family..."

She seemed to have mustered her courage, and said in a tearful voice, "You have no idea what kind of life Miss has been living in the Prime Minister's mansion all these years! Ever since the real Second Miss was found, Miss..."

"Kira!"

A weak rebuke interrupted Qiluo from revealing more details.

Yun Nian struggled, forcibly opening her heavy eyelids.

The unfamiliar bed curtains came into view, and a bitter medicinal smell filled the air.

Ignoring the excruciating pain and weakness throughout her body, she forced herself to support her upper body with her arms.

He gritted his teeth and forced himself to sit up.

Her awakening instantly drew everyone's attention.

On one side of the room, Qin Jiuchen sat quietly in a rosewood armchair by the window.

He casually rested one hand on the armrest of the armchair, his fingertips tapping unconsciously, his gaze calmly fixed on Yun Nian.

Yun Nian glanced at him only once before quickly looking away.

She struggled, threw off the brocade quilt covering her, put her feet on the ground, and tried to stand up.

However, her body felt so weak that she felt like she was walking on clouds. As soon as she stood up, she was violently shaken and almost fell over again.

"Miss!"

Qi Luo exclaimed in surprise and rushed over to support her.

Yun Nian leaned against Qi Luo, breathing heavily for a few moments before managing to steady herself.

She pushed away Qiluo's hand, which was trying to help her back to the bed. "Qiluo, stop talking nonsense. How dare a mere maid like you interfere in the affairs of the Yun family?"