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

"Your Highness..."

She called softly.

no respond.

Yun Nian sat down by the bed, reached out and gently stroked his cheek.

The cold touch sent a shiver down her spine.

"Nian'er..."

Suddenly, his lips moved, uttering indistinct murmurs.

Yun Nian's eyes welled up with tears, and she quickly grasped his hand: "I'm here, Your Highness, I'm here."

But Qin Jiuchen did not wake up; instead, he fell into an even deeper sleep.

His hands were cold, so Yun Nian clasped them tightly together, trying to transfer the warmth of her palms to him.

After taking Chen Sha's pulse, the old physician stood up and walked over, shaking his head at him: "The poison is strange, and I am helpless. The prince has been able to hold on until now entirely due to his profound internal strength."

After saying this, the old doctor sighed and silently withdrew.

Chensha also went out and closed the door.

After they left, Yun Nian finally couldn't hold back anymore, and tears fell "plop" onto Qin Jiuchen's hand, the warm water droplets spreading on his cool skin.

"Your Highness, how could you be so foolish..."

She choked back tears, gripping his hands tightly. "Even if I get arrested, you can't go. I'm not that stupid. If you tell me not to go out, I won't. How could I get arrested..."

The more she thought about it, the sadder she became, and tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.

The thought that he was injured and poisoned while saving someone who was pretending to be her made her feel as if a piece of her heart had been ripped out, causing her unbearable pain.

She reached out and gently stroked his pale cheek, her fingertips brushing across his furrowed brow, trying to soothe the pain.

She had no idea that she was so important to him that he would risk his life to protect her.

"Your Highness, please wake up soon..."

Yun Nian leaned down and whispered in his ear, her voice soft and gentle, "When you wake up, I'll make you osmanthus cake every day, and you'll have to finish every single one. I'll also make osmanthus pancakes, osmanthus sugar, osmanthus soup..."

As she spoke, tears welled up again, dripping onto his cheeks.

Qin Jiuchen's brows furrowed even more, and his lips moved slightly.

After a moment, Qin Jiuchen's eyelashes trembled slightly, and he actually slowly opened his eyes.

His eyes still held a hint of bewilderment from just waking up. His gaze lingered in the room for a moment before finally settling on her face.

"Nian'er..."

His voice was terribly hoarse, yet carried a hint of a smile. "You don't look good when you cry."

Yun Nian suddenly turned to him and saw him smiling at her with a pale face.

His usually deep and aloof eyes, though dimmed at this moment, were filled with tenderness.

"Your Highness!"

Yun Nian was so excited she almost jumped up, but tears streamed down her face even more profusely. "You're awake!"

She was about to call for the imperial physician, but Qin Jiuchen gently tugged at her sleeve and shook his head: "Don't call... let me hold you."

Yun Nian was stunned for a moment, then obediently bent down, lay down on her side next to him, carefully avoiding his injuries, and gently hugged him.

Qin Jiuchen felt her soft body pressed against him, and his smile deepened.

He laboriously raised his arm, encircled her waist, and pulled her closer to him.

"Your Highness,"

Yun Nian nestled against his chest, her voice muffled, "Next time, why don't I go with you? I'll be safest by your side, and I won't have to worry about anyone using me to deceive you."

Qin Jiuchen was amused by her, "Nian'er certainly knows how to come up with ideas."

Yun Nian raised her head, her eyes still red and filled with heartache: "The prince has been poisoned. What will we do if this poison can't be cured?"

There's always a way to solve it.

Qin Jiuchen spoke casually, as if he himself hadn't been poisoned.

Yun Nian frowned anxiously: "But Your Highness, what if we can't cure the poison? What if your life is in danger? What will I do then?"

Seeing her anxious little face, Qin Jiuchen couldn't help but smile more: "Nian'er, are you worried about me, or about yourself?"

"Of course I'm worried about the Prince!"

Yun Nian blurted out, then blushed and buried her head in his chest again, "Nian'er discovered..."

She hesitated.

"Um?"

Qin Jiuchen pressed, "What did you discover?"

Yun Nian bit her lip, her voice barely audible, "Nian'er has realized... Nian'er can't live without Your Highness. So Your Highness, please get well soon, okay?"

As soon as she said those words, her whole face burned, even the tips of her ears turned bright red.

Qin Jiuchen's heart softened, as if it had been filled with something.

He reached out and hugged her tighter, placing a gentle kiss on the top of her head: "Don't worry, I'll be fine."

The two talked for a while longer, but Yun Nian was still worried and insisted on calling the imperial physician to come and see.

Qin Jiuchen couldn't persuade her otherwise, so he could only let her do as she pleased.

The imperial physician entered and carefully examined the pulse and wound, his expression still grave: "The prince's injury is not too bad, the main problem is this poison. The toxicity is tricky; if it is not cured, it may gradually erode his heart meridian."

"The most important thing now is to find the antidote, and the antidote requires a medicinal ingredient called 'Seven-Star Lotus'. This plant grows in extremely cold places and is extremely rare. In my decades of medical practice, I have only seen it twice."

Yun Nian's heart clenched upon hearing this. As soon as the imperial physician left, she immediately summoned Chen Sha: "Quickly, send someone to find the Seven Star Lotus, no matter the cost!"

Chen Sha respectfully replied, "Don't worry, Miss. I sent people to search for the Prince on the day of his accident. However, this item is indeed difficult to find, and there is still no news."

Qin Jiuchen leaned against the headboard, his face still pale, but much better than when he had just woken up.

He beckoned to Yun Nian: "Nian'er, don't worry, it will happen eventually. Come here."

Yun Nian was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, but she still forced herself to remain calm and walked to the bedside to sit down, taking his hand: "Your Highness..."

"Lie down with me for a while."

Qin Jiuchen moved over to make room for her.

Yun Nian lay down as instructed, curling up beside him like a kitten.

She gripped his sleeve tightly, as if afraid that if she let go, he would disappear.

In the following days, Yun Nian took care of Qin Jiuchen without leaving his side.

He personally handled everything from feeding the patient and changing the dressing to wiping her body, refusing to delegate to others.

Qin Jiuchen initially tried to persuade her to rest, but seeing her stubborn eyes, he knew he couldn't change her mind and could only let her be.

That afternoon, Chensha came in to report.

"Your Highness," he said in a low voice, "after the incident that day, the young master fell off his horse and, according to the imperial physician, his lower body is now crippled."

Yun Nian was sitting on the edge of the bed peeling an apple. Hearing this, she paused for a moment, but showed no expression. She continued to cut the apple into small pieces, stick them on bamboo skewers, and offer them to Qin Jiuchen's mouth.

Qin Jiuchen listened expressionlessly, opened his mouth to take the apple, and slowly chewed it.

Chen Sha continued, "Yun Chengming's verdict has been announced. The Emperor has ordered his execution in the autumn. The rest of the Yun family members have been exiled to the frontier, and Miss Yun... is among them."

Qin Jiuchen raised his hand, signaling him to step back.

As soon as Chen Sha left, Qin Jiuchen suddenly started coughing violently. Yun Nian hurriedly put down what she was holding to help him, only to see him cough up a mouthful of blood, which splattered on the bed sheet, a shocking sight.

"Your Highness!"

Yun Nian turned pale with fright and hurriedly caught the cloth with her handkerchief. "Imperial Physician... I'll go get the Imperial Physician right away!"

"Need not……"

Qin Jiuchen pulled her back, and after catching his breath for a moment, he said, "Nian'er, there's something I need to tell you."

"The affair of Lady Ruyang has been discovered, and she has been divorced by Marquis Ruyang, who has also lost his lineage. I have petitioned the Emperor to have you adopted into Marquis Ruyang's family. The Emperor will not refuse me. This way, you will not have to be exiled to the frontier with the Yun family."

Looking at his pale face and the undisguised worry and tenderness in his eyes, Yun Nian's eyes suddenly reddened.

He was always like that, arranging everything for her and considering everything for her.

Even while he was seriously injured and bedridden, he was still planning for her future.

She shook her head, tears welling in her eyes: "I'm not going to the Marquis of Ruyang's residence."

Qin Jiuchen was taken aback and was about to say something when Yun Nian suddenly spoke up.

"Your Highness, let's get married."

"Will you... marry me?"