The new emperor's first decree upon ascending the throne was to forcibly take his cousin as his

Xie Chengyan was injured in the shoulder. After returning from the clinic, the accompanying imperial physician examined him again, and he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Your Highness is injured on your left shoulder, but the wound is not deep. With proper care, it will heal in less than ten days."

After seeing the imperial physician off, Cao Shen finally felt relieved.

Even if we really have to use a self-inflicted injury ruse, we can't joke around with our own bodies. Your Highness is so precious and noble, we can't afford to have any mishaps.

"Your Highness has frightened this old servant to death."

Xie Chengyan remained indifferent, showing no concern whatsoever.

News from Kyoto said that Niannian was assassinated at Huguo Temple, and the young master of the Shen family shielded her and took an arrow with him.

It's his fault for not being in the capital and unable to protect Nian Nian; she must have been terrified at the time.

He didn't dare to think about what would happen if something really happened to her.

So Shen Qinghe was grateful that he took the arrow for her, but he thought he could use the life-saving grace to make Nian Nian remember him—what a pipe dream.

He only regretted that he wasn't the one who shielded her from the arrow, otherwise someone else wouldn't have been able to take advantage of the situation.

Knowing that Niannian liked handsome men the most, they took advantage of their looks to seduce her everywhere.

It's alright. He can take the knife for Nian Nian; he doesn't need anyone else.

"Your Highness, but those assassins today weren't our men."

"I know."

Those people were after Niannian, a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

"Go check."

"Yes."

Xie Chengyan's injury terrified the entire Ruan family, with Old Madam Ruan standing guard outside the East Courtyard, not daring to leave for even a moment.

Second Uncle also stopped going to his post and stayed outside with him. If anything happened to the Crown Prince, the Ruan family would lose their heads.

Cao Shen came out with a serious expression, dismissed the others, and looked at Ruan Xianrong: "Miss Ruan, His Highness invites you in."

She followed him into the inner room. Xie Chengyan was lying flat on the couch, his lips were bloodless, but his face had not changed much; in fact, he looked even more handsome.

"cousin?"

Xie Chengyan opened his eyes, his eyebrows curving into a smile, "Niannian is here."

"How is my cousin?"

He replied weakly, "I'm fine."

That's what they say, but it doesn't look like things are going well.

"Thank you for saving me, cousin. It's my fault that you got hurt."

"It's alright, I'm just glad you're alright."

Ruan Xianrong looked at his sickly beauty and her heart stirred slightly.

He's so sickly now, wouldn't it be easy to kill him?

Then he clicked his tongue inwardly.

If he hadn't been living at the Ruan family's house, she would have really wanted to take advantage of his illness and kill him, eliminating any future troubles and saving her from living in constant fear.

Now, since he was injured while saving her, she has to stay and take care of him...

God, is this reasonable?

She sighed inwardly, thinking, "She really has a tough life."

At this moment, Cao Shen brought in the medicine and handed it to her without saying a word, saying, "Thank you for your trouble, Miss Ruan."

Ruan Xianrong: ......

Helpless, she stepped forward and fed him the medicine spoonful by spoonful, feeling utterly hopeless.

What kind of sins did she commit? This job should have been Miaoyin's by any standard.

After drinking the bowl of medicine, she got up to leave, but her arm was grabbed. "Where are you going?"

"My cousin needs to rest, so I won't disturb him."

His grip tightened instead of loosening. "I was injured in Mingzhou. If word gets out..."

If word gets out, the Ruan family will be considered guilty of failing to protect their leader, a serious crime.

Ruan Xian endured it again and again, but still couldn't hold back, "If word gets out, the Ruan family will be punished for failing to protect my cousin."

"Cousin, your status is so high, it's really dangerous for you to stay in Mingzhou. A few days ago, my aunt, the Empress, wrote that His Majesty is unwell. Shouldn't you go back and visit him?"

Don't think she doesn't know that the male protagonist in the book is both a scholar and a warrior, and has countless secret guards around him, but he was injured today.

Ostensibly, it's to protect her. How could someone with such a cunning mind be so kind as to protect her?

Even if she's an idiot, you can't really assume she doesn't understand anything, right?

He just wanted to use her and control the Prime Minister's mansion. Xie Chengyan is a ruthless person; he's capable of doing such a thing.

She's hiding in Mingzhou, but she's still haunting us!

Her tone of voice didn't change, but Xie Chengyan knew she was angry.

But in his eyes, this behavior was no different from acting cute, and his bones instantly melted.

The last time she got angry was when she was ten years old.

Xie Chengyan's lips curled up, even showing pleasure.

Ruan Xianrong rolled her eyes inwardly, thinking, "This guy's crazy."

After that day, she never came to see him again.

She has never served anyone in her life; there's no way she'd scheme against her.

In the evening, she lay on the couch, and Silver Sparrow blew out the candles and went back to rest.

In the stillness of the night, the person on the bed slept soundly.

With a creak, a dark figure appeared in the room.

She lifted the bed curtains and gently lay down.

The girl's dark eyelashes fluttered slightly as she slept, but she did not wake up.

Xie Chengyan's clear eyes, which were usually bright during the day, were now increasingly cloudy, and his infatuated gaze seemed to be that of someone who had seen the most precious treasure in the world.

With a gentle flick of his sleeve, the girl in his arms slept even more soundly.

"Niannian is so heartless, she hasn't come to see me for so many days."

Since he wasn't coming, he decided to come in person to seek some comfort.

One hand gripped her waist, the force so strong it felt like it was being crushed into his flesh.

With his other hand, he played with her slender, fair fingers, guiding them across his lips before finally opening his mouth slightly.

His scent lingered on my fingertips, but that wasn't enough. I followed the crimson mark and pressed it directly onto my fingertips, slowly grinding it, as if I had eaten a sweet fruit and was reluctant to swallow it immediately, wanting to savor the taste.

After a long while, I finally managed to let go.

Her lips were red and swollen from the torment, still beautiful and moist, but also looking a bit disheveled.

He was still not satisfied. He pinched her chin and kissed her again. Even though the person beneath him could not respond, a look of extreme, morbid satisfaction appeared in his eyes.

He slowly bent down, sniffed at her neck, and with a few deft strokes of his fingers, his clothes were disheveled.

Xie Chengyan's breathing grew heavier, his voice hoarse, "Niannian..."

He misses her so much.

I'm going crazy thinking about it.

He pressed himself against her, took her hand, and they wandered freely in the deserted world.

The cold moonlight barely touched the exposed corners of their clothes, and in the quiet night, only the sounds of their breaths mingled together.

......

When Ruan Xianrong woke up the next day, she felt that her lips were swollen and her back was very uncomfortable.

Thinking back to yesterday, she probably didn't do much. These past two days she's just been lying around, eating and sleeping.

Could it be that I've been lying down for too long?

I looked in the mirror and my lips seemed a little swollen, like I had some internal heat.

She felt terrible all over, a feeling that reminded her of her first time hiking, when she was in excruciating pain the next day.

Yinque was doing her hair when she reached out and picked out a hairpin. She paused slightly, her palms red.

Yinque noticed as well, "Miss, what happened to your hands? Why are they so red?"

She was innocent. "I don't know, I didn't do anything."

She couldn't feel anything when she touched it. Could it be some kind of detox reaction that she didn't understand?

Fortunately, it didn't hurt and didn't affect my daily life, so I didn't see a doctor.

After helping her comb her hair, Yinque went to tidy the bed. Then she looked through a few pieces of clothing and exclaimed, "Oh dear, miss, where is your scarlet undergarment?"

Ruan Xianrong thought for a moment, "Isn't it in the cabinet?"

"You only wore that undergarment once and said it didn't fit. I was thinking of altering the size."

Silver Sparrow searched the entire house, but couldn't find it.

"If we can't find it, we won't look for it anymore. We need to go visit Grandma."

My grandmother hasn't been feeling well these past few days, and she's been paying her respects at Shou'an Hall every day.

As she came out, the housekeeper handed her a letter.

It was left by Xie Chengyan.

"Where is His Highness the Crown Prince?"

"His Highness left for the capital last night, and asked this old servant to give this letter to the young lady before he left."

gone?

"We originally intended to take the young lady back with us, but the old lady is ill and can't bear to part with her, so we didn't go to disturb her."

Ruan Xianrong opened the letter, read it, and then incredulously read it again.

After realizing what was happening, she asked the butler, "Where is Ruan Zhaoyuan?"