The clingy concubine ran away, and the sickly prince lost control.

"The Crown Prince is in the study; let him go to the study."

Luo Qingyan sat listlessly in the courtyard. The summer morning was cool, and the breeze helped to ease the restlessness caused by lack of sleep. She would take a nap after breakfast.

Pei Shiyuan was retaliating against her for seducing him.

So what if they have an heir? With the Duke's mansion's resources, they won't lack food or clothing. I really don't know what they're thinking.

Pei Shiyuan said he wanted to marry Cui Rou, but Cui Rou fell ill, and Pei Shiyuan and Cui Rou felt that they were not destined to be together.

"Aunt Luo, I'm here to see you."

Cui Chengxuan strode in, interrupting Luo Qingyan's thoughts. With his willow-leaf eyebrows and phoenix eyes, he looked even more spirited than yesterday.

"Greetings, Lord Cui." Luo Qingyan stood up and bowed, her expression serious. What did Cui Rou's second brother want with her? To avenge Cui Rou?

I later heard last night that Cui Rou was seriously ill and caused a ruckus all night.

"Aunt Luo, please don't stand on ceremony. I've heard you're good at cooking. Would you do me the honor of trying some?" Cui Chengxuan smiled, his eyes crinkling.

Cui Rou told him that Pei Shiyuan especially liked the food Luo Qingyan made and had to eat it every day.

He really wanted to see what kind of delicious food it was.

Luo Qingyan lowered her gaze slightly. She wasn't there to avenge Cui Rou, but to find something to eat. As expected of a foodie, she had been talking about food all day yesterday: "Lord Cui, you're too kind. I'll bring it to you right away. Please have a seat and wait a moment."

Cui Chengxuan sat down on the stone bench.

Soon, several dishes were placed on the stone table.

"Mmm, delicious." Cui Chengxuan took a bite and nodded repeatedly, chewing carefully, then frowned slightly.

"Lord Cui, can you taste the medicinal herbs? They even taste a bit bitter?" Luo Qingyan asked.

"Yes." Cui Chengxuan raised his eyebrows and nodded thoughtfully.

"So what I make is not gourmet food, but medicinal cuisine, which focuses on conditioning the body, and each dish is paired with corresponding herbs."

Luo Qingyan explained in detail.

"Oh, I see. I don't know much about medicinal cuisine, but it tastes pretty good."

Cui Chengxuan has tasted countless delicacies and doesn't like the taste of herbs, but he can still tell whether a chef has put their heart into a dish.

It's clear that Luo Qingyan put a lot of thought into designing and preparing this dish.

Pei Shiyuan is ill, no wonder he eats every day.

"oops!"

"Miss, please slow down."

Luo Qingyan looked up and saw Yinxing helping Cui Rou, who had almost fallen, come in.

"Miss Cui, please slow down."

In front of the other woman's second brother, Luo Qingyan went over and helped Cui Rou from the other side.

Cui Rou frowned and withdrew her arm in disgust: "Aunt Luo, you just came out of the kitchen after making the food, right? Don't get my clothes dirty."

Even though she was a concubine in the Duke's mansion, she was still treated like a servant, having to do all sorts of chores, and no one dared to touch her hand.

Her hands had never been stained with dirt.

Luo Qingyan curled her lips. If it weren't for the smile her second brother gave her, she wouldn't have bothered to pay any attention to Cui Rou.

"Third Sister, what are you saying? Aunt Luo's medicinal cuisine is very good, you should try it."

Cui Chengxuan was still chewing when he picked up a piece for Cui Rou.

"I'm not eating." Cui Rou glared at Cui Chengxuan, wondering whose side her second brother was on.

"Miss Cui is ill, and this is medicinal food. It would be bad if it were to have any adverse effects." Luo Qingyan thought to herself, "I'm not giving it to you."

"Cough cough cough, that's right, the smell makes me feel even more dizzy."

Cui Rou rubbed her temples, closed her eyes slightly, her face full of pain, and swayed.

Luo Qingyan sized up Cui Rou; she knew Cui Rou's visit was up to no good, so she quickly told her to leave.

"Ginkgo, Miss Cui is not feeling well. Please take her home to rest."

"No need," Cui Rou waved her hand weakly. "I just came to sit for a while."

The sound of a wheelchair rolling could be heard.

"Your Highness."

Luo Qingyan curtsied.

Cui Chengxuan clasped his hands in a fist salute.

Cui Rou finally stood up unsteadily: "Cousin."

"If you're sick, don't come out." Pei Shiyuan's tone was cold, and he didn't even give Cui Rou a second glance before heading straight for the stone table.

"I, I." Cui Rou held her head, then her body went limp and she fell towards Pei Shiyuan.

Pei Shiyuan quickly rolled his wheelchair backward.

With a "thud," Cui Rou landed headfirst on the ground, falling solidly.

"Ah!" A sharp, piercing scream.

Cui Rou tried the same thing, but ended up in a much worse situation. Pei Shiyuan was ruthless; he didn't even accept it, wasn't he afraid that Cui Rou might damage her brain or break her arm?

Luo Qingyan seemed to be deep in thought, while Pei Shiyuan didn't seem to like Cui Rou much either.

"Cousin, how did you catch Third Sister?" Cui Chengxuan went to help Cui Rou and questioned Pei Shiyuan.

"Cough cough cough." Pei Shiyuan coughed, "Cousin, with my health, I don't have the strength to catch her. I thought you would."

Cui Rou was helped to sit up by Cui Chengxuan. Her fingertips dug into her flesh. He slapped Xiao Die out of the house. He had just carried Luo Qingyan all the way back from the ancestral hall. How come he didn't have the strength to catch her?

Yuan-gege has changed; he doesn't love her anymore.

It's all Luo Qingyan's fault. Without her, Brother Yuan would never have treated her like this.

"It's not my fault, cousin. This is a mugwort sachet I made, for you."

Luo Qingyan knows herbs, and so does she.

Cui Rou placed the sachet on the stone table, not daring to hand it to Pei Shiyuan, worried that something else might happen. The fall she had just experienced had truly frightened her.

"Ginkgo, help me back."

"Cousin, how about we get married tonight?"

Upon hearing Pei Shiyuan's voice, Cui Rou felt as if a sharp blade had been thrown at her back and pierced her body.

She's so sick, how can she get married?

"Cousin, wait until I recover. I'm afraid I'll pass on my illness to you now."

With that, Cui Rou wiped away her tears with a handkerchief, lowered her head, and left.

Pei Shiyuan curled his lips. "I'm afraid your illness is incurable. The imperial physician has already been interrogated by him and confirmed that Cui Rou is faking her illness."

She didn't want to get married, yet she kept saying that she was deeply in love with him.

He insisted on announcing the engagement for Cui Rou's own good, but now she doesn't appreciate it and just doesn't want to marry him anyway.

If you only think about your own possessiveness and don't love yourself, you can't blame others.

"Aunt Luo, I'll pack these pastries up."

Cui Chengxuan left carrying the snacks.

He needs to persuade Cui Rou to think more positively; Pei Shiyuan is not a good match for her.

The maid tidied up the stone table and set out breakfast again.

Luo Qingyan kept her eyelids open, finished breakfast with Pei Shiyuan, and then went to catch up on her sleep.

Pei Shiyuan smiled, knowing it was best not to get too close to him.

"Knock knock knock".

Luo Qingyan was sleeping soundly when she was woken up by a knock on the door. When she opened the door, Pei Shiyuan was standing there.

Meteor Residence.

"It hurts, be gentle," Cui Rou said through gritted teeth.

Yinxing loosened Cui Rou's hair bun, revealing a large, red, swollen bump on the top of Cui Rou's head.

The moment my head hit the ground, it really hurt.

"Miss, please bear with it, the pain will subside once the medicine is applied," Yinxing said. "Young Master, how can I bear to watch you get hurt?"

"He's completely infatuated with Luo Qingyan, and he doesn't care about me at all anymore." Cui Rou bit her thin lips.

"Third sister, the young master is not a good match for you. You should break off the engagement and return to Qinghe as soon as possible." Cui Chengxuan stepped into the house. Not only did the young master not respond to Cui Rou's attack, but from yesterday to now, he had carefully observed that Pei Shiyuan did not like the third sister at all. In fact, his eyes showed disgust and impatience. However, when he looked at Luo Qingyan, his eyebrows and eyes relaxed.

Besides, Pei Shiyuan is still ill and his life is uncertain, so there's no need for Third Sister to get entangled with him.

"No, the Crown Prince is mine to begin with, and I cannot let Luo Qingyan take him away."

If she leaves, she loses.

How could she give away what belonged to her?

"Third sister, if you keep bothering her, you'll only get hurt." Cui Chengxuan tried to persuade Cui Rou for a long time, but to no avail. In the end, he could only angrily turn and leave.

Cui Rou smashed the teacup, wondering how there could be such a person as Luo Qingyan in this world.

"Miss, the young master and Consort Luo have gone out again," Ginkgo whispered.

They've been going out a lot lately; something must be going on.

"Let's go, follow them."