Where is the early stage of the marriage alliance?

Xiao Ce personally fed his mother medicine spoonful by spoonful, while Granny Sun stood quietly by his side. Only after she put away the medicine bowl did Xiao Ce inquire about the events that had occurred in the mansion that day.

Granny Sun dared not conceal anything and reported the truth in detail. When she heard that her mother had fainted after speaking with Physician Du alone, Xiao Ce immediately understood that she already knew about Wan Ning's condition.

He suppressed the turmoil in his eyes, slowly straightened up, and walked heavily out of the inner room.

The people outside were still sleeping soundly, as docile and obedient as a kitten that had concealed its sharpness.

"Your Highness, shall we awaken the Crown Princess?"

Granny Sun followed behind, asking in a low voice.

Xiao Ce waved his hand, his eyes revealing a deep appreciation that even he himself was unaware of. Even Granny Sun spoke so softly, as if afraid of disturbing her.

He turned around and took the cloak that had been draped over the chair. He walked slowly to her, lowered his knees, and carefully draped the cloak over her shoulders. Then he turned to the side, gently cupped her face in his hands, and placed it against his shoulder. He then supported her shoulders and back, and without any effort, steadily lifted her into his arms.

Granny Sun took in the scene before her and a doubt arose in her heart. She had thought that the young master was only attracted to the beauty of his wife, but now it seemed that the young master was taking such good care of her and had deep affection in his eyes. He had clearly already placed her in the most important place in his heart.

She stood on the veranda, clutching her handkerchief tightly, watching the Crown Prince carry his wife away, her eyes filled with worry. What should she do? If the Princess knew how much the Crown Prince cared, she would faint again.

In the Chuixing Courtyard, Xiao Ce carefully and steadily placed Ling Xi on the bed. As soon as Ling Xi's body touched the soft, warm bedding, her eyelashes trembled slightly, and she slowly opened her eyes.

Through her hazy vision, Ling Xi saw Xiao Ce's handsome face so close to hers, but it felt like a dream. Her mind was foggy and drowsy, and a hint of languor lingered in her eyes. The next moment, she slowly closed her eyes again.

Xiao Ce leaned down and gazed at her peaceful sleeping face. His heart skipped a beat. He gently pulled his hand away from her, the movement so subtle it was almost imperceptible. But even this slight movement woke her up again.

This time, after she opened her eyes, she didn't close them again, staring intently at the man in front of her.

"The Crown Prince?"

Her voice was soft and slightly hoarse from just waking up, and she was still sleepy. Her breath was filled with Xiao Ce's unique, cool scent, which made her realize that she was not dreaming and that Xiao Ce was actually in front of her.

Their eyes met, and they were speechless for a moment. After a while, Xiao Ce sat up straight on the edge of the bed, his tenderness gone, leaving only a calm and composed demeanor.

"Thank you for taking such good care of Mother and Wan Ning today."

His voice was deep and warm, unlike his usual aloof and cold demeanor.

Ling Xi was still sleepy. She looked up at the person in front of her and felt that Xiao Ce was unusually gentle tonight, which was completely different from his usual self.

Seeing her bewildered and timid appearance, a soft light welled up in Xiao Ce's eyes, and he gently pulled the quilt over her shoulder.

"Go to sleep."

Something's not right! Something's not right! Ling Xi's heart tightened suddenly, and she became much more alert. From the moment they arrived until now, Xiao Ce's every move had been excessively gentle and considerate towards her.

As her thoughts raced, the erotic scenes from last night's bath suddenly flooded her mind, and he was right there beside her, sitting on the edge of her bed. Ling Xi swallowed hard, still feeling the tingling sensation on her lips from last night. Her ears instantly burned, and a blush spread across her cheeks.

She had initially thought he was drunk and confused, mistaking someone else for someone else, which explained his outburst. But last night, he clearly called her name. A sense of unease and confusion washed over her. Could it be that his treatment of her was different from before?

Ling Xi unconsciously bit her lower lip, a mixture of shyness and bewilderment. She hurriedly raised her hand and pulled the brocade quilt over her head, half-covering her flushed and burning cheeks, revealing only her misty eyes, not daring to look at him.

"Last night... I'm sorry, I lost my composure and overstepped my bounds."

He's apologizing, but does he remember everything that happened last night? If he took advantage of someone and then apologizes, it probably means he kissed the wrong person.

"It's nothing, you're just...drunk."

Ling Xi replied softly, her tone deliberately concealing her true feelings, wanting only to quickly move on from those ambiguous entanglements.

Xiao Ce raised his eyes, his dark gaze fixed intently on hers, his expression deep and unwavering. He recalled the resounding words of her brother in court earlier that day.

She was about to leave; she wanted to leave...

A bitter taste stuck in his throat. Xiao Ce swallowed silently, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly, and he didn't speak again. The next moment, all the tenderness in his eyes vanished, replaced by his usual aloofness and coldness.

"Go to sleep."

He uttered only two words in a flat tone, then stood up straight and walked towards the outer room.

Once he was out of sight and all was quiet, Ling Xi propped herself up on the bed and sat up, only then realizing that she was lying on his cloak. She reached out and touched it, and it seemed to still retain a trace of his cool, refreshing scent.

Ling Xi's eyes were glistening as she gazed at the cloak casually spread on the bed. A faint bitterness welled up in her heart. She slowly raised her eyes and looked at the wooden door that he had just gently closed. Suddenly, she wondered what Xiao Ce was doing at this moment, behind that door.

……

As night deepened, Wushuang lay in bed early in the Linfeng Courtyard of Wanfang Pavilion, but couldn't fall asleep for a long time. She had been bedridden for the past few days and had been sleeping far too much.

Since the assassination attempt, Liang officials have stopped keeping a close eye on Linfeng Courtyard, and given her injury, she has been exempted from all occasions where she needed to act.

Since the prince did not order her to stop pretending to be a concubine, she had to continue the role.

Since waking up from her coma that day, she and the prince have had almost no communication.

Ling Heng moved to the outer room to rest on a soft couch that night. The servants in Linfeng Courtyard all knew that her injuries had not yet healed, and assumed that it was because the young master Ling was considerate. No one had any doubts.

As the candlelight flickered and dimmed, just as Wushuang's consciousness began to drift, she suddenly heard soft footsteps and extremely quiet voices coming from outside.

A ingrained sense of alertness jolted her awake. Through the half-open door, she could vaguely make out a tall, slender figure. It was the Crown Prince; he had returned.

The room was dimly lit. She lay quietly on her side, listening intently to the sounds coming from outside. She could vaguely hear the prince and Qingyun whispering, but the words were muffled and indistinct through the wall. After a short while, all around returned to deathly silence.

Wushuang opened her eyes wide in the deep darkness. The surroundings were eerily quiet, and a wave of bittersweet melancholy washed over her. She suddenly felt that it would have been best if she had stayed by the side of the prince, simply as a guard, or perhaps returned to the Prince Rui's residence and stayed by the princess's side.

She simply couldn't bring herself to pretend to be the prince's concubine, or rather, she felt a strange unease in her heart.

After a moment, she calmed her chaotic thoughts, gently turned over, and faced inward.