Where is the early stage of the marriage alliance?

Ling Xi raised her eyes and looked at him intently. Her bright, fox-like eyes were clear and captivating, reflecting the dazzling lights of Jinling City. As her eyes trembled slightly, they sparkled in his heart.

However, those captivating eyes will never look at him like they did tonight again.

Upon thinking of this, Xiao Ce could no longer suppress the bitterness and longing in his chest, which overflowed from his deep and composed phoenix eyes, burning with intense passion.

"you……"

As soon as Ling Xi opened her mouth, he suddenly grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his arms before she could react.

The surrounding noise and chatter seemed to be cut off instantly, and Ling Xi froze on the spot, her eyes filled with disbelief.

Not only her, but also Wushuang, Peilan and the others who were standing in the distance waiting quietly were all stunned, holding their breath and watching this sudden scene from afar, forgetting to react for a moment.

Ling Xi was completely stunned, but her body was truly enveloped by his hard and warm chest. Her nose lightly touched the cool collar of his clothes, and the fragrance of his agarwood surrounded her, domineeringly taking over all her breath.

"Could we... not leave?"

Xiao Ce gently rested his chin on the top of her head, making a soft whisper, as low as a gentle breeze, mingling with the clamor of the surrounding crowd.

"What did you say?"

Ling Xi was pressed down by him and couldn't look up at him, only making indistinct sounds from his chest.

Xiao Ce did it on purpose, afraid that she would really hear him clearly, afraid that she would clearly reject him after hearing him, and afraid that his little bit of unsuppressible longing would be crushed by her decisively.

Suddenly, a piercing cracking sound erupted overhead, like the sound of a wooden pillar snapping.

"Run! Run!"

"The lighthouse is collapsing!"

Terrified screams erupted instantly, and the people in the square began to scatter in all directions.

Xiao Ce immediately released her and looked up at the swaying lighthouse above.

"Walk!"

Before she could react, Xiao Ce grabbed her and ran towards Fengyang Street. After taking only two steps, Ling Xi's foot twisted, and a sharp pain suddenly shot through her right ankle. Her leg instantly lost its strength, and she fell uncontrollably to the ground.

Xiao Ce felt a sudden weight on his hand, and almost instinctively turned around, stretching out his long arm to firmly pull her back.

"How is it?"

He looked down at her, a hint of urgency in his eyes. Ling Xi bit her lower lip and shook her head, enduring the sharp pain in her ankle. She supported herself on his arm and barely managed to stand up straight, not daring to delay for even a moment longer.

"Your Highness!"

"Princess! Get out of the way!"

From not far away came Lu Ming and Pei Lan's heart-wrenching screams.

The two looked up abruptly and saw the lighthouse, adorned with colorful lanterns, crashing down with devastating force.

The heavy wooden frame of the tower cracked one after another, making a continuous series of cracking sounds, and sparks flew like falling meteors, hurtling towards the two of them.

The two had only run a few steps when the lighthouse was about to collapse, and there was no way to avoid it.

At the critical moment, Xiao Ce stepped to the side, his tall body bending down to firmly shield Ling Xi beneath him. His wide, heavy cloak billowed down, completely enveloping her in his embrace.

"Xiao Ce!"

The shout was instantly swallowed up by the deafening roar of the collapse.

Ling Xi's ears were ringing as he held her tightly beneath him. In that instant, she clearly felt his arms around her waist tighten suddenly, and a low, muffled groan, filled with suppressed pain, came from above her head and shoulder, clearly reaching her ears.

……

In the bedroom of Chuixing Courtyard, the candlelight was dim, and the air was filled with the faint scent of medicinal incense. Xiao Ce sat sideways on the edge of the couch, his black inner robe pulled down to his waist, revealing his strong and broad back in the candlelight. What was striking was a crisscrossing, scarlet, and hideous scar.

The most striking feature was a long, slashing gash that ran diagonally from the left shoulder to the side of the waist. The skin was broken, revealing the muscle fibers, and the center was a bright red, with blood oozing from the edges. Around the long gash were several other wounds of varying depths, and even just looking at them in the candlelight made one feel the searing pain.

"This injury involves the skin, so you must not pull it forcefully or get it wet. You need to change the dressing every day, otherwise it will become infected."

After cleaning the wound, Physician Du whispered instructions, his tone exceptionally cautious. He then carefully applied ointment to the gruesome wound with a cotton swab.

Ling Xi saw his back suddenly tense up, his shoulder line stiffen slightly, but he didn't utter a sound from beginning to end, neither crying out in pain nor groaning.

She stood frozen by the bed, her body as if rooted to the spot, her hands trembling slightly uncontrollably at her sides. She stared blankly at the shocking wound, a lump forming in her throat. His long, dark hair fell down, loosely obscuring most of his profile.

Ling Xi couldn't see his expression clearly, but she could clearly see that his hard jaw was taut, along with the blue veins on his neck.

Every time Physician Du touched a deep wound, his back would tense up for a fleeting, almost imperceptible moment. She knew he was enduring extreme pain.

After the physician from the Du family had finished bandaging Xiao Ce's wound and repeatedly given him instructions, he picked up his medicine box, bowed, and left the outer room.

Qiu Yue, who was waiting to the side, held a neatly folded plain satin nightgown and slowly stepped forward. Ling Xi, who had been in a daze, seemed to be suddenly pulled back to his senses by the extreme silence.

"I'll do it."

Qiu Yue was slightly taken aback. She looked up at the young prince, who was sitting on the couch, cold and silent. She immediately understood, and carefully placed his nightgown on the low table beside the couch before quietly leaving.

There was no one else in the room, and even the sound of the night wind blowing through the window became exceptionally clear.

"Let me help you."

Her voice was soft and gentle, with a hint of barely perceptible unease. She then reached for her nightgown on the low table and walked toward the bed.

Despite his severe injuries, he sat upright, gazing at her silently. His deep eyes held a complex mix of emotions, his long, dark hair loosely draped over his shoulders, a few stray strands falling across his cheeks. He had lost his usual cold and aloof demeanor, and now appeared fragile and sickly.

Ling Xi had never seen Xiao Ce look so frail before. Her heart tightened, and she felt a deep sense of guilt. After all, it was because of her that he was injured.

"Xiao Ce?"

He didn't answer, but simply withdrew his complex gaze and slowly stood up. He paused slightly, his dark hair falling over his shoulders with the movement, making his face appear even paler.

He remained silent, only slightly extending his arms, his broad shoulders slightly open.

Ling Xi stepped forward and stood in front of him. She quickly unfolded her plain nightgown, gently held the hem with one hand, and slowly pulled it over his shoulder. First, she slipped it onto one arm, then slowly went around behind him and slipped it onto the other sleeve. Every movement was extremely gentle, as if she was afraid of touching the wound on his back.

After she finished dressing, she leaned down slightly, her slender fingers pinching the tie of his shirt, her eyes lowered, not daring to meet his gaze.

Xiao Ce looked down at her earnest expression, her fingers moving deftly and gently around his waist, always maintaining a sense of propriety. His eyes welled with emotion, yet he stood quietly, letting the warmth so close to him seep into his heart.