The abstinent prince, practicing Buddhism, is seduced by a voluptuous beauty into breaking his vows.

Xiao Qiming arrived at some unknown time and stood there, staring at Su Yaoyao with a gloomy gaze.

He saw everything that just happened—

Watching her calmly direct the palace servants, watching her methodically save lives, watching her... surrounded by people, moved to tears of gratitude.

On what grounds?

This woman, who used to only dare to follow behind him and never dare to go west when he said east, is now stealing the spotlight in front of so many people.

An inexplicable sense of irritation welled up inside me.

"You're putting on quite a show," Xiao Qiming scoffed.

Seeing Xiao Qiming staring at Su Yaoyao, Su Yun'er felt even more jealous and resentful, but she still had to put on a gentle demeanor: "Your Highness, my sister was just mistaken. Fortunately, Your Highness is alright..."

"Hmph! Why don't you just try and stumble upon something by chance?" Xiao Qiming chimed in, his tone sarcastic. "You've picked up a smattering of knowledge from somewhere and dare to act so arrogantly in the palace. Truly... ignorant of your own limitations!"

"Fur?" At this moment, the imperial physician who had arrived had finished administering the medicine to the young prince, and frowned.

"In such an acute illness, the slightest mistake could be fatal. Miss Su's technique is highly skilled and far from superficial. The young prince is now out of danger; if it weren't for Miss Su's timely intervention, the consequences would have been unimaginable."

Xiao Qiming clenched his fists. He looked at Su Yaoyao standing next to the Empress, her expression calm, not even glancing in his direction. The anger in his heart burned brighter and brighter.

He forcefully pulled his arm away from Su Yun'er's grasp, causing her to stumble and her eyes to instantly redden: "Your Highness..."

"Stop crying!" Xiao Qiming lowered his voice, his eyes full of disgust. "Useless thing! You couldn't even handle the little task I asked you to yesterday!"

Su Yun'er bit her lip, tears welling up in her eyes, but she dared not say another word.

At this moment, Xiao Yi leaned against the Empress's chest and tugged at her sleeve: "Mother, where is my brother, the Crown Prince? He said yesterday that he would teach me to play chess today."

The Empress looked at the palace servant beside her: "Where is the Crown Prince?"

The palace maid reported back: "Your Majesty, the imperial physician said this morning...that His Highness the Crown Prince has caught a cold and is resting quietly at Qingxin Spring."

"A cold?" The Empress frowned. "How serious is it?"

"The imperial physician said I need to rest quietly for a few days and avoid exposure to wind."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yi panicked and struggled to sit up: "You're talking nonsense! My brother, the Crown Prince, is the most powerful person in the world, how could he be sick! I need to see him!"

The Empress quickly pressed him down, saying, "You're not feeling well yourself, so don't bother your Crown Prince brother. He'll come to see you when he's feeling better."

"No!" Xiao Yi shook her head stubbornly, her eyes reddening. "If my brother, the Crown Prince, falls ill, I will stay with him."

Su Yaoyao lowered her eyelashes.

Cold?

His clothes were indeed soaked through in the hot spring yesterday...

She suddenly remembered the man's scalding palms and suppressed breathing in the hot spring pool last night.

So... he can get sick too.

"Yaoyao." The Empress's voice pulled her back to reality. "You saved Yi'er today, and I don't know how to thank you. How about this, just tell me what you want."

Su Yaoyao raised her eyes, about to speak—

"Mother," Xiao Qiming suddenly interjected, his voice deliberately gentle, "She was simply doing her duty to save people, why should she be rewarded? Besides, it's already inappropriate for an unmarried young lady to show her face in public, if she were to receive a generous reward, it might cause gossip."

These words sound grand and dignified, but in reality, every word is barbed.

The Empress's face darkened: "Qiming, what are you saying? Yaoyao saved Yi'er; it's a life-saving favor! How can you use 'it's your duty' as an excuse?"

Xiao Qiming was publicly refuted and embarrassed, but he forced a smile and said, "Your subject is only worried about Yaoyao's reputation..."

"Your Highness is overthinking this," Su Yaoyao suddenly spoke, her voice calm and even. "I saved this person not for reward or fame, but because a life was at stake, and I could not stand by and watch someone die."

She paused, then looked at the Empress: "Your Majesty, I lack nothing. However... the young prince is frail. I have some medical knowledge, and if Your Majesty trusts me, I am willing to help the young prince."

"Alright!" The Queen grasped her hand. "Then I'll have to trouble you."

Xiao Yi looked up, her eyes sparkling, and asked, "Sister Su, will you come again tomorrow?"

"Come here." Su Yaoyao patted his head and said softly, "But Your Highness must be good today and not disturb your Crown Prince brother's rest, okay?"

Xiao Yi nodded obediently, "Okay, I'll listen to you, sister. Then... sister, could you go see my brother the Crown Prince for me? Tell him that Yi'er misses him."

Su Yaoyao was taken aback. She was going to go anyway. "Okay, I'll go in a bit."

As Su Yaoyao watched the Empress leave, she was about to turn around when Xiao Qiming blocked her way.

"Su Yaoyao." He stared at her, his gaze complex, "When...did you learn all this?"

Su Yaoyao looked up at him, her expression indifferent: "What does this have to do with His Highness the Second Prince?"

"I'm just concerned about you!" Xiao Qiming's voice rose. "What are you doing, a young lady from a respectable family, learning all this nonsense? And touching a man's body in public... in public! Don't you know shame?!"

Su Yaoyao smiled.

That smile was both bright and ironic.

"Your Highness is right," she said slowly. "Then may I ask, if something were to happen to the young prince today, would you first consider the proper separation of men and women, or would you prioritize saving him?"

"I..." Xiao Qiming was speechless.

"You don't know how to save people, do you?" Su Yaoyao took a step closer, her eyes flashing coldly. "Because you don't understand medicine at all, and you disdain to learn it. In your eyes, a woman's reputation is more important than a human life, and rules and etiquette are more important than saving lives."

She paused, her voice growing even colder:

"That's why you stood by and watched your fiancée being framed at the palace banquet without doing anything. That's why you're here, hurling insults at me, your 'former fiancée'."

Xiao Qiming's face turned ashen: "Su Yaoyao! You—"

"This humble woman takes her leave." Su Yaoyao turned and left without looking at him again.

The hem of her skirt brushed against the ground, raising a fine dust cloud.

Xiao Qiming stood there, watching her resolute back, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked.

Good...very good!

This woman who used to be so obedient to him now dares to talk to him like that!

A sinister glint flashed in his eyes.

Su Yaoyao, do you think you can rest easy just because you've climbed up to the Crown Prince?

Just wait...

One day, I'll make you beg me on your knees!

Lanyue Pavilion.

As Chuntao poured tea for Su Yaoyao, she said indignantly, "Miss, the Second Prince has gone too far! You saved the Young Prince, and instead of being grateful, he said such things!"

Su Yaoyao held her teacup, her expression calm: "If a dog bites you, are you going to bite it back?"

"But……"

"There's no 'but' about it." Su Yaoyao put down her teacup. "Chuntao, go to the small kitchen and have them brew a pot of ginger and jujube tea."

"Ginger and jujube tea?" Chun Tao was taken aback. "Miss wants some?"

"No." Su Yaoyao put down her teacup, a sly glint in her eyes. "Send it to His Highness the Crown Prince."

"But..." Chun Tao hesitated, "Ordinary people aren't allowed into the Crown Prince's quarters..."

"Who said we were going in?" Su Yaoyao stood up, straightened her sleeves, and said, "We'll just wait outside."

She walked to the dressing table and looked at her bright face in the mirror.

I flirted with him too much last night and scared him away.

today……

I should go and comfort her.

After all, when a Buddhist disciple falls ill, shouldn't someone take care of him?

She touched the Buddhist prayer beads on her wrist.

A slow smile curved his lips.

Your Highness, your illness...

She was born at the perfect time.

Meanwhile, inside the Listening Snow Pavilion.

Xiao Chenyuan sat back on the bed, holding a scroll of scriptures in his hand, but he couldn't concentrate on reading a single word.

Ling Feng brought in the medicine: "Master, it's time to take your medicine."

Xiao Chenyuan took the medicine bowl and drank it all in one gulp.

The medicine was bitter, but it couldn't suppress the inexplicable burning sensation in my heart.

"How's it going outside?" he asked in a low voice.

Ling Feng answered truthfully, "Miss Su saved the young prince, and Her Majesty the Empress is very grateful. The Second Prince... seems to have said some unpleasant things to Miss Su."

Xiao Chenyuan paused slightly in the hand holding the medicine bowl.

"What did you say?"

"To say that Miss Su... is shameless, touching a man's body in public." Ling Feng paused, "However, Miss Su's counterattack was very well done, leaving the Second Prince speechless."

Xiao Chenyuan's lips curved into an almost imperceptible smile.

That little fox... it certainly won't suffer a loss.

"Master..." Ling Feng hesitated, "Your cold... you don't really need to pretend so much."

It's true that he soaked in cold water yesterday, but given his constitution, he wouldn't catch a cold at all. Today, when the imperial physician came to take his pulse, he deliberately used his internal energy to make his pulse appear weak…

"Meddlesome," Xiao Chenyuan said indifferently. "Go down."

Ling Feng dared not speak further and bowed as he withdrew.

The room returned to silence.

Xiao Chenyuan leaned against the headboard, watching the swaying bamboo shadows outside the window.

But the image of her curves, barely visible beneath her soaked clothes, floated into his mind yesterday in the hot spring.

And the sly glint in her eyes when she looked up at him.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

The cold is fake.

But the fire in my heart...

But it's true.