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

A faint fragrance of medicine permeated Qingfeng Pavilion.

Su Qingrun still showed no signs of waking up.

Su Yaoyao sat on the edge of the bed, holding a damp cloth in her hand, and carefully wiped Su Qingrun's forehead while he was unconscious.

My brother has very handsome features; even with his eyes closed, you can see the resolute look that comes from the battlefield.

But at this moment, his face was pale, his lips were chapped, and his breathing was so weak that it seemed he might stop breathing at any moment.

Su Yaoyao gently traced the scar on his forehead with her fingertips—

In a daze, the pale yet resolute face before me overlapped with another face from my memory.

My older brother from a past life.

He lay in bed like this, tormented by illness until he was emaciated.

Back then, her family was poor and couldn't afford a caregiver, so she took care of everything by herself.

Turning her over, washing her, feeding her... she did it skillfully yet with a heavy heart.

However, the person eventually grew colder and colder in her arms.

My heart ached terribly.

"Brother..." she murmured softly, gently wiping Su Qingrun's forehead with a damp handkerchief, "Please wake up soon, okay? I finally... have a brother again."

Su Qingrun on the bed did not react.

She took a deep breath, put down the handkerchief, changed into a clean one, and unbuttoned the collar of her brother's undergarment—he needed to be wiped down after being unconscious for so long, otherwise he would easily develop a rash.

Just as I unbuttoned two buttons, my hand was suddenly grabbed from behind.

"What are you doing?"

A deep voice came from the doorway, carrying obvious displeasure.

Su Yaoyao's hand trembled, and the handkerchief fell to the edge of the bed.

She turned around and saw Xiao Chenyuan standing by the door, his expression not looking good.

"I'm wiping my brother's body down," she said matter-of-factly. "He's been lying down for days; if he's not cleaned, he'll easily get bedsores."

Xiao Chenyuan frowned even more: "Let the servants do these things."

"The servants are rough," Su Yaoyao said, picking up the handkerchief again. "My brother is injured, and I'm afraid they'll hurt him."

She said this, and then continued.

Xiao Chenyuan was silent for a moment, then reached out and took the damp handkerchief from her hand: "I've come."

"Huh?" Su Yaoyao was taken aback.

"Get out." Xiao Chenyuan's tone was calm, yet left no room for argument. "There is a difference between men and women."

Su Yaoyao almost laughed in exasperation: "He's my own brother!"

"Even my own brother won't do." Xiao Chenyuan glanced at her. "He's a man, and you're a woman."

Su Yaoyao was stunned for a moment, then suddenly laughed: "He's my own brother, what's inappropriate about it? We even took baths together when we were little."

These words only made Xiao Chenyuan's expression darken further.

He stopped looking at her, only lowered his head to wring out his handkerchief, his movements somewhat stiff: "This isn't like when we were kids."

Su Yaoyao looked at his tense profile and suddenly realized—this person was jealous?

A thought struck her, and she deliberately leaned closer, lowering her voice to ask, "Your Highness... you wouldn't be jealous of my brother, would you?"

Xiao Chenyuan paused in his wiping motion, his ears turning slightly red, but he didn't refute.

Su Yaoyao laughed even harder, reaching out to poke his arm: "Your Highness, you can't do this. This is my own brother, an unconscious patient. Your jealousy is completely unreasonable."

Xiao Chenyuan raised his eyes, looking at her with a deep gaze: "Even my own brother won't do."

He paused, then lowered his voice: "...No one but me."

Su Yaoyao's heart skipped a beat.

She suppressed a laugh and nodded, "Alright, then I'll trouble you, Your Highness. Please wipe it carefully, my brother is very clean."

Xiao Chenyuan walked to the bedside, deftly unbuttoned Su Qingrun's clothes, and used a damp cloth to wipe around the wound on his chest. His technique was surprisingly skilled, with just the right amount of force, avoiding the wound and even taking care of the blind spots on his back.

Su Yaoyao stood to the side watching, then suddenly asked, "Has Your Highness ever cared for the wounded before?"

"Hmm." Xiao Chenyuan didn't look up. "When the war in the northern frontier was critical, I spent half a year in the military camp."

When he spoke, his profile was cold and hard, and his eyes were focused, making him seem like a completely different person from the aloof and ascetic Buddhist monk he usually was.

Su Yaoyao's heart softened for no apparent reason.

After Xiao Chenyuan finished wiping her down and tucked Su Qingrun back in, she finally spoke, "Thank you, Your Highness."

Xiao Chenyuan turned to look at her, his gaze lingering on her face for a moment: "Your brother will wake up."

"I know." Su Yaoyao smiled, but her eyes were a little red.

Xiao Chenyuan's fingertips twitched, as if he wanted to touch her face, but in the end he only said, "Go out and let him rest."

Upon reaching the door, Chun Tao bowed to the Crown Prince and asked Su Yaoyao, "Miss, when shall we depart?"

Xiao Chenyuan turned his head and asked Su Yaoyao, "Departure? Where to?"

"Go back to the Grand Tutor's residence and get a few changes of clothes," Su Yaoyao said. "We can't dress too casually for a palace banquet."

Xiao Chenyuan was silent for a moment, then said, "There's no need to go back."

He turned and instructed Uncle Fu: "Go and invite the embroiderers from Jinxiu Workshop to take Miss Su's measurements and quickly make several palace dresses."

Uncle Fu responded and left.

Su Yaoyao was somewhat surprised: "Make it now? Is there enough time?"

"The craftsmanship of Jinxiu Workshop will be sufficient in three days," Xiao Chenyuan said calmly. "Perfect timing, I also have some things to purchase."

Before long, Uncle Fu led two embroiderers in.

The two embroiderers looked extremely capable. Holding a measuring tape and a fabric sample, they bowed respectfully and said, "Greetings, young lady."

Su Yaoyao was somewhat surprised—the Crown Prince's actions were too swift.

"What kind of clothes would you like to have made, young lady?" the embroiderer asked.

"For palace banquets, something formal, but not too flashy." Su Yaoyao thought for a moment, "Moon white or light purple, with simple embroidery."

The embroiderer nodded repeatedly and took out a measuring tape from the box she carried with her: "Then this old servant will take your measurements first, young lady."

She walked behind Su Yaoyao, opened her arms, and hugged her waist. This posture was inevitably a bit intimate, but Su Yaoyao didn't think anything of it, and the embroiderer's expression remained unchanged.

"One foot and eight inches."

A cold, clear voice rang out.

The embroiderer was taken aback, and looked down at the markings on the measuring tape—perfectly accurate.

She looked at the Crown Prince in surprise.

Xiao Chenyuan sat on a chair by the window, holding a cup of tea in his hand. His expression was normal, but his brows were slightly furrowed.

Su Yaoyao was also taken aback.

Xiao Chenyuan put down his teacup, his expression calm: "Continue."

The embroiderer swallowed hard and continued measuring Su Yaoyao's bust. The measuring tape was wrapped around Su Yaoyao's chest, about to read the measurement—

"Two feet six inches."

That's right again.

The embroiderer's hands were trembling slightly.

Next is the hip circumference.

"Two feet eight inches."

all hit.

The two embroiderers exchanged bewildered glances, their eyes filled with shock—how could His Highness the Crown Prince know Miss Su's measurements so clearly?! Not even half an inch off?!

Ignoring their surprised expressions, Xiao Chenyuan added, "The neckline size... should be based on her usual clothing; she doesn't like it too tight."

Su Yaoyao looked shocked.

She turned to look at Xiao Chenyuan, who was drinking tea with his eyes down, looking calm and collected, but his ears... were red again.

The embroiderer took a long time to recover, and stammered, "Your Highness, this measurement...should we take it again to confirm?"

"No need," Xiao Chenyuan said calmly, "Just do as I say."

He glanced at Su Yaoyao, then turned and left.

The two remaining embroiderers looked at Su Yaoyao with a subtle glint in their eyes—this Miss Su is quite something, being able to make His Highness the Crown Prince remember the measurements so clearly.

Su Yaoyao stood still.

How did he know so much?

It seemed as if he already knew her body inside and out.

After the embroiderer left, Su Yaoyao walked out of the house and saw Xiao Chenyuan standing under the corridor with his back to her, looking at the magnolia flowers in the courtyard.

She walked over and stood beside him.

"Your Highness," she asked softly, "how did you know my measurements? Please confess—did you secretly take them?"

Xiao Chenyuan didn't turn around, his voice was very calm: "Judging by sight."

"Can a visual estimation really be that accurate?"

"Um."

Su Yaoyao smiled and tilted her head to look at him: "Then... when Your Highness was making the assessment, did you look very carefully?"

Xiao Chenyuan's Adam's apple bobbed, but he didn't speak.

"For example," Su Yaoyao leaned closer, her voice low and tinged with a mischievous grin, "how slim her waist is, how big her breasts are... um!"

Before she could finish speaking, her wrist was suddenly grabbed.

Xiao Chenyuan turned around, pinning her against a pillar, and looked down at her, his eyes swirling with a familiar darkness:

"Having held it, you'll know."

Su Yaoyao's heart skipped a beat, but she smiled sweetly and said, "Your Highness has a good memory."

"So... is there a reward?" Xiao Chenyuan raised an eyebrow.

"Huh?" She blinked. "What reward?"

Xiao Chenyuan stared at her for a long time, then suddenly released his grip, took a half step back, and regained his usual calm:

"Alright... I still have some folding scrolls to read, I'll be going now."

After saying that, he turned and left.

Su Yaoyao watched his retreating figure and chuckled softly.

Saying one thing and meaning another.

Even though they care deeply, they pretend to be indifferent.

but……

She looked down at her waist.

One foot and eight inches.

He remembers it clearly.