Joy of Life: Me, the Second Prince? Summon Yuan Tiangang!

This is where dreams begin, and where dreams come true.

Upon hearing Fan Ruoruo's words, a knowing glint flashed quickly in Li Chengze's eyes, which had originally held a hint of laziness and mockery.

It turned out to be the case.

It was Lin Wan'er who told her.

Lin Wan'er, that girl, was like a sister to Fan Ruoruo. They confided in each other in their boudoir. When Fan Xian was facing a life-or-death situation, she revealed the secret that her "second cousin" had secretly cured her tuberculosis. It was quite reasonable for her to do so.

Li Chengze did not refute, nor did he show any anger at having his secret exposed. He simply nodded slightly, a calm smile appearing on his incomparably handsome face, which always carried a hint of wickedness.

He casually picked up a crystal-clear grape from the small rosewood table next to him, put it in his mouth, and chewed it slowly and deliberately, as if there was nothing more important in the world than tasting this grape.

A suffocating silence fell over the entire study. The only sounds were Li Chengze's soft chewing and Fan Ruoruo's heavy breathing, caused by extreme tension and grief.

After swallowing the fruit, Li Chengze turned his gaze back to Fan Ruoruo, who was kneeling on the ground with tears streaming down her face.

His voice was soft, calm, and casual. "Even if I do have some knowledge of traditional Chinese medicine, and even, as you say, am more skilled than those imperial physicians who only know how to prescribe remedies to save lives, but..."

He deliberately dragged out the last syllable, leaned forward slightly, and stared intently into Fan Ruoruo's eyes with his deep gaze.

Why should I help you?

These words were like a sharp blade chilled in ice water, mercilessly piercing Fan Ruoruo's heart.

Fan Ruoruo suddenly raised her head, her eyes, which had lit up with hope, instantly froze.

She froze, staring blankly at the high and mighty Second Prince before her, her lips trembling slightly, but she couldn't utter a single word.

Yes.

Why did he help her?

Although Fan Ruoruo was hailed as the most talented woman in the capital, and was proficient in composing poems and appreciating articles, she was ultimately a pampered young lady raised in seclusion.

The moment she learned that her brother was dying, her mind went blank, and all her reason was consumed by panic and despair.

Lin Wan'er's words were like the last straw a drowning person grasped at. She rushed to the Second Prince's residence without regard for anything else, even forcing her way in without regard for etiquette, her mind filled with thoughts of "he can save my brother".

However, she overlooked the most fatal problem.

Who is Li Chengze?

He is the second prince of the Daqing Dynasty. Why should he help someone who is completely unrelated to him and can even be considered a political enemy to some extent?

Countless thoughts flashed through Fan Ruoruo's mind as she tried to find common ground between herself and the Second Prince.

No. Apart from a few distant meetings at some grand court banquets, she had absolutely no personal relationship with Li Chengze.

Although she and Lin Wan'er were best friends who could talk about anything, Lin Wan'er was Lin Wan'er, and she was herself. Li Chengze was willing to go to great lengths to save Lin Wan'er because Lin Wan'er was the daughter of the eldest princess, of royal blood, his nominal cousin, and the two had a very close relationship.

And what about Fan Ruoruo?

She was merely the daughter of Fan Jian, the Minister of Revenue.

And what about her brother, Fan Xian?

He is Wan'er's fiancé. But Wan'er has already secretly fallen for Li Chengze.

Cold sweat trickled down Fan Ruoruo's smooth forehead.

She finally realized how naive and reckless she had been on this trip.

But she didn't want to give up.

She can't give up!

That was her brother, the brother who loved her the most, understood her the most, and whom she respected the most in the world!

As long as she could save Fan Xian, she would jump into any danger, no matter if it meant facing mountains of knives, seas of fire, or bottomless abyss.

"thump!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Fan Ruoruo slammed her knees heavily onto the hard brick floor. The muffled thud was particularly jarring in the quiet study.

Her once straight back hunched over, her forehead pressed against the cold ground, and her voice became hoarse and broken from extreme suppression:

"Your Highness... Ruoruo knows that this visit is presumptuous. Ruoruo also knows that the Fan family and Your Highness have no prior relationship, and that my brother... he even clashed with Your Highness in court. But my brother was truly a good man. He made great contributions to the Great Qing's mission to the Northern Qi, and he shouldn't have died under such a conspiracy!"

She suddenly raised her head, her beautiful and refined face covered with tears, but her eyes revealed a heart-stopping determination.

"As long as Your Highness is willing to save my brother, as long as you can save his life! Ruoruo... Ruoruo is willing to pay any price! Even if it means serving Your Highness like a slave, even if... even if Your Highness takes my life, Ruoruo will not hesitate! I beg Your Highness to have mercy, I beg Your Highness to show mercy!"

After saying that, she kowtowed heavily again.

Li Chengze sat quietly in the armchair, looking down at the most talented woman in the capital who had humbled herself to the dust for the sake of her brother.

There was no pity, no emotion in his eyes, only a profound and utter calm.

He looked at Fan Ruoruo's trembling shoulders and listened to her desperate pleas, but a faint smile slowly curved his lips.

What a deeply touching story of brotherly and sisterly love!

Li Chengze slowly stood up. He wasn't wearing shoes; he walked barefoot onto the cold, hard blue bricks, step by step, to Fan Ruoruo's side.

He stopped and looked down at the girl kneeling at his feet.

Then, he slowly bent down, reached out a hand, gently grasped Fan Ruoruo's slender arm, and pulled her up from the ground.

Fan Ruoruo was forced to stand up, and she looked at the Second Prince who was standing close to her with some surprise.

Li Chengze was a full head taller than her, and he was looking down slightly. His deep, peach-blossom eyes reflected her disheveled appearance.

Li Chengze didn't speak. He simply raised his other hand and, with his wide sleeve, gently and slowly wiped away Fan Ruoruo's tears and the bloodstains on her forehead.

His movements were very gentle, as if he were wiping a precious piece of porcelain.

This sudden, almost "gentle" gesture made Fan Ruoruo freeze, her mind going blank for a moment.

She even forgot to breathe, and could only stand there blankly as Li Chengze wiped her face.

"Coming to me was probably your own idea, wasn't it?"

Li Chengze's voice was low and soft, as if he were sighing, or as if he were stating a fact that had long been established.

These seemingly casual words struck Fan Ruoruo's heart like a heavy hammer blow.

She nodded subconsciously, her eyes reddening again.

Li Chengze withdrew his hand, casually draping the blood- and tear-stained sleeve behind his back. He took a step back, creating distance between himself and Fan Ruoruo, his tone unusually calm, even tinged with coldness:

"You're a smart girl, but you're still a bit too young."