Bai Qingqing caught a glimpse of Ning Yan shifting his position from the corner of her eye. Suddenly, he sat up straight, and with some hesitation, she asked, "Lord Ning, could you stay with me a little longer? Just for a while..."

Ning Yan raised an eyebrow, noticing the flush on her face, and he realized that this request was difficult for her.

"Are you afraid of me?"

"…Yes, but you're a high-ranking officer in the Imperial Guard."

Bai Qingqing felt that he could ward off evil spirits.

With him in the room, it felt like no malevolent force would dare to approach, allowing her to calm down faster.

Ning Yan didn’t know what she was thinking, but his tone carried a hint of teasing. "Alright, but only for a little while. I don’t have much time."

...

When Ning Yan left the private room, Zi Dai was so anxious she looked like she might bite someone. After her pressure points were released, she was about to shout, but Ning Yan hushed her, "Your lady is asleep. Don’t wake her."

Zi Dai had no choice but to quiet down and rushed inside to check on her lady.

Bai Qingqing was fast asleep with her head resting on the table, a thin blanket draped over her shoulders. Her face was calm, and her complexion had improved significantly since the time she had first arrived.

Zi Dai finally let out a sigh of relief and quietly stayed by her side, waiting for her to wake up.

...

At the Prince Ping’s residence, in Fu Yi’s courtyard, people were coming and going, and the scent of medicine filled the entire area.

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The Princess looked coldly at the doctor. "How is he? Why hasn’t he woken up yet?"

"Replying to the Princess, the young master has been struck by cold, his mind in a state of confusion. The combination of these two factors has made his body exceptionally weak. We’ve already administered acupuncture, but it will likely take a day or two before he wakes up."

"How could it be this severe?"

The doctor, a trusted confidant of the Princess, lowered his voice helplessly, as there was no one else in the room. "That incense is very potent, and it’s inherently harmful to the body. The young master used too much, and since he didn’t relieve it, it accumulated within him. On top of that, the cold has weakened him further. Even a stone statue would peel away under such circumstances."

The Princess frowned impatiently. "Everything had been calculated, how could this go wrong? How could that girl still be awake?"

"Miss Bai is skilled with incense, perhaps…"

"I know that already. I had someone inspect the incense from Suiyun Pavilion, I even spared no expense to strengthen the fragrance’s effect. By all rights, there shouldn’t have been any problems!"

Bai Qingqing was truly lucky! The Princess looked irritated; after all, she was just a little maid. It would have been better if she had simply played along with her plans, allowing her to take on the role of a legitimate heir’s wife. But instead, she was so ungrateful!

"Use the precious medicinal ingredients, make sure the young master gets better quickly. When the Prince asks, just say he caught a cold and will be fine in a few days. We cannot afford to delay any tasks, and make sure Fu Xiao doesn’t snatch the opportunity."

"I’ll do my best."

It had been an entire day before Fu Yi woke up. His eyes opened, and his body felt weak and cold.

Someone beside him noticed he had awakened and quickly went to inform the Princess. Before long, she rushed in, her face full of concern as she fussed over him like an extremely worried mother.

"You’ve finally woken up. Your mother was so worried, she couldn’t even eat. Luckily, the Buddha’s blessings, Yi’er, do you feel any better?"

Looking at the mother he had respected for two lifetimes, Fu Yi’s memories slowly returned, and the light in his eyes gradually grew cold.

The Princess tenderly helped him sit up, repeatedly telling someone to fetch medicine, while also suggesting that he should have some porridge first. She was bustling around like a whirlwind.

"Mother, where did you get that incense?"

The Princess’s eager expression suddenly froze, and the kindness on her face cracked. Seeing this, Old Madam Chang swiftly ordered everyone else out of the room and shut the door, staying by the door herself.