Chapter 233: Chapter 233: Forcing Jie Chen to Show Up

Xiang Ying entered the room to find Jie Chen sleeping deeply.

She reached forward to touch his forehead, but only found it covered in sweat.

It seemed that the medicine she fed him had taken effect, reducing his fever, leaving him utterly drained.

No wonder he didn’t hear the commotion outside the door just now.

Xiang Ying tightly closed the doors and windows, adding a little more firewood to the fire.

She took out some dry and comfortable clothing from her space and began to undress Jie Chen.

First, she wiped him down from head to toe with a warm towel.

Finally, when she was putting clothes on him, Xiang Ying looked up to find his dark eyes half-open, watching her silently.

Xiang Ying was startled: “You scared me, why didn’t you make any noise?”

This time Jie Chen’s voice was hoarse: “I wanted to see what you were doing.”

“I didn’t do anything, your clothes were soaked with sweat, so I changed you into a new set.”

“Umm…” Jie Chen weakly said, “I know, you just wiped under my waist a few times too many.”

Xiang Ying’s face heated up.

It seemed like Jie Chen wasn’t sick enough to be completely unconscious.

She cleared her throat softly: “Now that you’re awake, come drink some medicine. Get better soon, so that Lao Liu stops wanting to make rounds.”

When Jie Chen stands healthy in front of the Sixth Prince, I bet the Sixth Prince’s eyes will bulge out of their sockets.

When she fed the medicine to Jie Chen, he swallowed whatever she gave him.

Afraid that he wouldn’t eat anything and lack resistance, Xiang Ying also had a kitchen robot make a convalescent meal for him.

It was steaming hot meat wontons with a side of young greens.

She also fed it to him, bite by bite.

Jie Chen leaned on the bed, his gaze unwaveringly fixed on her as if he could never see enough.

This made Xiang Ying somewhat uncomfortable: “Why do you keep looking at me, as if you’ve never seen me before?”

A slight smile appeared on Jie Chen’s lips: “It’s been a long time since I’ve looked at you like this, I’m afraid to get too close in case you hate it, but if I stay too far, I’m afraid we’ll never cross paths again.”

“This is for the best, being sick for a while longer doesn’t matter.”

Xiang Ying stretched out her hand and fiercely pinched his waist.

Jie Chen yelped in pain, but in a blink, a glistening laughter emerged in his thin eyes.

Strange as it seemed, he was probably the only person who could still be so happy while sick.

Xiang Ying fed him two antipyretic pills and some vitamin water along with two tubes of rapid supplements from her space.

She had just checked Jie Chen’s temperature, thankfully, it had dropped to thirty-eight degrees.

“Rest well, I will come again at midnight, and by then you should be fever-free.”

Jie Chen nodded, apparently too tired, he closed his eyes.

Just as Xiang Ying was about to leave, he suddenly said: “If someone bullies you, just fight back, kill them, whoever it is, I will cushion the fallout for you.”

Xiang Ying’s motion to open the door paused, as the outside wind and snow swirled in.

The flames in the fire basin also flickered gently.

She glanced sideways, Jie Chen’s features sharp and handsome, appearing somewhat frail with his eyes closed.

He must have heard the Sixth Prince’s ruckus earlier to make such a statement.

Jie Chen had his own grand aspirations to fulfill, so all this time, he had been extremely tolerant of the Sixth Prince.

But now, he was hinting at her that if she suffered any grievances, she need not worry about anything.

Because he would take all the blame upon himself.

Xiang Ying’s phoenix eyes dimmed, her voice raised: “There are many ways to deal with them, killing is only the last resort.”

“Brothers are supposed to share weal and woe together, Lao Liu won’t escape tasting the discomfort of this illness either, alright, I’m leaving now.”

She closed the door and locked it as usual.

As Xiang Ying left Jie Chen’s room, she encountered Skinny Monkey.

She instructed: “I promised Jie Chen I would distribute supplies, tonight you and your brothers continue coming here for a hot meal.”

Skinny Monkey was moved, bowing his hands in gratitude: “Thank you, sister-in-law!”

Xiang Ying returned inside and had the three little ones and Tao Xue drink the preventive medicines for epidemics.

And she whispered instructively: “Tell those water bandits and Rongrong and the others to come here quietly to ask me for water.”

She had already sewn the bloodstained clothes given by the guards of the Sixth Prince into the fox fur cloak intended for him.

Having heard that the Sixth Prince had already gleefully draped it over his shoulders, contagion was now only a matter of time.

Next, many others would likely catch the infection.

But as long as they drank her prophylactic medicine, they would mostly be safe.

The rice distributed to the soldiers had long been mixed with epidemic-preventive medicinal herbs.

To avoid suspicion, Xiang Ying had Tao Xue brew cordyceps chicken soup tonight.

Three large pots of fragrant chicken soup were used to soak the rice, with each person receiving two extra stuffed buns and half a jin of chicken meat.

Right before bedtime, Tao Xue searched around inside the room.

Xiang Ying was preparing bedding for the three little ones.

Xiang Xiuxiu followed Tao Xue with her own pillow in her arms, blinking her big eyes and asking,

“Tao Xue, what are you looking for?”

“I’m looking for the elder princess’s shoes, the pair that got wet earlier. I had set them by the brazier to dry, but now they’re gone,” she exclaimed.

Qi Fengyi frowned, “Could someone have taken the shoes accidentally during the commotion this evening while collecting their food?”

Xiang Ying chuckled, “Let them take it then. I have plenty of shoes and am not worried about losing some.”

At that moment, the door was suddenly kicked open by a guard.

With a loud bang, the three little ones were startled.

Qi Fengyi immediately stood up, glaring at the several guards of the Sixth Prince who stormed in menacingly.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

The Sixth Prince, wrapped in his large cloak, slowly walked into the room.

Seeing his clothing, Xiang Ying stepped back two paces while protecting the three little ones.

Her phoenix eyes were sharp and pitch-black as she questioned, “Your Highness, is there a problem?”

The Sixth Prince raised his dirty robe, revealing the prominent footprints.

“That night, a villain broke into my room, not only ambushing me but also nearly ruining my face. The investigation is complete now. This footprint matches your shoe pattern, Xiang Ying. What further excuses do you have to make?”

Beside him stood a guard, holding up the missing pair of Xiang Ying’s shoes.

Tao Xue exclaimed in surprise, “So it was stolen by you!”

Xiang Ying snorted coldly, then handed the three little ones to Tao Xue and Qi Fengyi.

“Some words are better spoken outside. With Your Highness squeezing into this room, looking ready to capture a thief, I don’t exactly feel flattered.”

She stepped forward proactively while the guards cautiously backed away.

The Sixth Prince narrowed his eyes, following her outside.

“What, you want to make a move?”

Xiang Ying wasn’t keen on brawling,

But she was worried about the Sixth Prince, a walking contagion, moving around in bloodied clothing, risking the infection of the children.

“Your Highness deems me guilty based solely on a shoeprint; isn’t that a bit too hasty? As you’ve seen, my room is often visited by people collecting supplies. If it’s so easy for Your Highness to take my shoes, others could have easily done the same.”

“How can you be so sure it was me and not someone else?”

The Sixth Prince let out a cold sneer, “I’ve anticipated your sophistry. I have no interest in wasting words with you. You, a treacherous foreign spy, should have been arrested long ago.”

“Guards, tie up Xiang Ying and lock her up. Once I’ve cleared this matter, we will speak further!”

He had already conspired with Xiang Qianqian before coming here; moving against Xiang Ying was risk-free.

Locking her up, he could seize control of the supplies, and perhaps even force Jie Chen to intervene.

As the guards lunged forward with the rope, Xiang Ying lifted her hands to resist.

A murderous glint flashed across her eyes, but at that moment, there came a loud crash from a nearby window.

A chair, turned into a weapon, smashed through the window and flew out.

Following immediately, the figure of Jie Chen vaulted through the window.

In the snowy winds, his thin undergarment was strikingly evident, and with the cold wind blowing, Jie Chen raised his head, his slender eyes blood-red.

He coughed violently, slowly approaching, “Let her go.”

A malicious glee flickered through the Sixth Prince’s eyes.

“Jie Chen, you’ve contracted the plague?” he feigned shock.

At his word, everyone around was alarmed.