Yu Jingchen was stunned when he heard this. Who was this being addressed to?

"Your Majesty has had a long day, why don't you go back and rest? Your concubine..." Nan Zhiyun was still trying to find an excuse for Yu Jingchen to leave, but... Yu Jingchen wasn't taking the bait.

"I said I'm staying here. Are you in such a hurry for me to leave?" Yu Jingchen retorted.

"I was just thinking that Your Majesty must be tired today, so I wanted you to rest early," Nan Zhiyun replied.

"I'm not tired. Go ahead and take a bath. We'll have dinner later, and then you'll need to take your medicine." Yu Jingchen simply skipped over the topic.

Nan Zhiyun: "..."

There was nothing she could do; Yu Jingchen didn't want to talk about it. She couldn't possibly go looking for trouble; she knew she didn't have the guts.

Qianxia accompanied Nan Zhiyun inside. He'an Palace had a bath, and hot water had already been prepared inside. The whole room was filled with mist, adding a touch of haziness.

Qianxia and several palace maids were helping Nan Zhiyun change her clothes. After she took off her outer garments, Nan Zhiyun said, "Everyone else, please leave. Qianxia, ​​you can stay."

"Yes." The other palace maids put down what they were holding and left one after another. They were all new to serve Nan Zhiyun. After all, the original batch had been dealt with by Yu Jingchen, and later, when they came to He'an Palace, the Empress Dowager also dealt with some of them. So now most of them were new.

From the moment they came to serve her, Nan Zhiyun never allowed them to get close, and it's unclear whether this has always been the case.

"You can stay here," Nan Zhiyun said to Qianxia.

"Yes," Qianxia curtsied slightly. She didn't know why her young mistress wouldn't let them serve her closely before, but later... she saw the scars on her young mistress's body... and then she understood.

Their young lady is very much like the Empress Dowager; she loves beauty and has a strong sense of self-respect. If it weren't for His Majesty, their young lady would definitely be the most delicate, elegant, and noble woman in the world, unapproachable and inviolable.

Nan Zhiyun stood by the bathtub, gently removing the last layer of clothing covering her body. Her jade-like feet lightly touched the water, and she slowly sank into the water, captivating all who beheld her.

Nan Zhiyun has delicate, fair skin, but unfortunately, the crisscrossing scars on her body are an imperfection that cannot be concealed.

Nan Zhiyun submerged herself in the water, leaving only her skin above her shoulders exposed, and then slowly closed her eyes, enjoying this moment of peace and relaxation.

Outside the door, Yu Jingchen, still wearing his black and gold dragon robe, appeared. Qianxia saw him and intended to pay her respects, but then seemed to remember something, so she simply walked over, curtsied, and withdrew.

Yu Jingchen didn't say anything upon seeing this. Through the pale yellow gauze, Yu Jingchen looked at the woman in the bath, her figure faintly glowing, mysterious and dreamlike, sparking the imagination.

Perhaps because the temperature inside was relatively high, Yu Jingchen suddenly felt a bit hot.

He slowly walked inside, then gently lifted the thin veil. Nan Zhiyun had her back to him, but Yu Jingchen was completely different from before. He saw the scars on Nan Zhiyun's back. The scars had indeed healed, but some traces remained. They had faded, but they were still unsightly.

Yu Jingchen felt a pang of pain in his heart, as if he had been stabbed hard, these marks...

Yu Jingchen walked quietly behind her and finally squatted down next to Nan Zhiyun.

Nan Zhiyun didn't react, or rather, she hadn't noticed anything yet. The water temperature was just right, and she felt comfortable soaking in it. Nan Zhiyun didn't want to move at all. She was very tired today, and she even wanted to sleep for a while.

"Qianxia, ​​give me a massage," Nan Zhiyun said, too lazy to even open her eyes.

Yu Jingchen remained silent, but gently placed his hands on Nan Zhiyun's shoulders and began to massage them. However... something felt off. Nan Zhiyun's heart tightened, and she looked over.

"Your Majesty..." Nan Zhiyun was startled. Why did Yu Jingchen come in like this?

"I'll massage you for a while," Yu Jingchen said, and was about to continue massaging her, but how could Nan Zhiyun dare to accept? So she immediately stepped back.

"Your Majesty, I dare not. May I ask you to move to another location?" Nan Zhiyun asked, somewhat flustered.

"What's there to hide? I've already seen it," Yu Jingchen asked.

Nan Zhiyun's face was already red, and now it was even harder to tell what had caused it.

“Your Majesty…” Nan Zhiyun’s voice trembled.

"Alright, it's okay. Listen to me, I'll massage it for you. Don't overthink it." With that, Yu Jingchen pressed down on Nan Zhiyun's neck and began to massage it gently.

To be honest, Yu Jingchen used a fairly moderate amount of force, so it felt very comfortable, but Nan Zhiyun was neither in the mood nor had the courage to truly appreciate it.

"Your Majesty, would you please leave? This concubine..." Nan Zhiyun hesitated, not out of simple fear, but rather...

"What's wrong?" Yu Jingchen asked softly.

Nan Zhiyun gently bit her lip, seemingly finding it difficult to speak, as if she had been humiliated and bullied.

Yu Jingchen's heart tightened: "What's wrong? Tell me, okay? If you really don't want to, I can leave, but please don't act like this, okay?" Yu Jingchen gently comforted him.

“My body is covered in scars…it’s ugly,” Nan Zhiyun replied, her eyes brimming with tears, a sight that evoked pity and tenderness.

"It's not ugly, it's okay. Don't be upset about it. I'll find a way to remove them all, okay? It's all my fault that you have these marks. They'll all be fine in the future. Don't worry..." Yu Jingchen placed his hand on Nan Zhiyun's head and rubbed it.

"Don't be sad...it will be alright." Yu Jingchen suddenly wondered if he had been too awful before. Was this kind of thing too cruel to a little girl like Nan Zhiyun?

Was I really that cold-hearted before? Why was I able to issue that decree back then, and be so cruel to Nan Zhiyun?

The look in Nan Zhiyun's eyes when she was punished, the tone of her voice when she pleaded, the helplessness and despair in her expression suddenly surfaced in Yu Jingchen's mind. What was he thinking back then...?

"I'm sorry..." Yu Jingchen apologized again. He even touched the scars on Nan Zhiyun's body.

"Your Majesty, it hurts so much..." Even though the scar has healed, it still hurts a lot... It hurts every time it is touched, it's unbearable.

"Yes, it's all my fault. I'm so sorry. It doesn't hurt anymore. It won't hurt again." Yu Jingchen reassured you, promising it would never hurt again...