Nan Zhiyun had a poor appetite, but now that Yu Jingchen was feeding her, she actually ate quite a lot, which Qianxia found quite surprising.

"Have you finished eating?" Yu Jingchen had fed her more than half of the food. He was actually a little surprised that Nan Zhiyun had eaten so much. She usually had a small appetite, but she had eaten quite a lot today.

"Hmm," Nan Zhiyun had gradually gotten used to it, but now... she felt shy and embarrassed again.

"Then let's take it down." Yu Jingchen put down what he was holding and gave the order.

"Does Your Majesty not need it?" Nan Zhiyun asked subconsciously.

"Are you suggesting I eat your leftovers?" Yu Jingchen asked her, of course, it was just a joke.

"Your Highness..." Nan Zhiyun took it seriously and was about to explain when Yu Jingchen interrupted her.

"Alright, alright, I was just joking. Don't take it seriously," Yu Jingchen reassured him.

Yu Jingchen stood up from his seat, and Nan Zhiyun had no idea what he was going to do.

"Let them help you change your clothes first, then you can drink your medicine," Yu Jingchen said.

Nan Zhiyun blushed at what he said. She had just been fed by Yu Jingchen without wearing anything, so she was a little embarrassed now.

Yu Jingchen didn't stay in the room, because he was afraid Nan Zhiyun would feel constrained, so he left her the space.

But once outside, Yu Jingchen's expression changed instantly. He seemed completely bewildered, lowering his head and daring not to utter a sound. What was he angry about now? Weren't they perfectly fine just a moment ago? But… he didn't dare ask.

"Go and find all the effective scar-removing ointments, and have the Imperial Medical Bureau find a way to remove those scars from her body," Yu Jingchen said in a deep voice.

"Yes..." Xinglai immediately realized the reason. Hadn't all the scars that had healed been sent there? If they could be removed, they would have been mostly gone by now. The ones that were still there were probably harder to remove.

Fortunately, he knew Yu Jingchen's mindset. He had been by Yu Jingchen's side since he entered the palace. How could he not know what kind of person Yu Jingchen was?

Judging from the situation these past few days, His Majesty has definitely taken a liking to Consort Nan, and it seems unlikely he'll let go of her easily in the future. It is precisely because of this that His Majesty remains so resentful and unable to let go of the past…

But is it true that he likes her now? Isn't it just because of guilt? But... if he didn't like her, how could he feel guilty? If he felt guilty, he would have felt guilty long ago, why would he wait until now? Besides, could someone like His Majesty really go this far just because of guilt?

Xinglai sighed inwardly, thinking that His Majesty would likely face many trials in the days to come because of these things—not just trials from Consort Nan, but trials of flesh and blood for a cold-hearted emperor…

When Yu Jingchen returned to the room, Nan Zhiyun had already changed her clothes; she was wearing a white undergarment, nothing special.

When Qianxia saw Yu Jingchen enter, she directed the palace servants to leave, and before leaving, she relit the burnt-out incense. This incense was quite effective; Nan Zhiyun's sleep had improved significantly recently because of it.

Moreover, this was specially prepared by the Empress Dowager for Nan Zhiyun, so Qianxia would always light it when Nan Zhiyun was resting. It also smelled wonderful, and Nan Zhiyun herself liked it very much.

"Your Majesty," Nan Zhiyun bowed slightly, and Yu Jingchen helped her up.

"You don't need to be so formal when no one else is around," Yu Jingchen said, helping Nan Zhiyun to stand up straight.

Nan Zhiyun did not respond to him. She had been spoiled by the Empress Dowager in the past and was sometimes lawless. Apart from proper etiquette, such as greeting elders, she would not bow to anyone.

Because the Empress Dowager had told her that she was the most noble girl in the world and could not be inferior to anyone else. Moreover, when interacting with close relatives, she did not need to pay attention to formalities; apart from the usual daily etiquette, she did not need to follow any of these hierarchical rules.

Therefore, Nan Zhiyun was always proud, until... after entering the palace.

“It’s not that we’ve become distant; it’s just that under Your Majesty’s guidance, I’ve learned the proper etiquette. In the past, I was unaware of my own status and always thought I was so noble. Only later did I realize that in Your Majesty’s presence, I am merely the daughter of a minister, and our relationship is that of ruler and subject,” Nan Zhiyun replied.

Yu Jingchen paused, because Nan Zhiyun's words... were also things he had said to Nan Zhiyun before.

At that time, Nan Zhiyun had just entered the palace and was still a Consort. Newly arrived, Nan Zhiyun was full of anticipation. On the day she entered the palace, the Empress Dowager asked her to accompany her.

What did he do back then? He saw that Nan Zhiyun had prepared a table full of dishes, but when he arrived, he didn't even glance at them twice. Nan Zhiyun even came to serve him the dishes, but he ended up knocking them over.

"How dare you! Kneel down!" Yu Jingchen roared.

Nan Zhiyun didn't kneel down immediately, but Yu Jingchen didn't have that much patience, so he directly ordered the palace servants to hold her down and make her kneel on the ground... or more accurately, on the broken bowls that Yu Jingchen had knocked over...

"Nan Zhiyun, I'm warning you, you'd better know your place. Even with the Empress Dowager here, I am still the Emperor, and you are merely the daughter of a minister. If you don't understand the distinction between ruler and subject, I will use other means to teach you. This time, kneel here for an hour and learn your lesson!"

That was the first time Nan Zhiyun was punished by order of Yu Jingchen. But because of that incident, Nan Zhiyun became increasingly well-behaved whenever she saw Yu Jingchen again. After all, even the slightest mistake would incur Yu Jingchen's punishment, a punishment she couldn't bear…

Looking back now, Yu Jingchen feels that he was too stupid back then. Stupid and useless, otherwise he wouldn't have punished such a young girl who hadn't done anything so harshly.

"What I said before doesn't count anymore. It was my fault back then. I won't listen to you anymore, okay?" Yu Jingchen hugged him and comforted him.

"But I remember it, I can't forget it," Nan Zhiyun said, without breaking free.

“You were very good before, it was my fault. You can do whatever you want in the future, you don’t have to be so restrained. I apologize to you, I apologize to you on behalf of the Yu Jingchen of the past, okay?” Yu Jingchen said.

Nan Zhiyun fell silent.

"I will make up for what happened in the past, I will make up for it properly, but you must not resist, okay?" Yu Jingchen continued.

"Your father will be back this year. I will let him enter the palace so you can have a proper talk with him. If you wish, I can also let you stay at the General's Mansion for a while. As long as you are happy, I will agree to all of these. Is that alright?" Yu Jingchen placed one hand on the back of Nan Zhiyun's head, then pulled away slightly and looked at her.