Although it was already spring, the weather in early spring was still terribly cold. She knelt there for a whole day, and in addition to being bullied, she also fell seriously ill with a high fever, which she managed to get through entirely on her own.

It was originally a hunting ground, so the conditions were certainly not comparable to those of the imperial palace. Moreover, no one treated her like a master, so the hardships she faced were evident.

She was still recovering from her illness when she had to return. On the way, Nan Zhiyun suffered a lot and vomited many times. However, she would never delay her journey because of her. Besides, she had the intention of deliberately making things difficult for her, so she made Nan Zhiyun suffer enough.

Thinking of all this, Yu Jingchen felt as if his heart was being gripped by an invisible hand, the pain making it hard to breathe.

"I'm sorry..." Yu Jingchen felt powerless. He didn't know what he should do to make up for these things.

"I don't want to go..." Nan Zhiyun hid in Yu Jingchen's arms. Whenever Nan Zhiyun wanted comfort and protection, this was his favorite action.

Yu Jingchen hugged her tightly: "The spring hunt is a tradition, and the emperor goes every year." Yu Jingchen told him that this also meant that he would definitely go.

"I don't want to go..." Nan Zhiyun's voice was muffled, and it was clear she was truly resistant. Nan Zhiyun would likely never forget the time she knelt on the hunting grounds last time, and the mockery of those people...

"Your Majesty... I don't want to go..." Nan Zhiyun gently raised her head, her eyes slightly red as she looked at Yu Jingchen, her tone full of pleading.

Yu Jingchen also felt sorry for her, but he was not at ease leaving Nan Zhiyun alone in the palace like this. Yu Jingan had just been arrested, but there were still many problems left behind.

It's not necessarily safe for Nan Zhiyun to stay in the palace alone. After all, Nan Zhiyun might be his only concern right now, and there's no doubt that someone might try something unethical.

While the hunting grounds weren't entirely safe, they were still under my watchful eye. Moreover, the defenses there were much stronger.

But Nan Zhiyun's current state... Yu Jingchen gently patted Nan Zhiyun's body, hoping that this could give her some comfort.

“This time it won’t be like that. Yun’er, will you come with me? I will protect you and make sure that things like last time don’t happen again,” Yu Jingchen told her softly.

Nan Zhiyun shook her head again: "I don't want to... I don't want to go." Nan Zhiyun's resistance was very strong.

Seeing Nan Zhiyun's resistance, Yu Jingchen couldn't bear to force her. If she really didn't want to go, he couldn't just force or coax her. He could simply arrange for more people to come to the palace.

"It's okay... If you really don't want to go, then don't go." Yu Jingchen patted Nan Zhiyun's back, after all, it was his fault.

Nan Zhiyun wasn't particularly happy to hear that. She nestled in Yu Jingchen's arms, her eyes red and brimming with tears, barely managing to hold them back.

Yu Jingchen felt a pang of heartache. Perhaps he shouldn't have asked that question at all. He knew perfectly well how awful he had been in the past, but he still asked, and reminding Nan Zhiyun of those cruel memories was a form of torture.

He had said "I'm sorry" a thousand times in his heart, but it had already happened, and saying it now seemed to have little effect.