Chapter 13 I deserve to kneel again, I deserve it!

"Your Highness, rest assured, it's nothing serious. It's just a small scratch on your head, which I've already cleaned up. You don't need any medicine; it will be fine in a couple of days."

After carefully examining Qi Jingxuan, Physician Zhou said.

Qi Jingxuan nodded. Although he still felt pain in his groin, since Physician Zhou said it was nothing serious, he ignored it and limped out, saying to the imperial guards who followed him, "It's only because I have important business to attend to that I can't be bothered with you, otherwise I would have given you a good beating!"

These people had just entered through the main gate of the Shen family. Upon entering, they immediately helped Qi Jingxuan to the west wing and had Physician Zhou examine his injuries.

Although Physician Zhou was not the head of the Imperial Medical Academy, his medical skills were quite good. Since he said there was nothing wrong, then there should be no problem. The group breathed a sigh of relief.

Seeing that the Prince of Jin did not make any trouble, the tension in their hearts eased, and they exchanged glances and wiped the cold sweat from their foreheads.

Although the Prince of Jin had a bad temper, he usually reacted on the spot, and if he didn't pay attention at the time, he generally wouldn't pursue the matter much afterward.

Those who had escaped unscathed quickly helped Qi Jingxuan out of the house, not daring to mention again the emperor's words that he was not allowed to come to the Shen family.

Now that they're already inside—and it was Lord Shen who invited the prince in—what could they possibly say? If they kept rambling on, the prince would probably go to His Majesty and complain that they caused him to break his head.

Rather than that, it's better for both sides to compromise. After all, the prince... didn't throw a tantrum, did he?

Shen Yan had been waiting in the courtyard. When she saw Qi Jingxuan come out, she looked at the wound on his forehead and asked, "Your Highness, are you alright?"

Qi Jingxuan quickly shook his head: "It's nothing, it's just a minor injury, I don't even need to apply any medicine."

Then he looked at Shen Mingshan again: "I wonder what Lord Shen wanted to say when he asked me to come in, whether he agreed to let me in..."

"It is I who have something to say to Your Highness."

Shen Yan interrupted Shen Mingshan before he could pick up a broom.

Qi Jingxuan was taken aback, then his eyes lit up: "What does Miss Chen want to say to me? Is it that you are willing to marry me and become my princess?"

Shen Yan did not answer, but instead gestured for him to come with her: "Your Highness, please follow me."

As she spoke, she led him toward her east wing room.

Qi Jingxuan hurriedly followed, but when they reached the door, Shen Yan did not go in. Instead, she let him into the house first, and then stood by the door and whispered to Shen Mingshan, "Please keep an eye on things for me, Father, and make sure no one gets too close to my room."

Although Physician Zhou, the palace maids, and the imperial guards were all sent by the emperor, she didn't recognize any of them and didn't know if they were reliable. To prevent her conversation with Qi Jingxuan from being leaked, she had to ask Shen Mingshan to keep watch to avoid being overheard.

Although Shen Mingshan was reluctant for his daughter to be alone with Qi Jingxuan, he nodded since he had already promised her and said, "Don't worry, I'll be guarding the door. Call me if you need anything."

Although she was speaking to Shen Yan, she glared at Qi Jingxuan at the end, as if to say, "If you dare to do anything to my daughter, I'll rush in and beat you to death."

Qi Jingxuan was overjoyed to be able to come in and talk to Shen Yan, so he didn't care what Shen Mingshan's expression was. Instead of being annoyed, he grinned at him, his face full of joy.

Seeing him like this made Shen Mingshan's eyes hurt. After the two of them went into the house, he closed the door and stood at the door, listening to the sounds inside while watching the people in the courtyard.

………………

Shen Yan's room is divided into two rooms, an inner and an outer one. Logically, guests should be received in the outer room, especially since Qi Jingxuan is a man, and should not be brought to the inner room.

But after hesitating for a moment at the table and thinking it over, she still led the person to the inner room where it was less likely for any sound to come out.

Her room was small, containing only a bed, a wardrobe, and a dressing table.

Since it was inconvenient for Qi Jingxuan to sit on the bed, she moved a stool in front of the dressing table for him.

Seeing this, Qi Jingxuan quickly took it and said, "I'll do it, I'll do it."

He then arranged the stool himself, pointed to the bedside, and said, "Please sit down."

It was as if he were the owner of the house, and Shen Yan was just a guest.

Shen Yan pursed her lips, sat down on the edge of the bed, and said, "I called the prince in because I wanted to ask about what happened at the Cheng'an Marquis's residence today."

Qi Jingxuan nodded vigorously: "Go ahead and ask."

Seeing that he didn't object, Shen Yan went straight to the point: "Your Highness said... today at the Marquis's residence, it was you who kidnapped me to the front yard."

Qi Jingxuan hadn't expected her to ask this. After a moment of surprise, he nodded vigorously, "Yes, it was me. I was drunk and confused, and I took liberties with Miss Chen. I'm so sorry. If you... if you're angry, just hit me! I won't fight back!"

He then leaned his face closer, as if to say, "Let her hit me however she wants."

Shen Yan naturally wouldn't hit him, but instead followed his lead and asked, "Where did the prince kidnap me from?"

"ah"

This really stumped Qi Jingxuan. He had never been to the backyard and had no idea how Shen Yan had gotten to the front yard, so he couldn't possibly answer that question.

Seeing that he remained silent for a long time, Shen Yan said, "I was knocked unconscious from behind when I was walking by the lotus pond. Did Your Highness do it?"

Hearing her say that, Qi Jingxuan immediately nodded and admitted, "Oh yes, it was me. I wandered into the lotus pond in a daze and saw you there. Because I admired you, I impulsively knocked you unconscious and took you to the front yard."

He thought he had answered decisively and there shouldn't be any problem, but Shen Yan just stared at him silently for a long time without saying a word.

Qi Jingxuan, puzzled, scratched his head: "Is something wrong?"

“I was just talking nonsense,” Shen Yan said. “I wasn’t knocked unconscious by the lotus pond, but rather I was drugged with a handkerchief under a flower wall in the southwest corner of the garden.”

Qi Jingxuan never expected that her words were a lie, and quickly corrected himself: "It's...it's the flower wall! I was drunk and misremembered, it's definitely the flower wall!"

Shen Yan nodded, then asked, "Where is the handkerchief? Where is the handkerchief that the prince used to drug me?"

“I… just threw it away,” Qi Jingxuan said. “I’m the kind of person who often throws things away. I don’t know how many handkerchiefs or purses I’ve lost over the years.”

"I see..."

Shen Yan nodded again and said, "But the prince just said that he was drunk and acted impulsively when he attacked me. So when did you prepare the handkerchief with the sleeping potion?"

These words stunned Qi Jingxuan, who was momentarily speechless.

If he claimed it was an impulsive act under the influence of alcohol, then it would be impossible for him to have prepared the drug beforehand. If he had prepared the drug in advance, then it was premeditated, not a momentary impulse while drunk.

Qi Jingxuan admitted that he was not a good person, but he really couldn't bring himself to do something as despicable as deliberately drugging someone and forcing himself on them.

But if he wasn't the one who did it, then what about all his previous attempts to take the blame upon himself?

Qi Jingxuan gritted his teeth, just as he was about to throw caution to the wind and admit that he had planned this all along, when he heard Shen Yan say, "What I said just now was also nonsense."

"ah"

“I was drugged near the rockery in the garden, not under the flower wall in the southwest corner. The person who drugged me attacked from the side and behind, and the movement was very fast. I only remember that he covered my mouth and nose with his hand, but I don’t know if it was a handkerchief or not; it was just a guess.”

Qi Jingxuan, who was just about to admit it, was speechless for a long time before finally managing to stammer, "How...how can you just talk nonsense?"

How is he supposed to respond to this?

Shen Yan replied, "I felt something was amiss from the beginning. After questioning the Prince just now, I'm even more convinced it wasn't his doing. But I really don't understand, if it wasn't the Prince who did it, why did he admit it?"

Qi Jingxuan was startled, and suddenly felt a surge of emotion in his heart, and his nose also felt sore.

Eight times! He died eight times!

Throughout those countless cycles of the experience, he repeatedly denied it, but no one ever believed him!

Even his most trusted father looked at him with suspicion, and was half-believing him.

Unexpectedly, the first person to genuinely believe in him without him having to say much was Shen Yan.

Thinking of his experiences in his previous lives, and how helpless he had been in front of everyone, Qi Jingxuan's eyes reddened, his lips trembled, and a thousand grievances welled up in his heart. He burst into tears, rushed over and hugged Shen Yan's legs, and knelt down at her feet, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Only you... only you believe me. They all disbelieve me, only you are willing to believe me..."

Shen Yan was startled by his sudden movement and quickly reached out to help him up: "Your Highness, you...you get up quickly!"

To everyone's surprise, Qi Jingxuan not only didn't get up, but also slapped himself across the face. The force was so great that his right cheek swelled up instantly, leaving a huge handprint.

"I deserve it, I deserve it!"

If he had explained things clearly to Shen Yan from the beginning, none of those things would have happened, and he wouldn't have had to die so many times.

She was clearly a reasonable and kind girl, but he was so mean that he drove her to her death. No wonder he got his comeuppance.

Qi Jingxuan grew angrier the more he thought about it, regretting that he had no self-control. He slapped himself across the face again, but Shen Yan quickly pulled him back.

"Your Highness, please...please don't do this."

That's terrifying.

She didn't say anything, so how could she suddenly...go crazy?

The commotion inside alerted Chen Mingshan outside, who couldn't help but approach the door and ask, "Aci, what's wrong? Should I come in?"

Shen Yan quickly said, "It's nothing, it's nothing. The prince... he just remembered something sad."

As she spoke, she tried to pry Qi Jingxuan's hands off her lap, and said in a low voice, "Your Highness, please let go, or I'll call someone in."

Those imperial guards are still standing guard outside. If he really causes a scene here, he could be dragged out and taken back to the palace at any time.

Qi Jingxuan had finally managed to get in, but before he could even say a few words, he was taken away. He sniffled and barely kept quiet. Although he stopped clinging to her leg, he didn't sit back down on the stool. Instead, he sat on the edge of the bed, pouting and looking up at her with tears streaming down his face.

Shen Yan tried to persuade him a few times, but he refused to sit back down, so she had no choice but to let him go and continue the previous topic: "Why did Your Highness say that you kidnapped me?"

Qi Jingxuan couldn't very well tell her that he did it because he didn't want to die, so he could only make up a story: "Although I was also framed, I really like you, and I thought it would be good to just admit it, so I went along with it and said that I kidnapped you."

Shen Yan was speechless for a moment, not knowing what to say.

According to her "dream," the Prince of Jin not only didn't like her, but wouldn't even bother to look at her.

How come he became a completely different person after waking up from the "dream"?

Or was that "dream" truly an illusion, and that Prince Jin was always like that, that he... genuinely loved her?

Shen Yan stared into Qi Jingxuan's eyes for a long time, and finally shook her head in her heart.

The two were complete strangers, meeting for the first time today. Given Prince Jin's personality, if he truly loved her as he claimed, he would have shown it long ago; why would he wait until today?

But if he wasn't in love with her, why would he take the initiative to admit that he did it?

Shen Yan couldn't understand it at all, and unable to get the truth out of Qi Jingxuan, she could only say, "Since we've both been framed, why don't we think of a way to find out who's behind it all?"

Qi Jingxuan nodded subconsciously, but quickly came to his senses and shook his head: "Marry me first! We can talk about finding the mastermind later!"

Having experienced so many times, he knew that the person behind it all couldn't be found in a short time, and the longer it dragged on, the greater the chance that Shen Yan would commit suicide.

With Shen Yan dead, not only will it be impossible to find the mastermind, but his own life will also be in danger.

So everything else can be put aside for now; the top priority is to marry Shen Yan and keep an eye on her to prevent her from committing suicide!

Shen Yan chuckled, not understanding why the topic of marrying him had come up again.

"Marriage is a major life event, Your Highness should think it through. You and I are like prey in a trap, and the hunter is ready to pull in the net at any time. At this time, we should think of ways to jump out of the trap first, instead of thinking about marriage."

"You have to be alive to jump out of the trap!"

Qi Jingxuan immediately said, instinctively grabbing the hem of her skirt with both hands.

"Although I don't know who is behind this, I know that he will do everything he can to force you to your death in order to frame me! You...you can't die."

As he spoke, he couldn't help but hug her legs again, tears streaming down his face: "You really can't die, if you die I'm finished..."

Only at this moment did Shen Yan finally vaguely understand why he was so eager to marry her.

Indeed, if she dies, it will inevitably implicate him. Everyone will then say that he forced her to her death, just like in the "dream" everyone said she seduced the Prince of Jin.

"So you came up with the idea of ​​marrying me."

Shen Yan said.

Qi Jingxuan nodded, then quickly shook his head: "No, I truly love you! I want to be with you for a lifetime! I will never be separated from you for all eternity!"

If he says he only married her to deal with the Cheng'an Marquis's affair, I'm afraid even if Shen Yan agrees to be with him, she will choose to separate once this storm has passed.

Who knows if they really separate, she might commit suicide for some other reason, and then he would be chased and shot by that archer again.

In total, Qi Jingxuan had been shot countless times, leaving countless holes all over his body. Although people say that a lot of lice don't itch, a lot of holes really hurt! He really didn't want to get any more holes.

At the tender age of sixteen, this was the first time a man had expressed his love for her so directly.

But perhaps having guessed Qi Jingxuan's intention, she didn't feel blushing or her heart racing; instead, she felt a bit amused and exasperated.

Seeing that Qi Jingxuan was still kneeling on the ground, she sighed softly and advised, "Your Highness, please get up first. The ground is cold."

Qi Jingxuan shook his head, clutched his chest in a gesture reminiscent of Xi Shi holding her heart, and said sincerely, "It's alright, my heart is warm."

Seeing his behavior, Shen Yan couldn't help but burst out laughing.

A note from the author:

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