Just a few days before their departure, one afternoon, Chun Tao hurried into the inner room, a hint of embarrassment on her face: "Miss, Miss Lin from the family of the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel has come. She said she heard you were ill and specially brought you some fine bird's nest and medicinal herbs."

Lin Wanqing?

Shen Yuewei's heart skipped a beat! Lin Wanqing was her closest friend; the two had been inseparable since childhood, sharing everything. But now, that name instantly put her on alert. Lin Wanqing's father was the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, a key figure in the Crown Prince's faction! And now she had come…

Shen Yuewei's heart sank. Was it a coincidence? Or...the Crown Prince's doing? She instinctively touched her lower abdomen, her eyes instantly turning sharp and cold. No! She absolutely couldn't let her see anything!

"Please, Miss Lin, have a seat in the flower hall. Tell her I'll be there after I change." Shen Yuewei took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. She quickly stood up and walked to the dressing table. The girl in the mirror was pale, her eyes deep and unfathomable, carrying an inescapable air of frailty. She picked up rouge and gently blended it on her cheeks and lips, then carefully concealed the dark circles under her eyes with face powder. The person in the mirror, though still thin, finally had some color in her skin, no longer that frighteningly pale white.

She changed into a slightly brighter pale yellow spring dress and practiced the upward curve of her lips repeatedly in front of the mirror. That smile had to convey the weakness of someone recovering from a long illness, the joy of a friend's visit, and also conceal the deep-seated wariness and coldness in her eyes.

When Shen Yuewei, supported by Chun Tao, walked unsteadily into the flower hall with a perfectly convincing sickly demeanor, Lin Wanqing immediately came to greet her.

"Wei'er!" Lin Wanqing's voice was filled with genuine worry. She quickly stepped forward and took Shen Yuewei's other arm, looking her up and down carefully. "How did you get so thin? Your complexion is also not good! I was so worried about you!" She had a beautiful face and a gentle temperament. At this moment, her brows were slightly furrowed, and her concern was evident in her words.

“Sister Wanqing…” Shen Yuewei leaned against Chuntao and smiled weakly at Lin Wanqing, her voice trembling with fear, “Thank you for your concern. I just caught a cold a few days ago and was a little frightened, so I haven’t fully recovered yet. I just need to rest.” She let Lin Wanqing help her sit down.

"Don't say that!" Lin Wanqing gave her a reproachful look and gestured for the maid to place the brocade boxes she had brought on the table. "These are the finest bird's nest that my father got, and a few old ginseng roots, which are extremely nourishing. You should take good care of yourself and get better soon." As she spoke, her gaze lingered seemingly unintentionally on Shen Yuewei's face, with a hint of probing that was not easily detected.

"Sister, you've gone to so much trouble." Shen Yuewei lowered her eyes, concealing the coldness in them, her voice weak with gratitude. "But I'm afraid my health won't improve anytime soon. Mother is planning to... send me to my maternal grandmother's estate in Jiangnan to recuperate for a while, saying the climate there is better and might be more conducive to health."

"Jiangnan?" A hint of surprise flashed quickly in Lin Wanqing's eyes, followed by concern. "That's so far! The journey will be bumpy; can your body handle it?"

"Mother has made all the arrangements, finding suitable people to escort me." Shen Yuewei coughed lightly twice, picked up a handkerchief to cover her lips, and when she put it down, two shy blushes appeared on her face. Her voice also lowered a little, "Actually... it's not entirely for recuperation. Mother said... that there's a distant cousin in Jiangnan... the family... the family has secretly arranged a marriage for me... just waiting for me to get better... then... then..." She stopped at the right moment, turned her face slightly to the side, revealing a section of her reddened neck, perfectly portraying the shy and embarrassed young lady who was embarrassed about marriage.