He stared at her, his breathing slightly heavy, his eyes filled with a hint of stubbornness and worry.

After a long while, he slowly leaned back against the bed, his voice so low it was almost inaudible: "...I just wanted to make sure you were alright."

The room fell silent for a moment, with only the gurgling sound of the silver pot on the medicine stove. The rising steam swirled between the two of them, adding a touch of haziness to the silence.

Shen Jintang lowered her eyes, her gaze falling on the overturned medicine cup, as if she were thinking about something.

After a long silence, she said calmly, "Do you have any questions about Wang Jian?"

Gu Zhixing's gaze sharpened, and he finally pulled his thoughts away from her injuries.

He closed his eyes briefly, as if to gather his thoughts, and when he opened them again, his eyes were clear: "He's been in your hands all along?"

"Um."

Shen Jintang nodded gently, her tone as calm as if she were stating a perfectly ordinary fact.

"So all of this was part of your plan?"

Gu Zhixing's voice was low and deep, tinged with disbelief.

Shen Jintang smoothed out the wrinkles on her sleeves, chuckled, and said, "You only realize it now? Every clue you've been following was bait I personally laid."

Gu Zhixing's breath hitched, as if he had been struck hard in the chest.

Yes!

Those intelligence reports, those clues, even Wang Jian's whereabouts—all of them were things she intentionally let them hear.

He should have thought of this earlier. Given Shen Jintang's temperament, how could he have just watched Wang Jian go up to Qingyakou without stopping him at all?

She is never one to let an opportunity slip by easily.

Now it seems that all of this was just Shen Jintang's plan.

She wanted all of them to go to Qingyakou.

No!

It wasn't them, but...

Crown Prince!

"You want to kill the Crown Prince."

Gu Zhixing's voice was deep and cold, not a question, but a statement.

His eyes were fixed on Shen Jintang, as if trying to find the answer in her eyes.