It's truly baffling that a prince like him, who should be mindful of his manners, would do something like climbing through a window!

Startled, Su Yushan quickly closed the curtains, her heart pounding. She didn't know how to face him and reminded him in a trembling voice, "It's disgraceful for a prince to climb through a window. People will laugh at us if word gets out."

Hongli was fearless, saying, "You are more important than face."

"Since I'm important, you should respect my wishes and not force your way in. I've said I don't want to see anyone." Her repeated refusal to see him fueled Hongli's jealousy.

"Why can Chang Yue see me, but I can't? Do you feel less secure with me than with Chang Yue?"

“That’s different. She’s a young lady. No matter what I look like, she won’t dislike me.” In her haste, Su Yushan blurted out her true feelings, and Hongli suddenly understood.

"So you were afraid I'd dislike you?"

As he spoke, he strode forward and, without her consent, lifted the tent flap!

To his surprise, Su Yushan, who was inside the tent, took the opportunity to put on a light purple veil while talking to him, revealing only a pair of bright, dark eyes. The veil not only concealed her sickly appearance but also added a sense of mystery to her. At this moment, she looked as beautiful as usual, except for a red rash on her brow bone. The rash on her face was completely covered, so it didn't affect anything.

Hongli shook his head helplessly, unsure whether to laugh or be annoyed. "You're just trying to avoid me in a roundabout way, you just don't want me to see you."

Her thick eyelashes trembled slightly, and Su Yushan lowered her eyes sadly, saying in a hoarse voice, "You've already seen it, I'm fine."

Hongli could easily tell that her voice was hoarse, probably from crying. "If you're really alright, why have you been hiding in the tent all this time?"

She was always optimistic and open-minded, but this time, he could tell she was truly devastated. How could he not guess what was troubling her?

He lifted the curtain to the silver hook, and Hongli sat down beside her, gazing at her intently as he softly spoke his innermost thoughts.

"I admit that I was initially attracted to your beauty, but after spending time with you, I prefer the feeling of being with you. You know, there are plenty of beautiful women, but interesting and compatible souls are few and far between. If I really only cared about looks, I would have gone to find other women long ago, and I wouldn't have stayed with you. Do you understand what I mean?"

Throughout, she dared not meet his gaze. Her fingertips gently stroked the brocade quilt, she shook her head, and murmured, "I don't understand."

"Are you really stupid or just pretending to be confused?" Hongli had no way to deal with her and didn't dare to scold her, so he could only continue to explain, "What I mean is, when you like someone to a certain extent, you will ignore their appearance. Whether they are beautiful or ugly, it will not affect my feelings for you."

These words sounded touching, but Su Yushan couldn't convince herself to believe him. After all, the maids around him were all quite beautiful, and he had many choices. If her rash didn't go away, he certainly wouldn't be comfortable looking at her.

"The doctor can't find a cure, and I'm afraid my face will never recover, so please stop trying to comfort me."

"That's because he's incompetent. I've already summoned the imperial physician, who will surely cure your illness."

He spoke so lightly, but she dared not harbor any hope. The person who poisoned her had deliberately tampered with the rouge, clearly intending to ruin her face. "What if even the imperial physicians are helpless?"

"The imperial physicians in the palace are all highly skilled healers. They are experienced and can treat many difficult and complicated diseases. How could they not cure a mere rash?"

Hongli thought it wasn't a serious illness, but Su Yushan was afraid of disappointment and was preparing for the worst. "That's hard to say. Many times, minor illnesses are the hardest to cure. If it really can't be cured, just let me go! I don't want to stay here and be talked about."

Upon hearing this, Hongli Feng frowned and immediately pulled her into his arms. "What nonsense are you talking about? How could I possibly send you away? If your illness can be cured, that would be the best outcome. Even if it can't be cured, I would never despise you or let you leave. You are my woman, and I will take care of you for the rest of my life."

Promises always sound so sweet, but Su Yushan couldn't deceive herself. No matter what he said, she couldn't truly feel at ease. Unwilling to discuss the matter further, she only gave a perfunctory reply.

Thank you for comforting me.

“This isn’t just comforting words, it’s the truth, Yushan. Don’t think of me as so heartless. I believe that if I were unwell, you wouldn’t despise me, and by the same token, I wouldn’t despise you.”

"Didn't you ever think about what if I disliked you?"

Her words were illogical, and he couldn't respond! The moment he released her, Hongli clearly saw a smile on her face, realizing she was joking. He breathed a sigh of relief and feigned displeasure, threateningly saying, "You dare!"

After speaking, Hongli lowered his head and kissed her lips through the thin veil, expressing his affection for her.

The passionate kiss sent shivers down her spine, and something seemed to be slowly flowing through her heart. Su Yushan's guard against him gradually weakened, and she even forgot to push him away.

As their lips parted, Hongli sat up straight, raised a finger to her ear, and reached out to remove her veil. Su Yushan instinctively grasped his hand.

"I'm sorry... I still don't want to show you the unpleasant side of myself."

Gazing into her starry eyes, Hongli said softly, "In my eyes, only those with vicious hearts are ugly; all those with kind hearts are beautiful."

His attitude was so sincere that it seemed hurtful for her to refuse again. After a moment's hesitation, Su Yushan finally let go of his hand, allowing him to remove her veil.

The moment the veil fell away, Hongli clearly saw more than a dozen small red spots on her originally fair face. Those rashes on her face must have been very painful. He couldn't help but raise his hand to gently stroke her cheek, his heart aching with heartache.

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