Su Wanwan looked into his eyes.

It felt like my heart had been stabbed.

She's overthinking it.

Why would the emperor, who is high above all others, make things so difficult for his cousin?

Even if it's to get revenge on her, there's no need to go to such lengths.

Lu Xingjian saw the fear in her eyes and the fleeting sadness, and the chill in his body slowly dissipated.

His tone softened.

"What if I said that I was partly responsible for your cousin's situation, and that I also wanted to seek justice for her?"

Su Wanwan stared at him, her eyes filled with disbelief.

Her eyes reddened, and tears streamed down her face.

I recall that fiery night three years ago.

So he knew.

He knew what they had been through.

Those were the days of dire straits, those were the days of life and death, those were the days of despair and helplessness.

He remained indifferent and stood by idly.

Why would he bother to put in any extra effort for her?

The standoff on the canal three years ago was the limit of what he could do for her.

Unfortunately, she didn't appreciate it at all.

Lu Xingjian released his grip on her face, his eyes dimming slightly.

He then pulled her into his arms, pressed her face against his chest, and held her gently.

Su Wanwan felt it was too ambiguous.

They're too intimate.

She tried to back away, but his long, strong arms held her waist, preventing her from moving.

The familiar scent of a man filled my nostrils, and tears soaked his clothes.

Her hand stood between their bodies, clenched into a fist, and crumpled the fabric embroidered with a dragon pattern on his chest.

Like a hedgehog covered in sharp quills.

Try to keep your distance.

"She needs to recover from her injuries. Will you stay with her for a while?" Lu Xingjian changed the subject.

Her voice carried a hint of gentleness.

"Um."

Su Wanwan had no choice but to respond softly.

She quickly pulled away from his embrace and took three steps back.

Her face turned red with embarrassment and anger at her loss of composure.

I tried my best to suppress the wild beating of my heart.

Staying here will inevitably mean seeing him.

The interaction between the two was awkward.

But she wouldn't leave Wan Ying alone again.

An incredible thought flashed through her mind.

Perhaps... that's his real purpose.

Let her and him rekindle their past relationship.

The moment the thought arose, her body involuntarily tensed up, like a frightened little rabbit ready to run away at any moment.

Lu Xingjian noticed her changes, and his eyes dimmed slightly.

That night, she did not return to the Duke of Wei's mansion, but stayed by Su Wanying's bedside.

The consequence was that he developed a high fever again in the middle of the night.

The imperial physician happened to still be there, so he quickly prescribed the medicine, decocted it, and the patient took it.

When Su Wanwan woke up, Lu Xingjian was talking to the imperial physician.

Seeing that she was awake, he walked over and sat down by the bed, asking gently, "Would you like some porridge?"

Su Wanwan looked at the barely bright sky outside: "Aren't you going to the morning court?"

Lu Xingjian glanced at her, but did not answer her question. He took the bowl of porridge handed to him by the young eunuch.

"Want some drinks?"

Su Wanwan struggled to sit up and drink it herself.

When I got up, my mind was foggy and I felt dizzy.

Lu Xingjian helped her sit down, placed a soft cushion behind her, and brought the porridge to her lips.

"Focus on getting better, leave the rest to me, okay?"

His face held a hint of concern.

Su Wanwan felt embarrassed and lowered her eyes.

The better he treated her, the more she wanted to distance herself and escape.

I just want to refuse.

She took the bowl of porridge and spoon from his hands, bowed her head, and said, "Thank you."

Lu Xingjian noticed her avoidance and aloofness, but simply withdrew his hand, watched her finish her porridge with a faint expression, and then left.

She didn't see Lu Xingjian again for the next few days, and she breathed a huge sigh of relief.

She misunderstood.

He didn't mean that.

However, He Ying, who had gone back to the Duke of Wei's mansion to retrieve clothes and other items, brought back a message.

Zhang Zonghui, the heir apparent of the Marquis of Shouning, had his leg broken and will likely be bedridden for the rest of his life.

Zhou Shuyan from the Qingyun Marquis's mansion wasn't in much better shape either; he was covered in injuries and probably wouldn't be able to get out of bed for several months.

Su Wanwan felt very guilty.

It was she who dragged Zhou Shuyan into this mess.

She needs to make some compensation.

The imperial physician did not come again that day.

A young servant came panting to deliver a message that the Empress had caught a cold, and the Empress Dowager and the Emperor had summoned all the imperial physicians away.

Su Wanwan smiled softly.

Look, he really cherishes Xia Xueyi dearly; the slightest disturbance causes a huge commotion.

Helping her is as simple as moving a finger.

Su Wanying's wounds have all scabbed over and she just needs to wait for them to heal. Her mental state has also improved a lot.

Su Wanwan quickly made up her mind to take Su Wanying back to the Duke of Wei's mansion to recuperate.

The news brought by He Ying further solidified her thoughts: "Guard Xiao has brought Doctor Tan to the capital!"

Dr. Tan comes from a family of doctors in Jiangnan. Despite being a woman confined to the inner quarters, her medical skills are extraordinary, especially in gynecology.

Su Wanwan was overjoyed and quickly had people pack their things to prepare to return to the Duke of Wei's mansion.

When Lu Xingjian arrived, she smiled and asked Heying to take her things to the carriage.

The moment she saw Lu Xingjian, the smile on her face froze, quickly replaced by a distant expression.

He stood in front of her, looking down at her with a calm expression, his emotions unreadable.

"Are you leaving?"

"Um."

After a long silence, he simply said, "I'll take you."

"No need, someone's coming to pick me up." Su Wanwan's voice was very clear.

After a while, she clenched her hands slightly at her sides. "Thank you for everything these past few days."

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!