The carriage moved slowly along the long road, and the interior was silent; neither of the two spoke.

The prolonged silence, coupled with extreme physical discomfort, made Lin Xihe feel dizzy, as if countless bees were buzzing in her ears.

Gradually, she felt her consciousness becoming increasingly blurred, and the scene before her eyes began to become indistinct. Finally, she could no longer hold on, her body went limp, and she fell to the side.

Mu Ruoyan had been casually looking at the scenery outside the window when she caught a glimpse of Lin Xihe falling out of the corner of her eye. As if out of control, she instinctively reached out to catch her.

Lin Xihe collapsed into Mu Ruoyan's arms, her brows furrowed tightly, as if she were suffering immense pain.

Mu Ruoyan felt the unusually hot body temperature emanating from her and was startled.

"How could you be so useless? You got a fever after kneeling for only one night?" He said this, but his tone unconsciously carried a hint of worry.

However, the person in his arms remained frowning and did not respond.

Looking at Lin Xihe's bloodless face, Mu Ruoyan suddenly felt a strong sense of unease.

In that instant, he made a decision that even he himself did not expect: "Go to the clinic."

"yes."

Upon hearing the order, the attendant driving the carriage responded immediately and quickly turned the carriage around.

Looking at the soft body in her arms, Mu Ruoyan noticed that Lin Xihe's breathing had become rapid and heavy. Seeing her like this, Mu Ruoyan suddenly felt a pang of panic.

"Lin Xihe?"

He called out softly, his voice carrying a tenderness and anxiety he had never felt before.

He reached out and gently tested the temperature of Lin Xihe's forehead. Just then, Lin Xihe grabbed his hand as if she had grasped a lifeline and pressed it tightly against her burning cheek.

The person in her arms was so weak that even opening their eyes seemed extremely difficult.

A tear slowly slid down Lin Xihe's cheek. She looked as if she might perish at any moment, a sight that broke one's heart.

Then, she began to mumble incoherently, "It hurts...it hurts..."

Where does it hurt?

The servants outside, hearing that their third prince was so anxious about this woman, exchanged surprised glances and then looked worriedly toward the carriage.

Lin Xihe's consciousness was already blurred; she was in a state of confusion due to the high fever and was unable to respond properly to Mu Ruoyan's questions. She could only keep murmuring unconsciously, "Azhuo... I'm in so much pain..."

Mu Ruoyan's hand, which had been resting on Lin Xihe's face, froze instantly.

Who are you calling?

What did she call him?

Ah Zhuo?

She was obsessed with Ji Zhuo, the lackey of the Great Hao Emperor.

Just as he was lost in thought, Lin Xihe, feeling unbearably hot, subconsciously grabbed Mu Ruoyan's slightly cool hand and gently placed it against her neck.

Mu Ruoyan subconsciously tried to pull his hand back, but when his fingertips touched Lin Xihe's smooth, eggshell-like skin, he involuntarily stopped.

In this still chilly season, he placed his hand on Lin Xihe's neck, and the strange sensation made his heart beat faster.

His gaze unconsciously fell on Lin Xihe's face. Looking at her slightly furrowed brows due to pain and her cheeks flushed red from the high fever, a strange feeling welled up in his heart.

“It was your initiative,” he said, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed hard. He leaned close to Lin Xihe’s ear and said in a low, hoarse voice, “Don’t think I took advantage of you when you wake up.”

As he bent over, a few strands of hair that weren't fully tied up today slipped down and gently landed on Lin Xihe's face.

Her hair, like feathers, gently brushed against her skin.

Stimulated by the sudden itch, Lin Xihe struggled to break free in her dazed state. Her hands flailed wildly in the air, finally grasping at the source of her discomfort.

"Go away, Big Yellow." She mumbled indistinctly, her weak fingers tugging hard.

Her fingernail accidentally caught Mu Ruoyan's hair. Due to the force of her hand and her own limp head, Mu Ruoyan's head uncontrollably moved closer to Lin Xihe's face.

Just as their faces drew closer, Lin Xihe's fingers, having exerted too much force, sent a sharp pain through her nails.

The pain pierced through her hazy consciousness.

Her eyelids trembled slightly, and she slowly opened them a crack.

What came into view was Mu Ruoyan's face suddenly leaning closer.

His face was inches away, and his deep eyes, high nose, and slightly parted thin lips instantly sobered Lin Xihe up.

A last shred of reason screamed wildly in her mind. Ignoring the fact that her fingers were still being pulled by Mu Ruoyan's hair, she used all her strength to raise her hand and push hard against Mu Ruoyan's shoulder.

“Don’t… face… dog Dong…” Lin Xihe’s voice was hoarse, each word seemed to be squeezed out from between her teeth, filled with intense disgust.