京中别院，烛火摇曳。
Xiao Cheng frowned, looking at his master's profile flickering in the candlelight, and couldn't help but speak again: "Master, are you really going to find Wang Xiuxiu? She's ruined so many of our plans!"
Zhou Yun'an gently stroked the jade pendant with his slender fingers; the delicate patterns on the jade surface gleamed with a faint blue light under the candlelight.
When he looked up, a strange light flickered in his eyes. "Xiao Cheng, have you ever seen a rabbit that bites?"
"Huh?" Xiao Cheng was taken aback, clearly not expecting his master to ask this suddenly.
"Wang Xiuxiu is that rabbit." Zhou Yun'an chuckled softly, tapping the jade pendant lightly with his fingertip. "Appearing docile and harmless, but in reality..."
He pictured those fearless almond-shaped eyes before his eyes, and a strange restlessness welled up in his heart.
Even when she was imprisoned, she dared to look him in the eye despite being at a disadvantage, and even turned the tables on him.
This unprecedented experience both annoyed and excited him.
"It makes you want to see just how far she can resist."
Outside the window, a bright moon hangs high in the sky.
Zhou Yun'an got up and walked to the window, the night breeze ruffling his robes.
He gazed in the direction of Prince Jing's residence, and for the first time felt his heart beat faster than he could have imagined.
This unfamiliar feeling is both dangerous and fascinating, like walking on the edge of a cliff, knowing that you may be doomed, yet still unable to resist getting closer.
"Master..." Xiao Cheng wanted to persuade him again.
"Prepare the horses." Zhou Yun'an interrupted him, his voice carrying an unquestionable decisiveness.
---
The inner courtyard of Prince Jing's mansion was completely silent.
"Shh"—a faint sound suddenly came from outside the window.
Wang Xiuxiu suddenly woke up, her years of vigilance instantly bringing her to her senses.
She didn't get up immediately, but quietly reached for the dagger under her pillow.
Just as she was holding her breath, a tall, slender figure stood in front of the bed.
The moonlight was like water, and she recognized those eyes that shone brightly in the darkness at a glance—Zhou Yun'an!
He actually dared to sneak into Prince Jing's residence at night!
Wang Xiuxiu gripped the dagger tightly, suppressing her astonishment, and said coldly, "Young Master Zhou has quite the refined taste."
Her voice was deliberately lowered, but every word was clear: "Breaking into the Prince's mansion at night, aren't you afraid I'll call for help?"
Zhou Yun'an lowered his gaze to the wary woman on the bed, a hint of amusement in his eyes: "Why aren't you calling out? Let me guess, is it because Lu Jingze is out on patrol, or are you afraid I'll poison you?"
Wang Xiuxiu didn't move, only glared at him coldly.
Zhou Yun'an chuckled softly, then slowly took out a sachet from his sleeve and gently waved it in front of Wang Xiuxiu: "I heard that Your Highness has been having trouble sleeping lately, so I brought some calming spices."
Wang Xiuxiu's pupils contracted slightly, the dagger remaining motionless: "When did Young Master Zhou switch careers to become a doctor?"
"I will only serve as the physician for the concubine." Zhou Yun'an took a step forward, the moonlight casting a shadow on his handsome face. "What, won't you invite me to sit down?"
"In the dead of night, a lone man and a lone woman..." Wang Xiuxiu sneered.
Zhou Yun'an suddenly leaned down, and the distance between the two suddenly shortened.
"Shout it out," he said in a low voice, with a hint of provocation, "Let the whole manor see that the Prince Jing's concubine is having a secret rendezvous with a man in the middle of the night..."
Before he could finish speaking, Wang Xiuxiu's dagger was already pressed against his throat.
Zhou Yun'an neither dodged nor flinched, but instead curled the corners of his lips into a smile: "As expected, Your Highness the Concubine is... quite skilled."
Wang Xiuxiu lowered her voice and angrily asked, "What exactly do you want?"
Zhou Yun'an straightened up. "Tomorrow at noon, at the teahouse in the south of the city."
He placed a medicine bottle on the bedside table. "Regarding Lu Yunian's life, Your Highness had better be on time for the appointment."
After saying that, he disappeared into the night as silently as he had come, leaving only the porcelain vase by the bedside.
----
Not long after Zhou Yun'an left, before Wang Xiuxiu had recovered from the crisis, Li Mama knocked urgently on Wang Xiuxiu's door.
"Your Highness! Your Highness! Something has happened to the Prince!"
Wang Xiuxiu sat up abruptly, not even bothering to put on her shoes.
"What's wrong with Yu Nian?"
"The young master... the young master... he's unconscious!"
"Granny, don't panic. Explain yourself clearly. Why did Yu Nian suddenly fall into a coma?"
"The young master had dinner in the princess's courtyard tonight. The princess saw that he ate a lot of meat and was worried that he would get a sore throat, so she sent him a soup to cool him down before he went to bed. But no matter how much the servant knocked on the door, the young master did not respond. Finally, he broke down the door and found that the young master's lips were blue and he was still unresponsive!"
"I understand, Granny. May I go and fetch the doctor?"
"Yes, yes, but the Prince is out of the capital on inspection tours, and the Empress is both anxious and fearful. She's probably lost her composure right now!"
"Don't worry, Granny, I'll go and keep my sister and Yunian company right away."
As Wang Xiuxiu was about to leave, she was stopped by Granny Li. "Your Highness, please don't rush. Put on your shoes and a coat first."
Wang Xiuxiu then realized that she wasn't even wearing shoes.
While going back inside to find her shoes, Wang Xiuxiu's gaze swept over the small porcelain bottle on the table, and she remembered what Zhou Yun'an had said when he left.
"Granny Li, I'll go find Yunian first. You take someone to Nanwei Courtyard and tell her I need to see her."
"Yes, this old servant will go right away."
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