Lin Wanyi glanced at her, her cool gaze seemingly able to see through one's heart: "His Highness awoke briefly at midnight last night, his consciousness was still clear, but he was extremely weak, and soon fell asleep again. Imperial Physician Lin said this was a good sign, indicating that His Highness is recovering." She packed her medicine box, adding seemingly casually, "When His Highness awoke, the first thing he asked... was, 'How is Xin Jiuwei?'"
Xin Jiuwei's heart skipped a beat, as if it had been gently bumped by something. An indescribable warm current, mixed with bittersweetness, quietly washed over her. She lowered her eyelashes, concealing the turmoil in her eyes, and simply murmured an "Mmm."
Lin Wanyi said no more and left with her medicine box.
Silence returned to the warm pavilion. Xin Jiuwei leaned against the pillows, gazing at the gray sky outside the window. Xiao Xun… he had woken up. He had asked her. This realization stirred ripples in her tranquil heart. The cold contract, the calculated exploitation, all seemed blurred in the face of life-or-death choices. The figure shielding her from view, the antidote clutched tightly in his arms, the question before he fainted… these images intertwined, sketching a completely unfamiliar Xiao Xun in her mind.
Two more days passed. With Xin Kui's support, Xin Jiuwei was able to slowly walk a few steps in the warm pavilion. The numbness in her left shoulder had lessened considerably, but she was still weak. The wound in her chest remained the greatest burden, and she had to be extremely careful with every movement.
That afternoon, a soft, distinct footstep sound, different from Youye's, came from outside the warm pavilion. Then, the door was gently pushed open.
Xin Jiuwei looked in the direction of the sound and was slightly taken aback.
Standing at the entrance was a middle-aged woman dressed in simple palace attire, exuding a dignified and composed air. Her brows bore a deep weariness and worry, yet her eyes were gentle. She was none other than the only daughter of the Marquis of Zhongyong, the Princess Consort of Zhao, who had married into the imperial family as a prince's wife. Behind her followed two obsequious maids.
"Your Highness?" Xin Jiuwei was somewhat surprised and struggled to get off the bed to pay her respects.
"Don't move!" Princess Zhao stepped forward and gently pressed Xin Jiuwei's shoulder, her voice gentle yet concerned. "Good child, lie down. You're so badly injured, so let's skip the formalities." She sat down on the embroidered stool beside the bed, carefully examining Xin Jiuwei's pale and thin face, her eyes filled with heartache: "Poor thing, you've suffered so much... If Mother wakes up and sees you like this, I don't know how heartbroken she will be."
Mentioning the old lady, Xin Jiuwei's eyes reddened again: "My aunt..."
“Mother is a lucky woman, she will be alright.” Princess Zhao gently patted the back of her hand, her tone reassuring and reassuring. “The imperial physician said her pulse is getting better every day. I came today, firstly to see you, and secondly, on behalf of my mother… and on behalf of our whole family, to thank you.” Her gaze was sincere and solemn. “If you hadn’t risked your life to retrieve the antidote, the consequences for the Sixth Prince… would have been unimaginable. You saved the Prince’s life, which is equivalent to saving our entire Zhongyong Earl’s Mansion.” Princess Zhao knew very well that if Xiao Xun were to meet with misfortune, the Zhongyong Earl’s Mansion, which was closely related to Xiao Xun, would surely face annihilation.
“Your Highness is too kind,” Xin Jiuwei said softly. “Jiuwei… just did what she had to do.” She couldn’t explain how much of that reckless impulse was for the sake of the contract, and how much was for something else.
Princess Zhao looked at her calm yet undeniably haggard face and sighed softly, "Good child, you are blessed, and you are also resourceful. You and His Highness... have both survived this calamity; that is an immense blessing." She paused, then added meaningfully, "His Highness treats you... ultimately differently. Even in his coma, he kept calling your name. Everyone in this mansion knows that."
Xin Jiuwei's heart skipped a beat, her cheeks flushed slightly, and she lowered her eyelashes, unsure how to respond. Princess Zhao's words were like a pebble thrown into a still lake, disturbing the previously calm surface.
Princess Zhao sat for a while longer, carefully instructing Xin Jiuwei to rest well, leaving behind many precious tonics and medicinal herbs, before leaving with her maid.
Silence fell once more in the warm pavilion, but Xin Jiuwei's mind remained unsettled. The words of Princess Zhao and Lin Wanyi echoed in her mind. Xiao Xun treated her differently? He called her name while unconscious? This… how could it be? Between them, there was only a cold contract and mutual exploitation…
However, the back of the figure blocking his way, the tightly clenched wrist, the words "Stay close to me," and the bottle of antidote stained with his blood in his arms... these images are so clear and real, undeniable.
An unprecedented sense of confusion and bewilderment gripped her. She couldn't distinguish whether the emotions surging within her were gratitude, responsibility, or... something more complex and dangerous.
Three more days passed. With Xin Kui's help, Xin Jiuwei was able to walk to the window of the warm pavilion and look at the bleak winter scene in the courtyard outside.
She was in much better spirits, but her body was still weak and she needed a long period of rest.
That evening, the afterglow of the setting sun bathed the cold courtyard in a warm golden light. Xin Jiuwei sat on a soft chair by the window, wrapped in a thick blanket, gazing absently at the gradually sinking sun on the horizon.
The door to the warm room was gently pushed open again.
This time, the figure that entered made Xin Jiuwei's heart tighten suddenly.
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