A hint of sadness flashed in the Crown Prince's eyes.
“My father doesn’t care about me at all. Even my position as crown prince was only given to me by him to get revenge on others.”
"I only want to ask Miss Yun, if marrying me means facing countless dangers, are you still willing?"
Yun Lian suddenly pushed him away from her chest.
"Who said I was going to marry you? Didn't His Highness just say he wanted to repay a debt of gratitude? There are other ways to repay a debt of gratitude besides marriage..."
Yunxiao asked, bewildered, "Is there any other way?"
His thin lips were slightly parted, and his blank expression made him look just like an adorable little squirrel.
Yun Lian couldn't help but laugh.
No wonder he was played so badly by the Crown Prince and Yunna in the end.
Yun Lian leaned in and kissed his lips and footprints.
"Let me have a word with you, and we'll be even."
Yunxiao's pupils dilated in shock, he almost forgot to breathe, his whole body flushed red, and his head felt like it was exploding with fireworks, leaving him in a daze.
Realizing what was happening, Yunxiao quickly pushed her away.
"Miss Yun, this is inappropriate..."
There was still a little distance between them, but their breaths mingled, and their eyes met, making even the air feel sticky.
"What's wrong with it? Was His Highness's talk of repaying a debt of gratitude just a casual remark?"
Yunxiao's face flushed red, and he almost fled in panic.
"I need to use the restroom."
Yun Lian watched as he stumbled and staggered out of the cave, his body covered in wounds.
"Don't go too far, or you might not be able to find your way back."
Yunxiao ran even faster; he felt like he was about to explode, and all the blood in his body rushed to the top of his head.
How could she be so reckless?
Yunxiao, clutching her pounding heart, stared at the lake's surface, her face unrecognizable, and was stunned for the first time.
The person on the lake was disheveled, with a flushed face, and didn't seem to fit the image of a mature and composed man at all.
After calming down, Yunxiao went back and found her already asleep on the stone slab. She breathed a sigh of relief.
His eyes, however, were uncontrollably fixed on her.
It was only then that he realized Yun Lian was truly beautiful, even more so than his father's deceased concubine.
The Imperial Concubine was the most beautiful concubine in the Ancient Moon Dynasty. Some time ago, when he was helping Yun Lian investigate Imperial Concubine Ye, he also accidentally saw her portrait.
At this moment, Yun Lian's sleeping appearance bore a striking resemblance to her.
Yunxiao's brows were so furrowed they could almost trap a mosquito.
What exactly is her relationship with Consort Ye? Why did she go to such lengths to investigate Consort Ye?
Suddenly, Yun Lian curled up, curling herself into a ball, her delicate little face scrunched up, looking extremely cute.
Yunxiao wanted to take off his coat and cover her with it, but after hesitating for a long time, he finally lay down with Yunlian, gently wrapped her in his arms, and warmed her with his own body heat.
Her brows relaxed, and she found a comfortable position in his arms and fell into a deep sleep again.
Yunxiao's body stiffened, and as he felt the warm, fragrant body in his arms, his face flushed red.
He felt like he was the kind of person who had to have his cake and eat it too, rejecting Miss Yun on one hand while secretly disregarding etiquette on the other.
Yun Lian woke up feeling refreshed, having expected to wake up with a sore back after sleeping on the stone slab for a night.
"Strange, why do I feel like I slept even better than at the Treasure Pavilion?"
Yun Lian got up and stretched, but a muffled groan suddenly came from below.
The first thing he saw was Yunxiao's face, pale with pain. He was flustered and quickly helped him up.
"Did I roll over on you? I'm so sorry, I'm a restless sleeper, are you alright?"
Yunxiao looked embarrassed and awkwardly turned to face Yunlian.
"It's alright. Last night, I acted hastily and offended Miss Yun."
Without saying a word, Yun Lian saw the faint blood seeping from his back, and realizing that she herself had slept very well the night before, she understood everything almost instantly.
He held himself all night.
"You sit and wait for me, I'll be right back."
Yun Lian returned quickly, carrying a pile of herbs and crushing them.
"Your Highness, will you take off your clothes yourself, or should I do it?"
Yunxiao seemed to remember something, and the blush that had just faded instantly returned to her entire body.
He understood that Yun Lian wanted to apply medicine to him, but he felt powerless to do so. His eyelashes trembled, and his voice was barely audible.
"I can do it myself."
The dried blood stuck to his clothes, and even just taking them off caused him to break out in a cold sweat from the pain.
Yun Lian carefully applied the herbs she had just brought to his body, and seeing him trembling in pain, she sighed softly.
"Just treat it for now. We need to get out of here as soon as possible. Otherwise, if your wound gets infected, even the best imperial physician in the palace might not be able to save your life."
Yunxiao certainly understood this principle.
"Okay, I'm ready to go anytime."
Yun Lian gave him some wild fruits that she had picked along the way.
"Just eat whatever you can; you'll need the energy to keep going."
Yunxiao glanced at her furtively, then quickly looked down.
She didn't have to go through this ordeal with him. If I hadn't been trying to save him, why would she have had to suffer like this?
"Miss Yun, whatever you ask for, I will grant it, as long as it's not too outrageous. Consider it an obligation I owe you."
Seeing that he looked sickly and in even worse condition than yesterday, Yun Lian had no desire to tease him.
"If that's really the case, then I do have a wish that I'd like you to help me with."
"Miss Yun, please tell me. I will definitely not delay as long as it is within my power."
Yun Lian's lips curled slightly, her eyes gleaming with captivating light: "I need you to take me to see the Emperor."
Yunxiao glanced at her, then thought of the matter of Consort Ye that she had asked him to investigate.
Father Emperor, Consort Ye, Yun Lian...
Could it be... that she wants to imitate Consort Ye in order to gain favor with her father?
Yunxiao looked strange, and it took him a long time to finally manage to utter a sentence.
“Miss Yun, I’m not bad either, why go to such lengths? There’s no need to see Father Emperor, most of what he can give you, I can give you too.”
Yun Lian raised an eyebrow teasingly: "Has Your Highness really thought this through? Are you no longer afraid that the Crown Prince's residence is surrounded by crises and can't protect me?"
Yunxiao nodded emphatically.
"I think clearly."
At worst, he could simply not become the crown prince. But he could never bring himself to do it. He could only watch helplessly as the young and beautiful Miss Yun became a pitiful member of the harem.
Yun Lian inexplicably wanted to see him and the emperor meet her in person, and to see the moment he proposed to her.
"Alright, then I'll wait for the day you ask the Emperor to marry me."
Yun Lian moved closer to him.
"Your Highness, I can make a request this time for saving you. What about the time I saved you at your birthday banquet? Can I make a request then too?"
Yunxiao recalled her resolute figure as she threw herself into the pool and turned away to watch the play.
"sure."
Yun Lian then revealed a hint of something, recalling Yun Xiao's resolute back as she threw herself into the pool and turned away to watch the play.
"sure."
Yun Lian timely revealed a hint of dissatisfaction.
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