Chapter 4 Then use a knife
Both of them felt a jolt in their hearts upon hearing this.
Lin Xiao's brows furrowed, and Qiu Shuang's voice grew even more urgent, "How could this be? Wasn't the princess's health improving a few days ago? How could it have worsened again today?"
Physician Lin took out his pen and ink and began to write a prescription. This time, the medicines he used were all a bit stronger.
"The princess must have been frightened just now, which is why her heart palpitations recurred."
At this point, Physician Lin hesitated. He was not familiar with Lin Xiao and did not know his identity, but anyone who could accompany the princess must be one of her people. After thinking for a moment, he said to the two of them, "The princess's health is already very weak. You two must be careful with your words in front of the princess in the future, and do not say anything that may upset her."
Qiu Shuang's heart skipped a beat, and she abruptly lowered her eyes.
The words she said before were all aimed directly at the princess's heart.
The princess's palpitations were surely caused by her.
"This servant will serve the princess well."
Regardless of her inner feelings, Qiu Shuang outwardly appeared distressed, as if she were worried about the princess.
If Lin Xiao hadn't seen her arrogant and self-righteous demeanor, he would have believed her.
With a flick of his finger, a cold dagger appeared on his slender knuckles.
Suddenly, Lin Xiao reached out and grabbed Qiu Shuang's chin, forcibly prying open her lips. In her terrified, trembling eyes, a sharp dagger fell into her mouth and pressed hard against her tongue.
Qiu Shuang was so frightened that she didn't dare to move. Seeing this, Physician Lin's hand trembled, and a drop of black ink fell onto the paper, spreading out.
Oh my god!
Lin Xiao warned coldly, "If you continue to spout nonsense in front of the princess next time, I will cut out your tongue."
Qiu Shuang was so frightened that tears welled up in her eyes. She didn't dare to argue anymore. The cold blade was right in her mouth. She didn't dare to move, let alone nod. She could only give repeated signals with her eyes.
Seeing her on the verge of tears and on the verge of collapse, Lin Xiao scoffed coldly, sheathed his dagger, and turned his gaze to Physician Lin. "Continue writing."
When he was suddenly called out by name, Physician Lin shuddered. The paper below was smeared with ink again, and he hurriedly grabbed another piece of paper from the side.
Feeling immense pressure as Lin Taiyi was stared at with indifferent eyes by Lin Xiao.
He couldn't help but wipe the cold sweat from his forehead.
Where on earth did this terrifying demon come from?
With Lin Xiao watching over her, Qiu Shuang really didn't dare to be as presumptuous as before.
If she dared to utter another word, a cold dagger would appear in Lin Xiao's hand, his gaze lightly falling on the dagger as he casually turned it over.
Watching the sharp glint of the blade dancing on his fingertips, even though he said nothing and his gaze didn't fall on her, Qiu Shuang still felt a chill creep up her spine. The words she wanted to say kept turning over in her mouth, but in the end she swallowed them back down and remained silent.
Shen Panyan looked at the strange atmosphere between the two with a puzzled expression.
For some reason, she always felt that Qiu Shuang seemed a little afraid of Lin Xiao.
Lin Xiao may be a bit cold-hearted, but there's nothing to be afraid of.
Shen Panyan's gaze fell on Lin Xiao again, seeing him leaning against the door frame, head down, playing with the dagger in his hand.
What were clearly sharp and pointed objects were handled with ease and skill, like trinket to him.
The sunlight was perfect today, falling obliquely on him. His long hair, tied with strips of cloth, gently cascaded over his shoulders, melting away the sharp edge that had always emanated from him, making him appear somewhat languid.
However, looking at the dagger in his hand that occasionally flashed with a cold light, Shen Panyan was still a little worried that he might hurt himself.
"Lin Xiao".
She called out softly.
Lin Xiao paused, sheathed his dagger, and turned to look at her. "What urgent matter does the princess have to discuss?"
"No..." Seeing how composed he was, Shen Panyan felt that her words of advice seemed somewhat superfluous.
But since she had already called out, and seeing Lin Xiao's calm and indifferent gaze, Shen Panyan lowered her head somewhat embarrassedly and said softly, "The medicine I just had was a bit bitter. Could you please get me some candied fruit?"
"Yes." Lin Xiao withdrew.
Seeing his departing figure, Qiu Shuang finally felt as if a heavy stone had been lifted from her heart.
“Princess, he is just a guard. You are spoiling him too much.”
“He always wears a mask and is unwilling to show his true face. Who knows what he might be up to and want to harm you, Princess?”
Qiu Shuang was very dissatisfied with Shen Panyan's indulgence of Lin Xiao.
She not only allowed him to stay by her side at all times, but also allowed him to freely enter her bedroom. Moreover, she specially had the room closest to her in the West Garden prepared for him to use. What kind of guard does that?
But Qiu Shuang didn't dare say it to Lin Xiao's face, so she could only try to sow discord between him and Lin Xiao when he wasn't around.
"Qiushuang, Linxiao is very good." Shen Panyan frowned and turned her head away, not happy that Qiushuang was speaking ill of Linxiao.
"Princess!" Seeing that she wouldn't listen, Qiu Shuang became a little anxious. "You are a princess, a noble lady of the royal family. How can you let an outsider follow you around?"
Ever since Lin Xiao arrived, Qiu Shuang has been trying to get rid of him.
She didn't want Lin Xiao to leave, because once he left, no one would care about her anymore.
Shen Panyan bit her lip, feeling sullen, and for the first time retorted, "But Lin Xiao is my guard. Where else can he go if he's not by my side?"
Completely unexpectedly, Qiu Shuang was taken aback when the princess contradicted her, and a sense of foreboding suddenly rose in her heart.
In the past, the princess always obeyed him obediently, but now, just because of a guard, she has started to oppose him. If Lin Xiao is allowed to stay any longer, wouldn't the princess be even more disobedient?
Instead, she had promised someone... Qiu Shuang suppressed the unease in her heart and patiently persuaded, "Princess, listen to my advice, the most important thing for you now is to choose a good consort."
"In my opinion, that Young Master Chu is quite good. He is also deeply in love with you, Princess. I still have the poem he wrote for you last time."
“Princess, Young Master Chu does not like the presence of other men around you. If you want to marry Young Master Chu, Lin Xiao must not be by your side. Princess, you must not displease Young Master Chu.”
Shen Panyan's reputation in the capital was not good to begin with. Now that she has been of marriageable age for almost a year, her marriage seems to have been forgotten. If this continues, when will she be able to get married?
She didn't want to be trapped and die next to her.
"I don't like that Young Master Chu!" Shen Panyan pursed her lips, her hands unconsciously twisting the bedding. "I won't let Lin Xiao leave."
The young master Chu that Qiu Shuang mentioned was the second son of the Vice Minister of Rites. She had met him on the way to the royal villa when she left the palace last time. He had a frivolous look on his face and started saying gossipy things as soon as he saw her, which she disliked.
Recalling the poems he wrote, Shen Panyan's face turned pale instantly.
She didn't want those letters, but Qiu Shuang took them on her own initiative.
She pleaded softly, "Qiushuang, please burn all those letter rafts, okay? I don't like it."
"Princess!" Qiu Shuang frowned, suppressing her displeasure, and continued to coax patiently, "Young Master Chu is handsome and kind. He is the best consort you could choose. Please don't throw a tantrum."
"Your birth mother died early, and the Empress and His Majesty are very busy, so you have to plan your marriage yourself."
"I'm doing this for your own good."
Shen Panyan didn't like hearing these things, but she didn't know how to refute them, so she could only tilt her head and firmly say, "I don't like him, and I won't marry him."
"But Princess, you will eventually have to get married!" Qiu Shuang became even more anxious.
If she continues to refuse to marry, when will she be able to leave her side and, with the Empress's favor, marry a royal guard?
Shen Panyan buried her head in the blankets, ignoring her words, "I won't marry him."
"Princess!!" Seeing her hide under the covers as before, Qiu Shuang's irritation intensified, and she reached out to grab her blankets.
"what you do!"
A cold male voice suddenly appeared behind her, startling Qiu Shuang.
Lin Xiao walked over, looking at her coldly, "What do you intend to do to the princess?"
As he spoke, a sharp dagger was pressed against her neck. "Have you forgotten my warning?"
"I..." The cold dagger pressed against her skin, as if it would slice through her neck at any moment. Qiu Shuang swallowed hard, goosebumps rising uncontrollably all over her body. "I was just... covering the princess with a blanket... yes, I was just going to cover the princess with a blanket..."
As she spoke, she shifted a step to the side, discreetly observing Lin Xiao's reaction. Seeing him put away the dagger, she hurriedly left his side, tucked the blanket around Shen Panyan, gave her a perfunctory greeting, and quickly retreated, curtsying, "Princess, this servant will take her leave now."
She hurried out, as if a ghost were chasing her.
Lin Xiao watched her retreating figure and sneered.
A wicked servant who bullies the weak and fears the strong.
Shen Panyan had secretly removed the blanket from her head at some point, and was looking at him with bright eyes.
"Lin Xiao, you're amazing!"
This sudden praise caused Lin Xiao to fall silent for a moment.
"It's not that I'm capable, it's just that you, Princess, are too timid..." At this point, he remembered Physician Lin's advice, so he changed the subject, "too easy to bully."
When Lin Xiao pointed it out so bluntly, Shen Panyan blinked, and her originally bright eyes gradually dimmed.
She knows that this personality trait is bad, but she can't change it.
Whenever she hears someone criticizing her, she feels a sense of powerlessness, as if a heavy stone is pressing down on her heart, making it hard for her to breathe and unable to speak.
"I'm sorry, Lin Xiao, I've let you down..." She buried her head under the covers again.
Lin Xiao found her ostrich-like behavior not only incomprehensible but also utterly unbelievable.
Princess Mingyue's reputation for timidity was indeed well-deserved.
Lin Xiao's voice was indifferent, "This is your own business, Princess. There is no need for you to apologize to your subordinates."
After saying that, he placed the candied fruit on a tray to the side.
"Princess, here is the candied fruit you requested."
Hearing him mention candied fruit, Shen Panyan loosened the covers, looked at Lin Xiao, and softly thanked him, "Thank you, Lin Xiao."
Seeing the princess's slightly red eyes, Lin Xiao paused for a moment before leaving.
She is, after all, a princess... his current master.
After thinking for a moment, Lin Xiao took the dagger from his waist and placed it beside her.
"If the princess doesn't know what to say next time, she should use a knife."
“Lin Xiao…” Shen Panyan stared blankly at the dagger he had put down.
The scabbard of this dagger is worn, some of the black paint has peeled off, and there are some scratches on it. Apart from these minor flaws, the dagger is in perfect condition.
Lin Xiao must really like it, otherwise he wouldn't have been holding it and playing with it before.
But now, he's given this dagger to himself...
Shen Panyan reached out and gently grasped the dagger.
The dagger felt cold in her hand, and a surge of courage seemed to rise within her. She looked up at Lin Xiao, her eyes crinkling with a smile, "Thank you, Lin Xiao."
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