When I woke up, my head felt heavy as if it was filled with lead, and my ears were buzzing. I vaguely remember someone whispering in my ear, "Some things are not yet time for you to know...", and then I lost consciousness.

"Hiss..." I took a deep breath and struggled to sit up, but found that my whole body was in great pain, especially the back of my head, which felt like it was hit hard by a hammer.

"Don't move." A deep voice rang in my ears, with a barely perceptible gentleness, "Your injury hasn't healed yet."

I turned around and saw Xiao Rui sitting beside the bed, holding a bowl of black medicine in his hand, looking at me with a worried look on his face.

"Where am I?" I asked weakly, and looked around, finding myself in an antique room. The room was elegantly decorated, and the air was filled with a faint scent of sandalwood. It was obviously not my room.

"This is my palace." Xiao Rui handed the medicine bowl to my lips, "Drink the medicine first."

I frowned. This medicine smells bitter. I don't want to drink it.

"Why, are you afraid that I will poison you?" Xiao Rui seemed to see through my thoughts, with a playful smile on his face.

"That's not the case." I curled my lips. "This medicine smells too bitter, doesn't it? Why not add some honey or something?"

"Good medicine tastes bitter but is good for the disease." Xiao Rui was unmoved, "Be good and listen."

As he spoke, he scooped up a portion of the medicine, blew on it gently, and brought it to my mouth.

I had no choice but to pinch my nose and drink it down in one gulp.

"Cough, cough, cough..." The bitter taste instantly spread in my mouth and I kept coughing.

Upon seeing this, Xiao Rui quickly put down the medicine bowl and patted me on the back gently, his eyes full of pain.

"Drink slowly, I'm not trying to snatch it from you." He said softly, with a hint of indulgence in his tone.

I rolled my eyes at him. When did this guy become so good at flirting with girls?

"Oh, by the way," I suddenly remembered something, grabbed his hand, and asked anxiously, "Where's Li Chengze? How is he? And the emperor..."

The smile on Xiao Rui's face gradually disappeared, and a complicated look flashed in his eyes, "Qingya, don't worry about those things."

"Why don't you care?" I glared at him. "The emperor is your brother. Li Chengze, that lunatic, wants to kill the emperor and usurp the throne. Are you just going to watch all this happen?"

Xiao Rui was silent for a moment before he slowly spoke: "Qingya, you don't understand, some things are not as simple as you think..."

"What's so difficult?" I interrupted him, "Is there anything more important than upholding justice and protecting family and friends?"

Xiao Rui looked at me steadily, his eyes full of struggle and pain. After a long time, he sighed, with a hint of helplessness in his tone: "Qingya, you are always like this, too kind, too naive..."

He reached out and gently stroked my cheek, his eyes so gentle that they seemed to drip with water, "Let me go, I will take care of everything and won't let you get hurt."

I was a little overwhelmed by his sudden tenderness, and my heart beat faster involuntarily.

"You..." I just wanted to speak, but he pulled me into his arms.

"Don't talk, let me hold you for a while." He buried his head in the crook of my neck, his voice low and hoarse, "Just a moment..."

He hugged me tightly, feeling his warm body temperature, and suddenly I felt an inexplicable sense of security.

"Xiao Rui..." I called his name softly, with a hint of dependence in my tone that I didn't even notice.

"Hmm?" He responded in a low voice, his voice a little vague, as if he was suppressing something.

"You..." I hesitated for a moment and asked the question I had always wanted to ask, "Do you like me?"

Xiao Rui's body visibly stiffened for a moment, and then he slowly raised his head and stared at me intently, his eyes full of complex emotions.

"Qingya..." He was about to speak when the door of the room was suddenly kicked open!

I was startled and quickly pushed Xiao Rui away, turned my head and looked at the door, and saw Li Chengze standing there with a gloomy face and anger in his eyes. Behind him, followed a group of fully armed soldiers, each of them with murderous look on their face.

My heart skipped a beat. Oh no, how did this guy find his way here?

"Li Chengze, what do you want to do?!" Xiao Rui stood up, protected me behind him, and stared at Li Chengze with a fierce look.

"What do I want to do?" Li Chengze sneered, his eyes fell on me, a trace of viciousness flashed in his eyes, "Of course, come and take away my Crown Princess!"