Chapter 20: Why does the Prince want to see me?

Nan Xueyin lowered her eyes, her hands hidden in her sleeves, and calmly pressed her fingernails into her palms, then used her right hand to support her left, twisting it with a clever flick of force.

"Let me see," Xiao Youlan signaled.

Nan Xueyin was a half-beat slow, then raised her left hand; her wrist hung limply, the skin of her palm red and swollen, with several spots where the skin had broken. These were all things she had just done to herself.

Xiao Youlan furrowed his brows.

"How did your hand get like this?"

Shu Yu, whose hands and feet were nimble, had already returned after putting away the pastries and exclaimed in surprise.

Nan Xueyin said softly, "I got hurt when I blocked the carriage just now."

However, in truth, her palm was only bruised and scraped from the impact, and her wrist was not actually broken, but as she was now a little palace maid, she had to add this detail.

Seeing the injury, Shu Yu's slight suspicion was long since buried by guilt, "I'm sorry, I was alone at the time and only focused on saving that child, I didn't look after you two."

Nan Xueyin lowered her hand and smiled lightly, "It's just a small injury; I've had worse in the past, it's no bother."

Xiao Youlan took an extra look at her.

Returning to the Eastern Palace, he ordered Shu Yu to take the pastries back.

Nan Xueyin's wounds had healed halfway along the road, so to avoid being discovered, she said, "Your Highness, this servant will return to tend to her injuries first."

"Wait," Xiao Youlan called out to stop her.

Nan Xueyin had a bad premonition.

Sure enough, he said, "Come here."

Nan Xueyin steadied her breath and walked forward.

Upon entering the hall, Xiao Youlan said again, "Sit."

Nan Xueyin obediently sat down.

Xiao Youlan ordered Feihong to summon an Imperial Physician, then glanced at her, "Injured like this, and you wanted to go back and treat it yourself?"

Nan Xueyin blinked slowly, "It was always like this before."

Because she could heal herself rapidly, no matter how she was injured, it was never a serious matter.

She needed no doctor, nor did she need Ointment; only occasionally would Wu Zhui ask how her injuries were.

Other than that, there was nothing else.

Hearing these words, Xiao Youlan took it to mean that she had often been mistreated by her father and brother in the past, and that even when she was injured, they were never willing to spend the silver to hire a doctor for her.

His tone softened significantly, "It is different now."

Before long, the Imperial Physician arrived and set Nan Xueyin's dislocated wrist.

Nan Xueyin frowned, her face deathly pale, but she did not make a sound throughout the entire process.

The Imperial Physician set down a jar of Ointment, "Apply this to the wounds, and they will be better in a few days; there will absolutely be no scars left behind."

Feihong saw the Imperial Physician out.

Nan Xueyin's wrist had just been set and could not be moved easily, so she tried to open the jar with her only remaining good hand, but failed.

She looked toward Xiao Youlan, "Your Highness, could you lend a hand?"

Xiao Youlan sat down before her, opened the jar, and signaled, "Hand."

He intended to apply the medicine for her.

Nan Xueyin reminded him, "Your Highness, it would be enough if you just helped this servant open the jar; I fear this would not be in accordance with the rules."

Xiao Youlan said calmly, "In the Eastern Palace, my word is the rule. Extend your hand."

Nan Xueyin had no choice but to obediently raise her hand.

Xiao Youlan uncovered the jar, dug some out with his fingertips, and gently applied it to her palm.

The touch was cool and slightly tingling.

From her angle, Nan Xueyin saw his focused brows and eyes.

"Does it hurt?" Xiao Youlan asked.

"It does not hurt," Nan Xueyin withdrew her gaze.

Xiao Youlan applied the Ointment to the last small wound, "Don't be so reckless next time."

Nan Xueyin tilted her head, "Is Your Highness feeling sorry for this servant?"

Xiao Youlan lifted his eyelids and looked at her.

Nan Xueyin leaned in slightly, smiling softly and sincerely, "But today, for Your Highness, this servant was willing to be injured. If I could die for Your Highness in the future, this servant would certainly do so without hesitation."

Xiao Youlan's movements paused; he set the jar down by her hand, his voice carrying a hint of a smile, "There is no need for you to die for me. Once your injuries are healed, just attend to dressing, meals, and grinding ink."

After finishing with the Crown Prince and returning to her room, Nan Xueyin opened her palm to take a look; all the wounds had already healed, and the Ointment was still on her palm, unabsorbed and remaining on her skin, so she found a handkerchief to wipe it clean.

She recalled that in all the years past, every time she was injured, she was always alone, and Xiao Mingyu had never applied medicine for her like this.

Later that same day, someone came from the Eastern Palace.

Wu Zhui followed Feihong inside and bowed respectfully to pay his respects, "Prince Duan asked me to deliver some things. The Prince knows that His Highness the Crown Prince advocates clean governance and never accepts gifts. Therefore, what I have brought is nothing precious, just some local specialties from Lianzhou, such as Lianzhou Old Spring. This is the proper etiquette between brothers."

Xiao Youlan indeed found it difficult to decline.

Wu Zhui exchanged a few more pleasantries before taking his leave.

Xiao Youlan had Feihong see him out.

Nan Xueyin stood to the side, having understood Wu Zhui's words.

Long before setting out last year, she and Wu Zhui had discussed some secret codes that only they could understand; "Lianzhou Old Spring" was one of them. It was indeed a local specialty liquor from Lianzhou, but it was also a code meaning that Xiao Mingyu wanted to see her.

Nan Xueyin was somewhat confused; hadn't Xiao Mingyu questioned her last night about why she was risking a meeting, so why was he insisting she come over this time?

But after all, he was her master, and Nan Xueyin had no choice but to obey.

At night, she took advantage of everyone being asleep and used her old trick to climb out of the Eastern Palace.

However, this time, just as she climbed onto the palace wall, she suddenly heard someone shout in the night, "Who goes there?"

Nan Xueyin recognized it at once; this was the voice of Shu Yu.

He was leading a patrol, and a subordinate beside him asked, "Lord Shu, is something amiss?"

Shu Yu did not speak; he pressed one hand against the hilt of the sword at his waist and flew toward this direction.

Nan Xueyin tugged at the corners of her mouth slightly, vaulted over the palace wall a step before him, and swiftly vanished into the shadows.

By the time Shu Yu also climbed onto the wall to search everywhere, Nan Xueyin had already run quite a distance away.

Under the cover of night, Nan Xueyin thought idly that being able to discover her from so far away just now, Shu Yu was truly quite capable.

So, him becoming a personal guard to the Crown Prince was not entirely due to his family connections, and the boasting he did during the day was not entirely false either.

Upon arriving at Jiaoyuan, Wu Zhui had already been waiting for a long time.

"Why does the Prince want to see me?" Nan Xueyin asked as soon as she opened her mouth.

"It is hard for me to say," Wu Zhui said with a troubled expression, "The Prince is... not very satisfied with me, and he does not tell me many things directly anymore."

Ever since he had spoken up for Nan Xueyin, Xiao Mingyu had not given him a pleasant look.

Nan Xueyin simply changed the question, "Where is the Prince?"

As they spoke, Wu Zhui had already led her to the door, "The Prince is inside."

Nan Xueyin felt that the look in his eyes as he watched her carried sympathy, as if he were looking at some warrior about to rush onto the battlefield.

She walked inside.

The room door was left ajar; as she drew near, Nan Xueyin heard the silver-bell-like, coquettish laughter of a woman.

"Prince, I want it too."

"No, no, Prince, you haven't finished painting for me yet; we agreed on a six-petaled peach blossom, and you've only painted five petals so far."

Nan Xueyin finally understood why Wu Zhui had that kind of look just now.

She raised her hand to push the door and stepped inside.

The room was filled with the heavy scent of rouge, powder, and wine; Xiao Mingyu was wearing a grey-blue Daoist robe, the collar loose and sloppy, revealing a bit of his sturdy chest, as he sat lopsided on the couch, holding a brush in his right hand and laughing in a reckless manner.

Beside him were two delicate beauties, also in a state of disarray; one leaned against his side as if boneless, while the other knelt at his feet, her clothes pulled down, revealing a peach blossom painted halfway on her snow-white breast.