He had been sent to investigate Ye Chutang’s condition, but to his surprise, he couldn’t even get through the gate.

Ye Jingyan had shot up in height recently. His tall, slender frame blocked most of the man’s view, making it impossible to catch a glimpse of the courtyard, let alone anything else.

Ye Jingyan took in every second of the man’s furtive glances.

He knew exactly what the man was up to. From the start, he had no intention of letting him in.

"Third Brother!" Ye Yunfeng called out from behind. "I’m going to brew our sister’s medicine. Can you watch Xiao Wu?"

Ye Jingyan looked back. "Coming."

With that, he offered an apologetic smile to the man outside. "My sincerest apologies, but our home is in disarray today and not fit to receive guests. When our sister is feeling better, we will be sure to thank the Noble Consort and His Highness Prince Qi in person."

The message to leave could not have been clearer.

Not wanting to make the situation awkward, the man could only force a smile. "Of course, Second Miss Ye’s health is what’s most important. In that case... I will take my leave."

Ye Jingyan thanked him politely once more before closing the gate and turning away.

"Xiao Wu, come to Third Brother."

Staring at the closed gate, the men looked at each other in dismay.

"Well..."

His Highness sent such an extravagant gift, and they couldn’t even set foot inside!

But more than half the Capital City knew that Ye Chutang had been injured today. Frankly, it was understandable for the Ye Family to refuse visitors; it wasn’t a major offense.

And so, they had no choice but to swallow this rejection.

The leader shot one last glance at the gate and snorted.

"It seems her injuries really are serious... Fine. Let’s go!"

...

Ye Jingyan led Xiao Wu back to the room, placed the box from his arms onto the table, and recounted everything that had happened at the gate.

Ye Yunfeng, who followed them in, scoffed. "Since when are they so kind? I bet there’s something wrong with that Lingzhi!"

Ye Chutang opened the box. Sure enough, a Lingzhi of exceptional quality lay quietly inside.

As she reached for it, Ye Yunfeng said worriedly, "Sister—"

"They aren’t stupid enough to try poisoning me so openly." A small smile played on Ye Chutang’s lips as she picked up the Lingzhi to inspect it. "If anything happened to me, none of them would get away with it."

Ye Yunfeng hesitated. "That’s true. But why are they trying so hard to curry favor? What are they after?"

Ye Chutang turned to Ye Jingyan.

Ye Jingyan paused for a moment before speaking. "They were very concerned about your condition. It seems... they don’t actually believe you were injured."

Ye Jingyan found it laughable. "Han Yao held you hostage in the middle of the street! Countless people saw it. How could it possibly be fake?"

’I really don’t know where they get these suspicions!’

"His Highness Prince Qi has always been overly suspicious, so it’s normal for him to think that way." Ye Chutang placed the Lingzhi back in the box. "Since he was willing to part with it, we might as well accept it. In fact, he’s shown considerable patience by waiting until today to make a move."

’Xiao Chengxuan has probably wanted to investigate me ever since I returned to the Capital City. But he’s a cautious man. If Han Yao hadn’t brought up the past today, he probably would have waited even longer.’

At this thought, Ye Chutang’s eyebrow quirked up.

Ye Yunfeng asked, puzzled, "Sister, what are you smiling about?"

Ye Chutang’s eyes curved into a smile. "I’m just thinking it’s quite something that Prince Qi still has the mind to worry about all this at a time like this."

CLICK.

She closed the box, her tone breezy.

"If he doesn’t make a move soon, what will he do when the truth of what happened all those years ago finally comes to light?"

...

「Dingbei Marquis Mansion.」

Ke Yizhang ended up waiting for four hours.

Shen Yanchuan finally returned as dusk fell.

Ke Yizhang rose and bowed. "Princely Heir."

"Doctor Ke, my apologies for the long wait." Shen Yanchuan raised a hand, then instructed Yun Cheng to brew a fresh pot of tea. Only after the attendants had been dismissed did he speak again. "How is she?"

He had specifically asked Ke Yizhang to examine Ye Chutang, partly to silence the gossip outside, but also because he was genuinely worried.

Ke Yizhang looked at Shen Yanchuan, seeming to hesitate.

’It was obvious Shen Yanchuan had gone to the palace to plead for forgiveness.’

’He had returned so late, clearly in a hurry, yet the first person he asked about was still Ye Chutang.’

’He had practically watched Shen Yanchuan grow up. Never before had he seen the young man so concerned for another person.’

Shen Yanchuan sensed his hesitation. "What is it? Are her injuries serious?"

"Second Miss Ye’s injuries today are no cause for concern. They are merely superficial wounds that will heal in time with regular dressing changes. And though she appears delicate, Second Miss Ye has an incredibly steady and composed disposition. She was not at all frightened by today’s events. It’s just..."

Ke Yizhang paused, his expression turning hesitant.

"Does the Princely Heir recall that Second Miss Ye suffers from a cold malady?"

Shen Yanchuan nodded.

"Yes. Chu Hospital Director mentioned it."

Ke Yizhang shook his head, a helpless look on his face. "Second Miss Ye is plagued by this chronic illness. Her qi and blood are depleted. I fear it will be very difficult to ever fully cure this condition!"

Shen Yanchuan’s brow furrowed.

Chu Qiyuan had mentioned this before but hadn’t elaborated. Now, from the way Doctor Ke spoke, it seemed Ye Chutang’s cold malady was far more serious than he’d thought.

"I heard that three years ago, during a great snowstorm in the dead of winter, Second Miss Ye narrowly escaped death. She then led her younger siblings all the way south, barely managing to keep them alive. I imagine this illness is a remnant from that time."

Ke Yizhang stroked his beard, his expression full of pity.

"During that snow disaster, countless refugees froze to death on the roadsides, leaving not even bones behind. Second Miss Ye was only fourteen then, wasn’t she? I can’t imagine how she endured it... My own granddaughter is of a similar age. She once snuck out to play in the snow, and the resulting chill that invaded her body left her sick for a whole month."

If a pampered young lady from a noble family in the Capital City could suffer so, what must it have been like for Ye Chutang back then, with nowhere to go and trapped in a hopeless situation?

"A woman’s constitution is naturally more fragile, and she was so young then. The illness has taken firm root." Doctor Ke looked up at Shen Yanchuan and lowered his voice. "...The days ahead, I fear, will be very hard for her."