Xiao Jinyu's brow furrowed more deeply. "She knows everything?"
"Relax, even if I had the intention to tell her, she wouldn't have the mind to listen... I told her your condition is Prince An Manor's highest classified secret—if outsiders found out, your life would be in danger. Since I know nothing about medicine anyway, if she couldn't perform the acupuncture according to Old Man Ye's two pages of notes, I'd return to the capital to pick out a coffin for you." Jing Yi narrowed his fox-like eyes, watching Chu Chu's small head with amusement. "Over these three days, she performed acupuncture on you five times. Each time after the treatment, you'd cough up blood and she'd shed tears. If you hadn't woken up soon, even if she didn't go mad, I would have..."
Noticing a rare trace of tenderness flash through Xiao Jinyu's eyes, Jing Yi lowered his voice. "Tang Yan already told you there are questions about her background, right?"
Xiao Jinyu was slightly startled. Why bring this up now...
Jing Yi curled his lips into a meaningful smile. "Tang Yan worries she might be a wolf in sheep's clothing, but from my observations these past few days—that sheep definitely isn't pretending."
As soon as these words left his mouth, Jing Yi met Xiao Jinyu's gaze and felt a chill run down his spine. "No, no, Your Highness, dear Prince, I was just making an analogy..."
Xiao Jinyu replied unhurriedly, "Since you're here, there's no need to rush back..."
"Please no... I haven't finished organizing the Dali Temple case files yet!"
"Perfect... You can take charge of organizing the files for these three cases here. Once they're resolved, bring them all back to Dali Temple for archiving."
Before Jing Yi could voice his grievances, he noticed something odd and froze. "Three?"
Xiao Jinyu closed his eyes with an air of nonchalance. "One at a time. There are more if these aren't enough..."
"..."
☆、35 Sweet and Sour Ribs (Fifteen)
Chu Chu slept for most of the day, but her rest was far from peaceful. Every so often, she would startle awake as if possessed, groggily reaching out to touch Xiao Jinyu's face—his eyes, his nose—confirming he was awake and breathing normally before she would cling to him again, nestling contentedly against his chest as she drifted back to sleep.
She had many fragmented dreams, all featuring the Prince. She dreamed he was ill, bullied by villains, coughing up blood. She also dreamed of him eating the meals she prepared, smiling at her, holding her... Finally, she dreamed he married her—they bowed to heaven and earth, he lifted her bridal veil, and planted a kiss on her cheek. Her heart raced wildly, her face flushed crimson, and she woke up.
Xiao Jinyu had been watching her all along, observing how she alternated between crying and smiling in her sleep, her cheeks eventually blooming with a rosy glow. She looked utterly adorable, and he couldn't help but let a soft smile touch his lips.
The moment Chu Chu opened her eyes, she saw the Prince gazing at her with a gentle, beautiful smile—exactly like in her dream. Still drowsy, she nestled against Xiao Jinyu's chest, rubbed her eyes, wrapped her arms around his neck, and planted a firm kiss on his pale cheek.
Xiao Jinyu's smile froze on his face. Staring wide-eyed at Chu Chu, he felt a scalding heat rapidly spread across his pallid skin from where her lips had touched him. Then he heard her murmur against his chest, her voice thick with sleep, uttering words that nearly sent him back to the underworld:
"Your Highness, it's time for us to enter the Nuptial Chamber..."
Xiao Jinyu stiffened in shock. How... how could it be time for the Nuptial Chamber?!
"Chu Chu... wake up, wake up...""Mmm..." Chu Chu blinked her drowsy eyes at Xiao Jin Yu's radiant face, then suddenly jolted awake. "Ah! This is Magistrate Ji's house!"
Xiao Jin Yu exhaled the breath he'd been holding for a long time. Good, she finally understood...
Chu Chu scrambled up from the bed, her little face flushing crimson. "Wang Ye! You... how could you kiss me before we've had the wedding ceremony!"
Xiao Jin Yu's face alternated between red and pale. Having presided over so many court cases, he'd certainly encountered people trying to weasel out of responsibility, but never someone who would do so like this!
Unfortunately, his sense of propriety wouldn't allow him to righteously shout "But clearly you were the one who kissed me!"
"I... I didn't..."
"You did! You kissed me first, then I kissed you back!"
"I really didn't..."
"You... you're being dishonest! You definitely did!" Chu Chu was so agitated she was nearly in tears, her small feet thumping loudly against the bed boards. "My grandmother said no one should kiss you before the wedding ceremony! If you get kissed, no one will want you anymore! The third daughter of Uncle Zhu in our town was like this - several men kissed her, but none of them wanted her in the end!"
The more Chu Chu spoke, the more wronged she felt, and as she continued, her eyes genuinely began to redden.
"Don't cry, don't cry..." In his panic, Xiao Jin Yu blurted out, "I want you."
Chu Chu blinked her teary eyes and pouted. "Really?"
Xiao Jin Yu sighed inwardly. "Didn't the Emperor award me to you..."
Chu Chu suddenly broke into a wide grin. "Ah! How could I have forgotten that! You were given to me by the Emperor!"
Xiao Jin Yu silently closed his eyes. He suddenly found himself missing the days when he had been unconscious.
The moment his eyes closed, he heard Chu Chu's clear, serious voice. "Wang Ye, you need to kiss me again."
Xiao Jin Yu took a deep breath, silently clutching the bedsheet. "Why..."
"I just remembered - when you kissed me earlier, I didn't close my eyes."
"...It doesn't matter."
"It does matter! My brother said you must close your eyes when kissing! If you don't close your eyes, you're not a proper young lady from a respectable family!"
Xiao Jin Yu felt his breath catch in his throat, nearly choking.
Now he understood where all those strange ideas in her head came from...
Chu Chu pouted. "If my brother finds out I didn't close my eyes, he'll definitely be angry..."
"Don't worry, I won't tell him..."
Chu Chu wore an expression of utmost seriousness. "That won't do. This is an important matter - I must tell my brother, and also my father and my grandparents!"
Xiao Jin Yu's already fever-addled brain completely refused to function any further. He sighed weakly. "Fine, as you wish..."
It really wasn't worth letting her earn a reputation in her hometown as "not being a proper young lady from a respectable family" because of this matter...
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