That plausible kiss - yes, I stubbornly insisted on defining it as a kiss would make me feel better, even if it was self-deception and wishful thinking - made me feel that the distance between me and Jiang Zhuo might not be as far away as I thought.

But one thing is certain: if I had not tried to approach her on my own initiative, I would never have had a more intimate relationship with her than the prince and his bodyguard—if we were a hundred paces apart, I could have taken ninety-nine steps for it.

All that remains is whether she is willing to accept me and take this last step.

After figuring out this section, I just felt that the whole person suddenly opened up and was a lot more relaxed.

I slept deeply through the medicinal properties, and this sleep was particularly sound, without nightmares or the torture of illness, as if the bowl of medicinal juice that Jiang Zhuo personally gave me contained some magical power, the mouth was sweet, and the heart was a stable warmth.

It wasn't until I was hungry and received feedback from my body that I woke up leisurely.

I did not hurry to get up, but slowly surveyed my surroundings in the dim candlelight—a room of less than ten square meters, with a simple display, except for the wooden bed on which I was lying, there was only a small low stool and a wooden frame with a copper basin; The walls are mottled and old, in disrepair, even the most inferior room in King Ling's Mansion is much better than here.

The only thing that taught me a little satisfaction was probably the faint smell of medicine wafting in the air.

I remember that before I fell into a coma, Jiang Zhuo was wandering in a forest with no end in sight on my back, and I heard the words "Baiyun Valley" very clearly; So, did we come to the valley and meet the master known as the "Poison Fairy"?

Just as I was contemplating my situation, the door creaked open.

Jiang Zhuo carried a bowl of things and walked in lightly.

As if I didn't expect to wake up, I paused to enter the door, and then casually closed the door and walked to the bed.

"Your Highness is awake?" Her voice was still so flat that she couldn't hear the emotion, but she pursed her lips and brought the bowl in her hand to my mouth, and said softly, "Drink the medicine." ”

"Uh-huh......" I propped myself up on the edge of the bed, slowly sat up, leaned against the bedpost, took the moderately warm medicine bowl, and took a tentative sip - bitter to the bone.

Seeing Jiang Zhuo's eyes staring at me for a moment, there was a posture that I would not stop until I drank the medicine, and stuck out my tongue, so I had to bite the bullet and pour the whole bowl of medicine in one go, and there was not even the medicine residue left at the bottom of the bowl.

I handed her back the empty medicine bowl, and if it weren't for my image, I was afraid that I would be tempted to retch on the side of the bed—they all say that good medicine is bitter and good for disease, and the course of effect of Chinese medicine is inversely proportional to taste...... It can be seen that this medicine must be very effective, and the medicine will cure the disease.

Covering his mouth and forcibly suppressing the disgusting smell, the afterglow seemed to catch a glimpse of the cold eyebrows and eyes slightly bent, and I don't know if it was my dazzle.

I just suddenly regretted that if she hadn't woken up so early, she wouldn't have fed me medicine herself—in a shameful but wonderful way to forget.

Supervising me to drink the medicine, she lightly instructed, "Your Highness have a good rest." With that, he was leaving.

Of course, I can't just let her go - let alone sleep for so long, I'm not half sleepy now, I have made up my mind to take the initiative, how can I miss the slightest opportunity to be with her?

"Wait." When I first woke up, my voice was still a little uncomfortable, and my voice was hoarse, I was afraid that she would not hear clearly, and her actions were before consciousness, so I reached out and grabbed the hem of her clothes, and dragged her, quite a bit of pleading - against the delicate and beautiful appearance of this copy, even the heart of stone will not be indifferent, "Don't, don't go." ”

Sure enough, her steps stiffened, and she didn't retract, but she turned around and asked me, "What's wrong?" What's uncomfortable? The eyebrows were tightly furrowed, and the look of great concern taught me to be happy in my heart, and I had a little more confidence to keep her.

"There's something I want to ask you...... Sit down and talk to me, okay? I let go of the hand holding the hem of her dress, pulled the quilt and leaned back, tilting my head to watch her look closely.

Hearing this, she hesitated for a while, but still answered softly.

dragged the only chair in the room and sat on the edge of the bed, and tucked the quilt for me, although his expression was not shocked, not close, but his movements were very gentle and considerate: "What does Your Highness want to ask?" ”

Originally, it was just an excuse to keep her, but as soon as she said it, there were really many questions waiting for her to answer: "This is Baiyun Valley?" ”

She nodded.

Seeing her serious appearance, I couldn't help but think of teasing her, deliberately pulled open the quilt and glanced at it, and asked embarrassedly, "My clothes...... Did you change it for me? ”

She was a little surprised that I would ask this, and she was stunned for a moment before nodding, and then asked inexplicably, "Yes...... But what's wrong? ”

- Of course not! You've seen people all the time, alas!

I only dared to shout in my heart, but I also understood that this was something that could not be blamed on the surface.

Because I'm a woman with her, it's okay to change clothes, and I want to thank her in return...... But when I think about it like this, I can't suppress the burning on my face and the shame in my heart.

"That means ...... You watched me from head to toe? With a light cough, I stared into her eyes and asked bluntly.

"That's for ......," she frowned, as if confused, as if displeased by my questioning tone.

"You have to be responsible." Sensing her dissatisfaction, I still said it in a solemn manner.

The "......" was followed by a flustering silence.

I peeked in, and saw that she pursed her lips tightly, without saying a word, and then suddenly got up, flicked her hem, knelt on the cold ground, hung her head and said in a dumb voice: "The crimes of the subordinates deserve death, and they are at the disposal of His Highness." ”

I never thought that my complaining with a bit of a joking nature would cause her to react like this, and I was aggrieved and lost in my heart, and bit my lip so that she would not shed tears out of shape: "Who said that I was going to punish you...... You, you get up first! ”

She stood up as she said, but stood far away, no longer near, between her eyebrows and eyes were full of coldness that taught me to love and hate—I used to love her dusty appearance, but now I also hated her indifference, although it was close at hand, but it was like far away in the sky, as if I could not enter her eyes, let alone touch her heart.

"Jiang Zhuo, I didn't blame you, don't get me wrong." I waited for her answer, and after a while I saw that she nodded nonchalantly, "I just want you to promise me one thing." ”

"Your Highness, please speak." She raised an eyebrow, noncommittal—but I could feel a detachment in her, like an invisible barrier.

Suppressing that inexplicable panic, I settled down, and then said: "Since we have left the palace and left Guanlan City, then you should no longer call yourself a subordinate and call me Your Highness." ”

She bowed her head in understanding, and said from the good: "The owner? ”

"Oh, not really!" I was secretly annoyed by her sluggishness, but I knew that I did not blame her, but that I had mixed thoughts and had never said that I knew with her; Looking at this situation, if she didn't talk about it, she probably wouldn't have thought of it, and thought that I was deliberately teasing and deliberately making things difficult for her - my heart was horizontal, and I couldn't care about being shy, "I want to...... You call me by name. ”

"This ...... Inconsequential. She paused, and her first reaction was to refuse.

Although I expected her answer, I still felt a little hurt, and asked relentlessly, "Why do you need to be obsessed with etiquette when you are away from home?" Do you think my name doesn't sound good? ”

"Of course not." She frowned, her expression was a little helpless, but it was more human than Fang Cai's coldness, "It's just...... Gifts must not be abolished. ”

I sensed that she was a little loose, and quickly added strength: "It won't be long before I have to do the Shao salute...... I'll give myself the word Jianxin, and you'll call me Jianxin in the future, okay? ”

In Dawu, the nobles of the family who have reached the age of eighteen and have performed the Shao ceremony will generally be taken by the elders.

I didn't care about the formality, but I wanted to hear her call me by my name - maybe that was the last connection I had with my former self.

She still hesitated, and I had to take a step back: "It's okay to call me only when the two of us are alone?" ”

Perhaps my pitiful tone was too deliberate, but she finally raised her eyes to look at me, and there was a complexity in her deep eyes that I couldn't understand; Teaching her to stare intently like this, as if standing naked in front of her, and being thoroughly seen by her from the inside out, made me nervous unconsciously.

“…… Jane. There was a long silence, and when I thought she would not answer, I heard her whisper, as if sighing—for the first time I felt that my name could be pronounced so beautifully.

Maybe my gaze was too eager, but she pursed her lips after she finished speaking, and a look of confusion crossed her face, teaching me to be embarrassed.

In order to avoid the embarrassment of this moment, I thought about it and asked about the whereabouts of the other guards.

Her face turned pale, and she was silent for a moment again, but this time the silence was a little more solemn.

As soon as my heart was cold, I saw that she seemed to unconsciously clench the pottery bowl in her hand and whispered, "...... All dead. ”

"What's going on?" I couldn't have imagined that it was such an answer, and those charming thoughts of coquettishness were scattered all over in an instant, leaving only full of self-blame and guilt.

"Oh, it's only your minions who can't get home!" I was about to ask in detail, when I heard a disdainful voice suddenly interject, "Really, when Baiyun Valley is your family's back garden, you can come when you want, and leave when you want?" ”

As the door was rudely pushed open, a seductive-looking man barged in.

It's hard for me to describe this man in any other words, but it's only because of his Adam's apple that I can tell his gender - it's nothing new for a man to look like this, and it's not a new thing to be respected by women, but it's still a big shock to me.

Almost reflexively, he shifted his gaze away from looking at him; Besides, I don't know if I have too much heart, I always feel that he has an inexplicable hostility towards me, and even more so because I am awkward towards him.

- Who is this man?

Have I ever sinned against him?