Lu You was dumbfounded on the side.
So the Prince was just confirming the extent of the Princess’s injuries?! Not trying to torment her?!
Couldn’t figure it out.
Lu You wore a totally confused expression.
Ye Qichi also wore a totally confused expression.
Don’t tell her that Xiao Jinxing is actually concerned about her?! The thought alone was creepily unsettling!
After everything was set, Xiao Jinxing turned to Lu You and said, "You may leave."
Lu You looked at Ye Qichi, clueless about what to do.
It felt like the Prince was particularly frightening tonight.
Anyway, whether Lu You was here or not, that lunatic would do whatever he wanted; with Lu You here, it might just bring trouble upon her.
Receiving Ye Qichi’s signal, Lu You withdrew with concerns.
Behind the screen, on the bed, suddenly only the two of them remained.
Ye Qichi had no clue what Xiao Jinxing was going to do, she just watched him warily.
Watched as he propped himself up on the bed with both hands and climbed onto it.
His legs should be usable now, right?!
However, Xiao Jinxing remained cautious even within the Imperial Palace.
He lay down next to Ye Qichi.
Probably for the first time in so long, Xiao Jinxing took the initiative to sleep beside her.
He had always shown disdain for her; even when they had previously shared a bed, she could feel his aversion to her, an extreme aversion.
Something was definitely odd tonight, turning so abnormally bizarre.
"Mmh." Ye Qichi suddenly tensed.
At this moment, Xiao Jinxing actually extended his arm, draping it over her waist.
His face even buried in the crook of her neck... she could feel his warm breath on her neck, all of it wafting over her skin.
The overly intimate pose and touch caused Ye Qichi’s heart rate to speed up uncontrollably.
But it wasn’t because of fluttering emotions.
She was really creeped out, always fearing that Xiao Jinxing would suddenly stab her with a sword.
"Don’t overthink." Xiao Jinxing suddenly spoke up.
His face buried in the crook of her neck, his lips brushing her skin as he spoke, created the illusion of being kissed...
She told herself she had already gone to sleep, not caring to be nibbled on a few times by him.
"I will not develop any feelings for you." Such a straightforward statement, truly devoid of any romantic delusions.
Ye Qichi rolled her eyes.
So this dog Prince thought she was having romantic fantasies about him?!
If she could beat him, she would have kicked him away in a second, right now!
But she told herself not to get angry.
At this moment, Xiao Jinxing was clearly not in his normal state, best to endure it to keep things calm.
"Just that, it’s too cold," Xiao Jinxing said, his deep voice softly murmuring.
Though the early autumn nights might turn cool, it wasn’t to the extent that he needed to cuddle her for warmth, right?!
And besides, wasn’t there a quilt?!
What on earth was going on with him.
While Ye Qichi was feeling all sorts of confused and irritated, wanting to jump up and down, she vaguely heard the steady breathing of the person behind her, seeming to have fallen asleep.
After falling asleep, his lips pressed more firmly against her skin, the breaths he exhaled onto her seemed to grow hotter.
Could she say she was about to overheat?!
Ye Qichi still endured it.
After giving it some careful thought, she could sort of understand the reason behind the dog Prince’s abnormal behavior tonight.
It must be due to the thought of his deceased mother.
The book had mentioned before that Xiao Jinxing’s mood would be very unstable every time he went to the Imperial Palace. Since becoming a Prince and leaving the Imperial Palace, no matter what happened, no matter how late, he would definitely not stay overnight in the palace, which shows how big a shadow it cast on him.
But now he was helplessly forced to spend the night here...
Seeing Xiao Jinxing looking so distressed, she ought to collect some good karma for it!
Ye Qichi could feel that Xiao Jinxing seemed to be awake.
The first thing he did after waking up was to move away from her.
Hands away, face away.
Even maintaining a very long distance.
Ye Qichi really didn’t sleep well last night; such a big person pressing her down tightly, making her whole body uncomfortable. Plus, she slept too much during the day and really couldn’t sleep at night, staying awake till dawn.
Now that Xiao Jinxing had finally left, she was planning to sleep well.
Then, she heard Xiao Jinxing’s cold voice calling her.
Next time anyone warms him up, they’re the dog!
Ye Qichi opened her eyes glared at Xiao Jinxing.
Xiao Jinxing didn’t care about Ye Qichi’s anger at all, and he bluntly said, "In a while, the Imperial Physician will come check on your wounds, to prevent anyone from discovering your abnormal physiology... I must tell you, if it’s discovered, you definitely won’t be able to leave this Imperial Palace!"