Yao Chengcheng’s Dan Dan noodles and brown sugar glutinous rice cakes never made it to their intended recipient.
She shared some with the main kitchen staff, and the rest were all sold by Bobojii.
Unfortunately, the Satisfaction Points they contributed couldn’t compare to those from the Prince. Yao Chengcheng was still a long way from reaching Level 3.
It was all because of that palace banquet! Yao Chengcheng was angry too!
After returning to the main kitchen, she quietly asked Auntie Mu about it and received the same news.
The atmosphere in the entire Prince’s residence was quite tense. After some thought, Yao Chengcheng decided to bake egg tarts and brew milk tea in the afternoon…
Just in case the Prince suddenly wanted something to eat.
If not, she could always leave them for Bobojii.
While brewing the milk tea, Yao Chengcheng made some for the main kitchen staff as well. Along the way, she noticed that Chef Kong seemed to be missing.
She quickly inquired and learned that the Prince had sent her back to her hometown.
Auntie Mu was surprised. “Didn’t you know about this?”
Yao Chengcheng shook her head. “Although she slandered me that day, it didn’t cause me any real harm, so I didn’t pay much attention. Was it the Prince’s order?”
“Yes, the Prince dislikes people who stir up trouble.” Auntie Mu found it quite remarkable that Yao Chengcheng truly didn’t seem to care.
“You really are… a bit slow to react…”
Yao Chengcheng smiled. Perhaps this was what they called “resilience”? In any case, she didn’t want to waste time on such people.
As dinner time approached, Auntie Mu also went to inquire about the situation at the Bamboo Garden. When she returned, she shook her head at Yao Chengcheng, who understood immediately—the Prince was still refusing visitors and definitely wouldn’t be ordering any meals.
After the main kitchen staff finished their work, they dispersed, but Yao Chengcheng stayed behind.
A person needs food to survive. If things continued like this, his leg might not heal, and his body would suffer.
After much deliberation, Yao Chengcheng decided to go alone.
It wasn’t just for the Satisfaction Points…
She genuinely felt sorry for Fu Yuanzheng.
The Bamboo Garden was eerily quiet, as if there was no one around.
How strange. Even if the Prince refused visitors, shouldn’t there be someone attending to him?
Yao Chengcheng had almost reached the Prince’s room when she finally spotted Aji.
“Eunuch Aji…”
Aji saw her too and hurried over. “Chef Yao, what brings you here?”
“I came to see the Prince and bring him some milk tea and snacks.”
Aji sighed. “You’d better not. The Prince is in an especially bad mood today. None of us dare to go in.”
“Where’s Eunuch Fu?”
“The Prince sent him away on an errand. The Prince wants peace and quiet, so this garden is now…”
Aji lowered his voice and whispered a few words to Yao Chengcheng, who understood.
She felt a bit disappointed. It seemed the Prince really wouldn’t see her today.
“Aji…!”
Suddenly, a voice called from inside the Prince’s room. Both of them froze for a moment before Aji reacted. “The Prince is calling me! I’ll go check!”
Yao Chengcheng quickly nodded. After hesitating briefly, she followed but didn’t enter, standing just outside the door.
Aji had only been inside for a short while when Yao Chengcheng heard his panicked voice: “Your Highness?! Your Highness!”
Startled, Yao Chengcheng rushed in without a second thought. “What happened?!”
“The Prince’s poison has flared up! I’ll go fetch the imperial physician!”
“What? Poison flared up…?!” Yao Chengcheng was utterly shocked.
How could the Prince be poisoned?!
Aji was frantic. “Chef Yao, please watch over the Prince for me! I’ll be right back!”
Aji ran out.
Yao Chengcheng was stunned; she still hadn’t figured out what was going on!
She saw the Prince leaning against a long couch, his hair bun slightly disheveled. He seemed to be in great pain, desperately holding something back.
“Your Highness…?”
Yao Chengcheng moved closer. Inside the room, only Fu Yuanzheng’s heavy breathing could be heard. Yao Chengcheng held her breath…
When she reached him, she saw that Fu Yuanzheng was truly in a terrible state.
His face alternated between red and pale, and for some reason, there seemed to be faint, shifting patterns beneath his skin… But when Yao Chengcheng blinked again, the patterns vanished…
“Your Highness, don’t scare me… What’s wrong with you?”
Yao Chengcheng was also frantic. How could she be the only one left in such a vast hall?
Poisoned?
The book never mentioned anything about poisoning…
Wait.
It was mentioned once—Wen Yaoyao seemed to say the Prince had some strange illness, but she didn’t mention poisoning.
What did Wen Yaoyao do again?
She devoted herself to studying massage and acupuncture… to alleviate the Prince’s headaches…
Yao Chengcheng tentatively asked, “Your Highness, are you having a headache…?”
Fu Yuanzheng’s eyes were tightly shut. He seemed to want to say something but couldn’t utter a word. Hearing Yao Chengcheng beside him, he suddenly opened his eyes. Yao Chengcheng caught a glimpse of them—
His eyes were blood-red, and his pupils seemed somewhat abnormal…
So that was it…
But she didn’t know anything about massage or acupuncture—she wasn’t the female lead! Yao Chengcheng’s mind was in turmoil, unsure of what to do.
Suddenly, Fu Yuanzheng opened his eyes and, with a fierce motion, grabbed Yao Chengcheng’s hand!
Yao Chengcheng cried out in pain, but before she could even scream, she was yanked to his side in the next instant.
“Your Highness!”
Yao Chengcheng’s eyes widened as Fu Yuanzheng lunged toward her…
Or rather, he fell against her—her shoulder sank under his weight.
Fu Yuanzheng leaned in, his tall nose bridge pressing against her neck. Yao Chengcheng had no doubt this was a predatory move—
Was he going to bite her? QAQ?!
Yao Chengcheng was terrified, frozen in place.
Her mind was a complete mess.
But clearly, what she feared didn’t happen.
Fu Yuanzheng did bury himself against Yao Chengcheng’s neck, but he took no further action.
“Your Highness…?”
Yao Chengcheng called out tentatively.
The hall fell silent.
It was already dark outside, and there wasn’t a single candle lit in the hall. Yao Chengcheng’s night vision wasn’t great, so she couldn’t see much, but her hearing was sharp.
All she could hear was Fu Yuanzheng’s breathing…
Rising and falling.
He seemed to be sniffing something, very intently.
Though it was a bit strange, miraculously, he seemed to have calmed down.
Except…
Yao Chengcheng was now tightly pressed against his chest.
Fu Yuanzheng’s breath moved across her ear and neck, and Yao Chengcheng’s earlobes gradually flushed with a faint red.
Was this right…?
“Your Highness…?”
She tried to move her arms and body.
“Don’t move.” The next moment, Fu Yuanzheng’s hoarse, low voice sounded in her ear.
He could speak again.
So he must have improved a little?
But why?
Fu Yuanzheng was still breathing heavily, gradually regaining his composure.
But Yao Chengcheng was struggling to breathe. “Cough—”
She was about to be crushed…
Suddenly, Bobojii’s voice inappropriately echoed in her mind.
【Congratulations, Host, you have obtained 1000 Satisfaction Points! You have directly leveled up to Level 4!】
Yao Chengcheng: “?”