Dou Wenyi's entire body turned ice-cold, her mind racing rapidly as she gradually calmed down.
In her previous life, because of Dou Mingyan, she knew the Crown Prince suffered from severe headaches. Could it be that consuming Wushi Powder was to suppress the headache?
But she couldn't say too much. As a young woman from a respectable family, knowing such a secret would only arouse his suspicion more easily.
"This common girl has disturbed Your Highness and deserves death as atonement. However, since Young Master Xie only came to propose marriage today, my death is insignificant, but I don't wish for my worthless life to affect the relationship between the Eastern Palace and the Xie family."
A mocking curve lifted the corner of Pei Siyan's lips.
"The Xie family? What are they worth!"
His hand trailed from Dou Wenyi's lips, over her smooth chin, caressed her slender neck, then suddenly tightened around her throat. Her entire face contorted in pain.
A night breeze blew in, carrying a faint medicinal fragrance. The bronze bells hanging from the eaves trembled in the wind, emitting clear, crisp chimes.
The light gauze curtains by the window fluttered upward in the breeze, moonlight spilling across the floor. The man's terrifyingly cold countenance was deeply imprinted in her vision.
Was she going to die so easily?
"What's in the sachet?"
"It's… it's a fragrance I prepared myself. It has… calming and soothing… effects."
Dou Wenyi nearly suffocated, enduring the discomfort of difficult breathing as she painstakingly explained word by word.
Pei Siyan suddenly released his right hand and tore the sachet from her waist. She immediately collapsed to the ground, coughing once before gasping for air in large breaths.
"You understand pharmacology?"
"Not particularly well. I once studied medicine with a wandering physician."
Dou Wenyi endured the pain, meekly prostrating on the ground. "If Your Highness likes it, this common girl can prepare some for you."
In her previous life, she had scoured medical texts and experimented with countless poisons for Xie Guidu, finally helping him concoct an antidote.
Every bit of suffering she endured shouldn't be in vain!
Pei Siyan picked up the sachet and gently sniffed it, the elegant herbal fragrance wafting through the air.
He said casually, "Have you been to Huaiyin County?"
"No." Dou Wenyi shook her head honestly, puzzled.
Pei Siyan weighed the sachet in his hand. "Give me the formula, and I might not kill you."
"After giving the formula to Your Highness, will you let me live?"
Pei Siyan glanced at her and laughed. "Asking the obvious—can't you just obediently die?"
"I don't want to, and I can't." Dou Wenyi looked up at him seriously. "This common girl boldly guesses that this sachet can alleviate Your Highness's symptoms, correct? Since the formula is effective, then the pharmacology I've learned might be even more useful. I beg Your Highness to spare my life."
Pei Siyan reached out and lifted her chin, looking down at her from above, gazing into her eyes.
Those enchanting eyes were clear as water, filled with a strong will to survive—there was struggle and unwillingness, but only no pleading.
"How can you prove it?"
Dou Wenyi gritted her teeth. "I can perform acupuncture to detoxify you right now."
Pei Siyan released her, staring fixedly at her.
After a long moment, he suddenly laughed. "Do I need to remove my robes?"
With a rustle, the magnificent outer robe fell to the ground. The man stood bare-chested, wearing only undergarments, revealing his broad back, narrow waist, and impressively defined muscles.
Dou Wenyi's face flushed instantly. Pei Siyan's eyes shifted unpredictably as he lay face down on the soft couch.
His tall frame exuded immense pressure, making the soft couch appear particularly cramped.
"Aren't you asking for proof? Hurry up!"
Dou Wenyi took a deep breath, pulled out golden needles from her bag, and after disinfecting them, her delicate hands grasped the man's shoulders and neck. She began inserting needles starting from the Fengchi point.
After she went to Yuqing Monastery, she fell seriously ill. By chance, she became a disciple of Physician Ge from Lincang Mountain and diligently studied medicine. To help Xie Guidu detoxify, she specifically learned several needling techniques for expelling toxins.
Having been reborn, she never expected these skills would be used on Pei Siyan.
The moment Dou Wenyi began, Pei Siyan closed his eyes, his entire body relaxing as never before.
"Who else have you served like this?"
"No one…"
Pei Siyan choked back his words—who gave her the audacity to practice on him directly?
Dou Wenyi, fully focused, quickly put away the golden needles. "Your Highness… I can teach this needling technique to someone you trust…"
Something in her words must have angered him, for the man suddenly pulled her over and pinned her beneath him, his unfamiliar, cool aura enveloping her.
Pei Siyan's gaze burned, his well-defined fingers gently stroking her earlobe. "Acting like this—isn't it just to offer yourself? Games of playing hard to get don't work on me!"
Dou Wenyi thought she had escaped danger, only to be threatened again by this murderous figure. Tears uncontrollably welled up in her eyes.
Since childhood, she had been prone to crying when emotional. Her family never wanted her to suffer the slightest grievance.
Until Dou Mingyan entered the household, repeatedly trampling her dignity into the ground.
Her parents and brother no longer felt sorry for her, instead accusing her of being overly sensitive. She had sworn never to cry in front of others again, yet today she had failed.
Since death seemed inevitable either way, she gave up pleading, letting the waves of grievance crash over her.
"Pei Siyan, just kill me if you want!" she shouted, her eyes red. "You think everyone wants to climb the social ladder, but in my eyes, you nobles—with your multiple wives and concubines, scheming and fighting all your lives—what is there to envy?"
"I told you I wouldn't speak carelessly, but you didn't believe me! I told you I could treat you, and you didn't believe that either!"
"If it weren't for you that night, my reputation wouldn't be ruined, I wouldn't have had to beg Zhang Chengxian, and I wouldn't have stumbled upon your secret. Clearly, you made the mistake first, yet I have to bear the consequences… You're all like this…"
Pei Siyan watched her crying uncontrollably and laughed. She made it sound as if he were utterly wicked, specifically bullying her.
He picked up his robe from the floor and put it on, dressing neatly. Turning back, he saw her still sobbing.
"Keep crying, and I'll take your life right now!"
Dou Wenyi fell silent, sniffing softly.
"Someone."
As soon as he spoke, an unseen guard pushed the door open and handed him a piece of paper.
Pei Siyan's dark eyes were calm, his tone mocking. "Sign this confession. If my affairs aren't leaked, you'll be safe. If even a word gets out, I'll have your entire Dou clan buried with you."
Dou Wenyi picked up the thin letter of accusation, a chill running down her spine. So he hadn't believed a single word she said and had just been playing along with her.
Dou Mingyan was his fiancée—did he not care at all?