Lin Jiayan slept for three straight days.
Throughout that time, Chahar never left her side.
Not even for a moment.
Her illness had a long incubation period and a slow onset. The fever rose and fell repeatedly, and even after taking medicine, the results were limited.
Worse, no one besides her knew how to adjust the prescriptions.
All they could do was try the various formulas she had previously left behind.
Her hands were wrapped so heavily in bandages that they resembled rice dumplings.
Several layers of cloth circled her neck as well.
Bruises and scrapes covered her body.
Most noticeable of all were the dark purple finger marks on her shoulder.
Even after so many days, the bruising had not faded.
“Did they torture her?”
Chahar lightly touched her shoulder.
Looking at the marks, he could easily imagine the force that had been used.
A fire began burning in his chest.
Dulan shook her head while carefully wiping Lin Jiayan’s forehead with a damp cloth.
“I don’t know.”
Her eyes filled with guilt.
“I was watching over A’ming the whole time.”
Tears dripped onto the blanket.
“I never imagined she’d suffer like this.”
She quickly wiped them away.
Chahar strode out of the tent.
“Ajina!”
His voice cracked like thunder.
Ajina immediately ran over.
“Taiji.”
“I want the truth.”
Chahar’s eyes blazed.
“Did anyone lay a hand on the Princess?”
Ajina froze.
The fury radiating from Chahar was terrifying.
“I don’t think so.”
He swallowed.
“She was only imprisoned.”
“Only imprisoned…”
The words echoed in Chahar’s mind.
Two days.
Two nights.
Alone.
In a cold, dark tent.
The violence he had been suppressing finally broke free.
He stormed straight into the council tent.
Bule Humu and the tribal leaders were still discussing matters when the flap burst open.
“Chahar?”
Bule Humu frowned.
“What is this?”
Chahar ignored him completely.
His gaze locked onto China.
His eyes narrowed.
Without warning, his riding whip lashed through the air.
Crack!
The strike landed directly across China’s face.
The old scar running from eye to mouth split open.
Blood immediately poured out.
“Chahar!”
China touched his face and stared at the blood on his fingers in disbelief.
He was an elder of the tribe.
Yet Chahar had attacked him without hesitation.
The entire tent fell silent.
Nobody dared speak.
“You accused my wife without evidence.”
Chahar’s voice was cold.
“She risked her life to save our people.”
“Because of your accusations, she was injured.”
“Because of you, she remains unconscious even now.”
His gaze became murderous.
“What exactly are your intentions?”
China’s face turned dark red.
For once, he had no response.
Chahar stepped forward.
One boot slammed onto the table.
He grabbed China’s collar and hauled him to his feet.
Their faces were inches apart.
“If anything happens to her…”
Every word dripped with lethal intent.
“I’ll take the lives of your entire family in compensation.”
Then he released him.
China crashed back onto the ground.
Without even glancing at anyone else, Chahar turned and left.
Bule Humu pressed a hand against his forehead.
Then sighed heavily.
Meanwhile, Lin Jiayan felt as though she had become the Monkey King trapped inside the Supreme Lord’s furnace.
Her entire body burned.
Her throat felt cracked and dry.
She coughed weakly.
A large hand slipped beneath her head.
Warm water touched her lips.
Instinctively, she drank.
The soothing warmth eased the pain in her throat.
Slowly, she opened her eyes.
The first thing she saw was Chahar.
The moment he realized she was awake, joy exploded across his face.
The relief in his eyes was impossible to hide.
“Yanyan.”
His voice trembled slightly.
“You’re awake?”
“Do you want more water?”
Lin Jiayan gently shook her head.
Her voice was hoarse.
“How long was I asleep?”
“Five days.”
Her eyes widened.
Five days?
She had only closed her eyes for a moment.
No wonder her head felt as though it might split apart.
She tried to sit up.
Immediately discovered she had no strength.
Chahar quickly supported her.
He adjusted the pillows and helped her lean comfortably against the headboard.
“Not sleeping anymore?”
Lin Jiayan shook her head.
“I’ve slept too much already.”
Only then did she notice something strange.
This wasn’t her bed.
This wasn’t her tent.
She looked around.
Then back at him.
“This is…”
“Your home?”
After what happened, her old tent had probably been destroyed beyond repair.
Chahar stared directly into her eyes.
Not even attempting to hide the feelings there.
“Our home.”
The intensity of his gaze startled her.
Her eyes immediately darted elsewhere.
“A’ming…”
The memory struck suddenly.
Before losing consciousness, she’d left instructions regarding the medicine.
Everything afterward had been chaos.
Had Cheren understood?
Had the treatment worked?
Seeing her panic, Chahar quickly squeezed her hand.
“Don’t worry.”
Then he lowered his head and gently kissed the back of her hand.
“A’ming is fine.”
“He took your medicine.”
“He’s already out of bed and running around again.”
Relief flooded through her.
“That’s good.”
But then she became aware of the lingering warmth on her skin.
The place where his lips had touched.
Her heartbeat instantly lost its rhythm.
“Sister-in-law…”
“She’s fine too.”
Chahar answered immediately.
“She’s taking care of A’ming.”
“Lianxin…”
“She’s well.”
“I sent her back to rest.”
“Ajina…”
“Stop worrying about everyone else.”
Suddenly, Chahar took her hand.
Then pressed it firmly against his chest.
“What?”
His heartbeat pounded beneath her palm.
“What you should be worrying about…”
His voice softened.
“…is me.”
Lin Jiayan blinked.
“The heart here…”
His hand covered hers.
“…almost shattered.”
For a moment, neither moved.
Her palm rested against his chest.
Gradually, she became aware that their heartbeats seemed to be falling into the same rhythm.
The warmth beneath her hand felt impossible to ignore.
She wanted to pull away.
But somehow couldn’t.
“I…”
Words rose to her lips and disappeared.
Chahar was always so direct.
She never knew how to respond.
“You saved so many people.”
He lowered his head until it rested beside her hand.
The sight of this towering warrior behaving almost like a wounded animal made her breath catch.
“So save me too.”
His voice was barely above a whisper.
“Get better soon.”
Though she insisted she wasn’t tired anymore, they had barely spoken for a short while before exhaustion overwhelmed her once again.
She drifted back to sleep.
The next time she awoke, Lianxin was sitting beside the bed.
“Princess!”
Lianxin’s eyes immediately brightened.
“You’re awake!”
Lin Jiayan blinked.
The headache was much better.
Only weakness remained.
The weakness that followed a severe fever.
“Where’s Chahar?”
“The Prince Consort went to the council tent this morning.”
Lianxin smiled.
“He should be back soon.”
As Lin Jiayan sat up, she suddenly realized something.
The clothes she was wearing weren’t hers.
She looked down.
A completely unfamiliar undergarment.
“Did you change my clothes?”
Before she fell unconscious, her old clothing had been ruined.
The rest of her belongings had been destroyed during the search.
So where had these come from?
Lianxin immediately lowered her eyes.
“It was the Prince Consort.”
Silence.
Then she quietly continued.
“These past few days…”
“He has been taking care of you personally.”
“Feeding medicine.”
“Changing dressings.”
“Changing your clothes…”
Lin Jiayan froze.
Only now did she notice how many places on her body had been treated with medicine.
Her shoulders.
Her arms.
Her neck.
Everywhere.
Which meant—
From top to bottom.
Inside and out.
He had seen everything.
Slowly, she covered her face.
For over twenty years, she had guarded her modesty.
And now she had apparently been seen completely while unconscious.
Granted…
This wasn’t technically her original body.
Granted…
It had been an emergency.
Granted…
They were already husband and wife in name.
But somehow…
That didn’t make it any less embarrassing.
Lianxin continued, oblivious to her growing mortification.
“You wouldn’t wake up.”
“The medicine wouldn’t go down.”
“Every time, the Prince Consort had to use a reed tube and feed it to you little by little.”
“He never left your side.”
“Even changing your clothes and applying medicine—”
“Cough!”
Lin Jiayan nearly choked.
Her face turned bright red.
“That’s enough.”
She quickly cut her off.
If Lianxin continued, she genuinely wouldn’t know how she was supposed to face Chahar ever again.