“Have some tea?”

Cui Yiyu’s brows furrowed slightly as he handed a clean teacup before Lin Yuanjin, yet he saw her pale little face shake her head, lips pressed together, looking as if she would not touch even a drop of water.

The carriage had traveled a long distance, the hardship need not be said.

It was fine when they had just gotten on, but after two hours, Lin Yuanjin’s complexion grew worse and worse.

In her previous life, Lin Yuanjin would get carsick even riding a bus, let alone in ancient times where, once off the official road, the path became quite bumpy, and the carriage’s balance was far from good.

She leaned uncomfortably against the soft pillow beside her, silently enduring.

But if she endured, she would have to endure for seven days.

Cui Yiyu pondered for a moment, then lowered his head and searched through the wooden cabinet in the carriage. Aside from spices, food, and soft cushions, he found a box of peppermint oil in what seemed to be a dressing case.

Fortunately, Nanny Zhang had prepared thoroughly.

“Crown Princess.” Cui Yiyu sat beside Lin Yuanjin and handed her the box of peppermint oil.

Lin Yuanjin kept her eyes closed, listless and unmoving, as if even raising a hand would take no small effort; it would be better to just let her lie like this.

Cui Yiyu fell silent for a moment. Seeing her complexion growing worse, he finally opened the lid, turned his body, rubbed out some peppermint oil with his fingertips, and pressed it onto her temple.

His fingertips touched her acupoint, skin against skin—his wrist paused for a moment before he began to gently rub.

Lin Yuanjin let out a soft “mm,” slowly opening her eyes, meeting Cui Yiyu’s gaze. She glanced to the side and noticed his bent posture, which must have been uncomfortable.

“Is it any better?” Cui Yiyu frowned slightly and spoke very softly, a murmur only the two of them could hear.

Lin Yuanjin felt the warm touch circling at her temple.

Perhaps worn by use, the young man’s fingers bore only faint calluses; the coolness of the peppermint oil and the warmth of his fingertips blended together, carrying a refreshing scent.

Lin Yuanjin noticed the waist so close before her shift slightly, as if enduring the discomfort of that posture. She blinked slowly, pulled out the soft pillow that had been pressed beneath her, turned her body, and rested her head on his lap.

As she moved, her slightly loosened collar revealed her slender neck, like prey unconsciously exposing its weakness to a hunter.

Cui Yiyu seemed as if doused with a bucket of ice water, instantly freezing in place. His lips pressed tightly together, his dark eyes fixed on Lin Yuanjin, not daring to move in the slightest.

An intense sense of contradiction filled him at once.

This posture indeed made it easier for Cui Yiyu to take care of her. As long as neither of them spoke, the hidden guards could not see into the carriage; no one would know what exactly was happening in this small space.

Moreover, it was not as if this had never happened before.

But this time was not the same as before.

Cui Yiyu could no longer say the words for her to forget everything once she woke.

How could she forget? Lin Yuanjin would not forget—could he forget?

Cui Yiyu saw that Lin Yuanjin was also looking at him. In her gaze, besides the usual trust, there was a trace of cautiousness, as if the slightest hint of aversion from him would make her retreat, draw a clear line, continue enduring her discomfort, and pretend nothing had happened.

…Forget it.

Cui Yiyu closed his eyes, then opened them again, lowered his hand, his fingertips returning to her temple, rubbing neither too lightly nor too heavily, a trace of self-abandonment hidden in his lowered gaze.

…Forget it.

It was not the first time anyway.

Lin Yuanjin herself felt unwell, yet still considered that his sideways posture must be uncomfortable, willing to cast aside propriety and rest on his lap—could Cui Yiyu be so ungrateful as to make her lose face?

Sensing Cui Yiyu’s struggle and eventual compromise, Lin Yuanjin closed her eyes, letting his fingertips press lightly against her head again and again. The corners of her lips curved slightly, as if she no longer felt quite so uncomfortable.

Those hands, which had passed over countless spears and halberds, taking lives unseen, were now carefully soothing her mind.

Though the incense was the same, the young man carried a cool, clear aura different from the Crown Prince’s, beneath which lay a distant, untouchable nobility.

Lin Yuanjin liked the scent on him.

Before long, she unconsciously curled up, like a fledgling returning to its nest, having found a place of safety, and drowsily fell asleep.

She was very well-behaved when she slept, yet the unease in her bones would quietly reveal itself.

Cui Yiyu saw Lin Yuanjin’s arm unconsciously wrap around his waist, her head resting against his abdomen. His back tensed instinctively, and he simply treated himself as a pillow, slowing his breathing, sitting upright, gazing ahead at nothing.

For the first time, Cui Yiyu felt fear—afraid that the soft girl in his arms might press any closer to him; even the slightest brush of fabric could make him feel as if his throat were being gripped.

But he clearly had not expected that the one to move first would not be the sleeping Lin Yuanjin.

The mountain road was rough; even the most skilled coachman could not avoid it. The carriage wheels rose and fell along the road, and the carriage jolted continuously.

Cui Yiyu quickly supported Lin Yuanjin’s back.

Who would have thought that in the next instant, the carriage suddenly jolted violently.

A sense of weightlessness struck. Lin Yuanjin abruptly opened her eyes; her mind blank from just waking, panic seized her. Thinking she had not steadied herself and was about to crash into the wooden panel to the side, she cried out, bent her legs, and reached out blindly, vaguely grabbing a piece of smooth fabric.

A muffled groan came from the young man beside her. A pair of hands steadily lifted her upright, supporting her slender waist and back, letting her sit steadily first.

Because of her poor sleeping posture, both of Lin Yuanjin’s legs were mostly numb, unable to move; she could only rely on Cui Yiyu beneath her to support her for the moment.

Beneath… her?

Lin Yuanjin lowered her head in confusion, meeting Cui Yiyu’s refined features, and only then remembered he had been by her side the whole time; naturally, he would not let anything happen to her.

Just as Lin Yuanjin relaxed, her lowered gaze suddenly contracted—she abruptly discovered that Cui Yiyu’s originally neat clothing had been pulled down a large amount by her, even the snow-white inner garment slipping down, revealing his beautiful collarbones.

Her face flushed completely. Not even minding their posture, in her panic she hurriedly pulled his clothes back up. Just as she was about to apologize, Nanny Zhang’s concerned voice suddenly came from outside the carriage.

“A stone got caught in the wheel just now, so some jolting was unavoidable. Your Highness, are you unharmed?”

Only then did Lin Yuanjin realize the carriage had already stopped. By her ear came the sound of someone stepping onto the carriage with a “clack.”

Her heartbeat suddenly quickened. The lapel she gripped in her hand gathered into fan-shaped creases. Afraid that making any large movement would seem like covering one’s ears while stealing a bell, she froze in place, not daring to move.

Before Lin Yuanjin’s mind could react, a sliver of daylight cautiously yet directly slipped through the carriage curtain.

“N-no!”

Lin Yuanjin did not realize that under excessive nervousness, even simple words came out nearly broken.

Nanny Zhang grew even more worried, fearing that the Crown Princess—who was unwilling to trouble others, who would not even take a scratch seriously—would rather endure in silence than admit any discomfort before the Crown Prince.

Nanny Zhang hoped that the couple would live in harmony like qin and se, and also hoped that along this journey their relationship would ease, yet she also knew that the Crown Prince was far from what the Emperor had once thought; now she only feared that the Crown Prince, being cold-hearted, would mistreat Lin Yuanjin.

She feigned concern, her hand lightly lifting a corner of the carriage curtain. Her gaze landed precisely inside, sweeping past the overturned teacup on the ground, the strange water stains on the table, the gold hairpin lying on the floor, and quickly noting the unusual posture of the two at this moment.

Only to see Lin Yuanjin’s cheeks flushed red, her breathing hurried, her hair bun long undone, her black hair cascading down her back like a waterfall, her knees parted and braced on either side.

Facing her, Cui Yiyu’s expression did not change, but his earlobes were red, betraying discomfort. The hand supporting her waist revealed faint veins, his gaze cool as it swept over, as if in warning.

Only the disarray at the shoulders revealed the extraordinariness of the moment between them.

Clearly their clothes were still on, yet the atmosphere was filled with a decadent ambiguity.

With an “aiya,” Nanny Zhang abruptly lowered the carriage curtain, a smile she could not conceal spreading across her face. She hurriedly apologized, “This old servant is hard of hearing and disturbed Your Highnesses’ rest. Since all is well, we shall continue on the road.”

After speaking, Nanny Zhang reminded the coachman to drive steadily, not to jolt and injure the noble bodies, before stepping down from the carriage with a beaming smile.

With good news approaching, she now had something to report to the Emperor.

Inside the carriage, their uneven breaths intertwined.

Lin Yuanjin could only rely on Cui Yiyu’s shoulder to maintain her balance. She looked at him awkwardly, her lips moving soundlessly: “I… I’m sorry.”

She had no intention of putting on a show in the carriage, nor of making Nanny Zhang misunderstand, and even less of deliberately taking liberties with Cui Yiyu.

Her knees pressed against the wooden board through the fabric. The carriage’s jolting inevitably caused friction that stung. Lin Yuanjin did not dare move, afraid of pressing closer, yet she could not control her trembling.

Even through layers of clothing, Lin Yuanjin could feel the heat emanating from the body before her, beneath its sharpness lay a hidden aggressiveness, making her back tingle involuntarily.

She seemed to understand, yet more so there was a youthful confusion.

Cui Yiyu quickly steadied his breathing. His voice was hoarse and stiff as he said, “Do not be afraid.” His well-defined hand, through the smooth fabric of her skirt, supported her knees, allowing her to slowly draw her numbed legs together, then held her and set her back beside him.

His movements were restrained and distant, touching Lin Yuanjin as little as possible.

Yet the one receiving was also burdened with guilt.

Ashamed of being seen and misunderstood just now, Lin Yuanjin sat obediently in his arms like a puppet strung on threads. Only when her head was guided by Cui Yiyu to rest against his shoulder did she come back to her senses.

“Do you still feel unwell?” Cui Yiyu asked.

“Now… it’s alright,” Lin Yuanjin answered with her head lowered. Her eyes could only see the dark sleeve embroidered with gold at his wrist; the hand that had just been rubbing her temple had already put away the peppermint oil.

Cui Yiyu pondered before speaking, “Just now, I did not consider thoroughly.”

They were extremely close; speaking in mere breaths, no one else could hear.

To prevent collisions, the carriage was lined with cushions everywhere, yet many items were still placed within.

Cui Yiyu, constrained by propriety and status, and ashamed of the improper greed and desire in his heart, wished to keep his distance from the Crown Princess, yet instead caused her to be startled in her sleep.

He had been watching Lin Yuanjin the entire time, calculating the carriage’s movement, knowing at what moment and from what angle he could protect her, yet he had not expected that she was a living, breathing person, who would react when faced with sudden disturbances.

When Lin Yuanjin panicked, Cui Yiyu did not dare use force to restrain her, which led to this almost absurd situation.

“As for what happened just now, Crown Princess need not take it to heart. Since we must act, whether sooner or later, it would happen,” Cui Yiyu saw Lin Yuanjin’s fingers twisting together, her head lowered as if blaming herself, and spoke plainly in comfort, “Nanny Zhang’s misunderstanding is a good thing for both you and the Crown Prince.”

Cui Yiyu swallowed with restraint, using cold reasoning to suppress his heated thoughts. The flush that had spread to his neck slowly faded.

I am afraid along this journey to the autumn hunt, there will be many such misunderstandings.

Lin Yuanjin’s lashes trembled. A faint smile appeared on her face as she softly responded with an “mm.” The curve of her lips did not change, yet the watery eyes that had just held a maiden’s thoughts became hollow, a dark gloom surfacing in their depths.

The Crown Prince.

Between her lips and teeth, she turned over these two words that symbolized power.

But the Crown Prince sent you to her bed.