Yun Kui tentatively asked, "Who usually changes the Crown Prince’s dressings and tends to him?"
Cui Xiang avoided her gaze, stammering, "At first, it was the physicians from the Imperial Medical Bureau, then the eunuchs from Chengguang Palace. But because they served poorly, they were... they were..."
She didn’t dare say it outright—those who had previously tended to the Crown Prince had either been frightened off by him, fallen ill from terror, or, in the case of one young eunuch, been kicked so hard by the newly awakened prince that he coughed up blood...
Judging by Cui Xiang’s expression, Yun Kui knew she shouldn’t have asked.
Given the Crown Prince’s temper, neither man nor ghost dared approach him. Who would willingly serve him in such an intimate capacity?
Her mind drifted to the corpse dragged out of Chengguang Palace a few days prior, and a wave of nausea and suffocating dread rose in her chest, turning her face pale.
"I’ve only been in Chengguang Palace for a few days. I’ve never served His Highness before. Why... why is it me today?"
Cui Xiang pressed her lips together. "Perhaps Aunt Wei noticed your merit in serving medicine, and since you’ve already caught His Highness’s eye today, you’re the most suitable choice."
Yun Kui let out a mournful sigh, utterly exasperated.
She’d been to Chengguang Palace twice, and both times, she’d nearly lost her life! Just because she’d miraculously survived didn’t mean they could keep exploiting her like this.
Or was there some kind of death curse on her, destined to claim her before the day ended?
But fortune-tellers in her childhood had all said she was blessed, destined for wealth and prosperity—why else would her aunt keep trying to marry her off to wealthy old men?
Ah, Yun Kui’s heart withered in despair.
As she finished freshening up and prepared to leave, Cui Xiang hurriedly stopped her, whispering, "Aunt Wei said you should dress up before going."
Yun Kui: "Why...?"
Fine. She supposed she ought to make herself presentable.
If luck was on her side, the living Yama might take a liking to her at first sight and spare her life.
If not, she’d be meeting the real Yama soon enough.
But the odds of good fortune were practically nonexistent.
Still, even if she were to meet death, she’d do so with dignity. She’d lived in this world once—she’d leave it looking her best. As a lowly palace maid, no mortician would prepare her body for burial. Most likely, she’d be rolled up in a straw mat and tossed into a mass grave.
This dignity, she’d have to claim for herself.
Yun Kui applied more powder than usual and even splurged on a dab of perfume. Staring at her reflection in the mirror, she smiled—though it looked more like a grimace.
The moment she arrived at Chengguang Palace, Aunt Wei whisked her inside.
Chen Yi, the physician, looked at her as if she were a savior. "Lady Yun Kui, you’re the most skilled at attending to His Highness. The wound medicine is ready—shall we begin?"
Yun Kui: "..."
She forced a smile through gritted teeth. "Chief Physician Chen, I was just a lowly kitchen maid before this. I’ve never served His Highness. How could I possibly be the most skilled?"
Chen Yi gave an awkward chuckle.
The Crown Prince’s moods were as unpredictable as the weather, and changing his dressings was a task that broke men. So many physicians from the Imperial Medical Bureau had already feigned illness and fled—no one dared serve this ancestor anymore.
Though he’d recently been promoted to Chief Physician, the Crown Prince had given him a month’s deadline. He could no longer half-heartedly muddle through as before—not even the Empress could protect him now.
The palace maids and eunuchs in the hall were too timid and useless. If they provoked the living Yama, he’d be held accountable. So, he’d asked Aunt Wei to select someone to serve the prince.
Aunt Wei, well aware of the Crown Prince’s temperament, wasn’t about to throw herself into the fire. Conveniently, there were four beauties waiting in the side hall, and Yun Kui—personally promoted by the Empress—was the perfect candidate.
Yun Kui cursed inwardly. That damned physician didn’t dare tend to the prince himself, so he’d found a scapegoat—her—to be the first sacrificial lamb.
Aunt Wei approached, and upon seeing the girl’s radiant face, she froze for a moment.
In the dim corridor earlier, she hadn’t gotten a good look. But now, under the bright candlelight of the hall, the young woman’s delicate features stood out—lightly powdered cheeks, faintly traced brows, and upturned eyes that shimmered with a lively charm. Even her plain pink-and-white dress seemed to glow like celestial robes.
Even after two decades in the palace, Aunt Wei had rarely seen such vivid, spirited beauty. Even the Emperor’s own daughters would pale in comparison.
Snapping out of her daze, she stepped forward sternly. "What’s taking so long? If His Highness’s condition worsens because of your dawdling, none of us can bear the consequences."
Yun Kui, bound by duty, dared not show her anger. But never had she regretted anything more than that moment when she’d recklessly stepped forward to administer medicine for a paltry reward.
After washing her hands, a eunuch brought over a tray laden with porcelain bottles, scissors, and bandages. The physician beside her carefully explained the medicines and dosages, and Yun Kui memorized every word, determined not to make a single mistake.
Now came the part where she had to undress the Crown Prince.
Fortunately, he was still unconscious. But given past incidents, Yun Kui didn’t dare let her guard down—there was always a chance he might wake up mid-treatment.
And snap her neck in an instant.
With a deep breath, she tiptoed to the bedside and knelt slowly.
This was the first time she’d truly looked at the man before her.
The last time she’d fed him medicine, she’d covered his eyes with a cloth. That morning, when he’d choked her, she’d been too consumed by terror to properly register his face—though even then, the fleeting impact of his striking beauty had been overshadowed by sheer dread.
Now was no different.
Even with his eyes closed, the cold, ruthless aura emanating from him was as sharp as a blade, glinting ominously in the dark.
But there was no denying it—he was breathtakingly handsome.
Arched brows, phoenix eyes, a straight nose, and thin lips—his features were so finely carved they seemed sculpted. The candlelight cast a divine glow over him, making him look like an immortal descended from the heavens.
So pretty so pretty so pretty ahhhhhh!
Yun Kui stared, entranced, completely missing the subtle twitch of the man’s thumb—the one adorned with a black jade ring.
Only when the physician beside her coughed softly did she snap back to reality, hastily accepting the medicine bottle.
She’d witnessed others’ fantasies, seen how robes were slowly shed in dreams of passion. Over time, she’d learned how to undo a man’s inner garments.
If you haven’t eaten pork, you’ve at least seen pigs run, right?
Gently lifting the brocade quilt, she reached for the sash at his waist, carefully loosening it before parting the inner robe. The Crown Prince’s pale, sculpted torso came into view, his muscles defined like carved jade.
Yun Kui drank in the sight, her heartbeat quickening involuntarily.
But the sight of his wounds quickly sobered her.
The white bandages were soaked with blood, the thick metallic scent filling her nose. She’d never seen injuries this severe—no wonder he hadn’t had the strength to strangle her earlier.
Taking a steadying breath, she cut away the bandages on his chest and dampened a cloth with saline solution. The physician’s assistant had taught her these steps, so she wasn’t unfamiliar.
But the moment the cloth touched the gruesome wound, the prince’s brows furrowed sharply.
Yun Kui flinched, her legs nearly giving way beneath her. Only when she saw that his eyes remained closed did she dare exhale in shaky relief.
She clenched the handkerchief in her hand, carefully cleaning along the wound. The flesh was torn and ragged, with scabs sticking to the bandages, and in several places, blood still oozed relentlessly—a sight that made her stomach churn.
Beads of sweat formed on her forehead, but with no one to assist, she had no choice but to steel herself and continue.
"Please, please! Don’t wake up now!"
"Hiss… just looking at it hurts…"
"Was the Empress overthinking this? In his current state, could the Crown Prince even manage to… exert himself? Were these bedchamber maids just here for show, or were they literally sent to their deaths? Bedding a woman is exhausting—even a slightly frail man would struggle, let alone someone with such severe injuries. He might just perish on the spot…"
"But honestly, the Crown Prince is the most handsome man I’ve ever seen. All those Zhao, Qian, and Li bodyguards can’t hold a candle to him! His Adam’s apple is so alluring, his collarbones exquisite, his chest muscles broad and firm. Even though the bandages cover part of it, I can tell he has an eight-pack… Heavens, am I about to get a nosebleed?"
Yun Kui continued cleaning and applying medicine, all while suppressing the restless, covetous thoughts swirling in her mind.
Thanks to her ability to glimpse into dreams, she had seen a few unclothed men before. And the illustrated manuals Aunt Wei had given them were quite… detailed. But… she had never seen this before.
Of course, even with a hundred lives, she wouldn’t dare touch the Crown Prince’s chest. But while dressing his wounds, her fingers inevitably brushed against him—the firm warmth, the defined contours—leaving her palms tingling. That electric sensation surged through her veins, spreading until it sent ripples through her chest.
The arrow wound on his torso was severe, the flesh torn and grotesque. It was only under Chen Yi’s careful guidance that she dared to clean it thoroughly, pressing out the poisoned blood before applying a thick layer of golden wound powder.
Yet she couldn’t understand—despite the Crown Prince’s injury being days old, it hadn’t even begun to scab.
Earlier, she had overheard whispers in the palace: the Crown Prince had been poisoned. Could the toxin still be lingering?
No wonder he’s so irritable.
There was another arrow wound near his waist. Yun Kui’s hands moved lower, but this one was positioned too far down—she’d have to loosen his undergarments slightly.
While tending to the upper wounds, she had managed to keep her composure. But this…
Was it really acceptable to remove the Crown Prince’s underclothes?
Yun Kui blinked, her gaze drifting downward as if with a will of its own.
The man’s waist was taut, every muscle defined without an ounce of excess. Veins rose like mountain ridges, trailing downward into uncharted territory, exuding a restrained, primal strength.
Even with countless eyes watching in the hall, she couldn’t shake the feeling of doing something illicit—as if she were secretly taking liberties with him.
Heaven as my witness, I’m just changing his bandages!
Hesitantly, she untied the waistband, her small fingers slipping beneath the fabric to tug it downward—
A pale, powerful hand suddenly seized her wrist, halting her movements.
Yun Kui gasped, stumbling back against the bed.
When she looked up, she met the Crown Prince’s dark, stormy eyes—and for a moment, her heart stopped.
