Chapter 203: Kissing Her Palm

Chapter 203: Kissing Her Palm

With Ling Wu's interruption, the lingering amorous atmosphere instantly dissipated, leaving only awkwardness in the room.

Jiang Shuning quickly rose, as if scalded, stepping back two paces and turning away, her delicate face burning so hot it seemed ready to bleed.

Xiao Lingchuan's dream of stealing a kiss was brutally shattered, a flicker of displeasure crossing his handsome face. "This personal maid of yours is truly clueless!"

He inwardly regretted ever being foolish enough to place Ling Wu by Jiang Shuning's side.

Look at her rash manner—always spoiling his plans!

Hearing him scold Ling Wu, Jiang Shuning quickly turned to defend her. "Please do not blame Ling Wu, Your Highness. Had she not gone to report, Prince Su might not have arrived in time. Perhaps you and I would have fallen into the Third Prince's hands, at his mercy!"

Xiao Lingchuan snorted, his eyes full of disdain. "Even if Prince Su hadn't come, I have my own means to deal with Xiao Xiuzhan! Do you think Ling Feng and my personal guard would lose to his rabble? They only dared not act because I was unconscious. Now that I am awake, they will give their all and slaughter those worthless foes to the last!"

Jiang Shuning gazed at his arrogant demeanor, but instead of comfort, a vague unease surged within her. She frowned and said softly, "Your Highness truly intends to sever all ties with the Third Prince? Are you not afraid His Majesty will be angered?"

In her past life, after the Emperor's death, the Crown Prince was frail, the court was in turmoil, and Xiao Lingchuan and Xiao Xiuzhan only began their open conflict then.

Now that the Emperor was still alive and there were no signs of the throne changing hands, why was Xiao Lingchuan so reckless as to confront Xiao Xiuzhan directly?

Xiao Lingchuan raised an eyebrow, seemingly displeased. "What, Xiao Xiuzhan humiliated you like that earlier, and I stand up for you, yet you are ungrateful?"

"I am by no means ungrateful!" Jiang Shuning quickly shook her head, her tone anxious. "I am only worried that Your Highness will be punished. After all, the Third Prince is also His Majesty's son, and his maternal clan, the Wang family..."

She stopped abruptly.

Now that the General of State Stabilization had been stripped of military power and Consort Xi reduced to commoner, Xiao Xiuzhan had nothing left but his private troops in West Yu.

Unknowingly, Xiao Lingchuan had weakened Xiao Xiuzhan's power to this extent.

Her heart stirred, a faint sense of strangeness washing over her.

Seeing her changing expression, Xiao Lingchuan smiled more deeply, his voice low and seductive. "So Shuning is worried about me. Rest assured, even if my father blames me, for your sake, I would gladly bear it!"

Jiang Shuning felt that if she pressed further, she would seem ungrateful.

So she suppressed her doubts, made a curtsy, and said softly, "Thank you for standing up for me, Your Highness."

But before she finished, Xiao Lingchuan reached out, unexpectedly wrapping his arm around her slender waist and pulling her into his embrace.

He looked down at her, his eyes brimming with a smile as gentle as spring rain. "If Shuning continues to be so distant, how will we ever resume the lip-to-lip medicine feeding?"

"Your Highness!" Jiang Shuning blushed to the roots of her ears and instinctively pushed against him, but accidentally touched his chest wound.

Xiao Lingchuan's face changed, a sickly pallor spreading over his handsome features, though he still smiled.

Seeing him bearing the pain, Jiang Shuning was both annoyed and amused. "If Your Highness truly wishes to recover, you should say less nonsense, lest your injury worsen!"

"Jiang Shuning, is this how you treat your lifesaver?" Xiao Lingchuan gritted his teeth, but his eyes sparkled with mischief. "Had I known, I would have let you repay me with your..."

"Don't say it!" Jiang Shuning raised her hand to cover his mouth, stifling the word "body" on his lips.

Her palm touched his warm lips, and a tingling sensation like an electric current shot through her whole body. She realized how intimate this gesture was and tried to pull away, but Xiao Lingchuan caught her wrist.

He lowered his head, his lips brushing her soft palm, kissing it gently and lingeringly, like a feather teasing, while his eyes held a hint of unspoken allure, locking onto hers.

Jiang Shuning felt her palm burn, her heart stirred into waves by him, her cheeks flushed crimson, a mix of shyness and palpitations making it hard to breathe.

Just as the atmosphere was at its most intoxicating, the door of the warm pavilion was thrown open with a bang!

Ling Feng strode in, announcing loudly, "Your Highness, this subordinate has sent men..."

He stopped mid-sentence, catching sight of their intimate pose. He froze, then quickly came to his senses and bowed his head in haste. "This subordinate deserves death! Please continue, Your Highness!"

With that, he turned and retreated, slamming the door thunderously behind him, fleeing even faster than Ling Wu.

Taking advantage of the moment, Jiang Shuning pulled her hand free from Xiao Lingchuan's grip, suppressing the turmoil in her heart, and deliberately said, "Your Highness, I actually find your personal guard quite sensible!"

Had Ling Feng not barged in so rashly, she would still be trapped in that embarrassing, heart-racing whirlpool.

Xiao Lingchuan's expression turned extremely sour. How could those two have no sense of timing? They kept spoiling his good fortune!

Ling Feng came out to the deck and saw Ling Wu leaning against the railing, staring blankly at the lake, her face full of chagrin like a frostbitten eggplant.

"Ling Wu, why are you standing alone in the cold wind?" He approached, winking.

Ling Wu looked up and saw him, sighed deeply, and grimaced. "You don't know, I just barged into the warm pavilion and spoiled His Highness's good thing. I'm afraid he's going to hold a grudge against me for life!"

"Ha, what a coincidence!" Ling Feng patted her shoulder and lowered his voice with a hint of schadenfreude. "I just did the same thing! When I pushed the door open, His Highness was with Miss Jiang... ahem, and then I, the clueless one, ruined it!"

Ling Wu's eyes widened, a mix of embarrassment and relief. "You spoiled his good thing too? Then I can rest easy! With you to keep me company, His Highness won't just hold a grudge against me, right?"

"Don't count on it!" Ling Feng sighed. "Don't you know our prince? He's the most vindictive man under heaven! This time, the two of us are probably going to be written down in his little black book together!"

Ling Wu's face turned green. "It's over, it's over. How are we going to get through this?"

—

Xiao Xiuzhan was urgently sent back to the palace, severely injured, and had fainted before entering.

Prince Su Xiao Jinyu took decisive action, ordering Divine Physician Sun to be summoned to treat him.

He had met Divine Physician Sun in Nanshuo City and witnessed his superb medical skills firsthand.

He knew that in all the capital, only Divine Physician Sun could reattach Xiao Xiuzhan's broken arm.

Divine Physician Sun was brought to Lingge Palace, his face showing lingering fear. "Prince Su, you may not know, but this Third Prince is ruthless and once sent assassins to kill me! Had Prince Jing not sensed it in time and ordered Ling Feng to impersonate me, taking the fatal blow in my place, I would have long been dead! Now you ask me to treat him, I'm afraid..."

Xiao Jinyu reassured him, "Divine Physician, rest assured, this time I personally invited you into the palace, and I will ensure your safety. If Third Brother can keep his arm, he owes you a great debt and would not dare harm you again!"

"I hope so..." Divine Physician Sun sighed, his eyes full of helplessness, then stepped into the inner hall to perform the surgery on Xiao Xiuzhan.

Jiang Yaozhen rushed over upon hearing the news. When she learned that Xiao Lingchuan had cut off Xiao Xiuzhan's arm, her face twisted with rage, anger blazing in her eyes. "Prince Jing goes too far! How dare he harm his own brother like this! I will certainly report this to His Majesty and seek justice for His Highness!"

Xiao Jinyu cast her a cold glance. "Sister-in-law, do not speak nonsense! Third Brother took advantage of Fourth Brother's coma to board the pleasure boat with his guards, intending to molest Miss Jiang. Fourth Brother, in his fury, cut off his arm. If you take this matter to court and His Majesty asks the reason, how will Third Brother explain himself?"

"Impossible!" Jiang Yaozhen screeched, her voice hoarse. "How could His Highness ever take an interest in that wretch Jiang Shuning? It must be a trap set by her and Prince Jing to frame His Highness! They clearly want him dead!"

Xiao Jinyu looked at her hysterical state, finding her unreasonable, and turned his tone cold. "Sister-in-law, if you cannot help, then keep your noise down, lest you disturb Divine Physician Sun in saving lives!"

Jiang Yaozhen was silenced by his rebuke, left to gnash her teeth in silent fury.

It was not until late night that Divine Physician Sun emerged from the inner hall, his tired body covered in sweat, forehead still beaded.

Jiang Yaozhen and Xiao Jinyu hurried forward, urgently asking, "Divine Physician, has His Highness's / Third Brother's arm been reattached?"

Divine Physician Sun sighed and shook his head. "The arm has been reattached, but the meridians and vessels are severely damaged. It will be difficult to restore to its former state."

"What do you mean, 'it won't be the same as before'?" Jiang Yaozhen's heart tightened, her voice suddenly rising. "He can't even hold a sword anymore?"

"Let alone holding a sword," Divine Physician Sun gave a bitter laugh, his tone heavy. "I'm afraid it will be difficult for him even to lift a bowl."

At these words, Jiang Yaozhen felt as if struck by lightning.

She abruptly grabbed Divine Physician Sun by the collar, shrieking, "How can this be? A dignified prince, crippled in one arm—where is his dignity? You claim to be a divine physician, yet you lack the skill to restore His Highness to his former state? I get it—you're one of Prince Jing's men! Prince Jing instructed you to do this deliberately, so that His Highness will never be able to recover!"

"Sister-in-law, stop!" Xiao Jinyu barked, reaching out to block her. "Third Brother's arm meridians were utterly destroyed; reattaching it already took the divine physician's utmost effort! Even if Hua Tuo were alive, he could not restore it fully. How dare you be so rude, blaming Divine Physician Sun?"

But Jiang Yaozhen refused to relent, tears streaming down her face, mixed with resentment as she ground her teeth, "Now I see it clearly—Prince Su and Prince Jing are birds of a feather! No wonder Miss Zhang is unwilling to marry you! Compared to you, the Fifth Prince is the true gentleman—at least he won't associate with a poisonous snake like Prince Jing who harms his own brothers!"

"What did you say?" Xiao Jinyu's face changed abruptly, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes. "Miss Zhang... the one she loves is actually the Fifth Brother?"