Chapter 17: Is the Princess Royal Concerned for Me?

After Jiang Chu Yi left with his men, Jiang Ning hurriedly pulled back the bedding on the bed.

Seeing Pei Heng barely clinging to life, Jiang Ning anxiously called for Chun Zhi.

“Hurry, go get the bandaging supplies!”

Chun Zhi stepped back two paces, then quickly turned around. “Your servant will fetch them immediately!”

Gazing at Pei Heng’s wound that kept bleeding, Jiang Ning bit her lip tightly and struggled to pull open his shirt.

By now, the blood on Pei Heng’s shoulder had begun to darken.

Noticing the man’s pale complexion, Jiang Ning frowned.

This is bad—could this madman have been poisoned?

Just as she didn’t know what to do, Chun Zhi rushed back with medicine.

“Princess, I’ve brought the wound ointment, gauze, and hemostatic powder!”

At this critical moment where a life hung in the balance, Jiang Ning, who had never bandaged anyone before, steeled herself and carefully tended to Pei Heng’s injury.

After nearly the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, she finally stemmed the bleeding.

Seeing Pei Heng’s complexion improve, Jiang Ning secretly let out a sigh of relief.

“Chun Zhi, later you must sneak out and find a doctor among the common folk.”

“Pei Heng must have been poisoned. Ordinary hemostatic medicine can only ease his condition temporarily. To save his life, we need a doctor.”

Hearing this, Chun Zhi nodded quickly. “Your servant will prepare the carriage at once.”

…

After a whole night of struggle, the poison in Pei Heng’s body was finally neutralized.

Jiang Ning, sleepless, rested her chin on one hand, leaning over the bed, softly complaining to the man lying there.

“Stubborn Pei Heng, if it weren’t for you helping me with the marriage alliance, I wouldn’t have bothered saving you, you madman!”

“From now on, we owe each other nothing.”

After saying this, she lowered her eyelashes and examined the man’s face carefully.

She had to admit, Pei Heng was indeed handsome.

His eyelashes were long, his lips thin, and upon closer inspection, she noticed a tear mole at the corner of his eye…

For some reason, Jiang Ning lifted her hand and gently touched the man’s lips.

“They say men with thin lips are heartless. Pei Heng, a villain as wicked as you should be…”

Before Jiang Ning could finish, a large, knobby hand suddenly grabbed her arm.

“Should be what?”

“The Princess Royal, please continue.”

Seeing the man fully conscious, Jiang Ning trembled all over.

“When… when did you wake up?”

Pei Heng sat up slowly and said in a measured tone, “I woke up the moment you said men with thin lips are heartless.”

Jiang Ning tugged the corner of her mouth and forced a sheepish smile.

“The things I just said were jokes; don’t take them seriously.”

Sensing the girl’s fear, Pei Heng narrowed his eyes slightly and released her arm.

“You saved me yesterday?”

Jiang Ning stood with hands on hips, looking down at him arrogantly.

“That’s right. If it weren’t for me stepping in yesterday, you’d already be lying in a coffin!”

Noticing the gauze on his body, Pei Heng looked surprised. “Did you bandage this yourself?”

Jiang Ning scoffed coldly, raising her beautiful face high.

“Of course. If not me, then who else would bandage you?”

Pei Heng chuckled lightly. “True enough, besides the Princess Royal, no one else could make a wound look this ugly.”

Hearing his teasing, Jiang Ning’s long lashes trembled and she shook with anger.

“Pei Heng, you’re an ungrateful, despicable wretch!”

She pushed him hard. “I shouldn’t have saved you yesterday, you bastard!”

For some reason, Pei Heng suddenly found the angry Jiang Ning extraordinarily beautiful.

Her thick, radiant brows and eyes resembled a magnificent ink painting, stirring a restless longing.

Noticing his dark, unfathomable gaze, Jiang Ning stammered, “Pei Heng, why are you looking at me like that?”

“Do you believe me if I say I’ll have you thrown out right now?”

Her words held no threat to him.

He raised an eyebrow and leisurely straightened his clothes.

“I was only joking with you just now.”

“The bandage you put on…”

He paused briefly, then smiled, “You made the little bird very cute.”

Hearing the words “little bird,” Jiang Ning clenched her fist.

“What little bird? That’s clearly a butterfly knot!”

Seeing her embarrassed and annoyed expression, Pei Heng’s temple twitched.

“That’s not a little bird?!”

Jiang Ning gasped and gave a forced smile.

“Did the poison yesterday mess up your brain?”

Looking at the pitiful mess, Pei Heng clicked his tongue.

Enough.

He was a man standing seven feet tall—how could he argue with a woman?

Whatever she said, so be it.

Noticing his helpless expression, Jiang Ning puffed her snowy cheeks and asked angrily about the real issue.

“What exactly happened last night? You were fine, so how did you get hurt—and so badly at that?”

Listening to her incessant questioning, Pei Heng lifted his eyelids, his voice deepening.

“Is the Princess Royal concerned about me?”

Jiang Ning widened her eyes in surprise.

“What nonsense are you talking about? How could I possibly care about you?”

Pei Heng curved his lips, carefully observing her every move.

“Then why ask so thoroughly?”

Jiang Ning was speechless.

“I was just a little curious.”

Seeing the girl had no real concern, Pei Heng felt a flicker of disappointment.

Yet his handsome face remained calm and indifferent.

“Yesterday, I kidnapped a hostage the Crown Prince was holding. That hostage was the Crown Prince’s bargaining chip against the Regent.”

Jiang Ning slowly raised her eyes, her full, rosy lips gently parted.

“Was this at the Regent’s orders?”

Pei Heng sneered and stood up.

“Of course not.”

He only pretended to work for the Regent, not truly loyal to him.

Taking the hostage was just one step in his plan to eliminate the Regent.

Hearing the unexpected answer, Jiang Ning’s face filled with doubt.

“Then why risk your life to do that? Where is the hostage now?”

Pei Heng furrowed his brow and reached out to pinch the girl’s tender chin.

“Princess Royal, have you ever heard the saying, ‘Curiosity killed the cat’?”

Meeting his dark, profound gaze, Jiang Ning wisely replied, “I was just asking casually. If you don’t want to say, then don’t. Why be so fierce?”

Watching her small mouth open and close, Pei Heng’s Adam’s apple moved as he pressed his tongue against his palate.

“I’ve already been gentle with you.”

With that, he gently stroked the reddened corner of her eye.

“Tell me, how did you send the Crown Prince away yesterday?”

Recalling last night’s events, Jiang Ning felt a chill run down her spine.

“It’s strange. Yesterday, he knew I was hiding you, yet he didn’t have anyone seize you.”

Pei Heng’s eyebrows lowered, his gaze fixed tightly on the girl before him.

“That’s impossible.”

Jiang Chu Yi was the kind of scoundrel who usually hated him enough to skin him alive and drain his blood.

There was no way he would let such a good opportunity slip by so easily.