Prince Li returned to Li Mansion like a storm.
The sudden commotion startled the servants who were on guard near the entrance.
"Uncle Tong! Aunt Tong! Call a physician immediately! Clear the way!"
Without wasting another moment, Prince Li carried the unconscious TanTan straight to her room. He carefully laid her on the bed, trying not to hurt her.
Her clothes were soaking wet and clinging uncomfortably to her body. In a reflex, he began loosening them so she could breathe more comfortably.
But just as he had opened the outer layer enough to reveal the covering over her chest, Prince Li suddenly realized what he was doing.
He froze.
A wave of embarrassment washed over him.
Fortunately, XiaoRue entered the room at that moment, carrying a bucket of warm water.
"Change her clothes immediately and wipe her body clean! I'll wait outside."
Prince Li quickly stood up, allowing XiaoRue to take over while he stepped out of the room.
Outside, Aunt Tong stood waiting with a confused and frightened expression. She couldn't understand what had happened, and she felt guilty for failing to look after TanTan properly.
"I... I don't understand, Young Master. Young Madam was supposed to be sleeping already. Please forgive me. It's my fault for not checking on her properly..."
Prince Li shook his head.
"It's not your fault, Aunt Tong. Don't worry. I don't blame you or anyone else in this mansion. Just do me a favor and prepare some warm drinks for tonight."
His words relieved Aunt Tong somewhat.
Although she still wanted to know what had happened, she understood that Prince Li needed some time alone. She obeyed his instruction and went to the kitchen to prepare some warm tea.
Prince Li remained outside the room, looking up at the moon as he tried to clear his mind.
"HuaMuTan..."
That woman really knew how to infuriate him.
She had completely ignored his warning to stay inside Li Mansion and had gone straight into a dangerous situation.
Yet, if he were honest with himself, he had also been rather amused by her presence at the auction.
The selfless HuaMuTan who had risked her own safety to save a young girl from being sold into slavery had left a deep impression on him.
But that wasn't all.
The way he had enjoyed teasing her, the strange feelings he experienced whenever she was near, and the fear that had seized him when he saw her unconscious...
He had never experienced such feelings toward HuaMuTan before.
Over the past few days, he had continuously observed her. Her actions, her words, and the way she treated the people around her were completely different from the HuaMuTan he had known in the past.
By now, he was almost certain that the woman lying unconscious inside the room was not the same HuaMuTan he had once hated.
Then who was she?
Why was he becoming so attracted to her?
Why was she so determined to find the people who had tried to kill her, even to the point of risking her life aboard that ship?
And what exactly was her relationship with the Silver Mask... or even the Crown Prince?
So many questions filled his mind.
But for now, he couldn't bring himself to think about anything other than her condition.
"What a long night..."
He sighed.
Not long afterward, ManQi returned with QingQing. They had also brought along the Han woman TanTan had rescued from the auction.
Prince Li looked at them in confusion.
"Why did you bring her here, ManQi?"
Before ManQi could answer, the woman suddenly knelt in front of Prince Li and bowed her head. Tears streamed down her face as she seemed to plead for something.
ManQi explained,
"She refused to eat or drink anything unless we agreed to bring her here."
Prince Li looked at the woman suspiciously.
"Stand up and tell me what you want."
But the woman shook her head firmly and remained kneeling.
QingQing sighed before explaining,
"She can't speak. It seems her tongue was cut out because she tried to fight back before the auction. But she can write, so she explained everything in this letter."
She handed a piece of paper to Prince Li.
He took it and read the contents carefully.
In the letter, the woman expressed her gratitude toward HuaMuTan for saving her from the auction. She explained that she had no family and nowhere else to go. She had no particular plans for the future either. All she wanted was to serve HuaMuTan for the rest of her life as a way of repaying her kindness.
Prince Li studied the woman for a moment.
She can write? That's rather unusual for an ordinary commoner, especially a woman. It seems her background isn't as simple as her appearance suggests.
He decided he would investigate her identity later.
For now, considering the circumstances in which they had met, his instincts told him that she didn't have any malicious intentions toward HuaMuTan.
"If you wish to repay HuaMuTan, you'll have to wait until she agrees. For now, you may stay here. We'll discuss this again after she wakes up."
At that moment, XiaoRue finished cleaning TanTan and changing her clothes.
As soon as she opened the door, Prince Li noticed her and immediately gave another instruction.
"XiaoRue, take this..."
He paused and looked toward the unfamiliar woman.
"By the way, what should we call you?"
The woman immediately knelt again. This time, she used her finger to write a character on the ground.
Xing.
"Xing... Hmm. Then shall we call you A Xing? Is that all right?"
The woman nodded.
Prince Li turned toward XiaoRue.
"XiaoRue, take Miss A Xing to meet Aunt Tong. You two can help prepare a room for her. She'll be staying here for now."
Although XiaoRue was confused by the sudden arrangement, she obeyed.
QingQing approached her and whispered,
"Let me accompany you. I'll explain everything later."
Together, XiaoRue, QingQing, and A Xing went to find Aunt Tong.
Not long afterward, Uncle Tong returned with a physician, who immediately entered TanTan's room to examine her.
While waiting for the physician's diagnosis, ManQi reported the progress of their operation to Prince Li.
"The Crown Prince and his men have been taken to prison. As you ordered, additional guards have been assigned to their cells. I'll stay there as well to make sure nothing goes wrong."
ManQi paused when he noticed that Prince Li was staring toward TanTan's room.
He could clearly see the worried expression on his master's face.
"Master...?"
His voice brought Prince Li's attention back to him.
"Ah... Yes. You've done well. Just don't overburden yourself. You still need to prepare for the next mission."
"Thank you for your concern, Master. I'll remember that."
However, Prince Li's attention had already drifted back toward the room.
ManQi understood that it was time for him to leave. He bowed respectfully and turned to go.
Before he could walk very far, he heard the physician coming out of the room.
Prince Li immediately rushed toward him.
"How is she? Is she all right?!"
The physician was startled by his sudden approach.
"D-Don't worry, Your Highness. Young Madam is fine. She only has a slight fever. As long as she gets enough rest and takes her medicine, she'll recover soon."
The physician hoped his explanation was sufficient to calm the anxious prince.
It seems Master is genuinely worried about HuaMuTan...
ManQi couldn't help smiling to himself before finally leaving.
After instructing Uncle Tong to escort the physician out and asking the servants to prepare TanTan's medicine, Prince Li returned to her room.
He sat quietly beside her bed.
TanTan was still unconscious. Occasionally, she showed signs of discomfort, shivering and murmuring in her sleep. Sweat continued to gather along her face.
Without thinking, Prince Li took out his handkerchief and gently wiped her forehead and cheeks.
XiaoRue, who had just entered the room, was surprised by the sight.
She felt embarrassed to see Prince Li personally taking care of her mistress.
"Master, please let me do that. I'll take care of XiaoJie..."
Prince Li turned toward her and gave her a sharp look.
"XiaoRue, I haven't even questioned you yet about how you allowed HuaMuTan to sneak out of this mansion!"
His voice became cold.
"I know you're HuaMuTan's servant, but while you're in this mansion, you must obey my orders as well!"
XiaoRue was shocked. She hadn't expected Prince Li to scold her at such a time.
But even without his reprimand, she had already been blaming herself for allowing TanTan to leave.
She immediately knelt down, tears filling her eyes.
"Master is right. It was my fault for allowing XiaoJie to leave without considering the danger. Please punish XiaoRue!"
"I'll deal with you later. But tonight, I don't want you serving HuaMuTan. Leave this room and reflect on your actions!"
Prince Li's voice was merciless.
XiaoRue didn't dare argue. She lowered her head and walked out of the room, crying.
Along the way, she encountered QingQing, who was also coming to check on TanTan.
After hearing what had happened, QingQing immediately changed direction.
She certainly had no intention of inviting another scolding from Prince Li.
A few minutes later, Aunt Tong brought TanTan's medicine into the room.
Prince Li immediately took the bowl and began feeding her with a spoon.
"Be careful. The medicine is still hot," Aunt Tong warned.
Prince Li blew on the medicine before carefully bringing the spoon to TanTan's lips.
However, since she was still unconscious, it was difficult to make her swallow.
Most of the medicine simply flowed out from the corners of her mouth.
"Perhaps we should wait until she wakes up," Aunt Tong suggested.
But Prince Li seemed unwilling to wait.
He took the bowl from her hands, drank a mouthful of the medicine himself, and leaned down to transfer it directly into TanTan's mouth.
The medicine finally went down her throat.
Aunt Tong was completely stunned.
She quickly turned her face away, too embarrassed to watch.
But Prince Li repeated the same action until the entire bowl was empty.
"Take the bowl, Aunt Tong. I'll stay here and watch over her."
If Aunt Tong hadn't witnessed what had just happened, she might have protested against Prince Li staying up all night.
But now, she couldn't find anything to say.
She quietly took the empty bowl and left the room.
Even after stepping outside, she was still unable to believe what she had witnessed.
She had never imagined that her Young Master would develop such strong feelings toward HuaMuTan.
Does this mean he no longer has feelings for Miss ShuangAi? Aiyah... Poor AiEr...
Aunt Tong could only shake her head as she walked away.
As time passed, the medicine gradually began to take effect.
TanTan's face was no longer as pale as before, and her breathing had become more even. She seemed to be sleeping peacefully now.
Prince Li felt relieved.
But with his immediate concern eased, his attention returned to the mystery that had been troubling him.
He studied TanTan's face carefully.
This woman really looks exactly like the real HuaMuTan. How can she resemble her so perfectly? Could they actually be twins?
Then, suddenly, he remembered something.
The birthmarks.
No matter how similar they look, they can't possibly have the same birthmarks...
Prince Li hesitated.
This was his chance to confirm his suspicions once and for all.
But taking advantage of an unconscious woman's condition was something he would normally never do.
For a moment, his sense of dignity held him back.
Unfortunately, his curiosity eventually won.
Once I prove that this woman isn't the real HuaMuTan, I can confront her when she wakes up. Then I'll find out what happened to the real HuaMuTan and who this woman actually is.
He slowly adjusted the clothing around TanTan's shoulders.
Fortunately, he didn't need to remove all her clothes to check the birthmarks.
He carefully supported her head against his chest and shifted her position just enough to examine her left shoulder.
The position made him feel rather uncomfortable.
His heartbeat had also become unusually fast.
But then...
His eyes widened.
There, on her left shoulder, were three unmistakable moles.
Exactly the same as the ones belonging to the original HuaMuTan.
Prince Li froze.
For several seconds, he couldn't move.
Then he quickly laid TanTan back down, adjusted her clothing, and stepped away from the bed.
He walked out of the room almost immediately, closing the door behind him.
His breathing was unsteady.
He couldn't believe what he had just seen.
"It can't be... She's really HuaMuTan?!"
He still couldn't accept it.
He had been so certain that the woman lying inside that room wasn't the original HuaMuTan. That certainty had grown even stronger as he found himself becoming attracted to her.
But how could this be?
How could the woman he had once hated so deeply... be the same woman he was now beginning to fall for?
Had he gone mad?
Had he really allowed himself to become attracted to that supposedly wicked woman?
"Then... all of this... Was it just an act? Was she deliberately doing all these things to get my attention?"
Prince Li remained lost in thought.
The changes in HuaMuTan were simply too drastic. It was difficult to believe that someone could change so much in such a short time.
But whether her transformation was genuine or merely an elaborate act, one thing had become undeniable.
Tonight, he had finally realized his own feelings toward HuaMuTan.
If all of this had been her plan to win his attention, then he had already lost.
And HuaMuTan had won.
But Prince Li wasn't willing to accept defeat so easily.
Well... at least now I know she's truly HuaMuTan. That's fine. I just need to control myself.
He took a deep breath.
I won't let myself become attracted to her anymore.
After making that decision, he returned to the room and quietly closed the door behind him.