On her wedding night, she went into exile with her pharmacy arsenal

Chapter 2196 I don’t want to die

Yin Ding was tall and dark-skinned, dressed in short clothes, and looked strong and powerful.

Upon entering, he bowed to Yan Ruyu and asked, "Your Highness, what are your orders?"

"Carry him out and throw him outside the Prince's mansion." Yan Ruyu said calmly, as if she were talking about something perfectly ordinary.

Yin Ding stepped forward in response, stretching out his thick arms to carry Liu Zi'an.

Liu Zian panicked and hurriedly waved his hand, his voice hoarse with urgency: "No, I won't leave! Your Highness, I won't leave!"

Yan Ruyu raised an eyebrow, a faint sneer playing on her lips, her eyes filled with mockery: "Oh? Now you don't want to leave?"

Then tell me, Changxu saved you, how are you going to treat him? Is that how you treated your savior just now?

Liu Zian's cheeks flushed instantly, half from embarrassment and half from awkwardness.

He subconsciously looked at Huo Changxu, his eyes pleading, hoping Huo Changxu would say something to ease the situation.

Huo Changxu simply stood aside, looking at him calmly, without showing any intention of speaking.

Although Yan Ruyu had helped him resolve his frustration, Liu Zian's harsh words still left him resentful. Seeing Liu Zian's current state, he had no intention of speaking up for him.

Looking at Huo Changxu's cold and hard expression, and then at Yan Ruyu's ambiguous smile, Liu Zian felt a sense of panic and helplessness for the first time.

Liu Zian felt a surge of pride and embarrassment in his chest, but ultimately his will to survive prevailed.

He lowered his head, the messy strands of hair on his forehead obscuring the complex emotions in his eyes, and pursed his thin lips repeatedly.

After a long pause, he managed to squeeze out a sentence, his voice barely audible, like a mosquito's hum: "Young Master Huo, just now... it was my fault. I shouldn't have spoken to you like that. Please forgive me."

As soon as he said those words, his cheeks flushed red, and his fingers clenched tightly. He had studied hard for many years and always been competitive. He had never apologized to anyone so humbly before, especially not to Huo Changxu, whom he had always been jealous of.

Upon hearing this, Huo Changxu raised an eyebrow, his gaze falling on Huo Changxu's tense profile, and said in a calm tone, "You should apologize, because you were indeed wrong."

He paused, looking at Liu Zian's suddenly tense back, and continued, "Whether I forgive you or not is up to me. Just because you apologize doesn't mean I have to agree."

These words were like a fine needle, gently piercing Liu Zian's remaining self-esteem.

A flash of embarrassment and annoyance crossed his eyes, but a dull pain shot through his chest, and he couldn't help but cough violently.

His shoulders trembled slightly from coughing, and his face flushed an abnormal red from lack of oxygen, making his already weak body appear even thinner.

Yan Ruyu stepped forward, placed her fingertips on his wrist pulse, withdrew her hand after a moment, and said in a deep voice, "We rescued you not because Changxu pitied you, nor because we have any relationship with you, but simply because we have some questions to ask you."

Liu Zian's cough gradually stopped, but he was breathing heavily, and his eyes flickered unconsciously.

He had long since lost his previous arrogance and quickly looked at Yan Ruyu, his tone tinged with urgency: "What does Your Highness want to ask? As long as I know it, I will tell you everything without hesitation and will not dare to hide anything."

Seeing that his attitude had finally softened and was no longer as harsh and resistant as before, Yan Ruyu's expression also softened a little.

She turned to Huo Changxu and said, "Changxu, you must be tired from your journey. Go back to your room and rest."

I'm keeping watch here. If you don't want to come back, then you don't need to.

Huo Changxu glanced at Liu Zian, who was sitting on the couch with his head down and no words in his eyes. His coldness had not diminished, but he still nodded: "Okay, sister-in-law, please send someone to call me anytime if you need anything."

After saying that, he turned and walked towards the door without the slightest hesitation.

The door was gently closed, leaving only Yan Ruyu, Liu Zian, and Yin Ding guarding outside the door.

Yan Ruyu pulled up a chair and sat down on the edge of the couch, tapping her fingertips lightly on the edge of the couch before getting straight to the point: "When did your symptoms of excessive sleepiness and lethargy begin? Besides the academy and dormitory, where else have you been during this time?"

Liu Zian dared not delay and quickly focused his mind to recall, his brows furrowing slightly, his tone carrying a hint of uncertainty: "It was probably... probably about half a month ago."

At first, I just felt sleepy after reading for a long time, but it got worse and worse. Sometimes I would even fall asleep in class, and my teacher criticized me by name a few times.

He paused, carefully recounting his whereabouts: "Apart from the academy and dormitory, I spend most of my time reading in bookstores or quiet places in the city."

I once went to Baixing Teahouse and drank tea there.

Then I went to Yishengtang and had their medicinal cuisine. I was just passing by when the shopkeeper stopped me and said they had recently launched a new line of health-promoting medicinal dishes, offering free samples. I figured I had nothing else to do, so I went in and tried it.

"Bai Xing Teahouse?" Yan Ruyu's heart stirred, and a hint of understanding flashed in her eyes.

"What specific medicinal diet did you eat?" Yan Ruyu pressed.

"It's just a bowl of nourishing herbal soup and a piece of steamed cake."

Liu Zian recalled: "The waiter said that the soup was made with a variety of precious medicinal herbs, which could refresh the mind and replenish the essence and qi. I tasted it and it was pretty good. It was sweet but not greasy, and the steamed cake was soft and glutinous."

As he spoke, a look of realization crossed his face: "Later, I felt that it did have some effect, so I would occasionally detour there, either to order a bowl of herbal soup or to buy a piece of steamed cake to take back. I went there about three or four times in total."

Yan Ruyu pondered to herself that Baixing Teahouse and Yishengtang Medicinal Cuisine must be inextricably linked.

She didn't speak, her fingertips gently stroking her sleeve as she fell into deep thought.

Seeing that she remained silent for a long time, Liu Zian felt a chill run down his spine, the feeling of near death still lingering in his mind.

He cautiously raised his eyes to look at Yan Ruyu's profile, his voice tinged with trepidation: "Your Highness, is...is there a problem?"

Yan Ruyu snapped out of her thoughts, looked at him, and asked noncommittally, "Where did you get the wine you drank yesterday? How much did you drink?"

When the wine was mentioned, Liu Zian lowered his head even further, his tone tinged with shame: "It was brought back from the street by a classmate from the academy a few days ago. He said it was ordinary rice wine and not very strong."

I did terribly in the last exam, and I was really upset, so I took it out and drank some—I think…I drank about half a bottle.”

As he spoke, he secretly glanced at Yan Ruyu's expression. Seeing that she was calm and did not seem to be blaming him, he breathed a sigh of relief.

After listening, Yan Ruyu didn't ask any more questions. She got up, straightened her skirt, and turned to leave.

"Your Highness!" Liu Zian called out to her hurriedly, his voice filled with urgency and fear, "Are you...are you leaving? Could you leave someone to watch over me? I...I don't want to die."

His voice trembled slightly; having survived a near-death experience, his fear of death had long since overshadowed all his pride.