“Weren’t you the first to experiment on yourself?” Xi Linxuan countered.
“How can it be the same? Your Highness is of noble birth. If something were to happen…”
Today, Xi Linxuan seemed particularly inclined to interrupt her.
“In the end, you’re confident in yourself but not in me. Wei Lindxia, aren’t you going to bring the mysterious needle?” he added.
This was a day she had long anticipated, but now that it had arrived, she felt anxious about the potential consequences for the Wei family.
Holding the needle bag, Wei Lindxia took a deep breath and pushed the door open. A thick screen had been set up, and Xi Linxuan sat calmly in his wheelchair. Wei Lindxia gripped the needle bag tighter, her heart racing.
“You should trust me,” Xi Linxuan said, smiling.
Whether to trust him or not was moot now. He wouldn’t joke about his own body. Wei Lindxia solemnly placed the needle bag in his hands. Xi Linxuan’s smile widened: “Wei Lindxia, you don’t need to look so grave!”
A eunuch pushed Xi Linxuan behind the screen, and a palace maid brought Wei Lindxia a chair and a book. The rustling sounds from behind the screen soon stopped.
Wei Lindxia could see nothing and could only fold her hands, silently praying that nothing would go wrong.
Time passed slowly. She glanced at the copper water clock, feeling anxious, standing up and sitting down, trying to see through the screen.
“Wei Lindxia, if you can’t sit still, you can go out for a walk and come back later,” Xi Linxuan’s calm voice came from behind the screen.
“No need. I feel more at ease staying here,” she replied, her earlier nervousness fading as she settled more steadily.
“Thank you for the lotus pod that day,” Xi Linxuan said.
“Ah? It’s nothing,” Wei Lindxia responded, puzzled by the mention of the lotus pod again.
“With so many servants, why pick it yourself? The autumn water is cold. If you catch a chill, it’s no joke,” Xi Linxuan continued.
Wei Lindxia blinked in surprise. How did he know? She thought it must have been leaked by her maid.
“It’s fine now,” she said, neither confirming nor denying his words.
