"Why do you work with this second prince when you know what he does is wrong?" Lin Ning asked. She couldn't find the strength to get up, facing down at her legs.

"..." Tai Yuqing leaned back against the wall, staring up to the bright morning while thinking about everything. "I never had a purpose to not work for him. Rather, I never really had any purpose or control over my life. I've always taken orders and never complained other than trying to lead him from right and wrong, but as you can see, it doesn't work. I'm quite useless here." He told her.

Lin Ning shook her head, "Everyone has a purpose in life. They have to find it for themselves, not let another decide for them." Lin Ning remained quiet after that. 'Everyone has to be safe. Don't come for me.' Begging deep in her heart that they would not come and get in harm's way. 'Everything was because of me.' Letting her head rest against the bed, she thought of Cao Peizhi, wishing to be in his arms. 'I miss you so much. How long will we be apart from each other?'

***

Chun Yunchen had been thinking about something that continued to bother him when he took hold of Lin Ning's wrist before they had separated. 'What kind of pulse was that???' Trying his best to think of his training when he tried to be a doctor before. 'I've felt the pulse before, but I can't recall it.'

"Is something bothering you?" Yi Changpu had checked up on Chun Yunchen, noticing that he was almost better after a week of rest.

Chun Yunchen sat down on his bed in the tent; he did not even notice when Yi Changpu came in. Unsure of how to tell him, he had let out a heavy sigh. "Somethings been bothering me ever since I parted with Ning."

"Was she hurt as well?" Yi Changpu worried that if it got to Cao Peizhi's ears, he would surely not settle down so easily.

"No. Not that." Chun Yunchen held his head, trying his best to make it click in his head. "Something about her pulse was just... not right."

"Don't overthink it. It's probably not something to worry about. Just worry about getting better." Yi Changpu wanted him to worry less. "I'll be going to check up on Meili." Just before he could leave through the entrance. "Thank you for saving Meili." He thanked Chun Yunchen before leaving.

Chun Yunchen didn't even say anything, but he knew that this was still just the beginning of everything. 'You shouldn't thank me yet. This is just the beginning. We do not know what will happen in the future.' Thinking about it, he then noticed the prosthetic arm limb in his tent that he had never completed. Thinking about Lin Ning, he knew that if there were anyone who could save her, it would be Cao Peizhi. 'Let's not rest anymore. We have to finish what we started.' Getting out of bed, he gathered all the things he had bought that time that lay in his tent. Putting everything on the table, a scroll had fallen, and he glanced at it. He couldn't recall what he had drawn in it, but he opened it to look. Staring down at the paper, tears could be seen falling as they hit the paper. Leaving tiny water drops that would be left on the paper. "Mei Mei..." He said out, staring down at the design of a prosthetic that he was planning to make for her. Recalling memories of Mei Mei, who protected him without hesitation. Closing the scroll, he had wiped the tears away and turned to the previous project. 'Can't stop and cry. I have to continue.'

***

Sitting down outside, Lin Ning was at the pavilion surrounded by a body of water with water lotus grown around. Lin Ning could not escape anywhere; she had her blindfold on once more and noticed that many guards and shadow guards around that kept an eye on her. 'They all belong to the second prince.' There was only one who always stood by her side since the second prince specifically assigned him to keep an eye on her. "Tai Yuqing, you belong to the second prince. Why does he want you to stay with me?" Lin Ning was curious to know why Tai Yuqing was with her for the past week that she had been there. She had denied eating for some time when Tai Yuqing kept urging her to eat.

"The second prince is meeting with a few people. He wants me to remain here to watch over you since he assumes that you are unpredictable." Tai Yuqing told her while standing next to her.

Lin Ning felt that there was some lack of communication between Tai Yuqing and the Second Prince. 'It seems more like the second prince doesn't trust you.'

Tai Yuqing glanced down at Lin Ning with a reasonable assumption about what she thought since most would feel the same. "The second prince does not trust me." He was willing to tell her without hesitation.

"He doesn't trust you? Don't most guards like you who grew up with the prince end up trusting each other?" Lin Ning was a little confused about why the second prince and Tai Yuqing held no trust in each other.

"That's how it is for each prince and guard, but it's different for us." Tai Yuqing had a look on his face as if he wanted to tell her, but at the same time, he didn't.

Lin Ning wanted to know more about why their relationship was so distant. "You don't have to tell me. When you feel like you can, I will be willing to listen. I will assume that it is some status thing between you both." Lin Ning took a peeled orange that was on the plate.

Tai Yuqing was surprised to hear that from Lin Ning since every woman who stood by the second prince's or tried to get to know the second prince better always persisted in learning, even the second princess consort. 'Strange woman.' He held the thought. Noticing the second prince making his way over to them. "Greetings, a second prince." He bowed to the second prince who had shown up.

The second prince gestured with his hand to have Tai Yuqing stand aside. "Ning, are you enjoying the pavilion?" The second prince sat down next to Lin Ning, who clenched her jaw.

"Second Prince, what brings you here to bother me?" Lin Ning never spoke to the second prince within the week she had been there.