Reunion, Save One Life and Take Another

After a full day on the road, Prince Nolan and Serena Feng arrived at a small town not far from the Capital just before sunset and checked into a local inn.

The two of them didn’t argue over whether to take one room or two, but once inside, they started bickering about who would sleep on the floor and who would take the bed.

Serena said, "You’re a prince—how could you possibly sleep on the floor? I’ll take the floor, it’s fine. I’ve slept there before, I’m used to it."

"You’re a woman. I’m not shameless enough to let a woman sleep on the floor. You take the bed," Prince Nolan replied.

"So what if I’m a woman? If I were one of your maids, I’d have to sleep on the floor anyway," Serena retorted, refusing to give in.

Prince Nolan refused to back down: "I don’t use maids, so that’s not an issue. You’re sleeping on the bed—don’t make me angry."

"No, you take the bed. You’re spoiled, you’re not used to sleeping on the floor. What if you catch a cold?" Serena argued.

Prince Nolan replied, "I’m not that delicate. Anyway, no matter what you say, I won’t let you sleep on the floor. Since you won’t let me sleep there, then we’ll share the bed—it’s big enough for both of us."

Serena refused without hesitation: "No way. Absolutely not sharing a bed. I said three months and I meant it—this is a matter of principle, sacred and unbreakable. Not even you, Prince Nolan."

Prince Nolan’s face darkened: "..."

Serena hurried over, trying to placate him: "Alright, alright, don’t be mad. If you want to sleep on the floor, go ahead—I won’t stop you. I’ll even lay out fresh bedding for you, so you won’t catch a cold even if you do sleep on the floor."

He looked up at the sky in exasperation.

When did I ever want to sleep on the floor? Clearly, you’re the one not letting me have the bed.

And so... for the next ten days or so, Prince Nolan kept sleeping on the floor—because he refused to request another room.

When the Emperor received word of this, he sighed, "My Ninth Brother really is a lovesick fool," and tossed the report aside, paying it no further mind.

The Emperor was far too busy anyway—he had no time for trivial matters like Prince Nolan’s sleeping arrangements.

Even though Serena kept assuring him that he wouldn’t catch cold sleeping on the floor, after ten days of it, Prince Nolan inevitably came down with a chill. So... the group had to stop and wait for him to recover.

This news also reached the Emperor’s desk immediately. He glanced at it and ignored it—after all, a mere cold wasn’t going to kill Prince Nolan.

Prince Nolan needed a proper place to recover, but the town they stopped in was just a small county seat, and the inn was extremely shabby. He could tolerate it for one night, but absolutely refused to recuperate there—the inn was simply too filthy.

For the sake of Prince Nolan’s health, Serena had someone take the Ninth Royal Uncle’s Command Token and requisitioned the county magistrate’s private residence—a remote little courtyard. It was still simple, but much better than the inn.

Prince Nolan reluctantly agreed, so the group stayed at the magistrate’s residence, claiming it was for his recovery and refusing all visitors.

Because they’d been rushing nonstop, Prince Nolan hadn’t had proper care, and his illness kept recurring. The county was short on good medicine, so he didn’t get any better—or so the Emperor was told.

In reality, on the very night Prince Nolan and Serena moved into the magistrate’s residence, the two of them slipped away under cover of darkness, switched to a river route, and headed toward Jiangnan to meet the Crown Prince.

Unluckily for the Emperor, Prince Nolan and Serena managed to escape right under his nose, yet the reports he received still claimed Nolan was recovering in the magistrate’s residence.

On an inconspicuous river boat, a woman in a sky-blue dress stood alone at the bow. The deck was empty; she was utterly alone, radiating a quiet, tranquil aura as she gazed into the distance.

A gentle breeze blew past, making her sky-blue skirt flutter and her long black hair stream behind her. The green hills and clear water behind her created the perfect backdrop—seen from afar, she looked as if she were surrounded by mountains and embraced by rivers.

Prince Nolan emerged from the cabin and saw Serena standing in the wind, hands clasped behind her back and face calm, as if deep in thought.

"Worried about the Crown Prince’s condition?" Prince Nolan walked over and stood beside Serena, both of them taking in the green hills and rivers together.

"Yes. I was never that confident about treating the Crown Prince’s illness to begin with, and this time you arranged everything so suddenly—I didn’t have any time to prepare at all." Serena didn’t move, still gazing into the distance.

Before they set out, she hadn’t known that Prince Nolan’s urgent trip to Shandong was actually a detour to Jiangnan to treat the Crown Prince. She’d been thrown into battle with no warning.

"Don’t worry too much. Just do your best with the Crown Prince’s illness. If he dies in Jiangnan, no one will suspect you." Prince Nolan took Serena’s hand, comforting her.

He’d gone to great lengths—sleeping on the floor, pretending to be sick—all to keep anyone from realizing Serena was going to treat the Crown Prince.

This way, whether the Crown Prince lived or died, it wouldn’t be Serena’s concern. If she cured him, she wouldn’t become a target for the Emperor or Adrian Dongling; if she failed, she wouldn’t face revenge from the Crown Prince’s faction.

"How could I not worry?" Serena frowned slightly. Losing a patient on the operating table was never something a doctor could feel good about, and the Crown Prince’s illness was truly difficult to treat.

"Prince Nolan, didn’t the imperial physicians say the Crown Prince’s melancholy was gone and he could live two more years? Why the rush to have me treat him now, with no preparation? That’s not good for his condition."

Serena knew Prince Nolan had arranged everything, but she still hesitated. She’d examined the Crown Prince’s heart condition—it was already critical. The best solution was a transplant, but to give him a new heart meant taking one from a living person, and that was something she simply couldn’t do.

She couldn’t save one life by taking another—not even for the Crown Prince. Killing in battle didn’t trouble her, but harvesting organs from a living person filled her with guilt. She simply couldn’t bring herself to do it.

"The two-year prognosis was just for the Emperor’s ears. The Crown Prince’s health is actually dire—the imperial physicians estimate he has at most three months left." If that weren’t the case, Nolan wouldn’t have rushed to Shandong and faked illness to bring Serena to Jiangnan.

The Crown Prince didn’t have long to live. Serena’s trip was a last-ditch effort—if she succeeded, everyone would rejoice; if not, they would make sure his death served a purpose.

"Three months? You must be joking! When I saw him before, he didn’t look like someone about to die." Serena couldn’t help raising her voice.

Did Prince Nolan think she was some kind of miracle worker? With only three months left, how was she supposed to save him?

"The imperial physicians say the Crown Prince suffered extreme joy and grief, and his heart disease relapsed. He may look fine, but his heart can’t take it anymore. Serena, I know how hard this is for you. Just do your best—whether the Crown Prince lives or dies, it’s not your responsibility." Prince Nolan patted her shoulder, trying to reassure her.

Serena knew she had no choice.

She exhaled deeply, closed her eyes, and nodded hard: "I’ll do my best for the Crown Prince, but don’t get your hopes up. You’d better make other arrangements."

Prince Nolan didn’t say a word. He kept his hand on Serena’s shoulder and gently pulled her into his arms...

Whatever storms lay ahead, they would face them together!