Making you a son-in-law is not about making you conquer the world.

"Princess, your medicine..." a palace maid said, pinching her nose, and hurriedly slipped away after putting down the pills.

She not only pinched her nose, but also wore thick clothes all over her body, with several layers of cotton cloth covering her face, and held her breath completely when she got close to Xia Linglong.

She was filled with despair after another palace maid died of illness.

The epidemic ravaged her heart like a demon.

If it weren't for the heavy guards outside her palace, she would have fled long ago.

Compared to her status as a palace maid, survival was the most important thing.

Even Xia Linglong, who had the help of imperial physicians, could not recover, let alone those who had no money for medical treatment.

If one were to contract the disease, death would be inevitable.

Xia Linglong lay on the bed, barely alive, with a persistent high fever. She knew the medicine was useless for her condition, and she kept her eyes closed.

She could hear the palace maids hurriedly running away, but she showed no sign of reprimand.

Everyone has the right to live, and even a princess cannot be deprived of that right.

"Get out of here. You don't need to bring me medicine anymore." Xia Linglong said weakly as she heard the footsteps return.

She didn't want to speak, but the palace maid's return moved her.

Perhaps this was the only thing she could do in her final moments.

When Lin Ping saw the emaciated figure on the bed, his heart was already shattered. After hearing that pale and powerless voice, his heart turned to dust.

Is this still the same ruthless commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard?

Is this still the same high and mighty princess?

Illness strikes like a landslide; even the mighty King of Heaven appears insignificant before the ravages of disease, let alone Xia Linglong, who is already a fragile young woman.

Lin Ping carefully lifted Xia Linglong's face with both hands. Her pale face was devoid of any color, making her look decades older and even somewhat ferocious.

He was deeply saddened, not only by Xia Linglong's plight but also by his own heartlessness.

He completely disregarded Xia Linglong's feelings in order to fabricate a crime based on subjective assumptions.

Why was Xia Linglong the only one in the vast palace to contract the plague? It was because her grief weakened her immune system, giving the virus an opportunity to spread.

Xia Linglong felt the warmth of the large hands and mistook them for the palace maid from before. She said to herself with a self-deprecating smile, "Everyone else treats me like a plague, but only you dare to get so close."

When a person's body is at its most vulnerable, their heart is also at its most vulnerable, and even the slightest感动 (moving moment) can be remembered.

Even if the person who came was just that little palace maid, it would still be the best comfort for Xia Linglong before her death.

"Sorry, I am late."

Lin Ping's voice was clearly twitching; he wished he could slap himself twice.

The voice that haunted her dreams struck Xia Linglong's heart. She suddenly opened her eyes and saw that most familiar face.

"It's all my fault. I replaced Miss Zhou without discussing it with you."

"It was my fault that Miss Zhou was injured and almost lost her life."

"Could you... forgive me this time? I am willing to visit Miss Zhou in person to apologize."

Xia Linglong spoke in the most humble voice, even trying to sit up from the hospital bed to formally apologize to him.

At this moment, Lin Ping's heart was completely broken.

At this moment, she was on the verge of death, and every word she uttered was a drain on her life force.

All of this is thanks to Lin Ping; she should harbor resentment.

However, the first thing Lin Ping did when he met him was to apologize.

In her opinion, this apology was more important than life itself; she felt that she had done something wrong and almost caused Zhou Xiyin to lose her life.

Lin Ping's ruthlessness was to be expected.

If she had any last wish before she died, it was perhaps to apologize to Lin Ping.

"Come to apologize? In your current state, how can you possibly apologize?" Lin Ping laid her haggard body flat on the bed and replied, both amused and exasperated.

"I will apologize to Miss Zhou once I recover."

Xia Linglong persisted, her temperament was just like a child's.

"Since that's the case, then you'd better obediently accept the treatment," Lin Ping said in a commanding tone.

He roughly understood Xia Linglong's situation; she was on the verge of death, clinging to life entirely by sheer willpower.

If Lin Ping accepts her apology, perhaps she really won't be able to hold on any longer.

"Oh..." Xia Linglong responded obediently, and then stopped talking.

There is no greater sorrow than a broken heart. Before Lin Ping appeared, she truly had no desire to live.

He didn't even cooperate properly with the imperial physicians' treatment, otherwise he wouldn't have become so seriously ill.

Lin Ping had Xia Linglong lie face down on the bed, first lifting the quilt, then carefully unbuttoning her clothes...

Xia Linglong unconsciously uttered a soft "Yingning," a slight blush creeping onto her pale face.

She didn't know what Lin Ping was going to do, but she didn't resist.

"Your body temperature is too high, you need to use physical methods to reduce the fever," Lin Ping explained after helping her take off her shirt.

Looking at that smooth and jade-like back, Lin Ping swallowed hard. He was a man full of vigor, and it would be a lie to say that he felt nothing at all.

"Oh..." Xia Linglong replied with a pout.

She believed that Lin Ping was single-minded and simply wanted to cure her illness.

However, even if Lin Ping had other ideas, she wouldn't refuse.

Next, Lin Ping took out the alcohol he had prepared earlier from the medicine box and used cotton balls soaked in alcohol to wipe her beautiful back.

Xia Linglong already had a persistent high fever, and coupled with her current shyness, her whole body felt like a small furnace. Suddenly being touched by the cold alcohol, her entire body trembled involuntarily.

"Ah!" A melodious, sweet voice escaped her lips, leaving Lin Ping somewhat dazed.

This skin is way too sensitive! It makes this sound even when an alcohol swab touches it; what would happen if... well, you know?

Lin Ping tried to stay calm, first closing his eyes and then plugging his ears with cotton.

With his vision obstructed, Lin Ping couldn't help but grope around on Xia Linglong's beautiful back. Even when Xia Linglong made a couple of resistant "humming" sounds, they didn't reach Lin Ping's ears.

The cotton balls are really good at soundproofing.

The whole sequence of movements lasted a long time, and Lin Ping only stopped after the temperature of Xia Linglong's beautiful back had dropped.

But this final exploration only made Xia Linglong run around wildly.

She had every reason to doubt Lin Ping's original intention in treating her illness.

"Alright." Lin Ping opened his eyes with a sigh of relief, only to be captivated once again.

"Could you... step outside for a moment?" Xia Linglong said sweetly.

Even if she had feelings for Lin Ping, she couldn't let him see her naked at this moment.

Their relationship doesn't seem to have progressed to that point yet, and they haven't even reconciled.

Lin Ping then realized how unreasonable he had been, and hurriedly ran out of the room. It was a long time before he heard Xia Linglong's invitation.

"I'm really coming in now." Lin Ping covered his eyes with his hands, pretending to be reserved as he walked up to Xia Linglong. He only opened his eyes open openly after seeing her dressed through the gaps between his fingers.