After the mind-reading and gossip-eating incident, officials in the imperial city were demoted one a

"Brother Crown Prince, I had someone buy some candied hawthorns. This one is for you. I told the nanny not to tell Auntie. Eat it quickly, it's very delicious."

Chen Jiaojiao lowered her voice, her eyes sparkling as she looked at the Crown Prince with anticipation, as if the string of candied hawthorns were some rare treasure.

"Candied hawthorn..."

The crown prince looked at the candied hawthorns and muttered to himself. In the eyes of the empress, this was something for lowly people, and the crown prince hesitated to reach out and take it.

"Brother Crown Prince, it's sweet and delicious. After I finish my medicine, my mother sometimes gives me one, and then my mouth won't taste bitter."

Looking at the bright and cheerful little girl in front of him, the prince reached out and took the girl, cautiously taking a bite.

"How is it? It's sweet, isn't it!"

The crown prince did not reply to her. As the crown prince, his every move was under scrutiny, and he was actually unhappy.

He appears aloof and superior, but is actually repressed inside. Many of the pleasures that ordinary children can easily enjoy are out of reach for him.

And this little candied hawthorn is like a magic key, opening the long-sealed door deep in his heart. His nature, which had been suppressed for many years, is slowly awakening like a new sprout breaking through the soil.

The prince's heart was touched by the young girl before him.

“Brother Crown Prince, Auntie asked me to keep an eye on you and to tell her everything you do. But don’t worry, Ajiao won’t tell Auntie about your affairs.”

"Silly Ajiao, if you disobey her, your mother will not show you any mercy."

Chen Jiaojiao shook her head dismissively and said with a grin:

"Don't worry, if Auntie wants to punish me, I'll just pretend to faint."

The Crown Prince's expression hardened, and he narrowed his eyes as he looked at Chen Jiaojiao, slowly speaking:

"Have you forgotten how Mimi died?"

Chen Jiaojiao's smile froze on her face, and a trace of sadness flashed in her eyes.

Her kitten died because the prince glanced at the kitten playing in the garden a few more times, his eyes showing a hint of affection.

Not long after, the kitten was found dead by the lake, and only then did she realize how terrible the palace was.

I have never kept a cat since then.

"It's alright, I'll improvise. I'll just make sure my aunt doesn't notice that half of it is true and half is false."

The prince gazed silently at the bright and beautiful girl before him, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

He slowly lowered his eyes, his thick eyelashes casting a shadow beneath his eyelids, subtly concealing the complex emotions in his eyes.

Aren't you afraid I... will use you?

"Brother Crown Prince, I'm afraid you won't take advantage of me!"

I've been taking medicine since I was a child, and I don't even know how long I'll live, so I'm no longer afraid of death.

I don't want to be a bedridden patient forever. Let me help you, Your Highness.

Chen Jiaojiao slightly raised her chin, her tone firm and composed, her eyes revealing a fearlessness in the face of life and death.

"I knew our fates would be intertwined as soon as I entered the palace. It's all worth it for Ajiao to help her brother, the Crown Prince."

"My elder brother, the Crown Prince, is like the sun; one day he will break through the shadows and rise high above."

Chen Jiaojiao met the Crown Prince's gaze frankly, her eyes full of sincerity.

His eyes were as clear as a spring, pure and without impurities, filled with trust and expectations for the Crown Prince.

"Ah Jiao, you are the true radiance."

"He is my own personal radiant sun," the prince thought to himself.

He was incredibly grateful that Chen Jiaojiao had appeared by his side, amidst the treacherous and unpredictable palace intrigue.

Deeply mired in the quagmire of power struggles, he was already physically and mentally exhausted. But the appearance of Chen Jiaojiao was like a ray of light suddenly shining in the darkness, dispelling the gloom in his heart and illuminating his tired and lonely soul.

"If Gillian stays by my side until we grow old, will you be willing?"

The Crown Prince took Chen Jiaojiao's hand, a gentle smile on his lips, and asked her.

"Of course I do."

Chen Jiaojiao's cheeks flushed slightly, making her look beautiful and charming. Her eyes were full of surprise and shyness as she nodded without hesitation.

Chen Jiaojiao became the Crown Princess. Despite being the Empress's niece, the Empress, out of her desire to control power and her suspicion of the situation, placed many palace maids around her, ostensibly to take care of her.

The Crown Prince was secretly building up his power, while Chen Jiaojiao, with her intelligence, feigned compliance with the Empress and helped the Crown Prince break free from her control.

A year passed, and the Empress gradually realized that the Crown Prince seemed to be slipping out of her control. Chen Jiaojiao was the Crown Prince's closest confidante, so she naturally became the object of her suspicion.

At this time, Chen Jiaojiao fell ill, and the Crown Prince was heartbroken. His usual calmness and composure vanished when faced with Chen Jiaojiao's illness. He devoted himself to Chen Jiaojiao and stayed by her bedside day and night.

The Crown Prince's neglect of state affairs displeased the Emperor. This action undoubtedly made the Emperor feel that the Crown Prince was too sentimental and unfit for important responsibilities.

The Empress keenly sensed the crisis and gradually began to think of getting rid of Chen Jiaojiao.

"Your Highness, the Emperor summons you."

A eunuch from the emperor's side came to deliver an imperial edict.

The crown prince frowned slightly, his face showing hesitation. Looking at the weak Chen Jiaojiao on the sickbed, he subconsciously wanted to refuse.

"What is it, Father? I am truly worried about the Crown Princess..."

Chen Jiaojiao moved her chapped lips slightly, enduring her physical discomfort, and forced a smile.

"Your Highness, matters of state are of utmost importance. Do not keep Father waiting. I will wait for your return."

As she spoke, she used the last bit of strength she had left to gently push the prince's hand.

The crown prince slowly rose and followed the eunuch away, turning back every few steps.

As soon as the Crown Prince left, the Empress's trusted nanny entered with two palace maids.

When Chen Jiaojiao saw the medicine being carried by the palace maid, an ominous premonition immediately welled up in her heart.

His bloodless face, like a shard of broken porcelain, was filled with despair.

A crystal tear slowly slid down her cheek. She wasn't afraid of death, but she couldn't bear to leave her prince brother.

"Your Highness, I have come to deliver your medicine on Her Majesty's orders."

The old woman bowed slightly, her tone respectful.

"Mother, did you say anything else?"

Chen Jiaojiao bit her lip, suppressing her inner sorrow, and struggled to sit up in bed. Her thin body looked frail and helpless on the large bed.

"Her Majesty says that the Crown Princess has influenced the Crown Prince. You know what to do!"

The old woman's voice remained unhurried, yet it was like a sharp knife, piercing straight into Chen Jiaojiao's heart.

She doesn't have many days left to live, so why is the Empress in such a hurry?

What will happen to her crown prince after she dies?

"Crown Prince, Crown Prince..."

Chen Jiaojiao murmured her beloved's name. She was not afraid of death, but the thought of being separated from her beloved Crown Prince brother forever made her feel as if a thousand needles were piercing her heart at the same time, and she could hardly breathe from the pain.

"Your Highness, the Crown Prince has neglected state affairs for your sake recently, which greatly displeases the Emperor. For the sake of the Crown Prince, please leave!"

The bowl of medicine was respectfully brought to Chen Jiaojiao by the palace maid.

Knowing that her body was nearing its end and that the two men could no longer tolerate her, Chen Jiaojiao had no choice but to resolutely drink the medicine.