I traveled through the Cretaceous period and farmed with the ever-changing dog egg.

"I told you not to be lazy, I told you not to be lazy..."

Lin Chaoyan hadn't intended to meddle, but the sound of the whipping made her uncomfortable, especially seeing the boy lying motionless on the ground, his flesh mangled and bloody. She frowned, unsure of how to intervene.

"Why is Eunuch Gao beating him like this? He's already stopped moving, and if you keep hitting him, he'll die!"

Oh no, they actually came here to take a shortcut. Gao Qiu knew perfectly well that his little ancestor wanted to save someone, so he walked in with his head held high.

"Stop!"

Upon hearing the voice, the man first sized up the newcomer, then immediately began to bow and scrape obsequiously.

"What wind blew you here, sir? What did you need to personally deliver?" From beginning to end, he didn't take Lin Chaoyan behind him seriously, treating her only as a servant who had made a mistake.

Lin Chaoyan picked up the wooden sign from the ground and handed it to the boy on the ground.

Is it yours?

The young man looked at the clean shoes before him, the craftsmanship of which was superb. Although the skirt was plain, it was embroidered with subtle patterns in gold thread. She was definitely not a slave girl who had been punished.

When those long, slender, fair hands handed him his mother's belongings, he looked up in disbelief.

One glance, just one glance, and he thought he had been beaten to death and had seen a fairy. Her smile was so beautiful, like the warm winter sun, that it warmed his heart at that moment.

But the next moment he immediately lowered his head, feeling that looking at her even once more would be a desecration.

"This servant thanks you, Your Excellency."

"Guards, take this lowly servant away immediately!" With that, he lashed out with a whip. Lin Chaoyan dodged it with no difficulty, but the young man in front of her immediately stood up and blocked her way.

The boy groaned as he was whipped, nearly falling to the ground. The barbed whip lashed back, grazing her shoulder with its momentum. With a ripping sound from the fabric, his arm was instantly stained red.

"You dog of a servant, how dare you!" Gao Qiu was so frightened that he lost his mind. He stumbled over and, seeing so much blood, hurriedly called for the imperial physician.

Lin Chaoyan clutched her shoulder, her face pale. It wasn't that the injury was serious, but she was afraid that her secret would be exposed. How could she call the imperial physician? She quickly stopped Gao Qiu from calling the imperial physician.

"Eunuch Gao, no need to call the imperial physician! Take him and let's go back quickly." This wound should heal overnight. We can't expose it!

"Guards, take this scoundrel who openly attacked his master away and await further instructions."

After saying that, he threw the sign at the boy on the ground, then helped Lin Chaoyan turn around and leave.

Xianyang Palace? Your Majesty? The young man gripped the token tightly, his whole body trembling with excitement. He couldn't bear to see that goddess-like woman injured, but he never expected to encounter such a predicament.

At that moment, Ying Zheng had just finished court and was walking towards Xianyang Palace with a gloomy face, furious. The two men on the other side were also hurrying along and were almost at Xianyang Palace when, unfortunately, they arrived at the palace!

“Ayan,”

The moment Ying Zheng saw that face appear, most of his anger and frustration subsided. Then he saw the glaring scarlet on her shoulder, and his face immediately darkened.

"Who hurt this?"

He picked up Lin Chaoyan around the waist and carried her straight to the inner hall.

"Put me down! It's my shoulder that's injured, not my leg. What if someone sees this?!" You're the boss! You old ancestor! If I get famous, I'll fight you to the death.

He was so angry he wanted to kill someone; he had no mind to argue with Lin Chaoyan about these things.

"Imperial Physician! Call the Imperial Physician!"

"No! We can't summon the imperial physician." Lin Chaoyan quickly grabbed Ying Zheng's arm, the blood on her hand stinging his eyes.

"Don't be afraid, Ayan! Search secretly, no one will know!" He hated himself for being so incompetent that he had to do this in secret.

"No, I don't need the imperial physician, and I can't see the imperial physician. Ah Zheng, have everyone leave first. I'll talk to you then!" Each injury heals faster; it might heal in less than two hours.

Faced with the anxious and flustered gaze of his beloved, Ying Zheng ultimately chose to give in to her.

"You all go outside and wait!"

"No~"

Watching everyone leave, Lin Chaoyan grinned and ripped open her collar, revealing her right shoulder. Ying Zheng's ears turned bright red, and he instinctively looked away.

"Ah, Ah Yan, you're injured, it's not the right time for us~ I'm not ready yet~"

He was shyly fidgeting there, leaving Lin Chaoyan speechless. No, brother! What do you need to prepare just to check a wound?

"What nonsense are you talking about? I'm only showing you this because you have a wound. What do you mean it's not the right time? If you don't want to see it, then don't."

A hint of disappointment flashed in the shy boy's eyes, but when he looked up, he saw nothing. He picked up a handkerchief from the side and began to wipe Lin Chaoyan's wounds.

"Look, I see!"

After wiping away the bloodstains, he noticed something strange: the wound was still very gruesome, especially under the originally fair and delicate skin, which looked even more terrifying and grotesque.

"Ayan, your wound is healing quickly!"

Yes, although it's not as exaggerated as in TV dramas, it's still visible to the naked eye if you look closely.

"Yes! You know I'm immortal, this wound won't heal for long. It'll heal even faster in the future. No one else can know!"

Seeing the pensive look on the boy's face made Lin Chaoyan want to talk to him about retiring from the world, since she couldn't afford to gamble with it.

"I understand, Ayan. You must remember never to get hurt in front of others again. I think I'll arrange for a palace servant who knows kung fu to take care of you."

He dared not imagine that if people knew, she would be devoured alive by their desires! Ying Zheng carefully bandaged Lin Chaoyan's wounds and then went out to instruct the palace servants to help her change her clothes.

Outside, Gao Qiu was already kneeling on the ground, begging for forgiveness.

"Tell me! Who hurt Ayan?"

You could tell from his voice that Ying Zheng was trying his best to suppress his anger. His eyes were cold and stern, with a hint of malice flashing in them as he stared coldly at the people kneeling below.

"Your Majesty, it is Chen, the chief steward of the Hidden Palace."

"The Hidden Palace? Why would Ayan go there for no reason?" That filthy place full of sinners—Ayan wasn't familiar with the palace. Even if she wanted to relax, she wouldn't go to such a remote place. Ying Zheng felt there must be something more to it!

"Your Majesty, everything I said is true. When Miss Lin woke up this morning, she suddenly became very panicked. I couldn't stop her from running out. Along the way, she asked Xiyan about everything she saw, as if she was looking for something."

By a twist of fate, she ended up at the training ground and was dragged into a contest by General Wang Ben, only to be slapped away by Miss Lin. On her way back to the palace, she passed by the Hidden Palace and saw a criminal being punished. Miss Lin, being kind-hearted…”

She slapped General Wang away, only to be injured by a servant from the Hidden Palace? Just as Ying Zheng was about to press for more information, Lin Chaoyan came out after changing her clothes.

"Why is Eunuch Gao kneeling?"

Seeing that someone was being punished because of her, Lin Chaoyan immediately spoke up to explain, "Azheng, this has nothing to do with him. I ran out on my own and got lost. I asked him to take me the shortcut. He's so old and he's already gone through so much trouble because of me."

“Miss Lin, these are the palace rules! Don’t let the King be disheartened.” Ying Zheng’s personal attendant hurriedly explained to Lin Chaoyan.

In the past, Ying Zheng would always soften his heart whenever she spoke, but not this time. He simply walked over and pulled Lin Chaoyan to sit beside him.

“Ayan, you are the master, and he is the servant. What use is a servant if he cannot protect his master?”

Lin Chaoyan looked at the young man before her, then glanced at the kneeling old man below. Master?

“Who do you think I am? Ah Zheng, his hair is all white, what ability does he have to protect me?”

After speaking, seeing Ying Zheng's serious expression, Lin Chaoyan's voice became even softer due to her guilt.

"I'm sorry, Zheng! Thank you for standing up for me. I didn't mean to make you a bad person. I just didn't want innocent people to be punished because of me."

These words caught Ying Zheng off guard, but he quickly understood, his gaze softening and a barely perceptible smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.

"Eunuch Chen,"

"This servant understands,"

The two reached a consensus in a brief exchange of words, and Eunuch Chen led Eunuch Gao off the ground. The two disappeared around the corner.

"Serve the meal,"

The meal was incredibly stressful; it was the first time she'd ever been afraid to stay there, worried that she might inadvertently implicate those around her. Although Lin Chaoyan had been cautious before, this feeling of walking on thin ice was unlike anything she'd ever experienced.

There were nearly twenty dishes, a mix of meat and vegetables, and the cooked dishes weren't bad. However, they didn't suit her taste, and she only ate a few bites before stopping.

The palace servant who was serving the dishes was startled; he was afraid of Lin Chaoyan, but he was even more afraid.

"What did I do wrong?" Why is he shaking? Does he think I'll kill him if I don't eat?

Under his fierce gaze, everyone retreated, leaving only the two of them in the hall. Lin Chaoyan's sudden cautiousness pained Ying Zheng, who was very afraid that she would hate this place and run away.

"Is it not to your liking? Ah Yan, you slept for so long, and you were injured when you just woke up. She didn't take good care of you during that time, and now you're not eating properly. Your body can't take it."

She? Ah Zheng, have you seen Xi Yan? "Ah Zheng, have you seen Xi Yan? Where did she go? We watched the sunset together, but when I woke up, my sister was gone."