The abstinent prince, practicing Buddhism, is seduced by a voluptuous beauty into breaking his vows.

A faint smell of medicine permeated Qingfeng Pavilion.

Su Qingrun sat leaning against the headboard, his face still pale, but his eyes were open, and he was slightly frowning as he listened to the imperial physician's whispered instructions. Hearing the noise, he turned his head.

Eyes facing each other.

Time seemed to stand still at that moment.

Su Yaoyao stood at the door, barefoot, her long hair untied, wearing only a thin nightgown, staring blankly at the person on the bed.

In the original owner's memory, there was a boy who always loved to pat her head, secretly give her candy, and say with a smile, "Good girl, when your brother comes back, no one will dare to bully you."

In her own memories... there was a emaciated man on the hospital bed who still forced a smile and said to her, "Don't cry, little sister, brother isn't in pain."

The two figures overlapped at this moment, eventually merging into the pale yet undeniably handsome face before us.

Four-year-old Yaoyao was being carried on her brother's back in the yard to look at the stars. Her brother said, "Yaoyao, don't be afraid, brother will be here when it gets dark."

Six-year-old Yaoyao was pushed into a pond by her half-sister. Her brother jumped in and pulled her out. Holding her, who was soaking wet, he said with red eyes, "Brother will protect you from now on."

Eight-year-old Yaoyao clung to her brother's clothes, crying and begging him not to leave. The teenager squatted down and wiped away her tears: "Yaoyao, be good. I'm going to the border to earn military merits and I'll come back to support you."

Then came the long years.

The original owner suffered countless grievances in the Marquis's mansion, yet in every letter he wrote, he only said, "Everything is fine." The boy grew into a general, but on countless nights, he remained silent, gazing towards the capital.

Now, he's back.

She opened her mouth, wanting to call out "Brother," but her throat felt like it was blocked by something, and she couldn't make a sound.

Su Qingrun stared in astonishment at the girl standing at the door.

After many years, the timid little girl I remembered has grown into such a radiant young woman.

But the moment her tears fell, he felt an overwhelming pang of heartache.

"Yaoyao..." he said, his voice hoarse and dry, yet carrying a familiar tenderness from his memory, "Come here."

Su Yaoyao walked over step by step to the bedside, lowered her head, and large tears fell down, landing on the back of her hand, burning hot.

Su Qingrun raised her uninjured hand and gently touched her cheek, her fingertips wiping away her tears, the movement clumsy yet tender:

"Why do you still cry so much, just like when you were a child?"

These words were like opening a floodgate.

Su Yaoyao suddenly rushed over, carefully avoiding his injuries, hugged him tightly, buried her face in his shoulder, and burst into tears.

It's like wanting to cry out all the grievances, fears, loneliness accumulated over the years, as well as the guilt and regrets from past lives that I never had a chance to express.

"Brother...brother..." she sobbed, her voice broken and intermittent, "I...I thought...you didn't want me anymore either..."

Su Qingrun froze.

He slowly raised his hand and gently patted her back, just like when he used to lull her to sleep as a child, patting her again and again.

"Silly girl," he said in a low, hoarse voice, his eyes reddening, "how could your brother abandon you?"

Su Yaoyao cried even harder.

Chun Tao and Jing Zhe stood outside the door, listening to the heart-wrenching cries inside, and wiped away their own tears. The imperial physician quietly withdrew, leaving the long-separated brother and sister alone.

"Okay, stop crying. When you cried as a child, I would try to comfort you with candy, but now... I don't have any candy on me."

He clumsily wiped away her tears.

"My Yaoyao...you've grown so much." His voice was hoarse, with a smile, but he was holding back tears. "The last time I saw you, you were only this tall."

He gestured to indicate chest height.

Su Yaoyao looked up at him, her eyes blurred with tears, "Brother... are you... in pain?"

Su Qingrun shook her head, "Brother doesn't hurt. Don't cry."

How could it not hurt? The poisoned arrow almost pierced through his chest. The imperial physician said that if it had been half an inch off, he would not have been saved.

But looking at his sister's red, swollen eyes from crying, he felt that the arrow wound in his heart was far less painful than seeing her cry now.

"Why did you come dressed so lightly?" Su Qingrun frowned, wanting to lift the blanket to cover her, but the movement aggravated her wound, and she groaned.

Su Yaoyao quickly pressed him down: "Don't move!"

Chun Tao came in at this moment, carrying a cloak, and quickly draped it over Su Yaoyao.

Su Qingrun then noticed the ambiguous red marks on her sister's neck and collarbone, and her eyes instantly darkened: "Who bullied you?"

His tone carried the ruthless, battle-hardened quality of his voice.

Su Yaoyao was taken aback, followed his gaze and looked down, her face flushing red.

She hurriedly pulled her cloak tighter, stammering, "N-no...it was...a mosquito bite..."

Su Qingrun stared at her for a long time, then glanced at the room, which was clearly not an ordinary guest room. Recalling what the imperial physician had said when she woke up, "in the East Palace," she had already guessed seven or eight parts of the truth.

He paused for a moment before asking in a low voice, "Is the Crown Prince... good to you?"

Su Yaoyao nodded, her ears burning: "Okay."

"That's good." Su Qingrun breathed a sigh of relief, leaning back against the pillows. Her face was still pale, but her eyes softened. "If he dares to treat you badly, I'll risk my life..."

"Brother!" Su Yaoyao interrupted him, tears welling up in her eyes again. "He's so good to me. Really."

Su Qingrun looked at the light in her eyes, the light that only appeared when she spoke of her beloved. He was silent for a moment, then finally sighed deeply and reached out to gently ruffle her hair.

"That's good……"

He paused, then added, his tone laced with resentment:

"Well... that kid got off easy."

The brother and sister sat there, one sitting and the other kneeling by the bed, and talked for a long time.

Su Qingrun asked her about her situation in the Marquis's mansion over the years, whether Aunt Liu had bullied her again, and about her father... When he mentioned her father, his tone turned noticeably colder.

Su Yaoyao answered them one by one. When talking about Aunt Liu's tricks, she spoke lightly, but when talking about how she fought back, she was full of energy.

Su Qingrun listened quietly, her eyes filled with heartache and pride.

His sister, in the end, did not grow up to be the timid and easily bullied person his mother had feared.

"Silly girl..." His voice choked with emotion, "Brother is back. From now on, brother will protect you."

"Mmm." Su Yaoyao nodded vigorously, tears falling again, but she smiled, "Brother, you need to get better soon too."

The sunlight outside the window was just right, streaming in through the curtains and enveloping the brother and sister in a warm glow.

Ten years of separation, separated by mountains and seas.

But those who are connected by blood will eventually reunite.

Just like when spring arrives, flowers will always bloom.

Meanwhile, Xiao Chenyuan, who had returned from court sometime earlier, stood quietly under the corridor outside Qingfeng Pavilion, without going in to disturb them.

Hearing the suppressed yet warm sobs and whispers coming from inside the house, he struggled to suppress the urge to rush in and embrace her.

Ling Feng asked in a low voice, "Isn't Your Highness going in?"

Xiao Chenyuan shook his head: "Let the siblings talk for a while longer."

He turned around and whispered, "Go and fetch that century-old ginseng from the storeroom to nourish General Su. Also... go to the Grand Tutor's residence and tell him that he's awake, and that Lord Jiang can rest assured."

"Yes."

Xiao Chenyuan glanced back at the closed door, a hint of tenderness flashing in his eyes.

Her brother woke up.

She has gained another powerful backer.

very nice.