107 Won't bother with him.

Watching the doctor staunch the bleeding of Duan Nanyu and dress his wounds, piles of white gauze lay scattered on the floor, all stained a deep, shocking red. Yun Xueyan pressed her trembling chest, struggling to breathe steadily.

Zihun stood nearby, frowning as he observed Duan Nanyu. As soon as the doctor rose, he hurriedly asked, “Doctor, how is the prince?”

Shaking his head, the doctor glanced once more at Duan Nanyu before sighing. “The situation isn’t good. Though the vital areas were spared, whether the prince will awaken depends entirely on whether he can pull through.”

Pull through? Yun Xueyan swayed slightly where she stood, panic rising in her voice as she asked, “Will he wake up? He will, right?”

“He might, but it also depends on the prince…” The doctor hesitated.

“Depends on what?” Yun Xueyan’s anxiety deepened, her mind a chaotic storm. She didn’t know whether to feel concern or resentment—she wasn’t even sure what she was doing.

“Whether the prince wants to wake up.” The doctor shook his head helplessly and walked away past her.

Whether he wants to wake? A surge of anger flared within her, scorching through her veins. Striding to the bedside, she glared fiercely at Duan Nanyu, as if she could tear him apart alive.

“Duan Nanyu!” she forced out a shout, her eyes wide open and unblinking as she stared at the figure lying there. “Get up! You still owe me—haven’t paid your debts! Do you think that if you die, I’ll stop hating you?”

The man on the bed lay pale and silent, neither frowning nor angry, not rising to glare coldly back at her. He was motionless, like a statue.

A rare stillness.

Clenching her fists, Yun Xueyan trembled as she looked at him, then turned away in fury. If he wouldn’t wake, then she wouldn’t stay here. Did he want her to watch him die? To make her feel guilty? Not a chance!

“Consort Yan.” Zihun called after her from behind. Taking a few steps forward, he stood before her, his expression void of emotion but suddenly pleading. “Could you… stay and care for the prince?”

Yun Xueyan regarded him with a softening gaze, confused. She never understood why Zihun was so devoted to Duan Nanyu, even when the prince had married Duan Ruir, yet Zihun remained by his side without complaint.

“Zihun, I don’t want to stay here. The Xiao Manor isn’t short of maids.” Her voice was faint, a bitter smile hidden beneath her words. He had said the same to her before.

Without another word, she turned and walked away.

Her steps light and airy, she returned to the Dawnlight Pavilion. Standing at the doorway of her room, she saw chaos inside—still untouched, the floor stained with pools of blood. The sight caught her eye, but she deliberately looked away, refusing to think, and stepped inside.

“Mother, why are you here?” Behind the table, Liu Yun was scrubbing the bloodstains from the floor, her whole body trembling.

Hearing the voice, Liu Yun quickly turned, seeing Yun Xueyan standing there covered in blood, her face pale. In a panic, she hurried over.

Her weathered face was streaked with tears as she looked her daughter up and down. “Yan’er, are you alright?” Relieved to find no injuries, she pulled Yun Xueyan into a tight embrace. “How could you attempt to assassinate the prince? What if something had happened to you? What would I do? Yan’er, why were you so foolish?”

Liu Yun’s cries pounded heavily against Yun Xueyan’s heart.

She tried to tell her mother that her child was gone—but she couldn’t.

She swallowed her sorrow and injustice, refusing to let her mother share in her pain.

“Mother, I’m fine. You should rest. The prince won’t blame you, don’t worry. If anything had truly happened, I wouldn’t be standing here now.” She forced calm into her voice, offering reassurance.

“Are you sure? Yan’er, don’t lie to me. What really happened between you and the prince?” Liu Yun pressed anxiously, unwilling to relax, fearing harm had come to her daughter.

“It was truly an accident tonight, not an assassination.” Seeing some trust return to Liu Yun’s eyes, Yun Xueyan forced a smile. “Mother, you should rest now. I’ll see you back.”

After escorting her mother to her room, Yun Xueyan returned to her own, tidied up, then sank heavily into the bed, closing her eyes as her mind swirled into chaos.