Therefore, he did not intend to claim credit with Feng Jinyao for this.
But Feng Jinyao felt a pang of heartache, and for the first time, she felt that someone was so open with their feelings towards her, which was incredibly comforting.
Just then, Yang Zhao walked in, and seeing Feng Jinyao awake, they were also very happy.
"Third Miss is awake?"
"Yes, Uncle Shou gave me a medicine box earlier, containing many medicines for external wounds. If you can find it, General Yang, please fetch it for me. I want to re-bandage the Prince's wounds."
As soon as she said this, let alone Yang Zhao, even Xiao Tingyi was a little stunned.
Ever since he had declared his feelings, Feng Jinyao had always refused and avoided him, with any occasional emotions being mostly resignation.
This was the first time she had paid attention to Xiao Tingyi.
Yang Zhao was overjoyed that his Prince had finally seen the dawn after the clouds, and immediately responded.
"The medicine box is in the tent next door. Miss Yunxu stored it very well, so it was brought over when we rescued you. I'll go get it now!"
He quickly trotted to the adjacent tent and brought over the medicine box.
Upon opening it, it was indeed complete.
Having been by Prince Ding's side for many years, he was quite familiar with the medicines of the divine physician Zhang, so he immediately found the medicine for external wounds and handed it to Feng Jinyao.
Xiao Tingyi, however, felt it was inappropriate.
"You've only just woken up, don't tire yourself. I'll clean it myself later."
"It's fine, I feel much better after taking the medicine."
She was truly fine, and after taking the medicine and talking for a while, her spirits had recovered considerably.
"Fingers are connected to the heart. If not treated properly, it will cause problems later on."
Her tone was light, but it was this ordinary manner of speaking that deeply moved Xiao Tingyi. He reached out and propped up the pillow behind her, placing it behind her.
He then glanced at Yang Zhao. He had originally wanted to watch the Prince and his future Princess being affectionate, but he was startled away by the Prince's gaze.
Before leaving, he did not forget to pull the tent flap shut tightly, for fear that an outsider might intrusively disturb them.
Feng Jinyao was meticulous, carefully removing the gauze bit by bit, for fear of hurting him.
As if sensing Feng Jinyao's concern, Xiao Tingyi comforted her.
"Don't be afraid, it doesn't hurt."
Feng Jinyao nodded and continued to remove the gauze.
The more she removed, the more her nose stung. His hands, which should have been fine, were now covered in dried blood. Especially the tips of his index and middle fingers, their nails were cracked and bruised black, clearly indicating great pain.
The gauze was wrapped roughly, and the medicine was not applied carefully.
After gently wiping away the unclean dried blood with warm water, she reapplied the ointment.
Uncle Shou's medicines were always effective and not overly painful. The ointment felt cool and comfortable upon application.
Whether it was the medicine taking effect or because Feng Jinyao was the one bandaging him, he felt his hands were extremely comfortable at that moment.
"Your Highness, be careful not to get water on it for the next few days. Wait until the wound has healed. Also, do not exert yourself too much, lest you injure the root of the problem. Uncle Shou is not here, so we cannot discern the underlying issues. You will need to recuperate well when we return to Dongdu City."
Xiao Tingyi looked at Feng Jinyao tenderly and softly replied with an "En."
The two were now quite affectionate. Feng Jinyao, grateful for Xiao Tingyi's feelings for her, no longer avoided his ardent gaze as she usually did.
Instead, she met his eyes directly and then said with a faint smile.
"A'yao thanks Your Highness for saving my life. But please, do not disregard your own well-being like this in the future."
"A'yao feels heartache?"
In truth, when he saw his fingers covered in bloodstains and crisscrossed with bruises, he felt nothing. After all, he was a man who had been on the battlefield; such minor injuries were nothing. However, when facing Feng Jinyao, he realized that these wounds were a sharp tool, one that would at least make Feng Jinyao feel heartache. In that case, the wounds were not suffered in vain.
He hadn't expected her to answer, it was just a casual remark.
Unexpectedly, Feng Jinyao proactively took his hand and said, "Yes."
At this moment, Xiao Tingyi did not know how to express his feelings. He was stunned for a moment, and then ecstatic.
He excitedly asked her, "A'yao, does this mean you've agreed to me?"
Feng Jinyao did not speak, but gently pressed his palm.
Xiao Tingyi was puzzled by the meaning of this gesture and frowned, waiting for her answer.
After this earthquake, Feng Jinyao had returned to her previous life in her dreams. That sense of desolation, helplessness, and regret enveloped her heart, and she almost became a vengeful spirit again.
But in her despair, it was Xiao Tingyi who grasped her hand, offering her warmth.
This solid reliance was something she had never received from Wen Mengsheng.
Even in her previous life, she had died twice. If she were to still be entangled by minor grievances and lose the person before her, she would feel it was too regrettable.
Therefore, the moment she woke up and saw Xiao Tingyi, she had already made up her mind.
"Your Highness, do you still remember what you said?"
"I remember. I swear by the names of my father and mother that in this life, and for all eternity, I will never fail you."
"May your heart be like mine, and never let down our love."
With words spoken to this extent, Xiao Tingyi smiled, a smile from the depths of his heart. This was probably the only time he had truly smiled since the death of his mother and father.
Feng Jinyao knew that Prince Ding, Xiao Tingyi, was exceptionally handsome, but she had only ever seen him with a stern face or feigning illness. When he was with her, although he had some expressions, they were not many.
This kind of joyful smile was a first. If he were a woman, he would surely captivate thousands.
Leaning in his embrace, feeling the strong, steady beat of his heart, Feng Jinyao suddenly felt a great sense of relaxation.
For some reason, the heavy armor she had been wearing seemed to be able to be shed.
It was as if as long as he was there, the world was tranquil.
Unfortunately, this tenderness could only last for a moment. After the two had pledged their love in the tent, they had to face the mess outside.
There had been floods, followed by an earthquake. Outside the city were displaced refugees, and within the city, ruins were everywhere. The calamity that Shu Zhou had faced this time was far more difficult than they had imagined.
"A'yao, now that our hearts are set, there is something I do not wish to hide from you."
"What is it?"
"The person who protected you in the carriage was Chi Zimo. If it weren't for him and Hehuan desperately surrounding you, the danger today would be unimaginable."
"Patriarch Chi?"
Feng Jinyao suddenly remembered the warm embrace behind her when the carriage had fallen. It was him? How could he have risked his life to save her?
They had no interaction to speak of, let alone exchanged many words. Every time they met, Xiao Tingyi was always present. Therefore, Feng Jinyao was somewhat perplexed.
As a man, Xiao Tingyi naturally understood a man's thoughts.
His selfless act could only mean that Chi Zimo was also deeply in love with Feng Jinyao.
He was extremely jealous of this.