After examining An An's body and confirming there were no issues, she began to discuss other matters.
His body was well-cared for now, but the previous damage had not been fully repaired. He still required careful nurturing.
However, this was a long-term undertaking, not something that could be achieved quickly.
Lin Yan had a brief chat with An An about what happened after their separation. She couldn't stay long, and after a short while, she bid him farewell.
An An was reluctant to see Lin Yan leave, but he knew he was constantly being monitored, so Lin Yan couldn't remain for long.
"Alright, I'll see you again soon," Lin Yan promised.
"Then I shall await Brother Yan's word."
Princess Fu An's health had not improved, and the Emperor was increasingly displeased. Imperial physicians remained on standby at the prince's manor daily, fearing the princess's condition would worsen.
In that dilapidated palace, the Emperor arrived once more.
The woman with the scarred face was not kneeling in the Buddhist hall this time. Instead, she lay on her side on a couch, her face ashen.
"You acted too hastily this time. As soon as Fu An entered the palace, her illness flared up. Everyone suspected I was behind it," he said sternly, ignoring the woman's pale face.
"Heh, that Princess Fu An possesses a protective charm. If I had acted as before, it likely wouldn't have penetrated her defense, and they might have even detected someone targeting Princess Fu An."
Her voice was weak, yet still full of disdain.
She could feel her curse being completely blocked, but for some reason, Princess Fu An had still fallen ill.
She felt it was a mere coincidence, but she didn't want to tell the Emperor. Since that person could completely block her methods, their skills were surely superior to hers.
Her attempt this time had already strained her body. If the Emperor knew her methods hadn't worked, he would surely make her try again, but her body couldn't endure another attempt.
Her son had just come of age. She still wished to see him married and have children. With his father being the kind of person he was, if she, as his mother, didn't plan for him, what would become of her son?
"A protective charm?" So, he had indeed found someone capable of breaking the curse.
No wonder Rou Niang was killed, and no wonder Fu An was able to recover.
"And how is her health now?"
"I'm not sure. After all, Princess Fu An has a capable person by her side. I don't know if they can break this curse."
"Then can't you prevent them from breaking your curse?"
"That's probably not possible. If His Majesty can find the person who broke the curse, having them killed would ensure the curse is not undone," she said with a mocking smile towards the Emperor, without rising.
"I will have people investigate this matter. You just ensure that Fu An does not fully recover."
"I understand. Then Your Majesty should leave quickly. This palace of mine is dilapidated; I fear it may inconvenience Your Majesty."
After hearing her words, the Emperor saw no reason to linger and left with a flick of his sleeve.
This Emperor, he was likely to stumble this time.
Yet, this was the man she had once followed with all her might, giving everything for a sliver of his favor. Now, she was so weak from working for him.
Even her once-proud beauty had been reduced to its current state, yet he wouldn't even cast another glance at her.
Furthermore, now, lying so weak on her bed, he had come to reprimand her, not even inquiring about her well-being. This was the man she once loved!
Wang Linlang's carriage broke down on the road. She abandoned it and waited in a nearby restaurant for her servants to fetch another carriage.
However, as she ascended to the second floor of the restaurant, she was stopped. The person who blocked her was the one she had accidentally offended that day.
Wang Linlang realized that this person likely recognized her and couldn't pretend to be oblivious any longer. She sincerely apologized to the person before her.
But the person opposite her did not accept her apology. His condescending attitude was something Wang Linlang, with her modern mindset, found utterly unacceptable.
Whether in modern society or this ancient one, Wang Linlang had never been subjected to such treatment. Thus, she began to argue with the person in front of her.
The person before her seemed less interested in her apology or compensation. In his eyes, she was like a novel and intriguing plaything.
Wang Linlang couldn't tolerate his gaze. She gave up on eating at the restaurant and turned to flee with her maid.
The prince who remained watched the departing girl with great interest, finding her incredibly novel.
All the girls he had ever met were uniformly gentle and obedient. He had never encountered such a vibrant girl.
The women in the palace were meticulous about etiquette, their every move measured. He had never seen someone so flamboyant and interesting.
Watching her face flush with annoyance at his teasing, and her indignant retreat, was truly amusing.
Upon returning to her residence, Lin Yan began to search for some accessories. However, after a long search, she found her current accessories to be too plain.
Although she had a few jade pieces, their quality was somewhat poor and did not befit An An's status. If used as a protective charm, it would be obvious to anyone at a glance.
Lin Yan felt she should go out shopping and buy An An some more accessories to be used as protective charms.
Lin Yan now regretted her choices. In the world of metaphysics, she should have stored some protective artifacts. Now she wouldn't be in such a predicament.
However, regretting it was useless now, and items from different worlds might not even function if brought over.
Lin Yan didn't stay in her room for long before ordering a carriage to be prepared and heading out.
When Lin Yan arrived at the Eastern Market, she happened to see the female protagonist standing by the broken carriage. The female protagonist's hair was somewhat disheveled, indicating she had likely been running. Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes were slightly reddened.
Had the protagonist been bullied? Lin Yan recalled the original plot, realizing that in this world, only the male protagonist could bully the female protagonist.
At this point in the original story, it was supposed to be the original owner who extended a helping hand, stopped the male protagonist from further bullying the female protagonist, and even offered her a ride back in his carriage.
This had deeply moved the female protagonist, leaving her with a very good impression of the original owner. However, Lin Yan had no desire to be a gentle supporting male character, nor did she want to get involved in the story of the male and female leads.
Therefore, after alighting from the carriage, she instructed the coachman to park it properly and walked into a jewelry store herself.
An An was still dressed as a woman at this time, making jewelry the least conspicuous choice.