Chapter 30: Torment to the Brink of Death

Mo Yiran hurried over and scooped Yuan Qian'er into his arms, his voice softening. "Qian'er, it's me. Are you alright? Did he hurt you anywhere?"

Hearing a familiar voice, Yuan Qian'er looked up. Seeing it was indeed Mo Yiran, she buried herself in his chest and broke into loud, uncontrollable sobs. "Waaah, Mo Yiran, you finally came! Do I look like I'm alright? If you had arrived a moment later, my purity would have been destroyed by that absolute pig! Waaah..."

"Qian'er, I'm so sorry. It's my fault; I shouldn't have let you come to the Imperial Garden alone. I'm sorry you had to suffer such an indignity. Please, don't cry. Shall I go take revenge for you? There, there, don't cry. Everything is fine now." Seeing her cry so bitterly broke Mo Yiran's heart. He apologized profusely, desperate to soothe her distress.

After a while, calmed by his comfort, Yuan Qian'er wiped her tears and looked up at him with red, watery eyes. "Mo Yiran, I want revenge. He is the Prime Minister's son—you have to back me up so I can torture him!"

"The Prime Minister's son, is he? Hmph, how dare he set his sights on you! Torture him—go ahead, torture him to your heart's content. Even if you torture him to death, I will take the blame. To think he dared to bully you; he truly has grown tired of living!" Mo Yiran dared not raise his voice, fearing it might upset her, but inside, he was seething. This damned Zhao Mingyu would pay—he would make him wish for death.

It seemed a good show was about to begin.

With that, he wiped the dirt from Yuan Qian'er’s face. Feeling that something was off, he looked closer and realized one side of her face was swollen. His expression darkened instantly, and he gritted his teeth. "Did he hit you too?"

Yuan Qian'er nodded. "Yes. I bit him, so he hit me. It hurts so much! That dead pig has such a heavy hand! Oh no, do you think I'll be disfigured?"

At these words, Mo Yiran’s entire demeanor turned grim, radiating a chilling bloodlust. He muttered to himself, "I will make him pay a miserable price for this." Turning back to Yuan Qian'er, he softened his expression again. "It's alright, you won't be disfigured. Don't worry, I'll take you to the imperial physician to get some medicine."

"But my dress is torn. What should I do? If people see me like this, won't they think I'm some kind of exhibitionist?"

Seeing that her white gown was ripped, revealing half of her porcelain arm and her bodice, Mo Yiran felt a surge of protectiveness. He did not want anyone else to see her like this, but there were no nearby buildings to take shelter in. Spotting a large tree nearby, he had an idea. "Qian'er, let me carry you up into that tree to sit for a while, all right? Wait for me there while I fetch the medicine."

"Okay, but be quick! I'm afraid that pig might come back," Yuan Qian'er said, still trembling from the ordeal.

He carried her up into the tree and draped his own robe over her. "I'll be right back. Don't be afraid."

Since it was the height of summer, Mo Yiran was only wearing one layer. After taking off his outer robe, he dashed toward the Imperial Pharmacy, bare-chested. His light-foot skills were exceptional; in mere moments, he reached the pharmacy. The old physicians were stunned to see Prince Mo arriving shirtless, but he simply sniffed and selected a few bottles of medicine before rushing off again.

Having spent years under the tutelage of Master Taihe, Mo Yiran was not only skilled in martial arts but also well-versed in pharmacology. He could identify any medicine by scent alone and knew exactly which ones were the most effective.

Meanwhile, sitting in the tree, Yuan Qian'er heard a commotion by the pond. Looking in that direction, she saw that Zhao Mingyu, whom Mo Yiran had knocked into the water, could not swim. He had struggled for a long time, and just as he was about to sink for the final time, two young palace maids spotted him and called for help. People finally pulled him to the shore and were now frantically shaking him, trying to revive him.