Bride of the Forgotten Prince: Wedding Behind Bars

As expected, Xiao Yeheng was still lying in the same place.

His face was deathly pale, and his body covered with a sparse layer of straw. If his eyes hadn't been open, Yan Shuixin might've thought he was already dead.

"You should drink some water," she said, lifting the wooden ladle and scooping a bowlful from the bucket. She walked over and crouched beside him.

His lips were deeply cracked, so parched they looked painful. Yet unlike the others who'd begged on their knees for a drop, he remained still—so still he hadn't even glanced at her.

"Here," she urged, holding the bowl to his lips. "Drink it."

But Xiao Yeheng gave her no answer. Instead, he knocked the ladle from her hand with a sharp slap. He had already given up, and no one knew what she motives she had for showing such kindness.

The wooden ladle hit the ground with a dull clatter, water spilling across the dirty floor.

Yan Shuixin's temper flared. She wouldn't have bothered with him at all if not for the fact that she needed him alive—dead men were no good for burying, let alone turning into flower compost six months down the line.

"Oh? You don't want it?" she snapped, picking up the ladle and refilling it with water. She brought it back to him.

Still, he ignored her completely.

She stared at that icy, expressionless face of his—and then, quite suddenly, raised the ladle to her own lips. Taking a mouthful of water, she leaned down and kissed him.

Xiao Yeheng's eyes widened, utterly stunned. The look on his face was no less shocked than when she'd tried to take off his trousers.

Yan Shuixin didn't care what he thought. Her tongue pressed against his teeth, prying his mouth open, and she forced the water inside. He tried to push her away, but after days without food or water, and with a mangled leg, he couldn't summon the strength to resist her.

In the end, forced by sheer necessity, he swallowed the water she fed him.

Her lips… were surprisingly soft.

He blinked, dazed for a moment.

Yan Shuixin straightened with a grin, raising the ladle again. "So, what will it be? Do you want me to feed you like that again—or are you going to drink on your own?"

"You—" Xiao Yeheng glared at her with a fury that could kill.

He could feel it—his heart, long cold and ashen, had just been jolted violently back to life.

She raised the ladle toward her mouth again, clearly ready to repeat the act.

"I'll drink it myself!" he barked at last, defeated.

"See? Would've been easier that way." She handed the ladle to him.

He tried to drink, but in his weakened state, even sitting up was a struggle.

With a sigh, Yan Shuixin moved behind him and lifted him gently into a half-sitting position, letting his weight rest against her body.

Xiao Yeheng froze.

His back was pressed against the supple warmth of a woman. It had been years since he'd let anyone so close. His body stiffened, though he kept his face cold and blank.

He used what little strength he had to drink every last drop.

"Have another." Her tone left no room for argument, and she poured him another ladleful.

He drank again.

"Want more?"

He shook his head.

After helping him lie down again, she reached into her sleeve and pulled out a small bundle. With a glance around, she found a cleaner spot on the ground and laid out a handful of sunflower seeds.

"I went through a lot of trouble to… borrow these," she said with a wink.

Xiao Yeheng looked at her like she'd lost her mind. She risked that for a handful of seeds?

She didn't explain. Instead, she cracked the seeds one by one, her fingers nimble and precise, the pale kernels piling up in her palm. She didn't eat a single one.

Her hands were slender and fair, her movements smooth and elegant. Xiao Yeheng couldn't help but watch her.

When she had enough, she walked back and held the kernels out to him. "Eat."

From the book, she knew he hadn't eaten or drunk anything in three days. She wished she could give him something more substantial, but for now, this would have to do.

If nothing else, a bit of water and a few seeds might keep him from starving.

Xiao Yeheng was stunned. She… cracked the seeds for him?

"If you don't eat, I'll feed you like before," she threatened.

The cold glint in his eye flickered oddly—was it possible her threats were… cute?

Before he could answer, she stuffed the seeds into his mouth. A few spilled out, but she caught them and fed him again.

As he chewed, he suddenly heard her stomach grumble loudly.

She'd given him everything. Not a single seed for herself—even though she was starving too.

A strange, bitter emotion stirred in his remaining eye. Somehow, those sunflower seeds—so small, so ordinary—tasted like the finest delicacy in the world.

Yan Shuixin's hunger gnawed at her, but she knew she'd only gone without food for a day. He was injured and hadn't eaten for three. He needed it more.

Once he finished chewing, she set the bucket beside him and retrieved a clean rag from the dustpan. "Let me help you clean up a bit."

He didn't respond.

Truthfully, it had been a while since he'd lost control of his bladder and bowels. The stench alone was enough to make anyone gag. But if she insisted on helping, she'd have to remove his clothes… even his undergarments.

"I don't need—"

"I wasn't asking," she interrupted flatly. Without waiting, she began undressing him.

He resisted once—but she didn't budge. Eventually, he gave in and let her do as she pleased.

Once she stripped him bare, she saw clearly just how thin he'd become.

She didn't flinch. She was a doctor—she'd seen far worse. Her expression was calm and professional as she wiped him down, head to toe.

Xiao Yeheng had never been this close to a woman—let alone completely exposed before one.

He stared at her intently. Surely now she would recoil. Surely, she would show disgust at the scars on his face, at the stump of his leg.

But she didn't. Her face remained composed, her gaze soft.

Not a flicker of revulsion.

No… that couldn't be. There was no way any woman could see his face and not shrink back. Ever since the accident, even men were afraid to look at him.

She dipped the rag in water again, and as she carefully wiped the scarred left side of his face, her touch grew gentler.

When she reached his leg—the half-rotted, amputated stump—she was even more cautious, her motions almost tender.

Something struck his chest like a sledgehammer. The wall he'd built around his heart, cold and unyielding for so long, suddenly cracked.

He, who'd always been fastidious to the point of obsession, now found her touch… strangely comforting.

In fact, he didn't want her to stop.

Yan Shuixin was frugal with the water, rinsing the rag and wiping him four times before he was finally clean enough. She even cleaned the places that couldn't be spoken of.

She couldn't let him wear the soiled clothes again. His underwear and pants were tossed aside, while his inner and outer robes—though dusty—were still salvageable.

She helped him slip the outer robe back on, then draped the inner layer over his lower body.

Thank heavens this was the last cell in the row. The one across was empty, and the next occupied cell was several walls away. As long as they kept their voices down, no one would hear or see a thing.

She gave his shoulder a gentle pat. "Don't worry. I won't tell anyone I've seen everything."

He said nothing.

Only then did she notice the faint blush creeping across his right cheek.

"Xiao Yeheng… are you blushing?" she teased.

He averted his eyes. "You're imagining things."

Yan Shuixin chuckled and grabbed her broom. She had to hurry and finish cleaning before anyone got suspicious.

Xiao Yeheng lay back, expression unreadable. But when he saw her sweeping away the mess in the corner—specifically, the piles of human filth—he was speechless.