Gifted Bride of the Sinned Prince

“What? No! That cannot happen,” Lin Jiao said and asked Mingquan not to scare her.

“It’s the truth,” Mingquan said. “If you keep jumping around, the wound will open again and again. It may get infected and to spread the infection such situations arise where your leg is amputated,” he stated and gave a random example to her.

Lin Jiao asked him to call the physician faster. “I don’t want to lose my leg,” She said with a worried look.

Mingquan moved her skirt down and stood up. “Physician Peng will soon be here,” He stated.

After a minute, Peng Yuxian walked in and bowed to the Fourth Prince.

“Please treat Miss Lin’s wound on the right knee. Make sure it doesn’t get an infection,” Mingquan told him.

Lin Jiao agreed with Mingquan’s words while the Prince whispered something in the servant’s ear, who left the chamber.

Fifteen minutes later, Peng Yuxian dressed the wound on Lin Jiao’s knee.

.....

“Physician Peng, you once amputated the leg of a soldier because he didn’t care about the injury on his knee. He kept moving around and in the end lost his leg,” Mingquan made up a story.

Peng Yuxian was confused to hear the Prince’s words and he asked him when that happened.

Lin Jiao knitted her brows in fear as Mingquan said all those words.

“Two years back,” Mingquan said and placed his hand on his shoulder, “that time the soldier cried a lot and his family also became vulnerable since he could not work anymore because of an amputated leg.”

Mingquan leaned to his ear and whispered, “Just agree to my words.”

Before Lin Jiao could notice that, Mingquan moved back.

“I recalled, Your Highness. The situation was very severe. The soldier thought it was a minor injury and didn’t rest at all,” Peng Yuxian agreed with the lie of Mingquan as he understood why he asked for it.

“How much rest do I need, Royal Physician?” Lin Jiao asked Peng Yuxian.

“My lady, three days of bed rest will be enough. Make sure not to move from your bed. The wound will get healed,” Peng Yuxian said with a humble tone.

“Thank you, Royal Physician. I will do that,” Lin Jiao said.

Mingquan also thanked him and asked him to leave.

When he left, Lin Jiao asked Mingquan why he didn’t tell her about it earlier.

“I thought Miss Lin knew such things,” Mingquan said and sat next to her.

Lin Jiao turned to him. “I never knew that a knee injury could be this bad. I will not move at all from my residence. It is a matter of three days only,” she muttered.

Mingquan smiled as he succeeded to make Lin Jiao understand.

He slid his hand into the inner pocket of the upper robe and he took out a hand-woven bracelet for her.

“Forward your hand,” Mingquan said.

“Why?” Lin Jiao asked.

“Just forward it,” Mingquan asked her.

She did what Mingquan asked her to do and he tied the bracelet around her wrist. “I keep telling, admitting, in front of the people that you are my betrothed,” He said.

Lin Jiao’s heart picked up its pace and she stopped blinking.

“If I am not around and anyone troubles you or you fall in danger, you can show it to the person and tell him that you are my person. This is my betrothal present to you. This symbol here shows the royal family’s symbol,” Mingquan pointed at the circular white jade bead which had the Qiu Family symbol imprinted on it.

He raised his head to look into her eyes. “Did you get it?” Mingquan asked her.

‘Ten seconds,’ Lin Jiao thought in her mind and started the count in her mind.

“1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6...”

Lin Jiao could not finish the count and averted her gaze from him. She curled the fingers of her other hand and could not believe herself.

She had feelings for the man in front of Mingquan.

No! This could not happen to her. She could not develop feelings for a man this soon. She told herself.

“What happened?” Mingquan asked her as he let go of her hand.

Lin Jiao looked at him. “Nothing.”

“Something has happened. You suddenly stopped smiling,” Mingquan said and brought his hand close to her face. He tucked her hair strands behind her ear and his fingers brushed her skin.

It made her jolt in shock.

She moved back on the chaise and lost her balance when Mingquan caught her. Their eyes met again.

Lin Jiao felt the rapid heartbeats and it felt to her that her heart would come out of her chest. Why? Why was this happening? She found him more charming suddenly, but her mind was scolding her for thinking that way about Mingquan.

“Be careful,” Mingquan said and steadied her on the chaise. “You are full of energy like a five year old kid. I need to be super active to keep my eyes on you all the time,” He said with a smile.

“Please don’t smile,” Lin Jiao said.

“What?” Mingquan got amused to hear her.

Lin Jiao pursed her lips together and lowered her eyes. She wanted to hide in a hole inside the ground. Her heart was reacting strangely. This all happened because Ye Xin filled her mind with a strange thing

“Are you alright?” Mingquan asked her and placed his hand on her shoulder.

Lin Jiao acted to be alright and hummed. She faked a wide smile at him and thought to leave for her house. She even had forgotten about her injury and stood up to run out.

“Lin Jiao!” Mingquan caught her wrist and pulled her down. She was now on his lap, her arms around his neck, and their faces dangerously close to each other. She could even feel his warm breaths.

“I told you not to move around. Why do you act so recklessly?” Mingquan scolded her in the most gentle tone and it melted her heart more.

‘I fell for this man,’ her inner voice said