MY PRINCE HUSBAND HAS SEVEN WIVES AND I AM HIS FAVOURITE!
Chapter 94: Beautiful night with you...

Chapter 94: Beautiful night with you...

The physician finished checking Hua Jing one last time before he let out a long sigh.

"She needs to be watched carefully throughout the night," he instructed. "Her condition is critical. If anything changes—even the smallest thing—someone must call for me immediately."

Xia Lin nodded anxiously, clutching her hands together. The second consort, still looking worried, remained silent.

Before anyone else could respond, Zhao Yan spoke.

"I will do it."

Everyone turned to him in surprise.

"I will stay by her side," he repeated firmly. "You are all dismissed. Go and rest."

Xia Lin hesitated.

She wanted to argue—wanted to say that she should be the one to stay with her lady.

But one look at Zhao Yan’s expression stopped her.

He was serious.

There was no room for negotiation.

Finally, she lowered her head and sighed.

"...Then I will take my leave."

The second consort also bowed. "Then, I shall leave as well, Your Highness."

The physician gathered his things and followed them out, casting one last glance at the unconscious Hua Jing before disappearing beyond the door.

And just like that—

The room fell into silence.

For the first time that night, Zhao Yan was alone with her.

---

The night was cold.

A soft breeze slipped through the curtains, causing the candlelight to flicker gently.

Zhao Yan sat beside Hua Jing’s bed, his fingers curled into fists as he watched over her.

It was the first night she was spending in her own courtyard.

Yet she was unconscious.

Her face was pale, her lips slightly chapped, and her breathing—so shallow, so weak—that he had to strain his ears just to hear it.

Zhao Yan’s gaze softened as he leaned forward.

His hand reached out instinctively, brushing aside a few strands of her hair that had fallen over her face.

Her skin was cold.

He frowned, pressing his warm palm against her forehead, trying to ease away the chill.

"This wasn’t supposed to happen..." he muttered under his breath.

Not to her.

Never to her.

---

Zhao Yan had seen many things in his life.

War.

Betrayal.

Death.

Yet nothing—nothing—had ever shaken him as much as seeing her like this.

He exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair.

How had it come to this?

One moment, she had been bickering with him, her voice full of fire—

And the next...

She was lifeless in his arms.

His fingers tightened around the sheets.

If he had woken up just a little later—

If he had not gotten to the lower prison in time—

She would have died.

The thought sent a wave of anger through him.

Those women.

Those vultures.

They had dared lay their hands on her.

They had dared hurt what was his.

A dark expression flickered across Zhao Yan’s face, his gaze hardening.

They would pay.

Every single one of them.

---

A soft groan broke through his thoughts.

His head snapped down—

Hua Jing was stirring.

Her fingers twitched slightly, her eyelashes fluttering as if she were trying to wake up.

Zhao Yan immediately leaned closer, his voice dropping into a whisper.

"Hua Jing..."

She didn’t respond.

Her brows creased, as if she were trapped in a dream, her breathing becoming slightly uneven.

Zhao Yan reached for her hand and wrapped his fingers around hers, squeezing gently.

"I’m here."

Her expression softened.

As if she had heard him.

Zhao Yan swallowed, brushing his thumb over the back of her hand.

His heart ached.

If only she would wake up.

If only she would open her eyes and glare at him again, like she always did.

But for now—

He would stay.

He would watch over her.

And he would never let anything like this happen to her again.

Never.

A soft breath escaped her lips as Hua Jing’s eyelashes fluttered weakly.

Her body felt heavy, her limbs numb, and her head...

Clouded.

It took a moment for her vision to clear, but when it did—

The first thing she saw was him.

Zhao Yan.

Sitting right beside her, his hand tightly wrapped around hers, his gaze filled with an intensity she had never seen before.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

His grip tightened ever so slightly, as if afraid she would disappear.

Hua Jing tried to open her mouth, but her throat was dry, her voice barely above a whisper.

"...Zhao Yan?"

The relief in his eyes was instant.

"Hua Jing..."

She blinked slowly, still groggy, her brows knitting in confusion.

"Where..." she started, but before she could finish, warmth enveloped her.

Zhao Yan had leaned forward, pressing his forehead against hers, his hands cupping the sides of her face.

"You scared me," he whispered, his breath warm against her skin.

Hua Jing’s eyes widened.

She had never seen him like this before.

So... unguarded.

So raw.

---

She tried to move, but Zhao Yan wouldn’t let go.

His hands remained on her face, his thumbs gently stroking her cheeks, his eyes dark with something she couldn’t name.

"You should be resting," Zhao Yan murmured, his voice quieter now.

Hua Jing blinked up at him, still feeling the weight of exhaustion pressing against her body.

Zhao Yan’s fingers moved absentmindedly, playing with a few strands of her hair.

The gesture was gentle, almost hesitant, but there was something about the way he did it—something unspoken, something warm.

The mood between them shifted in an instant.

The worry in his gaze, deep and unhidden, made her heart tighten.

He was staring at her.

Not just looking, but staring, as if he couldn’t bring himself to look away.

As if she was the only thing in his world at that moment.

"You must be tired," Hua Jing whispered.

"You can rest here... with me."

---

Zhao Yan looked surprised.

For a brief second, it was as if he was debating whether to accept or decline.

But then, as if surrendering, he sighed and slowly laid down beside her.

Now, face to face, mere inches apart, they gazed at each other.

Neither of them spoke.

Neither of them moved.

The silence between them was thick—not uncomfortable, not awkward, but intimate.

Hua Jing’s breath hitched.

Everything about this moment felt unreal.

A fever dream.

A strange, surreal illusion that didn’t belong to the harsh reality she had woken up in.

And so, lost in this daze, she reached out.

Her fingers brushed against Zhao Yan’s cheek—soft, warm, familiar.

The texture of his skin beneath her fingertips sent a strange shiver through her.

No mask.

This was him.

For some reason, her mind struggled with a thought—something distant, something she couldn’t quite grasp.

This face...

This unfamiliar familiarity.

Why did he remind her of someone?

Someone she had once hated.

Someone who made her heart pound wildly every time she was near them.

But who?

Maybe it was the exhaustion.

Maybe it was the lingering effects of her torture.

Or maybe...

Maybe it was just him.

---

A deep voice pulled her back from her thoughts.

"What are you thinking about?"

Zhao Yan’s warm breath brushed against her lips.

Hua Jing blinked, snapping back to reality.

"Nothing," she murmured.

Zhao Yan searched her gaze, as if he didn’t believe her.

Then, after a pause, he asked softly, "Are you alright?"

She nodded.

Zhao Yan hesitated, his hand hovering slightly before moving on its own—gently caressing her cheek.

Hua Jing froze.

His touch was light, as if he were afraid she would break.

Her skin tingled where his fingers brushed against her.

His voice dropped even lower.

"There’s something I’ve wanted to do for a while now."

Hua Jing’s brows furrowed slightly at his cryptic words.

Curiosity flickered in her gaze.

"What is it?"

Zhao Yan didn’t answer.

Instead, he leaned in.

Lowering his head until their lips were barely apart—