Ya Chen, although he couldn’t see, seemed to sense her panic, "Don’t be afraid, it’s just my nanny."

He then turned towards the two middle-aged women, his tone suddenly serious, "I’m talking to Miss Chu, you may leave now."

The two nannies didn’t dare disobey and left first.

"Jiayi, they’re gone," Ya Chen said as he heard the fading footsteps, lifting his thin and pale lips.

Jiayi gazed at the man before her, feeling somewhat stirred.

This was the true, bona fide Crown Prince, not just some rich family’s so-called ’Crown Prince A’ or ’Crown Prince B.’

It took her a moment to come to her senses, and she asked sheepishly, "Should I... should I kneel? Or bow or something?"

This was the Royal Family—shouldn’t she perform a courtesy?

Like in the palace drama series she had watched, where not only did people have to pay respect to the royal family, but even those of lower rank had to pay respect to those of higher rank.

A hint of amusement crossed Ya Chen’s pale face, bringing out a rare flush, "Have you been watching those ancient dramas too much? No need, just call me Ya Chen in private, like before."

But Jiayi, stubborn as an ox, insisted, "No, that’s not right, because your Ya Family is the Royal Family..."

Ya Chen’s smile stiffened, "Centuries ago, we might have been glorious, but now, the Royal Family is nothing more than a decoration. The country’s affairs and military power are in the Prime Minister’s hands. Our power has greatly diminished. You needn’t be so tense."

Jiayi changed the subject, "Do you... recognize me? I’m sorry, I’ve hurt my head and can’t remember many people or many things."

Ya Chen, his unfocused eyes staring straight ahead, reminisced about the past:

"A few years ago, on an afternoon just like this, I was here in the garden, sitting by that shallow pool, wanting to read a braille book, so I sent the nanny back to my room to fetch it. While the nanny was gone, I accidentally slipped and fell into the pool. For a normal person, getting up in a pool is all too easy, but after choking on a few mouthfuls of water, I lost consciousness, and that’s when..."

That’s when he heard a loud splash, as someone jumped into the water.

Then, a pair of delicate arms, as if using all the strength in one’s life, dragged him out.

While lying on the ground, Ya Chen felt someone performing CPR on him.

As Ya Chen was about to regain consciousness, he heard the footsteps of a returning nanny nearby, and the person who had saved him climbed up in a hurry and ran away.

The only thing he could be certain of was that his rescuer had been a girl.

At this point, Ya Chen’s lusterless eyes shifted towards Jiayi, a wistful smile on his handsome and elegant face,

"I had the servants check. The only outsider who had come to the castle that day was the Miss Chu of the Chu Family, who was here for a lesson in etiquette—That was you."

Jiayi’s face twitched slightly.

She had guessed she might have met Ya Chen when she came to the Ya Family for etiquette lessons.

But she had never imagined that she had saved him?

However... could she really have saved Ya Chen?

She was a complete landlubber. She had almost drowned twice while with Huo Zhenyang: once in the open sea near Suwang Island and another time in the swimming pool at Jin University. Both times, it was he who had saved her. Did she... have the courage to jump into the pool to save Ya Chen?

Regrettably, she just couldn’t remember.

While she was still guessing, Ya Chen spoke again,

"...I had always wanted to ask you personally, but there was never another opportunity. Until last year, I heard you had gone abroad for vacation, and I never imagined you would get injured and forget everything from the past."

It turned out that her disappearance in China had been kept a secret from S Country by Xuan Yu.

But that wasn’t surprising.

After all, she was the substitute bride for Chu Xinyu. If they truly couldn’t find her, Xuan Yu could always come up with another plan. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Every time she thought about standing in as a bride, Jiayi looked towards the man in the wheelchair and remembered the serious matter at hand.

This person was the one Xuan Yu wanted her to marry...

He was young, and even though he had a face as fine as uncarved jade and came from a noble family line, with such a broken body, it was indeed difficult for him to be accepted by the daughters of wealthy households.

Especially for someone like Chu Xinyu, a pampered daughter of privilege, spending the rest of her life with such a man would probably be more unbearable than death itself.

Jiayi wanted to tell Ya Chen that she didn’t wish to marry into the Ya Family.

But she dared not say it outright.

Firstly, she was not certain that Ya Chen would convey her words to Xuan Yu, and secondly, although she couldn’t remember Ya Chen, she felt a sincere compassion towards this man sitting in the wheelchair.

He seemed like the world’s most exquisite piece of jade, too fragile to bear any touch or blow.

"Ya..." She opened her mouth to speak, but Ya Chen, having heard her silence for a while and coincidentally not discussing the contract either, spoke at the same time:

"Jiayi."

She had no choice but to temporarily swallow the words she had wanted to say, "Hmm?"

Ya Chen’s smile was laced with mirth, and his attractive eyes curved, "Are you wearing the dress I gave you today?"

Jiayi’s breath hitched, "Hmm, I am."

"It’s a pity I cannot see it, but I think it must be very beautiful."

His words softened Jiayi’s heart, and the harsh words she had been prepared to say just couldn’t make their way out.

Ya Chen was born blind, never having seen this world. His perception of people and all things had been gradually acquired through the guidance of a blind teacher and on a tactile drawing board for the blind.

But even so, how could it compare to the world seen with one’s own eyes?

A wave of compassion washed over Jiayi, and she bent down, speaking softly, "Hmm, it’s beautiful, the dress you picked is a violet color, just like the sky of Nanga City at the intersection of dusk and night."

He held a smile, seemingly imagining what the sky looked like at dusk. Suddenly, his smiling expression became focused, "What about you? What do you look like?"

Ya Chen was like an innocent boy gazing up at his goddess, those sightless eyes filled with the world’s most naive anticipation.

It was simply impossible to refuse.

Jiayi tenderly took his hand, squatted down, and guided him to gently touch her facial features.

Ya Chen’s fingertips cautiously and tenderly traced her eyebrows, eyes, nose, and mouth.

Soft brows, large eyes, a small and straight nose, delicate and moist lips...

It all matched his imagination of an angel perfectly.

The girl before him was the angel who had saved him during a crisis.

At that moment, the butler came looking for them.

Jiayi quickly stood up.

Seeing Ya Chen together with the third young lady of the Chu family, the butler was not surprised and said with a smile, "Crown Prince, the banquet is about to start, I shall take Miss Chu over first."

Ya Chen’s detached expression remained as flawless as a gemstone, his tone calm, "Alright."

Jiayi gave Ya Chen one last look and followed the butler away.

Ya Chen’s unfocused pupils followed the retreating silhouette of the girl, and although he could not see, the touch from just before had traced an outline in his mind, and a smile full of longing appeared on his handsome face.

Meanwhile, from behind a flower bed a little further away, a pair of eyes filled with resentment stared straight over.