These anxious days dragged on for more than a month, and Emperor Yongning still hadn’t recovered; he was haunted daily by the fear that one of his sons might suddenly die. He was especially worried about the Crown Prince and several other sons he thought highly of. He couldn’t accept anything happening to any of these sons. "Your Majesty, if you can’t figure it out, let’s not dwell on it. Drink your medicine?" Xiao Lizi, seeing Emperor Yongning’s worry, was heartbroken, "Your body really can’t take this kind of strain." Emperor Yongning glanced disdainfully at the bowl of medicine and waved his hand, "I won’t drink it." Damn medicine, he’d been drinking it for how long, and still had no color in his face, only getting worse. It might as well not be drunk. "Your Majesty..." Xiao Lizi tried to persuade him again. Thɪs chapter is updatᴇd by 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭·𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦·𝘯𝘦𝘵 Emperor Yongning shot him a cold glare, scaring Xiao Lizi into immediate silence. During his nap, Emperor Yongning sat there and closed his eyes for a brief rest. During that short moment, his recent insomnia subsided, and he actually fell asleep and dreamed. He dreamt of the day when Jun Ning, with her hair in two buns, ran to the cave to see Seventeen. To be honest, Jun Ning dressed as a little girl looked so lovely, cute, and endearing, just the sight of her filled his heart with warmth. "Yi Yi, come here..." He wished to pull the little girl into his embrace and hold her. The little girl seemed to sense his yearning, suddenly abandoning Seventeen in front of her and ran towards him with open arms. His hands were already reaching for the adorable girl, he was about to hold her, but suddenly he woke up. Upon waking, looking at the cold Imperial Study Room and his empty arms, Emperor Yongning’s brow furrowed. After a while, he suddenly thought of something, called Xiao Lizi to his side, whispered a few words, and then Xiao Lizi went to the Empress’s quarters, Jiaofang Palace. Early in the morning, Jun Yu started reading. He really tried hard, but still couldn’t read well, no matter what, he couldn’t meet his mother’s expectations. By noon, he’d been scolded again, had no lunch to eat, and could only continue studying. Hungry and aggrieved, he looked at the book in his hands with tears streaming, his little appearance genuinely heart-wrenching. But beside him, the Empress ate snacks and enjoyed having her back massaged by maidservants, unmoved by him. Jun Yu was now hoping for the elder one to finish eating quickly and come back to accompany him, so his tense heart could slightly relax. Since Jun Ning had been assigned by Emperor Yongning to be Jun Yu’s companion reader that day, he was forcibly brought to Jiaofang Palace to begin his life as a companion. The Empress didn’t know his true identity as the eighteenth son of Emperor Yongning who survived by luck; she only knew he was personally arranged by the Emperor. It wasn’t discussed with her beforehand. Though she felt a little uncomfortable, she still accepted it and deliberately arranged a place for Jun Ning to live in Jiaofang Palace. Jun Ning moved into Jiaofang Palace on the same day. Before becoming this damn companion, Jun Ning didn’t know being a companion was such a painful task, even more exhausting than when he prepared for the college entrance exams. Every midnight, he had to get up to accompany Jun Yu in studying. If Jun Yu couldn’t study well, he would also be punished. Lunchtime was also limited, only lasting as long as a stick of incense, and he ate with the servants of Jiaofang Palace. For him, it didn’t matter much with whom he ate, he didn’t care...