Shrek Academy.
The Sea God Pavilion.
Long Yaochen had just finished telling Zhang Lexuan what had happened and outlining their general course from here.
Before they could chat, Electrolux's voice suddenly rang out in his mind.
"Xiaochen, the contingency I left at the Ascension Pavilion has been triggered."
Long Yaochen's gaze sharpened slightly.
But Zhang Lexuan, nestled in his arms, noticed nothing unusual.
He quickly suppressed that fleeting change, and a smile returned to his face instead.
Since Elder Yi had only alerted him rather than urging him to act immediately,
that meant the situation was not so urgent that it could not wait another moment.
At least there was no need to make his senior sister worry too.
Long Yaochen lowered his head and stared straight at Zhang Lexuan in his arms.
"Senior Sister, I'm going into seclusion."
"I'll leave the academy to you."
Under Long Yaochen's scorching gaze, Zhang Lexuan's cheeks flushed slightly. She tucked a few disheveled strands of hair behind her ear and said irritably,
"You make it sound as though I'm not the one running it every day."
"When will Your Highness the 'Crown Prince' actually handle some affairs of state?"
The smile on Long Yaochen's face deepened.
"With you, my 'Crown Princess,' here, why would I need to step in?"
"You're the woman I trust most."
"Oh, spare me!"
Zhang Lexuan slapped his firm chest, a hint of reproach entering her eyes.
"Do you think I haven't heard what you say to Xiaotao every day?"
"All you do is paint grand feasts on paper."
"You never offer anything real."
"Anything real?"
Long Yaochen froze for a moment.
Unexpectedly, Zhang Lexuan, who had been mildly reproachful just a moment ago, suddenly fell quiet.
She did not answer.
Her fingers resting on Long Yaochen's chest merely