"Yanran, don't run around, your hair isn't dry yet."
Tang Zhuyun led Yanran back to the room, and seeing that she was about to run out again, she couldn't help but pull her back.
Going out with wet, messy hair is unacceptable.
Yanran thought about it and agreed, then said, "Xiu'er, please go out and tell Cui Xiaoqiu that I'm not going out today, and I'll spar with him again tomorrow."
"Cui Xiaoqiu?" Tang Zhuyun asked with a smile, "Is that the nickname you gave him?"
"Look at how round it is, what else could it be but a ball?" Yanran yawned as she spoke, tired from playing in the water, but still excitedly asked, "Mother, in two more days, will I be able to learn it?"
Tang Zhuyun replied confidently, "Yes."
Yanran must have inherited her mother's athletic talent.
Yanran's biological mother...
Although we can't tell Yanran the truth now, let's burn some paper money for her in her name tonight.
Linlin returned home first that evening, Yanran greeted him cheerfully, helping him with his things. They were very close after not seeing each other for a day.
Tang Zhuyun smiled and said, "Are you hungry? The Prince is probably too busy and hasn't returned yet. You should eat first."
Both children refused in unison, insisting on waiting for the Prince of Jin to return.
But the Prince of Jin never returned.
Tang Zhuyun couldn't let the two children go hungry, so she fed them, chatted with them for a while, and then let them go to sleep. The Prince of Jin still hadn't returned.
She sat at her desk, writing and drawing.
Princess's Days
On the fourth day of their marriage, that scoundrel started staying out all night. Sure enough, once he'd got her, he lost his appeal. Let him starve.
Tang Zhuyun closed the diary, thinking to herself, "If he dares to do anything reckless, I'll castrate him. From now on, this diary will be called the Sunflower Manual!"
"Xiu'er," she called out, standing up, "Is the food still warm?"
"It's hot!" Xiu'er said without looking up as she made a dress for Tang Zhuyun under the lamp.
She also left a copy for Song Jingyang.
Looking at the lotus root-colored dress, Tang Zhuyun muttered, "Why do I feel like you've been making this dress for a long time?"
Xiu'er does things exceptionally quickly, which is unlike her usual self.
Xiu'er picked up the skirt to show her, proudly saying, "This is the third one."
Tang Zhuyun clicked her tongue in surprise. "Why do we have to make three identical ones?"
Even if she has a mishap, she can't possibly fall twice and ruin two dresses in a row.
"No, look at these lotus flowers," Xiu'er said, pointing to a pattern of flowers on her skirt that was barely visible unless you looked closely. "The first one is a bud, the second one is in full bloom, and this one is in full bloom..."
Tang Zhuyun: "Is there... any particular custom involved?"
"There's nothing particular about it, I just think it looks good," Xiu'er said. "Your status is different now, you should put more thought into your attire."
Tang Zhuyun was both amused and exasperated, truly unable to comprehend this creative idea.
"Look at those ladies, aren't they all scheming to outdo each other, yet they try to do it all without making a sound?" Xiu'er said. "This dress of yours, I used gold and silver thread, but it's all hidden."
Tang Zhuyun: Whatever makes you happy.
Xiu'er muttered again, "Last time I went out with you, I overheard some people gossiping about you, saying that you weren't dressed properly. Humph, they're blind!"
Tang Zhuyun laughed loudly, "I'm so grateful for your care."
Xiu'er carefully examined the dress, trying to see where it could be improved.
"You're back," Tang Zhuyun suddenly said.
"Huh?" Xiu'er was stunned, then stood up.
Although she didn't hear it, she still realized that Tang Zhuyun was referring to the Prince of Jin.
Just as he finished speaking, the footsteps of Prince of Jin and Song Jingyang could be heard outside.
Xiu'er put away her needlework and said, "This servant will go out and bring the food."
"Good."
The Prince of Jin entered with a gloomy expression, but his tone softened when he saw Tang Zhuyun. He asked, "You're still awake?"
Tang Zhuyun could tell at a glance that his movements were somewhat unnatural.
His right hand was awkwardly behind his back.
If I don't show it to her, then she won't look at it.
Tang Zhuyun didn't expose him, and said, "Go wash up first, change your clothes, and then come out for dinner."
The hem of the Prince of Jin's robe seemed to be stained with something, but since it was originally a dark blue color, only faint patches were visible.
Prince of Jin agreed and walked into the bathroom, but he never let Tang Zhuyun see his right hand.
After the food was laid out, Tang Zhuyun told Xiu'er to leave.
Xiu'er said, "This servant will go get Song Jingyang something to eat and will be back in a little while."
"You don't need to come back, go and rest."
This was said by the Prince of Jin.
Xiu'er wanted to confront him, but considering her status, she held back; then she thought about how she had no one else around, and decided, why should she hold back!
"If you were to clean it yourself, Your Highness wouldn't have to lift a finger, and I would have listened. But it would only cause Your Highness trouble later; it's truly generous with other people's money."
They're married now, and they still don't know how to be considerate!
Prince of Jin: "..."
Tang Zhuyun laughed and said, "Alright, you go ahead and leave. I'll have the enslaved prince deal with it later!"
Xiu'er then raised her head and went out.
She would not bow her head just because she now lived in the Prince's mansion; she belonged to the Empress, and she had to always be proud.
Otherwise, if the Empress continues to act like a virtuous wife and loving mother, sooner or later the Prince will have her back to his neck.
The Prince of Prince of Jin took the initiative to show Tang Zhuyun his right hand.
Tang Zhuyun gasped.
--A row of deep teeth marks were imprinted on the back of his hand; it had been bitten open, the bloodstains had been treated, and now it was a bluish-purple color.
"It wasn't another woman who bit me," the Prince of Jin teased her, trying to ease the tension.
"If it was a woman who bit me, the only thing I can think of is that you forced her."
What kind of deep-seated hatred or resentment must one harbor to bite someone like that!
The Prince of Jin was amused by her and was about to make a joke in response when she asked, "Was it Xiao Pang who bit you?"
The Prince of Jin was stunned.
He knew she was smart, but she still managed to surprise him every time.
The Prince of Jin lowered his eyes. "How did you guess?"
"To judge a beast, you have to look at its teeth," Tang Zhuyun said bluntly, as she got up to find her medicine box.
It's a shame there's no rabies vaccine here, otherwise Prince of Jin should have been given one.
"You rarely curse like that without having met them before."
"I have no contact with him, but nothing he has done is respectable to me."
He betrayed the woman who loved him deeply; she died for him, while he clung to life. Now, neither human nor ghost, he comes out to claim kinship and frighten Yanran —if there were no legitimate reason, could the Prince of Jin refuse to let him see Yanran?
Moreover, the Prince of Jin traveled thousands of miles for him, yet now he's keeping a close watch on him. Is Xiao Pang alright?
Nobody would believe that!
Most importantly, the bite mark on the back of Prince of Jin's hand made people think that he had dug up Prince of Jin Xiao Family graves, rather than that he was enduring humiliation and bearing a deep-seated hatred for the sake of the Xiao Family.
Tang Zhuyun was absolutely furious.
Why bother with people like that!
Is it simply because his surname is Xiao?
She applied the medicine, and Prince of Jin remained motionless, seemingly feeling no pain whatsoever, only gazing at her with tenderness and contentment.
He saw the emotions in her eyes—the anger, the heartache...
He never expected others to understand him, yet he was happy to receive her tenderness, even if it was painful.