Chapter 2: Entering the Palace

In no time, the steward of the mansion came to deliver a message, asking the princess to prepare to accompany the prince into the palace to pay respects.

Chun Tao helped Lin Luoluo change into a different outfit and, after freshening up and putting on makeup, assisted her as they walked outside while speaking softly.

“Miss, next time eat a little less. Look how uncomfortable you are.”

“I know.” Lin Luoluo rubbed her belly as she walked, vowing not to do that again.

Before long, they arrived at the entrance, where the carriage was already waiting. Lin Luoluo got into the carriage and, seeing Chu Chenyu inside, chose a spot further away from him to sit down.

“Sit here.” Chu Chenyu patted the seat next to him.

“Oh!” Lin Luoluo had no choice but to obediently move over.

Chu Chenyu noticed she sat down without complaint and closed his eyes to rest.

Seeing him in a mood where he didn’t want to engage, Lin Luoluo looked down at his bite wound and silently began to fiddle with her fingers.

Feeling bored, she lifted the curtain to look outside at the street scene.

“Wow! It’s so lively!”

“Mm! It smells so good!” Lin Luoluo touched her belly, regretting that she couldn’t eat anymore.

“Lin Luoluo, are you a pig? You just ate so much and still want to eat more,” Chu Chenyu remarked with mockery, opening his eyes.

Lin Luoluo fumed in response, annoyed.

“Luoluo is not a pig! I’m not hungry! I just think it smells good.”

In her heart, she silently muttered, “You’re the pig! Big pig hoof!”

“Haha…” Chu Chenyu found her angry expression quite cute and playfully pinched her cheek.

Lin Luoluo got even angrier, her little face puffing up, making her even cuter.

Suddenly, the carriage jolted, and Lin Luoluo fell toward Chu Chenyu’s thigh. She quickly stretched out her hand to support herself.

“Hmm~ can’t get up.” Chu Chenyu’s slightly husky voice rang out.

Lin Luoluo opened her eyes, her face instantly turning red as she hurriedly got up from his leg, but her long skirt tripped her, and she fell back into his arms.

Chu Chenyu looked at the little girl in his embrace, her face flushed. He squinted his eyes, curious, and pulled her a little closer.

Lin Luoluo twisted her body, trying to get up, but after struggling for a long time, she couldn’t pry his arms away. Just as she opened her mouth to say something, her lips were suddenly sealed.

“Beautiful~ mm… mm.”

Chu Chenyu’s kiss was dominant and passionate, leaving no room for Lin Luoluo to resist.

“Girl, do you like it?” After a moment, Chu Chenyu bit her ear and asked.

“Pretty brother, let go of Luoluo.” Lin Luoluo’s voice was soft.

“Hmm? If you don’t like it, I’ll keep going until you do.” Saying this, he started kissing her again.

It wasn’t until Lin Luoluo lay limp in his arms that Chu Chenyu finally stopped, holding her tightly while breathing heavily by her ear. This kiss made them both lose themselves, and at that moment, they could hear each other’s rapid heartbeats.

After a long while, Chu Chenyu released her and helped her adjust her clothing.

“Bad guy!” Lin Luoluo glared at him, flustered and annoyed.

What Lin Luoluo didn’t realize was how charming she looked to Chu Chenyu in that moment.

“Master, we’ve arrived at the palace gates.” At that moment, the voice of Chu Chenyu’s personal bodyguard, Liu Yun, could be heard.

“You little trickster, I’ll deal with you when we get back,” Chu Chenyu pinched her cheeks.

Lin Luoluo gathered all her strength and stomped on his foot hard, finally escaping his grip and being the first to jump out of the carriage.

“Hiss… this bad girl.” Chu Chenyu rubbed his foot with a grin, but in the next moment, his expression grew serious as he got out of the carriage.

He walked straight toward the palace gates, and seeing this, Lin Luoluo quickly followed. As Chu Chenyu walked ahead, Lin Luoluo bounced along behind him, looking at this and that as she found everything new and exciting, occasionally letting out little gasps of wonder.

Chu Chenyu let her touch this and look at that.

A little while later, they arrived outside the royal study, and soon the Emperor summoned them in.

“Minister greets the Emperor, long live the Emperor!” Chu Chenyu clasped his fists in salute.

Lin Luoluo followed suit and also clasped her fists.

“Big brother! You look so much like him!” Before Emperor Chu Chenyu could let them rise, Lin Luoluo stepped forward to take a look and pointed at Chu Chenyu as she spoke.

Yet, inside she was nervously thinking, am I really going to be cut down for acting?

“Hehe… We are brothers, so of course we look alike,” Chu Chenyu smiled slightly.

His smile left her dumbfounded; what a handsome man! Who would have thought the Emperor could be this good-looking?

Seeing her dazed expression, Chu Chenyu felt a playful urge.

“So, who do you think is more handsome?”

This stumped Lin Luoluo, who had just recovered her senses. How should she answer this? She pretended to be confused and looked back and forth before suddenly having a lightbulb moment as she pointed at herself.

“Luoluo looks good; daddy said Luoluo is the most beautiful!”

After saying that, she showed an expression of adorable pride.

“Haha… you’re quite clever,” Chu Chenyu laughed out loud and instructed someone to take Lin Luoluo to see the Empress.

“Ayu, you’ve been wronged,” Chu Chenyu patted his shoulder.

“Luoluo is very good; I’m not wronged.”

“Have you found out anything?”

“There’s still no news; I will find out where the items are as soon as possible.”

“Mm! I’ve heard that Mother is very angry about your marriage.”

“When Mother returns to the palace, I’ll go comfort her!”

“Play a game of chess with me.” Chu Chenyu had someone set up the chessboard.

“Okay.”

When Chu Chenyu arrived in the Empress’s palace, he heard joyful laughter.

“Come on, pairs, straight, bombs, ah~ Luoluo finally won once!” Lin Luoluo’s excited appearance made the palace maids and the Empress laugh heartily.

“Sister-in-law, I’ve come to take Luoluo out of the palace,” Chu Chenyu stepped forward and greeted her.

“Ayu is here, come look! This is the land-robber game that my sister-in-law taught us; it’s so much fun!” The Empress waved for him to come over and watch, then returned to the game.

The few of them were having a great time, and even Chu Chenyu couldn’t resist joining in.

“Goodbye, beautiful elder sister!”

It wasn’t until everyone was worn out from playing that Lin Luoluo waved goodbye to the Empress and followed Chu Chenyu out of the palace.

“Luoluo, how do you know all this?” Chu Chenyu watched her all the way and couldn’t help but ask.

“Daddy taught me!” Lin Luoluo looked at him with an expression that said, “You didn’t know this? So silly.”

Chu Chenyu awkwardly coughed.

“Pretty brother, are you sick?”

“No, just a bit uncomfortable in my throat.”

“Oh!”

“Luoluo, has your father ever given you anything?”

“Luoluo is thinking…”

Finally, he got to the point. Hmph… what’s the harm in giving it to him, Lin Luoluo thought.

“Mm, I don’t remember, but Luoluo has a big treasure chest; do you want to see it?”

“Luoluo has a big treasure chest? I’m very curious.”

“Then Luoluo will take you to see it next time!”

Back at the mansion, while Chu Chenyu went to handle official business, Lin Luoluo took Chun Tao to play in the garden.

All afternoon, they either picked flowers or chased butterflies, having a great time until Lin Luoluo ended up looking like a little calico cat.

In the study, Chu Chenyu sat at his desk and asked Ying Yi.

“Have you found out who was involved in the recent negotiations with the Damo faction?”

“Replying to the master, it is the third prince and the grand princess of Damo.”

“Understood. You can leave now.”

He then called in Liu Yun and asked him what Lin Luoluo had been doing that afternoon.