Yuanbao actually hadn’t slept enough.

He was groggily turning over, trying to reach for his aunt but found no one there.

Suddenly, he woke up with a start.

He realized that he was the only one on the dragon bed.

Without changing his night clothes, he quietly got off the dragon bed and went outside to look for Rongrong, calling out as he walked.

Hearing Rongrong’s response, he looked blankly in the direction of the voice and saw that the small study door was closed.

Yuanbao walked over and knocked on the door.

“Auntie, are you inside?”

“Yes,” came the simple reply from his aunt, but her tone sounded a bit different from usual.

Her voice was slightly trembling and drawn out a bit.

Yuanbao was puzzled. “Auntie, please open the door for me.”

“Open,” his aunt replied with just one word.

But Yuanbao noticed that the way his aunt spoke sounded as if her mouth was covered.

Her tone was strange and unclear, and the final sound was not completed.

Yuanbao obediently stood at the door waiting for his aunt to open it.

However, instead of the door opening, he heard something bumping against the door, more than once, as if something was wriggling behind the door.

Was someone behind the door? Was it his aunt?

“Auntie?”

Yuanbao raised his voice.

This time, the door finally opened.

As soon as the door opened, Yuanbao saw that his aunt’s face was slightly flushed, her hair was a bit disheveled, looking like she had just woken up.

“Auntie, why are you napping here?” Yuanbao asked curiously.

Rongrong blocked the doorway, not letting Yuanbao in.

She bent down and picked him up. “I didn’t sleep well today and didn’t want to disturb you, so I came here. Let’s go; Auntie will help you get dressed.” Rongrong stepped out of the small study, closed the door, and carried Yuanbao back to the bedroom.

As Yuanbao turned his head, he seemed to catch a glimpse of a red corner of clothing just as the door was closing.

“Auntie, is Father in the small study?” Yuanbao asked.

Rongrong didn’t expect Yuanbao to notice, but she couldn’t admit it. “No.”

Yuanbao pouted, staring intently at the small study door, remaining silent.

The Crown Prince, listening to their conversation as they walked away, smiled wryly.

He reached out to rub his forehead and was about to lie down on the bed when he suddenly remembered that Liuli had mentioned she was writing a story in the afternoon.

He turned around, walked straight to the bookshelf, crouched down to remove a few books from the bottom shelf, and took out a brocade box filled with her manuscripts.

Stories about widows and young masters?

The Crown Prince leafed through the manuscripts with interest.

“…”

“Auntie! Auntie!” Yuanbao was sitting on a cushion, assembling a puzzle. After putting two pieces together, he looked up at Rongrong.

Rongrong was sitting on another cushion, gazing out the window in a daze, not hearing Yuanbao calling her.

Outside the window, several pear trees were in bloom.

Pear blossoms are the earliest flowers of spring, with a subtle fragrance.

The gentle breeze made the branches closest to the window sway slightly, adding to their charm.

Yuanbao sighed heavily, set aside the puzzle, and went over to Rongrong, tugging at her sleeve.

Rongrong snapped back to reality. “Yuanbao, what’s the matter?”

Yuanbao pouted slightly, rubbing against Rongrong’s hand as he sat down. “Auntie doesn’t like Yuanbao anymore.”

“No, why would you say that?” Rongrong, seeing his angry expression, was puzzled about what might have upset him.

“Auntie lied to me. You didn’t sleep with me at noon and secretly went to sleep with Father.”

Did Yuanbao notice after all? Rongrong’s heart sank. “Auntie didn’t go to sleep. Auntie just went to talk to your father. I was about to come back when you woke up.”

“Really?” Yuanbao’s face was full of doubt.

“Really.”

She was telling the truth, of course. How could he compare to Yuanbao?

“Then you mustn’t sneak off to sleep with Father anymore.”

Rongrong felt embarrassed by Yuanbao’s innocent and straightforward words, wishing she could disappear into a hole.

However, she knew Yuanbao didn’t mean it in that way, so she could only awkwardly agree: “Auntie promises. But if your father comes to our room, you have to help Auntie and not let him stay here.”

“Okay.” Yuanbao nodded vigorously.

As they were talking, someone pushed open the door.

Yuanbao and Rongrong exchanged a glance and nodded in understanding.

“Why are you still playing? It’s time for the meal,” said the Crown Prince.

“Alright, let’s go have dinner,” Rongrong said as she picked up Yuanbao.

Yuanbao rested his head on Rongrong’s shoulder and didn’t even look at the Crown Prince.

The two of them headed out together.

Yuanbao thought his father was very bad—first, he interrupted Rongrong’s kite, and now he was trying to sneak away Rongrong from him.

Yuanbao decided he would ignore his father.

The Crown Prince’s brows twitched slightly as he followed them.

Due to the banquet preparations, the kitchen had prepared a lot of ingredients, making the evening meal especially sumptuous.

Yuanbao and Rongrong sat together, sharing dishes—one serving meat to the other, the other serving vegetables.

The Crown Prince, holding his bowl, watched them with a cold gaze as they enjoyed their meal.

As they were finishing up, Fuquan came in. “Your Highness?”

“What is it?”

“It’s about Ruyi Pavilion,” Fuhuan glanced at Rongrong before falling silent.

The Crown Prince, feeling a bit irritable, said, “Speak.”

“Ruyi Pavilion has reported that after Doctor Qin examined Miss Liang, she has already woken up.”

Rongrong breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.

Earlier, seeing Liang Muchen with her eyes tightly closed on the wooden plank road, Rongrong had genuinely feared for her life. It’s good she’s been saved.

If someone had died in the East Palace, given the status of the Weiyuan Marquis’s residence, it would likely cause significant trouble for the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince also relaxed slightly. “In that case, have Doctor Qin prepare a prescription and arrange for a carriage to take them back to the Weiyuan Marquis’s residence.”

Fuquan hesitated for a moment before saying, “Miss Liang wants to see you.”

Rongrong, who was scooping soup for Yuanbao, was momentarily startled by the news.

The spoon she held clinked against the edge of the soup bowl.

The Crown Prince’s expression softened, even showing a hint of a smile.

“Very well, I’ll go see her now.”

Rongrong lowered her head, deliberately avoiding looking at him.

She felt a chill inside but had nothing to say.

Liang Muchen was his future wife, and now that she had just woken up from severe injuries, it was only natural for him to visit her.

What did it have to do with her?

All she wanted was a legitimate status in the East Palace to stay with Yuanbao.

Though the Crown Prince said he would leave immediately, he picked up his bowl and slowly ate, putting one grain of rice at a time into his mouth.

In contrast, Yuanbao quickly finished his meal, put his bowl and chopsticks on the table, and said, “Auntie, I’m done.”

“You’re amazing, eating two bowls today!” Rongrong cheerfully patted Yuanbao’s belly, which was already round after the two bowls of rice. “Since you ate so much, you can’t have any more snacks later!”

“Mm,” Yuan Bao nodded, reaching out to hold Rong Rong’s hand. “Aunt, let’s go see the shadow puppetry.”

Rong Rong naturally agreed and walked out hand in hand with Yuan Bao.

He went to see his Liang Mu Chen, and she went to see their shadow puppetry—completely unrelated.

Only the Crown Prince remained by the table.

Fu Quan braced himself and asked, “Your Highness, are you still going to Ruyi Pavilion? Or perhaps, would you like to go see the shadow puppetry?”

The Crown Prince turned his face and glared fiercely at Fu Quan, frightening him into silence.

He slammed his bowl onto the dining table and said, “To Ruyi Pavilion.”

…

When the Crown Prince walked into Ruyi Pavilion, Madam Wei Yuan and Liang Muyun were both in tears at Liang Mu Chen’s bedside.

Upon hearing that the Crown Prince had arrived, the mother and daughter did not come out to greet him but stood by the bed.

“Your Highness.” Madam Wei Yuan and Liang Mu Yun both bowed to the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince nodded and shifted his gaze to Liang Mu Chen on the bed.

She was covered with a silk quilt, her pale face looking somewhat haggard as if she had just sweated a lot.

She had been so stunning that morning, but within less than a day, she seemed like a different person.

“Your Highness,” Liang Muchen saw the Crown Prince arrive and called out hoarsely, seeming to want to get up to greet him but ultimately failing.

The Crown Prince glanced at Madam Wei Yuan and Liang Mu Yun and said, “Fu Quan, take the Madam and Miss Liang to dine.”

“Yes,” Fu Quan bowed and approached Madam Wei Yuan, saying, “Dinner is ready. Please follow me.”

Madam Wei Yuan looked at Liang Muchen on the bed and, finally helpless, took Liang Muyun to the back hall of Ruyi Pavilion.

A eunuch moved a chair for the Crown Prince, placing it beside Liang Mu Chen’s bed.

The room was left with only the Crown Prince and Liang Muchen.

Liang Muchen’s beautiful eyes moved, and she actually smiled.

“I wonder if this is a blessing in disguise. Lying here unable to move, Your Highness is actually so close to me.”

The Crown Prince’s brows slightly furrowed. “The assassin who attacked you has not yet been caught, but rest assured, I will investigate thoroughly and give you an explanation.”

Liang Mu Chen seemed to ignore what the Crown Prince said. “My mother said that after I fell into the water today, it was Prince Qing who saved me. Many people saw it, even the Empress saw Prince Qing holding me. My mother… my mother said I could never marry the Crown Prince. I don’t believe it, so I wanted to ask Your Highness if that’s true?”

“I indeed will not marry you,” the Crown Prince said.

Tears silently fell from Liang Muchen’s eyes, yet she smiled.

“Turns out there is really such a thing as getting what you deserve.”

The Crown Prince wanted to speak but decided to remain silent instead.

He had some amount of sympathy, after all.

“Today, when I saw you leaving the Qing Cui Pavilion, I thought I must clarify things with you. I didn’t wear that dress to compete with Miss Rongrong.

The fabric was given by the Empress, and I liked it, so I had my mother make the dress for me.

I just wanted to go out and tell you that… I am not jealous of Miss Rong Rong.

If… if I enter the Eastern Palace in the future, I will treat Young Master Yuan Bao well, and I will treat Miss Rong Rong well too… I…” Liang Mu Chen spoke more and cried harder, eventually becoming unable to speak coherently.

The Crown Prince sighed softly and decided to tell Liang Muchen the truth, even though some of it might seem too harsh to her at this moment: “In fact, you need not blame yourself too much. If you must hate, hate me.

Today’s incident of falling into the water makes no difference to me.

When I said I wouldn’t marry you, it was not because my Fifth Brother saved you from the water, but because I never intended to marry you from the start.”