The new emperor's first decree upon ascending the throne was to forcibly take his cousin as his

A hand with distinct knuckles gently lifted the curtain of the private room.

A tall and imposing figure stood at the doorway, his moon-white brocade robe fluttering slightly. His face was not immediately visible, but his refined and gentle demeanor instantly silenced the private room.

"Who is making such a commotion on my path?" His voice was calm, with his usual composure.

There was no oppression, but the atmosphere was stagnant.

The moment Ruan Xianrong saw him, the smile on her lips froze and slowly disappeared.

He muttered to himself, how could he be absent from such a bizarre scene of "gathering together"?

"Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince." Everyone rose and bowed.

"No need for formalities, please have a seat."

Ruan Xianrong sighed inwardly, her expression indifferent. She consciously moved aside from Miaoyin and subtly moved closer to Cheng Qing.

Cheng Qing noticed her subtle movements and, thinking she was afraid of the Crown Prince, gently squeezed her hand under the table.

Xie Chengyan took everything in, picked up the hot tea, and the rising steam blurred the fleeting coldness in his eyes.

When she looked up again, the flawless smile on her face remained unchanged, still that serene and aloof demeanor.

He turned his gaze to Cheng Qing, "And this is...?"

"Oh, this is Cousin Ruan's fiancé. Is this your first time meeting him, Your Majesty?" Xie Chengli said.

Cheng Qing immediately released Ruan Xianrong's hand, stood up and bowed, looking nervous, "Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince."

His dark eyes stared intently at him for a long time before he finally said, "No need for formalities."

Ruan Xianrong pulled him down to sit, handed him a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from his palms, and whispered, "Don't be nervous, you'll get used to it."

Xie Chengyan's fingers, holding the teacup, tightened almost imperceptibly, his knuckles turning slightly white, but his smile deepened.

He slowly took a sip of tea, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed down his sinister and violent emotions along with the slightly hot tea.

He watched Cheng Qing carefully take care of Ruan Xianrong, watched her smile at Cheng Qing, watched her cheeks slightly flush as Cheng Qing approached...

Silently, cracks appeared in the rationality within his heart, beneath which burned a boiling murderous intent and sinister rage, madly clamoring to tear everything in front of him apart.

His constant thoughts.

In front of him.

Holding another man's hand.

She gave another man that dependent and intimate smile.

Indeed, she shouldn't have been seen by other men...

Miaoyin moved to the other side, not wanting to get too close to the Crown Prince. He was clearly smiling, but she still felt scared.

Xie Chengli chuckled and ladled her a bowl of soup. "Cousin Miaoyin, eat more. Shall I take you to admire the lotus flowers later?"

Miaoyin momentarily forgot about the large Buddha statue beside her. "Really? I've never seen a lotus flower before."

"Of course it's true. Your second cousin acquired a manor a few days ago, and the lotus flowers there are in full bloom. He's just waiting to take you there."

Miaoyin quickly picked up the bowl and finished the soup in a few bites. "Then let's go quickly."

Xie Chengli asked Xie Chengyan, "Would you like to come along, Your Majesty?"

Xie Chengyan's gaze fell on Miaoyin, his expression unreadable.

This thrilled Ruan Xianrong.

Tsk tsk tsk, is a battleground about to begin?

To avoid being implicated, she pulled Cheng Qing up and said, "I've eaten a bit too much. I'll go for a walk first. You two can chat."

Once she left, Shen Qinghe naturally didn't linger. Xie Chengming looked around among the group and also got up and left the private room.

Before long, Miaoyin ran downstairs, "Sister Ruan, the Third Prince said he's going to take me to admire the lotus flowers, you should come too."

"I......"

"Oh, Sister Ruan, please just keep me company. Otherwise, since we're both boys, my mother will scold me when we get back."

Ruan Xianrong hesitated for a moment, and Cheng Qing stepped forward, saying, "If you want to go, then go. Don't worry about me."

"Do you want to go?" she asked.

Cheng Qing smiled and said, "I want to go wherever you want to go."

"Okay, let's go then."

The carriage set off, slowly leaving the restaurant entrance. No one noticed that inside the private room, the teacup Xie Chengyan had used to drink tea had developed a crack.

*

Ruan Xianrong ate too much today and felt nauseous as she swayed in the carriage.

While they were dozing off, someone suddenly lifted the curtain and jumped up, sitting opposite them.

Ruan Xianrong snapped back to reality. "Third Prince, what's wrong...?"

Xie Chengli leaned lazily against the car wall. "Don't worry about me. I had a few too many drinks today and I'm a little dizzy. I came up to rest."

He yawned as he spoke, looking genuinely tired.

Ruan Xianrong didn't want to expose him. His carriage was many times more spacious than theirs, so why bother squeezing in?

You could guess what he's thinking even with your toes.

Isn't it just that she came in to talk to Miaoyin because the Crown Prince was at the front and couldn't see her?

When there was suddenly another person in the carriage, Miaoyin instinctively sat up straight.

Xie Chengli lifted the curtain and looked outside, his eyes brightening.

He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but as he looked into the distance, he felt a longing in the light.

"Has your cousin set a date for her wedding next month?" he suddenly asked.

"Not yet, my parents only had people look at a few days' worth of options, they haven't chosen one yet."

"I heard that the Prime Minister and his wife both disagree?"

"Who told you that? My parents already agreed."

"That student Cheng is indeed not outstanding compared to other young men in the capital." Xie Chengli said with unusual seriousness.

"Cheng Qing only has a bad background. If he had a background like Your Highness's, he would be no worse than anyone else," Ruan Xianrong retorted.

Her father rarely praised people, but he praised Cheng Qing several times, which is enough to show what a good person he is. Otherwise, he wouldn't have agreed to the marriage so readily.

He doesn't understand, so what could he possibly know? He's probably just resentful because he doesn't dare to actively pursue Miaoyin since she's getting married, and he's spouting nonsense.

Xie Chengli seemed to be thinking about something. After a moment, he nodded and smiled, "What you said makes sense."

"Then, congratulations in advance to my cousin Ruan."