Before he died, my grandfather forced me to marry the richest man in the capital.

The night was deep, and without the company of stars, the moon high in the sky seemed a little lonely.

The once dark and gloomy courtyard is now brightly lit, just like daytime, and has become more lively.

The familiar lights, the familiar houses, the familiar roads—only my state of mind is different now, and the people around me have changed.

My thoughts drifted away; memories, emotions, sadness, and joy all invaded my mind at the same time, and I didn't know which one prevailed.

Suddenly, a large hand appeared above her head, gently stroking her hair. The voice was gentle and deep, "We've arrived. Get off the bus."

She answered softly, feeling truly happy to have family turn on the lights for her, and smiled slightly, "Okay."

Xu Mingkai was miserable. He sighed as he watched Ji Shao and his wife enter the mansion hand in hand. He went to the trunk to get gifts. Ji Hancheng had bought a lot of things: supplements, ingredients, fruits, and gifts.

It's just tough on him, the porter.

Perhaps hearing the commotion inside the courtyard, two people rushed out. They were undoubtedly Aunt Zhang and Xiao Mei, both wearing aprons.

Aunt Zhang wiped her hands on the sides of her apron, walked towards them, her smile almost reaching her ears. She glanced at the various items on the ground and chided, "Why did you buy so much stuff?"

Ji Hancheng, holding Tang Junyao's hand, greeted her politely first, saying naturally, "Godmother."

He exuded an innate sense of oppression; even without a cold expression on his face, he made it difficult to approach. Hearing this, Aunt Zhang felt a little uncomfortable and nervous, and stammered, "Oh, okay, okay, I... I'll take them all."

Tang Junyao quickly grabbed Aunt Zhang's hand with her other free hand to stop her, "Godmother, you hold Lele, I'll take it from him."

She could tell her godmother was uncomfortable. It wasn't Ji Hancheng's fault; he just looked like that, like he was hard to get along with. When they first moved into the Royal Garden, she also felt he was hard to get along with, so it was no wonder her godmother had the same idea.

Whether her godmother is comfortable or not, she is Lele's savior, and she must take care of her in her old age; she will not change that.

As she spoke, she handed the little pomelo from Ji Hancheng's arms to Aunt Zhang. Aunt Zhang hadn't seen the little guy for several days and was overjoyed, completely forgetting about the oppressive feeling.

Xiao Mei was always intimidated by Ji Hancheng, who exuded an aura that kept strangers at bay. Every time, she was so frightened that she dared not utter a word. This time, she hid far away, lowered her eyes, and tried to find something to do. She quietly walked to Xu Mingkai's side and quietly helped him carry things.

Seeing that she was short, Xu Mingkai handed her the lighter items and kindly reminded her, "You can carry these; you'll have to make more trips instead of carrying them all in at once."

Then she turned to Ji Hancheng and the others and said, "Young Master Ji, Young Madam, please go in. Xiaomei and I will carry these things in together."

Ji Hancheng glanced at Xu Mingkai, his eyes darkening, and quickly replied, "Mm."

The next second, Tang Junyao, who was still trying to help, was led into the courtyard.

As soon as she entered the house, she smelled the aroma of food. She took Ji Hancheng's hand and led him to the dining room. The table was already filled with all kinds of delicious dishes. They smelled so good, the steaming aroma wafted into her nostrils and evoked long-lost memories.

Her face radiated happiness, contentment, and joy.

He took in every change in her expression, from her stunned state in the car before entering the house to now waiting for dinner like a child—all of which were her most genuine reactions.

This is the real her, showing all her joys and sorrows.

Two years ago, he thought her sense of satisfaction was fake; he could see a satisfied smile on her face even when a bowl of pickled vegetable noodles was served. Now, he feels that this simple life is very fulfilling.

A few days ago, he read an article and there was a sentence he agreed with: choosing the right wife is the best investment a man can make. Now that he thinks about it, it makes a lot of sense.

He looked around. The house was built in a rather old style, mostly with wood. The wooden doors seemed to still have a faint woody scent, which made people feel warm and welcome. There were some old paintings and calligraphy on the walls, which showed that the old man was a person with a strong cultural background. All the decorations exuded the sedimentation of time and the baptism of years. The old man must also be a rather nostalgic person.

This house exudes the passage of time and memories. Every corner seems to hold a story. No wonder she never came back after the old man passed away, and no wonder she didn't return to live here even after leaving, preferring to stay at Su Yu's house instead.

However, a lingering doubt remained in his mind. He squinted and looked around, trying to find an answer. But after a moment, it seemed as if everything became clear.

Tang Junyao happily went to the kitchen. In his spare time, he sent a message to Han Yue. After sending the message, he put his phone in his pocket and pretended that he hadn't done anything.

The head seat remained empty; no one sat there. It was Old Master Tang's reserved spot. Bowls and chopsticks were set out, and Aunt Zhang sat down next to the head seat, followed by Xiao Youzi, Tang Junyao, and Ji Hancheng.

Xu Mingkai and Xiao Mei stood on either side, waiting, not daring to sit down.

Tang Junyao turned to Ji Hancheng beside her and said, "Let them sit down too."

At the Tang residence, when Grandpa was still alive, Aunt Wu and Aunt Zhang would always sit down and eat together; Grandpa never treated them like maids.

Having spent so much time with them, Ji Hancheng understood their way of getting along, which was different from the Ji family's, so he naturally didn't object and nodded in agreement, "Please sit down."

After dinner, Aunt Zhang took Xiaoyouzi away to play downstairs with Xiaomei and Xu Mingkai.

Tang Junyao took Ji Hancheng's hand and went up the stairs. When they reached her room, she hesitated for a few seconds on the doorknob before opening it. She then pressed the light switch on the wall with her index finger, and the dark room was instantly illuminated.

The room's furnishings and decor were all on full display. It was very simple, but why was it in a princess style?

The walls are pink, even the carpet is a light pink, and the curtains are pale pink. What kind of style is this?

It doesn't seem to match her personality or her usual style of dress. I remember that when she was in Yixinyuan, her room was decorated in cool colors.

Tang Junyao glanced at the man, who was frowning and looking puzzled, and chuckled. "Don't you feel that this style is completely unrelated to me?"

Ji Hancheng didn't pretend and nodded honestly, putting his arm around her waist to explain, "It's not that I think you're not feminine, it's just that your personality and the things you usually like aren't this kind of pink and cute. It's hard for me to associate you with pink. If it were Xixi, I could understand."

She didn't struggle and let him hold her. She looked up and looked him straight in the eyes as she answered, "Actually, Grandpa really wanted to raise me to be a little princess, but I wasn't a little princess to begin with, so how could I become one? It's just that it's Grandpa's wish, and I didn't want to refuse, so I always acted like I liked it. Grandpa probably thought I liked pink, so he never changed it. Even when he thought it was old, he still changed it to pink. After a while, I got used to it and just acted like a little princess when I went home."

She had no chance to be a little princess. At school, she was a child without a mother, and several people would constantly remind her that her mother had jumped off a building and died, that she had no mother, and that her father didn't want her anymore.

Seeing that she neither talked back nor fought back, the group thought she was easy to bully, so they kept hitting her. It wasn't that she couldn't fight back, but she was afraid that if she did, her parents would be called in, and her grandfather would find out. She didn't want her grandfather to be sad, so she always covered her face tightly when she was hit.

Every time she was beaten, she would hide her injuries and go home, afraid that her grandfather would find out. She would then hide in her room and cry secretly when it was late at night. However, whenever she saw pink, her mood would inexplicably improve, and she would comfort herself, thinking that she was still a little princess at home.

The next day, it was as if nothing had happened. She went to school as usual, happily greeted her grandfather, and said goodbye.

Noticing her low spirits, the confusion and dazed look in her eyes, he leaned down and kissed the corner of her lips, tentatively asking, "Would you like to sleep here tonight? The past is the past, and I hope you get what you want."

You will never suffer again, and I will help you bear the burden in the future.

A kiss dispelled her gloomy mood, and she smiled faintly, "Can you accept this style of expression? Can you sleep?"

Ji Hancheng pinched her small nose. "If you can fall asleep, how could I not? Do you look down on me?"

"No, let's just go back to Yixinyuan. The bed in this room isn't as big as the one in Yixinyuan, it can't fit three people. It's getting late, so let's not bother Godmother."

"Okay, then you can sleep in my house tonight. You showed me your boudoir, and I'll show you the room of a lonely man."

Tang Junyao: ".............." He wasn't lonely at all.

They're either climbing walls or dressing up as women, having a blast. Where is the loneliness?

Finally, she couldn't resist his persistent pleading and agreed to sleep at his place that night.