Where is the early stage of the marriage alliance?

The evening breeze swept across the lakeside, carrying a faint fragrance of grass and trees. Xiao Ce held her steadily as they walked slowly back to Chuixing Courtyard from the lakeside.

It was as if this scene had become commonplace. The servants passing by did not find it strange, and Ling Xi no longer buried her face in his chest with shyness and embarrassment.

Now, everyone in the Prince Rui's mansion knows that their heir's extreme favoritism and doting on his wife is completely different from what it was a year ago.

After passing through the courtyard and entering the bedroom, Xiao Ce showed no intention of putting her down. Instead, he carried her into the inner room, through the side door, and straight into the bathroom.

Ling Xi panicked and immediately guessed what he wanted to do. Her fingers instinctively gripped his collar, and her cheeks flushed slightly.

"Why...did you carry me to the bathroom?"

He looked down at the slightly flushed face and flustered eyes of the person in his arms, his eyes filled with tenderness and doting affection.

"Wash your feet."

A foot bath? It turned out he just brought her to the bathhouse to wash her feet. Ling Xi secretly breathed a sigh of relief, her cheeks still flushed, and she secretly regretted her wild thoughts.

"What else did you think?"

He slightly curved the corners of his lips, his deep eyes filled with a faint smile, the playfulness, tenderness, and affection in his eyes taking in all her expressions.

"No, no! I didn't think anything of it!"

She panicked and quickly shook her head to explain, her eyes darting away, unable to look at him.

Seeing her flustered appearance, Xiao Ce's smile deepened. He stepped forward and gently placed her on the edge of the bathtub, then took two steps back, his slender fingers resting on her waist, slowly untying the jade belt binding her body.

After Ling Xi settled down, she looked up and saw that he was unbuttoning her clothes.

"Wait, didn't we say we were just washing your feet? Why are you taking your clothes off?"

His coat fell to the ground, its lapel slightly open, creating an ambiguous scene that made her heart tighten suddenly.

"Okay, I'll take off my clothes and go downstairs to help you wash."

He answered casually, still appearing calm and composed, which made her unsure of his intentions. However, based on past experience, once Xiao Ce started to loosen his belt in front of her, he wouldn't stop until he had exhausted her.

"No need! I'll wash it myself."

She quickly spoke up to stop him, and before he could make a move, she hastily splashed her feet, which were soaking in warm water, a few times before pulling them back.

"I'm done washing..."

Before she could finish speaking, there was a soft "plop" sound, and the warm pool water rippled. He had already stepped into the bath and reached out to precisely grab her feet as she pulled back.

"What's the rush?"

He looked up at her, his voice deep and warm, with a hint of indulgent laughter.

"I said I'd help you wash it."

After saying that, he earnestly began to wash her feet. His long, beautiful hands covered her slightly cool insteps, his fingertips applying gentle, soothing pressure as the warm water caressed her skin.

She froze on the spot, forgetting to move, her eyes fixed on his hand.

These hands were all too familiar to her. They were usually used to wield ink with fluid grace, to hold a sword with sharp and decisive strokes, and to play chess with calm and composed confidence. But these hands, which were used to wield ink, sword, and strategy, were now gently and tenderly holding her feet.

The misty vapor blurred the surrounding light and shadows. She quietly watched his focused expression, and a flutter of emotion stirred in her heart.

"alright."

She was still lost in thought when Xiao Ce's deep voice suddenly rang out.

"Oh, thank you..."

She snapped back to her senses, her cheeks burning. As soon as she finished speaking, she instinctively tried to pull her feet back, but he firmly grasped one of them. With a little force, he gently pressed that fair, white foot onto his chest.

Ling Xi's heart skipped a beat. When she looked up, she saw tears welling up in his eyes. His gentle phoenix eyes were now filled with affection, surging with ambiguous passion.

The next moment, he leaned down slightly, and his cool lips gently landed on the back of her foot.

A delicate, tingling sensation rose up her instep and shot straight to the top of her head, making her feel as if her acupoints had been struck, rendering her unable to move.

They were already intimately connected; he had kissed many parts of her body, but kissing her feet was a first. Ling Xi was thrown into turmoil; her lips moved, uttering only a muffled word:

"you……"

"I was thinking of doing this by the lake just now."

His gaze was fixed intently on her reddened brows and eyes, his tone serious.

He slowly released her and put her feet down. The next moment, he wrapped his long arm around her and pulled her into the pool. The water splashed softly, and ripples spread out in layers. At this moment, he looked down at her.

He slowly lowered his head, gently pecked her lips, then leaned forward slightly, quietly pressing his forehead against hers.

"Xi'er...have a child for me."

Having a baby? Since deciding to stay, Ling Xi had never thought about this question, but then she suddenly remembered Xiao Chen'an, whom she had just met.

"Xiao Ce".

"Um."

"An'er...isn't your child, is she?"

He suddenly looked up, staring straight at her, his eyes filled with shock and confusion.

"How...did you know?"

"I have been in Prince Rui's mansion for a year and a half, and you have only stayed at Yunqi Courtyard once, which was on our wedding night."

"sorry……"

He held her hand tightly and uttered only three words filled with remorse.

"You previously said that you and Mu Wanning had no feelings for each other, but you unexpectedly had an 'An'er'. However, An'er was born two months prematurely, but she was as healthy as a full-term baby. Therefore, An'er was not premature, but was born at full term. Mu Wanning was already pregnant before marrying you."

Xiao Ce had regained his composure. Looking at Ling Xi, who was analyzing the situation earnestly in front of him, he smiled helplessly, a hint of relief in his expression.

"I never imagined that my Xi'er would be so intelligent."

"Later, I happened to see a portrait of your brother on her desk. So, An'er is your eldest brother's child, right?"

He reached out and pulled her tightly into his arms, his palm gently resting on the top of her head, stroking it slowly.

"I'm sorry, I was planning to tell you in two years."

Two years later? She reached out and gently pushed against his chest, looking at him with a puzzled expression.

Why wait two years?

He hesitated for a moment in silence, his expression changing to a deep, thoughtful look.

"No one else knows about this except my father, mother, and the Du family physician. For the sake of Wan Ning and An'er, this should have been a secret forever sealed away in the Prince Rui's mansion."

"I thought that since we were already so close, you would surely tell me."

She felt a lump in her throat, her voice filled with grievance and confusion.

His brows furrowed suddenly, and his hand abruptly stopped. After his elder brother's death, Wan Ning was depressed and emotionally unstable. An'er was her only source of strength, and he had volunteered for an imperial decree to bestow an honor upon her, hoping to put her mind at ease. But later, he had other concerns.

"Xi'er, now that you know An'er's background, if we have children in the future..."

As his voice faded, she realized that no one could shake Xiao Chen'an's position, not even their child.

Ling Xi pushed him away forcefully, her eyes filled with anger.

"You think I care about these things?!"