Where is the early stage of the marriage alliance?

"Can't sleep?"

Before Ling Xi could finish turning over, Xiao Ce locked the bathroom door and went into the inner room.

He was still damp from the sweat, and as soon as he entered the room, he heard a very soft turning over on the bed. His hearing was exceptional, and even though Ling Xi held his breath, he could still hear it clearly.

Ling Xi simply propped herself up and sat up, only to find that he had already turned around the screen and was standing a few feet away from the bed.

She had extinguished the candlelight in the inner room before going to sleep, leaving only a dim, yellowish light flickering in the outer room, obscuring his features and expression.

"I have trouble sleeping in unfamiliar beds."

She responded softly, her gaze groping in the darkness, until she could only make out a tall, immovable figure standing before the bed.

"Sleep a few more days, and you'll get used to it."

After saying this so casually, he turned and walked straight to the outer room.

Ling Xi silently pursed her lips, originally thinking he would have some way to help her sleep.

The candlelight outside flickered, and she could clearly see him get onto the soft couch, casually pull up the thin blanket, lie down on his side, and then remain motionless.

She lay back down as well, staring quietly in his direction with her eyes open. After a long while, she saw that Xiao Ce was still motionless.

You fell asleep so quickly?

Ling Xi silently came to a conclusion in her heart: it seems that practicing swordsmanship before bed helps with sleep.

Ling Xi didn't know when she fell asleep. When she opened her eyes again, the room was still dark, with only the night outside the window being hazy. Soon after, the sound of the night watchman's drum came from afar.

She got up quietly, worried that making a big movement would disturb Xiao Ce, but the bed was already empty.

For three consecutive days, it was the same. Ling Xi stayed for three days and never met Xiao Ce in the morning, even though she had woken up early because of insomnia.

This reminded Ling Xi of her elder brother. When she was at the Huan Prince's residence, she could only see him after he finished his duties, because he went to court early every day, and she could never get up in time.

Indeed, being the crown prince of any country is no easy task.

To express her gratitude, and also to keep herself occupied, Ling Xi would prepare Xiao Ce's favorite dishes for dinner every day, according to his taste. Of course, she was only responsible for giving the orders.

As soon as Xiao Ce stepped into the courtyard that day, a rich aroma of meat filled the entire courtyard.

"It seems the Crown Princess has prepared some new and unusual food."

Lu Ming has been in a good mood these past few days. The Crown Princess has only been in Chuixing Courtyard for three days, but the place seems to have changed completely. Even the servants are no longer as lifeless as before.

Xiao Ce paused slightly, then continued walking. His feelings were exactly the same as Lu Ming's. He had thought that having another person suddenly in the courtyard would make him uncomfortable. And indeed he was not used to it, but this discomfort was not unpleasant.

He had always lived a monotonous life, habitually following a set routine, with his daily routine, meals, and return home at the same time every day, year after year, without ever feeling that anything was amiss.

But after she arrived, things seemed to get better.

Every day when he returned home, the courtyard was no longer cold and lonely, and the servants were more lively. She prepared meals carefully every day, with no two meals the same. Even though he didn't care much about food, he found this different feeling very nice.

He went to the bedroom first, intending to change out of his court robes. But as he put on the everyday clothes that had been prepared on the rack, a scent lingered around his nose with his movements. It was unfamiliar yet strangely familiar, as clear as a secluded orchid and as faint as dew. But when he focused on smelling it, it vanished without a trace.

"You're back?"

Ling Xi's cheerful voice rang out from the outer room. Xiao Ce fastened his belt, stepped out from behind the screen, and still raised his sleeve to lightly touch his nose.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you, today Peilan was fumigating my winter clothes, and I saw your robe hanging on the rack, so I fumigated it too."

Xiao Ce's gaze fell on the fabric, and a fleeting ripple crossed his originally indifferent eyes.

It was indeed her scent; he had smelled the same faint fragrance the two times he had approached her before.

"Don't worry! I haven't touched any of those things in your closet."

Seeing that he remained silent, Ling Xi assumed that she had done something wrong with good intentions. She had heard from the maids of Chuixing Courtyard that Xiao Ce disliked others touching his things, especially his study, which was usually off-limits to everyone.

"It's alright. You are the Crown Prince's consort. You can do whatever you want within the Chuixing Courtyard."

Xiao Ce casually flicked his sleeves, his expression returning to normal.

What does this mean? Ling Xi was stunned. She was the Crown Prince's wife, but how could she, as the Crown Prince's wife, do whatever she wanted? But why did Xiao Ce seem to have changed his attitude towards her? Could it be that he was beholden to her because he had accepted her hospitality?

He walked past her, his clothes fluttering lightly.

"Your Highness..."

Ling Xi turned around, her gaze intense, looking at the person about to leave. Xiao Ce turned his head, meeting her questioning gaze.

"Your Highness...is there something you're hiding from me?"

Ling Xi pondered for several days. Xiao Ce clearly disliked her so much before, so it was impossible that he would kindly invite her to live with him just because he saw that Yuehua Courtyard did not have a ground dragon. Moreover, he was even considering her feelings and worried that his brother would worry. Clearly, he should hate his brother even more.

Today, she was told she could do whatever she wanted, which was clearly an admission of her status to the servants in the mansion. But this made her even more uneasy. There is no such thing as a free lunch; everything has its reason.

Xiao Ce turned around, his eyes suddenly darkening, as if he hadn't expected her to ask that question. He then looked at her face with a scrutinizing gaze.

"Since you refused my mother's offer to take a concubine for me, then you will have to fill this vacancy yourself."

"Vacant? What vacancy?"

Ling Xi suddenly tensed up, her mind racing with chaotic thoughts. What had she done wrong...?

"If you don't move into Chuixing Courtyard, your mother might bring up the old issue again after the New Year."

So it turns out that Xiao Ce was planning this all along, but it feels a bit strange that he used her as a shield.

"But your mother doesn't like me, and she knows you could never like me either..."

"You don't need to worry about these things; you just need to play your role as the Crown Princess well."

His lips were slightly pursed, devoid of any warmth. A complex emotion flashed across his eyes, leaving only indifference, as if he were discussing a perfectly ordinary business matter.

"Alright then..."

Ling Xi felt that it was good for them to get what they needed; he used her to appease his mother, and she used him to dispel her brother's concerns.

"Wait! Have you talked to Mu Wanning about this?"

"Wan Ning? Why should we tell Wan Ning about this?"

If he doesn't say anything, isn't he just waiting for Mu Wanning to come and cause trouble for him?

"Of course you have to tell her! If you don't, Mu Wanning will definitely misunderstand!"

Ling Xi was a little excited. Xiao Ce was really too confident in his and Mu Wanning's unbreakable bond.

"Misunderstanding? Didn't you already publicly refuse to take a concubine for me back then?"

The indifference in Xiao Ce's eyes faded slightly, replaced by a deep scrutiny, his gaze fixed firmly on her face.

"I refused to let you take a concubine, wasn't it all to help you and Mu Wanning! I know you wouldn't want to take a concubine because of her, and Mu Wanning, as a secondary consort, has no say. Isn't I just going with the flow and giving you a hand?"

"Help us?"