She refused to marry.

Su Wanwan gently took Feng Chenjun's hand and slowly walked to the table.

Sitting beside the emperor, she held a glass of water, leaned close, and gently brought it to his lips, "Your Majesty, moisten your throat before your meal."

Xiao Xuanjing chuckled, took the teacup, placed it aside, and gazed at her face with shimmering eyes.

Su Wanwan chuckled, lowered her head to pick up some food, and asked, "Your Majesty, are you tired today?"

Xiao Xuanjing looked up. "Thank you for your trouble, Miss Su..."

Su Wanwan picked up her chopsticks and brought them to the emperor's lips.

The two ate intimately for three rounds.

Following the custom that Feng Chenjun only eats three pieces of meat, Su Wanwan put down her chopsticks, took out a handkerchief from her bosom, and gently wiped the corner of the prince's mouth.

He ladled out another bowl of soup and fed it to her spoonful by spoonful.

Xiao Xuanjing looked down at her, his chest faintly visible.

Her heart was pounding so hard he could feel it, but she still pretended to be calm and sat down beside him.

Xiao Xuanjing took the soup bowl, placed it on the table, and gently squeezed her wrist. "Help me undress."

Su Wanwan's eyes widened in surprise, her body stiffened, and the spoon crashed into the bowl with a loud thud.

Damn, this is a huge mistake!

The play has reached this point; it would be shameful not to continue.

Besides, even if something happens, it doesn't necessarily mean she'll suffer a loss. If she gets pregnant, she'll still be a member of the Su family.

He was smugly pleased with himself for his cleverness.

Suddenly, her waist was embraced, and Feng Chenjun led her to the bedside in a few steps.

Su Wanwan's gaze lingered, and she wrapped her arms around the emperor's waist. After fiddling around for a while, she said, "Your Majesty, this humble woman is clumsy..."

Xiao Xuanjing reached out and grabbed her hand. "I'll teach you..."

The belt was then untied.

Su Wanwan hesitated before unbuttoning her clothes.

Seeing her hesitant movements and timid expression, Xiao Xuanjing lingered his fingertips on her cheek and said, "Miss Su, how long are you going to keep up this act?"

Su Wanwan got annoyed and stopped pretending.

"This humble woman also wishes to ask Your Majesty, what has gotten into you today that caused you to treat me this way?"

Xiao Xuanjing coldly forced her to the edge of the bed. "Wasn't it Miss Su who initiated this?"

Su Wanwan frowned. "I... I do have feelings for Your Majesty, but they are only based on affection and are kept within the bounds of propriety."

"Really? Then what is this?" Xiao Xuanjing pulled out a sachet from his waist.

"A sachet..." Su Wanwan frowned, puzzled.

"Then why embroider mandarin ducks and intertwined branches?" Xiao Xuanjing took another step forward, almost touching her chest.

"How could I possibly know that the Sixth Princess wanted to embroider?!" Su Wanwan pushed Feng Chenjun away with both hands.

"The Sixth Princess?" Xiao Xuanjing asked suspiciously.

"What else could the Sixth Princess have asked me to give this to you? Of course, it means she is pleased with the Emperor!" Su Wanwan said angrily.

Xiao Xuanjing angrily threw the sachet away, "Since she wanted to give it to me, why didn't you explain?"

"Me? I left a note! Didn't Your Majesty read it?" Su Wanwan asked, looking up.

Xiao Xuanjing's face was filled with anger, and he said in a low voice, almost gritting his teeth, "When I received it, all I received was a sachet!"

Su Wanwan hung her head and said cautiously, "I clearly wrote down the note the Sixth Princess gave me and put it under the sachet..."

A long silence fell over the room.

They could even hear Jian Qingshan's breathing clearly at the door.

Su Wanwan looked at him, and he looked at her; there was only a half-step distance between them.

A breeze blew in, and the candlelight flickered, casting a swaying light in his eyes.

Su Wanwan subtly gathered the hem of her robe, looking at the furious emperor.

"Your Majesty... I will not dare to do it again..."

Suppressing his anger, Xiao Xuanjing subconsciously reached for the dagger, then put it down in frustration.

"Qingshan, bring me the ruler."

Jian Qingshan went to the study, handed the ruler to the emperor, and quickly left the room.

When Su Wanwan came out, she saw Feng Chenjun holding a ruler, looking at her with burning anger, and she felt uneasy.

My madman had another episode today.

"Come here..." Xiao Xuanjing said with a sullen face.

Knowing she was in the wrong, Su Wanwan walked up to Feng Chenjun and obediently extended her hands.

"Snapped!"

"Ah..." Su Wanwan recoiled in pain almost instantly, pulling her hand back.

The emperor's beatings were a thousand times more painful than those of a nanny.

"Does it hurt?" Xiao Xuanjing lowered his eyes.

"...Ugh...it hurts..." Su Wanwan whimpered.

Xiao Xuanjing grabbed her hand and pulled it again.

Su Wanwan knelt on the floor in pain, looking up at him pitifully, "Your Majesty...it really hurts..."

"Get out!!" Xiao Xuanjing threw down the ruler.

Su Wanwan returned to the Su residence, sobbing uncontrollably.

This time, she vowed never to go to Dongyuan again.

The days passed by.

One day, as she was calculating the money in Jinxiu Hall, she suddenly heard Chunhua say, "Miss, someone has come to propose marriage to the Third Miss!"

Su Wanwan was startled and almost spilled the tea.

When Zhao Yu stood in front of the Su residence, he was wearing a pale white robe that had been washed until it was almost white, with frayed edges on the cuffs, but it was still clean and dry.

Her hair was combed meticulously, and the slightly worn handkerchief was worn upright.

What didn't match him was the row of dowry items behind him.

"Why so suddenly? You didn't even give us a heads-up." Su Wanwan stepped forward.

Zhao Yu bowed respectfully, "I had been choosing a date for a long time but dared not visit until the young master spoke to me, and now I have come to propose marriage."

"Come in quickly." Su Wanwan invited Zhao Yu in, and said to the servant behind her, "Go and call more people."

Su Hongxuan and Madam Wang were already waiting in the hall when they heard the news.

Zhao Yu walked into the hall and bowed deeply to his elders: "Junior Zhao Yu greets Lord Su and Madam Su."

Su Hongxuan raised his eyes and looked him up and down.

"You're Zhao Yu?"

"Yes." Zhao Yu straightened up, looking straight ahead.

Su Hongxuan pointed to the chair next to him: "Sit."

Zhao Yu thanked him, sat down in the chair with his back straight and his hands on his knees.

Wang sat down opposite him. "Where does Young Master Zhao live? Who else lives in his household?"

"Madam, I am from Cangzhou. My father is a scholar, and my mother is just an ordinary lady. I also have a younger brother and a younger sister, both of whom live in Cangzhou," Zhao Yu replied.

Madam Wang nodded. "Then where do you live in the capital?"

"There's a small courtyard in the water lanes east of the city." Zhao Yu frowned. "The house isn't big, but it houses twelve people."

"How much is your monthly salary when you work at the Prince's residence?"

"Eight taels," Zhao Yu replied truthfully.

Wang frowned slightly and exchanged a glance with Su Hongxuan.

Eight taels of silver is barely enough for a couple to live on in the capital. If there are more people in the family, it will be a bit tight, let alone twelve people.

Su Hongxuan put down his teacup. "If we get married, how will we support our families?"

Zhao Yu stood up, bowed to Su Hongxuan again, took his calligraphy and painting from the side and handed them to Su Hongxuan, "Although my monthly salary is meager, I can write, paint and copy books."

"In addition to my duties at the Prince's residence, I can earn some extra money by writing letters, copying books, and drawing pictures. Since I can support ten orphans, I certainly won't let Yaoyue suffer."

Wang stood up in surprise, "Ten orphans?"

If her daughter marries into that family, won't she become a maid?

"Yes, Madam. I have ten orphans and one servant in my family in the capital."

Wang almost fainted upon hearing this.