What made Leng Yu Yan’s ears still flushed was that someone had wiped her for quite a while, yet the faint ink traces remained. The characters were written on her skin, touching the fabric of her intimate clothes, rubbing much of it off. After soaking in water, most of the ink had washed away. However, to both of their surprise, faint ink marks remained. The color had turned to a light gray, which appeared particularly unsightly on her porcelain skin. Ye Yiheng had used musk soap several times before he managed to completely wash the characters off her body. This process made her ears redden as if bleeding, and her skin turned pinkish. What the other person felt, she did not know. She only knew that now, as she sat in the horse carriage recalling the event, her face felt like it was burning up. Miao Zhu reached out to touch her forehead, "Commandery Princess, why is your face so hot?" Leng Yu Yan replied, "It’s hot." Miao Zhu opened the carriage window, muttering, "Since yesterday, the princess seems to be particularly heat-sensitive." "It is getting hot," Leng Yu Yan said as she picked up a fan and started fanning herself. Nᴇw ɴovel chaptᴇrs are published on 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝⁂𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚⁂𝔫𝔢𝔱 Seeing this, Chun Liu also took a fan and began fanning Leng Yu Yan. Suddenly, the carriage came to an abrupt halt, causing Leng Yu Yan to lean forward, but she steadied herself by holding onto the carriage wall, thus preventing a fall. Chun Liu immediately put on a stern face and stepped out of the carriage to confront Xiaoshan, "How are you driving?" Xiaoshan sighed and pointed with a whip to a carriage blocking the road, "Look, this carriage came crashing straight across the road and almost hit us." Just then, the curtain of the opposite carriage moved, and a majestic-looking woman quickly alighted. She lifted her skirts and hurried over to the Eastern Palace Carriage. Chun Liu did not recognize the lady, but Xiaoshan did. He hastily said, "Eldest Princess, what are you doing?" Ye Yuan craned her neck to look inside the carriage, "Is it the Crown Prince or the Crown Prince Consort in the carriage?" She had ordered her carriage to rush because she was in a hurry to get to the Eastern Palace but didn’t expect to nearly collide with the Eastern Palace Carriage on the way. Since the carriage opposite was from the Eastern Palace, it was very likely that Ah Heng or Ah Yan was inside, so Ye Yuan had alighted to ask. Hearing the familiar voice, Leng Yu Yan lifted the carriage curtain and addressed the one standing outside, "Imperial Aunt, is there something you need?" Ah Yan had married Ah Heng and thus changed her form of addressing her from ’aunt’ to ’Imperial Aunt,’ which was appropriate since she followed Ah Heng’s side. Ye Yuan sighed and said straightforwardly, "Qingyu has been drinking daily and today, he is nowhere to be seen. I just went to the Eastern Palace to ask Ah Heng and you, Ah Yan, whether you have seen Qingyu. I didn’t expect our carriages to meet on the way." "Sorry, Imperial Aunt, Qingyu did not come to the Eastern Palace today," Leng Yu Yan said. "Imperial Aunt need not worry, and forgive my bluntness, Qingyu is mature enough to return when it’s time." Ye Yuan forced a smile, "To be honest, the Imperial Physician diagnosed Qingyu with lovesickness, and it is unrequited love, which is why I was so worried." Hearing this, Leng Yu Yan lowered her gaze and shut her eyes. Her intuition told her that Qingyu’s condition had something to do with her. Ye Yuan apologizing once more said, "Since he didn’t go to the Eastern Palace, I will return home first and have someone search elsewhere." With those words, she took a deep look at Leng Yu Yan sitting inside the carriage, then quickly returned to her own carriage. As the two carriages passed each other, Ye Yuan heaved a long sigh. Ah Yan’s beauty seemed even more stirring, adding a hint of allure—no wonder Qingyu could suffer from lovesickness. From the moment they left the Eastern Palace, there had been two incidents that caused Leng Yu Yan to fall silent for a long time. The carriage traveled for two hours before arriving at the estate. Miao Zhu helped Leng Yu Yan alight, while Xiaoshan and Chun Liu unloaded the gifts. Lai Zonghui and Ms. He went out to greet them, "The Crown Princess Consort has arrived!" Both bowed in greeting. Leng Yu Yan supported them, "Where are Jiajia and Ah Xuan?" Ms. He warmly pulled Leng Yu Yan into the house, "Ah Xuan went to buy soy sauce, and Jiajia went to buy a watermelon." Lai Zonghui saw many gifts being unloaded from the Eastern Palace Carriage and exclaimed in awe, "Crown Princess Consort, why have you brought so many things?" "It’s rare that uncle is celebrating his birthday; naturally, your niece has to bring gifts," Leng Yu Yan said with a smile. "They’re all daily necessities, useful things." Lai Zonghui nodded, tears gleaming in his eyes. She was already the Crown Princess Consort, yet she still called him uncle and referred to herself as his niece. Strictly speaking, he was just her clan uncle. This child was truly filial and kind-hearted; such a good child deserved to firmly hold the position of Crown Princess Consort and ascend to the throne of Empress one day. These thoughts, Lai Zonghui held in his heart as he busily went inside to pour tea. He was not eloquent and did not know how to offer compliments, but he was determined to support her with all his might! Leng Yu Yan sat down and took a sip of tea, "Buying soy sauce and watermelon could have been done by the servants, uncle and aunt; why did you send Ah Xuan and Jiajia?" Ms. He laughed, "The two kids are idle anyway; today, it was rare for us to have them do some errands, so we sent them." Lai Zonghui joined in with a smile, "Mainly because there’s a melon field not far from the manor. The melons there grow very lush and juicy, and Jiajia, who loves eating, wanted to pick them herself." Hearing this, Leng Yu Yan laughed out loud, "Jiajia’s enjoyment of food is a blessing." Just then, Lai Xuan came jumping back, one hand holding a bottle of soy sauce and the other carrying a fat-headed fish. He saw Leng Yu Yan sitting in the hall and joyfully called out, "Lady sister has come! I bought a fish; we can use the head for fish soup and the rest for frying." Ms. He couldn’t help but hit Lai Xuan on the head, "You should call her Crown Prince Consort." Lai Xuan giggled, "Crown Prince Consort sister." "You can call me both," Leng Yu Yan looked at how Lai Xuan had grown taller and darker, and couldn’t help asking, "How have you become so much darker?" Lai Xuan handed the soy sauce and fish to Ms. He, then rubbed his sore head and said, "Recently, I’ve been practicing martial arts diligently; my master teaches with care, so I’ve tanned quite a bit." Leng Yu Yan nodded and looked out from the house, seeing a melon field in the distance. She stood up, "I’ve never seen what a watermelon field looks like; I’d like to go and take a look, and also find Jiajia." Considering the proximity of the melon field, Ms. He nodded, "Go ahead, but it’s best to take an umbrella. Crown Princess Consort, your skin is so fair; don’t let it get sunburnt." Turning her head, she chided Lai Zonghui with a smile, "It’s your fault; both kids have inherited your fondness for treats. Jiajia’s probably going to eat her fill before returning from the melon field." Leng Yu Yan covered her mouth and laughed, then walked towards the melon field with Chun Liu and Miao Zhu. At that moment, beneath the cool shade of the melon field pergola, Lai Jiajia finished devouring half a watermelon and wiped her mouth, about to pick up a sack of watermelons when suddenly a figure loomed before her. The person reeked strongly of alcohol. Lai Jiajia looked up and saw the person’s face, frowning immediately, "So it’s Prince Qing; what brings you to the countryside?" Ji Qingyu curled his lip and swayed his body, belching, "You know who I am?" "How could I not recognize you? The famous Prince Qing, renowned far and wide." Ji Qingyu asked, "What is your name?" Hearing the Lai surname, Ji Qingyu squinted, as if visualizing a face he longed for day and night, that face smiling at him, the smile he desired. Then he tightly grasped her chin and leaned in to kiss her...