In the pavilion of Shuiyunju.

Yan Li was in a rare mood for fishing, and beside her was the Crown Prince Wen Yichu, who was said to be very disappointed by outsiders.

"Why aren't you busy finding out the truth and giving His Majesty an explanation? What are you doing here looking for me at this residence?"

Yan Li placed the fishing rod on a special rack to the side, grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds, cracked a few for herself, and then threw the shells into the water.

The fish in the pond seemed a bit dull from being kept in captivity. When they saw someone throwing things down from the shore, they swam over and circled around the sunflower seed shells.

They scattered only after confirming that it wasn't food.

But when the next round of sunflower seed shells fell in, they swam over again. After being tricked repeatedly, they finally became clever.

"Of course I miss my dear Ah Li." Wen Yichu lay half-reclined on the recliner, occasionally helping Yan Li lift the fishing rod and reel in the fish.

"As for the truth, His Majesty has not set a deadline, so what harm is there in waiting a few days?"

Upon hearing this, Yan Li turned around and glanced at Wen Yichu before suddenly standing up and grabbing a handful of fish food, which she then threw into the pond.

This time she was serious, but far fewer fish came to eat than the first time; there were only about seven or eight scattered around.

As the fish food soaked in the water, those that hadn't yet surfaced noticed something was wrong and swam over again.

"Is Your Highness really not in a hurry? I heard from my father that His Majesty sent the Second Prince to provide disaster relief this time to give you a warning."

It's really rare; something that seemed certain has fallen through.

Wen Yichu remained unfazed and cast his line again, as if he were the one who truly wanted to fish.

Seeing that Wen Yichu did not answer, Yan Li grabbed another handful of food and scattered it into the water. The fish that had been tentatively circling the hook swam away again.

Wen Yichu finally spoke up. He looked up at Yan Li, who was feeding him not far away, and chuckled softly.

“If Ali keeps feeding them, these fish will get full and stop biting the hook.”

"So, Your Highness, when do you plan to close the net?" Yan Li clapped his hands, brushing away the crumbs, and turned to look at the composed Wen Yichu.

"If this drags on any longer, Your Highness isn't afraid that these greedy fish will swallow the fishing net whole?"

Wen Yichu cast his line again.

And there was already a two- or three-pound crucian carp on the hook.

After taking the fish off the water, Wen Yichu put it into the bucket next to him. "Since I can catch them once, I can catch them a second time."

Upon hearing this, Yan Li sat back down, took a sip of tea, and then said in a nonchalant tone:

"Your Highness, you must be careful. If these fish escape, even if you catch them again, they may not be the same ones as before."

Knowing that Yan Li's words had a hidden meaning, Wen Yichu raised her eyes and smiled slightly: "Is A-Li worried about me?"

Upon hearing this, Yan Li froze for a moment, which was uncharacteristic of him, before calmly saying, "Of course, Your Highness should not forget our cooperation back then. I do not wish for any unexpected events to occur."

She felt that Wen Yichu had been neglecting his duties lately, coming to her residence every few days, not to ask her father for any important business.

The atmosphere suddenly turned cold.

Wen Yichu's lips slowly curved into a smile. His gaze lowered, and his hand holding the fishing rod unconsciously rubbed his fingertips together.

"Does Ali still think of our relationship as just a business partnership?"

When the engagement was first made, he never cared about who he was marrying, nor did he ever think about getting married.

It wasn't until an unexpected meeting that he realized love at first sight truly exists in this world.

Before he could even begin to plan, Yan Li approached him and offered to discuss a collaboration with him based on a marriage agreement.

The kind that has nothing to do with romantic love.

In return, she would do her best to help him secure his position as crown prince, and his reward would be to quietly eliminate certain people when necessary.

Wen Yichu's thoughts were beyond the comprehension of ordinary people. He had a bad reputation, and few women took the initiative to attach themselves to him.

Even if there were any, he took care of them.

Collaborating with him is a really novel idea.

Besides, the people he wanted had already come to him on their own, so how could he refuse?

Yan Li avoided looking into Wen Yichu's eyes, deliberately averting his gaze. After a moment, he finally relented: "If Your Highness says so, then so be it."

Wen Yichu actually laughed this time.

Does this mean that if he doesn't acknowledge it, their relationship isn't even considered a partnership?

He stood up, and Yan Li, sensing something was wrong, also stood up.

However, Wen Yichu was clearly a step ahead of her. He stepped over the fishing gear between them, grabbed Yan Li who was about to escape, and leaned down to press her down:

"Ah Li, I am not someone you can use at will. No matter who you want to get rid of, just tell me, and I can help you, but there's only one thing,"

"I have treated you with the utmost sincerity, and you should reciprocate by giving me your heart."

Wen Yichu's breath fell on Yan Li's face, and her hand was held down by this person, making it impossible for her to struggle.

Yan Li twisted her wrist somewhat awkwardly, and her eyes clearly showed more caution, even fear.

Seeing that Wen Yichu was determined to get an answer, Yan Li cleared his throat and said slowly, "Your Highness, if you ask for too much, you will be breaking the contract."

Wen Yichu grasped Yan Li's chin, straightened her head, and pressed her lips down.

"Breach of contract? We've been together for a long time, Ali should know that I never care about these things."

"But I've always been vengeful, and if Ali wants to break the contract..."

He bit Yan Li's shoulder, with a hint of anger, but he remembered to hold back so as not to actually hurt him.

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