Chapter 62 concludes the story. "Yuanyuan has grown up..."

Meng Yuanxiao's heart skipped a beat.

Magistrate Tang continued, "Yesterday, I and other magistrates went to the prefectural government office to pay our respects to the prefect. After we finished our discussion, the prefect kept me behind and asked me about the female clerk in Songxi County."

"..." Meng Yuanxiao swallowed hard. "Lord Tang, how should we address the new prefect?"

"The Prefect's surname is Cui, Magistrate Cui," said Magistrate Tang.

Meng Yuanxiao suddenly stopped in her tracks, her eyes welling up with tears.

"What's wrong?" Magistrate Tang asked, looking at her.

Meng Yuanxiao quickly shook his head, "It's nothing."

"Does Lord Meng recognize this Lord Cui?"

Meng Yuanxiao was startled and denied it without thinking, "I don't recognize him!"

She said she didn't recognize him, but her face was full of guilt. Magistrate Tang just smiled and didn't say anything more.

Back at the county office, Meng Yuanxiao was distracted and didn't finish the tasks assigned to her by Magistrate Tang until after the official closing time.

Even after finishing her work, she still didn't want to leave the yamen. She pretended to organize the case files in the interrogation room for a while longer until the yamen gatekeeper came to chase her away. Only then did she reluctantly leave.

I thought everyone in the county government office had left by this time, but when I came out of the interrogation room, I looked up and saw Cui Xintang standing in front of me, talking to Magistrate Tang.

He was dressed in a blue robe, and he was still tall and handsome, only a little thinner.

Meng Yuanxiao paused, his heart pounding.

After a moment of stunned silence, he couldn't help but feel a little annoyed.

The two people in front of her saw her come out and looked at her at the same time.

Magistrate Tang smiled and asked, "Is Lord Meng finished with his work?"

“…Hmm,” Meng Yuanxiao said.

She quickly greeted Magistrate Tang, then turned her face away, not wanting to look at the man.

He intended to pretend he didn't recognize him and leave directly, but Cui Xintang said quietly, "Don't you even recognize Brother Tang?"

Meng Yuanxiao: "..."

She had no choice but to bite the bullet and step forward, but she refused to speak to Cui Xintang, only calling out "Lord Tang".

Magistrate Tang glanced between her and Cui Xintang and said with a smile, "Young Master Meng, you've gone to so much trouble. If you're so tired that you're late for work tomorrow and miss your shift, you should be careful not to be penalized with a pay cut."

Meng Yuanxiao felt a little relieved. Her eyes lit up, and she quickly assured him, "Don't worry, Lord Tang, Hongshao wakes me up early every day, so I definitely won't be late!"

She looked serious, which amused Magistrate Tang. Just as he was about to tease her again, Cui Xintang, who had been left standing aside, suddenly spoke up.

"The lady is young and doesn't know any better. I'm grateful to Magistrate Tang for taking care of her these days."

Upon hearing this, Magistrate Tang was completely stunned.

Meng Yuanxiao was also annoyed, pursing her lips tightly and glaring angrily at Cui Xintang.

Cui Xintang, however, seemed completely unconcerned. He didn't even glance at Magistrate Tang; his gaze remained fixed on Meng Yuanxiao.

"My lady was indulging in play for a while, and I couldn't bear to restrain her too much, so I let her go out and play for a year. If this has caused any trouble for Magistrate Tang, I apologize to Magistrate Tang on behalf of my lady."

Magistrate Tang snapped out of his daze, looked at the two men, and smiled, saying, "Lord Cui, you flatter me. Young Master Meng is very clever and capable. He has helped me a lot without causing any trouble."

Cui Xintang nodded, not responding to that question, but instead looked at Meng Yuanxiao and asked, "Aren't you leaving yet?"

Meng Yuanxiao was so angry that his eyes turned red. He stood there glaring at him for a moment, then turned to look at Magistrate Tang.

Her beautiful almond-shaped eyes were filled with tension, and a layer of fine sweat appeared on the tip of her upturned nose. Although she did not speak, Magistrate Tang understood what she meant.

He glanced at Cui Xintang and then smiled, "Lord Meng, please leave the office early. This case is not yet finished today, and you will be busy for the next few days."

This meant she was allowed to stay at the county government office. Meng Yuanxiao was immediately relieved, and a smile appeared on her usually stern face.

"Don't worry, Lord Tang, I will definitely come early tomorrow!"

After saying goodbye to Magistrate Tang, he didn't even glance at Cui Xintang before turning and heading towards the county government gate.

Meng Zheng had nothing to do in Songxi County. Every day, he would wait outside the county government office early to pick up Meng Yuanxiao after she left. Today, when she came out of the county government office, she did not see her second brother.

Meng Yuanxiao looked around and saw the people following behind her. Feeling annoyed, she decided not to wait for her second brother and walked away.

Cui Xintang followed slowly behind her, and only after walking a short distance did he come over and take her hand.

Meng Yuanxiao shook him off, but he took her hand again.

Meng Yuanxiao was annoyed and frowned as she asked him, "I finally got this job, what bad things did you say about me to Magistrate Tang?"

Refusing to call him "Brother Tang," she immediately questioned him. Cui Xintang frowned slightly, looked at her without saying a word.

His silence seemed to Meng Yuanxiao as a sign of guilt, which only fueled her anger. She forcefully shook off his hand, turned away in a huff, and walked away.

Upon returning home, Meng Yuanxiao went straight to the backyard.

She was still angry and wanted to lock him out of the room, but Cui Xintang placed his large hand on the door and followed her into the room.

He came in, closed the door, turned around and pressed the person against the door. Before Meng Yuanxiao could react, he had already lowered his head and kissed him.

Meng Yuanxiao was both angry and annoyed. She struggled to push him away, but he restrained her hands and feet, and she quickly lost her strength.

She stopped struggling, and Cui Xintang finally released her a little.

He wrapped his large hand around her waist and gently squeezed it. Then, with a half-smile, he said, "Brother Tang thinks about Yuanyuan every day in the capital. He misses her so much that he can't eat or sleep. Yuanyuan has even gotten a little fatter."

He then laughed in exasperation, “It seems Yuanyuan doesn’t miss Brother Tang at all?”

Meng Yuanxiao bit her lip, her eyes red, and glared at him angrily.

Cui Xintang lowered his head and gently bit the corner of her lips, then sneered, "You won't even call me 'Brother Tang,' but you call me 'Lord Tang' so affectionately."

His tone was rather strange, and his words were quite harsh, which made Meng Yuanxiao so angry that tears welled up in her eyes.

Cui Xintang sighed softly and kissed her on the eyes.

"Brother Tang only arrived yesterday afternoon. Once he arrived, he had many things to deal with and had to deal with officials at all levels. By the time he had a little free time, it was already late at night. He really couldn't find the time to come and see you."

"Besides, Brother Tang has been traveling for several days and is covered in dust. He doesn't dare to come directly to see Yuanyuan for fear that she will find him distasteful. Brother Tang came to find you early this morning, but before he even arrived at the county office, he saw you walking side by side with Magistrate Tang."

Meng Yuanxiao: "..."

She was indeed angry.

He clearly said he would come to find her after just one year, although he said he would take her away from the capital, not that he would come to find her.

But he didn't come to find her for over a year. Although she never said it, she had actually been waiting for him to come to her all along.

Tang-gege finally arrived, but he didn't come to see her.

Today, when she learned from Magistrate Tang that her brother Tang had arrived in Songxi County yesterday, she felt extremely aggrieved.

Hearing him say that, she suddenly felt even more wronged, and tears immediately streamed down her face.

Cui Xintang gave a wry smile. "Yuanyuan, do you know how flustered I was when I saw you walking with Magistrate Tang? I was so flustered that I didn't dare to call out to you."

Today he saw with his own eyes that she was walking side by side with Tang Yu, Yuan Yuan with her hands behind her back, her back straight, swaggering down the street.

The deliberate air of authority was mixed with a touch of natural playfulness, a side of her he hadn't seen in a long time.

Even the fact that he had just seen her talking to Magistrate Tang so familiarly made him inexplicably irritable.

Meng Yuanxiao was taken aback.

Perhaps it was because they had been separated for too long and missed each other day and night, that when they suddenly held each other in their arms, it still felt insufficient, and their hearts felt even emptier, and they subconsciously wanted to ask for more.

I could restrain myself before, but now I don't want to hold back anymore.

Meng Yuanxiao was startled, "My second brother is still here!"

Cui Xintang replied, "Meng Zheng has already left."

"What?" Meng Yuanxiao didn't understand for a moment.

Cui Xintang held her lips, her hands constantly tugging at her clothes. "When Meng Zheng saw me today, he gave me a few instructions and then immediately rode off on his horse."

After saying that, he bit her lip. "Before I left the capital, Meng Zheng had already written to urge me several times."

Meng Yuanxiao: "..."

She couldn't help but feel a little wronged. Her second brother couldn't even wait for her. She wanted to write a letter to her sister Li!

"On the day the Li family left the capital, didn't Brother Tang encounter members of the Li family at the city gate? Yuanyuan, who else did Brother Tang see at the city gate that day?"

Meng Yuanxiao hummed without answering, while Cui Xintang continued, "I also ran into Meng Zheng."

He chuckled and said, "Meng Zheng offered himself up, but he got a good beating from the eldest brother of the Li family."

Meng Yuanxiao: "..."

Cui Xintang's tone was somewhat gloating, "I just happened to witness it, and Meng Zheng lost face, so he came to cause me trouble."

Thinking back to the injury on his second brother's face, Meng Yuanxiao was surprised, but he couldn't help but exclaim.

Cui Xintang buried his head in her chest and gently sucked and nibbled for a while, then lingered upwards, along her slender neck, and sucked on her lustrous earlobe.

Warm breath brushed against her ear, and Cui Xintang sighed contentedly, smiling as she whispered in Meng Yuanxiao's ear, "Yuanyuan has grown up."

His voice was low and suggestive, and Meng Yuanxiao's cheeks and even the roots of his ears turned bright red instantly.

Cui Xintang didn't think he was being unreasonable at all, and kept coaxing her with words.

"Brother Tang knew that Yuanyuan wouldn't obediently go to Jinzhou, so he had someone follow you. When he learned that you had come to Songxi County, Brother Tang finished his duties at the yamen and immediately submitted a memorial requesting to be transferred to another post. It was Brother Tang's fault that Yuanyuan waited for so long."

"Brother Tang knows that Yuanyuan refuses to come back to me, so Brother Tang will come to find you."

Meng Yuanxiao sniffed, clung tightly to him, buried her face in his shoulder, and refused to speak.

Cui Xintang kissed her and said slowly, "The court was shaken a while ago. The Xu family's affairs were reported, and Grand Tutor Xu was implicated and punished. The entire Xu family was investigated and their property confiscated."

Meng Yuanxiao was taken aback.

"The matter in Yunping County has come to an end. Brother Tang has helped Niu Niu get back all the land and houses that belong to her."

“Niu Niu is still young, so these matters will be handled by Chen Shi for the time being. Someone will be hired in Yunping County to manage the land and houses on her behalf. In the future, Niu Niu will decide how to dispose of them herself.”

“If these things are left behind, Niu Niu will have a place to come from and roots to return to. Ye Shi did not die in vain, and Brother Tang did not break his promise to Yuan Yuan.”

Meng Yuanxiao buried her face in his shoulder, and tears welled up in her eyes.

After a long while, she finally called out, "Brother Tang."

"Hmm?" Cui Xintang kissed her.

Meng Yuanxiao didn't speak, but buried her face in his shoulder. Cui Xintang smiled and kissed her cheek again.

Even if you manage to win someone over, you still have to settle the score.

“Yuanyuan is quite bold,” Cui Xintang chuckled.

Meng Yuanxiao froze for a moment.

Perhaps wanting to teach her a lesson, Cui Xintang used more force.

Meng Yuanxiao couldn't take it anymore, and Cui Xintang asked, "Yuanyuan, do you know why Magistrate Tang kept you in the county office?"

"I don't know," Meng Yuanxiao said in a muffled voice, biting his shoulder.

She said this out of spite, and Cui Xintang chuckled but didn't call her out on it.

Today at the Songxi County government office, he spoke a few words with Magistrate Tang, but deliberately did not tell him about his relationship with Yuanyuan beforehand.

At the time, Magistrate Tang guessed that Meng Yuanxiao came from the capital city during the court hearing.

Magistrate Tang had his suspicions; she was someone planted by those in the court who opposed the new policies.

After all, he encountered considerable obstacles when he first took office in Songxi County.

The murderer was also instigated by those people in the court to distract him and hinder him from implementing his new policies.

Only Meng Yuanxiao accurately depicted the appearance of the murderer, which made Magistrate Tang even more suspicious.

So he conveniently left Yuanyuan at the county office and kept an eye on her actions.

Magistrate Tang had originally planned to secretly investigate Yuanyuan's identity, but he kept putting it off.

Later, when he thought about it again, he gave up the idea of ​​investigating her.

As for the reason, Magistrate Tang did not say, but Cui Xintang knew.

However, because he was concerned about Yuanyuan, he kept an eye on things in Songxi County and secretly helped Magistrate Tang a few times in court.

Magistrate Tang wasn't stupid; he knew that the secret support from the court was probably due to Meng Yuanxiao.

Therefore, he naturally stopped investigating Yuanyuan.

Today, Magistrate Tang told him that he had never seen a woman like Yuanyuan before. At first, he found it novel, but later he felt that women should all look like Yuanyuan.

Although Magistrate Tang may not have had any ulterior motives, he found it grating to hear.

Even now, thinking back on it, it still feels the same; I hold the person in my arms and writhe even more violently.

Meng Yuanxiao was so tired that he fell asleep in a daze, but was woken up in the middle of the night and tossed and turned for a long time.

As Meng Yuanxiao nestled in his arms and fell asleep, she didn't forget to remind him to wake her up early the next morning, as she had to go to the yamen.

Cui Xintang hugged her and kissed her, readily agreeing, but deliberately didn't wake her up the next morning.

He tormented me so much during the night that I woke up the next morning when the sun was already high in the sky.

Meng Yuanxiao was so angry that she cried. While putting on her clothes, she gave Cui Xintang a severe dressing-down.

Hongshao comforted her from the side, "Miss, don't worry. The young master said that he made arrangements with the county government yesterday, so it's okay if you go to the government office a little later."

Hong Shao's words only made Meng Yuanxiao angrier. He didn't even eat breakfast and hurriedly walked out.

Cui Xintang went to the prefectural government office, but Qingzhu stayed in the front yard.

Upon seeing Meng Yuanxiao emerge, Qingzhu greeted her with a smile, "Young Madam, Master instructed me to escort you to and from the yamen."

Meng Yuanxiao didn't even glance at him, and went to the county government office in a huff.

Qingzhu stood guard outside the county government office and said, "If the young mistress has any requests, please give them to me."

All day long, Meng Yuanxiao couldn't help but feel guilty in front of Magistrate Tang.

Magistrate Tang, however, remained unfazed. Seeing Meng Yuanxiao's discomfort, he even teased her, saying, "Young Lady Meng was late today because I pleaded with them and they wouldn't deduct your salary. When you receive your salary next month, don't forget to treat me to a meal."

Meng Yuanxiao was immediately relieved and patted his chest with a smile, promising, "Thank you, Lord Tang. I will treat you to a meal at the largest restaurant!"

After a busy day at the county office, Meng Yuanxiao thought Cui Xintang would come to pick her up after the day's work. When she left the office, Meng Yuanxiao deliberately waited a while, afraid of being seen by others.

But even after leaving the county government office, they only saw Qingzhu waiting outside, but not Cui Xintang.

Meng Yuanxiao breathed a sigh of relief, but couldn't help feeling a little disappointed.

Qingzhu smiled and said, "Young Madam, you've finished your duties?"

Meng Yuanxiao remained sullen and ignored him.

Qingzhu wasn't annoyed at all, and followed behind her young mistress with a smile.

As Meng Yuanxiao walked along the main street in front of the county government office, he spotted the people waiting in front of him.

She paused, then deliberately turned her face away, refusing to look at him.

Cui Xintang stood there watching her from afar, and when she got closer, he reached out and took her hand.

Meng Yuanxiao avoided the question, which amused Cui Xintang. "Isn't it because Yuanyuan thinks that Brother Tang is shameful and doesn't want Brother Tang to pick you up from the county government office?"

Meng Yuanxiao did think that way, but there's a big difference between her forbidding him from picking him up and him actually not picking him up.

Besides, she's still angry about what happened this morning.

She frowned and asked, "Did you deliberately not wake me up this morning so I would be late?"

Cui Xintang: "..."

His silence was clearly intentional.

Meng Yuanxiao was furious. "I was so late today, what will Magistrate Tang think of me?"

“What can he do about what he thinks of you?” Cui Xintang said.

Meng Yuanxiao was so angry that her face turned red, but Cui Xintang remained calm. "So what if you quit being a clerk in the county government? There are vacancies in the prefectural government. Yuanyuan can come to the prefectural government, and Brother Tang can take care of you."

Meng Yuanxiao knew that he was definitely doing it on purpose.

She puffed out her cheeks and said earnestly, "Brother Tang, I'm doing very well in the county government office. I don't want to leave the county government office, and I certainly don't want to go to the prefectural government office!"

Having said that, she was too lazy to pay him any more attention and turned to leave in a huff.

Cui Xintang instinctively reached out to take her hand, but Meng Yuanxiao, already annoyed, forcefully shook him off.

As luck would have it, the bluestone brick under his feet loosened, and Meng Yuanxiao, caught off guard, lost his footing and nearly fell.

She gasped in surprise, startled. Cui Xintang swiftly caught her, but it was too late.

Meng Yuanxiao twisted her ankle and almost cried from the pain.

Cui Xintang frowned and immediately squatted down to check her ankle.

Meng Yuanxiao was in excruciating pain in her ankle and dared not move. Her pretty face turned pale.

Tears welled up in her eyes when, unexpectedly, Cui Xintang pinched her ankle.

Caught off guard, Meng Yuanxiao gasped in surprise, tears welling up in her eyes.

Cui Xintang then tentatively touched two spots on her ankle and said, "It looks like a sprain. I'm afraid you can't walk."

After saying that, she turned around and said, "Brother Tang will carry you on his back."

The streets were crowded, and Meng Yuanxiao didn't want him to carry her.

She sniffed and asked, "Where's the carriage?"

Cui Xintang: "There is no carriage."

Meng Yuanxiao: "..."

She pursed her lips and, after a long while, reluctantly climbed onto his back.

Cui Xintang carried her on his back and walked forward. Meng Yuanxiao asked in a muffled voice, "Where are you taking me?"

Cui Xintang: "There's a clinic up ahead, let's go there first."

Meng Yuanxiao hummed twice, "No."

Cui Xintang: "Isn't your ankle hurting?"

Meng Yuanxiao: "I don't want to go, I just don't want to go, even if it hurts!"

Cui Xintang: "...Then let's not go to the clinic."

Meng Yuanxiao protested, "But my ankle hurts!"

Cui Xintang: "..."

He didn't argue with her anymore and carried her straight to the clinic.

Upon arriving at the clinic, the doctor examined the patient and confirmed that it was indeed a sprain. Fortunately, no bones were damaged, and the patient would recover after a few days of treatment and rest.

Meng Yuanxiao is most afraid of pain; even the smallest wounds on her body can make her cry. But today, when the doctor treated her injured ankle, she endured it without uttering a sound, only tears welling up in her eyes.

Cui Xintang saw this and couldn't help but fall silent.

After leaving the clinic, he asked, "Why didn't you cry when the doctor treated your ankle?"

Meng Yuanxiao leaned on his shoulder and said in a muffled voice, "I'm not a child anymore."

She snorted lightly, "I am a female official in the county government. Everyone in Songxi County knows me. I also have my pride."

Her tone was rather smug, which amused Cui Xintang. "Well, you should hold back and not cry."

After saying that, he asked, "When you go to the prefectural government office today, is it still the house you rented?"

Meng Yuanxiao thought for a moment and said, "Let's go to the house. We'll go to the prefectural government office another day."

Meng Yuanxiao's ankle had been treated with medicine and was no longer in as much pain as before. Cui Xintang wasn't in a hurry and carried her slowly back.

People on the street kept glancing at them, but Cui Xintang didn't care at all. Meng Yuanxiao, on the other hand, was very concerned about her image. She buried her face in his shoulder and covered her face with her sleeve, unwilling to let anyone see her face.

After walking a short distance, Meng Yuanxiao asked, "How are Mother and my elder brother?"

After a pause, she asked again, "Shouldn't the Su family have had their child by now?"

“Yes,” Cui Xintang said, “Two months after you left the capital, Su gave birth to a boy, who is now a year old.”

“A few days ago, Meng Xu insisted on leaving the capital and being transferred to Jizhou, but his mother-in-law stopped him.”

Meng Yuanxiao was surprised, "Big brother wants to go to Jizhou?"

“Yes,” Cui Xintang said, “Meng Xu was taciturn before. He rarely spoke to me and seldom stayed at the Meng residence. He also didn’t visit Su Shi and the children.”

"When Su's child was almost a year old, he suddenly told his mother-in-law that he wanted to leave the capital and be transferred to a post outside the capital. Perhaps he felt that his mother-in-law would be more open-minded and let him leave the capital now that she had a grandson by her side."

At this point, both of them fell silent.

Meng Yuanxiao ran to Songxi County without saying a word, and Meng Zheng even went to Fengzhou. Naturally, Madam Feng forbade Meng Xu from leaving the capital again.

“Back then, Yuanyuan, you left Beijing without saying a word, and my mother-in-law was so worried that she fell ill.”

Upon hearing this, Meng Yuanxiao couldn't help but shed tears.

"This time, Meng Xu made a fuss about leaving the capital and being transferred to Jizhou, which made my mother-in-law fall ill again. Otherwise, my mother-in-law would have come with me this time."

Meng Yuanxiao suddenly felt extremely sad. She buried her face in Cui Xintang's shoulder and asked in a muffled voice, "Brother Tang, was I being too insensible?"

Cui Xintang was silent for a moment, then said, "It's not that Yuanyuan is being unreasonable, it's that Brother Tang can't live without Yuanyuan."

So, the only person he wanted to take Yuanyuan far away from the capital was him and Yuanyuan.

"My mother-in-law is much better now, but she shouldn't be too tired or travel too much for the time being. She said she'll come to see Yuanyuan again in a while, and she'll write to me in advance. Brother Tang will make the arrangements."

"Thank you, Brother Tang," Meng Yuanxiao said after a long pause.

No one noticed them, and Cui Xintang turned his head and kissed her on the cheek.

"Or if Yuanyuan misses her mother-in-law anytime, Brother Tang will have Qingzhu send you back to the capital. But Yuanyuan will stay at the Meng residence for a few days and will still have to come back to Brother Tang's place."

"Hmph," Meng Yuanxiao said.

Cui Xintang smiled.

Meng Yuanxiao put her arms around his neck and whispered, "Jizhou is the place that you and Sister Li agreed on before, where you will apply for a posting in the future."

Their father had served in Fengzhou for two years, and Meng Xu could not be transferred to Fengzhou, so he chose Jizhou, which is close to Fengzhou.

We don't cherish people when they're around, but we become deeply affectionate when they leave in disappointment.

Meng Yuanxiao said, "Brother Tang, please write a letter to persuade my elder brother not to go to Jizhou, and even more so, not to bother Sister Li."

Cui Xintang turned to look at her, but said, "You can't persuade her otherwise."

He tried to persuade him, but Meng Xu wouldn't listen to a word he said.

If he hadn't angered Madam Feng to the point of illness, he probably would have already left the capital and gone to Jizhou.

What he didn't say was that this was Meng Xu's obsession; if he couldn't go, he feared that one day he would not be able to bear it.

Meng Yuanxiao was at a loss for words.

After a long pause, she said indignantly, "Men are just cheap."

Cui Xintang: "..."

Meng Yuanxiao: "Brother Tang, you said before that the Meng family would make things difficult for Sister Li in her martial arts exam. Will they still do that now?"

Cui Xintang carefully lifted her up a little, making her more stable on his back. "Probably not. Meng Xu and Meng Zheng won't agree."

Meng Yuanxiao felt relieved.

"What has Yuanyuan done in Songxi County over the past year?" Cui Xintang asked.

Mentioning this, Meng Yuanxiao became quite proud. "There are many more."

She counted on her fingers one by one, "I followed Magistrate Tang to implement the new policies, helped Magistrate Tang with his portrait and case handling, and even gave Magistrate Tang advice on how to get the academy to hire a female teacher."

"Also, I've drawn pictures of daily life and farming in Songxi County, and asked Magistrate Tang to help send them back to the capital!"

Speaking of this, Meng Yuanxiao couldn't help but get excited, "Brother Tang, has my painting been sent to the palace?"

She kept mentioning Magistrate Tang, which made Cui Xintang feel like he had a fishbone stuck in his throat, and he was extremely depressed.

He dared not say it, but instead praised her, saying, "She was sent to the palace. That day, the Princess even summoned me to the palace and showed me your painting."

"What did the eldest princess say?"

Her words betrayed her undisguised anticipation, and Cui Xintang smiled, "Of course the Princess is praising you."

Meng Yuanxiao was delighted. "Hmph, I knew it. I'm the best."

"Yes," Cui Xintang said with a smile.

He paused for a moment, then said, "I also asked the Princess for one of your paintings."

Meng Yuanxiao was silent for a moment, then suddenly remembered the painting he had torn up earlier, and the folding fan she had painted for him herself.

He clearly didn't care at all, and couldn't even recognize that it was her painting.

She was a little unhappy and remained silent.

Cui Xintang said, "I found that folding fan too. I've been carrying it with me and I won't use any other folding fans in the future."

Meng Yuanxiao was still somewhat bothered. She didn't want to discuss this with him, so after thinking for a moment, she asked, "Brother Tang, are you here to implement the new policies on behalf of the Princess?"

Otherwise, I wouldn't have come here.

"Yes." Cui Xintang didn't hide it from her.

Meng Yuanxiao was somewhat surprised, after all, her brother Tang had always been resistant to the new policies and the eldest princess.

Cui Xintang guessed what she was thinking and said with a smile, "Yuanyuan is so capable, so Brother Tang naturally can't fall behind."

Yuanyuan is already working for the Eldest Princess under Tang Yu's guidance, so what's the point of him avoiding suspicion now?

He was most afraid of implicating Yuanyuan, but now that Yuanyuan is involved, there is no way to avoid it.

Moreover, he also wanted to try and see if he could do what others couldn't, just as Yuanyuan had hoped.

He said, "In other families, the husband leads and the wife follows; in our family, the wife leads and the husband follows. It's not necessarily a bad thing."

Meng Yuanxiao was stunned for a moment, and her face couldn't help but turn red.

She whispered, "Brother Tang, even though I'm angry and hate you, I still can't help but miss you."

Cui Xintang turned his head and kissed her on the lips, "Brother Tang also wants Yuanyuan."

"Brother Tang, when did you start wanting to marry me?"

Cui Xintang himself had thought about this, but he found it difficult to explain.

Perhaps it was a long time ago.

"Does Yuanyuan still remember what happened when I was ten years old?" he asked.

Meng Yuanxiao naturally didn't remember. "What is it?"

Cui Xintang said, "That day I was scolded and punished by my mother with a ruler."

That day, he had several bruises on his arms and back, but no one cared about him. When his mother used him to vent her anger, none of the servants in the mansion dared to stop her.

His father, meanwhile, was out with his sweetheart outside the mansion and wouldn't have remembered him at all.

“That day, Yuanyuan found me and saw the injuries on my body. The little girl hugged me and cried a lot. In the end, it was Brother Tang who endured the pain and comforted you.”

“That day, Yuanyuan hugged me and blew on my wounds over and over again, coaxing me that blowing on them would make them stop hurting. She also told me that others didn’t care about Brother Tang, but Yuanyuan cared about Brother Tang.”

Cui Xintang smiled and said, "You said you like Brother Tang and that you want to be Brother Tang's wife in the future, protect Brother Tang, and never let anyone bully Brother Tang again."

Meng Yuanxiao's face flushed instantly. She refused to admit it, "I didn't!"

Cui Xintang just smiled and didn't say anything.

It was indeed Yuanyuan who found him that day, and she hugged him and cried for a long time. Those words were spoken by her own mouth.

He knew she didn't understand anything; she was just spouting nonsense she'd heard from adults to fool him.

Is she trying to coax him, or to get him to willingly do her homework for her?

But he still remembered it, and he remembered it for so long.

Although Meng Yuanxiao did not remember the nonsense she had said, she still remembered the bruises and marks she had seen on Brother Tang's body earlier.

Her eyes welled up with tears, and she buried her face in Cui Xintang's neck. "Brother Tang, you must take good care of me. I will be good to you in the future."

Cui Xintang smiled, "Yes, Brother Tang only loves Yuanyuan. But Yuanyuan can't abandon Brother Tang in the future, okay?"

"snort."

"..."

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Author's note: This article is now officially finished. Thank you all for your continued support.

With the New Year approaching, I wish everyone a prosperous and successful year ahead.

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