Su Qingluan thought to herself that people like you can plot against others and still have a smile on their faces, and the other party can still thank you and remember your kindness.

But this cannot be said openly, after all, it is a bit hurtful to say it out loud. What's more, Su Qingluan doesn't think Mu Xingzhi really wants her to say it - although he has a carefree personality, he still has some sense of propriety.

So she said vaguely, "Nothing, I just felt for a long time that you were not an ordinary person. I can't imagine you being so respectful to anyone."

In fact, this was not a lie. After all, Su Qingluan really thought so at the beginning.

Mu Xingzhi also understood that Su Qingluan hadn't said everything she wanted to say, but he wouldn't force her. He just jokingly said, "Why, am I usually very arrogant?"

"It's not arrogance," Su Qingluan shook her head. "It's better to say that you are always very kind in dealing with people, but... well, it's a kind of kindness that comes with a sense of distance." Su Qingluan tried to describe the special feeling that Mu Xingzhi gave her.

If Mu Xingzhi wanted to, he could make anyone feel good about him, regardless of gender, age or status. This cannot even be simply summarized by the phrase "high emotional intelligence".

Such people can often instantly understand what the people they are with need. Their insight, ability to react spontaneously, and interpersonal skills...

In short, Su Qingluan felt that people like Mu Xingzhi would always be extraordinary figures no matter what era or background they were from.

Although she knew that Mu Xingzhi was a prince, Su Qingluan's attitude towards Mu Xingzhi and Song Bo remained the same - after all, from a utilitarian point of view, if Su Qingluan suddenly became respectful to "Mu Xingzhi", it would arouse suspicion.

However, the main reason was that Mu Xingzhi and Song Bo's attitude towards Su Qingluan remained the same as before, and one of Su Qingluan's greatest strengths was that she could go with the flow. Since the other party didn't ask her to be respectful, and they wouldn't deduct her "wages", she naturally didn't bother to make trouble for herself.

But everyone has curiosity, including Su Qingluan.

Su Qingluan was not interested in the intrigues in the palace, and she felt that she should not inquire about the so-called "secrets", but she was very interested in what life was like in the palace - especially in terms of food.

So after knowing Mu Xingzhi's true identity, Su Qingluan wondered whether she should compete with the legendary real "palace cuisine" to see how her cooking skills compare.

Of course, the judge can only be Mu Xingzhi, and because Mu Xingzhi has left the palace for almost ten years for some reason, Su Qingluan is not sure whether the judgment of this "referee" can be fair and just.

However, Su Qingluan didn't really want to compete with him. She wanted Mu Xingzhi to provide her with some inspiration. After all, she knew a lot of dishes, and sometimes she couldn't remember what to cook without being reminded.

During this period, Su Qingluan learned Mu Xingzhi's real name.

The royal family of the Sheng Dynasty had the surname Xiao, which was fixed, but Mu Xingzhi's given name was simply Huan.

...Although Su Qingluan also knew that this word could be extended to mean something similar to "pillar", she could never forget that the original meaning of this word was "pillar". So the name that originally felt elegant and grand instantly became rustic.

Su Qingluan held it in for a long time, and finally couldn't help but complain: "I feel that your real name is not as pleasant as the name 'Mu Xingzhi', and the name 'Xingzhi' feels more comfortable. Huan, it just... feels very heavy." She thought about it, and finally did not say the word "Zhu Zi".

"I'm the legitimate son, carrying the family's hopes." At least, they were the expectations of my maternal family. As for his father, Mu Xingzhi thought, he wouldn't expect anyone other than himself to succeed him—the more hopeful someone is of inheriting the throne, the more likely they'll be targeted by his father.

Su Qingluan only felt that Mu Xingzhi's eyes seemed to darken for a moment, but when she looked carefully, Mu Xingzhi was smiling again.

Is it her illusion?

"Your mother must have high hopes for you." Su Qingluan followed Mu Xingzhi's words.

However, Mu Xingzhi shook his head: "This name was given by my maternal grandfather."

To be precise, the names of the princes had to be decided by the emperor himself. However, Mu Xingzhi's mother's family was also a prominent family. In order to show his respect for the queen, the old emperor, who was not so foolish at the time, asked Mu Xingzhi's grandfather, who had already been appointed prime minister, to give the queen this name.

After hearing about the many twists and turns in the naming process, Su Qingluan couldn't help but sigh, "It's really not easy, there are so many twists and turns."

"My mother gave me the name 'Mu Xingzhi,'" Mu Xingzhi said with a smile. "She hoped that I would be free and follow my heart if I could. 'Mu' is my maternal grandfather's surname."

Su Qingluan had no mother in her previous life, and in this life she saw how much Yang loved her daughter. However, psychologically, she had long passed the age of needing "maternal love." However, when she heard Mu Xingzhi's words, she couldn't help but sigh: "You have a good mother."

Mu Xingzhi sneered, which was very rare: "Yes, although my father is not that good."

"Uh..." Su Qingluan's mouth twitched. She really wanted to offer some comfort, even if it was just a few polite words. But as an ordinary citizen, she couldn't say anything good about an emperor who spent his days seeking immortality and healing, building temples for the gods, and levying heavy taxes that made people question their lives.

After staring blankly for a long time, Su Qingluan said dryly, "At least you don't have to go forward to show your filial piety, right?"

Perhaps he hadn't expected Su Qingluan's approach to be so bizarre, and Mu Xingzhi didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "You're right."

Ever since Mu Xingzhi revealed his true identity to Su Qingluan, Su Qingluan began to prepare day and night to leave Huaxi Village - although she had already been preparing since the beginning when Su Qingluan decided to marry Mu Xingzhi.

For example, when preparing a new jam recipe, Su Qingluan will consciously reduce the pace of new product releases - after all, once the brand is stabilized, it is enough to have new products every year to maintain the brand's popularity. It is not the case that the more flavors, the better they sell, but that related flavors must be carefully designed.

However, the speed of developing new flavors has not slowed down. It’s just that Su Qingluan always keeps some new products as "reserve plans" to prevent the product iteration of fruit jam from coming to a halt due to the lack of new product development if she goes to the capital in the future.

After all, customers tend to get bored easily. Although jams with classic flavors will always have a customer base, if they only have one flavor or the same old three, even the most loyal customers will get bored.

What's more, Su Qingluan never believed that customers would be "loyal", and eye-catching new products were always necessary.