Chapter 80 A smile doesn't necessarily mean true happiness.

They said they would have a proper New Year, and the Crown Prince really did close the door and celebrate the New Year properly.

He Zhiju had only come to deliver a message that night, but the Crown Prince and Crown Princess insisted on keeping her there.

"It's been a long time since I've spent the New Year with my brother. Now that we're both finally in the capital, why don't you stay for this family reunion?"

"If you're not here, the Crown Princess will probably be thinking about you during the New Year's Eve dinner. You're not on the duty roster for the military camp outside the capital during the New Year either. You can't possibly stay alone in your little courtyard, can you?"

"Brother, please stay. Otherwise, Xiaozheng will worry about you."

Faced with the couple's coordinated performance, He Zhiju had no chance to refuse, even if he wanted to. That night, Zhu Yu invited him to stay in the front courtyard. The next morning, before he could even say goodbye, the Crown Prince had already arranged leave for him.

"It's only one day anyway, so what difference does it make whether you're here or not? Your things have already been prepared for you by the Crown Princess, so just stay here without worry."

He Zhiju was speechless for a moment. What else could he say? The Crown Prince had considered things so thoroughly, so he could only "respectfully comply."

Seeing that he agreed to stay, Jiang Chen breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't really want He Zhiju to spend the New Year in the East Palace, but Shen Yujiao kept talking to him about it. He understood that Shen Yujiao still regarded General He as He Zhiju to some extent and was worried about her brother spending the New Year alone outside.

Let him stay then. Anyway, he and Shen Yujiao had already talked things out, so there were no more grudges between them. Their unrequited love was mixed with misunderstandings and farces, which still makes people laugh and cry when they think back on it now.

Knowing that He Zhiju had a girl he liked, Shen Yujiao stopped being wary of him and even felt a bit closer to him than she had been to her older brother when they were children. Under Shen Yujiao's influence, he couldn't help but wonder: who is the girl He Zhiju likes?

Because of Jiang Chen's excessive attention, He Zhiju felt that the Crown Prince's gaze was intentionally or unintentionally falling on him ever since he moved into the East Palace. He thought about it again and again, but he couldn't figure it out. He didn't know if there was something wrong with him, or if something had happened in the court or the military camp. But the Crown Prince never spoke, and he didn't know where to start if he wanted to ask.

Until this day, after training at the martial arts arena, the two stayed behind together to stretch and relax.

In terms of physical fitness and martial arts training, Jiang Chen never questioned the training plan set by He Zhiju and trained strictly according to his standards. However, when it came to stretching after exercise, He Zhiju never went against Jiang Chen's wishes. Even though the set of movements was more special than the Five Animal Frolics, he followed Jiang Chen and did it.

As the two were stretching their back muscles, Jiang Chen glanced at He Zhiju's serious expression and asked casually, "Brother, you've come of age now, don't you plan to get married?"

He Zhiju, who had been moving smoothly, froze upon hearing this. He stood there stiffly, his lips opening and closing several times before he finally replied, "The He family has not yet avenged its blood feud, and I dare not delay the life of another."

Hearing him say this, Jiang Chen pursed his lips slightly. The shadow of the massacre of the entire He family still clung to him. He was prepared to sacrifice himself for the sake of clearing his family's name, which was why he was unwilling to marry, so as not to delay the deaths of his in-laws.

Avoiding the heaviness in his heart, he changed the subject: "Does my brother have a woman he likes? I can have someone keep an eye out for her. The entire He family will surely be exonerated. The Crown Princess is always concerned about this matter. Why don't you tell me first, brother?"

He Zhiju remained silent upon hearing this. He straightened up and bowed to Jiang Chen, saying, "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness, but in my heart, there is no woman I desire."

With just this one sentence, he offered no further explanation. Jiang Chen addressed him as elder brother, but he referred to himself as his subject. Jiang Chen immediately noticed this subtle change and was somewhat surprised that He Zhiju had remained silent about the matter to this extent.

"Very well, then I will come to ask Ziwang again after everything is settled in the future."

The Crown Prince waved his hand dismissively, and He Zhiju bowed, his eyes slowly closing as he looked down at the ground, and respectfully said, "Yes."

The two returned to the front yard from the martial arts arena. As soon as they reached the garden, they saw Shen Yujiao and Chu Rou busy with two children and a group of servants. Jiang Chen, who was originally preparing to bathe and change clothes, turned around with He Zhiju.

"What are you doing?"

Seeing that the two of them had returned covered in sweat, Shen Yujiao quickly stepped forward and handed them handkerchiefs: "Quickly wipe yourselves off, don't catch a cold in this freezing winter."

She turned to look at the two little ones who were having a great time, and a smile was already overflowing from the corners of her eyes: "Last night I had the servants in the manor pour ice on this open space, and as soon as the sun came out today, I brought the two of them to ice skate. And let me tell you, although Yong'an is not good at dancing, his sense of balance when ice skating is excellent."

Jiang Chen peeked into the somewhat rudimentary small ice rink, where the two children were having a great time, even looking a bit crazy. He smiled and said, "Alright, it's Chinese New Year. Play as much as you like, just don't catch a cold."

"And you're talking about them! Look at you, you're all sweaty from exercising, and you come here wearing such thin clothes. Aren't you afraid of catching a cold..."

The two had only recently become engaged and were deeply in love. Every move the other made was magnified in their eyes, and they were completely focused on each other, afraid that the other might get too hot, too cold, hurt, or sick.

Jiang Chen heard the concern in her words and couldn't help but smile: "Okay, I'll go take a bath and change now. Would you like to help me choose an outfit?"

He pretended to be serious on the surface, but when no one could see him, he secretly hooked his little finger around Shen Yujiao's sleeve. This flirtatious act made Shen Yujiao subconsciously look around. When she saw that no one had noticed their little actions, she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Go away, don't let others laugh at you like this."

"What are you looking at..." Jiang Chen hadn't finished speaking when Shen Yujiao pushed him toward the main courtyard. He could only turn around and say hastily to He Zhiju, "Ziwang, go take a bath and change your clothes. Don't catch a cold."

He Zhiju cupped his hands in agreement and watched the two leave the garden. After they were gone, only the laughter of the two children and the sounds of them coaxing and comforting Chu Rou, who was surrounded by them, remained. He paused, turned his head, and glanced back—

Bathed in the midday sun, the three of them had bright smiles on their faces, as if they were children who had grown up in love. Their happy appearance made him smile slightly, but after a moment, he returned to his expressionless face and strode towards the front yard.

The sound of rushing water came from the side room. Shen Yujiao was holding the new clothes that Jiang Chen would be changing into. She stood behind the screen, unsure whether to move forward or backward. After hesitating for a moment, she placed the clothes on the stool behind the screen and said in a slightly louder voice, "I've put the clothes behind the screen. You can just come out and put them on after you finish your bath."

"good."

Upon hearing Jiang Chen's reply, Shen Yujiao immediately turned and left the side room. She fanned her face with her hand while taking deep breaths. She was somewhat at a loss because of her pounding heart. She sat down, poured herself a cup of tea, and drank it all in one gulp.

"Jiaojiao..."

Before the burning sensation on Shen Yujiao's face could subside, Jiang Chen walked out of the side room. His hair was unusually loose, with the wet parts still dripping water. He wore his undershirt, revealing the well-defined muscles of his waist and abdomen. His upper body was casually dressed, but his trousers and shoes were neatly put on. As he walked, he wiped his hair with a handkerchief.

Shen Yujiao choked on the tea in her mouth, and her words were somewhat hesitant: "You, why didn't you put on some clothes before coming out?"

"Huh?" Jiang Chen looked down at his clothes and continued drying his hair. "I can't seem to tie the ties on my clothes properly. I'll have Zhu Yu come in and help me. My hair is so long, and my clothes are already wet. I'll have to change them again anyway."

He was straightforward and frank... Shen Yujiao looked away, somewhat awkwardly: "Although the room has an underfloor heating, it's still cold. You should put your clothes up."

With that, Shen Yujiao got up and walked outside, saying, "I'll go call them for you—"

"Jiaojiao," the man's warm and strong arms encircled her, and Shen Yujiao froze on the spot. She heard Jiang Chen whisper in her ear, "Are you shy?"

"Me... who's shy? It's not like I haven't seen you take a shower before. Stop being so narcissistic. I'm going out to call Zhu Yu."

"Is that so?"

Looking at the struggling girl in his arms, Jiang Chen chuckled softly. Without saying another word, he threw the handkerchief aside, picked her up, and strode to the bedside, gently placing her on the unmade bed.

"Jiang, Jiang Chen, you..."

Having just showered, Jiang Chen's hair still had a few water droplets clinging to it. His long hair, draped behind his head, accentuated his deep-set eyes, adding a touch of dashing elegance. Water droplets trickled down his Adam's apple, revealing his strong, muscular physique. Chen Yujiao lay between his arms, feeling the overwhelming scent of male hormones, her gaze unfocused.

Jiang Chen noticed the girl's bewildered expression. He smiled, leaned down, and whispered in Shen Yujiao's ear, "When was the last time you saw me taking a bath? When I was three? Five? Or... when I grew up, did you secretly—"

"Jiang Chen," Shen Yujiao shoved him up, her face flushed, and shouted, "What are you saying!"

Jiang Chen used her strength to prop himself up on his arms. The playful smile in his eyes was gone, replaced by a faint pink hue, as if reflecting the girl's blushing cheeks. He slowly approached Shen Yujiao and touched her lips to his.

The very polite touch made Shen Yujiao slightly stunned, but only for a second. After that, he showered her with kisses, which gradually turned into an intertwining of lips and teeth. Her breath was gradually tinged with the faint fragrance of Jiang Chen after his bath, making her linger and intoxicated.

After the kiss, Shen Yujiao sat on the bed with a blush on her face and wrung out Jiang Chen's hair. Only warmth flowed between the two of them. Recalling what had just happened, Jiang Chen stopped before his breathing became disordered. Looking at his gentle and focused expression as he looked at her, Shen Yujiao's eyes were filled with a deep smile.

She cherished Jiang Chen's affection for her.

After changing their clothes, the two walked out of the main courtyard and saw Chu Rou returning with two children. She presented Princess Yong'an to the two of them, and with her other hand holding Qi Zheng's hand, she said softly to them, "I noticed that it's past noon now, and if we continue playing, the two children might catch a cold, so I brought them back first."

"Thanks to you," Shen Yujiao stepped forward and took Yong'an's hand, thanked Chu Rou, and then said to Yong'an, "Say goodbye to Consort Chu and Xiao Zheng. This afternoon, your sister-in-law will take you to paint, and you can play together again in the evening."

"good."

Yong'an's voice was very obedient, but Shen Yujiao looked at her with some surprise. Yong'an's tone was too calm, not at all like the emotions of a child who had just been playing wildly. And after looking at her, she was even more surprised—

Her clear eyes were as calm as still water, and her smile was dignified and generous. Any more would be deliberate, and any less would be indifferent, as if everything was pre-programmed. Qi Zheng, who stood opposite her, was the same. The young man was calm and composed, with no waves in his eyes, as if his wild playing on the ice had nothing to do with him.

Shen Yujiao's heart sank suddenly. These past few days, she seemed to have overlooked something.

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Author's Note: I'm back! Thank you all for waiting. As usual, I'm giving out red envelopes to my darlings in the comments section!