Chapter 53 tells me I want to see what Yan Zhenxi will do next.

Noticing an itch on her cheek, Jiang Zhiyao mumbled something and scratched it before turning over and continuing to sleep.

But sensing someone making subtle, unsettling movements beside her, Jiang Zhiyao frowned slightly and opened her eyes.

"Finally decided to wake up?" Yan Zhenxi's smiling voice reached my ears. "The sun is almost shining on your face."

He had taken off his outer robe and was lying on the outside of the bed, gently tracing Jiang Zhiyao's sleeping face with his fingertips until she woke up.

Seeing that Jiang Zhiyao had woken up, Yan Zhenxi leaned closer and placed a kiss on her forehead.

Jiang Zhiyao brushed away Yan Zhenxi's hands that were trying to pinch her face, buried her head in his chest, and mumbled, "Let me sleep a little longer..."

"Why don't you sleep with me too?" Jiang Zhiyao hugged Yan Zhenxi's waist and gently rubbed her head against him a few times.

Yan Zhenxi didn't say anything more, but simply placed his hand on Jiang Zhiyao's back and patted it a few times.

When Jiang Zhiyao was fully awake, Yan Zhenxi was still holding her in the same position he had before they fell asleep.

"You're not asleep?" Jiang Zhiyao hugged Yan Zhenxi and snuggled closer, her lips getting even closer to Yan Zhenxi's cheek.

Yan Zhenxi kissed Jiang Zhiyao's lips: "Can't sleep."

"We agreed on this yesterday." Before he could say more than a few words, Yan Zhenxi revealed his intention: "You're supposed to tell me today."

Jiang Zhiyao couldn't help but smile, her eyes crinkling: "Have you finished your work for today?"

"It's never too late to be busy in the afternoon."

"I want to wash up first." Jiang Zhiyao avoided talking about the thing Yan Zhenxi wanted to know.

"Okay." Yan Zhenxi squeezed Jiang Zhiyao's waist with his hands before letting go.

While Jiang Zhiyao was washing up, Yan Zhenxi didn't leave her side for a moment.

He handed Jiang Zhiyao a towel when she was washing her face, a hairpin for the day when she was at the dressing table, and a spoon when she was having breakfast.

"You're so good." Jiang Zhiyao stirred the porridge and teased Yan Zhenxi with a smile.

At first, she was indeed a little shy and didn't want to tell Yan Zhenxi, but after seeing all the things Yan Zhenxi did to find out, Jiang Zhiyao no longer felt any reluctance to tell him.

But when she saw Yan Zhenxi's unusually anxious expression early in the morning, Jiang Zhiyao, who had originally planned to speak up as soon as she woke up, deliberately kept quiet.

I want to see what Yan Zhenxi will do next.

"Serving my wife," Yan Zhenxi said gently, showing no embarrassment at being teased. "It's just my duty as a husband."

Jiang Zhiyao stopped keeping her in suspense and recounted what happened when she first met Yan Zhenxi.

"You're so beautiful," Jiang Zhiyao exclaimed after saying that, "plus your act of helping out of that situation."

"It's really hard not to be moved." Jiang Zhiyao blushed slightly as she said this, but she still said it. "Later, when we got back to the banquet, I couldn't do anything. All I could think about was your face."

"Later on, I always went to various banquets with Sister Ji, and I only saw you at the banquets." Jiang Zhiyao's tone became a little lower as she said this.

Jiang Zhiyao rested her chin on her hand and continued, "Then I always heard news about you, like you wrote another poem, you became the top scholar in the imperial examination, you gained the emperor's favor, you got a promotion, and all sorts of other things."

"I just think you're really amazing."

“Completely different from an unknown ordinary person like me.”

After Jiang Zhiyao finished her reflection, she hadn't heard Yan Zhenxi speak for a while, and her heart ached slightly. She looked up from her desk and met Yan Zhenxi's gaze: "What are you doing...?"

Before she could finish speaking, Yan Zhenxi embraced her and eagerly kissed Jiang Zhiyao's lips.

He couldn't wait to pry open her teeth and enter, hooking Jiang Zhiyao in an extremely tender embrace, constantly demanding more.

A slight numbness ran through Jiang Zhiyao's tongue as Yan Zhenxi dragged her consciousness away, and her watery eyes became misty.

Jiang Zhiyao hadn't been kissed so fiercely by him in a long time, and she was a little overwhelmed.

She pushed his tongue away while panting, and said with slight dissatisfaction, "...So fierce."

"I just couldn't help it." Yan Zhenxi's voice was low and husky, his hot breath still brushing against her lips.

"So Ayao has liked me for so long." Yan Zhenxi cupped Jiang Zhiyao's face in his hands, a different kind of color shimmering in his usually gentle and calm eyes.

Yan Zhenxi kissed Jiang Zhiyao's rosy lips a few more times.

"I'm very happy." His voice revealed a hint of overly excited emotion.

The thought that A-Yao had been watching him at the banquets that had previously annoyed him but which he had no choice but to attend suddenly made those boring banquets in his memory seem a little brighter.

"I was so blind before." Yan Zhenxi lowered his head and gently rubbed against Jiang Zhiyao's neck.

"Why didn't I fall in love with A-Yao sooner?" Yan Zhenxi's tone was full of regret.

Yan Zhenxi had no recollection of the scene of their first meeting that Jiang Zhiyao described, but he was extremely grateful that he had intervened at that time.

"Were you upset at the time?" Yan Zhenxi looked at Jiang Zhiyao with heartache. "Did people often bully you before?"

"It's alright, no." Jiang Zhiyao shook her head.

"I wasn't sad, I was just a little angry at the time." But when she saw Yan Zhenxi later, she felt completely captivated and no other emotions came out.

“With Sister Ji and Mingzhu around, no one bullies me, and they are just insignificant people.”

It was just a few words said openly or subtly. Jiang Zhiyao used to be sad about it sometimes, but now she thinks there's really nothing to be sad about.

Yan Zhenxi hugged Jiang Zhiyao: "Ayao is so amazing."

"What's so great about that?" Jiang Zhiyao was somewhat taken aback by his sudden praise.

“Ayao doesn’t get upset by the words of those unimportant people anymore. Ayao never bullies others. Ayao is very kind to the people around her. Ayao often donates to others. Ayao’s embroidery is beautiful. Ayao is very good at studying. Ayao is also good at playing chess…” Yan Zhenxi rambled on and on, “Ayao’s jujube and yam cake is also very delicious.”

"Of course, Ayao has excellent taste too," Yan Zhenxi added with a smile at the end.

"In short, Ayao is really amazing."

“Completely different from someone like me who is indifferent and emotionless.”

"I love Ayao so much." Yan Zhenxi said, and then started kissing Jiang Zhiyao again. "Ayao is so wonderful in every way."

After hearing Yan Zhenxi's words, Jiang Zhiyao felt her ears burning. Her restless heart was carefully calmed down, as if it were being gently soaked in warm water or caressed by a soft breeze.

Jiang Zhiyao hugged Yan Zhenxi back, buried her head in his chest, and said in a muffled voice, "...I love you so much too."

Yan Zhenxi smiled and hugged Jiang Zhiyao even tighter. The two hugged quietly like that, as if trying to draw warmth from each other.

With the year-end approaching, Yan Zhenxi had more things to deal with. In addition, he hadn't handled any official business in the morning, so after dinner he went to the council hall.

It was almost bedtime, and Yan Zhenxi hadn't come over yet, so Jiang Zhiyao decided to go check on him.

The dormitory was quite far from the council hall. Jiang Zhiyao had just crossed the corridor bridge and walked to a rockery and pond in the garden when she ran into Yan Zhenxi.

"Zhenxi." Upon seeing him, Jiang Zhiyao quickened her pace and walked over. "Are you done with your work?"

Yan Zhenxi looked at her calmly: "Who are you?"

"...Zhenxi?" Jiang Zhiyao looked puzzled.

"Call me Young Master Yan." Yan Zhenxi asked again, "Which family's young lady are you?"

Jiang Zhiyao paused, then seemed to understand something, and replied, "I am Jiang Zhiyao, a cousin of the Minister's family."

"Miss Jiang," Yan Zhenxi nodded slightly to her, "did you get separated at the banquet?"

"……yes."

"I'll take Miss Jiang back to the banquet hall." Yan Zhenxi turned around and gestured for Jiang Zhiyao to follow.

"Thank you for your trouble, Young Master Yan." Jiang Zhiyao didn't say anything more, but silently followed behind Yan Zhenxi.

Yan Zhenxi didn't make any other moves, as if they were really attending a banquet and he was leading the lost Jiang Zhiyao to the banquet hall.

After a while, looking at Yan Zhenxi's tall and straight figure, she suddenly reached out and grabbed Yan Zhenxi's sleeve.

Yan Zhenxi stopped in his tracks, turned his head slightly to look at her, and asked in a questioning tone, "Miss Jiang?"

Jiang Zhiyao lowered her head and didn't look at him. She held onto her sleeve tightly and stammered, "Young Master Yan... I like you."

Having received no reply, Jiang Zhiyao's heart felt as clenched as the sleeve of her garment, filled with anxiety.

"Really?" After a long while, Yan Zhenxi's gentle voice finally came from above, "Then why aren't you looking at me?"

Jiang Zhiyao hesitated for a moment before looking up at him. Yan Zhenxi's temperament was as gentle and refined as ever. Even though he was being held like this, there was not a trace of displeasure on his face.

Meeting Jiang Zhiyao's gaze, Yan Zhenxi spoke with a hint of understanding: "It's you who always looks at me at banquets, isn't it?"

Her cheeks grew even hotter, and Jiang Zhiyao's voice became even softer: "It's me, Young Master Yan."

"Do you really like me?" Even when asking such an ambiguous question, Yan Zhenxi's face remained calm and composed, as if he were simply asking out of curiosity.

Jiang Zhiyao hurriedly looked away from him: "Really."

"I don't believe it," Yan Zhenxi said calmly. "Prove it to me."

How can this be proven?

Jiang Zhiyao looked at Yan Zhenxi in confusion. Yan Zhenxi was very close to her, only half an arm's length away, with a calm expression, as if he would not be moved or angry no matter what he did.

Mustering her courage, Jiang Zhiyao clenched her knuckles, stood on tiptoe, and kissed him.

Because she was unfamiliar with the technique and her movements were a bit too forceful, Jiang Zhiyao's lips collided with Yan Zhenxi's chin.

Jiang Zhiyao left in pain, covering her lips. When she looked up, Yan Zhenxi was still expressionless, except for a red mark on his chin from the impact.

Even so, Yan Zhenxi's face showed no anger, his expression was calm and gentle, as if he could do anything to him.

Seemingly bolder, Jiang Zhiyao first supported Yan Zhenxi's body, and seeing that he didn't make any other moves, she then hooked her arms around his neck.

She made no mistakes when she kissed him, and her lips landed perfectly on Yan Zhenxi's soft lips.

However, Yan Zhenxi, who hadn't moved at all, leaned down slightly when she stood on tiptoe.

They parted abruptly, Jiang Zhiyao blushing, her long eyelashes drooping, and asked softly, "Is this proof enough?"

Her hand, which was still around Yan Zhenxi's neck, had not yet left.