Yan Jue was taken aback when he heard Shen Pingjin say that directly.

He then pulled Shen Pingjin in front of him.

"Your Highness, are you really jealous?"

Being stared at like that by a man made Shen Pingjin feel a little embarrassed, but she decided to face her feelings head-on.

He nodded: "Yes, I'm just jealous."

Shen Pingjin did not intend to hide her emotions.

Just now, when she saw Wen Xicha's actions and expression, it would be a lie to say she didn't mind.

It felt like being fed a sour apricot, leaving a bitter aftertaste in your mouth.

Yan Jue was also surprised that the woman in front of him admitted it so quickly.

A faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"Very well, since my queen cares, then I will no longer pay any attention to her."

How ridiculous! I was so naive back then, taking advantage of other women's intimacy to make Shen Pingjin jealous.

He wanted to prove what kind of feelings Shen Pingjin truly had for him.

Yan Jue thought that the two of them were really stupid back then.

If neither of them had hesitated, perhaps the exchange of feelings wouldn't have been delayed until their incognito visit.

Shen Pingjin also felt that this was her fault.

Looking at Yan Jue, she felt overjoyed. Fortunately, she hadn't made the wrong choice in this life and had still chosen to believe in him.

After they confessed their feelings to each other, they realized they liked each other, so their relationship progressed rapidly, and they were no longer shy about saying it directly.

Shen Pingjin looked at the spring tea in front of her.

Suddenly, he picked it up.

Then he held it up in front of Yan Jue.

"Husband, this is a toast from Pingjin. Will you drink it or not?"

Chen Pingjin wore a pale yellow dress today, which made her skin look very fair.

A faint smile lingered on her beautiful and delicate face.

For a moment, Yan Jue couldn't help but feel as if he had returned to that spring day.

The young girl, clutching a delicate handkerchief, walked towards the Imperial Garden.

Dressed in a bright pale yellow outfit, with the sun high overhead, the sunlight shining down seemed to gild the girl walking towards them.

It was like a ray of sunshine, dispelling most of the gloom that filled his heart.

She was his light, his little sun.

Not just now, but also in the future.

Yes, they are.

Seeing the cup of spring tea offered to him, how could Yan Jue possibly refuse to drink it?

Even if the tea was poisoned, he would gladly drink it.

"The princess handed it to me, how could I possibly refuse to drink it?"

Yan Jue snatched the teacup from Shen Pingjin's hand and then put it down.

He drank the tea inside in one gulp.

Shen Pingjin looked at the man in front of her with a sense of helplessness.

Spring tea is so bitter, why did he drink it directly instead of savoring it slowly?

Spring tea is best enjoyed slowly.

While the two were deeply in love, it didn't mean that the atmosphere elsewhere was as peaceful and harmonious as it was between them.

Ruan Ci looked at the spring tea in front of her, glanced around, and after finding that none of the high-ranking officials and nobles she had seen were around, she let out a disdainful snort.

She glanced at Yan Xue, who remained silent beside her, and felt a deep sense of disdain for her.

However, she managed to suppress the disdain in her voice.

"Yan Xue, why don't you go find someone to taste tea with?"

Yan Xue glanced at the spring tea in front of her, but had no intention of revealing her true thoughts.

Instead, he said, "I'm not interested in tea tasting."

Ruan Ci felt disdain.

Yan Xue, the daughter of a minor county magistrate, could only rise to prominence and become a phoenix by marrying into a good family.

What else could possibly change the fact that she came from a humble background?

Instead of trying to seduce a good family, she was actually thinking about something here?

If Yan Xue weren't still useful to her, Ruan Ci really wouldn't want to continue associating with such a person.

Yan Xue was well aware that Ruan Ci looked down on her from the bottom of her heart.

She could only remain silent, continuing to ponder what to do next.

After enjoying the spring tea at the Spring Banquet, to make the banquet less boring, the ladies of high-ranking officials and nobles would gather together to compete in their tea-making skills.

Yan Xue was thinking about how she could win first place at the Spring Banquet.

Only by winning first place can she gain the emperor's favor, attract his attention, and then ask him who her father is.

Only then will her family have a chance to turn their lives around.

Yan Xue did not intend to tell Ruan Ci about this, because she knew that although Ruan Ci was on the surface to be her sister, she actually looked down on her.

Moreover, Ruan Ci would surely mock him.

Indeed, in Ruan Ci's eyes, she was nothing more than the daughter of a minor county magistrate.

She always felt she could never turn her life around.

She was so close to me on the surface, but it was only so that I could keep her behind me and enjoy the feeling of having someone to compare me to.

Ruan Ci scoffed, "Not interested in tea tasting?"

"Are you hiding something in your heart? You know, tea tasting at the spring banquet is something every lady does. If you don't taste the tea, do you want to participate in the tea-making competition later?"

Ruan Ci wasn't stupid. Seeing Yan Xue's timid and unwilling-to-say-anything demeanor, she knew that Yan Xue must be hiding something in her heart.

Having her thoughts guessed, Yan Xue slightly lifted her eyelids, her eyes revealing a cold smile and calmness.

She looked at Ruan Ci and said, "Isn't every woman supposed to participate in the tea-making competition? Spring tea is too bitter. I just don't like bitter tea. Little Ci, don't overthink it."

The woman's voice was very gentle, which gave Ruan Ci the strange feeling that he had misunderstood the woman in front of him.

Ruan Ci's voice unexpectedly softened.

"Of course I know that every woman has to participate in making tea, but I will not allow you to surpass me in making tea. Since you have decided to stay by my side, you will only ever be my supporting role."

"Don't forget, your father became the county magistrate with the help of my father. We should never forget those who helped us. I hope you, Yan Xue, will not forget this fact."

“I absolutely will not allow anyone to surpass me, do you hear me, Yan Xue?”

Yan Xue's face remained expressionless. She nodded obediently, "I know, don't worry."

"That's good. Don't worry, if I find any young master at the Spring Banquet who needs to take a concubine, I'll introduce you to him."

"After all, being a concubine to a young master from a prominent family is much better than marrying an ordinary person as a wife."

Yan Xue felt a pang of sadness upon hearing this, but she could only manage a bitter smile.