"Nian Nian—"

Qing'er reached out and touched Chen Nian's head, but ultimately said nothing.

Never mind, she'll protect her.

Qing'er didn't want to dwell on how the palace had worn her down. She and the Empress Dowager would handle everything for her. As long as their Jiaojiao was well and lived a happy life, that was enough.

However, we still need to keep Nian Nian on high alert.

When we find a husband for Niannian in the future, we must find someone with a simple and honest personality. With the Empress Dowager and her watching over her, Niannian will definitely not suffer any losses.

In her opinion, Ertai was quite good.

She has a simple and honest nature and can control her thoughts.

Furthermore, she felt that Ertai's feelings for Niannian were not ordinary.

Especially today, when everyone else was anxious and didn't know how to react when they saw Niannian faint, their reaction was particularly noticeable.

He immediately took action, reporting to the Emperor and the Empress Dowager that he wanted to take Niannian back to Cining Palace, his eyes filled with anxiety.

She saw Ertai's hand; it was injured today. The fact that he could make this choice despite his injury shows he's a reliable person…

And if she remembered correctly, Ertai seemed to have obsessive-compulsive disorder related to cleanliness.

Niannian's hand was still bleeding at the time, and it was hard to guarantee that it wouldn't get on him. However, she didn't see any aversion on Ertai's face, which meant that Ertai treated Niannian differently.

Even in a moment of anxiety, Ertai was still able to consider all aspects and still care about his reputation, which proves that he is a person of good character.

...

In her opinion, Ertai was a good choice; she had also heard from the Empress Dowager that he was easy to get along with.

Lord Furen also holds a good position in the court.

Ertai is the second child in his family, so he doesn't feel much pressure. Niannian is someone who likes to travel around. If Ertai really likes Niannian and they get together, Ertai definitely won't refuse to take Niannian out to play.

that is……

Ugh, forget it, I'll think about it later. Right now, everything is unknown.

...

Unbeknownst to Shen Nian, her best friend had already started worrying about her life's most important event, and had even chosen a partner.

Once they realize that someone is interested, they will switch to assist mode.

"Alright, come on, let's go to bed. I'll put some medicine on you. After that, we'll rest. It's getting late. I'll take you to see a play tomorrow."

Qing'er patted the head of the person next to her, helped them up, and carried them to the bed.

Life in the palace is monotonous and boring, with little fun. Tomorrow, Xiao Yanzi will meet the Empress Dowager. Judging from Xiao Yanzi's lively personality today, tomorrow should be a little more interesting.

She felt that with Xiao Yanzi around, life in the palace would be quite "interesting," and that way, Nian Nian would have more fun too.

"Ying'er, Xuan'er, Shuang'er, you should go and rest too. Take some of the pastries we set aside and try them; they taste quite good."

The two men spoke at the same time to the three girls standing to one side.

There were other people present, so they couldn't very well share the Purple Qi from the East with them in front of them.

They both treated the girls like family, and would always save some of the best food for them.

The three women, hearing their princesses say the same thing, smiled at each other. "Yes, princesses, please rest early."

The three bowed and withdrew, taking the pastries that had been specially reserved for them.

...

Facing Qing'er, Chen Nian felt no shyness. He took off his inner garment, lay face down on the pillow, and felt a real pain in his back.

Looking at Shen Nian's purplish-blue waist, Qing'er felt pity. She took out the ointment that Chang Shou had left today, scooped out the ointment, and spread it evenly in her palm.

"Bear with it, keep reciting it."

"Yes, Qing'er, come on, I'm all ready."

Chen Nian nodded.

Having prepared Chen Nian mentally, Qing'er didn't delay and started applying the ointment to Chen Nian.

The warmth of my palm touched the smooth, jade-like skin beneath, and I couldn't help but sigh, wondering which brat would benefit from this.

Feeling the gentle pressure and the dense, tingling pain from my waist, I pondered that this sensation was quite tangy and pleasant, a bittersweet experience.

She couldn't help but wonder who would marry such a wonderful girl like Qing'er in the future.

At this moment, their thoughts were perfectly in sync.

The two chatted casually, and under the influence of the drugs, Chen Nian successfully fell asleep.

Looking at the sleeping person, Qing'er's eyes were full of doting. She carefully tidied up Shen Nian's clothes, covered him with a quilt, put away the ointment in her hand, and then lay down to sleep next to Shen Nian.

As soon as he lay down, Chen Nian's hand skillfully landed on Qing'er's waist, pulling her closer to him.

The night was dark, and the moon shyly hid behind the clouds, taking away the last rays of its white light.

Today's terrible day has come to an end.

...

The quiet contemplation of the young man, who had long since gone to bed, had no idea that a boy was deep in thought late at night.

On the other side.

"Brother, Ziwei stole the show today. Xiaoyanzi didn't say a word, but Ziwei spoke up. What are Qing'er and the others supposed to think? Although Ziwei is the real princess, no one but us knows it."

Thinking that everyone else besides them had noticed something was wrong today, but none of them had, Ertai couldn't help but frown.

That shouldn't be the case. Ziwei made such an obvious mistake, how come none of them noticed anything was wrong?

If his attention hadn't been focused on Shen Nian today, and he hadn't noticed her frown and followed her gaze to see things from her perspective, he wouldn't have thought there was anything wrong with Ziwei.

Even if Ertai racked his brains, he would never have known that it was the protagonist's halo at work.

I don't see anything wrong with it.

Hearing Ertai's words, Erkang frowned. Ertai's words went too far. What did he mean by showing off? Didn't Ziwei speak up before Xiaoyanzi?

He really didn't think anything was wrong. Ziwei was a real princess. If people could see her good qualities, wouldn't it be easier for them to accept her in the future?

Seeing that Erkang didn't seem to notice anything amiss and even took it for granted, Ertai didn't know what to say about his brother, who was in love with his own family.

He felt he needed to make plans early, as his brother's inexplicable protection of Ziwei made it difficult for things to go wrong.

...

After returning to his residence, Ertai parted ways with Erkang and went to his room. Sitting by the window, by the candlelight, he took out something he had carefully hidden in his bosom.

The blue-and-white porcelain jar is simple and elegant, with a warm and delicate texture to the touch. It is decorated with carved green bamboo, which is exquisite but not ostentatious.

Ertai removed the lid, and a light medicinal fragrance wafted out. Smelling the fragrance, he felt much of his fatigue dissipate, and his tense nerves relaxed considerably.

...

Looking at the porcelain jar in his hand, Ertai was lost in thought, his expression incredibly gentle. He raised an eyebrow and a smile played at the corners of his mouth.

Princess Shen, if we meet again, this time I won't let you escape so easily.

...