After eating and drinking her fill, Cailian lay back in her chair, patted her round belly, and let out a satisfied sigh, feeling the urge to chat.

"I don't know, who knows what fate has in store?"

Shen Nian shook her head slightly; she couldn't understand why they had come here.

After thinking for a long time, neither of them could figure it out, so they gave up. They never liked to make things difficult for themselves.

...

"Knock knock knock—"

The two were chatting when there was a knock on the door, and they both turned to look at the door.

Before I could even ask, the person outside the door spoke first.

"Little princess, Cai Lian, it's time for dinner."

A familiar, clear male voice reached their ears, and a smile instantly appeared on Shen Nian's brow.

"Teacher, is that your boyfriend?"

Seeing the change in Chen Nian's expression, Cai Lian winked and spoke with a teasing look in her eyes.

"Um."

Chen Nian didn't hide anything from Cai Lian and openly admitted it.

"You've finally won over your favorite person, how does it feel?"

Cailian knew that when she was watching the show, her favorite character was Ertai. Now that the person she liked has become her boyfriend, she must be overjoyed.

"very good!"

Chen Nian's face was filled with pride, and his whole body exuded joy.

Feeling the obvious joy in Chen Nian's expression, Cai Lian's worried heart was relieved.

She was worried that her teacher wasn't doing well and wasn't happy, because her teacher had suffered too much in her previous life and deserved to have a sweet life.

"Okay, wait a minute."

He paused to answer the person outside the door.

"Hmm, no rush."

...

"Let's go out and see the Emperor. If you want to stay, you'll have to get past the Emperor."

Chen Nian stood up and extended his hand to Cai Lian.

"This is my good friend."

He led the group out, looked at Ertai waiting for him at the door, and began to introduce himself after a moment's thought.

"Hello, I am Ertai."

Ertai nodded distantly to Cailian, his gaze towards her completely unlike the tenderness he showed when looking at Chen Nian.

"Hello, Cailian, from my dearest, dearest, dearest friend."

Cailian nodded to Ertai, speaking with a proud expression, completely lacking in modesty.

"Okay, let's go eat. The master and the others are already waiting."

His gaze fell on the person standing beside him, and Ertai's eyes and voice softened.

"Uh-huh."

The three of them walked over.

"master--"

Seeing the people already seated neatly in the hall, Chen Nian led Cai Lian over.

"Now that we've finished talking, let's sit down and eat."

Hearing Chen Nian's call, the Emperor smiled, pointed to the seat beside him, and spoke gently.

"Yes, sir, there's something else. May I take Cailian with me?"

Chen Nian patted Cai Lian's hand, which he was holding, then let go of her hand, sat on the other side of the Emperor, looked up at the Emperor, his eyes full of expectation and pleading.

Seeing the expectation in the eyes of the young girl in front of him, the emperor did not agree directly. He turned to look at the woman following behind Shen Nian, his gaze sharp, exuding the majesty unique to an emperor, as he sized up the woman in front of him.

However, when my eyes fell on the half-jade pendant peeking out from Cailian's neck, it looked somewhat familiar.

As time passed, everyone remained silent.

"Since you're a good friend of Nian Nian's, and if Nian Nian wants to stay, then let her stay."

Once he was certain that the emperor's gaze was clear and that there was no ulterior motive, his stern expression softened, and he nodded.

As a daughter of a prominent family who grew up in the 21st century and was surrounded by high-ranking national figures, Cailian was not afraid of the emperor's gaze and met his eyes without fear.

Even if they are afraid, they won't show it on their face.

Finally, he successfully passed the emperor's test.

...