In the current situation, Xiao Chengci has her completely under his control.

She let Xiao Chengci do as he pleased and dared not resist him in any way.

Pei Zhi leaned against the carriage, lost in thought. How could he break this deadlock?

Before Pei Zhi could come up with an idea, they arrived at the bookstore.

Pei Zhi got out of the car and went straight upstairs.

After waiting upstairs for a while, Xiao Chengci pushed open the door and came in.

Seeing Pei Zhi waiting obediently in the house, Xiao Chengci praised her, "So well-behaved."

Pei Zhi rose and bowed, "This humble girl dares not disobey Your Highness."

Xiao Chengci beckoned to Pei Zhi, and Pei Zhi obediently moved to stand in front of Xiao Chengci.

Xiao Chengci simply took Pei Zhi's hand and led her to a bookshelf, where he pushed the bookshelf.

The bookshelf slowly moved; what appeared to be a bookshelf was actually a hidden door.

Xiao Chengci led Pei Zhi by the hand through a long corridor, and then the view suddenly opened up to reveal a secluded courtyard.

"What's so surprising? It's not like we haven't been here before."

Pei Zhi quickly composed herself. It seemed that this was the place where she and Xiao Chengci had always met in secret.

If they were in the bookstore on the second floor, Pei Zhi would still be a little apprehensive, worried that if she made too much noise, the neighbors might hear her.

In this place, Pei Zhi could finally relax completely and not be discovered by anyone.

Xiao Chengci said, "There is a hot spring here. You will bathe with me."

Pei Zhi could only comply, replying, "Yes."

Xiao Chengci was pleased with Pei Zhi's obedience, and Pei Zhi helped Xiao Chengci remove his clothes.

After Xiao Chengci went into the pool, Pei Zhi took off her clothes.

Xiao Chengci looked at Pei Zhi with satisfaction, admiring her figure and appearance, his eyes filled with both appreciation and regret.

Pei Zhi asked with some confusion, "Why is Your Highness looking at my daughter like that?"

"I only feel sorry for you. If you had grown up in the Duke's mansion, with such good looks, your doorstep would have been worn down by suitors."

Pei Zhi lowered her head to hide her disdain. Is a woman's outstanding appearance only good for finding a good marriage?

Pei Zhi didn't want to argue with Xiao Chengci, a man living in a feudal society.

She needs to get things settled with Xiao Chengci quickly so she can go back sooner.

Today, Xiao Chengci planned to indulge himself.

He hadn't had enough fun last time, and besides, it was really too difficult for him to see Pei Zhi.

Overwhelmed with emotion, Xiao Chengci couldn't help but ask, "Come back with me and be my woman, okay?"

Xiao Chengci thought how wonderful it would be if Pei Zhi could stay by his side at all times.

Pei Zhi avoided answering Xiao Chengci's question, and instead raised her neck to kiss him.

Xiao Chengci instantly forgot what he had asked Pei Zhi, and then there was another long struggle.

When Pei Zhi left the bookstore and got into the carriage, she almost fell off because Afu helped her.

"Young lady, are you alright?"

Pei Zhi shook her head, "Sitting in the bookstore for so long has made my legs a little sore."

Afu touched Pei Zhi's loose hair. "Why is your hair wet, young lady?"

"I accidentally got my hands wet while washing them."

Afu wanted to ask something more, but Pei Zhi gave him a look, and Afu shut his mouth.

Afu stared at Pei Zhi's clothes. Why did she feel that the clothes the girl was wearing today were not the ones she was wearing?

The colors and styles are the same, but the patterns seem to be different?

Afu shook her head; she must have remembered it wrong.

The girl was reading in the bookstore, so how could she have changed her clothes so nicely?

Pei Zhi's return to the Duke's mansion was also a coincidence, as she ran into Pei Yin again.

The two greeted each other politely, but neither exchanged pleasantries, and each went to their own courtyard.

“Miss, I just noticed that the eldest young lady’s hair accessories are different from those this morning.”

Pei Zhi stopped and scolded the maid: "You're so talkative."

Afu felt a little aggrieved upon hearing this, "It was because the young lady said this morning that the eldest young lady looked beautiful that I took a second look and thought I would style her hair tomorrow."

"Let's go, maybe my sister got her hair caught on a tree branch while she was at the temple offering incense."

Pei Zhi returned to the courtyard and called for water to prepare for a bath.

As soon as Xiao Chengci returned to the East Palace, Deshun immediately came to greet him.

"Your Highness, Her Majesty the Empress has sent someone to summon you to the palace."

Xiao Chengci straightened his sleeves. "Did you say what it was about?"

"It seems to be about the selection of the Crown Princess."

Although Xiao Chengci told the Empress that he would leave the decision to her.

The Empress is Xiao Chengci's birth mother, and she always wanted to involve Xiao Chengci in the selection of the Crown Princess.

Xiao Chengci was in a good mood today, so he changed his clothes and went to the palace.

Xiao Chengci's arrival was also quite opportune; the Empress was looking at a picture album.

The Empress subtly hinted that she would be hosting a flower-viewing banquet.

Although it wasn't explicitly stated, it was to select a crown princess for His Highness the Crown Prince.

However, in the past few days, noblewomen have been constantly visiting the Empress's palace.

At this point, everyone forgot all about being reserved.

This is His Highness the Crown Prince. His daughter has become the Crown Princess, and will be the future Empress.

"Greetings to the Empress Dowager."

The Empress beckoned to Xiao Chengci: "He's here, come and see."

On the table were dozens of picture books.

"Look, is there a girl who catches your eye?"

Xiao Chengci casually picked one up, and the Empress leaned forward, "This was handed to you by Consort Xian, her niece from her maternal family. Do you like this?"

Xiao Chengci sneered and casually tossed the sketchbook aside. "These sketches are so fake. Her niece's eyes are as small as a toad's."

The Empress coughed twice. "Well, this is a picture album, so some distortion is normal."

Xiao Chengci responded indifferently, "Oh."

The Empress rummaged through the books and handed one of them to Xiao Chengci.

"Look at this, the daughter of the Left Prime Minister. The Empress Dowager has met her, and she looks much the same as in the picture book."

Xiao Chengci took the album and frowned as he looked at it.

The Empress kept a close eye on Xiao Chengci, not wanting to miss a single emotion from her son.

Xiao Chengci just stared blankly at the picture book, as if he were in a daze.

The Empress spoke up, reminding her, "What, is it really that beautiful?"

Xiao Chengci put down the picture album. "Mother, do I really want to spend my life with these women?"

The Empress was shocked: "What's wrong? Didn't you say you were willing to get married?"

If I don't spend my life with these women, am I destined to grow old alone?

Even if Xiao Chengci were just an ordinary son of an official family, it wouldn't be enough.

Xiao Chengci was still the Crown Prince, so he was obligated to get married.

For some reason, Xiao Chengci suddenly felt somewhat discouraged.

He was in a good mood before entering the palace.

He has been in a good mood ever since he met Pei Zhi today.

“I felt a little terrified. I didn’t know who they were, but I wanted to marry them and spend my life with them.”

In fact, when Xiao Chengci looked at the picture album, he couldn't help but fantasize that the person in the album was Pei Zhi.

He thought that if the person in the picture book was Pei Zhi, he would be very happy, and then he immediately nodded.

Tell the Empress Dowager to hurry up and send out betrothal gifts and arrange the marriage.

When he came to his senses, he realized that the woman in the picture book had unfamiliar features and was not Pei Zhi.