The next day, He Xue opened her eyes and it took her a while to realize where she was. Then she hugged the blanket and rolled around on the bed.

Nanxing and Xia Bing heard the noise and opened the door to come in. Nanxing drew back the bed curtains. "Is Princess getting up?"

“Mm!” He Xue replied.

Then Xia Bing waved her hand, and the palace maids waiting outside filed in, allowing He Xue to let Nan Xing and Xia Bing do her hair and makeup.

He Xue couldn't help but sigh in her heart. This kind of life of being waited on hand and foot had corrupted her too much. It's easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but difficult to go from extravagance to frugality. If she were asked to go back now, she probably wouldn't be able to accept it for a while!

In the modern world, she did all these things herself, but now that she's here, she doesn't need to do them at all. If she did them herself, these people would be terrified, thinking they'd done something wrong!

At first, Xue and I were a little uncomfortable, but we gradually got used to it. After all, she still had to live here, and she didn't want to be treated as an outsider.

"Gege, everything's ready!" Xia Bing said to He Xue.

He Xue opened her eyes, looked at herself in the mirror, and nodded in satisfaction. "Xia Bing's cooking skills are getting better and better!"

"Thank you for the compliment, Princess!" Xia Bing said happily.

"Princess, will you have breakfast at Yuqing Palace or return to Chengqian Palace?" Nanxing asked.

"Where is my brother, the Crown Prince?" He Xue asked.

“His Highness the Crown Prince has already gone to court. Before he left, he said that if you are hungry, you don’t need to wait for him!” Nanxing said.

He Xue thought for a moment and realized that the Crown Prince wanted her to stay at Yuqing Palace for breakfast. "Nanxing, go back and tell your aunt that I will go back after having breakfast at Yuqing Palace!"

"Yes!" Nanxing replied.

Xue waited and waited, but the Crown Prince didn't return. Bored, she slumped onto the table. No wonder emperors in ancient times didn't live very long! Going to work on an empty stomach, and working for such long hours, even an iron body couldn't take it!

"Princess, if you're hungry, why don't you eat something first!" Xia Bing said. Usually, at this time in Chengqian Palace, Xue and Xia Bing would have already finished breakfast.

"No need! Let's wait a little longer!" He Xue said. They had already waited for so long, a little longer wouldn't make a difference!

Just when Xue thought she was about to faint from hunger, the Crown Prince finally returned.

"He Xue!" The Crown Prince knew that He Xue was still waiting for him, so he quickly tidied up and rushed over.

Upon hearing the Crown Prince's voice, He Xue immediately stood up. "Brother Crown Prince, you're back!"

"Hmm!" The Crown Prince strode up to He Xue. "Are you starving? If you're hungry, don't wait for me!"

"I'm not hungry yet!" He Xue was now completely lying through her teeth.

"Your Highness is hungry, let's eat now!" The Crown Prince immediately ordered that food be served.

When He Xue heard that they could eat, her eyes crinkled into slits with laughter.

The Crown Prince could tell from He Xue's expression that she was hungry. He really liked this feeling today, because every time he returned to Yuqing Palace, it was always cold!

But today is different. A little figure is waiting for him. He looks forward to returning to Yuqing Palace, and for the first time, he feels warmth in Yuqing Palace.

After breakfast, the Crown Prince summoned He Xue to his presence.

He Xue didn't know what the Crown Prince was going to do, so she looked up at him.

After thinking for a moment, the Crown Prince spoke directly to He Xue: "He Xue, did you deliberately use the wrong words when you were talking to Father Emperor yesterday?"

At first, the Crown Prince didn't notice anything. However, when the Fourth Prince was mentioned, Xue was completely different. She could say many words without hesitation, unlike how she acted in front of her father, the Emperor.

That's why he guessed that Xue was deliberately hiding her true abilities.

He Xue was surprised that the Crown Prince was so thoughtful. "Brother Crown Prince, I..."

Seeing He Xue's anxious expression, the Crown Prince smiled gently, "Don't worry, your Crown Prince brother isn't questioning you! Your Crown Prince brother is very happy that you know how to protect yourself!"

However, from now on, you can do whatever you want in front of your elder brother, the Crown Prince, without worrying too much!

The Crown Prince didn't want He Xue to bear too much at such a young age. He Xue's actions were probably told by Su Hetai that she shouldn't be too conspicuous in the palace.

Sometimes he wondered if he and Xue wouldn't have to hide their talents if they didn't stay in the palace. He had always known that Xue was very smart, but the thought that he wouldn't be able to see her often after she left the palace made him reluctant to let her go. So he was conflicted.

All he can do now is protect He Xue and keep her from getting hurt. He also tries his best to become stronger so that He Xue won't have to worry about so much in the future.