Chapter 444 You can't scold me after you've finished scolding your fifth brother, okay?

"Why don't you ask your fifth brother to go with you? He's the one with the most free time."

"Are you free? Fifth Brother has been forced to study by Consort Li lately, so how could he possibly have any free time?"

Xie Yunchuan smiled without saying a word, but confidently said, "Just call him, he will take care of the rest."

Having Xie Yunqi by his side would indeed put Xie Yunchuan at ease. Moreover, Xie Yunqi was carefree, and with a little trickery, he wouldn't be afraid that Xie Yunchuan would discover anything else.

Sheng Sheng nodded, feigning regret: "Alright then, Sheng Sheng will go eat something delicious with Fifth Brother. Next time, when you have time, Brother, we can go together again."

Xie Yunchuan could easily see that the girl's feigned regret was just a perfunctory response. He chuckled a few times and then remained silent.

With the moon shining brightly and it being a leisurely time, it would seem a shame not to take a stroll and chat under the moonlight, given the beautiful scenery and atmosphere.

The brother and sister walked around the Imperial Garden in perfect unison. Although only a few lanterns were lit and they were not very bright, Sheng Sheng could not help but think of the last time she came to the Imperial Garden, which was on the night of her sixth birthday.

Looking back now, a lot really happened that night.

Xie Yunchuan and Li Manyan, she and Pei Ji, Xiaobai and Yan Hu...

Perhaps many things happened in places she was unaware of.

When people revisit memories, they naturally experience a range of emotions.

Sheng Sheng, a child with a rich imagination, is no exception, bursting with a desire to express himself.

Although Xie Yunchuan didn't talk much, every word he spoke was meaningful, and he would never let his words fall flat.

Zijuan was preoccupied with telling Shengsheng the gossip she had heard from Lüping at Jinxiu Palace, so she didn't pay much attention to the two of them. Only Thirteen, who was following behind Xie Yunchuan, noticed that his prince's expression was more relaxed and joyful than ever before.

Thirteen sighed inwardly, even when Miss Li was around, His Highness couldn't put aside all his affairs and relax for a moment.

But when the princess returned, the prince would steal a moment from his busy schedule to take a walk and chat with her under the moonlight, even though he had countless other things to arrange.

Oh, his brother is such a sister-complex! Despite his stubbornness, His Highness is still as devoted to his sister as ever!

The brother and sister chatted about this and that, saying a few words about everything, but they didn't mention the matter of the Crown Prince at all.

Because Sheng Sheng knew that Xie Yunchuan wouldn't want her to worry, just as Sheng Sheng didn't want Xie Yunchuan to know what she was going to do tomorrow.

Sometimes Sheng Sheng felt that she and Xie Yunchuan were exactly alike in some ways, truly worthy of being siblings, especially in this aspect.

Perhaps this is the bond between blood relatives that can never be hidden?

...

The next day.

Last night, I made a last-minute decision to invite Xie Yunqi to leave the palace with me, but it was already late, so I didn't ask anyone. I thought I could just ask him on the way out of the palace today.

Sheng Sheng knew that Consort Li had been keeping a close eye on him lately, so she was unlikely to agree to his invitation.

Xie Yunqi's inability to come out actually made it easier for Sheng Sheng to act alone, and she would have a legitimate reason to give when Xie Yunchuan asked about it later.

If they unexpectedly agree, it's not a big deal; at least they'll have someone to eat with.

When Sheng Sheng strolled over leisurely, timing it perfectly to coincide with Xie Yunqi's recitation, she rushed in to greet Consort Li sweetly. Sure enough, Xie Yunqi was being personally watched by Consort Li as she recited her text.

Moreover, judging from Xie Yunqi's miserable expression, he must have memorized it very poorly.

When Consort Li saw her, she was very happy and offered her words of concern and greetings as an elder, and praised her for growing taller.

Sheng Sheng smiled and agreed to each request, then said a few sweet words in return before saying, "Your Highness, I've just returned to the capital and I'm really craving Zuixianlou. I was just planning to go out of the palace to eat there, so I came to ask if my Fifth Prince is free to go with me?"

As expected, Sheng Sheng was right. As soon as she finished speaking about wanting to go out of the palace for lunch with Xie Yunqi, Consort Li immediately refused her: "No, he has been trying to memorize this article for seven whole days and still can't recite it fluently. Today he must recite it for me from memory, otherwise, let alone leave the palace, I don't even plan to give him any food!"

Consort Li loved Sheng Sheng, but while she was kind and gentle to Sheng Sheng, she would never show a kind face to her own son.

Xie Yunqi's eyes, which had just been shining with excitement, instantly dimmed. He cried out, "Ah, Mother, how can you do this? I've already memorized three whole sections. Can't you let me rest a bit and have a break?"

Xie Yunqi's silence was fine, but when he spoke, Consort Li almost laughed in anger.

"You still have the nerve to say 'three long paragraphs'? This article has seven long paragraphs in total. The first three paragraphs combined aren't even as long as one of the last four paragraphs. And you spent seven whole days memorizing it! And you still stumbled around!" Consort Li scolded again. "And what else? What was that phrase you used again, 'work-life balance'? Xie Yunqi, do you think you put a lot of real effort into this? Only you know the joys and sorrows you've experienced."

Consort Li was so angry that she pointed at him and cursed him. For a moment, she thought she saw a spark leaping from this pretty girl.

"Oh, Mother, you can't just count like that! The first three paragraphs each have nearly a hundred words each," Xie Yunqi muttered. "And the following paragraphs each have over three hundred words. How am I supposed to memorize them? Anyone who can memorize over a thousand words in one go is not even human!"

Sheng Sheng's eyes widened.

Over a thousand words?

Memorizing an article of over a thousand words in one go seems... well, it really does seem a bit difficult, right?

Sheng Sheng swallowed hard, then asked herself if she could memorize a thousand-word article in one go...

Uh, it seems... not really possible?

Uh, maybe, perhaps, that's possible?

It might take a little longer.

Sheng Sheng suddenly realized that Xie Yunqi's achievement of memorizing 300 characters in seven days was actually quite good.

She had only intended to come over for a routine inquiry, but unexpectedly found herself feeling guilty for no reason.

Consort Li and Xie Yunqi were having a lively conversation, and she couldn't just leave on her own.

Sheng Sheng glanced furtively at Consort Li, then quietly shifted her position, taking several steps back to distance herself from the battle.

Okay, once you've scolded the Fifth Prince, you can't scold me anymore.

Xie Yunqi became more and more self-righteous as she spoke, while Consort Li sneered: "Your second brother, fourth brother, and the Crown Prince, look at them, which one of them can't do it?"

Xie Yunqi was silent for a few seconds, then coughed and scratched his head. After a series of feints, he finally stood up and retorted: "...Uh, they are not human, they are gods."

"Hehe, I'm still a ghost."

Consort Li rolled her eyes at him, then put on a smile and said to Sheng Sheng, "Sheng Sheng, why don't you come find him after the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet? There's a day off at Wenhua Hall the day after the banquet, so he'll have finished memorizing his books by then, and you can go out and have fun in peace."