51. It has to be done secretly.

Jin Lanyue guiltily hid the doll under the covers before jumping out of bed to hold her mother's hand.

The mother and daughter held hands and went to eat together.

At dinner time, the family sat around the table, and the maids were setting out the dishes.

"I heard that His Majesty is selecting a study companion for His Highness?" Jiang Xiyue asked.

"Yes, yes! The Grand Tutor said so too!" The little dumpling nodded.

Marquis Beiding smiled and said, "Yes, your second brother is also on the shortlist."

"Really? That's great!" The little dumpling's eyes lit up instantly, and she clapped her hands and cheered, "Then Second Brother can go to school with Yue'er!"

Jiang Xiyue shook her head: "Don't be too happy yet. According to the rules, it's rare for the same family to choose a princess or prince as their study companion."

The little dumpling's face immediately fell: "Why...?"

There are so many things involved, including factional checks and balances, the selection of confidants, and open and covert struggles.

Neither Jiang Xiyue nor the Marquis of Beiding had any intention of telling the little girl about these complicated matters, since she wouldn't understand anyway.

So, Jiang Xiyue simply patted her little head and said, "Alright, let's eat."

"Okay..."

-

The next day.

Rest day.

As expected, the young prince sent a carriage to fetch Jin Lanyue to the palace.

On the way to Chonghua Palace, the little dumpling carefully hid the doll in her sleeve, stuffing her sleeve until it was bulging.

"I need to find a place where the little prince can't find me..." she muttered to herself, various ideas swirling in her mind!

"Just put it under the desk!" The little dumpling's eyes lit up. "You'll definitely find it when you're reading!"

She's so smart!

They soon arrived at Chonghua Palace, where the little prince happily greeted them. However, he glanced at the little dumpling's bulging sleeve with a puzzled look before shifting his attention away.

First, she took the little girl on a tour of Chonghua Palace, and then said she wanted to bring out Xiaobai to play with her.

The little dumpling silently memorized the location of the study, nodding vigorously.

As soon as the little prince walked away, the little dumpling immediately began to sneakily take action.

It has to be done secretly!

Don't shout!

The little dumpling hid behind a pillar in the corridor, peeking out to observe.

Good, nobody's here.

She took a deep breath and tiptoed to the front of the study.

"Squeak—"

She gently pushed the door open a crack.

The little dumpling held its breath, listened carefully, and only after confirming that there was no movement inside did it cautiously crawl in.

The room was quiet.

The little dumpling crouched down and tiptoed toward the desk.

He would stop every few steps to listen to the sounds, looking like a guilty thief.

Just as she was about to reach the desk, the little prince's questioning voice suddenly came from behind her: "Little Moon, what are you looking for?"

The little dumpling was so startled it almost jumped up and turned around abruptly!

The little prince was standing at the door, struggling to hold Xiaobai in his arms, looking at her with a puzzled expression.

"Little, little prince?!" The little dumpling was so nervous that the doll hidden in her sleeve fell to the ground with a "thud".

The young prince bent down to put Little White down, then stepped forward to pick up the doll, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes: "This is..."

"Wo...Wo..." The little dumpling stammered, unable to speak, twisting the hem of her clothes with her little hands.

The little prince looked at the doll, then at the little dumpling with a flushed face, and suddenly understood something.

The tips of his ears turned slightly red: "Is it... for me?"

Jin Lanyue nodded, her voice soft: "I want to secretly give you a surprise..."

The little prince gently stroked the doll's dress, a smile unconsciously creeping onto his lips: "I like it very much."