Although Geng Youran usually gets along well with Qianxue, he is not entirely without airs.

But today, she was truly exhausted, and Qianxue was even more so.

Two people are always stronger than one.

After packing up, Qianxue leaned against the bed to rest with Geng Youran. When Yinzhen came in, they were both fast asleep.

Gao Wuyong stepped forward and patted Qianxue, who was sleeping soundly and almost drooling. Qianxue opened her eyes and found that it was Eunuch Gao. The Fourth Prince was sitting on a chair not far away, drinking water. She was about to greet him when Gao Wuyong covered her mouth.

"Don't make a sound!"

Gao Wuyong warned in a low voice. Qianxue nodded to indicate that she understood, and then followed Gao Wuyong to wait outside.

Yinzhen sat in a chair, drinking tea and reading a book. It was probably more than an hour before Geng Youran woke up.

Yinzhen looked at Geng Youran, who had sat up from the bed, and said coldly:

"You can sleep quite a lot."

All that was heard was Geng Youran uttering a sentence that was unclear in her speech:

"Xiao Anzi, tell Qianxue to bring in some water."

Yinzhen almost spat out the tea in his mouth. It turned out this person was still half asleep and actually mistook him for Xiao Anzi.

However, he was too lazy to argue with Geng Youran. He raised his voice slightly and asked Qianxue to come in and help Geng Youran tidy up.

A towel soaked in cold water was placed on Geng Youran's face, instantly waking her up.

This is a method she has been using for a long time; it helps her wake up quickly.

"Your Highness, what are you doing here?"

Everyone present was speechless. Good heavens, the prince had been sitting here for over an hour, and they only just noticed him now.

Yinzhen was too lazy to explain and said:

"Pack your things, I'll take you to pay your respects to your mother."

"Your Highness, I am merely a concubine and have no right to see Consort De. Isn't Consort Nian here?"

"She's had a long journey and isn't feeling well, so she needs to rest more. Anyway, Mother knows you, and since we're not in the palace right now, we can disregard some of the rules."

Then Yinzhen glanced at Gao Wuyong, who then remembered to call the people outside in.

“Gege, these are some pieces of jewelry that the Prince had made before he left the capital. The Prince knew that you did not like extravagant styles, so he specially made these.”

A box was then presented to Geng Youran. Upon opening it, she found several jade hairpins adorned with pearls, each uniquely styled, simple yet elegant.

There's also a pair of pearl earrings, which are quite special because they have a hollowed-out lantern-shaped spacer bead in the middle, making them playful and cute.

"Your suggestions about the shop a while ago were excellent; this is a reward for you."

Although Geng Youran didn't say it, her actions spoke volumes. She picked up a jade hairpin and an earring and handed them to Qianxue.

"Help me put it on."

Looking at Geng Youran looking in the mirror, Yinzhen suddenly felt a sense of peace.

This feeling was something only Tong E'niang had given me before.

"Your Highness, Your Highness?"

While Yinzhen was still in a daze, Geng Youran had already dressed.

"Your Highness, I've finished packing. However, I left in a hurry and didn't prepare a gift for my mother, this..."

Gao Wuyong, who was standing to the side, answered the question on behalf of Yinzhen:

"Gege, don't worry, His Highness has already made preparations for you."

Yinzhen clenched his right fist and placed it near his mouth:

"Ahem. Mother has started to worship Buddha in recent years, and Father sent someone to ask Guanyun Temple for a Bodhisattva image, which Gao Wuyong has already taken with him."

"Your Highness is indeed very thoughtful."

When it comes to 'preparing in advance,' Geng Youran greatly admires Yinzhen's memory; he never makes a mistake.

The two arrived at Consort De's residence, and upon hearing laughter and cheerful voices inside, Yinzhen paused in his tracks.

The voices inside the room belonged to the Fourteenth Prince, Yinzhen, and Consort De.

"You brat, you haven't come to the palace to see your mother in so long."

"Mother, Father Emperor had something to ask me to do. That's why I came to pay my respects to you as soon as I arrived in Rehe."

Hearing the loving mother and son inside the door, Geng Youran looked to the side with some concern.

To everyone's surprise, Yinzhen remained unfazed, as if he were already used to this kind of situation.

When the people at the door saw that Yinzhen had come with his entourage to pay their respects to Consort De, they immediately went inside to announce his arrival.

When Yinzhen entered the room, he saw Consort De sitting upright in a chair, while the Fourteenth Prince beside her was drinking tea with his head down, as if he hadn't seen Yinzhen at all.

"Your son greets Mother. May Mother be blessed."

"This humble servant greets Consort De, may Your Highness be blessed."

Consort De nodded and said calmly:

"Get up."

They were then politely offered seats.

"You've come at this time, is there something you want to say?"

Yinzhen, expressionless, replied in the same indifferent tone:

"I went to Guanyun Temple to offer incense some time ago and obtained a portrait of a Bodhisattva from the temple. I have come here to give it to you, Mother."

Geng Youran thought that Consort De would at least have someone open and take a look, but unexpectedly Consort De only had someone accept the portrait, and then used 'exhaustion' as an excuse to have them and the Fourteenth Prince kneel down to pay their respects.

Yinzhen and Yinti walked side by side. Yinzhen remained silent, but Yinti spoke first:

"Fourth Brother, Mother is in a bad mood, please don't take it to heart."

Even a ghost wouldn't believe that. Everyone heard the laughter coming from inside the room; they're not deaf.

"Fourth Brother, I came here alone this time. Would you mind if I ate a meal with you tonight?"

Yinzhen neither agreed nor disagreed, but simply called out Geng Youran's name:

"You Ran?"

Geng Youran felt as if she were facing a formidable enemy when she heard Yinzhen call her name:

"Your Highness, I'm listening."

"Your Majesty and the Fourteenth Prince will go to the study first. Go back and prepare. Your Majesty and the Fourteenth Prince will come to your place for dinner later."

"yes."

Geng Youran led Qianxue back to the courtyard first, and then they walked around the table in the house.

"Princess, stop spinning around and quickly think of what dishes we should make."

As Geng Youran turned around, she said:

"Isn't this your job? Why are you making me think about it?"

Qianxue was so anxious she was almost in tears. If it were just the Fourth Prince, it would be fine, but she had absolutely no idea what the Fourteenth Prince's tastes were like.

If it's not to your liking, that would be a problem.

Geng Youran was feeling troubled and couldn't think of anything.

"Did Your Highness bring several cooks from your household with you this time?"

"Reporting to Princess, I brought two people with me, namely Master Zhao and Master Wang."

"Alright, we have plenty of ingredients here. Just have them cook some of their specialties. The Fourteenth Prince isn't that picky, so don't worry."

When Geng Youran was in the palace, she visited Consort De's palace a few times, and two or three of those visits were to cook for the Fourteenth Prince. Each time she cooked something different, but the Fourteenth Prince would try each dish one by one.

"Then this servant will go and prepare."

"Go ahead. Remember to heat up a pot of wine."

"I've got it."

Geng Youran didn't know why she was acting so strangely today. When she heard that the Fourteenth Prince had come along, she felt particularly irritable.

They probably found this fake "brotherly love" act too disgusting.