A cold wind swept across her face, but Xie Lingqin felt no cold at all, because Yuwen Yao had shielded her face with his sleeve, protecting her from all the chill.

A crisp, refreshing scent lingered around the drawbacks.

"sorry."

Yuwen Yao whispered in her ear, his face filled with endless guilt.

Xie Lingqin smiled and gently raised her hand to smooth his furrowed brow. "It's alright. I'll forgive him for the sake of him having to call me 'Imperial Sister-in-law' from now on."

Upon hearing this, looking at the soft, warm woman in his arms, Yuwen Yao couldn't help but chuckle, "Yes, you will be my wife."

The sudden mention of a "wife" named Xie Lingqin made her ears burn, and she subconsciously moved closer to him. "Yuwen Yao, tell me, wouldn't it be wonderful if we could just stay like this forever?"

"not good."

Xie Lingqin was unusually gentle, but upon hearing the soft, dismissive denial, she immediately looked up and said, "I'm protecting you like this, and you're still being coy."

"This makes you more susceptible to catching a cold."

Xie Lingqin...

“Yuwen Yao, you usually seem to know how to say sweet nothings, but you’re being a bit pedantic today.”

Showing concern for her health could be a little romantic, but she's just not cooperating.

"Is that so?" Yuwen Yao said, lowering his head to give her a gentle kiss on her cherry lips. "I only wish you good health, peace, and happiness."

Xie Lingqin was taken aback.

In this tranquil night, when all one wishes for peace and quiet, shouldn't he have said something romantic and sweet? But instead of saying he loved her, he gently tightened his grip on her waist and wished her peace and happiness.

Peace and happiness!

These four words sound ordinary, but for the two of them now, they are truly extremely difficult.

How much effort must he have put into these four words?

After all, even his own brother didn't approve of them being together.

"Okay, sure."

Xie Lingqin put aside her thoughts and put her arm around Yuwen Yao's neck.

She believed in him.

Behind her, Li Qingyu used her lightness skill to the extreme and was also very far away, but she could just watch the two of them leaning on each other like this. The Crown Prince held Xie Lingqin as if she were a precious treasure, and the way he lowered his head was a tenderness that she could never reach.

Li Qingyu tensed up, her jealousy almost causing her to lose her composure.

The group arrived at the city gate in the blink of an eye, but did not enter the city.

Yuwen Yao stopped carrying Xie Lingqin. The two looked at each other, and then Yuwen Yao raised his sleeve and waved it towards the dense grass not far away.

"Cough cough..."

Suddenly, a series of rapid coughs rang out, and in the next instant, Tinghai rushed over, looking somewhat dejected, "Miss, the Crown Prince..."

"No need to say anything, let's go back to the city first," Xie Lingqin suggested.

"……yes."

Lord Huo, General Xie, Xie Danling, and Li Qingyu arrived shortly after and followed them into the city.

"Your Highness, I..."

"I escorted her back to her residence."

Upon hearing the Crown Prince's voice, General Xie swallowed the words he was about to say.

"Okay, okay, let's do it together."

Xie Danling was delighted with the outcome; despite the dirt still on her face, she was clearly extremely happy.

Yuwen Yao glanced at him and said, "Don't fool around like this next time."

His tone was exactly like that of a brother-in-law.

Of course, he was also his cousin.

However, Xie Danling was unaware of this matter.

However, Xie Danling listened to Yuwen Yao and nodded seriously, "Your Highness, rest assured, I know my sister is good to me, and I will definitely not make the same mistake again next time."

"Mmm, good girl."

As Yuwen Yao spoke, he actually raised his hand and patted Xie Danling's head.

That tone, that appearance...

Xie Danling was flattered and overwhelmed.

Xie Lingqin was almost horrified, and then she looked at General Xie and Lord Huo beside her...

Yes, their brows twitched, and they looked astonished.

Therefore, her reaction to this comparison was quite normal and balanced.

After a short while, Xie Lingqin raised her hand in greeting and thanked Lord Huo. Finally, she looked at Li Qingyu and said, "Danling just told me about what happened today. I think that, in any case, Miss Li would not openly want to harm me and Xie Danling. There must be someone who has done something behind this. Therefore, I ask Miss Li to give us the truth as soon as possible."

When Li Qingyu met Xie Lingqin's clear and innocent eyes, her hands, hidden in her sleeves, clenched so tightly that the veins bulged, and her fingertips had even dug a bloody mark into her palm.

"Ms. Li, thank you for your trouble."

Xie Lingqin continued, a smile playing on her lips, her hand clasped with Yuwen Yao's, which further stimulated Li Qingyu's eyes.

Why is it that those long, slender, jade-like hands aren't holding hers, and why isn't she standing beside him?

He was a god descended from the heavens, she was exceptional in both literature and martial arts, and was also the legitimate daughter of the Minister of War, who was loyal to the royal family, and the deputy commander of the Thunder Guard. Why, after so many years, did she cautiously approach him step by step, only to find that the person standing beside him was Xie Lingqin, who was so mismatched with him?

What else does Xie Lingqin have besides her pretty face and a belly full of scheming tricks?

Li Qingyu is a favored daughter of heaven; how did she fall to this point where she is being bullied by her?

"What do you mean by 'thank you for your trouble' and 'to find out the truth'? I think it's more like you're the one who orchestrated this to gain sympathy from others."

Just as Li Qingyu was about to lose her composure in anger, a haughty male voice rang out in the air, and a figure landed beside Li Qingyu. After bowing to Yuwen Yao, the figure stared hatefully at Xie Lingqin with narrow eyes.

Xie Lingqin glanced at him, then subtly pinched Yuwen Yao's hand to signal him to ignore it. She then smiled and met Qi Rufeng's gaze. "Oh, Mr. Qi, you have such a profound opinion. Then let me ask you, if you're already dead, what's the point of directing and acting this whole thing?"

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!