Consort Jing glanced at the man beside her and said indifferently, "Alright, you've always been a man of few words. Even I find it boring to just sit here like this. Only Xiaoxiao can stand it. You all go to that carriage and call Lanxiang and the other four maids over to keep me company..."

Chu Tianze began to have some doubts about himself, and looking at the beautiful girl opposite him who was covered in fox fur, he asked, "Really?"

Bai Chuxiao chuckled, then raised an eyebrow and silently uttered a few words: What do you think?

After leaving the town, Chu Tianze and Bai Chuxiao got off the carriage. Consort Jing was determined to give them some space, and they couldn't refuse her kindness.

Yu Fengyang and Cui Hao were already waiting outside the city with their army. Upon seeing them emerge, Yu Fengyang raised an eyebrow. "Your Highness, how did you manage to slip up?"

Bai Chuxiao helplessly shrugged, and Chu Tianze pulled her into his arms before giving him a fierce glare. "I left you in the capital to protect the Princess Consort, and what have you done? In the end, you rely entirely on Xiaoxiao. You're useless."

Yu Fengyang touched his nose. Why had he been so sarcastic? But this time, he was definitely in the wrong...

Rarely seeing him not arguing, Chu Tianze snorted coldly and let it go. The two got back into the carriage, and the group slowly headed towards Dingzhou.

Inside the carriage, there were only two people. Chu Tianze played with the hair of the woman in his arms and suddenly said, "Xiaoxiao, do you also think I'm boring?"

Bai Chuxiao chuckled, "What, you've taken your mother's words to heart?"

Chu Tianze's eyes darkened, and he gave a soft "hmm".

Bai Chuxiao peeked out, raised her hand to stroke the man's face, hooked his chin, and laughed, "But this young lady just likes my husband's type."

Chu Tianze pressed down her small hands that were messing with his face and said calmly, "Does Madam only like this face...?"

Bai Chuxiao blinked. "How could that be? Am I that shallow? Besides, Your Highness is far too confident in your looks..."

There are plenty of handsome guys out there, humph! She can't be interested in every single one of them... The most important thing, of course, is inner qualities!

Chu Tianze said somewhat aggrievedly, "Really? In Madam's eyes, I am utterly worthless..."

Mo Yan and Mo Wen, who were driving the carriage outside, overheard the conversation inside and couldn't help but exchange bewildered glances. Was this really the prince they knew? How terrifying…

Bai Chuxiao rolled her eyes and gritted her teeth, saying, "Your Highness, can you be normal? Your two subordinates are still listening outside."

Mo Yan and Mo Wen quickly shook their heads. "Your Highness, you're mistaken! We didn't hear anything! Discovering the Prince's unusual side makes us easy targets for being silenced..."

Chu Tianze said nonchalantly, "They dare not hear it."

Bai Chuxiao raised an eyebrow and gave a thumbs up: "You're something else. How could a prince become so shameless?"

Chu Tianze gently tucked her small hands into his arms and said softly, "Don't move, you're cold."

Bai Chuxiao said with a grin, "Your Highness is so considerate."

Chu Tianze remained unfazed. "What's so special about this?"

"I'm just giving you a proper compliment to help you regain your confidence, okay? And you're still pretending!" Bai Chuxiao couldn't help but think to herself, "What a jerk!"

Chu Tianze said calmly, "You were cursing me in your mind just now?"

Bai Chuxiao smiled slightly, "How could that be?"

Chu Tianze raised an eyebrow and said, "My lady, please speak your mind. I can handle it."

Bai Chuxiao's eyes flickered slightly, and she asked with a half-smile, "Can you really handle it all?"

Chu Tianze remained calm and composed, saying, "Naturally."

Bai Chuxiao's lips curled into a wicked smile as she whispered a few words in his ear...

Chu Tianze, who had been calm, narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth as he said, "Madam..."

Bai Chuxiao blinked. "Husband, you said you could handle it."

Chu Tianze concealed his true feelings, regaining his composure, and said with an enigmatic expression, "Whether I can bear it or not, Madam will know..."

Bai Chuxiao couldn't help but purse her lips. How boring!

...

Upon entering Zhenzhou, the main army returned to the border first, while Chu Tianze and Bai Chuxiao led only a small contingent, slowly making their way to Dingzhou.

Inside a fine inn in Zhenzhou City, Chu Tianze, Bai Chuxiao, and Yu Fengyang were having a meal downstairs. Bai Chuxiao's injuries had now largely healed, and returning to the Northwest, seeing the familiar food lifted her spirits considerably...

Yu Fengyang raised an eyebrow and said, "Now that the Northwest is beset by wolves in front and tigers behind, you two don't seem to be in any hurry at all?"

Chu Tianze ladled a bowl of mutton soup and handed it to Bai Chuxiao before slowly saying, "So, what are your thoughts?"

Yu Fengyang shrugged, "You're the ones in charge, aren't you?"

Bai Chuxiao drank some hot soup and said with a faint smile, "Wait."

Yu Fengyang said with a smile, "What are we waiting for? Sitting and waiting to die is not like the Princess Consort's style."

Chu Tianze said calmly, "Wait until Chu Tianling takes you away."

Bai Chuxiao chuckled. Her mother was wrong to say he was boring. Our Prince Yan is quite interesting, of course, he only shows his sharp tongue when he's with Feng Yang...

Yu Fengyang's face contorted in pain as he slammed down his chopsticks. "Chu...Tian...Ze...I quit!"

Chu Tianze nodded, "Then you'd better leave quickly, you have no sense at all..."

Yu Fengyang gritted his teeth, "You think I'm bothering you? Then this young master is not leaving!"

Chu Tianze placed a few slices of mutton into Bai Chuxiao's bowl and said indifferently, "Why did Xiaoxiao take him out of the capital? It would have been better to just leave him in the capital as a hostage."

Bai Chuxiao raised an eyebrow and said, "A miscalculation..."

Yu Fengyang's face fell. "Fine, I'll leave."

Watching his heartbroken figure as he left, Bai Chuxiao blinked. "Is it really okay for Your Highness to be so sharp-tongued? What if he takes it seriously?"

Chu Tianze calmly replied, "I am merely testing his willpower; my lady need not worry."

Bai Chuxiao raised an eyebrow. This was clearly a case of making the wrong friends!

After finishing her meal and returning to her room, Bai Chuxiao stood by the window, stretched her hand out, and smiled, "It's snowing."

Chu Tianze stepped forward, stood behind her, and hugged her, gazing at the snow scene outside the window, saying, "It's beautiful."

Bai Chuxiao turned her head and smiled gently, "What's beautiful?"

Chu Tianze remained unfazed, saying, "Your wife is beautiful."

Bai Chuxiao pouted, "Liar! Just a perfunctory response!"

Chu Tianze's expression was enigmatic. Suddenly, he asked, "Madam, do you feel uncomfortable anywhere else?"

Bai Chuxiao raised an eyebrow, "Madam, I'm perfectly fine now."

Chu Tianze's eyes darkened. He turned her around, wrapped her in his cloak, and whispered, "But, I'm in very bad shape."

Bai Chuxiao wrapped her arms around his waist, tilted her head back, and smiled, "Oh? Is something wrong, my husband?"

Chu Tianze nodded slightly and said calmly, "On a spiritual level."

Bai Chuxiao's eyes sparkled as she softly said, "Is that so? But I can't heal a wife's soul; my husband still needs to hone himself..."

Chu Tianze's eyes deepened. "Is your wife already trying to deny the harm she caused me?"

Bai Chuxiao said innocently, "Really? Doesn't my husband handle everything?"

A glint of malice flashed in Chu Tianze's eyes, "Except for this matter..."