During the years when Lu Xingjian refused to get married, the talent show was held several times.

However, Su Wanwan has never appeared on the draft list.

Between her and Lu Xingjian, there were generational differences, the Zhou family and the late emperor, and the Su family.

If it weren't for the late emperor's relentless pressure, she would never have considered marrying Lu Xingjian.

Therefore, she was quite shocked when she heard that Lu Xingjian had asked the late emperor for her hand in marriage.

They barely interacted at that time.

Only during festivals and holidays would the Crown Prince visit Lady Zhou to pay his respects, and he would occasionally catch a glimpse of her.

Even if they met, they wouldn't speak to each other. He would speak respectfully to Zhou Shi, while she would stand beside Zhou Shi and serve her.

It wasn't until she noticed that he was so cautious that he wouldn't even touch the tea offered by the palace servants of Qingning Palace that she personally brewed a cup of tea and placed it beside him.

He simply finished his tea quietly, keeping his eyes straight ahead, and didn't utter a single idle word about her.

Who would have thought that he still harbored romantic feelings for her?

Su Wanwan said in a low voice, "During those years, you didn't marry, and neither did I?"

If Zhou's health hadn't deteriorated to the point of collapse, she wouldn't have hastily married Su Wanwan off from the capital.

Marrying her off to a distant place is also a form of protection for her.

Otherwise, once Lady Zhou passes away, it's anyone's guess what the late Emperor and Empress Zhang will do to Su Wanwan.

The Su family alone cannot protect her.

As for Lu Xingjian, this young and inexperienced crown prince, how could he possibly defeat the late emperor who had been emperor for over twenty years?

If she doesn't marry into the powerful city of Nanjing, she will most likely become cannon fodder in the power struggle.

Lu Xingjian remained silent, his face grim.

Su Wanwan didn't want him to continue dwelling on that oppressive and suffocating period, so she changed the subject.

“Xiao Bin is our benefactor. Without him, we would have died several times over. Please don’t make things difficult for him.”

Lu Xingjian's expression darkened further, but he had no choice but to admit the truth.

Both the news Qian Ning brought back from Jinling and the testimonies of everyone on the ship corroborated Xiao Bin's great sacrifices for the mother and son.

Even Yan Ge'er, who was almost a miniature version of himself, only showed a look of wariness when he saw him.

Only after seeing the wooden doll did she slowly lower her guard and take the initiative to ask where her mother and uncle were.

He had never coaxed a child before, and it took him a lot of effort to get Yan Ge'er to be less resistant to him.

Yan Ge'er mentions his uncle more often than his mother.

It was as if his uncle was his "real father," while his own real father was an irrelevant outsider.

Su Wanwan simply waited quietly for him to figure it out on his own.

Seeing that Su Wanwan had closed her eyes and was about to go to sleep, Lu Xingjian reluctantly gave in:

“I can let him off the hook. But you have to swear that you will only love me for the rest of your life, and that you will not have an affair with him or any other man.”

Su Wanwan opened her eyes and looked at him quietly.

“I won’t sleep with other men.” Su Wanwan paused, “However,”

Lu Xingjian's forehead veins bulged, his anger rising rapidly: "What else do you want?! You really did... "

"If I'm putting Yan-ge to sleep, does that count as sleeping with another man?" Su Wanwan looked at him seriously.

Lu Xingjian was furious. He hadn't expected her to ramble on and on. He was very impatient. "Say it now, you've only ever loved me in this life."

That's too domineering.

Su Wanwan touched his face, her eyes flickering: "Can't we even love Yan Ge'er and the one in my belly?"

Lu Xingjian suppressed his anger and refused to back down: "Don't try that, don't pretend you don't understand."

Su Wanwan's expression turned serious, and she even held up two fingers as if swearing an oath:

"I will only have sex with you in my life, otherwise may I be struck by lightning and suffer a terrible fate..."

Before Su Wanwan could finish speaking, Lu Xingjian covered her mouth.

"Just keep it in your heart, why make any solemn vows? Just say you love me."

"I love you, I love you, I love you," Su Wanwan readily agreed, repeating the string of words.

As she spoke, she rolled over and pressed herself against him, cupping his face and talking nonstop.

Lu Xingjian reached out and tucked her loose hair behind her head, his expression gradually softening.

I was definitely fooled.

Finally, with a hint of reproach and indulgence, he said, "Why aren't you lying down properly? Aren't you afraid of putting pressure on your stomach?"

He leaned close to her ear and whispered a few more words.

Su Wanwan raised an eyebrow, feeling much more at ease. "Let me see him when I get back."

"Okay, whatever you want." Lu Xingjian lazily hugged her, gently stroking her belly with his palm.

The air grew quiet.

Just as Su Wanwan was getting drowsy, Lu Xingjian spoke again.

"Was Yan-ge'er this well-behaved even when he was in your belly?"

Su Wanwan mumbled sleepily, "Didn't Maggie tell you that it's too early in the pregnancy to feel the baby's presence?"

Lu Xingjian's lips curled up slightly, his mood visibly improving. "You're so petty. Why should I care about her pregnancy status?"

After saying that, he put his ear to Su Wanwan's belly and listened for a while, his eyes showing a bit of curiosity.

"It seems no different from before."

Su Wanwan gently combed through his slightly stiff, damp long hair. "It will take three months to tell."

Lu Xingjian held her hand, their fingers intertwined: "After you go back, don't leave Kunning Palace again. Focus on your pregnancy. I won't let you suffer the same pain you've endured before."

Su Wanwan's sleepiness vanished instantly, and she frowned.

"The White Lotus Sect..."

Lu Xingjian sighed: "This matter involves the Prince of Jin's residence and is of great importance. Don't get involved."

Prince Jin's Residence?

Alarm bells rang in Su Wanwan's mind.

An old memory came to mind.

“I remember that back then, two of the Prince of Jin’s attendants accused Prince Chongxin of being a traitor and plotting against the emperor. The court sent people to investigate, but in the end, they said it was a false accusation and sentenced the two attendants to ten years in prison.”

The title of Yibin refers to the husband of a princess or a county princess, and he is also a member of the imperial family who needs to be appointed by the court.

That was a case she had seen when she was helping Zhou process memorials.

At that time, Zhou was already in poor health and only wanted to maintain stability, so he did not conduct a thorough investigation.

Fortunately, the Prince of Jin died the following year. Because of the issue of inheriting the title of Prince of Jin, the Prince of Jin's own palace was in chaos, so for the time being, there was nothing to fear.

Lu Xingjian clearly knew about this, but he just smiled gently and tidied her hair as he lay back down next to her.

"Anything else?"

Su Wanwan's eyes slowly turned cold, becoming very determined.

"Now that they know about my relationship with Yan Ge'er, I'm afraid they'll make a big deal out of it."

"Then let them be preoccupied with their own problems." Lu Xingjian seemed to have already considered this matter, as his tone was very calm.

"Your method is good. Why not go all out and destroy their foundation?"

"Huh?" Su Wanwan was completely confused.

Lu Xingjian had a very detailed understanding of the situation.

“Since Emperor Taizong ascended the throne, the Prince of Jin’s rebellious intentions have never ceased.”

"After the guards of the Prince's Palace were dismissed, they began to raise assassins in the name of the White Lotus Sect."