Extra: Yu Lan and Zhou Boxu

The first time Yu Lan met Zhou Boxu was on a sunny spring day.

The princes and princesses studied in the same palace, taught by Grand Tutor Zhou.

That day, Yu Lan walked to the classroom as usual, but saw a stranger sitting by the window.

He looked intently at the book in his hand, and the warm sunlight gently sprinkled on his side face, quiet and beautiful, Yu Lan was lost in thought for a moment.

As if sensing Yu Lan's gaze, he turned his head and looked at Yu Lan for a moment, then stood up to greet him.

"I've met the princess."

This was the first sentence Zhou Boxu said to Yu Lan.

At that time, Yu Lan was eight years old and Zhou Boxu was eleven years old, and they had already begun to look like teenagers.

"Who are you?" Yu Lan was curious about him.

The childish boy said politely, "The son of the Grand Tutor, Zhou Boxu."

Yu Lan remembered the name.

During class, Grand Tutor Zhou introduced them to Zhou Boxu, who was appointed by the emperor to accompany him in the palace.

"So he will come every day in the future?" Yu Lan blurted out.

Grand Tutor Zhou nodded, and Yu Lan was inexplicably excited.

After class, Yu Lan took out the lotus cake made by Concubine Yu Gui and ate it with Yu Zheng, and also handed a piece to Zhou Boxu.

"My mother made it, it's delicious."

Zhou Boxu was flattered but didn't take it, and said with a stern face, "No merit, no reward."

Yu Lan rolled his eyes, glanced at the book on his desk, and asked a question that he didn't understand in class.

Zhou Boxu patiently answered in detail.

"Here, this is a thank you." Yu Lan once again passed the cake to him.

Zhou Boxu took it hesitantly and wrapped it with a brocade handkerchief.

Since then, Yu Lan would ask Zhou Boxu all kinds of questions every day, and every time Zhou Boxu answered, he would get all kinds of snacks. After

asking the questions, Yu Lan chatted with him.

However, Zhou Boxu was a taciturn person, and apart from answering questions and talking about academic matters, he would not chat at all.

But he would listen carefully and seriously.

As time went by, Yu Lan treated Zhou Boxu as a playmate, and Zhou Boxu also got used to bringing a snack home every day.

But suddenly one day, Yu Lan did not come.

For the first time, Zhou Boxu was distracted in class and looked at Yu Lan's empty seat from time to time.

The next day, the day after...

Yu Lan didn't come to school for five days in a row. Zhou Boxu couldn't bear it anymore, so he secretly asked Yu Zheng after class.

"My sister is sick." Yu Zheng told him.

"What's wrong with the princess? Is it serious?" Zhou Boxu clenched his hands and asked anxiously.

Yu Zheng said, "It's a cold, it will be better in a few days."

Zhou Boxu breathed a sigh of relief and secretly prayed in his heart that Yu Lan would get better soon.

I thought it would take a few more days to see Yu Lan, but I didn't expect that after school, I followed Zhou Taifu out of the palace. When passing by Yu Garden, I heard Yu Lan's laughter.

Zhou Boxu looked up and saw Yu Lan swinging on the swing not far away.

"Father, a little higher..."

Yu Lan laughed while sitting on the swing, and the emperor personally pushed the swing for her.

Master Zhou led Zhou Boxu to pay his respects.

Seeing Zhou Boxu, Yu Lan stepped aside and called Zhou Boxu to swing with him.

"This... is not in accordance with etiquette." Master Zhou declined.

Yu Lan jumped off the swing and said, "Then let's go catch butterflies."

Zhou Boxu said nothing and looked at Master Zhou.

Master Zhou was thinking about how to refuse when the emperor spoke.

"Go ahead. The princess has been sick for a few days. She is feeling better today and has more energy. Play with her for a while."

"Yes." The emperor had given the order, so Master Zhou could only agree.

"Let's go over there." Yu Lan pulled Zhou Boxu up and ran towards the butterflies dancing in the flowers.

Yu Lan chased the butterflies, and Zhou Boxu's eyes chased her.

After not seeing her for many days, she seemed to have lost some weight. She must have been suffering from the illness.

"Ah, a butterfly flew over my head, help me catch it." Yu Lan stood there cautiously.

Zhou Boxu approached quietly and stretched out his hand to catch the butterfly that landed in Yu Lan's hair.

After catching the butterfly, Yu Lan was very happy, and her eyes sparkled as if there was a light flashing.

Because of the excitement of running, Yu Lan's little face was flushed, which was very cute.

The boy, who didn't know what the heart was, paused for a moment, and then beat violently.

Standing in the distance, Master Zhou saw this scene and carefully observed the emperor's reaction.

The emperor's face was relieved, and even had a smile on his face, as if he was very satisfied with Zhou Boxu.

Master Zhou understood.

After Yu Lan recovered from his illness, he went back to class.

Yu Lan, who was favored by the emperor and had a lively and bold personality, would sometimes take Zhou Boxu to skip classes and hide in the Yu Garden to play on a whim.

Zhou Boxu was the only one punished every time. But Zhou Boxu never said anything, and Yu Lan was unaware of it.

Trapped in the palace for many years without a playmate, Yu Lan regarded Zhou Boxu as her only friend. As time went by, the relationship between the two became closer.

Winter went to spring, year after year, time passed quietly, and in a blink of an eye, Yu Lan was fifteen years old.

On this day, Yu Lan took Zhou Boxu to skip classes again, and the two lay on the grass to bask in the sun.

"I can't go to class in the future." Yu Lan suddenly said.

"Why?" Zhou Boxu was puzzled.

Yu Lan turned sideways, supported his head with his hand and said, "Mother said that I've grown up and it's time to learn other things."

Zhou Boxu frowned and said in a low and dull voice, "Will I never see you again in the future?"

"Of course not, let me tell you..." Yu Lan leaned close to his ear and whispered to him.

The warm breath sprayed on Zhou Boxu's ears, making him tingle unbearably. The fragrance of the girl penetrated into his nose, making him feel hot.

He swallowed, turned his head and moved away.

"Did you remember it?" Yu Lan asked him.

"Yeah." Zhou Boxu nodded with red ears, not daring to look directly at Yu Lan.

Meeting here every seven days has become Zhou Boxu's expectation.

"The sun is high, let's go." Yu Lan stood up and patted the grass debris on her dress.

Zhou Boxu also stood up, and his tall body blocked the scorching sun for Yu Lan.

"Why are you so tall?" Yu Lan exclaimed, and compared the difference between himself and him with his hand.

Zhou Boxu said nothing, lowered his eyes to the pretty girl in front of him, and his heart could no longer accommodate anyone else.

The next three years passed by in a flash as they met again and again.

Yu Lan's eighteenth birthday was approaching, and the emperor said he wanted to choose a husband for her. Everyone with a discerning eye knew that the emperor and Concubine Yu Gui had chosen Zhou Boxu.

Zhou Boxu was both civil and military, and was a perfect match for Yu Lan, and no one could find fault with him.

But at this time, urgent news came from the southwest.

The emperor ordered the Zhuang family father and son to go to the southwest to fight a war.

The Zhuang family had been a single-line family for several generations, and it was uncertain whether they would live or die. In order to leave incense and protection for future generations, they bravely asked for permission to let Yu Lan marry.

The childhood sweethearts were forced to separate, and Yu Lan reluctantly married Zhuang Heng in tears.

Overnight, both Yu Lan and Zhou Boxu changed.

The lively and bright girl became dignified and elegant, and took on the responsibilities of a princess.

The high-spirited nobleman became gloomy and cold, and he has closed his heart to love ever since. They

thought they were not destined to be together in this life and could only regret each other, but they didn't expect that God would give them another chance.

This time, he must hold on tightly and never let go.

"Ranran, slow down, be careful not to fall." Zhuang Yan helped Zhou Shiran to take her first steps.

Yu Lan and Zhou Boxu smiled at each other, holding Zhou Shiyu's hand and following behind them.

The warm spring sun gently sprinkled on the family of five, which is the most warm and beautiful picture in the world.