He felt Chu Qianchen's disdainful gaze and smiled at her, his dark pupils like the eternal and unchanging vast night sky.

When these eyes stare at someone quietly, they will calm people down, as if the joys and sorrows in this world are nothing but disasters in the mortal world.

The day after tomorrow is the third princess Anle's coming of age day. After she reaches the age of 15, the two countries of Qi and Hao will officially sign the marriage certificate.

Just as Da Qi had the tradition of three books and six ceremonies, the royal family of Hao State, Wuhe, also had its own tradition. Before signing the marriage certificate, a blessing ceremony was required.

As the marriage envoy sent by Emperor Hao, Prince Andaman will go to Baiyun Temple to pray on behalf of Hao Kingdom.

The Prince of Andaman had been urging the Emperor for a long time, but the Emperor had been delaying until just now when he approved it.

They said that he was escorted by the Jinyiwei, but in fact, they just wanted him to be watched by the Jinyiwei.

Chu Qianchen: “…”

Chu Qianchen also knew that Gu Jue and Wuhejialou’s trip could not be changed, so he lowered his little face and his ears drooped.

Why.

Gu Jue chuckled silently and ordered another cup of tea for her. This time, he placed a cat stretching on the tea and gently pushed the teacup to Chu Qianchen.

Chu Qianchen was coaxed into submission by Gu Jue in no time, and even his drooping ears became alert again.

She covered her hands with the teacup and admired it for a long time. Then she slowly drank the tea in the cup, as if she was drinking some nectar.

This winter is getting colder day by day. The charcoal fire in the house has been increased from two pots to three, but it is still a bit cold.

Whether in the house or outside, Chu Qianchen would carry a warm sleeve warmer with him, and would also prepare one for Gu Jue.

Gu Jue shouldn’t have gone out to “play” in this season, but since he had decided to go out, Chu Qianchen would not stop him.

Of course she couldn't let Gu Jue down, so she hurriedly prepared everything, including a cloak, a sleeve warmer, a carriage, a heater in the carriage, incense, etc. She also put a thick white tiger skin cushion in the carriage.

After Chu Qianchen finished looking at the new carriage, he was very satisfied. As he walked along, he smiled and showed off to Amber, "Isn't it thoughtful of me?"

"This custom-made carriage is much more spacious than ordinary carriages. I will go and customize one for mother and Mu Ge'er later."

"By the way, we need to put two big pillows in the carriage. They must be thick and soft."

"Why not just make another mink sleeve..."

“…”

Gu Jue now completely ignored household affairs, and left all matters of the palace to Chu Qianchen. It was not until he got on the carriage when he went out the next day that he realized that it was a brand new carriage, spacious and comfortable, finely decorated, and equipped with everything. It was even better than the carriage they had taken on the winter hunting trip before.

Knowing Chu Qianchen as well as Gu Jue, he knew who did this at a glance, and a faint smile appeared between his beautiful brows.

He leaned lazily on a large soft pillow and said casually, "Master, please help yourself."

Wuhejialou followed Gu Jue and got on the carriage. He looked around the carriage which was obviously not in line with Gu Jue's style. He was stunned for a moment and smiled.

Jialou didn't hesitate and poured himself a cup of tea and also poured a cup for Gu Jue. When handing the tea, the monk, who usually had a holy temperament, had a rare hint of mockery on his face.

His back was straight and his sitting posture was upright and elegant, like a mountain. His wise eyes flashed with complex light as he looked in the direction the carriage was heading.

Gu Jue and Wuhejialou left home at about 9 o'clock in the morning and did not return until 3 o'clock in the afternoon.

After the carriage entered Prince Chen's Palace, Wuhejialou returned to the house next door. Chu Qianchen, who had been waiting in the palace for half a day, came over after hearing the news. He originally wanted to take Gu Jue for a walk and ask if there was anything interesting today.

As a result, before she could speak, Gu Jue stretched out his hand to her and asked with a smile: "Do you want to go out and play?"

Of course! Chu Qianchen nodded vigorously, his eyes sparkling, and raised his hand to grab the hand he stretched out to him.

She didn't even step on the footstool, but simply stepped onto the carriage, holding up her skirt with one hand.

He pulled her along, and she used the force to move upwards, then crashed into his arms, and the two of them fell into a ball in the carriage.

The curtain fell, isolating the two figures, but it couldn't stop their happy laughter, which lingered for a long time. Amber, who stayed outside the carriage, silently helped them close the door.

So, this black lacquered flat-top carriage had just entered the palace and drove out from the corner gate on the other side.

It was already the fourteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, and it was only half a month away from the Chinese New Year.

As the saying goes, the New Year comes after Laba Festival. Now the streets of Beijing are already filled with a New Year atmosphere, and everyone from people to shops is filled with joy.

The shop assistants were shouting enthusiastically as they sold New Year's goods. Many of the passers-by were out buying New Year's goods, carrying large and small bags in their arms. From time to time, some excited discussions drifted into the carriage.

Chu Qianchen casually opened the curtains and looked at the bustling streets outside. At this moment, she slowly realized one thing: the New Year was coming!

She had forgotten everything!! Then, Chu Qianchen was in a trance again, and his right hand, which had opened the curtain, subconsciously clenched the curtain.

In her previous life, she was kicked out of her home this winter, not long after, just before the Chinese New Year.

All the events of his past life flashed before his eyes, and some memories that he once thought were unforgettable became blurred. Thinking about it now, Chu Qianchen's mood has become very calm.

Because she knew that after leaving the Chu family, she met the prince.

Chu Qianchen withdrew her gaze from the window and looked at Gu Jue who was sitting next to her, with an unusually bright light blooming in her phoenix eyes.

Gu Jue: “…”

Gu Jue looked at her in confusion. Although he didn't know what was going on, he didn't ask. He just waved at her and said, "Come here."

Chu Qianchen leaned towards him coquettishly, one arm naturally hooked around his thin waist.

Gu Jue responded by hugging her a little tighter.

The two of them didn't stay together for long, and the carriage slowed down after turning a corner.

After the carriage stopped, the driver's dry voice came from outside: "Sir, we're here."

The carriage stopped for a long time before the coachman heard the sound of a door being pushed open from the back.

Gu Jue got off the carriage first, followed by Chu Qianchen, who helped him get off. Chu Qianchen immediately noticed that their carriage was parked outside a saddlery shop.

"Master, the whip you ordered has been prepared for you." As soon as the chubby shopkeeper saw Gu Jue, he came up to him with a big smile on his face, his teeth showing and his eyes not showing, "This is your wife, right?"

The waiter had been waiting for them for a long time. He quickly took out a carved wooden box, opened it, and let the customer inspect the goods.

The horsewhip was lying in the box. The cowhide was specially dyed a bright red color. It was obviously for women to use. A circle of red stones the size of coix seeds was embedded in the handle of the whip.

When Chu Qianchen grasped the handle of the horsewhip in his hand and turned it, the bright red gem shone brightly.

The horse whip specially customized by Gu Jue is naturally not just a pretty flower stand. This horse whip is made of six strands of leather and looks very strong.

Chu Qianchen waved the new whip tentatively, and when the whip was swung, a sharp sound of breaking through the air was made.

"Do you like it?" Gu Jue asked with a smile.

"I like it." Chu Qianchen nodded vigorously. "I promised Mu Ge'er that I would take him out hunting in the spring." This horsewhip obviously matches her Fenglu.

Chu Qianchen was reluctant to let go of the whip, so he took Gu Jue's hand and said, "Come on, let's go for a walk outside."

The two of them threw away the last piece of Jingfeng and ran out to go shopping.

Chu Qianchen usually doesn’t like shopping. If she wants to buy jewelry, materials or something, she prefers to ask the shop owner to come to her house to choose. However, shopping with Gu Jue is another matter.

For her, as long as she can be with Gu Jue, it’s fun wherever she goes.

Gu Jue held her hand and walked forward slowly. Their pace was much slower than those people around them who were rushing to buy New Year's goods. There was a sense of leisure and security.

Gu Jue also didn't have much experience in shopping, but after accompanying Chu Qianchen in Xiping Town a few times, he had some experience. He immediately walked towards several stalls surrounded by many girls and stopped in front of one of them.

He turned his head to look at her, and just as he opened his mouth, he heard her ask crisply: "Jiu Xia, is there anything you want to buy?"

Chu Qianchen looked up at him with a smile on his face, clearly saying, I'll buy it for you! "..." The vendor who wanted to greet Chu Qianchen suddenly fell silent, feeling that something was wrong.

Although this stall is small, it has a sense of completeness. The things sold are varied, including wooden combs, wooden hairpins, glass hairpins, small embroidery items such as purses, handkerchiefs, sachets, and various colorful and differently shaped Mohelos.

“……” Gu Jue was also stunned. This was the first time he heard her call him like that.

After they got married, he asked her to call him by his given name, but she could never say it out loud. At that time, she always looked at him with a bit of admiration, so he didn't force her anymore.

But now, something seems to be different between them.

Is this considered getting better? ! Gu Jue curved his lips, his eyes were gentle, and he smiled: "Let me see."

He scanned the stall carefully and picked out three or five Mo He Le. The vendor was about to pack them up for him, but Gu Jue pointed at the remaining ones and said, "Don't take these five. Pack up the rest."

The peddler was stunned for a moment, then he became happy. Seeing that the two men were well-dressed and had extraordinary demeanor, he knew they were a wealthy family, so he planned to offer more money.

Unexpectedly, Chu Qianchen had already casually thrown a few silver melon seeds to him.

"No need to look for it." Chu Qianchen said with a generous look.

This bag of silver melon seeds was secretly given to her by Amber before she left the palace.

Chu Qianchen was thinking in his mind that when she returned, he would not only have to give Amber an extra bag of silver melon seeds, but also reward her well.

The vendor was so happy that he gave them an extra basket to put their food in. He watched them leave with envy and sighed in his heart: It's so good to be a gigolo! Alas, who made him not handsome enough!

Chu Qianchen happily held Gu Jue's hand and continued to walk forward. As they walked, he said, "Is there anything else you want to buy? Don't be polite with me..."

She suddenly stopped, tiptoed slightly, and whispered in his ear: "My dowry is very large."

Chu Qianchen didn't know much about household affairs in her previous life, so she never took care of her dowry before getting married. But in the past few months, she began to learn how to manage the household. While counting the assets in the palace, she also took the opportunity to sort out her own dowry as a practice. Only then did she realize that her dowry was quite a lot.

The annual income from the dowry is enough to support the prince!

The hot air she exhaled blew on Gu Jue's ears, and the heat spread from the earlobes, making Gu Jue feel warm all over and his heart softened.

Why does this girl always want to "support" him? Gu Jue felt sweet in his heart. If it weren't for the public, he would have held her in his arms.

The people coming and going around were all strangers. From time to time, someone would look at this perfect couple with a look of amazement on their face.

Both of them were used to being stared at and didn't care.

Chu Qianchen shook their clasped hands and asked again with a smile: "Jiu Xia, is there anything else you want to buy?"

She could feel that he liked her calling him that.

Since he likes it, she will call him more often.

The corners of Gu Jue's lips curved up again, and after thinking for a moment, he replied seriously, "Red paper."

Chu Qianchen's eyes lit up, and he dragged him forward in a hurry, saying: "The New Year is coming soon, it's time to buy red paper. When we get back, we will write Spring Festival couplets and blessing characters..."

Chu Qianchen's steps couldn't help but become lighter.

The New Year is coming soon.

Everything is completely different from the last life, that’s great.

She was thinking in her mind that she needed to buy some more red envelopes and give big red envelopes to the prince, Amber, Jiang Yuan and the others on New Year's Eve.

The two of them bought a lot of things, all of which were paid for by Chu Qianchen, who also made the decision. The two of them went to a nearby restaurant to rest.

There happened to be one vacant private room in the restaurant, and the waiter greeted them attentively: "My two guests, you are very lucky, because a guest suddenly canceled his visit, so this room was vacated."

As the Chinese New Year approaches, the restaurant's business is extremely good, and the lobby on the first floor is mostly filled with diners, with few empty tables.

The waiter was a talkative man. He kept talking all the way from the lobby to the second floor. He introduced the restaurant's specialties to them, told them what was worth buying on this street, and finally recommended the dim sum next door: "…The red bean and jujube paste pastry from Liuxiji is a must-try. It sells out every day when it comes out of the oven."

Chu Qianchen also liked Liuxiji’s red bean and date paste pastry, and was somewhat tempted by what he said.

Gu Jue said: "Do you want to eat? I'll go buy it."

Chu Qianchen wanted to shake her head, but she saw Gu Jue smiling and extending his hand to her, asking her for money.

Chu Qianchen blinked, changed his mind, and generously stuffed the purse into his hands, feeling better.

She paid the bills and he ran errands.

Well, that makes sense.

So, Gu Jue, who had just gone upstairs, went downstairs again.

The waiter looked back and forth at the couple with a strange look, listened to Chu Qianchen order the dishes, and then left the private room, muttering almost silently: "It doesn't look like it."

In the private room, only Chu Qianchen and the pile of miscellaneous New Year goods they had just bought were left.

6◇9◇Book◇Bar

Chu Qianchen sat by the window, half of the window was opened, looking down at the street below, watching Gu Jue come out of the restaurant's door, and watching him enter Liu Xi Ji next door.

She was drinking tea while waiting for someone. Her long eyelashes drooped, casting a faint shadow on her cheeks, making her profile look particularly peaceful.

Her attention was focused on the street below, and she was deaf to the various noises coming from the restaurant lobby outside.

Outside the private room, some guests were chatting; some were walking up and down the stairs, making clattering footsteps; some were arguing...

Suddenly, with the sound of a door being pushed open, a slightly sharp female voice came in arrogantly: "Isn't it enough to give them fifty taels and ask them to give up the box?"

"Sir, wait a minute..."

Before the waiter could finish his words, the door of the private room was rudely pushed open from the outside.

Chu Qianchen put down the teacup in his hand and turned to look outside the private room. He saw a girl in a lilac cloak walking in from the corridor outside and her eyes met Chu Qianchen's.

Chu Qianchen recognized the other person as Yuan Zhitong at a glance. Besides her, there were Princess Jingle and three other girls in the corridor. They obviously recognized Chu Qianchen as well and all showed surprised expressions.

After a brief moment of daze, Yuan Zhitong was the first to regain her composure. She smiled slightly and bowed: "Cousin, what a coincidence!"

Her voice was gentle and peaceful, not the sharp female voice just now.

The waiter was originally worried that these guests would offend the guests in the private room and damage the reputation of their restaurant. Hearing this, he breathed a sigh of relief. It turned out that they knew each other, so it should be easy to deal with.

"Miss Yuan." Chu Qianchen called indifferently.

"I didn't expect to meet my cousin's wife here by chance." Yuan Zhitong still smiled gently, looking at Chu Qianchen by the window. "Since I came back from the winter hunt, I have always wanted to visit my cousin's wife, but she didn't accept my invitation."

Jiang Yuan curled his lips coldly. Who can enter the Prince Chen's Mansion just by wanting to? ! Yuan Zhitong raised her hand and stroked the hairpin on her hair. She said, "My cousin's wife and I are really destined to meet here by chance today. My cousin's wife, the Wanqing Restaurant is full at the moment. It's better to meet by chance than to meet by name. Can we share a table with my cousin's wife?"

"No." Chu Qianchen refused flatly, his voice light and clear.

Yuan Zhitong: “…”

Yuan Zhitong stood there stiffly, speechless for a moment, but the curve of her lips did not change at all, still with a gentle smile on her face.

Standing to the right of Jingle was a girl of about sixteen or seventeen wearing a bright red cloak. The girl frowned unhappily and raised her voice slightly: "So what if we want to share a table? Do you think we want to share a table? It's because there's no room here!!"

"Do you know who I am? I'm the Queen's cousin!"

The girl straightened her back, stood upright, her chin slightly raised, and looked around with a bit of pride and self-restraint.

After just a few short words, a tense atmosphere spread from the private rooms to the corridors; the air was so tense that it seemed to be condensing together.

The waiter, who had originally been relieved, couldn't help but remain silent after seeing this scene. When he heard that this guest was actually the queen's cousin, he wished he could become invisible. He sighed in his heart: It's really a fight between gods, and the little devils suffer.

"Not good." Chu Qianchen repeated again and called Jiang Yuan's name again.

Jiang Yuan took a few steps forward. The girl who was originally like an invisible person released her aura and turned from an inconspicuous weed into a ferocious beast. Even her steps were as agile as a cheetah, and she walked into the eyes of Yuan Zhitong and others.

Jiang Yuan didn't even bother to smile at them. He pointed outside and said, "Please."

The word was neither light nor heavy, but her eyes were so cold that it made people shudder.

The girl in the bright red cloak stood stiffly at the threshold, feeling that it would be humiliating for them to leave in such disgrace.

She could only glare at Jingle with some anger, her chest heaving, and shrilly said, "Third sister-in-law, why don't you say anything!"

The girl almost gnashed her teeth, thinking that her third sister-in-law was really useless. She was the eldest princess, but she actually allowed Chu Qianchen to be so presumptuous in front of her! Jingle did not enter the private room, but stood in the corridor calmly, nodded to Chu Qianchen tenderly, and called, "Ninth sister-in-law."

"Eighth sister." Jingle gently took the arm of Miss Lu Ba and comforted her softly, "There are still seats downstairs."

Miss Lu Ba's face darkened, turning pale and blue, and her voice became sharper, as if it would pierce one's eardrums: "What did you say? How can we sit in the lobby!"

Miss Lu Ba subconsciously brushed away Jingle's hand with her sleeves, as if Jingle's proposal humiliated her status.

Yuan Zhitong quickly turned sideways, grabbed Miss Lu Ba, gently pulled her sleeve, and signaled her to be patient.

Miss Lu Ba pursed her lips tightly, still looking calm.

"Cousin, if that's the case, then I won't be annoying anymore." Yuan Zhitong smiled frankly, with bright eyes and a generous look.

She only said "I", which meant to exclude Miss Lu Ba, implying that Chu Qianchen didn't give them any face because he disliked her, and Miss Lu Ba was just an innocent victim.

Miss Lu Ba enjoyed listening to this. Although her expression was still tense, the look she gave Yuan Zhitong became a little friendlier.

Jingle frowned.

Yuan Zhitong was not in a hurry to leave. She bowed to Chu Qianchen again with great courtesy.

While bowing, she glanced at Chu Qianchen out of the corner of her eye. She thought that the other party would at least argue with her for a sentence or two, but Chu Qianchen ignored her, took a sip of tea, and looked behind her.

Her originally cold and lazy eyes suddenly brightened.

Yuan Zhitong's mind moved, and he turned around, and saw a young man in a moon-white Taoist robe appearing behind Jingle and the three girls.

A young man with a handsome appearance walked slowly towards him. His robe left lines like flowing water as he walked. His every move was as leisurely and confident as the bright moon and fresh breeze.

Miss Lu Ba and the other three girls also saw Gu Jue. Their faces changed and they didn't dare to look directly into Gu Jue's eyes.

Only Yuan Zhitong remained calm and graceful, bowing to Gu Jue again: "My dear..."

After she said just one word, Gu Jue walked past her as if he saw nothing, walked straight to Chu Qianchen, and placed the snacks he had just bought on the table.

He opened a box of snacks he had just bought. The freshly-baked snacks were still steaming hot. A sweet aroma filled the air, making it sweet.

If it were any other time, the waiter would have said a few words to make jokes, but now he seemed to be mute, not saying a word, not knowing whether to advance or retreat.

Yuan Zhitong's gaze followed Gu Jue and returned to Chu Qianchen again. Even if she didn't go over to take a look, just by smelling the smell, she knew that this was the snack from Liu Xiji next door.

The reason why they chose this restaurant for dinner was because they saw Liu Xi Ji and thought they could ask the maid to go next door to buy some snacks when they dine.

However, Yuan Zhitong didn't expect that Gu Jue, the dignified King of Chen, would actually buy snacks for Chu Qianchen and do these things...

Her aunt, uncle and cousins ​​always said they were good to her, but they would never do things like buy snacks or make tea for her. They would only praise her for making good tea and her skills in making snacks...

Yuan Zhitong tightly clenched the handkerchief in her hand, her face tensed, her pupils became darker and darker, she really didn't understand.

Why did Chu Qianchen deserve the special attention from the King Chen? Apart from her pretty face, she was not worthy of being treated so well by the King Chen in terms of status, talent, and virtue.

Yuan Zhitong looked at Chu Qianchen's face carefully and felt some pain in her eyes, as if there were thin poisonous stings piercing her eyeballs, and the pain spread from her eyes to her heart.

The stinging pain gradually turned into an emotion that could not be described as bitterness, unwillingness, helplessness, or resentment.

Something that had been buried in her heart for a long time, which even she herself had not sorted out before, gradually emerged from under the water, becoming clearer and clearer.

She wanted to sit in Chu Qianchen's position, she wanted to replace him.

"cousin!"

Yuan Zhitong called out to Gu Jue in a gentle tone, and this time it was two complete words.

She took another half step forward and wanted to say something, but was stopped by Jiang Yuan.

"please."

Jiang Yuan stretched out his hand again as a gesture of request, and also took half a step closer to Yuan Zhitong. His pupils were cold and his slender figure blocked Yuan Zhitong's sight.

Jiang Yuan was standing too close to Yuan Zhitong, so close that she couldn't see the two people behind her at all.

Yuan Zhitong crumpled the handkerchief in her hand, her cheek muscles were tense from biting her silver teeth, her long eyelashes trembled, hiding the deep anger in her eyes.

In her heart, she had already determined that it was Chu Qianchen who ordered her maid to hinder her, and that it was Chu Qianchen who deliberately prevented her cousin Prince Chen from talking to her.

Yuan Zhitong moved, turned around and walked out of the private room.

After stepping out of the door, she couldn't help but look back in the direction of Gu Jue and Chu Qianchen, and saw Chu Qianchen pinching a piece of shortbread and putting it into Gu Jue's mouth...

Yuan Zhitong's eyes opened slightly and his pupils contracted.

The next moment, the door of the private room was slammed shut.

The door almost hit Yuan Zhitong's nose, and even the air in the corridor shook.

Yuan Zhitong's eyes became even gloomier, and he angrily bit his tender lower lip with his teeth, leaving deep teeth marks.

Behind her, Miss Lu Ba was still blabbering about Jingle, her tone contemptuous: "...You are just like what Third Brother said, you are really useless! Humph, no wonder Third Brother likes Sister Ling and doesn't like you."

“……” Jingle clutched the handkerchief in silence, with her head slightly lowered and a calm expression.

Yuan Zhitong turned around, her face became gentle and soft again, and she advised Miss Lu Ba: "Sister Jing, don't be angry, it's all my fault. I made my cousin's wife unhappy."

"There was some misunderstanding between me and my cousin's wife..."

She looked at the closed door of the private room hesitantly, feeling a little hesitant and aggrieved.

Miss Lu Ba disagreed, and stared at the door fiercely, and advised Yuan Zhitong: "Don't worry, Sister Tong, she is just a concubine's daughter, and the Queen Cousin values ​​you. Doesn't the Queen Mother like you very much, Sister Tong?"

Yuan Zhitong showed a gentle smile on her face: "I know."

"Let's go." Yuan Zhitong asked Miss Lu Ba and the others to leave together, "I see there is a teahouse up ahead."

Several people walked towards the staircase leading to the lobby on the first floor. Yuan Zhitong said as they walked, "Tomorrow is the third princess' coming-of-age ceremony. Sister Jing, the main guest is the Princess of Li, and the Queen asked me to be the celebrant."

"My cousin's wife should have heard about it, Sister Jing, do you think I should let the driver go?"

The Sizhe is the person who serves as the bride's bride. For Yuan Zhitong, this identity is of course a great honor, but for Chu Qianchen, it is not.

“……” Jingle at the back frowned.

She didn't like them talking about Sister-in-law Jiu like that! Jingle pinched her handkerchief and stepped on the hem of Yuan Zhitong's skirt.

Yuan Zhitong was walking down the stairs when she suddenly felt her skirt tighten. She lost her balance and fell forward...

Today is the fat chapter.

(End of this chapter)