Chu Yan smiled lightly, the light in his eyes was flickering. His complexion was gloomy, and he couldn’t see any joy or anger, but Meng Nan knew very well that Chu Yan didn’t like him coming to see Bai Zhi.

Chu Yan said: “I heard that your mother is looking for a young lady to fill in for you recently, and many girls are excited about it. Do you need my help?”

Meng Nan laughed and said, “You don’t need to bother the emperor with such trivial matters, and this humble minister can handle them properly.”

Chu Yan took a step forward, the distance between him and Meng Nan was no more than a fist.

“Meng Nan, some things are destined, don’t be persistent, or there will be no good results.” After a pause, his voice became colder, and then said: “Because of that event in Qingyuan Town, where you once sacrificed your life to save Zhi’er, there are some things that I don’t want to have a dispute with you, but that doesn’t mean I don’t care. I hope this is the last time I see you come out of Prince Jin’s mansion.”

Meng Nan frowned and remained silent, while Chu Yan walked straight away and strode into the Prince Jin Palace.

Meng Nan turned his head and watched Chu Yan’s back gradually disappear. At that moment, his eyes were very complicated. The seeds that had been planted in his heart had sprouted unconsciously.

*

Chu Yan walked into the courtyard where Bai Zhi lived and saw Bai Zhi and Xiao Qing sitting and basking in the sun.

One was reading the book in her hand, and the other was resting with her eyes closed.

It wasn’t until the sound of Chu Yan’s footsteps approached that Xiao Qing opened her eyes. Seeing that it was Chu Yan, she immediately got up from the couch and stepped aside.

“What is he here for?” Chu Yan sat down beside Bai Zhi.

Bai Zhi raised her eyes and glanced at him, then said softly, “It’s nothing.”

“What is nothing? He asked for leave on purpose. If there is nothing important, wouldn’t it be unfair to ask for leave?”

“Since you know he is here on leave, why don’t you just ask him directly?”

No, Bai Zhi was not in the right mood today. The matter of him pretending to be sick and tricking her to come back in the capital was over, so why she was angry now?

“What’s wrong with you?” He poured himself a cup of tea. But before he could drink it, Bai Zhi turned her back to him, leaving him with a blank expression on his face.

Bai Zhi remained silent and continued to read. Chu Yan glanced at Xiao Qing in the corner of the courtyard and waved to her.

Xiao Qing pretended not to see it and called the maid who was pruning the flower branches in the courtyard to go inside.

Chu Yan laughed, it was only here that he felt like a person, a real person.

Only here, he can feel other people’s emotions, not just his own.

Those people in the palace couldn’t fight back even if you hit or scolded them. Everyone wore a mask on their faces, there was no joy, anger, or sadness, and no one dared to openly ignore him.

He never knew that the feeling of being ignored was sometimes quite good.

There was no one else in the yard, so he leaned forward, leaned against Bai Zhi’s back, rested his chin on her shoulder, and gently rubbed against her earlobes and cheeks on his cheeks with short, hard stubble. It made her jade face blush.

She quickly got up, changed to a stool, and glared at him with a blushing face: “Why are you getting more and more unscrupulous? What if people see it?”

Chu Yan likes to see her arrogant and angry appearance the most, tearing away her usual indifference, which makes him feel itchy in his heart.

Chu Yan chuckled lightly: “You are my wife. I sit closer to my wife. Who dares to say anything? So what if people see it?”

Bai Zhi didn’t bother to argue with him: “Tell me, what are you doing here? Have you finished reading the pile of memorials?”

Chu Yan laughed straight: “I want to eat your pickled fish, beef stew, and—”

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