Mu Yunjin and her companions returned to Butterfly City after noon the following day.

After the carriage stopped at the entrance of Prince Ning’s mansion, Mu Yunjin stepped down and gazed at the large characters “Prince Ning’s Mansion” on the plaque. She realized that although she had been gone for less than a month, she somehow felt as if an eternity had passed.

“Oh my, His Highness and the Princess Consort are back!” Mamma Shen, who had been keeping watch at the mansion gate day and night, came running out with a smile when she saw Chu Li and Mu Yunjin.

“This old servant greets Your Highness and Princess Consort.” Though excited enough to run out, Mamma Shen still properly bowed to them when she approached.

Mu Yunjin reached out to help Mamma Shen up and curved her lips. “It’s been only a month, but Mamma, you’ve lost so much weight.”

“Ah, with you both gone, the mansion was so quiet and lonely, without anyone to talk to. I’m old now and naturally talkative, always chattering away. Those few young maids in the mansion are still so young, and though I tried to chat with them, we just couldn’t connect!” Mamma Shen poured out her grievances. Seeing little Mu’er in Mu Yunjin’s arms, her hands itched to hold him, but she was too embarrassed to ask.

After entering the mansion, Mu Yunjin and Chu Li went directly to Liquan Pavilion. They hadn’t rested properly during the two days of travel.

“Your Highness, Princess Consort, this servant has already asked the kitchen to make porridge. After such a long journey, some porridge will be good for your stomachs,” Mamma Shen said as she entered the room.

Seeing Mamma Shen’s thoughtfulness, Mu Yunjin smiled. “Little Mu’er just woke up. Mamma, would you like to hold him? Let’s see if he still recognizes you after not seeing you for a month.”

…

…

“Oh my, how could our little young master be so clever as to recognize this servant? Isn’t that right, little young master?” Mamma Shen carefully took little Mu’er, looking down at him with a smile as she played with him.

Seeing someone else praising him, little Mu’er didn’t hold back his smile and grinned broadly.

This smile delighted Mamma Shen immensely.

Soon after, the maids brought the freshly made porridge. Mu Yunjin was feeling quite tired and said to Mamma Shen, “Mamma, would you trouble yourself to look after little Mu’er for a while?”

“Of course, that’s no trouble at all,” Mamma Shen replied, noticing that both Mu Yunjin and Chu Li were exhausted. She added, “You should eat first and then rest. I’ll take the little young master for a walk in the garden.”

With that, Mamma Shen walked out.

After Mamma Shen left, Mu Yunjin and Chu Li only ate a few spoonfuls of porridge before collapsing onto the bed, falling into a deep sleep shortly afterward.

……

The next day, upon hearing that Chu Li and Mu Yunjin had returned to Butterfly City, Chu Qingyuan came to Prince Ning’s mansion early in the morning.

“Greetings to the Ninth Princess,” Mamma Shen immediately welcomed her when she saw Chu Qingyuan arrive.

“No need for formalities.” Chu Qingyuan looked inside, then turned to Mamma Shen. “I heard my Sixth Brother and Sister-in-law are back, is that right?”

Mamma Shen nodded. “They arrived yesterday at noon.”

“Where are they now? I have some things to discuss with my Sister-in-law.” Chu Qingyuan walked toward the dining hall, only to find it empty when she reached the door.

“His Highness and Princess Consort are still sleeping. They must be tired from the journey,” Mamma Shen explained.

Hearing this, Chu Qingyuan pouted and scratched her face. “I wonder when they’ll wake up. Oh well, I’ll just wait here.”

“By the way, where is my little nephew? He’s not still sleeping with them, is he?” Chu Qingyuan asked.

“The little young master woke up long ago. Ruyue is holding him now. This servant will bring him for the Princess to see.” After saying this, Mamma Shen walked toward the back garden.

Shortly after, she brought little Mu’er to Chu Qingyuan.

Chu Qingyuan played with little Mu’er, sitting in the front hall of Prince Ning’s mansion for the entire morning.

……

The two people in Liquan Pavilion had woken up already, but while one wanted to get up, the other wanted to do something else and wouldn’t let her…

“Chu Li…”

“I still have wounds on my back…”

Mu Yunjin curled up under the covers, looking pitifully at Chu Li before her, her eyes shimmering with a watery glow.

Chu Li raised an eyebrow, lowered his gaze to kiss Mu Yunjin’s forehead, and comforted her softly, “Be good, this prince will be careful and won’t touch your wounds.”

Mu Yunjin’s face turned red, and she was left speechless.

……

The two lingered for a long time, only leaving the room in the afternoon.

As Mu Yunjin stepped out, she looked around and saw the newly assigned maid Mengrui standing guard outside. She paused and asked, “Mengrui, where is the young master now?”

Hearing Mu Yunjin’s voice, maid Mengrui immediately approached and bowed, “Reporting to Princess Consort, the Ninth Princess came to the mansion early this morning. The young master is with her now.”

“Qingyuan?” Mu Yunjin was somewhat surprised.

Mengrui nodded. “Yes, it’s the Ninth Princess.”

Mu Yunjin pressed her lips together and instinctively looked at the time. In about two more hours, it would be dusk. Qingyuan had come early in the morning?

Thinking of this, Mu Yunjin’s mouth twitched, and she hurriedly walked toward the front hall.

In the front hall, Chu Qingyuan sat in a chair. Little Mu’er in her arms had started his third round of sleep, yet his mother still hadn’t appeared.

Inexplicably, Chu Qingyuan also yawned.

“Princess, the Princess Consort is coming,” Mamma Shen said to Chu Qingyuan as she saw Mu Yunjin approaching.

Upon hearing this, Chu Qingyuan excitedly stood up. When Mu Yunjin entered the front hall, she sweetly called out, “Sixth Sister-in-law…”

“Little Nine, I heard you came early this morning?” Mu Yunjin raised an eyebrow.

“Yes, when I heard you and Sixth Brother were back, I left the palace in the morning. Who knew I’d end up waiting until now…”

“I don’t care, Sixth Sister-in-law, you must make it up to me!”

After speaking, Chu Qingyuan walked to Mu Yunjin’s side and took her arm.

Seeing Chu Qingyuan holding little Mu’er with one hand, Mu Yunjin quickly reached out to take him, fearing that Chu Qingyuan might accidentally drop him.

Since becoming a mother, she had been like this—anxious about everything, sometimes even annoying herself.

“Sixth Sister-in-law, let’s go to the dining hall and talk while we eat,” Chu Qingyuan pulled Mu Yunjin toward the dining hall.

……

Shortly after, in the dining hall.

“Qingyuan, I heard that in three days, it will be your and Qin Munan’s wedding day?” Mu Yunjin had woken up late and didn’t feel hungry, so she was leisurely sipping a cup of tea.

Hearing this, Chu Qingyuan’s face suddenly fell. She rested her chin on her hand and looked at Mu Yunjin, “That’s what I came to talk about today. Sixth Sister-in-law, I suddenly realized I don’t like Brother Munan anymore.”

“Hmm? You don’t like him anymore?” Mu Yunjin was slightly stunned. “You made quite an effort to marry him before. How much time has passed, and now you say you don’t like him?”

“Sigh…” Chu Qingyuan sighed.

She pressed her lips together, lowered her eyelids, and leaned back in her chair. “Originally, I was looking forward to marrying Brother Munan. I thought after marrying him, we could each live our own lives without disturbing each other. That way, Brother Munan wouldn’t appear to be alone, and I wouldn’t have to marry into another country.”

“But during this month, I’ve gone to see Brother Munan many times, asking him about wedding details, the style of the bridal gown, the betrothal gifts, dowry, and so on. Every time I excitedly went to find him, he would always answer, ‘Do as you please.'”

“It’s starting to feel like the wedding is just my affair alone…”

As she spoke, Chu Qingyuan laid her head on the table, looking dejected. “Sigh, after saying all this, I can’t blame Brother Munan. It’s me being ungrateful and wanting to cross a line…”

Mu Yunjin was at a loss and reached out to pat Chu Qingyuan’s head. “Qingyuan, you’re not a child anymore. Some things, you need to think through yourself.”

“Yes, I know.” Chu Qingyuan pouted. “Sixth Sister-in-law, how did you feel when you married Sixth Brother?”

“Weren’t you also unfamiliar with each other before the imperial marriage decree?” Chu Qingyuan looked at Mu Yunjin, her eyes full of longing.

Being asked this, Mu Yunjin’s thoughts drifted back to the past. After thinking for a while, she couldn’t help but look down at little Mu’er in her arms.

Come to think of it…

They already had a child…

Yet she and Chu Li seemed to have never performed the formal wedding ceremony…

“Sixth Sister-in-law, what are you thinking about?” Seeing Mu Yunjin not speaking for a long time, Chu Qingyuan gently pushed her.

Mu Yunjin immediately came back to her senses and met Chu Qingyuan’s surprised expression. She slowly said, “At that time, between your Sixth Brother and me, there was indeed no real affection to speak of. No… perhaps there was already a tiny bit of feeling…”

“Huh? Who fell for whom first?” Chu Qingyuan asked curiously.

“Of course it was your Sixth Brother…” Before she could finish, Mu Yunjin caught sight of a purple figure standing at the dining hall door from the corner of her eye.

Chu Li was dressed in a long purple brocade robe, wearing a purple-gold jade crown on his head, with a black silk belt around his waist. His tall figure was now lazily leaning against the doorframe, his handsome face currently tinged with traces of a smile.

Despite his smiling expression, his elegant and dignified bearing, and his majestic and noble demeanor, he was not diminished in the slightest.

When Mu Yunjin’s eyes met Chu Li’s smiling gaze, she inexplicably felt less confident. She slightly frowned and glared at Chu Li. “Why are you dressed so fancily?”

Chu Li laughed lightly and slowly walked closer. “This prince was only a little late, and you’re already misleading the child.”

“Misleading?” Mu Yunjin raised an eyebrow, giving Chu Li a warning look.

“No, this prince used the wrong word. My beloved consort spoke the absolute truth just now. It was indeed this prince who fell for you first.” Chu Li changed his tone and sat down beside Mu Yunjin, taking her hand in his as he spoke.

Watching from the side, Chu Qingyuan shuddered involuntarily, as if she had seen a ghost. “Heavens, when did my Sixth Brother become like this?”

As soon as she spoke, the smile on Chu Li’s face gradually faded. He cast a cool glance toward Chu Qingyuan. “I heard your entire conversation just now.”

“Little Nine, marriage is not child’s play. You must think carefully,” Chu Li said in a deep voice.

“Yes, Little Nine understands.” Chu Qingyuan shrank her neck, hearing Chu Li’s deep voice, not even daring to raise her head.

It seemed her Sixth Brother was still the same.

Cold and indifferent to everyone, except for his Sixth Sister-in-law.

She truly envied this kind of feeling where one’s eyes could only contain a single person. She wondered if she would ever be fortunate enough to meet such a person…