Chapter 1148: Chapter 636: Heroic Couple (Two-in-One)

Zhu E smiled with twinkling eyes.

"Don’t tease me," Chen Yi chuckled.

"I’m not teasing," Zhu E said with a hint of mock complaint in her voice, deliberately scanning Chen Yi up and down, her tone soft, "I’m saying even the position of main wife should be given up for you, my lord."

Chen Yi smiled and chose not to respond. Zhu E keenly sensed his mood shifting, attempting to dispel the threads of his melancholy. Unfortunately, emotions aren’t easily untangled, so he merely took note internally.

Zhu E noticed it too and pretended to be indignant, saying, "I’m wearing my heart on my sleeve for a cold shoulder from you, my lord."

Chen Yi’s heart skipped a beat.

It wasn’t that he was particularly lustful, rather Zhu E was wearing a soft, slightly loose plain dress which subtly bared her neckline, gracefully highlighting her neck’s beautiful contours, exuding a relaxed, homely vibe. Her face carried a charming smile, adding to her allure.

Zhu E’s beauty was inherently captivating; as a Princess she was already wrapped in a veil of taboo. Even a trivial remark matched the scene before them perfectly.

At that moment, her fingertips, seemingly unintentionally yet deliberately, gently slid open the last bit of the inner collar on Chen Yi’s chest.

In a moment, he grasped her restless wrist, not forcefully. Zhu E didn’t resist, simply allowing him to hold her, her eyes still sparkling with enchanting light.

"Mother!" "Mother!"

Suddenly, a couple of calls halted Zhu E’s fingertip.

Chen Yi’s hand also froze.

Turning his head, he saw Qin Yue’s small figure wobbling out of the threshold, calling towards the courtyard as if she saw Zhu E’s figure from the window afar.

Chen Yi felt quite helpless and softly said, "Let’s stop this. If something happens between us now, it would be too much."

Zhu E awkwardly withdrew her hand, her alluring posture receding like a tide; the glimmer in her eyes solidified. She looked intently at Chen Yi, the previous probing and teasing vanished without a trace, replaced by...

She was a bit annoyed.

Just shot him a little glare.

Chen Yi restrained his reaction.

She adjusted her slightly open collar and then turned to greet Qin Yue.

Qin Yue tugged at Zhu E’s skirt hem, cautiously eyeing Chen Yi, still eyeing when they entered the room.

She feared he would be inappropriate with Zhu E, and when Chen Yi moved his gaze, she glared even more.

A warning.

A warning.

Chen Yi scratched his hair corner, still rejected by Qin Yue. That little troublemaker was quite good at holding grudges, somewhat resembling his own nature.

Thinking it over, he never gave Qin Yue a good impression.

The first time was a dream quarrel with her birth parents, Qin Qingluo.

The second was tricking her with salt disguised as sugar, making her cry.

The third was just now being intimate with her mother, Zhu E. Though she’s young and doesn’t understand much, she instinctively was wary, fearing he might take Zhu E away.

Chen Yi thought about it and realized he hadn’t done anything good...

This can’t go on.

He slightly lowered his gaze, failing to take advantage of the situation with Zhu E to relieve some emotions partly due to Qin Yue. If Qin Yue genuinely never accepted him, then the little home he worked hard to create might quickly collapse.

After all, his relationship with Qin Qingluo wasn’t stable, forced together through schemes with too many variables.

What the Prince values most has always been family ties, not romantic ones.

.........

The afternoon sun carried the unique heat of the Southern Border.

Qin Qingluo changed into a dark usual attire, the golden thread embroidering simple cloud patterns, accentuating her tall figure and steady pace. Chen Yi followed her half a step behind, scanning the surroundings.

This is the outer court of the Prince Mansion.

After staying in the inner court for some time, Qin Qingluo had some free time today and took him for a walk outside.

The air was filled with the scent of ink and the dry smell of paper, while the officials passing by imposed a silent, tense pressure.

They walked through broad corridors paved with large bluestone slabs. On each side were rows of uniform, stern portal courtyards.

Above each courtyard gate hung a plaque with black background and golden characters, the font square and firm.

In front of the Household Administration Bureau, there were slightly more carriages and horses, and several clerks in dark uniforms rushed in and out holding thick books. The clatter of abacus beads and muffled debates were faintly heard from inside. Adjacent to it, the Construction Bureau had its gates wide open, revealing piles of timber, stone, and tools. Looking further, tall storage warehouses were seen shut tight, guarded by sentries standing with their blades, vehicles coming in and out, the sound of weighing and the record officers’ count clearly audible; that was the Warehouse.

Qin Qingluo’s steps were slow and steady, seemingly oblivious to the busy scenes on both sides, only occasionally using extremely concise words to point out each department’s duties.

Her voice wasn’t loud, yet penetrated the surrounding noise distinctly, enhancing his understanding of how this massive mansion precisely operated, drawing power, and maintaining control.

The outer court of the mansion, rather than being just an outer court, resembled an outer city, its area surpassing the inner court multiple times, like a small court.

It’s understandable, as the Southern Border is a land beyond, distant from the Emperor, near the Annan Royal Mansion, almost ruling a region, nominally responsible for guarding borders, expanding territory, managing Tusi, farming, and defending; its operations far exceeded the usual scope of a royal mansion’s subordinates.

The corridor’s end led to a relatively independent, slightly remote courtyard.