The grass in the factory should be plucked

As the family of three was talking, a young man dressed in prince's robes suddenly appeared in front of them.

“Minghong greets Prince Anguo and Prince Jing’an.”

He politely clasped his hands in greeting.

The newcomer was tall and elegant, handsome and dashing; he was none other than the Second Prince, Nangong Minghong.

Jiang Li and the other two quickly bowed and said, "Greetings, Second Prince."

Nangong Minghong exclaimed happily, "Wuchou, you're back?"

He had heard that Xie Wuchou had entered the palace, so he rushed over to intercept her.

Half a year has passed, and this girl has grown even more beautiful. Standing next to the radiant Prince Jing'an, she is in no way inferior.

Seeing that he was staring intently at his daughter, Xie Chang'an was very displeased. He cupped his hands and said, "Does Your Highness wish to see the Emperor? We have important matters to attend to, so we will take our leave now."

Having said that, he pulled Xie Wuchou and turned to leave.

"Wait a minute!"

Nangong Minghong blushed. "I'd like to say a few words to Wuchou, is that alright?"

Jiang Li looked at Xie Wuchou with a questioning gaze.

Xie Wuchou whispered, "Mother, I'll just say a few words to him and then I'll be right back."

"Alright, your father and I will wait for you up ahead."

Xie Chang'an wanted to say something, but Jiang Li pulled him back, "Let's go. Wuchou knows what she's doing. You have to trust our daughter."

Xie Chang'an had no choice but to leave with her, feeling rather disgruntled.

"What does Your Highness want to tell me?"

Xie Wuchou gave a polite smile.

Nangong Minghong was somewhat hurt: "Wuchou, you've grown up and become distant from me. Didn't you used to call me Brother Minghong?"

Xie Wuchou smiled and said, "Your Highness, I was ignorant when I was young. Now that I'm older, I naturally understand the difference between superiors and inferiors."

"No worries, I..."

Nangong Minghong mustered his courage and said, "I...I like you. I'll go talk to my father and ask him to grant us a marriage, okay?"

"No good," Xie Wuchou said decisively.

"Why?" Nangong Minghong asked, quite disappointed. "Do you intend to marry my elder brother, the Emperor?"

“If you want to be the Crown Princess,” he stammered, “I…I can also try…”

"Your Highness, please be careful what you say!" Xie Wuchou quickly shushed him.

Are you kidding me? She doesn't want to be unfairly accused of being a "femme fatale"!

"I don't want to be the Crown Princess, nor do I want to marry into the royal family."

Xie Wuchou said earnestly, "To be honest, I never even thought about getting married."

Nangong Minghong felt as if he had been struck by a heavy blow: "W-why?"

"Your Highness, what kind of people do you think my father and mother are?"

Everyone says that the two princes are immortals descended to earth.

"What about my brother Wuyou?"

Xie Wuyou was like the moon in the sky and the snow in the clouds—an existence that even noble ladies of the Great Chu could only dream of but never reach.

"My brother Wuyou and I are siblings from the same mother, Your Highness."

Xie Wuchou said with a serious expression.

Nangong Minghong felt a pang of bitterness in her heart. What she meant was that Xie Wuyou was a minor deity whom mortals could not even dream of, so how could she possibly dream of him?

Xie Wuchou thought to herself, "Mermaids generally live for hundreds or thousands of years. I wonder if I will become like a mermaid after swallowing that mermaid pearl?"

If she were to marry and have children like an ordinary woman, by the time her husband and children have all grown old, she would still be the same as before. Wouldn't she become a monster in other people's eyes?

"Besides, I spend half the year at sea," Xie Wuchou said with a mischievous smile. "Would Your Highness like to come and live with me in the sea?"

Nangong Minghong vaguely knew that Xie Wuchou and her three siblings were all extraordinary people. They could walk on water as if it were flat land. Among them, Xie Wuchou was the best swimmer. Even the creatures in the sea obeyed her commands!

He was rendered speechless by Xie Wuchou's question.

"Your Highness, please don't mention it again. His Majesty will not approve of this marriage."

After saying this, Xie Wuchou bowed and took his leave.

Nangong Minghong was left alone, utterly dejected.

A corner of a bright yellow hem peeked out from the artificial hill not far away.

Nangong Qinghe slowly walked out from behind the artificial hill, watching his son's dejected figure disappear into the distance, and couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow.

Back then, Ah Li rejected him just as ruthlessly!

Now it's his son's turn.

Thinking of the eldest prince, Nangong Yuanhong, who was equally devoted, he couldn't help but facepalm.

It seems we need to hurry up and choose wives for the two princes.

That family are no ordinary people; they might just ascend to immortality one day.

Enough, enough. We mere mortals should not covet these immortals.

Jiang Li and Xie Chang'an sat in the Imperial Garden for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea when they saw Xie Wuchou running towards them happily.

"Dad, mother!"

"Should we talk about it openly?" Jiang Li asked.

"Ok!"

"You're not going to tell him that you can turn into a fish tail, are you?"

"This is a secret, of course I can't tell him!"

Xie Wuchou tugged at her mother's sleeve and said sweetly, "Mother, let's go back to the manor. I want to eat the fish soup that my aunt makes."

She ate raw fish in Liuli City for a whole month!

Now we can finally have hot food.

Xie Chang'an felt extremely distressed: "From now on, let Dandan bring you food. Eating raw food every day will only make your stomach upset!"

Jiang Li laughed and said, "Don't forget, your daughter has that mermaid pearl in her belly, how could she possibly get a stomachache?"

That's the inner core of the Mermaid King!

I reckon Xie Wuchou could digest a giant whale alive, let alone a mere raw fish.

Xie Wuchou laughed and said, "That's right, Father, don't worry, there's no fish in the world that can make me sick!"

Xie Changan was speechless.

He could only be thankful that his daughter hadn't completely turned into a mermaid and still liked human food.

The family of three happily went home.

Jiang Li said to Xie Chang'an through the Heart-to-Heart Pact: "Our children have no intention of getting married. I don't know whether this is a good thing or a bad thing."

Xie Chang'an sighed deeply: "Let it be."

They had discussed this issue before. If, as they suspected, this world was a figment of the Mirror Spirit's imagination, then when they successfully retired and returned to the Upper Realm, this world would vanish into thin air, including their four children.

Therefore, Xie Chang'an secretly resolved that when they returned to the upper realm, he would try to take the true spirits of the four children with him, so that they could enter the cycle of reincarnation and continue their bond as parents and children in the next life.

If the four children marry, have children, and become entangled in karma with this world, it is very likely that we will not be able to take them with us!

Therefore, despite the royal family's intention to arrange a marriage and the eagerness of matchmakers to break down the threshold of the Prince's mansion, neither he nor Jiang Li would budge, saying only that the children had strong opinions and that they should make their own decisions.

As for whether the four children will eventually get married, that depends on fate; let it be.

Back at the Prince's Mansion, Aunt Lian was overjoyed to see her beloved Xie Wuchou return. She immediately ordered the kitchen to prepare delicious food and then, with a pained expression, pulled Xie Wuchou aside, saying that she had lost weight.

"Auntie, where have I lost weight? My brother even said I've gained weight!"

Xie Wuchou hugged her and acted coquettishly.

She looks like Jiang Li, petite and delicate, with a bit of baby fat, unlike Xie Buli, who looks like her father, tall and slender.

So Xie Buqi jokingly called her "Little Fatty".

Aunt Lian scolded, "Don't listen to your brother's nonsense. Our Wuchou is still growing, it's good for her to be a little chubby."