The princess regretted it.

As soon as Jin An asked this question, Zhong Chuzhou was stunned. Did he accidentally let it slip?! Jin An just stared at him with his eyes wide open; being stared at by Jin An like this, Zhong Chuzhou felt a different emotion in his heart. He lowered his head and coughed lightly. After thinking for a while, he raised his head, his expression extremely serious. His phoenix eyes were full of deep affection. He looked at Jin An with a piercing gaze and said slowly: "Jin An, since you asked, I won't hide it from you. What I am going to say next is just my personal opinion. You don't need to feel pressured."

Jin An couldn't help but feel a little panicked. She avoided his gaze and said, "Forget it, he must have heard from my aunt. I was just asking casually." Then she turned and started to walk away. But Zhong Chuzhou grabbed her wrist. Although they were separated by clothes, Jin An seemed to still feel the warmth of his palm.

Zhong Chuzhou grabbed her wrist, walked in front of her, and said seriously, "Jin'an, give me a chance. You just need to listen to me and I won't make any decisions. Okay?"

Jin An looked into those serious eyes, and she calmed herself down and said, "Okay. You say it!"

Zhong Chuzhou's eyes slightly curved when he heard this. He let go of Jin'an's hand and clasped his hands together, "Chuzhou has offended you just now. I apologize to Jin'an first. Jin'an, it was my request that your grandmother enter the palace last time..." As soon as he said this, Jin'an was shocked. Her eyes widened, she bit her thin lips lightly, and looked at him fixedly.

Zhong Chuzhou continued without pausing, "I don't know when it started, but there has been a little girl living in my heart. She likes to follow me around and call me beautiful brother. When I cry, she will pull my sleeve to wipe my tears and snot. She also secretly draws patterns on my face while I sleep. Later, after the little girl suffered an accident, she no longer came to look for her beautiful brother, as if she had forgotten him.

She grew up slowly, becoming a graceful young lady. Some people said she was arrogant and domineering, but I knew that was her way of protecting herself. I could only watch her quietly from the shadows. I wanted to protect her, so I began to slowly plan and lay out my plans, just to be able to resolve any crises for her from behind the scenes.

But later on, she slowly became more sensible. Seeing her understanding, I felt heartbroken. I thought she must have gone through something to change her once again. I know many people want to plot against her. So, I took the opportunity to arrange for Han Shuang to enter the palace to protect you. I just want her to be well.

Jin'an, I know it might be a bit abrupt to say this now, but when I heard from Zixuan what my uncle was thinking, I couldn't sit still. Plus, Zixuan only has brotherly feelings for you. I don't want to hide these feelings anymore. I want you to know that I'm attracted to you. So I went to ask Grandma, hoping that through her I could make my feelings known to you. Jin'an, I don't want to miss you, I don't want you to become someone else's wife. I'm willing to spend my whole life protecting you and accompanying you."

Jin An stared at Zhong Chuzhou in a daze, her heart beating like a deer. She had never thought that Zhong Chuzhou would have such feelings for her, and for a moment she didn't know how to respond.

"Cousin Zhong... I..." Jin An hesitated, not knowing what to say.

Zhong Chuzhou looked at Jin An gently, his eyes full of affection. "Jin An, I've told you, I'm not saying this to put pressure on you. You don't need to respond to me right away. I just want you to know my feelings, and you can take your time to think about it. Whatever your decision, I will respect you."

Jin An bit her lip, her mind racing. She lowered her head to adjust herself, then looked up at Zhong Chuzhou and said slowly, "Cousin Zhong, since you've been so frank with me, I'll tell you what I'm thinking. I've truly never considered marrying either you or my cousin. Well, to be more precise, I haven't considered marrying anyone. So when I heard my aunt and great-aunt's thoughts, I was surprised and a little overwhelmed. I know they're doing this for my own good, and you and my cousin are both exceptional individuals. But marriage is no joke, and I don't want to make a hasty decision."

Zhong Chuzhou knew she might refuse, and he also knew what her concerns were. He nodded slightly, "I understand. Jin An, you just need to know that I will always protect you. If one day you want to get married, I hope that person will be me. I can tell you that if you marry me in the future, I will only have you for the rest of my life. This is the promise I can make to you."

Jin An's heart trembled as she listened to Zhong Chuzhou's words. She looked at his serious expression and was momentarily unsure how to respond. She had considered that she might ultimately obey her father's arrangement and choose to marry alone, living a life of mutual respect. But she had never imagined someone would fall for her so early, and so deeply. She didn't know how to deal with these feelings; she felt uneasy and apprehensive.

Zhong Chuzhou could sense Jin'an's uneasiness. He whispered, "Jin'an, you don't have to be afraid. Not everyone is like Wu Changfeng."

Jin An's heart trembled when he heard this, "Why did you bring up Wu Changfeng?"

"All you need to know is that I'm definitely not like him," Zhong Chuzhou said, looking at Jin An seriously and solemnly. He didn't reveal that he knew she'd suffered at the hands of Wu Changfeng, as he didn't want her to recall the misery of her past life. "The situation at court is increasingly tense. The Zhang family is trying to pressure the Emperor to appoint a crown prince. The Third Prince has also secretly wooed many court officials over the years, and Marquis Jin Wu is one of them. They haven't recovered from the punishment they received last time. They desperately need help, and Wu Changfeng hasn't yet married. I'm worried he'll target you again."

"Doesn't he have a beloved cousin? Is there anyone who disagrees?" Jin An asked with some confusion.

"Not to mention that the identity of the young lady from the Liu family is not acceptable in the capital. The Marquis's wife and the young lady from the Liu family were full of expectations, but after the news that the young lady from the Liu family interfered in the inner house affairs of the Marquis's Mansion while staying there as a guest spread in the capital, the emperor reprimanded Wu Anshuo. When Wu Anshuo returned home, he asked Mrs. Fan to take back the household expenses, otherwise he would let Aunt Lan take charge. This made Mrs. Fan and the young lady from the Liu family very angry. Originally, Wu Anshuo wanted to send the young lady from the Liu family back, but the young lady from the Liu family tried to commit suicide. After the attempt failed, Wu Anshuo was afraid that the matter would become a big deal and cut off his brother-in-law's source of income, so he had to give up." Zhong Chuzhou explained to Jin'an in detail.

"You mean that Third Brother suddenly became close to me, do you still have this plan?" Jin An's tone was a little cold.