The princess regretted it.

Jin An was a little tired of the constant bustle in the palace. After running out of the palace twice, her heart became lively. She thought about the message her aunt had sent Ziyun back, but she hadn't replied yet. She thought it would be better to go to her grandparents' house and talk to her cousin first to see what he thought. Although Zhong Chuzhou said he didn't want to marry her, she was still a little worried without hearing it in person. She wanted to find out her cousin's feelings first, and then tell her grandmother her true thoughts. She didn't want this to cause a rift between herself and her grandparents.

After Princess Jin'an made up her mind, she began to make arrangements to leave the palace. She carefully selected some gifts to bring to her maternal grandfather, grandmother, and aunt. Once everything was ready, Princess Jin'an, accompanied by Ziyun and Hanshuang, quietly left the palace and headed for her maternal grandfather's home.

When they arrived at the Mu Mansion, the concierge sent someone to notify the old lady and the mistress while respectfully welcoming Jin An and the others into the mansion and heading towards the backyard. Along the way, the servants in the mansion saluted respectfully. Jin An nodded slightly in response.

Soon, they arrived at the backyard. Old Madam Xue and Madam Zhong Wenqing were already waiting. Mu Zixuan was nowhere to be seen, so Jin An thought she had arrived at an inopportune moment and that he must have gone out again.

The old lady looked at Jin'an with a smile on her face, her eyes full of love. Zhong Wenqing quickly stepped forward, took Jin'an's hand, and asked with concern: "Jin'an, are you tired from the journey?"

Jin An smiled and shook his head, saying, "Aunt, I'm not tired. Grandmother, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

The old lady waved her hands and said, "It's okay, it's okay. I'm so happy to see you here."

After a few pleasantries, everyone walked into the house together. Ziyun and Hanshuang presented the gifts prepared by the princess. Xue looked at Jin'an with a doting smile and said, "I told you not to bring so many things every time, but you just don't listen."

Jin'an responded with a smile: "Grandma, these are all my little gifts. You and my aunt are always so kind to me, so of course I have to honor you well." Zhong Wenqing also smiled and said: "Jin'an is the most thoughtful child." Everyone sat together, and the atmosphere was warm and harmonious.

"Is my cousin out again?" Jin An chatted for a while, thinking about the purpose of his visit, and brought up the topic at the right time and asked about Mu Zixuan.

When she asked about Mu Zixuan, the happiness on Mrs. Xue and Zhong Wenqing's faces instantly faded a little, and a trace of worry quietly appeared on their faces. Jin An felt a little strange and couldn't help but wonder in his heart: Could it be that my cousin is unwilling, so my grandmother and aunt are so worried about me?

Zhong Wenqing glanced at the others in the room. Jin An suspected her aunt might be about to share a private matter with her. She winked at Ziyun and Hanshuang, who understood and left. Zhong Wenqing also dismissed the other servants and maids. Jin An felt a little nervous, but she didn't show it, continuing to smile at Zhong Wenqing.

Zhong Wenqing waited until everyone had left before he sighed slightly and said, "Your cousin is really a worry. He left a letter the other day saying that he was going out to travel with Chu Zhou. He left with Asong without saying a word. He didn't say where he was going or when he would be back. We were so anxious. This kid is always so willful and doesn't think about how worried we elders are." Zhong Wenqing frowned, his words full of concern and helplessness for Mu Zixuan.

Jin An felt a little worried after hearing this. It seemed his cousin really didn't want this marriage. He should have told him earlier so he wouldn't have to try to evade it. But from what his aunt said, Zhong Chuzhou had also left. Didn't he tell his cousin about his feelings? Where did he take his cousin? How could he not know anything about it? He would have to ask Han Shuang if she knew anything when he got back.

At this moment, she had to comfort her grandmother and aunt first. She pondered for a moment and said, "Aunt, since my cousin went out with my cousin Zhong, I think my cousin Zhong must have made some arrangements. You don't have to worry too much. In fact, it's Jin An's fault. I should have come to explain my intentions to you earlier. I know that you all want my cousin to marry me because you love me and are afraid that I will be wronged if I get married in the future. But I don't have any romantic feelings for my cousin. I have always regarded him as my own brother. So, I can only let you down."

After hearing Jin An's words, Mrs. Xue said distressedly, "Silly child, how can I blame you for this? This is our own idea. It doesn't matter if you don't want to. We just want you to be happy."

Zhong Wenqing was also slightly startled by Jin'an's words, a complex expression on her face. She sighed softly and said, "Jin'an, your cousin isn't running away from your marriage. We only mentioned it to you because your uncle mentioned it, and we wanted to ask for your opinion. If you're willing, we can arrange it. But then I went back to the Duke of Huguo's Mansion, and my mother told me about the current situation in the Mu family. It might not only fail to protect you, but might even harm you. So we thought we'd wait for you to come and talk to you about this. Even if you don't have to marry into our family, we're still a family and we're your backers. I didn't expect your cousin to go traveling with Chu Zhou at this critical moment, and you might misunderstand me."

"Really?" Jin An's eyes flickered with surprise and relief at her aunt's words. She had been worried that she had forced her cousin to flee, but hearing her aunt's words, her guilt instantly eased. Jin An bit her lip gently and said, "Grandma, Aunt, don't worry. I'm sure my cousin and the others will return safely. My cousin and Cousin Zhong are both very skilled, and Cousin Zhong will definitely have arrangements." She said this because she knew Zhong Chuzhou had hidden considerable strength.

Zhong Wenqing also nodded, "I went back to the Duke's Mansion at that time, and my mother and father told me not to worry. Just stay at home and take care of the Mu family. I think someone must have been sent to follow them. But after all, your cousin has never left the capital since he was a child, and I don't know if he is used to it. I'm also worried that his reckless personality will cause trouble." Zhong Wenqing frowned worriedly, his eyes revealing his concern for his son.

Seeing this, Jin An quickly comforted her, "Aunt, since my cousin is traveling with Cousin Zhong, I think they'll take care of each other. Besides, my cousin is very smart and quick-witted, so he'll definitely be able to adapt to life outside. Don't worry too much."

Old Madam Xue also said, "Wenqing, Jin'an is right. It's time for Zixuan to go out and gain some experience. Let's just relax and wait for them to come back."

Zhong Wenqing listened to what the two said and nodded slightly, but her worry was still there. She sighed softly and said, "I hope they can return safely soon."

Jin An held Zhong Wenqing's hand and whispered, "Aunt, I definitely will." The three of them chatted about some things in the palace. Jin An had lunch at the Mu Mansion before slowly returning to the palace.