The peerless and dark princess

Qingyu was overjoyed when he received the gift Chu Haolin brought back from Guizhou. He should have been with Chu Haolin, and although Qingshu also followed him, he didn't understand the young master's habits as well as he did.

"Qingyu, what's wrong?" Qingzhu looked at his brother who looked thoughtful and couldn't help but ask worriedly.

Qingyu raised her head, her eyes full of smiles. "Sister, this is a gift that the young master brought back from Guizhou. It seems that the young master and the prince and princess had a very happy time on this trip and saw many new things."

Qingzhu sighed slightly and said with a hint of regret: "Actually, you could have gone with us. My sister is just pregnant, and your brother-in-law is here too, so you can definitely go."

Qingyu shook her head gently and said comfortingly, "Sister, I know you're not reluctant to let me leave, and you need someone to take care of you now. It's most important that I stay with you. There will be plenty of opportunities to travel with you in the future."

Qingzhu looked at Qingyu's sensible appearance, feeling both relieved and a little guilty: "It's my sister who has held you back. I haven't been able to let you see the outside world."

Qingyu held Qingzhu's hand and said with a smile, "Don't say that, sister. Accompanying you and your family is what makes me happiest. When there's a chance in the future, I'll accompany you to various places."

On this trip, Zuo Ci and Chu Wange only brought Chu Haolin with them. They didn't take the other four maids, Qingzhu, Amei, Shiqi, and Yihua, with them. They were all married, and usually stayed by Chu Wange's side in the palace, caring for her. Now, while they were away, they could reunite with their husbands and enjoy some quiet time together.

Chu Wange sighed, "I'm finally back. Although it's fun to travel, I still miss being at home."

Zuo Ci also agreed, "Yes, it's still more comfortable to live at home. In fact, we can rent a house in those places temporarily to live for a while, so we don't have to stay in an inn. It's not a problem of money, it's mainly because inns are not very comfortable to live in."

"Why are you saying this now?!" Chu Wange's face was filled with anger. It was obvious that they could live more comfortably, but Zuo Ci actually waited until he returned to the capital to propose this idea.

Zuo Ci explained weakly, "I just thought of it. At the time, my mind was full of traveling with you, Wange. As a family of three, we really couldn't think of anything else. If you hadn't suggested bringing gifts back for my family, I probably wouldn't have considered it."

Chu Wange's face flushed crimson as she scolded him, "What are you thinking about? How can you blame me just because you can't think of anything else? I'm not some beauty that brings disaster. I wouldn't let you, the dignified Prince Heng, be so blinded by lust that you lose your mind."

Zuo Ci said seriously: "Of course. Don't forget, I waited three and a half years to marry you as my princess." In Zuo Ci's mind, this was just lust that blinded his mind. According to Yu Ruobin and the others, he had a special liking for Chu Wan and Chu Wange.

Chu Wange rolled her eyes and said helplessly, "Three and a half years? That wasn't waiting for me. It was because Chen Yan passed away and we couldn't have a wedding during the national mourning period. It wasn't waiting for me at all. We're together because of the imperial decree. It's not a marriage based on mutual love."

"So you still don't like me now?" Zuo Ci's face turned pale, his heart full of loss and frustration. He tried so hard to get into Chu Wange's heart, but was it all in vain?

"I..." Chu Wange was speechless for a moment. She had assumed it was just a normal banter, but she hadn't expected Zuo Ci to ask such a question. She was at a loss for words, unsure how to respond. To be fair, Zuo Ci was indeed quite nice, and after their marriage, they had gotten along quite well. If she hadn't felt a certain appreciation for him, she could have easily taken Lin'er with her on this trip. Why would she have brought him along?

"Is it true that no matter what I do, I can't get into your heart?" Zuo Ci's eyes were slightly red, and there was a subtle tremor in his voice. He knew Chu Wange was hiding a secret, and he knew that she had once been attracted to Chen Yunfeng, but now he was the one marrying her. During their time together, he thought Chu Wange's heart was gradually moving closer to him, but he didn't expect that everything seemed to be just wishful thinking...

"No, I, we are not..." Chu Wange tried to bring the topic back to the original track.

Zuo Ci closed his eyes and interrupted her with a cold, resolute tone, "Don't say anything. I understand. Let's both calm down first. If you truly don't like me, I'll do as you told me three years ago: wait until Lin'er is old enough to start his own family, and then I'll divorce you." He truly didn't want to hear those words of rejection, and his heart was filled with embarrassment and desolation. He wondered if, no matter how hard he tried, he could never reach Chu Wange's heart. Was he really going to have to let her go?

Zuo Ci completely ignored Chu Wange's face full of astonishment, turned around and strode out of the room, heading towards the next room. Ever since Chu Wange's last seven-day coma, Zuo Ci had been sleeping on the couch in Chu Wange's room. Although they had not yet shared a bed, Wange had long been accustomed to sharing a room with Zuo Ci.

This time, Zuo Ci left in anger, and Chu Wange was a bit overwhelmed. She didn't think the previous bickering meant she didn't like Zuo Ci. She didn't even know what Zuo Ci was angry about, so she didn't think about getting him back. However, in the middle of the night, Chu Wange tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.

The sad and lost look on Zuo Ci's face when he left kept appearing in her mind, and she felt a little regretful, wondering if she had ignored Zuo Ci's feelings.

The next morning, Shiqi walked into the room early with her toiletries. She was surprised to see her princess still in bed. She then looked at the couch beside her, which was clean and tidy, clearly indicating Zuo Ci was not in the room.

"Princess, get up." Shiqi called softly.

Chu Wange responded drowsily: "Shiqi, I have only slept for less than an hour. I will sleep a little longer. You can go out first." After that, he fell asleep again in a daze.

After a while, Shiqi walked into the room again and said softly, "Princess, it's getting late. It's time to get up."

Chu Wange slowly opened his eyes, rubbed his head, and sat up.

While helping Chu Wange make her bed, Shiqi asked, "Princess, where is the prince?"

Chu Wange was silent for a moment and said, "I had a quarrel with him last night, so he went to sleep in the next room."

After hearing this, Shiqi said with some concern: "Princess, is there any misunderstanding between you and the prince? How about I go and invite the prince over so you can have a good talk?"

Chu Wange shook his head and said, "No, I want to calm down first."

Shiqi hesitated for a moment, but still mustered up the courage to say to Chu Wange, "Princess, your relationship has never been strong. It's better to resolve everything as soon as possible to avoid any rift between the two of you." Shiqi knew very well that the prince and the princess were both extremely twisted people. The prince was sensitive and suspicious, while the princess was very slow to express feelings.

Chu Wange was taken aback by Shiqi's words. Although she didn't want to admit it, she knew what Shiqi said made sense. She couldn't help but recall Zuo Ci's sad face last night, and she felt a little uneasy.