An eight-year-old kid emptied his scumbag father's warehouse and followed his grandparents into

"His Highness the Crown Prince had specifically sent a message long ago, instructing me to renovate some large mansions that were confiscated a few years ago into several large granaries. He also specifically instructed that the Princess would be at your service upon her arrival." Xiao Deyuan bowed slightly as he spoke, his tone revealing unprecedented respect.

He remembered that when he met the princess a few years ago, he only regarded her as the daughter of his father-in-law's old friend. Now, however, he had to face her identity as a princess and the future crown princess.

Perhaps because of Jing Chunxi's title of Princess, Lord Xiao spoke much more politely and reservedly than before, carefully considering every word he uttered, for fear of being impolite. Aunt Wei, however, sat calmly in the rosewood armchair beside him, her plump face always bearing an undisguised smile, the fine lines at the corners of her eyes smoothing out.

She would glance at Jing Chunxi from time to time, her eyes filled with affection, even more so than before, as if she were admiring a rare treasure.

“If Aunt Wei hadn’t written to prevent A-Yue from having to travel back and forth, Chunxi would definitely have brought her along.” Jing Chunxi smiled at her, her voice as gentle as a spring breeze. She picked up the celadon teacup beside her; the clear tea reflected her slightly reddened eyes.

"If she comes back, I really won't be able to take care of either side." Aunt Wei had just finished her postpartum confinement period, and her figure was still a bit bloated. As she spoke, she awkwardly tugged at her slightly tight collar, and two red clouds appeared on her face.

"Shortly after the siblings went to the capital, Aunt Wei was diagnosed with pregnancy." As she spoke, her gaze involuntarily drifted to the window, as if she could see the scene of saying goodbye to her children last year.

"Because I have suffered so much over the years, I thought that my wife would have difficulty conceiving again. I never expected that the medicine left by the princess would be so effective." Looking at his chubby, sleeping baby son in the swaddling clothes next to him, Xiao Deyuan stood up and bowed to express his gratitude.

Jing Chunxi accepted the gift graciously and sat upright on the embroidered stool. Only her slight nod betrayed the turmoil in her heart.

She had only left behind some nourishing medicinal herbs grown in the mountains and forests of her space, and had also filled their well with spiritual water from her space; she never intended to help Aunt Wei conceive. Unexpectedly, this led to a good thing, which is quite gratifying.

Looking at Aunt Wei's happy expression, she suddenly felt that perhaps it was all fate.

"His Highness couldn't wait much longer and has already gone west with officials to explore, leaving a letter for the Princess." Upon hearing this, Jing Chunxi's heart turned cold, and the fingers holding the teacup turned slightly white, feeling that the trip had been in vain.

She lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes casting a small shadow beneath them. Having traveled a long way, enduring nearly twenty days of arduous journey, she had only to find herself disappointed.

Unexpectedly, Aunt Wei spoke again, her voice so gentle as if afraid of disturbing something, "His Highness said he would wait for the Princess to return in Qiantang County." After she finished speaking, she took out a plain letter from her sleeve and handed it to Jing Chunxi, whose expression was not right.

The letter, so thin it might only be a single sheet of paper, took her a moment to fumble before letting out a long sigh. Her fingertips touched the texture of the paper, faintly feeling the unevenness of the ink. She bit her lower lip, not opening it immediately, then suddenly felt a pang of sadness and quickly turned her face away to wipe a tear.

She hadn't expected to burst into tears like this. Tears streamed uncontrollably down her delicate cheeks, leaving two wet streaks.

"Your Highness didn't mean it." Aunt Wei panicked and hurriedly stood up, her skirt brushing against the blue brick floor, making a soft rustling sound. She pointed to Xiao Deyuan sitting opposite her.

“Look, Uncle followed him around for half a year. He lost all his weight. When he first came back, his beard was shaved black and he was thin. His hands, feet and face were scratched by grass and trees. He looked like a wild man. It took him half a month to recover.” Xiao Deyuan smiled wryly and reached out to touch his face, which had not yet fully recovered.

Walking over, Aunt Wei hugged Jing Chunxi gently, patting her back softly, just like when she used to lull Yue to sleep when she was little. "His Highness probably doesn't want the Princess to see him in such a disheveled state. But since he said he would wait for the Princess here, he naturally won't break his promise. Xi'er, you must believe him." Her voice was gentle yet firm, carrying a reassuring strength.

“I… Xi’er… believe… but it’s been almost two years.” Her sentence broke into several pieces, each word trembling. The more she thought about it, the more aggrieved she felt, and Jing Chunxi burst into tears, her tears soaking Madam Xiao’s front, spreading dark stains on the light-colored fabric.

Her shoulders trembled slightly as she cried, as if she wanted to turn two years of longing and waiting into tears.

Lord Xiao couldn't bear to watch this scene. He gestured to Aunt Wei and then fled in a panic. The hem of his official robe drew a hasty arc as he turned around.

"Cry! Cry out all your grievances. But Princess, you should think that when we women have grievances, we can still cry to someone, but men can only endure it and swallow it down." Aunt Wei stuffed a handkerchief into her hand, and the soft silk made Jing Chunxi's crying a little less.

She continued, her voice tinged with the weariness of time, "In the past two years, apart from the meeting convened in Qiantang County when I first arrived, Aunt Wei only saw His Highness for the second time a little over ten days ago." Her gaze drifted out the window, as if recalling those two brief meetings with her nephew.

“If you feel wronged, Princess, think of Aunt Wei. She was forced to fake a divorce from your uncle for so many years before finally getting over her suffering. You are the best witness to that.” As she said this, her voice choked with emotion, as if all the bitterness of those years was condensed into this one sentence.

Upon hearing this, Jing Chunxi finally looked up, tears still welling in her eyes, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall. After crying for a long time, her depressed mood had been released, and her chest no longer felt as tight as before.

Thinking back on Aunt Wei's family's experiences, the separations and pain she had witnessed over the years, she suddenly realized that her own separations in recent years were nothing at all. Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating her tear-streaked face with a soft glow.

Aunt Wei's family was separated for a time when they would be reunited, or even if they would ever be. Ah Heng said that in those years, Aunt Wei often stood alone under the crabapple tree in the yard, gazing into the distance, lost in thought.

Unlike Xu Zize, at least for her, reunion was only a matter of time, and the timeline was clear. This realization brought her a sense of relief.

The only thing that remained the same was that Xiao Deyuan's heart was tightly bound to his wife and his children.

As for Xu Zize and her, Jing Chunxi suddenly smiled shyly, her smile tinged with tears, glistening teardrops still clinging to her eyelashes.

His departure now is also for the sake of reuniting with her as soon as possible! This thought was like a ray of light, instantly illuminating all the dark corners in her heart, and she suddenly felt that she was so petty.