Marrying the Crown Prince

The young lovers didn't stay together for long; they parted ways after about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, and naturally, Zhou Zhou and Li Zixi caught them and teased them again.

Li Zichen quickly presented a generous gift, which finally saved Wang Qingwu from the two women.

After visiting the princess's residence, the six girls agreed to meet again on New Year's Eve.

Li Zixiao said bluntly, "The Hundred Gods Parade will definitely pass through Guangping Street. We can meet at Julai Restaurant then."

"It's not easy to book a private room at Julailou," Liu Jingyuan said.

"That's you guys," Li Zixiao said arrogantly.

Well, imperial power and wealth are indeed remarkable.

After agreeing on a time, the girls went back to their respective homes and found their mothers.

Seeing that it was still early, Zhou Zhou went to Ping Shuo Hall to pay her respects. The old lady smiled lovingly as she looked at the hairpin that had appeared on her granddaughter's head.

Zhou Zhou: "..."

How can I explain to you that I am not destined to be with the Fifth Prince?

"As long as you have fun, that's all that matters," the old lady said with a smile.

Clearly, the old lady didn't need Zhou Zhou's explanation.

Zhou Zhou remained silent, drifting slowly to the courtyard gate. Just as he was about to return to his room, he bumped into Wang Shi, Zhou Laosan's wife, who was in a hurry.

"Third Aunt," Zhou Zhou greeted politely.

When Wang saw that there were younger people present, her expression softened, and she tried her best to hide the anxiety on her face. "Is your grandmother here?"

“Yes,” Zhou Zhou gently raised her eyelids and looked at Wang Shi. “I’ll go in with Third Aunt.”

She rarely comes to Ping Shuo Hall unless she is paying her respects. Now that she looks flustered and has come here again, I'm afraid things are not so simple.

Zhou Zhou's eyes were clear, filled with unwavering determination and confidence, which calmed Wang's heart considerably.

"it is good."

After Zhou Zhou saw the person inside, he tactfully left. Just as he was about to step out of the door, the old lady called him back.

"Zhouzhou, go and call your aunt over," the old lady instructed, her eyes lowered, her tone calm and revealing no emotion.

Zhou Zhou responded and left.

Wang was very anxious, "Mother..."

The old lady gestured to the maid to pour Wang a cup of tea. "There's no rush. Judging from your appearance, things are definitely not simple. Sooner or later, your sister-in-law will find out."

Wang had no interest in drinking tea. Forcing a stiff smile, she suppressed her anxiety and said, "Mother is right."

Soon Zhang returned with Zhou Zhou. Wang's face lit up with joy, but upon seeing the younger generation, she hesitated to speak.

Zhou Zhou obediently replied, "Grandmother, I just remembered that I still have some homework to finish."

The old lady said calmly, "Mm."

Zhou Zhou nodded, about to leave, and then...

"Go to the meditation hall and help me organize the Buddhist scriptures." The old lady's face was calm, as if she were asking what to have for lunch today.

Zhou Zhou paused, her fingertips, hidden in her sleeve, slightly curling – others might not know, but she was certain that the meditation hall and the main hall were connected, meaning that whatever was said in the main hall could be heard in the meditation hall.

"This...isn't that a bad idea?" Zhou Zhou thought he must have been hallucinating.

“Anyway, you’ve already played all day,” the old lady said firmly, “Your schoolwork isn’t urgent.”

These words left Zhou Zhou speechless. She raised her smiling face and sweetly replied, "I understand, Grandmother."

Seeing Zhou Zhou leave, Wang could no longer hold back. She rushed over, knelt before the old lady, and hugged her legs, pleading, "Mother, Mother, please save Rong'er."

The old lady's eyelids twitched, and she said sternly, "Get up and speak! What kind of behavior is it to kneel like that!"

Zhang quickly grabbed Wang and said, "Yes, third sister-in-law, let's talk things out. We're all family, so don't say anything foolish."

Wang hadn't thought of it, but she didn't expect that Zhang, who looked tall and thin, was actually quite strong. She pulled her up and pressed her back into the chair.

The incident happened so suddenly that Wang had just opened her mouth to cry out when she found herself back in her seat, with Zhang handing her a cup of tea.

Zhang said with concern, "Sister-in-law, have some tea first, and then tell me slowly."

Wang, who was holding the tea in both hands, was still a little dazed. When she heard Zhang's words, she subconsciously lowered her head and took a sip. The tea was bitter, which brought her back to her senses and calmed her down.

Once she regained her composure, Wang was no longer as agitated as before, but she still shed tears when she spoke of her painful experiences.

Zhou Rong married three years ago to Zhong Xu, the youngest son of Jingwen Bo.

As the youngest child, he was naturally pampered and spoiled. He was good-looking and did not do anything outrageous, except that he was a bit playful.

Wang was somewhat dissatisfied with the marriage, feeling that her son had been spoiled since childhood and would not know how to pamper his wife. She was afraid that her daughter would suffer after marrying into the family.

However, the Countess patted her chest and assured her, "You can put your mind at ease. Rong'er is so well-behaved. When she comes to my Earl's mansion, she will definitely be treated like my own daughter."

“If my little monkey bothers her, I’ll be the first to object.”

As for Zhou Laosan, he felt that the child was still young and it was normal for him to be playful. Just like Zhou Laowu, he would eventually change after getting married.

So, Zhou Rong married him.

For the first six months, the Countess did indeed pamper and protect Zhou Rong, just as she had said.

Unfortunately, six months later, when she saw that Zhou Rong was unable to win over her youngest son, her attitude changed drastically, from cold words at the beginning to disgust and even insults.

As for Zhong Xu, he wasn't exactly a scoundrel. Apart from being a bit cold towards Zhou Rong, there wasn't anything particularly bad about him.

How many couples in this world can truly live in perfect harmony? There are far more like them, whose relationship is far from harmonious.

What really made Zhou Rong feel something was wrong was that a year ago, Zhong Xu started staying away from home, sometimes not returning home for ten nights out of every two weeks.

Zhou Rong may seem gentle, but she is actually resilient and meticulous. Once she had suspicions, she began to investigate.

Persistence pays off. After half a year of investigation, Zhou Rong finally found a house in Kyoto.

Zhou Rong believed that seeing is believing, so she decided to go in person. However, she was surprised to find a messy bed, naked bodies, and two men fast asleep...

Zhou Rong's fingers trembled with anger—you, you are so, so incredibly good!

Enraged, she didn't think much and simply ordered someone to bring a basin of cold water, which she then poured out.

The two people on the bed instantly woke up. Zhong Xu reacted quickly, hurriedly covering his beloved with a blanket, and looked at Zhou Rong with disgust, "What are you doing here?"

"What?" Zhou Rong sneered, making no attempt to hide her disgust. "You're capable of such despicable things, and you're afraid of others finding out?"

Zhong Xu shoved Zhou Rong away, looking at her as if she were something filthy. "Didn't you already know all this? Who are you trying to fool with this act?"