Marrying the Crown Prince

"Wait." Zhou Zhou played with her long hair, a slight smile playing on her lips.

Upon hearing Zhou Zhou's answer, the old lady's weariness reappeared, and her expression became complicated.

Seeing her like this, Zhou Zhou was somewhat worried, "Grandmother?"

The little girl's eyes seemed to sparkle with stars, resolute yet gentle, as if the person in front of her was the only one in the whole world who could catch her eye.

Grandma Zhou's heart softened instantly. She sighed heavily and patted the little girl's head. "Pretend that today's trip to Yongxing Temple never happened."

Zhou Zhou was stunned.

"I've already lost one of my daughters..."

The old lady's voice was so low and soft that Zhou Zhou thought he had misheard.

In the old lady's eyes, Su Ye had no one in his heart. If Zhou Zhou married him, even if they couldn't live in perfect harmony, they could still treat each other with respect. But now, before she even got married, he already had someone he liked. How could she believe that Zhou Zhou would have a happy life in the future?

Grandma Zhou was in a bad mood, but she still dined with Zhou Zhou. However, as soon as Zhou Zhou put down his chopsticks, she urged him to go back to his room.

Zhou Zhou pouted and left resentfully.

The old lady knew what she was thinking, and felt both annoyed and amused, while also feeling a warmth in her heart, which relieved some of her distress.

I thought the weather would be nice all day, but around 1:45 PM, a rumble of thunder came from the sky.

Just then, Zhou Zhou hadn't fallen asleep yet when he heard the tinkling sound of raindrops dripping from the eaves. The sound of the rain was like poetry, gentle and floating, like a melodious and beautiful ancient tune.

Zhou Zhou got up, put on his long robe, and planned to go out to watch the rain.

Sizhu, who was waiting by the bedside, quickly stepped forward and, while tidying up Zhou Zhou's hair, said with concern, "It's raining so hard, and the mountain road is muddy. It might be difficult to walk."

“If it’s hard to walk, then we’ll stay for the night,” Zhou Zhou said, feeling much more relaxed as he listened to the rain. “Anyway, we brought some clothes with us.”

When traveling, even for a half-day banquet, noble ladies would always ask their personal maids to bring a change of clothes in case of emergency.

Soon, Sizhu fixed Zhou Zhou's hair. Zhou Zhou got up and asked her to take two umbrellas and accompany her for a walk.

Thinking that Zhou Zhou was going out to play, Si Zhu was a little worried. "Miss, although it is already April, the wind is cool in the deep mountains. If you get wet in the rain, you may catch a cold."

“We won’t go far,” Zhou Zhou snorted, “just to the pavilion on the way here.”

That is, the pavilion where Li Ziyan played chess with Master Long'an.

Zhou Zhou also remembered that there was a clump of bamboo next to the pavilion. The old bamboo was as straight as a spear, with bamboo leaves sprouting from its branches, green and lush. When the rain fell, it must have had a unique charm.

Sizhu went to ask the monk for an umbrella, while Zhou Zhou waited at the door.

The monk didn't say much. When he heard that the guest wanted an umbrella, he handed it directly to Sizhu and said, "Please use it carefully and return it after you're done."

"Thank you, Master. It's only natural." Sizhu accepted the umbrella and bowed.

"Amitabha," the monk hurriedly returned the greeting.

Seeing the two of them exchanging pleasantries, Zhou Zhou smiled and accepted the umbrella that Si Zhu handed her.

Sizhu was puzzled. How could the young lady's mood have improved just by the time she went to borrow an umbrella?

The path to the pavilion wasn't far; it only took about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea to get there. However... there were already other people in the pavilion.

Zhou Zhou hesitated. "You said you've come all this way, shouldn't you go and take a look? Otherwise, it would be a waste." But the person in the pavilion was none other than the Crown Prince Li Ziyan.

His Highness the Crown Prince suddenly had the idea to come and watch the rain. If I went there, wouldn't I be disturbing his enjoyment?

As Zhou Zhou hesitated, Chang Yi opened his umbrella and hurriedly came to her side, respectful and not at all arrogant or rude because of the person beside Li Ziyan. "Miss Zhou, His Highness invites you."

How could I refuse His Highness the Crown Prince's invitation?

Zhou Zhou slowly walked into the pavilion, put away her umbrella, and bowed deeply. Before she could finish speaking, Li Ziyan poured a cup of tea and pushed it towards Zhou Zhou, saying, "Sister Zhou, there's no need for such formalities. This is the finest spring tea, picked from the tea trees behind Yongxing Temple. You can't find such fragrant tea anywhere else."

"Thank you, Your Highness. Then I will respectfully accept your offer." Too many polite words would be tedious, so Zhou Zhou readily agreed and sat down opposite Li Ziyan.

Drinking tea is not about gulping it down. First, observe its color, then smell its aroma, and finally take a small sip to savor it.

It is slightly bitter at first, but then you will find it fragrant and mellow. The taste lingers on the tip of your tongue and never leaves.

“It is indeed good tea,” Zhou Zhou raised an eyebrow. “This mountain has a spirit; all the creatures born and raised here are extraordinary.”

"Do you like it?" Li Ziyan looked over, his eyes deeper than before, his smile faint, as if somewhat cold.

This……

Zhou Zhou wasn't particularly attached to tea; he'd drink a few sips of any tea, good or bad, though he'd drink more of the good kind.

But if you just said the tea was good, and now you say you don't like it, it's hardly sincere.

So Zhou Zhou calmly and naturally replied, "Of course I like it."

“Hehe,” Li Ziyan gave a meaningful sneer and said, word by word, “I’m glad Miss Zhou likes it.”

Zhou Zhou: "..."

Why are you making sarcastic remarks for no reason?

But since the other party was His Highness the Crown Prince, Zhou Zhou was internally rolling her eyes to the heavens, but her face remained gentle. "Anything His Highness has is bound to be good. And this tea was a gift from His Highness, so naturally I like it."

I like it, I like it like an ancestor, the kind of liking that would make me want to worship it with an incense burner. Are you satisfied now?

Unable to fathom Zhou's inner thoughts, Li Ziyan raised his eyebrows and his voice became light after hearing her explanation, "I acquired two catties of this tea. Since Sister Zhou likes it, why not take half a catty home to savor it?"

Zhou Zhou instinctively wanted to refuse, but as soon as she looked at Li Ziyan, her eyes fell into a pair of dark eyes that seemed to say: If you refuse me, I will be very unhappy.

So, the refusal that was on the tip of his tongue was swallowed back. "Thank you, Your Highness."

After discussing tea, Li Ziyan asked Zhou Zhou why she went out on a rainy day.

Did he think I had secretly followed him here?

Zhou Zhou felt a little embarrassed and reached out to smooth the strands of hair that were hanging down by her ear. "It's rare for me to go out, and it just so happens to be raining. I was also reminded of the book's description of the bamboo forest after the rain, where a single green bamboo sways with a bright green glow, so I wanted to come and take a look."

"Your Highness, it's already cooler up in the mountains than down here, and now that it's raining, it's getting even colder. Why are you still going out?"

I'd heard long ago that Crown Prince Li Ziyan was in poor health, so why is he running around everywhere? If he's unwell, why is he staying indoors?

Li Ziyan squinted his eyes contentedly. "Sister Zhou wants to know?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Zhou immediately felt extremely uncomfortable and quickly stood up to apologize, "Your Highness, please forgive me. I did not mean to inquire about Your Highness's whereabouts."

Seeing her bowing with trepidation, Li Ziyan's expression was indifferent, and his eyes were somewhat cold. "I had heard from Jingyang Palace that the eighth daughter of the Zhou family was very well-mannered. Only today do I realize that the palace matrons were not exaggerating."

The words were clearly well-intentioned, but why did they sound so awkward?