Marrying the Crown Prince

Zhou Zhou and Li Zixi were playing when they bumped into someone who smelled of cool cedar at the corner.

The scent of cedarwood is fresh and mild, with a hint of sandalwood. The aroma is not strong, but rather refreshing and pleasant, lingering around the nose like a gentle sea breeze.

Zhou Zhou quickly took two steps back and looked up to see a pair of smiling eyes. The phoenix eyes were curved, with a touch of charm that was captivating.

"Crown Prince, what are you doing here?" Li Zixi's eyes widened, never expecting that Li Ziyan would also be here.

Li Ziyan withdrew his gaze from Zhou Zhou and answered Li Zixi's question in a gentle tone, like an older brother, "This resort has hot springs. The Imperial Hospital said that my constitution would be better if I soaked in hot springs more often."

"Oh, I see," Li Zixi said innocently and romantically, without any suspicion. "Zhou Zhou and I just arrived here and haven't settled our luggage yet."

“In that case, you should go and make your way.” Li Ziyan nodded and stepped aside.

Li Zixi then took Zhou Zhou's hand again, "Let's go, let's go."

The young girl was naive and didn't notice that Li Ziyan's gaze had passed over her and landed on Zhou Zhou.

His gaze was intense and fixed, as if burning with fire, making it impossible for Zhou Zhou to ignore it.

However, Zhou Zhou stayed quietly beside Li Zixi the whole time, with her eyes lowered and not looking at Li Ziyan.

Once the burning gaze disappeared, Zhou Zhou turned her head and secretly glanced at Li Ziyan's slender figure.

His back was straight, and he wore a royal blue and silver robe with dark floral patterns. The robe was made of soft fabric, and the sleeves swayed with his movements.

Zhou Zhou smiled, an indescribable joy lingering in her heart, with a hint of sweetness rising in her heart.

Li Zixi noticed Zhou Zhou's actions and asked curiously, "What's wrong?"

Could it be... that Zhouzhou is angry because the Crown Prince is here?

"It's alright, let's go." Zhou Zhou composed himself and took Li Zixi's hand.

They soon arrived at an elegant room, where bedding and a bed were already provided. All the two of them had to do was put away the clothes they had brought.

Of course, the two of them didn't do this themselves; instead, they asked Jufang and Caiping, the head maid of Li Zixi, to do it.

The two of them are responsible for not causing trouble.

I was only staying for a few days, and I didn't bring much stuff. I packed everything up in less than half an hour.

After packing her things, Li Zixi couldn't wait to go see the hot spring. Zhou Zhou glanced at the sky; the sun was shining brightly, and the heat was intense. If she were to soak in the hot spring, the steam and sunlight would probably make her faint.

Seeing that she couldn't pull Zhou Zhou, Li Zixi clicked her tongue and looked at her with a puzzled expression.

"We'll have to wait until evening to go," Zhou Zhou said innocently, blinking her eyes.

"why?"

Hmm—that's a good question.

Zhou Zhou frowned slightly, looking apologetic. "I do like drinking longan, red date, and yam soup, but I don't want to become longan, red date, and yam soup."

Li Zixi was stunned for a moment before she realized what was happening, and then she didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Since they couldn't go to the hot springs and it was too hot, they went straight to the small fishpond. Of course, they weren't going fishing; Li Zixi didn't want to gamble with Zhou Zhou.

She summoned a servant and brought over the tools for the pitch-pot game.

Zhou Zhou tilted his head and thought for a moment, "Are you sure you want to compete with me in accuracy?"

Li Zixi fell silent—Damn it, why did I have to come out and play with her?

"I don't care, you have to give in to me," Li Zixi snorted.

The items are all laid out, how can we not play with them?

Zhou Zhou smiled and said, "Okay."

But before the two of them could even start voting, Li Ziyan came over.

"Brother Crown Prince?" Li Zixi quickly slung the arrow behind her back.

"This humble woman greets Your Highness the Crown Prince." Zhou Zhou remained calm and did not hide.

Li Ziyan looked at Zhou Zhou, strode up to her, and stared at her with gentle eyes for a long time before saying, "You don't need to be so polite."

"Your Highness, what brings you here?" Zhou Zhou stood up and looked back at him.

Li Ziyan smiled, his handsome thin lips twitching. "Having nothing to do, I came to see what you're all doing."

“Crown Prince,” Li Zixi suddenly leaned forward, her tone resentful, “you know it’s you guys, so do you even consider me your sister?”

What was said unintentionally may have been taken to heart by the listener.

Li Ziyan's ear tips turned slightly red, but those who didn't know her well wouldn't notice.

"Are you playing pitch-pot?" To avoid causing trouble for Zhou Zhou, Li Ziyan changed the subject. "May I join in?"

"Has Your Highness ever played this game?" Zhou Zhou thought of the time when he didn't know how to play the leaf cards.

“No, but…” Li Ziyan paused, then looked at Li Zixi, “Seventh Imperial Sister can teach me.”

“No, I’m not very good at pitch-pot,” Li Zixi said honestly. “Why don’t you let Zhouzhou teach you, Crown Prince? She’s definitely good at it.”

Therefore, Li Zixi and Li Ziyan both turned their gazes toward Zhou Zhou.

Zhou Zhou remained calm and composed, saying, "I know a little, I know a little."

Then, after Zhou Zhou won five rounds in a row, Li Zixi turned Zhou Zhou's face towards her, gritting her teeth, "Know a little?"

"It's good to be low-key," Zhou Zhou replied.

With one more person added to the team of two, lunch naturally became a shared meal for all three.

Li Ziyan has a weak spleen and stomach, so she eats light meals. Fortunately, Zhou Zhou often dine with Grandma Zhou and is already used to this kind of healthy eating. Li Zixi, on the other hand, doesn't eat much for lunch.

After a long journey and more than an hour of playing, I'm now full and my brain is naturally starting to feel sleepy.

Li Zixi leaned on Zhou Zhou's shoulder, mumbling as if she were drunk, "Zhouzhou, let's go back for a nap."

Zhou Zhou reached out and pinched her chubby little face, then handed her to Caiping, saying, "Take the princess back quickly."

"Zhouzhou, aren't you coming with me?" Li Zixi was completely bewildered, but she still didn't forget to take Zhou Zhou with her, afraid that if she left her here alone, her Crown Prince brother would devour her alive.

Indeed, Li Ziyan was like a gentleman to everyone, but Li Zixi's intuition told her that this crown prince was not as kind as he appeared.

“I have something to say to her,” Li Ziyan interjected, his words carrying an unwavering firmness that brooked no argument.

Li Zixi's drowsiness vanished instantly. She looked at Zhou Zhou and met her calm, still eyes.

Zhou Zhou reached out and patted her head, like coaxing a child, "Go to sleep, I'll come and keep you company later."

The tacit understanding they had developed over the years told Li Zixi that Zhouzhou was confident and not afraid of her Crown Prince brother.

"Okay, then hurry up." Li Zixi nodded and went back with Caiping.

After watching the two women leave, Zhou Zhou turned to Li Ziyan beside her and asked, "What business does Your Highness have with me?"

She didn't show much expression on her face, but Li Ziyan understood her innate confidence. Her voice was very soft, like a spring breeze, gently touching his heartstrings, yet unseen and intangible.