Marrying the Crown Prince

Gao Yunxi said sweetly, "Thank you, Grandma."

After saying that, he put the snacks and plates on his own table and beckoned Zhou Cheng'an and Zhou Zhou over.

It was impossible not to bring Zhou Yue along, so Zhou Zhou dragged her along as well.

Gao Yunxi pouted, "I didn't invite her, why did you bring her here?"

Zhou Yue was like a frightened bird, instantly feeling extremely uneasy, and tightly gripped Zhou Zhou's sleeve.

Zhou Zhou picked up a piece of pastry and gave it to Zhou Yue. Zhou Yue reached out her little hand, took it, and began to eat it in small bites, her cheeks puffing out slightly.

Zhou Zhou smiled with satisfaction and looked at Gao Yunxi, "How is it? Isn't she cute?"

Seeing this, Gao Yunxi's expression was complex, hesitant to speak, yet still wanting to...

Zhou Chengan patted Gao Yunxi on the shoulder to comfort her.

Seeing the interaction between Zhou Chengan and Gao Yunxi, Madam An nodded in satisfaction and chatted with Old Madam Gao with a smile, "Mother, look at them, they are indeed cousins, their relationship is very good."

Old Mrs. Gao was astute and discerning as could be; she understood what Mrs. An meant. Moreover, she was happy to see the marriage between relatives. "They've been playing together since they were little, and they haven't seen each other for so long. Right now, they probably think we old folks are in their way and are keeping them confined indoors."

Just then, Gao Yunxi was talking to Zhou Zhou about the fat fish in the pond. A few children were discussing how they could catch fish and barbecue, and then they heard Grandma Gao teasing them.

Gao Yunxi glanced at Grandma Gao guiltily, thinking to herself: When did Grandma's ears become so sharp?

Zhou Zhou reacted quickly, pulling Gao Yunxi close and responding to Grandma Gao's words with a grin, "Grandma, you can't wrong us! I love the food and drinks here, I'm not thinking about going out to play at all."

Gao Yunxi nodded vigorously, Zhou Yue still clung to Zhou Zhou like a frightened little rabbit, and Zhou Cheng'an lowered his head, desperately suppressing the smile on his lips.

So, out of sight and out of mind, Old Mrs. Gao chased the person away.

After the younger ones left, the older ones naturally got down to business. "You all saw what my granddaughter looks like just now, so I told you I wasn't lying to you, right?"

Shen and Ning exchanged a glance, and then Madam Shen replied with a smile, "My elder sister's granddaughter is naturally excellent, but..."

At this point, Madam Shen frowned slightly, her hesitant expression perfectly capturing the moment.

Old Mrs. Gao pursed her lips, and soon Mrs. An chimed in, "Mr. Shen, our two families have a long-standing relationship, there's no need for such pretense, it's just too formal!"

"Oh dear, I was being narrow-minded. Please don't be angry with me, elder sister." Madam Shen's face instantly lit up, then she looked apologetic. "As you know, our trip to Beijing wasn't about currying favor with any powerful figures. We're just getting old, and now we only want to stay within our own little world. As for anything else..."

"I really never thought of that."

Grandma Gao's face darkened, not because she couldn't hide her emotions, but simply because she did it on purpose. After all, this way, Shen Ning and the other person would loosen their grip.

As expected, seeing the awkward atmosphere, Madam Ning tried to smooth things over, saying, "We are getting old and may not have the energy to run an academy, but we have thought about taking on disciples so that we can pass on our mantle."

“That’s wonderful,” Mrs. An clapped her hands in approval. “As the saying goes, ‘the good stuff shouldn’t go to outsiders.’ Since you’re interested, why don’t you take a look at our child first and see if he’s suitable?”

"As the only disciple, the assessment will be extremely rigorous. We hope that our elder sister will not blame us for this." Ning nodded in agreement, while also expressing her concerns.

Grandma Gao replied with a smile, "Of course."

That evening, Zhou Laowu stayed for dinner. Then, Old Madam Zhou told him that Zhou Zhou and Zhou Yue should stay at the mansion for a few days, while he and Zhou Chengan had to go to work the next day and go to school, so they should go back as soon as they finished eating.

Zhou Laowu, who had been nodding, instantly sobered up upon hearing Zhou Yue's name. "Mother-in-law, Yue'er is still young and doesn't understand things. I'm afraid she'll bother you."

Very well, Old Madam Gao never intended to keep Zhou Yue. If she wasn't afraid that Zhou Laowu would think she was being biased, she wouldn't have mentioned it.

Therefore, Zhou Yue was also packed up and taken back.

As for Zhou Zhou, she was definitely taken to Gao Yunxi's little house.

Gao Yunxi showed the utmost enthusiasm for her best friend's arrival—she held Zhou Zhou's right hand tightly, refusing to let her go, saying, "I don't care, you have to sleep with me tonight."

Zhou Zhou tried to pull it out... but couldn't, so he could only sigh silently, "Fine."

Gao Yunxi didn't care whether she was sincere or not. When she heard Zhou Zhou agree, she happily hugged her and grinned like an idiot.

That night, in the dead of night, Zhou Zhou opened her sleepy eyes, calmly moved the arm hanging around her neck, and then struggled to push away the leg pressing on her stomach.

Finally, I could breathe again.

Life is tough, Zhou Zhou sighed.

Gao Yunxi didn't sit up until the sun was high in the sky, still groggy. She looked at Zhou Zhou, who was already dressed, and stared blankly at him. "You got up so early?"

Zhou Zhou leisurely braided the red string in her hand, saying, "I've already eaten, you should hurry up too."

Gao Yunxi yawned as the maidservant did all sorts of things to her—rinsing her mouth and washing her face. After the whole process, she finally woke up.

"Why are you up so early? Didn't Grandmother say there's no need to pay your respects?" She realized that Zhou Zhou hadn't answered her earlier, so she asked again.

"got used to."

Gao Yunxi swallowed silently, shifted her body, and moved away from this person who was caught in the middle of intense competition.

Once she was dressed, Zhou Zhou had finished braiding the bracelet on her wrist. He grabbed Gao Yunxi's hand, measured the size, tied a knot, and cut off the excess part.

The red bracelet made Gao Yunxi's skin appear even whiter and more delicate.

"It looks so beautiful! When did you learn it?" Gao Yunxi was pleasantly surprised. She had already imagined her best friend working hard to learn knitting, studying quietly for several days, just to give her a surprise. She felt indescribably moved.

Seeing her genuine affection, Zhou Zhou's eyes crinkled into a smile. "Just now."

Gao Yunxi's smile froze—well, this prodigy who can learn anything with just a glance can't be viewed through the eyes of ordinary people.

Turning her grief into appetite, Gao Yunxi quickly devoured two steamed buns, a bowl of soy milk, and two crispy pancakes.

Seeing how much she enjoyed her food, Zhou Zhou's mouth started to water, so she grabbed a piece of crispy biscuit and ate it in small bites along with her flower tea.

This shocked Madam An as she stepped into the room.

She knew her own daughter well and guessed that she had just woken up, so her meal was normal; she just didn't expect that in just one night, her daughter would lead Zhou Zhou astray and make her sleep in late too.

Gao An was heartbroken, her expression complex, she hesitated to speak, and finally sighed and shook her head.