The eldest daughter's scheming, the crown prince's exclusive favor to the venomous concubi

Seeing He Xinle nod blankly, Jian Yue turned and left. He Xinle then came to his senses and quickly chased after her, throwing a silver note at the broken bowl in Jian Yue's hand, saying, "Miss, I'll treat you to a big meal and buy you new clothes. Don't go hungry."

As she said this, there was a slight struggle in her eyes. Jian Yue saw it and smiled slightly, saying, "Thanks."

After speaking, she walked towards the end of the market and squatted down with a group of beggars. Her disheveled appearance made it impossible to tell that she was once the spirited young lady of the General's Mansion.

He Xinle stood there hesitating for a long time before finally gritting her teeth and leaving. She bought some groceries haphazardly and went back to Chu Tianyi's residence, where she sat in the kitchen, holding the groceries and lost in thought.

When she came to her senses, she realized that she had peeled a large cabbage down to just the root with two leaves.

She threw away the cabbage, rubbed her head, and said, "Should I tell Brother Xiao Yi or not?"

If she told her brother, he would definitely go to find the older sister again. But if she didn't tell him, the older sister would definitely continue to suffer. Seeing such a beautiful older sister having to squeeze in with a beggar made her feel a little guilty.

She clearly understood that even if she and Chu Tianyi combined their strength, they wouldn't be a match for that man in black that day. However, that man in black wouldn't harm Jian Yue. If she used all her strength and cooperated properly with Chu Tianyi, there was still a chance to save Jian Yue.

Then, it's very likely that Chu Tianyi's broken sword and Jian Yue's tragic end would not have occurred.

At that time, she was so jealous of Chu Tianyi's attitude towards Jian Yue that she couldn't understand why Chu Tianyi was still trying to win her over when Jian Yue clearly had no feelings for him.

Thinking of this, He Xinle suddenly laughed and said to himself, "Am I not the same? I've compromised like this, even giving up my status as a princess, how come I still can't win that blockhead's heart?"

"Dead wood, rotten wood, all you think about all day is that pretty girl and that broken sword in your hand, what's so great about you? Is it that important? More important than giving birth?"

"What's more important than having a baby? Where's Aunt Liu?"

Chu Tian frowned as he looked at the cold stove and then at He Xinle, and the vegetable leaves scattered on the ground. He thought to himself that he had been waiting for a long time but Liu Ma hadn't started cooking, so the kitchen had changed hands.

He Xinle was startled and turned around in a panic to look at Chu Tian, ​​his face flushed.

The ground was a mess, so He Xinle looked around and stammered, "Um... Aunt Liu's grandson is sick, so I asked her to go back and take care of him. I'll cook today's meals. What time is it?"

Chu Tian walked into the kitchen, saying as he went, "It's noon."

He walked to the pot, glanced at the empty pot, pursed his lips and looked at He Xinle. He Xinle coughed to cover up his embarrassment and said, "Um... Aunt Liu has already cooked the rice. We only need to make two dishes. Please sit and wait for a while. I'll be right there."

Chu Tianyi stared at He Xinle without saying a word, his eyes filled with obvious suspicion. He Xinle immediately said unhappily, "Don't look down on me. I'm a princess who can do everything. Move aside. This isn't a place for men. Isn't it said that a gentleman keeps away from the kitchen?"

He Xinle shoved Chu Tianyi out of the kitchen and began scratching his head in front of the stove.

"Cooking is nothing, what's so difficult about it? Hey? Where's the fire? Where did Aunt Liu put the fire?"

As she spoke, she began to crouch down and search, which made Chu Tianyi outside the door frown. After a while, he finally couldn't stand He Xinle's stupid appearance, so he came in, grabbed a bundle of firewood, and stuffed it into the stove.

Seeing this, He Xinle asked curiously, "Brother Xiao Yi, what are you doing?"

"Make the fire you want."

As Chu Tian spoke, he picked up a flint and struck it to create a spark. He then added some dry grass, and soon the fire was blazing. He Xinle's shout made him gape, his mouth wide enough to fit an egg.

"Wow, Brother Xiao Yi, how are you so amazing? This really is fire! So this is how fire is made. I thought it could be used directly."

Chu Tian patted the dust off his hands, turned to He Xinle and said, "Now, your dish."

He Xinle was taken aback and blushed with embarrassment. Chu Tianyi walked to the vegetable basket, looked at it for a while, and picked out a bunch of green vegetables, a radish, and a piece of pork.

After that, He Xinle's mouth never closed as he watched Chu Tianyi skillfully chop vegetables, stir-fry dishes, and tend the fire. The whole process was smooth and effortless, no less serious than when he practiced swordsmanship.

He Xinle was so captivated by the sight that after a long while, he suddenly asked in a silly tone, "Brother Xiaoyi, isn't it said that a gentleman keeps away from the kitchen? Why can you cook?"

"People in the martial arts world don't care about formalities. When they're on the road and there's no one around, if they don't cook for themselves, they'll go hungry."

Upon hearing this, He Xinle immediately nodded and said, "That's right. Back then, I chased after you without a care in the world, taking nothing but banknotes with me. Later, when we reached a desolate place, we almost starved to death."

Fortunately, a passing merchant rescued me and even brought me to a county town not far from the capital; otherwise, my bones would probably never have been discovered.

Chu Tian paused, placed the food from the pot onto a plate, and said casually as he wiped his hands, "Go back to the City of the Uncrowned! You're useless here."

Upon hearing this, He Xinle's eyes reddened, and she pouted, saying, "I will absolutely not leave. I'm going to follow you. I refuse to believe that my passion can't warm your heart of stone."

As Chu Tian sat down at the table, he ate while saying, "Didn't someone tell you? The owner of the Heartless Sword is incapable of feeling emotions. Even if you continue to pester him, it will only end up like this. Why bother?"

He Xinle tilted his head and retorted, "I don't believe it. Everyone has feelings, and you like this young lady so much. I simply don't believe you wouldn't have feelings for her. Otherwise, what is it that makes you like her?"

Chu Tian remained silent, unsure of his own reasons for being attracted to Jian Yue.

At first, it was simply because he could touch her without feeling disgusted or repulsed. And then? He doesn't know, but he didn't dislike her; in fact, he even came to like being with her.

Although he hadn't spent much time with Jian Yue, no matter when, even when Jian Yue was at her most disheveled, he never saw dejection or giving up in her eyes.

Those star-like eyes sparkled, shining even when their light was gone. What sustained them? What was it that drew him ever closer?

Chu Tianyi ate his meal in silence, while Jian Yue, whom He Xinle had mentioned, quickly shut up and picked up another bowl to eat in silence.

The two finished their meal with their own thoughts on the matter. He Xinle naturally volunteered to wash the dishes, and Chu Tianyi did not compete for it. He turned around and went back to the courtyard.

This courtyard was rented temporarily by Chu Tianyi. His sword was broken, and he wanted to practice swordsmanship, hoping to find a miracle that would allow him to advance in his cultivation. Therefore, the palace was not a good place for him.

He rented this courtyard, but to this day, he has made no progress. He curiously picked up the broken sword and examined it carefully from the inside out. After a while, the doubt in his eyes gathered again.

"What exactly is missing?"

The next morning, He Xinle visited the market again, but this time she didn't encounter Jian Yue, and there were very few beggars on the edge of the market. He Xinle breathed a sigh of relief, bought some vegetables, went back to the courtyard, and began to learn how to cook with Liu Ma, who had already returned.

Looking at He Xinle's earnest expression, Aunt Liu smiled and said, "Young lady, you are so thoughtful. I'm sure the young master will be very touched."

He Xinle smiled and tried her best to stuff a little bit of minced meat into the hollowed-out chili pepper, saying, "Brother Xiaoyi likes spicy food, and I hope he can eat the dishes I made myself."

"I'm going to cook for my son for the rest of my life, so it's not too early to start learning. Aunt Liu, will this minced meat really taste good when mixed with chili peppers?"

While stuffing people in, the heartless New Yorker said this with tears in his eyes.

The chili peppers were so spicy that they made her eyes red and swollen. She didn't dare to rub them with her hands, so she could only blink and try to endure the discomfort.

Seeing this, Aunt Liu couldn't bear it and stepped forward to help, saying, "This needs to be deep-fried. Once it's flavorful, it will naturally taste good. Miss, why don't you go over there and rest for a while? I'll take care of this. You've never touched this before, so you definitely won't be able to handle it."

He Xinle sniffed hard, but bravely didn't move, saying, "It's okay, I can do it. I must become someone who can take care of Brother Xiao Yi. I don't want him to suffer so much."

She spoke with utmost seriousness, her hands continuing to work tirelessly. Liu Ma didn't say anything more and quickly finished the work. Only then did He Xinle get up to wash her hands.

The cold water in the dead of winter was extremely biting. At this time, the hot water in the kitchen had run out. He Xinle couldn't wait to wash away the spiciness, so she used cold water directly. After washing, her little hands were bright red, which was heartbreaking to see.

Even if Chu Tianyi was cold-hearted, he couldn't bear to see a woman who had cooked and cleaned for him like this. He frowned and stared at He Xinle's figure for a long time before disappearing from the spot.

After he left, He Xinle slyly glanced in the direction he went, a smirk playing on his lips as he thought to himself, "As expected, the young lady was right. We had to let him see it. By the way, will Brother Xiao Yi really feel sorry for her? Will he be moved?"

Filled with hope for the future, He Xinle rekindled her fighting spirit and entered the kitchen to begin her grand plan to conquer Chu Tianyi's stomach. Meanwhile, Chu Tianyi packed his bags and quietly left the courtyard, disappearing without a trace.

When He Xinle happily brought out the dish she had successfully cooked for the first time, she waited all afternoon but still couldn't see the person she was waiting for. Suddenly, her eyes glazed over and tears welled up in her eyes.