After my whole family overheard my thoughts, they went berserk.

East Palace.

After Shi Youzhi returned to the Eastern Palace, he came to request an audience.

"This humble official greets Your Highness the Crown Prince!" Si Lingchen stepped forward and bowed to Shi Youzhi.

When Shi Youzhi saw Si Lingchen, he felt a sense of closeness to him.

However, his relationship with Si Xue'er was still far from settled, so it wasn't appropriate to reveal it too much.

"No need for formalities," Shi Youzhi said.

Si Lingchen was very reserved, standing in front of Shi Youzhi's desk, not as close as before.

"Won't Lord Si sit down?" Shi Youzhi asked.

Si Lingchen maintained a humble demeanor, took out a jade pendant from his pocket, and respectfully handed it to Shi Youzhi.

"I was entrusted by my younger sister to return His Highness the Crown Prince's private jade pendant to its rightful owner."

He stepped forward and placed the items on the table.

Shi Youzhi's face darkened, and he felt very disappointed.

Why did Si Xue'er return the jade pendant to him?

Mingming, they met today and chatted happily. He could also sense that Si Xue'er had feelings for him.

"What is the meaning of this, Lord Si? How can I take back what I have given away?"

"The Si family is of humble origin. Only through my father's generation were they able to enter the court and become officials. The Si family has devoted themselves to the emperor and dared not think of anything else."

The meaning is simple: the Si family knows their own limitations, has no powerful backers, and relies solely on their unwavering loyalty to serve the court, daring not to harbor any illusions about the royal family.

Shi Youzhi felt inexplicably down. He thought that his relationship with Si Xueer was just a matter of time, and he could wait.

Unexpectedly, before he could even express his feelings, he was rejected by the Si family.

"Is this Miss Si's intention?" Shi Youzhi asked.

He clearly felt that Si Xue'er and he were of one mind.

"Yes, the Si family has a rule that a woman is not allowed to collect a man's personal belongings before she is married." Si Lingchen was always straightforward, so he spoke the truth.

They could repay the prince's life-saving grace with utmost loyalty.

However, the Si family also has strict family rules, and they will never use their children to make connections with powerful and influential people.

Moreover, given the Crown Prince's noble status, they dared not presume to associate with the royal family.

"Alright, I understand." Shi Youzhi gave a bitter smile, pretending to be indifferent.

He was a member of the royal family, and the Si family dared not presume to associate with him, simply because they were concerned about his status and feared that Si Xue'er would suffer mistreatment if she followed him.

"This humble official takes his leave!" Si Lingchen bowed and left the East Palace.

Shi Youzhi sat at his desk in a daze, reminiscing about his moments with Si Xue'er. Even after returning to the palace, he still fantasized about their future together.

Unexpectedly, I received the jade pendant she had returned that evening.

Looking at the jade pendant, his eyes reddened, and he felt an unbearable bitterness in his heart.

He didn't know what the Si family was afraid of.

"Your Highness, Her Majesty the Empress invites you to have dinner at Huayao Palace."

Shi Youzhi gathered his thoughts and headed to Huayao Palace.

"Your subject greets Your Majesty!" Shi You stepped forward and bowed to the Empress.

"Prince!" Shi Miaomiao looked at Shi Youzhi and happily ran towards him.

Shi Youzhi picked her up and looked at her grinning, her mouth full of black grime.

"Did you sneak food again?"

"No!" I won't tell you that I just mistook a dried mulberry for candy and chewed it whole!

"The Crown Prince seems unhappy?"

The little guy is very good at reading people's expressions and noticed that Shi Youzhi looked disappointed.

"Hey, why is the Crown Prince's love token hanging on him again?" Shi Miaomiao asked curiously.

I clearly remember that this jade pendant was given to my sister-in-law.

Could it be that the eldest sister-in-law rejected it, which is why the Crown Prince is unhappy?

"As soon as Miaomiao comes back, she starts thinking about how good her brother is. Has she been indulging her again outside?" the Empress asked with a smile.

The Crown Prince always liked to indulge her, so she was the closest to him.

“No, my sister is very well-behaved and obedient. She should be rewarded.” Shi Youzhi said.

Shi Miaomiao clapped her little hands: "That's it!"

During dinner, the Empress got straight to the point: "How did your trip to the Si residence go today?"

Shi Youzhi stopped eating, a look of dejection flashing across his face, but he quickly regained his composure.

"Don't worry, Mother. I will definitely tell you if there is any good news."

The Empress had known the Crown Prince for some time and was aware of his temperament. She had clearly seen the Crown Prince's disappointment earlier.

"But does that Miss Si have any ideas?" the Empress asked.

Shi Youzhi was unwilling to make wild guesses, and forced a bitter smile: "It's normal for a young lady to have some thoughts, and I will definitely find a way."

"Sigh, I really feel sorry for my Prince. He and his sister-in-law had a great chat today, so how did this happen? Could it be that his family doesn't approve?"

Since ancient times, marriages have been arranged by parents and matchmakers.

If the parents refuse, the children will certainly not dare to disobey.

"Is something on your mind?" The Empress looked at Shi Youzhi, who was sullen and absent-minded during his meal.

Despite his best efforts to hide it, he couldn't conceal his disappointment.

"Your Majesty, I am fine. Please eat more and take good care of your health," Shi Youzhi said dutifully, serving food to the Empress.

The Empress could see the bitterness in his heart.

First there was the Zheng Yueyue incident, and now Si Xueer, whom he finally met, has also suffered a setback.

Initially, the emperor felt he was of little use and let him do as he pleased. The crown prince was insistent on getting married, so the emperor simply ignored him.

The Si family was of upright character and impeccable lineage, and the Emperor was pleased with the marriage. However, the matter had become somewhat complicated.

"Mother, it must be that my sister-in-law's family doesn't agree. You should comfort Prince, I don't want to see him sad."

The Queen sighed.

If the Emperor were to bestow a marriage upon them, the matter would proceed naturally.

Unfortunately, Si Wan'er's experience has likely made the Si family wary.

If a marriage is forced upon them, it will surely cause dissatisfaction among the Si family. Moreover, the Crown Prince does not want to force the issue.

"If you have anything on your mind, tell your mother. Don't keep it to yourself, okay?" the Empress gently comforted her.

Shi Youzhi felt a warmth in his heart and smiled, "Your Majesty, I have caused you worry."

Although Shi Youzhi always pretended to be strong and thought he was hiding it well, even Shi Miaomiao could see through him.

After finishing his dinner, he did not linger at Huayao Palace for as long as usual.

Instead, they returned to the Eastern Palace.

"The Crown Prince is so pitiful, I have to help him."

Shi Miaomiao, with a bag of snacks, a baby bottle, and her dog on a leash, secretly slipped out of the palace.

The little baby is very good at taking care of himself, making sure he eats and drinks everything he needs.

She sneaked out of the palace, mounted her beloved steed, and headed straight for the Si family.

At night, there were far fewer pedestrians on the street, making their journey smoother and allowing them to reach the Si family home as quickly as possible.

"Master, how do I get in?"

The dog god carried her on his back, looking at the tightly closed gate, which seemed to be showing them no welcome.

"Can you fly?"

The dog god shook his head.

She rolled her eyes and glared at it every second.

"Then why are you asking such a stupid question? Of course you should crawl through the dog door!"

Dog God is devastated.

Once you've crawled through a dog hole the first time, you'll do it countless times!