Repeatedly broken branches

The old woman said that newlyweds cannot see each other for a month before their wedding.

The nanny said that after marriage, one must listen to one's husband in everything and must discuss things with him before doing anything.

The old woman said that a husband is a woman's heaven; if a husband is gone, then the heavens collapse.

The old woman also said that a woman's mission is to continue her husband's lineage and to be a good wife and mother.

It's suffocating to hear such things. All those rules and regulations are restricting women. Why should they listen to him? They can discuss things, but they should never ask for instructions. Women can also hold up half the sky. Women can choose not to have children. That's their freedom.

Granny Li is truly a stubborn, stinking rock in a latrine; she is a genuine feudal relic, and her feudal ideas could easily be the subject of a book.

Yu Yanjing stood at the door and looked at Xia Yunzhi, who was leaning back in a chair inside, panting heavily. If she married him, he would never let her learn these ridiculous rules. She was herself, so why should she change because she was marrying someone else? Why didn't men need to change?

Perhaps in a moment of impulse, Yu Yanjing strode up to her, pulled her along, and left that suffocating room.

Yu Yanjing stopped when they reached the lotus pond. Xiao Mu didn't ask any questions and just obediently followed him.

"If you don't want to learn, then don't learn. Why force yourself?"

"Do you think I want to learn? My father invited someone to teach me, shouldn't I give him face?"

Yu Yanjing's gaze turned cold and sharp. "Are you so eager to marry him? If you don't want to, can't you refuse?"

Xiao Mu remained defiant, saying, "How do you know I don't want to get married? You're not me."

She successfully angered Yu Yanjing.

Yu Yanjing moved closer and closer to her until their noses touched. Xiao Mu pursed her lips tightly. Behind her was the lotus pond, but Yu Yanjing showed no sign of stopping. He kept moving forward, leaving Xiao Mu with nowhere to go but to lean back.

Yu Yanjing held her slender waist with his hand, his cold lips pressed against her soft, rosy lips, closed his eyes, and the two of them fell into the lotus pond together.

Xiao Mu can swim, and the two of them stayed in the water, their lips locked. Yu Yanjing didn't know she could swim, so he kept giving her air.

"Help! The princess has fallen into the water!"

Ye Wanwan called out from the poolside, and soon a lot of people gathered around.

Xiao Mu quickly released her lips, and out of the corner of her eye she caught a glimpse of the red beauty mark at the corner of Yu Yanjing's eye. Although she didn't know how he had covered it up before, how come it was showing up now when it got wet?

She got ashore, looking extremely disheveled, completely soaked, her beautiful figure on full display. Yu Yanjing followed her.

Xiao Mu shielded Yu Yanjing behind her and looked at Ye Wanwan in front of her, saying, "What are you shouting for? You know I can swim, why did you call everyone here?"

"You can all leave now!" After Xiao Mu dismissed everyone, she looked at Ye Wanwan with a sharp look in her eyes. "Why aren't you leaving? What are you waiting for? I'm not going to die!"

Ye Wanwan was stunned. How could Xia Yunzhi, who was usually as docile as a persimmon, have become so fierce? Could it be that she knew something?

Ye Wanwan's eyes darted around, and she walked up to Xia Yunzhi with a coquettish air. She pretended to wipe the water droplets off Xia Yunzhi's face with a handkerchief and said obediently, "Princess, why are you talking to me like this? Have you heard some rumors outside?"

Xiao Mu slapped her hand away, her eyebrows flashing, and gave her a cold, sharp look. She raised her voice and said, "Does this princess need to know if I've heard any rumors before I speak to you? I treat you the same as everyone else. You should know your place and my place."

Ye Wanwan looked at her pitifully and said, "Princess, I have offended you. I should recognize my place. I always thought that the princess and I were close friends. I never thought that the princess only regarded me as a servant..." She turned her gaze slightly and continued, "Princess, I have always been grateful to you, but your words are really hurtful."

Yu Yanjing, who was hiding in the back, couldn't stand it anymore. He loosened a strand of hair to cover his eyes and the mole, walked up to Xiao Mu, and glared at Ye Wanwan, who was a pretentious and pitiful person.

"Girl, stop pretending. If you truly care about the princess, you should let her go back to bathe and change!"

Ye Wanwan looked at him, finding him incredibly handsome, then clutched her chest and said, "Yes, Princess, please go back to bathe and change. Wanwan will be going now."

Xiao Mu breathed a sigh of relief; the annoying guy was finally leaving.

But she bumped into Zhou Tingxi. Seeing her like this, Zhou Tingxi took off his cloak and draped it over her without asking any questions, covering her body completely. Then he glared at Yu Yanjing next to him and said, "How did you protect the princess? You let her fall into the water."

Ye Wanwan angrily clenched her handkerchief, looking at Xia Yunzhi with jealousy.

A flash of violence crossed Yu Yanjing's eyes, but it disappeared quickly. He curled his lips into a smile, but said nothing. He licked his lips; the sweetness and the scent of Xia Yunzhi's lips had not yet faded. He looked at Zhou Tingxi provocatively.

Xiao Mu pushed Zhou Tingxi away, "That's enough, stop pretending in front of me, I know what you're thinking."

Zhou Tingxi was completely bewildered. What was he thinking? What could he be thinking? His mind was entirely on her. He had come to the palace today to settle things with Ye Wanwan. He wanted to devote himself entirely to Xia Yunzhi.

Ye Wanwan said, "Princess, please don't say that about General Zhou. He values ​​you very much, and you are the only one in his heart."

Xiao Mu glared at her and said sternly, "Did I ask you to speak? Why do you always interrupt when your master is speaking? What does my fiancé have to do with you?"

Fiancé? Zhou Tingxi's lips curled up unconsciously.

Fiancé? A chill ran through Yu Yanjing's heart.

Zhou Tingxi looked coldly at Ye Wanwan and said, "You should really know your place. Don't keep angering the princess. If you upset her, no one will let you off the hook."

Ye Wanwan's heart turned cold. Back then, when she and Zhou Tingxi were entwined on the bed, Zhou Tingxi cherished her like a treasure, wishing he could hold her in his mouth. He said that she was the love of his life, and that he would marry no one but her.

If it weren't for Xia Yunzhi, she would have been with Zhou Tingxi long ago, and she would have married him long ago.

"Yes!" Ye Wanwan smiled wryly. "I was too confident. Please forgive me, Princess and Prince Consort."

After saying that, Ye Wanwan left, looking lost and dejected.

Xiao Mu was about to leave, pulling on Yu Yanjing's sleeve, when Zhou Tingxi called her back.

Her casual glance back struck Zhou Tingxi's heart.

"See you on our wedding day." Zhou Tingxi's eyes were full of tenderness.

"Oh."

"I will treat you well."

"Ah."

"Go back quickly."

I don't know if I'm seeing things, but I noticed that the guard next to Xia Yunzhi seemed to have a cinnabar mole under his eye, which was exactly the same as the one on the young emperor's eye in Chaoyang.

Zhou Tingxi quickly dismissed the idea. How could it be? How could he possibly become a guard by the princess's side? How could he possibly infiltrate the palace?