Senior brother is so awesome!

The following is the main text of the novel "{?$article_title?}" ({?$jieqi_title?}) provided by {?$jieqi_sitename?}. Please enjoy! A fine layer of sweat appeared on the foreheads of both of them. Every time they saw Brother Zhong's imposing presence, they felt a deep sense of admiration. Pei Yulin had never felt this intimidated even when facing his father. In truth, Brother Zhong was both an elder and an equal to them. In the treacherous court, he was a powerful and sycophantic minister, with his cronies holding key positions throughout the Xuanyuan Kingdom. Therefore, their father considered him a thorn in his side. However, in his eyes, Brother Zhong possessed more of the essence of a ruler than his father. Compared to his father, who was old, suspicious, and fond of women, it was a pipe dream to bring Brother Zhong down. Although he was his father's son, humph, what kind of son was he? If it weren't for him saving his life from assassins five years ago, the Crown Prince today would be Consort Li's son!

"If you two are planning to stand there indefinitely, I will not keep you company." The deep voice brought Pei Yulin back from his thoughts. He lowered his head and admitted his mistake, "We just missed you very much and wanted to experience the hardships of the people."

Pei Haoran, standing to the side, inwardly gave a thumbs up. The Crown Prince was indeed the Crown Prince; he described a leisurely trip with such noble sentiments. He also stepped forward, his handsome face radiating youthful energy, "Cousin is right. You have no idea how worried we were about your illness..."

Zhong Zhichen raised his eyelids and looked at the two of them acting back and forth. "Hmph, your acting skills are quite superb. I will write a letter to your parents today, and you should go back tomorrow. There are many things to do in the court, so don't make them worry anymore."

"Yes!" The two exchanged a glance and agreed, knowing that it wouldn't be so easy to get rid of them tomorrow!

There were two empty rooms in Thunder Pavilion. After tidying up a bit and settling the two of them in, he wondered what the little girl was doing. Today was her requested day off, and they shouldn't disturb her. But he decided to let it go today. These two troublemakers needed to be kept under close watch to prevent any trouble. The Lunar New Year was just a few days away, and they would all be returning to their own countries to celebrate. He could have chosen not to go back, since he was an orphan, but a letter had been included in a memorial sent a few days ago, criticizing the emperor's increasingly aggressive actions. He sneered, "Since you don't want to enjoy this holiday, I'll play along!"

In Luoxue Pavilion, Yang Shanshan picked up the two handkerchiefs she had finally finished embroidering. Her almond-shaped eyes narrowed into slits with joy as she looked at the simple cicada character in the lower right corner of the handkerchiefs. Although they were simple, they were a small gift but full of sentiment. She had embroidered them herself!

She picked it up and showed it off to Suixin beside her: "Look, look, my embroidery skills have improved even more!"

Sui Xin glanced at the intricate peony flowers on the embroidery frame in front of her and forced a flattering smile: "Miss is right, your embroidery skills are getting better and better."

"Hmph, flattery." She rolled her eyes, looking at the peony with envy and jealousy. Each peony was a beautiful cluster, arranged in a neat and orderly fashion. Compared to her own, it was like something a child could use to practice. But so what? They dared to laugh at her for embroidering it by hand. She would never give them gifts again!

"My junior sister has such a leisurely and refined taste."

Looking up, she saw her third senior brother and hurriedly tucked the handkerchief under her skirt. But Nangong Xu, with his sharp eyes, saw it and tapped his palm with his fan, staring at her with his fox-like eyes: "What is this embroidery? Show it to your senior brother for his appreciation."

Yang Shanshan smiled ingratiatingly and hurriedly ordered Suixin to serve tea and snacks. Only the two of them remained in the dormitory. Her third senior brother stepped forward and hugged her tightly. "Was the purse embroidered for someone? Otherwise, why didn't you show it to your senior brother?"

"No, how could Chan'er forget her third senior brother? Come on, have some tea, it'll get cold." She was thinking about how to move the handkerchief to another location.

Suddenly, his large hand reached under her skirt, and she screamed repeatedly, refusing to let go of the hem of her skirt. Nangong Xu narrowed his eyes and then moved closer to her armpit to tickle her; this was his junior sister's weakness, her body was too sensitive.

This was her biggest fear; she reflexively hugged herself and twisted around, unable to stop laughing.

The itching under her armpits subsided, and she saw her third senior brother examining a beautifully embroidered handkerchief closely, his eyes brimming with barely suppressed laughter: "This is truly Junior Sister's unparalleled embroidery skill! I admire it greatly. Haha..."

Her cheeks flushed red. She tried to snatch it but was too short. She pouted and sat on the bed with her back to him. Seeing that she was angry, he sat behind her and pulled her into his arms. "Don't be angry. Even if the embroidery is not very good, it is still the most perfect in the world in your senior brother's eyes."

After much coaxing and persuasion, she finally smiled and held out her little hand: "Give me back my handkerchief!"

He raised a brow, his eyes narrowing dangerously: "Not for me? Who was it embroidered for?"

Yang Shanshan was most afraid of her third senior brother's appearance. The sinister feeling was like a snake coiled around her neck, with a chilling sense that it could bite her to death in an instant. With a bright smile, she tugged at his sleeve and said coquettishly, "Senior brother, don't be in such a hurry. I originally wanted to embroider it for you, but as you can see, it's too ugly. How about I embroider something better for you?" Her bright eyes and white teeth looked at him charmingly, and even the greatest anger dissipated. She calmly put the handkerchief into her bosom and smiled, "No need. Did you think what you said just now was just to coax you? No matter how ugly it is, I will like it as long as it is made by you."

She pouted, "Then you have to show it off, or I won't talk to you anymore!" She originally wanted to wait until she finished embroidering them all before giving them to them one by one, but since her third senior brother had already accepted her, forcing him to take them would definitely make him unhappy, so she had to speed things up.

"Okay." He smiled smugly.

Nestled in his arms, inhaling her third senior brother's unique scent, she asked, "Have you decided? When are we going back?"

After a moment of contemplation, he sighed silently, "It's only a few days left. After your senior brothers leave, you must stay on the mountain obediently and not run around, understand?" Although there were many Bagua formations protecting the foot of the mountain, he was a little worried because his master and the other six had all left. Originally, the six of them had planned to take her to their respective countries, but her appearance could not be revealed to the world, otherwise it would attract the covetousness of some people and cause trouble. Taking her to the Ling family was even more impossible. A few months ago, Ling Yunyi's gaze towards her was too ardent. He didn't know what the situation would be like when they returned to the Ling family this time, so he couldn't take her into danger.

Yang Shanshan nodded gently and softly instructed, "Go quickly and come back quickly." That night in Thunder Pavilion, the three of them drank and chatted happily. Zhong Zhichen tilted his head back with a hearty laugh and finished a cup of wine in one go. Looking at the two men who kept pouring him more wine, a hint of relief appeared on his cold face. It had been more than a year since they last met, and the two young boys were almost as tall as him. Royal children mature early, and they were about to grow up and take their fathers' places. Would the three of them still get along so well then? He thought back to a few years ago when the two of them insisted on becoming sworn brothers with him despite their families' objections. Haha, it seemed so funny at the time. The emperor and Prince Chu, seeing that he was young, conspired to suppress him in many ways, but their most valued sons spent all their time with him. It was truly a cruel twist of fate.

Pei Yunhao was raised with strict discipline. Prince Chu, under the strict discipline of Princess Chu, was not allowed to drink a drop of alcohol. He was also warned from a young age not to let alcohol interfere with his duties. Helplessly, he could only occasionally sneak a taste of wine with the Crown Prince in a corner of the Imperial Garden. Today, he was very happy to see Zhong Zhichen, so he drank a lot. Now he was a little drunk, and his blurry eyes could not see the things in front of him. Just then, the woman he saw on the street earlier that day appeared in his mind. He regretted it so much. He really wanted to lift her veil and see her face. That way, he would know what she looked like and not miss her so much.

Zhong Zhichen saw him lying on the table, constantly calling out someone's name. Listening carefully, it seemed to be Sha'er.

Looking at Pei Yulin, "Does this kid have someone he likes?"

Pei Yulin tilted his head back and drank the wine in his cup. His handsome face was flushed, and he smiled disdainfully, saying, "You love-struck fool. Today, we passed through a town at the foot of the mountain and saw a beautiful young woman with a veil covering her face. This guy was so infatuated that he didn't know her name and could only mutter 'Sha'er' (meaning 'veil')."

Pei Yunhao, who had been lying unconscious on the table, suddenly sat up straight, glaring with his bull-like eyes and shouting, "You're not allowed to call her Sha'er! Only I can call her Sha'er!"

Pei Yulin chuckled, not bothering to argue with the drunkard: "Alright, alright, Sha'er is yours, and no one can take her away."

"That's more like it." He muttered to himself and then slumped back onto the table, falling into a deep sleep.

Zhong Zhichen and the other person exchanged a knowing smile.

Pei Yulin remembered something and said with ill intent, "Brother Zhong will definitely receive a pleasant surprise from Father Emperor when he goes back at the end of the year."

"What is it? Just say it, don't keep me in suspense."

He blushed and leaned closer with a smile, "Hehe, the Empress is choosing a consort for you. She's already arranged one, supposedly the eldest daughter of the Left Prime Minister... uh!" He suddenly let out a burp, the smell of which was extremely sour and unpleasant. Seeing that the two of them were quite drunk, he escorted them back to their rooms. Just as he was about to return to his own room, the biting cold wind stopped him in his tracks. The weather in the dead of winter was the coldest, especially on the mountain where the wind was fierce. He wondered if that cold-sensitive little fellow was asleep by now. Unable to put his mind at ease, he turned and went out the door.

Yang Shanshan was covered with three thick quilts, thinking that she would either freeze to death or be crushed to death. But the worst part was that even with such thick clothing, it was still so cold! What she hated most was that Suixin was afraid that something bad might happen if she put a brazier in the bedroom at night, so she took it away despite her pleas! The howling of the cold wind could be heard from outside the window from time to time. The windows in ancient times were not very airtight, and the cold air seeped in through the cracks, making her little face turn red from the cold.

Zhong Zhichen entered silently and saw the little woman curled up like a shrimp under the covers. Her delicate brows were tightly closed, revealing her impatience. She quietly took off her outer clothes, lifted the covers, and lay down. The little girl seemed to sense his warmth and snuggled into his arms for warmth, unconsciously murmuring, "You've been drinking..." His sword-like eyebrows softened with affection as he gently patted her back. After a while, he fell into a deep sleep, and the temperature on her face warmed up considerably.

As the alcohol took effect, he pressed his throbbing forehead, finding himself wide awake and utterly wide awake. He carefully observed her features—her upturned nose and red lips—and recalled her childhood appearance. Who could have imagined that the seemingly foolish girl would grow into such a stunning beauty? She had grown even more beautiful, but she was no longer solely his. He smiled bitterly. Several future rulers of the world were all enamored with her; was this a blessing or a curse for her? Lost in thought, he found himself watching her all night.

The little woman frowned slightly, slowly opened her black pearl-like eyes, and seeing that the person she was holding was him, she pouted and accused, "You untrustworthy guy, you clearly didn't see anyone yesterday." Despite her words, she pressed her body even closer to him.

At this moment, the arrogant prince, who was feared by the world, said with a wry smile, "Yes, I was wrong. I shouldn't have bothered Junior Sister. I should have let Junior Sister freeze to death all night."

"You!" She pinched his chest hard. "Since you're so sensible, I'll spare you."

"Thank you for your understanding, Miss." He rarely said such a witty remark, and Yang Shanshan felt much better after hearing it. "Ah, I really want to hold you like this forever, like a big furnace, making me feel warm all over." As she spoke, she closed her eyes comfortably.

He stroked her back with his large hand, feeling a fire suddenly ignite within him, and said in a hoarse voice, "It's my turn today, isn't it?"

Her alarm bells rang immediately! Just as she was about to escape, she was forcefully pressed onto the bed, and a man's tall body covered her. His domineering kiss captured her small mouth, and her protests were muffled by the passion in the room. Sui Xin, who was holding a basin of hot water at the door, was about to knock when she heard the panting of a man and a woman inside. She immediately blushed and knew what had happened. Blushing, she quietly retreated.

Yang Shanshan, her eyes still warm with lingering desire, lay naked in the bed, watching Zhong Zhichen smugly put on his clothes. She wanted to grind her teeth in hatred. "You bastard! You've exhausted me, yet you're all comfortable with yourself! How am I supposed to practice martial arts like this?!" she thought. "Waaah..."

He turned around and saw her angry eyes. He laughed wickedly, "Junior sister, aren't you satisfied yet? Want to do it again?"

"No, no! Go away!" She watched the man approaching, her eyes tightly shut. Unexpectedly, he merely kissed her forehead. Opening her eyes, she met his gentle gaze: "No martial arts practice today. Master had business to attend to and went down the mountain early this morning. You'd better behave yourself and not go anywhere, lest you catch a cold." If it weren't for those two rascals, they would have spent the whole day with her. It was already early morning; they should leave. With that, he turned and left, his domineering figure disappearing outside the door.