The beloved is reborn as a substitute, and the tyrant begs for forgiveness every night.

"Your Majesty, I am leaving today."

After chatting for a while, Xu Leyao suddenly spoke up.

Upon hearing this, Zheng Zhihe was already prepared.

"I'm afraid I won't be able to come on the day you're added to the family register, but I've prepared a congratulatory gift for you."

As he spoke, Zheng Zhihe glanced at Li Huanian, who was standing not far away keeping watch.

Although Li Huanian never looked in this direction, he had been secretly keeping an eye on things.

Now that Zheng Zhihe has made a move, he immediately noticed it.

Then, Li Huanian eagerly stepped forward and handed over a wooden box.

Zheng Zhihe took the wooden box that he handed over and then passed it to Xu Leyao.

Xu Leyao's eyes flashed with surprise as she looked at the wooden box he handed her.

She hadn't expected Zheng Zhihe to be so thoughtful today.

But what kind of gift could be inside this wooden box?

"Can I open it now?"

In response to Xu Leyao's question, Zheng Zhihe nodded.

Logically speaking, once the gift was in Xu Leyao's hands, it was already hers.

Xu Leyao can certainly take it apart if she wants.

However, there are other customs nowadays.

Some gifts are just nicely wrapped and look high-end, but the contents inside are actually worthless.

That's why people usually don't open gifts in front of the giver.

To avoid embarrassment for both parties if one doesn't like it.

Of course, since the person giving the gift is Zheng Zhihe, Xu Leyao naturally doesn't have such concerns.

Given Zheng Zhihe's current status, the type of gift he gives is not important.

What matters is his sincerity.

Although Xu Leyao didn't think his sentiments could compare to real money, Zheng Zhihe was happy to give her face, so she naturally had to give him some feedback.

After receiving permission, Xu Leyao opened the wooden box and saw a five-tailed red-gold phoenix hairpin lying inside.

The hair ornament was exquisite and gorgeous.

The phoenix on top is lifelike, with its wings outstretched and its feathers carved in a delicate and layered manner, shimmering with golden light.

The hair ornament is slightly curved and smooth, like the light and agile wings of a phoenix, adorned with emerald gemstones that shimmer with a captivating light.

Every detail reveals exquisite craftsmanship, making it a veritable treasure of the palace.

When Xu Leyao saw this hair ornament, her eyes were full of surprise.

Just then, Zheng Zhihe reached out and inserted the hair ornament into Xu Leyao's hair bun, adding a mysterious and noble air to her.

"emperor……"

Before Xu Leyao could ask anything, Zheng Zhihe smiled and said.

"I always thought this hairpin suited you very well, so I specially wore it. Now it seems that it is truly a treasure for a beautiful woman, a perfect match."

Hearing Zheng Zhihe's praise, Xu Leyao had very mixed feelings.

She unconsciously raised her hand to stroke the tassel that had fallen from the hairpin.

Seeing that Xu Leyao still liked the hair ornament, Zheng Zhihe's eyes flashed with satisfaction.

What gift-givers most hope to receive is positive feedback.

What surprised Xu Leyao now was that, coincidentally, it also gave him this kind of emotional value.

"This hair ornament is a gift for you, so please accept it carefully."

After he finished speaking, Zheng Zhihe gave Xu Leyao another deep look.

"Now it's time for you to go back."

Upon hearing this, Xu Leyao nodded and then bowed gracefully to him.

"Your Majesty, thank you."

Hearing her concise and powerful thanks, Zheng Zhihe simply waved his hand.

Although this rocking instrument could be considered a rare treasure, in his hands, it was merely a gift to the concubines in the harem.

However, nowadays, most of the women in the imperial harem are elderly.

For Zheng Zhihe, all that's left is some face-saving and sentimentality.

The appearance of Xu Leyao has filled this void for him.

Therefore, he wouldn't feel any remorse giving such a thing to Xu Leyao.

Seeing that Zheng Zhihe was about to leave, Xu Leyao waited in the same spot for a while longer.

After Zheng Zhihe left, Xu Leyao took Zhu'er back to the side room.

At this moment, Jiang's mother was already waiting in the side room where Xu Leyao used to live.

The moment Jiang's mother saw Xu Leyao return, her gaze was immediately drawn to the hair ornament hanging from Xu Leyao's hairline.

With just that one glance, her face instantly showed surprise.

Logically speaking, with Xu Leyao wearing such accessories, Jiang's mother should have inquired about it.

However, she had already discovered that Zheng Zhihe was with Xu Leyao, so she naturally wouldn't say anything more now.

Seeing that she didn't ask any more questions, Xu Leyao knew exactly what was going on.

It seems that the person who was secretly observing today was Jiang's mother.

That's good, it saves her from wasting her breath.

"Mother, shall we go back to the city now?"

In response to Xu Leyao's question, Jiang's mother nodded.

"My things are all packed and ready to be left to you."

Upon hearing this, Xu Leyao nodded and then asked her to wait outside for a moment.

Zhu'er was packing Xu Leyao's things.

Then Xu Leyao took off the hair ornament from her head, put it in a wooden box, and handed it to her.

"Miss, shall we put this hair ornament away as well?"

This hair ornament is so beautiful, and it complements the young lady's skin tone perfectly.

Pearl looked at the wooden box, lost in thought.

Moreover, this hair ornament was a gift from Zheng Zhihe.

Anything given by Zheng Zhihe, regardless of who it is given to, must be called a favor.

But why did Xu Leyao put the unshaking thing away?

Seeing the confusion in Zhu'er's eyes, Xu Leyao remained silent for a moment.

"You should put this away first. Without my permission, you are not allowed to show it to anyone."

Upon hearing Xu Leyao's warning, Zhu'er nodded.

Although she had doubts, she didn't ask any further questions.

If Xu Leyao is unwilling to talk about something, asking her again and again will be useless.

Moreover, Zhu'er believed that Xu Leyao would not deceive her.

After packing up the remaining two or three pieces of clothing, Xu Leyao had finished packing her things.

We were only going to stay at Baima Temple for a few days, so naturally we didn't have that much stuff.

When Xu Leyao brought Zhu'er out, it was already noon.

"Go back once you're ready."

Jiang's mother gave Xu Leyao a deep look, then led Cai'er outside.

Seeing this, Xu Leyao followed.

After boarding the carriage at the Jiang residence, Xu Leyao closed her eyes to rest and did not speak to Jiang's mother.

Although there were two carriages when we came, only one is left to go back.

After all, the day after tomorrow is the day when Xu Leyao will be added to the family genealogy.

With only so many people in the Jiang household, some coachmen would have to be assigned to pick up the distinguished guests who had come from afar.

Xu Leyao understood this, so she didn't ask any further questions.

By the time the carriage finally returned to the Jiang residence, it was already evening.

After quickly eating a few bites of food, Xu Leyao took Zhu'er back to the courtyard.