Chapter 1253: Chapter 762: Growing Up, Meeting Again (Second Update)

From then on, An Ji followed at Xiao Luming’s side, becoming the Crown Prince’s one and only study companion, and his status rose with the tide; everyone who saw An Ji would give him three points of courtesy.

With An Ji’s company, Xiao Luming was no longer so lonely, but he was stunned to discover that the things he had to deal with were getting more and more.

In the past, he only governed the country when Father Emperor was away; now that Father Emperor was around, he was still doing regent work, and as he grew older, the matters he took on just kept increasing.

Even An Ning felt that something was a bit off.

Previously Xiao Jinxing had been busy with state affairs and was rarely free during the day.

Most of the time he only came to her place at night to dine, and then spend a beautiful night together...

But lately, at least three out of seven days he was in her bedchamber in broad daylight, accompanying her in practicing calligraphy, playing the zither, drinking tea, and playing chess.

"Have the ministers all been very well‑behaved lately?" An Ning played Go with Xiao Jinxing as she asked in surprise.

"Hm?"

"No disputes, no memorials?"

"More or less." Xiao Jinxing dropped a stone, answering carelessly.

"More or less?" An Ning was even more confused.

He wasn’t sure himself.

"Mainly Luming is taking care of most of it." Xiao Jinxing said indifferently.

"Xiao Jinxing, aren’t you retiring a bit too early?!" An Ning couldn’t help spitting complaints, and finally realized why, when she asked the children over for dinner these days, Luming was always absent. "Luming is only seven, not even eight yet! And you’re only thirty, and you already want to lie flat?!"

Xiao Jinxing was a little dumbfounded by An Ning’s string of modern slang, but he was used to it and could basically understand what she meant. He chuckled and said, "There’s An Ji by Luming’s side now, helping him scheme, and Song Yanqing guiding him from the sidelines. He can handle memorials with ease now. Only a very small number of memorials he can’t decide on, he’ll report to me separately. There won’t be any major problem."

Was she worried about big problems?!

What she was angry about was Xiao Jinxing bullying a child!

"You lost!" An Ning was still fuming when Xiao Jinxing suddenly said triumphantly.

An Ning glared at Xiao Jinxing.

"A bet’s a bet." Xiao Jinxing smiled with wicked charm. "Bring your face over here."

An Ning reluctantly still offered up her forehead.

They had just agreed that whoever lost would get their forehead flicked.

An Ning had no idea when Xiao Jinxing had become so childish too?!

Could it be that after he sat in the "Supreme Emperor" seat, his true nature changed.

An Ning closed her eyes.

She didn’t know how hard Xiao Jinxing would flick her forehead.

Xiao Jinxing poised his fingers in a flicking gesture; the moment he looked at An Ning’s forehead, the emotion in his eyes instantly softened, and he only brushed her forehead lightly.

An Ning’s lips curled in a small smile.

She knew Xiao Jinxing couldn’t bear to really hit her.

She was just about to move away.

When Xiao Jinxing suddenly pulled her into his arms.

An Ning was startled.

The chess pieces at their side scattered all over the floor.

The Palace Attendants nearby were already used to this, still "see no evil, hear no evil," waiting respectfully.

"Xiao Jinxing!" An Ning wriggled.

Xiao Jinxing had already pressed An Ning down on the soft couch.

"What are you doing?!"

"From childhood till now, I’ve never lost to Wu Xufan in anything." Xiao Jinxing suddenly spoke.

An Ning frowned.

What was this guy suddenly bringing up Wu Xufan for.

"And now he actually shows off to my face about how many sons he has!"

"..." You can even compete over having kids?!

They say women are jealous.

Looks like men’s competitiveness is well‑deserved too.

"It’s been so long, how come there’s not the slightest sign?" Xiao Jinxing’s long fingers very clearly pointed at her belly.

An Ning was speechless.

This kind of thing, who knows?!

Anyway, she had no problem, and Xiao Jinxing had no problem.

The only possibility was...

Too frequent, poor quality.

"As your husband, I can only trust that Heaven rewards diligence!"

As soon as he finished speaking.

Xiao Jinxing lunged at her.

"Mmph..."

She was considering whether to tell him that when anything goes too far, it backfires! 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

...

Xiao Luming’s busy hours grew longer and longer.

At first he could still see Father Emperor occasionally dropping by to check up on him, to see whether he was properly handling government affairs, to see if there was anything he couldn’t decide. But later, gradually, Father Emperor disappeared for longer and longer stretches; he was always taking Mother Empress out of the palace to play, and every time they left it was at least ten days to half a month, and sometimes two or three months. It went on like that until he turned ten, when Mother Empress finally became pregnant again.