The young man with eyebrows like distant mountains expressed his affection with deep passion: "This jade pendant was bestowed by my father, the Emperor, to be given to the woman I love in the future; besides you, no one else is worthy."

The Qilin Jade Pendant was smooth and lustrous, resembling solidified cream, with a gleam of white waves emerging from the jade, and its texture was tender and fine, the top of white jade.

Liu Qingxi also looked deeply into the man’s eyes, but stealthily ran her fingers over the Qilin Jade Pendant a few more times. After confirming it was indeed fine jade, she spoke with a shy and bright demeanor: "I naturally trust you, but you know I love only you. I’m afraid that once you wear the imperial robe, with three thousand beauties in the harem, you will forget a mere concubine from the Eastern Palace.

Only as your Empress will you remember me at all times. Changnian, can you understand my feelings?"

The girl’s love was tender and intoxicating as she spoke.

Li Changnian’s heart melted, and he hurriedly replied: "I definitely understand. Rest assured, I will strive to secure your status so that you can accompany me openly and rightfully."

At the same time, he reached out his long arms and pulled her into his embrace.

The girl obediently snuggled into him, recognizing that the words from the man before her were indeed sincere.

Upon entering the Eastern Palace, naturally, she had her ways to climb step by step.

Though there was a smile on her face, her eyes were cold and filled with calculation.

...

Ye Zhi, shivering among the artificial rocks, thought frantically, why did she have to act so nosy and come to eavesdrop on this?

What talk of wearing an imperial robe, being crowned Empress, secret meetings, and lifelong commitment between Liu Qingxi and the Crown Prince—was this something she was supposed to overhear? 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

If Liu Qingxi found out, she was doomed. Just thinking about it made her afraid to even breathe loudly, for fear of being discovered.

Curiosity killed the cat...

Liu Qingxi snuggled lightly against the Crown Prince’s shoulder, suddenly remembering something, and said aggrievedly: "Changnian, Ye Zhi from the Minister’s Mansion often bullies me, you must help me avenge this. You are my man, if you don’t stand up for me, who will?"

Ye Zhi, hiding among the artificial rocks, thought: there are some words that perhaps shouldn’t be spoken...

Li Changnian touched the twin buns she had styled that day and moved his lips.

"Bear the grievances for now. Lord Minister is an important official in the court currently, making a move on someone from the Ye Mansion might mire me in trouble. Ye Yuan is dull and sluggish, yet his daughter is so arrogant and domineering. When I become Emperor someday, I will definitely avenge your humiliation. Rest assured, if there is an opportunity, I will secretly teach her a lesson during this time."

In front of his beloved woman, he did not use any imperial appellations or respectful language.

Instead, he directly referred to himself as I.

This shows how much he cares~

"Mmm, I knew you are the best to me." Liu Qingxi did not press further, clearly understanding right from wrong.

The two continued their affectionate chatter and cuddled for quite a while before parting.

The outside fell silent.

A quarter of an hour later, Ye Zhi dared to crawl out from the artificial rocks, patting her small chest with a lingering fear. Was this the kind of scheme written in the books?

Did the male lead change, becoming Li Changnian?

After a small laugh, she hurriedly covered her mouth. Seeing no one around, she relaxed, her eyebrows arched like crescents, and with this realization, her heart felt much lighter. That little traitor and Liu Qingxi were not a couple after all.

As she left, she noticed the courtyard gate was closed.

Feeling good, Ye Zhi didn’t bother to open it. Instead, with a light step on her toes, she leaped over the wall.

Not daring to linger too long, she quickly took a quiet path and used Qinggong to meet Sister Lu He at the bottom of the mountain. As soon as she arrived, without saying much, she quickly instructed the coachman to drive away, fearing an encounter with the Crown Prince causing trouble.