Yan Qinghe arrived looking travel-worn, his skin tanned to a healthy wheat color, making his teeth appear even whiter when he smiled.
"An'an, humans and animals are different. You can't marry that chicken!"
"How about marrying me instead?"
Song You'an suddenly looked up, gazing at him in disbelief.
She raised her hand, wanting to slap herself to see if it would hurt, to verify if this was a dream.
Before her hand could reach her face, Yan Qinghe hurriedly grasped it.
"Silly An'an."
Yan Qinghe embraced her, whispering softly in her ear: "Can you feel it? I'm warm."
Then, he blew gently on her ear.
"I'm still breathing."
"I'm alive."
"An'an, I've come back."
"Back to marry you."
"Is your wedding dress embroidered yet?"
Song You'an hugged him back, crying with a muffled voice: "I'm wearing it."
"How could the wedding dress not be embroidered when I'm already wearing it?"
At this moment, Old Master Song coughed, reminding them to start the ceremony first and not miss the auspicious time.
Qi Huan hid in the room, quickly searching through the express delivery storage for a set of bright red men's Hanfu.
She then threw it to Yan Qinghe: "Hurry and change!"
"Marry her!"
Yan Qinghe scratched his head and asked, "Isn't this a bit rushed?"
"It's not rushed," Song You'an tugged at his clothes and shook her head. "Marry me now, okay?"
She was afraid he would disappear again.
Only by marrying him immediately, legitimately holding him, and staying by his side watching him would she feel at ease.
One incense stick later.
The wedding officiant put on a wide smile and loudly announced the rites:
"First bow to Heaven and Earth."
"Second bow to the elders."
"Husband and wife bow to each other."
"The ceremony is complete—"
The newlyweds were thrown into the bridal chamber together.
It wasn't until the third day that Qi Huan learned what had happened.
It turned out that when Yan Qinghe was pursuing the fleeing ruler of Jin Kingdom, he encountered a sandstorm in the desert.
He got separated from the other soldiers.
He searched along the way, only encountering Gu Quan.
At night, the two gazed at the starry sky.
Without realizing it, they started talking about their respective fiancées.
So when Yan Qinghe discovered the enemy troops, he unhesitatingly took off his armor and gave it to Gu Quan.
With his superior martial arts skills, he didn't need it as much.
He wanted to bring Gu Quan back home together, so they could both marry their beloved girls.
The two caught up with the enemy troops with sheer determination. Just as Yan Qinghe beheaded the ruler of Jin Kingdom, Gu Quan's throat was slit by an enemy.
Most critically, the sandstorm came again!
Yan Qinghe was swept up and thrown far away.
When he finally made it out of the desert using a compass to navigate, he learned that the Yan Family Army had already returned to the capital.
And he was presumed dead?
He raced back without stopping, exhausting several horses along the way.
He was afraid that if he arrived too late, his little rabbit would be heartbroken.
But he still came back late, and his little rabbit's eyes were red from crying...
Yan Qinghe requested a very, very, very long leave to stay home and devote himself to accompanying his wife.
Occasionally, he would bring An'an to the palace to play with the Little Prince and Little Princess.
The Little Prince looked like Shu, while the Little Princess still resembled Shu.
The siblings were fair and tender, soft and adorable, loved by all who saw them, bringing joy wherever they went...
They were so cute that even Tao Su was reluctant to leave the palace to get married.
Zhu Yan had to take an indirect approach:
"Little Tao, I've poached all the pastry chefs who make shortbread cookies and the cooks who used to make roast duck at Jinyu Building for the Forgetfulness Tea House!"
"Once you marry me, you can eat as much as you want!"
Tao Su swallowed and said, "My mother says when your heart flutters, you should take action. When shall we have our wedding ceremony?"
"Now!"
Zhu Yan picked her up and ran!
He'd take her home first and then figure things out!
*
When Tao Su got married, Qi Huan gave her a generous dowry and secretly brought the Little Prince and Little Princess to attend her wedding.
The two little ones were now three years old. They looked harmless and adorable on the outside, but in reality, they were like black sesame-filled white rice balls, just like their imperial father.
The siblings, reluctant to part with Aunt Tao Su, blocked the doorway with puffed-up cheeks, racking their brains to test Zhu Yan who had come to escort the bride.
The Little Prince put on a serious face and solemnly asked:
"If Aunt Tao Su fell into the water, would you eat shortbread cookies first, or roast duck?"
"Shortbread cookies..."
Hearing this, the Little Prince immediately turned to Tao Su and tattled: "Aunt Tao Su, he said shortbread cookies are more important than you!"
"You should come back to the palace with us."
Everyone burst into laughter, unable to contain their amusement.
Yan Qing coaxed, "The Little Prince is right. Zhu Yan only wants shortbread cookies, so shall we just give him cookies?"
The Little Prince nodded, putting his hands behind his back and maintaining his serious expression: "We'll only give him edible shortbread cookies!"
"Alright, alright."
Zhu Yan took away the "edible" Tao Su...
*
In the blink of an eye, the Little Prince and Little Princess reached the age where they were a handful for everyone.
In Yonghuan Palace.
Qi Huan was chasing the Little Princess with a feather duster, panting heavily.
The Little Princess's lightness skill was superb, and she quickly leapt onto the roof, making faces at her mother: "Mother, come and catch me! Come on, come on!"
Qi Huan jumped up in frustration, but barely got off the ground before falling back down...
She let out an "ouch," pretending to have twisted her ankle.
"It hurts, it hurts..."
"Wan Wan, Mother is in so much pain, wuwu..."
The Little Princess immediately panicked and jumped down to check on her.
But Qi Huan quickly grabbed her collar and smacked her palm twice: "Will you ever dare to stick a turtle on the Grand Tutor's back again?"
The Little Princess lowered her head, promptly admitting defeat.
Catching a glimpse of her father, she immediately ran to complain!
"Father, what would you do if someone hit your daughter?!"
Li Shuchen reached out to pick her up, gazing at Huan with adoring eyes. His clear voice, filled with endless tenderness and affection, chuckled in response:
"Then I would hit her daughter!"
Little Princess: ???
She couldn't stay in this family for another minute!
She struggled to get down, snorted coldly, and ran off to find her imperial brother.
Before she could run two steps, she was picked up by her father again.
Li Shuchen carried his daughter towards Qi Huan.
"What did Wan Wan do wrong this time?"
"Huan, next time just tell me directly, and I'll help you deal with her. No need to tire your hands."
Little Princess: ???
Was she really their biological child?
Qi Huan looked into her daughter's bright, round eyes and earnestly educated her:
"Wan Wan, put yourself in someone else's shoes. If someone stuck a turtle on your back, wouldn't you be upset?"
"I would!"
She would stick two back at them!
"So you see, the Grand Tutor would be upset too. He teaches Chao Chao and Wan Wan so diligently, yet Wan Wan sticks a turtle on his back..."
"...I'm sorry."
"Wan Wan, you should say this to the Grand Tutor."
Qi Huan gently patted her little head, smiling as she said, "Our Wan Wan is the best little princess, knowing to correct her mistakes. There's no greater virtue than that."
"Wan Wan should be a good child who is polite and respects her teachers."
"Remember to apologize to the Grand Tutor tomorrow."
The Little Princess nodded obediently: "Mm!"
The next day.
She solemnly bowed to the Grand Tutor: "Grand Tutor, I'm sorry."
"It's alright... Please copy out the Book of Rites once and bring it to me within three days, Princess."
Little Princess: ???
This is what he calls "alright"?
...Suddenly, she really wanted to stick two big turtles on the Grand Tutor's back.
*
At night.
She miserably held her book, wanting to find her imperial brother for help, but saw a wooden sign hanging on his door that read "Asleep, Do Not Disturb."
She then went to find her father, who was busy in the small kitchen making a midnight snack for her mother.
Seeing her arrive, he casually picked up a piece of crispy meat and stuffed it in her mouth, sending her away.
Finally, she went to find her mother.
Her mother was humming a tune while unpacking express deliveries, and had just unpacked a set of pink, frilly Lolita-style dress, which she held up against her daughter.
The Little Princess immediately fled in panic.
She didn't want to wear such a pink and frilly dress!
All the palace servants had long been ordered by her father and mother not to help her copy the book.
She was heartbroken and was about to run away from home.
But suddenly, she encountered the guardian deity of Li Country—the Do a Good Deed Every Day System, who was both handsome and clever.
The princess and the system sat side by side on the roof, looking up at the moonlight.
"Brother System, can you help this princess copy the book?"
"Do you have any points?"
"No."
"No deal."
