Chapter 244: Chapter 244

"Mother, mother, have you missed your precious darling daughter?"

Right after lunch, as soon as she returned to her room, An Ning rushed into her mother's embrace like a young swallow returning to its nest, the hem of her dress embroidered with countless golden-threaded crimson phoenixes tracing a beautiful arc through the air.

Mmm~ It was indeed the familiar scent, fragrant and soft. Wuhu, bliss...

As if that wasn't enough, An Ning couldn't help but nuzzle closer.

Seeing her , Yu couldn't help but smile, her eyes crinkling with joy as she almost eagerly reached out to pull her precious daughter close.

Knowing what her mother wanted to ask, before the other could speak, An Ning lifted her head on her own, her lovely, radiant face showing pure innocence:

"Don't worry, mother, your daughter is doing just fine. The manor has so many delicious foods and fun things, I can sleep as long as I want every day... Oh right..."

As if remembering something, An Ning's eyes lit up again: "That's right, mother, didn't I mention the hot spring estate in the suburbs before? When the weather gets a bit cooler in some time, you should come stay with me for a while. Anyway, big sister-in-law is watching over things at home..."

Tugging at her mother's sleeve, An Ning spoke in a coquettish tone.

But now it was different—the very next day after the wedding, they had already beautifully fallen into her little treasury.

Especially in winter, just thinking about it made her happy.

After all, with her current meager cultivation, she hadn't yet reached the point of being completely unaffected by cold and heat. Having gone eight hundred years without feeling cold or hot, she really wasn't used to it anymore.

Besides, given her husband's physical condition, they were always worried about him catching cold. Every winter, they would need to go to the villa for recuperation. Because of this, all the estates under the prince's manor were built extremely comfortably.

An Ning had glimpsed them before—they weren't much worse than some imperial retreats. One could only say that the emperor was truly generous toward this younger brother.

Hehe, when there's something enjoyable, naturally she had to think of her dear mother.

"If mother feels traveling is inconvenient, we can have little brother come along too!"

Hot springs, and most importantly, her precious daughter—as someone who also loved luxury, Yu was naturally tempted, but after a moment she still shook her head. Gently holding her daughter's hand, her hibiscus-like beautiful eyes filled with laughter:

"You and His Highness have just married—this is the time when you need to spend time together. Having elders around would be rather inconvenient."

"That's not a problem either. The hot spring estate next to the villa also belongs to the manor."

"Anyway, the distance between them isn't far, it's convenient for me to come find you. Mother doesn't need to feel uncomfortable either."

It seemed her daughter really was living well indeed.

While the mother and daughter were talking, in the study, Yang's father deftly placed down the white jade chess piece in his hand while discreetly observing this noble young son-in-law before him.

As the saying goes, a gentleman should master six arts. As a Tanhua (third-place imperial exam scholar) and a truly formidable person who had fought his way up the official ranks, Yang's father was clearly a six-sided warrior with plenty of cunning.

Especially in chess, he was outstanding among the outstanding.

Unexpectedly, this seemingly frail son-in-law who had been diagnosed by numerous imperial physicians since childhood as unfit for strenuous work was no less capable. Appearing gentle and casual, yet every move contained killing intent, his responses could truly be called masterful.

Indeed, the imperial family truly had no simple people.

When the game ended, looking at this son-in-law in ordinary clothes who appeared refined and polite, then thinking of his own little daughter who was so transparent you could see right through her...

Such a stark contrast. Even someone as usually composed as Yang's father couldn't help but feel the impulse to facepalm.

Truth be told, given his little daughter's temperament, according to Yang Yuanze's original plans, he never intended to marry her into a complicated household. It would be best to find her a position as the wife of a second son from a family with simple dynamics—some authority to protect her, but without needing to manage household affairs, living carefree.

With him as her father watching over her, and given that A-Ning had always been open-minded plus her good looks, he thought her future life wouldn't be too bad.

Compared to the eldest who had too many thoughts but always missed the main point, the little daughter was actually easier to handle.

But after the luck-borrowing incident emerged, someone as clever as Yang Yuanze knew immediately that his earlier plans were definitely impossible. The subsequent movements in the palace only further confirmed his suspicions.

However, the current situation...

Thinking of the scene in the front hall earlier, even Yang's father had to admit that while his daughter might usually be a bit foolish, she ultimately had some luck.

Not to mention distant matters—compared to all those chaotic prince mansions, undoubtedly the one before him was the optimal solution.

Considering the emperor's unusual level of regard since the marriage decree was issued, Yang Yuanze's hand holding the teacup paused slightly for a moment, but it was fleeting, not revealing anything on his face.

"Father-in-law, rest assured, your son-in-law will definitely not let A-Ning suffer any grievances."

Pretending not to notice the slightly subtle scrutiny from the person before him, Situ Jing's gaze remained warm. Apart from his naturally noble bearing, his movements didn't carry much of the arrogance typical of imperial family members.

Yang Yuanze also smiled gently. In the morning light, the celadon teacup in his hand showed some pale white:

"Your Highness is too kind. My daughter has been spoiled since childhood, her temperament has always been rather lax. This official pities her and ultimately cannot bear to restrain her too much. If there are any improprieties in the future, I hope Your Highness will be more understanding..."

"How could that be? A-Ning is pure, sincere, and cheerful. In this prince's view, there isn't a single thing wrong with her..."

By the time the father-in-law and son-in-law emerged from the study one after the other, over half an hour had passed.

In the front hall, Eldest Brother Yang who had been waiting there along with Cui Yu quickly stepped forward. As if about to rise and offer greetings, but before they could speak, they saw the "elaborately dressed" Little Brother Yang already slipping over from the corner:

"Brother-in-law, brother-in-law, I heard your manor has many fun things. Can... can I come to your manor to play with big sister in the future?"

As if realizing something, Little Brother Yang scratched his head, unusually somewhat embarrassed.

His gaze pausing on the other's facial expression that was particularly similar to his princess consort's, thinking of the occasional fragments A-Ning had mentioned before, unconsciously, Situ Jing's eyes already held some laughter:

"Third brother, you're too polite. A-Ning often has free time—it would naturally be good to have someone come keep her company!"

Yes! Hearing the other's agreement, Little Brother Yang's eyes instantly lit up. With one hand behind his back, he secretly gave himself a victory sign.

Sigh, since third sister married away, the manor had become utterly boring. There wasn't even anyone to play with birds together anymore.

He heard that before third sister married away, she specifically built an aviary in the manor. Besides, with third sister around, it was definitely going to be super interesting. Hehe...