Sima Qing sat on the floor, utterly bewildered, but Jiu Yue paid him no mind. She had already leapt energetically off the bed. Having slept heavily in her wedding attire all night, she felt uncomfortable and decided to go bathe.
Before leaving, she didn’t forget to threaten Sima Qing, "If I come back and the room is still in this state, you’ll be in for a beating."
Sima Qing couldn’t help but retort, "I’m the Prince Consort."
Not a kitchen hand.
"Didn’t think about that when you lied to me, did you?" Jiu Yue lifted her chin, snorted coldly, and mercilessly shut the door behind her.
Sima Qing: "…"
His expression of existential crisis eased Jiu Yue’s mood slightly. As she stepped into the courtyard, Lianqiao immediately hurried over.
"Your Highness!" The moment Lianqiao’s gaze landed on the wedding attire still draped over Jiu Yue, her smile froze. "Your Highness?"
Jiu Yue dragged her along to bathe. "Hurry and prepare for me, I need to—"
Before she could finish, her eyes caught sight of a cat and dog playfully tussling in the distance. Jiu Yue’s eyes lit up.
"La Ba!"
Lianqiao quickly explained, "Your Highness, yesterday Dan Ruo brought the dog over but left early to avoid disturbing you. She asked me to inform you…"
After returning from Tianqi, Meng Danruo had gained some recognition before Consort Ning. However, as Fu Yan'an had pointed out, there was no evidence linking Yan Muling’s departure to Consort Ning, so the latter had no reason to target Danruo.
After bringing Muling and Xue'er back, Meng Danruo didn’t return to the palace but continued serving Old Madam Fu instead. With her martial skills, staying at the Fu residence gave Jiu Yue peace of mind.
At yesterday’s palace banquet, the two had mentioned La Ba. Jiu Yue, recalling the cat Yan Zhouheng had sent, decided it was time to bring the dog over as well.
"It’s fine. I’ll visit Grandmother and the others when I have time." It had been a while since she last saw La Ba, and the dog had grown considerably.
Jiu Yue crouched on the ground, silent, simply watching from afar as La Ba bounded toward her, head held high and tail wagging excitedly.
Qiu Dongfang and Mei Wuchang were the two attendants Sima Qing had openly brought into the palace as part of his "dowry." At the moment, Mei Wuchang was still exploring the Eastern Palace with fresh curiosity, while Qiu Dongfang followed him, occasionally offering explanations.
When they unexpectedly wandered into the front courtyard, a dog flashed past them, causing Qiu Dongfang to freeze.
"That dog…"
Mei Wuchang, trembling, pointed ahead.
"Ji-Ji-Jiu…" He gulped, unable to believe his eyes. "Jiu Yue!"
Qiu Dongfang hadn’t yet noticed the figure crouching in the distance. His astonished gaze followed the dog as he absentmindedly agreed, "Right, how did you know Jiu Yue has a dog? This one looks so familiar…"
Then he, too, froze.
"Ji-Ji-Jiu…" Qiu Dongfang shakily pointed at the person. "Jiu Yue?!"
Jiu Yue stood up, holding the dog, and tilted her head with a grin. "Good morning, you two!"
Mei Wuchang & Qiu Dongfang: "!!!"
Jiu Yue didn’t linger for long, heading off to bathe soon after. Lianqiao, sharp-eyed, noticed how warmly Her Highness treated the two attendants brought by the Prince Consort, so she confidently entrusted the cat and dog to them before accompanying Jiu Yue to her bath.
Mei Wuchang cradled La Ba, overjoyed as if dreaming. "Brother Dongfang, am I hallucinating?"
Qiu Dongfang, holding the kitten in one hand and staring at the dog that clearly still recognized him, was beyond shocked.
"You’re not hallucinating!" He clapped Mei Wuchang’s shoulder, suddenly enlightened. "No wonder His Highness agreed to such a stifling marriage!"
Mei Wuchang, too, found a reasonable explanation. "No wonder he stopped mentioning hunting down tomb raiders after coming to Great Yan!"
The two exchanged glances, then burst into laughter as they happily petted the animals.
At this moment, nothing could bring them greater joy than seeing Jiu Yue alive!
Their forced smiles from earlier vanished, replaced by unrestrained grins as they chatted animatedly, as if celebrating the New Year.
"Wait a second," Qiu Dongfang belatedly realized. "Jiu Yue—er, Your Highness—is already up. Why hasn’t His Highness—uh, the Prince Consort—shown himself yet?"
Mei Wuchang craned his neck. "Should we go check on him?"
Qiu Dongfang hesitated. "That might not be appropriate…"
Mei Wuchang waved it off. "What’s the big deal? Jiu Yue’s so easygoing. Besides, we’re not barging in to cause trouble—just peeking from the doorway to see how the Prince Consort’s doing. She won’t mind."
With that, he tiptoed to the door… and gently pushed it open a crack.
Qiu Dongfang hurried after him.
One standing, one crouching, they both peeked through the gap—
Only to meet a pair of lifeless eyes.
The two: "…!!!"
The door abruptly swung open from inside, sending them tumbling forward. The cat and dog in their arms yelped and meowed in protest.
"Y-Your Highness…" Qiu Dongfang looked up awkwardly at Sima Qing’s impassive gaze.
"Call me Prince Consort." Sima Qing, freshly done cleaning, drifted past them. Glancing back at their stunned faces, his eyes fell on the cat and dog. "If they mess up the room…"
Mei Wuchang scrambled to his feet. "Don’t worry, Prince Consort!"
"No need to be too tense." Sima Qing smiled faintly, flicking his sleeves as he walked away. "If it gets messy, just remember to collect my corpse afterward."
The two: "…"
They exchanged solemn looks.
His Highness seemed… slightly unhinged.
Jiu Yue didn’t stay long in the Eastern Palace—she didn’t even eat breakfast. After freshening up, she went straight to see Emperor Yan.
She was a Crown Princess who got things done!
With Jiu Yue off to work, Sima Qing was left staring blankly at the cat and dog.
Mei Wuchang and Qiu Dongfang crouched nearby, sensing something off about their master since his "marriage" into the Eastern Palace.
"You just don’t get it," Lianqiao said knowingly, hands on her hips. "This is marriage! No matter how deep the love, once you tie the knot, the relationship undergoes a qualitative transformation!"
Mei Wuchang pressed, "Little sister, what kind of transformation do you think happened between them?"
Lianqiao narrowed her eyes. "Needs!"
Qiu Dongfang blinked. "How so?"
Lianqiao shook her head. "Before marriage, it’s all about emotional needs. After marriage, it shifts to value-based needs!"
The two were baffled.
"Tell your master that if he wants to win Her Highness’s heart, he must prove his worth!" Lianqiao emphasized the word "worth" meaningfully.
Though just a maid, Lianqiao knew a lot. Last night, on their wedding night, Her Highness hadn’t even removed her wedding attire—clearly, the consummation never happened.
Such a shame, with Her Highness being such a beauty. Tsk, no wonder this old man was unwanted!
Lianqiao lamented, "Tell your master to focus more on food!"
Maybe some tonics could still salvage things!
Her Highness’s happiness might still be within reach!
The two: "…"
Skeptical, they relayed the message.
"Focus on food?" Sima Qing stroked his chin, his cold expression finally softening slightly after a morning of tension.
"I understand now," he said with a sigh of relief.
There was still a chance.
