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Xiao Jinyan saw the Empress eating hotpot for the first time. He discovered that his mother, like Xiao Jiu, was extremely orderly and uniform when it came to food.

Thinking of the words Uncle Ye had said, he stared at his mother for a long while. He really wanted to ask if she had truly worried about him when he was sent to Nanzhao Country as a hostage in those days.

And he wanted to ask if it really wasn’t him who had pushed his brother all those years ago.

But he didn’t dare to ask, fearing that asking would only lead to disappointment.

Shen Chuwei picked some non-spicy beef for Xiao Jinyan and put it in the bowl in front of him, "Your Highness, eat the meat. This isn’t spicy."

Xiao Jinyan came back to his senses, looked down at the meat in the bowl, glanced at Xiao Jiu, and seeing her looking at him with anticipation, he gripped his chopsticks tightly and picked up a piece of beef to eat.

Seeing him eat, Shen Chuwei then used a strainer to scoop up meat into her own bowl and began to eat.

The Empress also didn’t want to be left behind, picking up meat to put into her own bowl, then dipping it in sauce before eating.

Ye Chu ate the non-spicy meat leisurely, the flavor indeed was somewhat unremarkable.

Until the end of the evening meal, Xiao Jinyan still hadn’t managed to ask the questions he wanted to ask.

Back in the room, Xiao Jinyan looked at Xiao Jiu who was nursing the child. He sat down in front of the writing desk and noticed a drawing board on it. With curiosity, he picked it up and froze upon seeing the drawing.

The painting depicted him just after returning to the palace, when he had placed his face against Xiao Jiu’s stomach.

He knew about Xiao Jiu’s painting skills, which could be described as exquisitely delicate, to the point of blurring the line between fake and real.

The painting was incredibly warm and harmonious and through it, one could see the depth of their affection.

He looked up at Shen Chuwei, "Xiao Jiu, this painting is very good."

Shen Chuwei’s eyes curved in a smile, "Your Highness, do you like it?"

"I like it very much." Xiao Jinyan stood up, went over to sit beside her, his long fingers lifting her chin as he bent down and kissed her.

Shen Chuwei’s eyes widened as Xiao Jinyan kissed her in front of the child.

Susu, being squeezed between them, was forcibly fed a large mouthful of dog food.

Xiao Jinyan, finding his daughter in the way, picked her up and placed her in the small bed. Returning to the bedside, he continued the kiss they had left unfinished.

When the clothes came off, Xiao Jinyan looked her over and gave his verdict.

"Xiao Jiu, your figure is perfect now."

Shen Chuwei, still dazed from the kiss, suddenly heard him say this and was momentarily confused.

Xiao Jinyan pinched her waist and whispered in her ear, "There’s some flesh grown here, the touch has become so much better."

Shen Chuwei belatedly realized that Xiao Jinyan was implying she had gained weight.

So, the hope for more delicious food disappeared.

Xiao Jinyan suddenly asked, "Xiao Jiu, you say the Empress actually cares about me, right?"

Xiao Jinyan was asking Shen Chuwei, but he didn’t give her a chance to answer, sealing her lips tightly with his own.

No one to disturb them, they did as they pleased.

*

Since the Empress ran away from the palace, more than two months have passed, and the babies are now three months old.

The weather in April also started to warm up.

Besides practicing swordsmanship with Ye Chu daily, the Empress would also make clothes with Qing Ying for the babies and occasionally read storybooks, making her life quite fulfilling.

But inside the Imperial Palace, a shadow had fallen.

A secret report had been received, necessitating the Emperor’s urgent return.

A succession of matters had kept the Emperor so busy he couldn’t escape, and at the same time, he had not given up searching for the Empress.

In the end, with no other choice, the Emperor even summoned General Chang into the palace and informed him about the Empress’s departure, mainly wanting to know if the Empress had been in contact with her maternal family after leaving.

When General Chang learned that his beloved daughter had run away from the palace, he was extremely anxious. After leaving the palace, he personally led people to search for her.

Once the urgent matters were dealt with and the Emperor’s nerves relaxed, he became unbearably fatigued, not having had a good night’s sleep for a long time. At that moment, he was exhausted to the core.

For several days in a row, the Emperor would wake from nightmares, sweating profusely. Looking at the empty Fengyi Palace, he could no longer find sleep.

"Lingling, where on earth have you gone?"

The next morning, the Emperor put on casual clothes again and left the palace to search for the Empress.

The city had been searched countless times without any sign of the Empress, confirming that she was not in the city.

The Emperor rode straight out of the City Gate, galloping into the outskirts.

*

The three-month-old babies were already rolling over.

Taotao had fallen into a deep slumber after feeding.

Susu was holding a fur ball in her hand. After kicking twice with her little legs and arms, she rolled over onto her brother, her plump little face fitting snugly against her brother’s.

The unsuspecting Susu opened her mouth and took a bite at her brother’s cheek.

Taotao, who had been sleeping soundly, was awakened by a face full of drool—there was no way to stay asleep.

Seeing his sister, with her mouth open, ready to take a second bite, Taotao blinked his beautiful little eyes, pondering whether to push her away or push her away again?

Remembering that it was his sister, he held back and didn’t move.

When Shen Chuwei entered, she saw Susu half on top of Taotao. But that wasn’t all; Susu was using her little mouth to nibble on Taotao’s face.

Taotao’s expression of disgust that he couldn’t quite show amused Shen Chuwei.

"Susu, this is your brother, not food, you can’t bite him with your mouth," Shen Chuwei turned her daughter’s little body over, and saw her daughter smiling very happily.

A three-month-old baby laughs a lot more than a one-month-old, and the features have also developed, looking even cuter.

Taotao, having been rescued, lost the will to sleep as well, wiggling his little legs and arms, rolling over, curiously observing his surroundings.

When the Empress came in, she saw Taotao and Susu lying in the crib.

Susu shuffled closer to her brother with her legs, grabbed his hand, and stuffed it into her mouth.

"Susu, why did you put your brother’s hand into your mouth?" the Empress asked as she pulled Taotao’s hand out.

At that moment, Qing Ying walked in from outside.

"Empress, the Guard outside sent a message that the Emperor has come to the outskirts again."

ps: One update.

Do you want the babies to see the Emperor finding the Empress in the next Chapter? Meeting the love rival?