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It’s all worry and haste to an early grave!

Isn’t it better to live a long and healthy life with the one you love?

Chu Jinling shattered Noble Consort Xiao’s fantasy, and she heaved a sigh, “Nevermind, nevermind, I was just joking with your Imperial Aunt. Go play.”

“Auntie, come play with me too! Mother and I are sick of all the glittering treasures in this palace, come on!”

Chu Jinling took Su Yingxue by the hand and left, not caring about how Noble Consort Xiao was left behind in the palace.

As Su Yingxue ran out of the palace with him, she asked with a curious expression, “You’re just leaving your mother behind? Aren’t you worried she’ll be lonely?”

In her mind, the women of the harem fought tooth and nail for favor and power—it was hardly an easy life.

Of course, it wasn’t easy for Noble Consort Xiao to become a woman of the imperial palace for the sake of her family either.

And her conversation with Su Yingxue was quite interesting.

However, Chu Jinling quickly corrected her impression, “My mother is never alone.”

“Never alone?” Su Yingxue narrowed her eyes slightly, looking at Chu Jinling with suspicion.

Her gaze made Chu Jinling feel uneasy, but considering his father had served his time as Emperor, he simply told Su Yingxue, “My mother has a secret passage in the palace through which she can leave. She doesn’t care whether the Emperor favors her or not, she enjoys her freedom on the outside, and honestly, she has more fun than my father ever could!”

In his opinion, his mother as Imperial Consort was living a life far happier than his father as the Emperor.

Surprise flickered in Su Yingxue’s eyes. “Noble Consort Xiao… has a tunnel? Wait! The crew that your cousin formed, it was to serve your mother, wasn’t it?”

So capable, able to dig tunnels and burrow through anywhere!

Digging a tunnel out of the imperial palace seemed like no tough feat for them.

“Right! After she gave birth to me and was promoted to Imperial Consort, her position was secure. And with all the money she had, why would she willingly confine herself to the palace for life? She’s always been free-spirited and unrestrained,” he said, casually flipping his hair with a satisfied smile on his face.

Seeing his demeanor, Su Yingxue was no longer overly surprised by Noble Consort Xiao’s actions.

After all, money can enable all manner of desires.

Plus, Noble Consort Xiao lived such a clear and unrestrained life, which seemed to rub off on Chu Jinling as well.

“Jinling, be honest with me—when you were a child, did you ever sneak out of the palace with your mother to play?”

“Of course! When I skipped classes and went to my mother’s, she would take me to the gambling den. Together, we won quite a bit of silver! Who else do you think taught me how to gamble?”

Chu Jinling winked, making Su Yingxue even more envious.

If only Long Shuli hadn’t left so early, she might have enjoyed herself more than even Noble Consort Xiao.

After leaving the palace, Su Yingxue returned to the Ninth Prince’s Mansion.

Although Chu Yihan indulged her, letting her stay at the Marquis’s Manor or the prince’s mansion, she was conscious of her status as a married woman, so she chose to remain at her husband’s house, waiting for him to come back.

The old steward was overjoyed to see her, and the whole prince’s mansion wept tears of happiness in her presence for half an hour. She comforted each of them before returning to the courtyard she shared with Chu Yihan as newlyweds.

Everything was kept just as it was on their wedding day, with the red silk and glass lanterns lining the courtyard glowing at dusk, a breathtaking sight.

Su Yingxue lay on the wedding bed where the thoughtful steward had placed items like red dates and peanuts before her return, just like on the night of the wedding.

Rolling on the bed and munching on red dates, Su Yingxue felt an increasing sense of loss.

Chu Yihan hadn’t returned, and she had no idea when he would.