I started as a concubine, and I made the crown prince cry with my delicious food.

A warm breakfast completely dispelled the awkwardness and tension between the two of them caused by "sharing a bed".

After finishing his meal, Xiao Jingshi was about to go to court.

His trip to Jiangnan has been of unparalleled merit, and today's morning court session is destined to become his personal commendation ceremony.

Ye An'an personally straightened the collar of his court robes, smoothing out every wrinkle. Her movements were as natural as those of a wife who had done this a thousand times before, seeing her husband off at the door.

"Keep it up." She clenched her fist slightly and made a thumbs-up gesture, her smile growing even sweeter.

"Mm." Xiao Jingshi nodded, looking at her smiling face as if he had drunk honey.

He reached out, imagining touching her head as he had done the night before, or perhaps smoothing the stray hairs at her temples, or maybe even kissing her?

But halfway through reaching out his hand, he felt that making such an intimate gesture in broad daylight, in front of so many palace servants, seemed... somewhat inappropriate.

In the end, he withdrew his hand, gave her a deep look, and then turned and left.

As Ye An'an watched his tall figure disappear into the entrance of Tinglan Water Pavilion, she suddenly felt a sense of emptiness in her heart.

Habits are a terrible thing.

Although she was worried when he wasn't around, she still enjoyed her life.

But he had only been back for less than a day, and she was already starting to feel uncomfortable with his absence.

"Sigh..." she sighed softly.

"Your Majesty, why are you sighing?" Fuyun asked curiously from the side.

"It's nothing." Ye An'an shook her head, forcing herself to cheer up. "Come on, let's not just sit around. Let's go to the small kitchen and figure out what to have for lunch."

She decided to channel her longing into her appetite.

What should I do?

Xiao Jingshi will definitely have lunch in the palace. Perhaps, if his father is in a good mood, he will simply keep him at the Hall of Mental Cultivation for lunch.

But what if he comes back?

She needs to prepare something delicious for him.

It needs to smell good, taste delicious, and... reflect her dedication.

Ye An'an paced around the small kitchen several times, countless dish names flashing through her mind.

Finally, her gaze fell on the water vat, on the several very energetic hens that had just been brought from the imperial kitchen that morning.

Got it!

Let's make chicken hot pot!

Just do it!

Ye An'an first chopped the chicken into pieces, then instructed Fuyun to peel scallions and then a few cloves of garlic.

Then I soaked the chicken in water, stir-fried scallions, ginger and garlic in a small wok, and then remembered that I could add instant noodles, which I happened to have on hand.

Stir-fry the fresh chicken in a pan. As the chicken heats up, the skin shrinks and slowly turns golden brown.

Ye An'an added the soybean paste and water, then took out a large earthenware pot and poured everything from the pot into it. She simmered it for a while before adding the instant noodles.

Everything is ready, now we just wait for the chicken to release its aroma before adding the instant noodles.

She instructed Chenzhu to steam the rice as well, while Ye An'an chopped the celery and stir-fried it in a small pot. She also added some chili peppers and put it into a ceramic jar. She also broke the instant noodles into small pieces and added some mushrooms to the jar.

The savory aroma slowly began to permeate the air, and in less than fifteen minutes, the lid was opened.

Ye An'an opened the lid of the earthenware pot. The broth in the chicken pot had completely evaporated, and the noodles lay limply on top of the chicken.

"Alright! It's ready!"

"Wow!"

Fuyun and Chenzhu, standing to the side, were practically drooling from the smell.

Ye An'an smiled smugly. This is a famous dish that is popular in many snack shops nowadays.

……

When Xiao Jingshi returned from the court, it was already past noon.

Today, he was indeed kept in the Hall of Mental Cultivation by the emperor to hear his report on various matters in Jiangnan. The emperor was overjoyed and, in front of all the civil and military officials, bestowed upon him countless gold and silver treasures, fertile fields, and beautiful mansions.

But he wasn't interested in any of these things.

He kept thinking about the little kitchen in Tinglan Water Pavilion, wondering what surprise she would prepare for him today.

He politely declined the emperor's offer to stay for lunch, citing "being tired from traveling for days and needing to return to the palace to rest" as the reason, and immediately returned to the Eastern Palace.

As soon as he entered the courtyard of Tinglan Water Pavilion, he smelled an extremely delicious aroma.

Then he saw the woman sitting at the stone table, resting her chin on her hand, seemingly waiting for him to come home.

On the table in front of her were several small pots, still steaming with the aroma of meat.

"Your Highness, you're back!" Ye An'an's eyes lit up when she saw him, and she immediately stood up. "Come and try this! I made something delicious for you!"

Xiao Jingshi walked over and smelled the savory aroma emanating from the small pot. In his heart, that familiar, warm feeling welled up again.

He sat down, picked up his chopsticks, and took a piece of meat.

He put it in his mouth and took a gentle bite.

The first bite was slightly spicy, but it was very flavorful, with all the chicken's aroma infused into the flavor. The noodles had a soft yet firm texture, and were very elastic. One bite was pure satisfaction.

The stewed meat is very tender yet chewy, with a slight spiciness. The vegetables underneath have absorbed all the broth, and with one bite, the delicious flavors of the soup burst in your mouth.

The mushrooms in the chicken hot pot are the most fragrant, soaking up all the broth, and they're so juicy and easy to chew.

good to eat!

It was so delicious that he felt that all the gold and silver mountains bestowed upon him by the emperor could not compare to this chicken stew in front of him.

He ate one bite after another, and soon finished half of the portion.

Ye An'an just sat there, resting her chin on her hand, watching him eat with a smile, without saying a word.

She liked watching him eat.

Look at his usually aloof and indifferent face, now showing a satisfied and enjoyable expression because of the food.

This made her feel that everything she did was full of meaning.

Xiao Jingshi was enjoying his meal when suddenly, as if he remembered something, he stopped eating.

He looked up and glanced at Ye An'an.

Then, silently, he picked up another piece of chicken.

However, he did not eat it himself.

He used chopsticks to place the meat on Ye An'an's rice.

Then, she picked out the largest, most intact, and plumpest mushroom and placed it in the clean little dish in front of Ye An'an.

His movements were somewhat clumsy.

After all, his hands, which were used to write and review memorials and wield a sword to command the country, had never done such delicate work of "serving people".

But he did it anyway.

After he finished, he didn't dare to look at Ye An'an anymore. He just lowered his head and pretended to concentrate on eating the remaining noodles.

But his flushed ears completely betrayed his inner nervousness and...shyness.

Ye An'an looked at the mushroom covered in soup on her plate.

This... is really unnecessary.

But she received this sentiment.

Even the aloof and pampered Crown Prince, who never lifts a finger, has broken the rules to care for others.