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

Ye An'an, without any regard for anything else, threw herself into Xiao Jingshi's arms.

Her face was pressed tightly against his firm chest, and she could clearly hear his steady yet slightly accelerated heartbeat.

She smelled the cool, pleasant scent of pine on him and felt as if she had found a warm harbor where she could dock.

All the emotions, all the grievances, all the longing, at this moment, turned into silent tears, soaking the front of his shirt.

Xiao Jingshi was instantly stunned by her sudden embrace.

He could feel the soft, warm body in his arms, with a faint fragrance.

He could feel her shoulders trembling slightly from crying.

His heart felt as if it were being tightly gripped by a soft hand. It ached, it tingled, and...it hurt.

He raised his hand, somewhat stiffly, and placed it on her back, gently patting it.

"Alright, stop crying." His voice was gentle and clumsy, unlike anything he'd ever used before. "Why are you still crying? Don't you like this gift?"

"I like it..." Ye An'an's muffled, tearful voice came from his arms, "I just... I like it too much..."

She liked him so much that she felt she was unworthy of having such a wonderful man.

Xiao Jingshi breathed a sigh of relief when he heard her say she liked it.

He let her vent her emotions in his arms.

Until, gradually, her crying stopped.

"Is it done?" he asked in a low voice.

"Hmm..." Ye An'an lifted her head from his arms, her eyes red and swollen from crying, like a pitiful little rabbit.

She looked at herself, noticing that her expensive court robes were soaked with tears, and stuck out her tongue somewhat embarrassedly.

"I'm sorry, I got your clothes dirty."

"It's alright." Xiao Jingshi looked at her pitiful yet adorable appearance, and the smile in his eyes deepened.

He reached out and gently wiped away the last tear from the corner of her eye with his fingertips.

His movements were very light and gentle.

The calluses on his fingertips brushed against her delicate skin, sending a subtle, shivering electric current through her.

Ye An'an's face turned red again, uncontrollably.

The broker and Changting, who were standing nearby, had already tactfully stepped aside, heads bowed, pretending to be invisible.

But their perked-up ears and barely suppressed laughter betrayed their true feelings of being onlookers.

"Let's... go back." Ye An'an felt that the atmosphere was starting to feel a little strange again.

She stepped out of his embrace, still clutching the heavy stack of land deeds tightly in her hand.

"Okay." Xiao Jingshi nodded.

The two got back into the carriage and returned to the East Palace.

No one spoke the entire way.

But the warm and sweet atmosphere inside the carriage just wouldn't dissipate.

Back at Tinglan Waterside Pavilion, Ye An'an's heart was still unsettled.

Looking at the stack of land deeds in her hand, she felt as if she were dreaming.

She, Ye An'an, an ordinary modern office worker, actually became a landlady who owned an entire commercial street in ancient times...?

This...this is too surreal!

To calm her heart, which was pounding wildly with excitement, she decided to do something.

She plunged headlong into the small kitchen.

She's going to make her best bubble tea.

She wanted to celebrate this magical day with this drink, which was filled with sweetness and happiness.

She skillfully kneaded the tapioca flour, shaped the "pearls," and brewed milk tea.

Every step was filled with joy.

Xiao Jingshi didn't leave. He just sat quietly by the stone table in the courtyard, watching her busy figure in the small kitchen.

He enjoyed watching her cook.

That focused, earnest, and creative look was more pleasing to him than any scenery.

Soon, two cups of steaming, fragrant bubble tea were served.

"Your Highness, here you go." Ye An'an handed him one of the cups, her face beaming with a genuinely radiant smile. "Let's celebrate! I've officially become the number one landlady in the capital!"

She winked at him playfully.

Seeing her radiant appearance, Xiao Jingshi also laughed.

He took the milk tea, used the bamboo tube, and took a sip.

Sweet, smooth, and with a chewy texture.

It's a familiar taste that can lift your spirits.

The two sat quietly in the courtyard, drinking their milk tea without saying a word.

The afterglow of the setting sun shone through the treetops, casting long shadows on them and gilding them with a warm golden edge.

Peaceful and serene times—that's probably what it means.

"Your Highness," Ye An'an said suddenly after finishing the last sip of her milk tea, "thank you."

Thank you for everything you've done for me.

Thank you for understanding me, supporting me, and spoiling me.

"Silly girl." Xiao Jingshi looked at her, his eyes so tender they could melt your heart. "We're husband and wife, aren't we?"

He brought up the word "husband and wife" once again.

Ye An'an's heart skipped a beat again.

She looked at him, at his face, so handsome it seemed unreal in the sunset.

Looking into his deep eyes, which were always aloof but now filled with her own reflection, she felt a sense of awe.

Suddenly, she felt an urge to kiss him.

Xiao Jingshi seemed to understand the emotions in her eyes as well.

He slowly put down the cup in his hand.

He looked at her, at her delicate face so close to his, and at her pink lips that trembled slightly with nervousness.

He could no longer suppress the longing and yearning that had been surging within him for months.

He slowly moved closer.

Closer and closer.

Until he could clearly smell the pleasant scent on her, a scent with a faint hint of milk tea.

Until he could clearly feel her warm, rapid breathing.

He stopped.

His gaze was fixed intently on her eyes, as if questioning or seeking their consent.

Ye An'an's heart was about to leap out of her chest.

She didn't dodge.

She simply closed her eyes slowly.

This is a silent invitation.

With her tacit approval, Xiao Jingshi had no more scruples.

He lowered his head and gently kissed the soft spot he had longed for for so long.

It was a very light, soft, and clumsy kiss.

With a hint of probing, and boundless appreciation.

His lips were somewhat cold.

Hers, however, was warm, soft, and carried a hint of the sweetness of the milk tea she had just drunk.

In that instant, Ye An'an felt that her mind went completely blank.

It was as if countless fireworks were exploding brilliantly in her mind.

So this is what kissing feels like.

So this is what his kiss tastes like.

It's sweet, like milk tea.

It makes people addicted, unable to extricate themselves.