Xie Yan also rubbed his temples. He hesitated and said, "Then let him become an illegitimate heir."
Chen Tingfeng looked at him. "Go on."
Xie Yan pondered for a moment and then slowly began to speak.
The discussion lasted a long time. Seeing the cold dishes on the table, Fu Zhen simply asked someone to remove them. "Biyu, go to the kitchen and tell them to make two bowls of shredded chicken noodles and send them to the Crown Prince and the Second Prince."
"Okay." Biyu replied briskly and turned to leave.
After lunch, Fu Zhen returned to the study. After reading a few pages of the account books, she felt her eyelids drooping. Looking around, she directly lay down on the bed in Chen Tingfeng's study.
He must have slept here quite often. The quilt was neatly folded, but traces of use were still visible.
She took off her hairpins and lay down. Immediately, she smelled a faint, cold fragrance. She couldn't tell what it was, but it immediately made her think of him.
She rubbed her head against the pillow. The light fragrance enveloped her, as if she were still lying in his arms. She closed her eyes and soon fell asleep soundly.
In the main courtyard, just as Xie Yan finished speaking, he saw Yuanbao carrying a food box come in. He was a bit surprised. "Haven't you had lunch yet?"
Chen Tingfeng replied casually and looked at Yuanbao. "Did the young lady ask you to bring this?"
Yuanbao smiled. "Yes, Your Highness. The young lady was worried that Your Highness and the Crown Prince hadn't had lunch, so she asked the kitchen to make two bowls of shredded chicken noodles. They're still hot."
Chen Tingfeng's expression softened, and his voice unconsciously became a bit gentler. "Bring them up."
He looked at Xie Yan. "Do you want some too?"
For some reason, Xie Yan always felt something was off, especially when Chen Tingfeng's tone was so gently. It made him feel even more uneasy.
He glanced at the other person and said, "Sure, give me some too."
He had eaten at the Marquis Mansion many times. Although he had had lunch, he had used his brain too much just now and now felt he could still finish a bowl of noodles.
Shredded chicken noodles were Chen Tingfeng's favorite. He had never told Fu Zhen about it, but somehow she had secretly remembered it.
A gentle look appeared in Chen Tingfeng's eyes. He really wanted to go back and see her.
As a prince, Xie Yan had been taught the court etiquette, which emphasized eating without talking and sleeping without speaking.
The two of them ate in silence. Then they called a maid to bring up some green tea to rinse their mouths. After a new cup of tea was served, they got back to the topic.
Chen Tingfeng said, "This plan is not bad, but be careful when choosing people."
Xie Yan nodded. "I know."
The two of them spoke in riddles for a few words, and then Chen Tingfeng started to drive the guest away. "You've been out for a while. Go back."
"Ah?" Xie Yan hadn't reacted yet. He looked at the sky in confusion. "It hasn't been long. Do you have something to do later?"
"Yes." Chen Tingfeng nodded seriously.
"What is it?" Xie Yan was curious.
Chen Tingfeng pondered for a moment and said two words. "Settle accounts."
Xie Yan was full of questions, but before he could ask, he was "kicked out" by the other person.
He scratched his head, looked at Chen Tingfeng's back, and asked Fuyun, "Do you think he's getting weirder and weirder?"
He had noticed it at the palace banquet. At that time, he was like gunpowder. A little spark could make him explode the next second.
But today, he seemed to have got some sweet deal. His tone had become much gentler.
"Could it be that he's finally won his sweetheart's heart?" Xie Yan murmured to himself.
After thinking for a long time, he couldn't remember which girl had been close to Chen Tingfeng recently. He sighed and decided to stop torturing himself.
Trying to guess Chen Tingfeng's thoughts was even more difficult than dealing with the stupid Xie Guang.
When Chen Tingfeng returned to his courtyard and saw that it was very quiet, he knew that Fu Zhen was taking a nap.
Cuihuan saluted him and whispered, "The young lady read the account books for a while and then fell asleep in the study."
He nodded and tiptoed towards the study.
When he opened the door, sunlight poured in and almost shone on Fu Zhen's face.
Her eyes moved. She seemed to be sleeping restlessly.
Chen Tingfeng quickly closed the door to block out the sunlight outside. He walked closer slowly and sat on the edge of the bed, looking at her sleeping face.
He reached out and gently tapped her nose. "You still remember to send me food. You've finally grown a conscience."
Maybe he had been ignored by her for too long in the past. Now, every time he received her concerned response, his heart would flutter for a long time.
He looked at her for a while. Unconsciously, sleepiness came over him. He simply climbed onto the bed quietly and fell asleep beside her fully dressed.
As the sun gradually moved to the west, when Fu Zhen woke up, the first thing she saw was a wall of a man.
Chen Tingfeng was sleeping beside her. His breathing was shallow, and he seemed to be sleeping deeply.
It was the first time she had seen him sleep so defenselessly.
Fu Zhen turned her head to look at him. In her previous life, although she and he had shared a room occasionally after they got married, he had always been silent. If one party in a marriage became cold, the other would find it hard to express their feelings even if they were straightforward.
He didn't say a word. He just kept torturing her, as if he wanted to take revenge for all the anger he had suffered from her during the day.
So after marriage, she always slept until late in the morning.
It was the first time she had seen his sleeping face like this.
She reached out and poked his face. She had to admit that Chen Tingfeng was really good-looking. No matter what expression he made, he looked handsome. He really suited her taste.
Thinking about it, she poked him again. Who knew that the man who had been silent suddenly opened his eyes, opened his mouth and bit her fingertip, with a hint of a smile in his eyes.
"You've been awake for a while?" Fu Zhen snorted.
Chen Tingfeng let go of her hand and kissed it. "I woke up when you poked me the first time."
His voice was still hoarse from just waking up.
He reached out and pulled her into his arms. "The shredded chicken noodles were delicious."
He wanted some more next time.
Fu Zhen nodded and said confidently, "Thank me. I saved you from starving."
Chen Tingfeng laughed. After they had some fun, Fu Zhen sat up and looked down at him. "What did you talk about with the Second Prince?"
Chen Tingfeng took the opportunity to hold her hand, sat up too, and leaned his head on her shoulder. He squinted his eyes lazily and told her everything he had said to Xie Yan at noon.
Fu Zhen thought for a moment. "Can the Queen also poison people?"
"Maybe it's some kind of blood inheritance," Chen Tingfeng sneered. "After being with Xie Guang for so long, she has become very good at poisoning."
Fu Zhen suddenly frowned. In her previous life, the main culprit who had poisoned her was actually quite obvious. But she had always thought it was Xie Guang who had done it. Now that she suddenly knew that the Queen could also use poison, she couldn't help but think that what if it was the Queen who had poisoned her?
In her previous life, after she became the Crown Prince's Consort, she couldn't avoid some important occasions. And the Queen was always there on these occasions.
Thinking about it this way, it would be very easy for the Queen to poison her. She could even kill her without anyone noticing.
She squinted her eyes. For a moment, she felt a bit cold.
In her previous life, she had been reckless. Although she had some vigilance, it wasn't enough. And after she became the Crown Prince's Consort, she was simply a natural target.
Who else would the Queen kill if not her?